Ghost: A Velvet Glove Story

Trip took blood from the still form and sent it to the lab by courier. He phoned it in first, letting them know they were willing to pay extra for speed. He went over Ghost again, examining him closely.

For all intents and purposes, the boy was asleep. The ECG came back normal. His heartbeat was normal, his lungs were clear. A close examination of the boy's skin revealed no needle marks, no punctures or wounds. The blood work would reveal if drugs were involved, but if they were, they hadn't been administered through a vein.

Ghost was a pretty lad. Small and pale, with almost shockingly white hair. From what Mal said he was a good sub, if unemotional.

It was a puzzle.

Trip loved puzzles.

He supposed that made him seem ghoulish, even for a doctor.

He called the med suppliers, arranging for a brainwave scanner. In the end he purchased it, which guaranteed him delivery within a few hours and it wasn't really that much more than the rental would have been. Then he sat down to go through the tape of the session, to see if they yielded him any clues.

The session started normally enough, Ghost stripping silently and standing by the wall, the top fastening cuffs to wrists and ankles. There was little if any discussion, just a straight-forward paddling, Ghost's face relaxed, peaceful.

Then it got a little weird.

The top started talking, started going on about another man who had either passed away or left him, it really wasn't clear. As the top grew more agitated, the speed of the blows increased -- still completely within reason, but increasing. Ghost's face though, mirrored the agitation on the top's, his eyes filled with tears, his cheeks flushed.

Trip was pretty sure it wasn't from the beating either, but from the pain the top was communicating. Ghost obviously felt bad for the man, was picking up on the upset. He could see the session becoming more and more intense until finally Ghost's eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out. Only one more blow fell, the top realizing almost immediately that there was something wrong with the boy.

Interesting.