He’d shopped extensively at the market and knew the stallholders by sight but not by name. He’d met the vet when he’d taken Radulf to check a sprain, but he couldn’t remember her name. There was the library, Gabby, Amy, and the other librarians. He’d met Hans the caretaker, and Ben mentally put a star alongside his name, because Hans also knew Nikolas, had, in fact, been working for the Mikkelsens before Nik was born, and Hans knew Ingrid. Alan had three sons, Jacob, Tomas and Otto. Now, though, his shoulders ached so much he could hardly move his arms, and his wrists were so swollen he couldn’t feel his hands, so it was very hard to get a blanket and a piece of glass and try to tear strips. He had a weapon and, more importantly, something he could use to rip the blankets. He increased the pressure, and finally it broke apart. Eventually, he reversed it and hit the open rim, and then it cracked. He could feel the metal digging in, the skin rubbed raw and bleeding, but he continued to bash the thermos. Unfortunately, the strain on his wrists where they were held tight in the shackles began to make them swell. Who knew thermoses were so strong? But he didn’t have much else to do, so he continued.
He twisted around and got hold of it with his hands and then repeatedly smashed it, again and again. Pain shot through his damaged ankle, but the thermos didn’t break. He picked it up between his feet and slammed it into the concrete floor. He cursed and dropped the thermos, and that was when he had his first real glimmer of a plan. Finally, he settled on grasping the thermos with his knees and then slowly rolling back until…scalding coffee poured all over him. He was desperate enough to knock it over and lick the coffee off the floor, despite the other spills surrounding him, but he wanted to leave that for a last option.
Then came the puzzle, how to actually drink the contents. He even managed to screw the top off and set it back down. He’d dismissed it at first, being so handicapped with his hands behind his back, but by getting it secure in the folds of the blankets, he was able to grasp it quite easily.
Eventually, he thought about the thermos.
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