[Gary very slowly starts to wake up, hands immediately travelling to his head as he groans.]

Gary: [strained] Oh jesus...

[He sits up, looking around where he is. He looked down at himself and sees that he’s laid down on a leather sofa with a blue and white striped blanket on top of him. He takes it off of him, flipping himself around the sofa and seeing the room. The room is all painted a dull beige colour, with a television at one end of the room. There’s a single bed which is neatly kept, Humphrey’s briefcase kept at the end of it. There’s an open door that leads into a bathroom and a door that’s closed. Gary gets up, looking around quickly before heading towards the door. Before he can get very far, Humphrey enters with a cup of coffee and a plastic bag. He perks up, while Gary remains surprised.]

Gary: Oh God, hello!

Humphrey: Evening. Are you okay? You took quite the beating out there?

Gary: Oh, um… y-yeah, I’m fine, I think?

[Humphrey chuckles a bit, closing the door behind him.]

Humphrey: Would you care to sit down? If that doesn’t trouble you at all.

Gary: I… um, sure, I guess. What time is it?

[Humphrey sets the plastic bag on the bed, drinking some coffee.]

Humphrey: Oh, about eight o’clock. You were out for the count, as far as I could tell.

Gary: Really, I’m fine-

Humphrey: [quickly] You were stabbed in the shoulder.

Gary: [panicking] I was what?!

[He quickly reaches for his shirt, pulling it up slightly to see a large bandage covering his shoulder.]

Humphrey: After that rather… unlikable young man attacked us, I took you back here, my hotel room. Thought it’d be best to get you patched up.

Gary: I… um…

[Gary sits up, turning his attention back to Humphrey who is currently unpacking the contents of the plastic bag to a few polystyrene boxes and wooden forks.]

Gary: T-thanks but… didn’t you get hurt?

Humphrey: Oh no, I’m fine. Completely.

[He grabs a fork and box, handing it to Gary.]

Humphrey: Pie and chips?

[Gary very hesitantly reaches out and takes the box, opening it to see a pie and chips.]

Gary: Um… thank you… seriously, are you okay?

[Humphrey nods, opening his own polystyrene box to reveal some chips and a battered sausage.]

Gary: It’s just… I heard him kicking you and you- no offense to you, at all, but it sounded like you just fell apart. There was so much breaking noises-

Humphrey: He cracked a rib. That’s all.

[He looks to Gary and smiles.]

Humphrey: Mister Gray, I assure you, I am completely fine.

[Gary nods slowly. He sighs and closes the box of food, getting to his feet.]

Gary: Sorry, I should… I should really go home.

Humphrey: Mister Gray, with respect, I don’t think that’s incredibly safe for you.

Gary: No, I-I’ll be fine, I promise, I just… I really need to get home, do some stuff, y’know. College work!

Humphrey: Well if there’s an issue, your tutor or whoever is in charge can come to me and I’ll explain the situation to them-

Gary: That's really not necessary, I promise.

Humphrehy: Well at least let me contact your parents if you’re going-

Gary: [quickly] No!

[Humphrey frowns in confusion. Gary sighs.]

Gary: I, um… I’m sorry, I just… I’d rather not tell them about tonight. If that’s okay.

[Humphrey gives a small smile, taking a bite from his chips.]

Humphrey: I believe I mentioned to you… in one form or another… something along the lines that “complete confidentiality”?

Gary: Nothing I say leaves the room.

Humphrey: Precisely. If you feel it’s best, I won’t tell your parents.

Gary: Okay… thank you, Mister Duncan…

Humphrey: It’s no problem, Mister Gray.

[Humphrey smiles, quickly eating more from the box.]

Gary: Are you new to counselling?

Humphrey: In a fashion, yes. It’s not exactly my usual line of work.

Gary: Right… sorry if that sounded rude, I just… most counsellors don’t keep secrets like that.

Humphrey: Well I think we can both agree that we’re both not most of anything. I’m not most counsellors just as you are not most average teenagers. Am I correct?

[Humphrey looks up at Gary, staring. He hesitantly nods.]

Gary: I should really be going-

Humphrey: [quickly] One moment!

[Humphrey eats another chip and gets up, taking out his phone.]

Gary: W-what are you doing?

Humphrey: Mister Gray, it is currently eleven past eight at night and you were mugged at only half four this afternoon, I cannot let you walk home alone in good faith.

Gary: Oh, y-you don’t have to do that, it’s fine.

Humphrey: With all due respect, I’m not giving an option.

[He dials a number into his phone, moving towards the door.]

Humphrey: I’ll just be outside, I need to make sure I can use the car. You stay here.

[Gary nods, sitting down on the bed. Humphrey smiles and leaves the room, closing the door. He gives an annoyed sigh, walking down the corridor to make distance from the room. The corridor is a dull brown with a red floral carpet and bright lights above. There are only two other rooms along the corridor, opposite to Humphrey’s. The phone picks up.]

Marshall: [over phone] Humphrey! How are you?

Humphrey: I’m fine. Alice didn’t tell you about me being able to do the job yet, did she?

Marshall: [over phone] She did, but she was just excited, she gets like that.

Humphrey: That’s good, because I’m about to disappoint you.

Marshall: [over phone] What do you mean? Is something wrong?

Humphrey: I don’t know if I can kill Mister Gray.