The Command

Henri was furiously beating a remote against the palm of his hand when I was finally allowed to walk into his room. The man had his head and torso bandaged, but he still managed to look like something out of a modeling catalogue, like he was supposed to look like that. I took in his brown hair and the messy state it was in, and that's when I realised just how bloody young he was.

I'd known his age when I hired him, of course, and I'd seen him in casual clothes, or as casual as what could be considered given Henri's personal taste, but his mannerisms had always made him seem older. He was a mature man. But he was young.

"Isn't it a bit absurd that you don't have a wife and children, yet?" I removed my coat, finally, and pulled a chair up beside his bed. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I have slept for long enough." He clicked his tongue. "It's been two days."