Mr. Stone exhaled, turning his focus on his daughter. Julie glanced at the girl’s serene face and smiled. “I’ll be here throughout the night,” she reassured him. “You have nothing to worry about.”
He finally nodded, stood up, stretched, and gathered his things. “Very well. I’ll head home for a few winks. But I’ll be here early in the morning.”
“Of course. I understand.”
Mr. Stone looked one last time at his daughter, and then left the room, heading in the direction of the main desk and elevator.
Returning to her work, Julie walked up to Natti, tucked the sheets into the mattress, and checked the intravenous fluids besides her. As time passed without Mr. Stone’s company, the hospital became eerily quiet, which made Julie become highly sensitive. This wasn’t her first night shift—in fact, she typically loved being assigned the late hours because of the peace and quiet—but she felt there was something wrong. A gut feeling that something was about to happen. The chirps of the monitor seemed to grow in volume. Her arms felt colder, her skin amplifying every touch. Her stomach twisted into knots while she stood there feeling alone and vulnerable.
Reminding herself there was always at least one other nurse at the main desk, she settled down in the chair the girl’s father had abandoned. She opened the magazine she brought and began to flip through the articles and advertisements.
A loud tapping sound traveled through the halls. Julie’s stomach lurched, and her adrenaline spiked. She glanced at Natti, placed down her magazine, and headed for the open door. She scanned the hall finding no one in sight.
“Mr. Stone?” Julie called. “Doctor Chang?”
There was no response. She stepped out of the room, keeping herself alert. Another tapping sound crossed the floor farther up towards the emergency exit. She walked forward, her curiosity trumping her caution.
As Julie passed a dimly lit entry, a pair of hands snatched her from behind and pulled her into the shadows. A man covered her mouth before she could scream. Two turquoise eyes bore down on her. A thrilling tingling sensation ran under her skin.
“Just relax,” the man said. Her body instantly becoming gelatin at his command. “And look into my eyes.”
***
Natti awoke to the rattling and clanking of metal. Her heart began to pound, the weight on her chest causing her lungs to contract. She cracked her eyes open just enough to see Doctor Chang move into the room with two paramedics. They wheeled a gurney alongside her bed and collapsed the hospital bed’s side arm. Doctor Chang hurried to the other side of her bed. He skimmed his fingers over the tube running the intravenous fluids into her vein.
“What’s going on?” Natti asked, her voice still groggy with sleep.
“We’re relocating you,” a familiar voice responded with such intensity, her mind felt it might explode, “to a more appropriate setting for our needs.”
Natti shifted up and turned her eyes on Seth’s father. Sean gracefully strolled to the foot of her bed. Adrenaline and fear rushed through Natti’s system. She lunged for the nurse’s call button, but Doctor Chang pulled it from her grasp. Natti glared at him.
“I knew I couldn’t trust you,” she hissed.
“Don’t be so hasty, my dear,” Sean cooed, causing Natti’s headache to flare. “We’d merely like to have a private conversation.”
Natti was about to call for help when the paramedic with a thick muscular build placed a heavy hand over her mouth. The force shoved her head deep into the pillow. She latched her hand onto his wrist, sinking her nails into his flesh. The man hardly flinched, a delighted sneer crossing his lips. She sunk her nails deeper and sliced them into his arm, only causing him to groan in pleasure.
Her panic growing, she began to kick instead, hoping to throw the man’s weight off her. The second paramedic sprang to life, grabbed her legs, and pinned them to the mattress. Natti’s body became rigid with fear, her heart racing so fast it felt as if it would fly from her chest. She cried a muffled scream.
“Oh my.” Sean picked up her chart. “There is no need for such dramatics, Natara Stone.” The mere mention of her name drew her into a soft fog. “You are safe in our hands. Relax.”
Natti felt the lie in his words and tried to scream again as she bucked. Her lungs began to complain from the lack of oxygen.
“Can we move a little faster?” the first paramedic asked, pulling at his collar. “This uniform is killing me. Why couldn’t you swipe one my size?”