My Hospital Is My Prison

The house Josh was renting was in probably the nicest neighborhood I had ever seen. He had spent the last few years saving to get his own place and I had to admit, he picked a good one. The yard was small but it was a very nice white, two story house. The door was a really deep shade of crimson and the shutters were matte black. Of course, I had only seen pictures having been away for the last month completing an internship in a hospital over 300 miles away.

Long distance relationships are always hard but it was about to get exponentially easier. I got a position at the local hospital and I was finally moving back home. Josh had invited me to stay with him until I could find an apartment. But first, I had to finish my internship, my very... last... day. The anticipation was killing me and I had actually made up my mind weeks ago that I was leaving immediately after my shift. I hadn't told Josh. I wanted it to be a surprise. I had already packed the essentials and had set up to have the rest of my stuff moved in a week. I was doing my last rounds of the night and I was double checking the file and vitals of Mr. Chatwin, my heart racing with excitement when someone grabbed me from behind making me jump and forcing a small squeak to escape my lips.

"Tonight!" Carly squealed, obviously just as excited as I was. "Why are you still here? I can cover for you, girl. Get the hell out of here!"

I laughed and hugged her as tight as my slight frame would allow. This is why she was my best friend. She always had my back, ever since we were undergrads. She was the one who helped me get into med school. She helped me study for six weeks straight and it was the most trying and exhausted thing that I ever went through. At least until I started my internship which turned out to be roughly 122% worse. Interning was the most grueling, sanity-breaking experience of my life.

"Thank you, Car. You're my favorite person in the world. I love you!" I kissed her on the forehead, shoved the chart into her hands and nearly tripped over my feet as I was sprinting to the locker room. As I ran, nearly sliding on the polished floor, I found myself nearly knocking over one of the resident doctors, hitting him full in the chest. In a most unexpected act of gracefulness I caught the folder I had knocked out of his hands, brushing a few loose strands of mousey brunette hair out of my face.

"In a bit of a rush, Dr. Williams?" he chuckled deeply taking his folder from my hands, and gently straightening his glasses.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," I stammered. "Tonight is actually the last night of my internship and I was just about to head out because I'm going to drive home and hopefully surprise my boyfriend and I'm just anxious to get on the road because it is so far and –"

"Slow down, Liz! You're fine," he chuckled again. "Geez, you sound like you're about to have a panic attack. Maybe you should take a little while and calm down before you get out on the road. A lustful, sleep deprived driver is just as bad as a drunk one, you know."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," I replied walking away, trying to slow my pace but my excitement burst from me sporadically resulting in an awkward skip-sprint.

"And stop calling me, sir!" he called after me. "I'm not your boss anymore!"

"Sorry, sir!" I called back, not really having paid any attention to his last statement. My mind was flooded with thoughts of Josh, of his face when I knocked on the door, of his hands in my hair, his lips crushing mine, his breath on my skin... Focus Elizabeth! I scolded myself. Don't wear yourself out before you get there.

A quick change of clothes at my locker and shoving my used clothes into a bag meant I was finally ready to hit the road. Finally having sated my exuberance I walked calmly to my car, though my heart was still pounding. As was tradition, I always had to have a great departure album to keep me awake and entertained through the nearly four hour drive, especially considering how late it was. Settling on an upbeat pop-punk album with an understated, nearly post-apocalyptic narrative, I put the car in gear and headed onto the freeway entrance.

Singing along hard and loud to the album twice over I had all but lost my voice and decided ease the temptation to keep singing by switching to a news radio station which was recalling the events of the day, one of which was an elementary school shooting that killed six children, two of which were kindergarteners and injured eleven others. I sighed, feeling terribly sorry for the children and the families but also for the doctors who had to care for those children. Dying and injured children were the hardest parts of being a doctor, a necessary part, sure, but most assuredly the most difficult. I listened for a few more minutes before I had to change the station, the morose news impeding my excitement and breaking my concentration.

When I had pulled off the freeway to Josh's house I had stopped at a gas station, refilling my tank, using the facilities and switching into something a little more convenient to get out of. I touched up my make-up, let my hair down, and dabbed a very light scented perfume below my ears and on my wrists, not wishing to drown out my natural scent or being too overwhelming.

It wasn't the cool night breeze on my newly freed skin that caused a shiver to tickle my spine but the overwhelming calmness that had settled on me, the prize for my patience and loyalty was so close at hand. Soon enough I would be in his arms again and the mere thought of what awaited me causing a slick wetness to pool between my thighs. The last mile to his house was torture, plain and simple. It seemed to take hours yet passed too quickly. The nerves had set in but as I pulled to the curb in front of his house I knew everything would be fine.

All the lights were off, he must have been sleeping. I knew he had been working extraordinarily hard since he got his promotion and was now Lead Developer for a local gaming company and I hoped he could forgive me for waking him but then chuckled reminding myself that he was still a man and men like sex at every hour of the day and night. I turned off the car and got out.

I steadied myself, smoothing my skirt and hair and slowly walked up to his front door but I heard something rustle on the side of Josh's house. Thinking perhaps he had heard me pull up, recognized my car and was trying to scare the pants off of me, as per usual. I crept over in an attempt to spoil his silly prank.

"Josh," I said, keeping my voice low so as not to wake his neighbors. It was about 3:30 in the morning and I didn't want any of them to get the wrong first impression about me. "Josh, come out. Let's go inside. I've got a... present... for you," I whispered seductively, hoping to sidetrack his mind from his childlike mischief, but he didn't come out. He didn't even reply. That was when I noticed the man who had just walked out from behind the house.

It could have been Josh, right height, right build but everything else about him was wrong. He had blond hair, not black. He had bright green eyes, not hazel. Everything was wrong, I was scared, my fight or flight senses were screaming at me to do something but I couldn't. My knees were locked, my eyes unblinking. I only had time to say "What the f-" before the man, the wrong man, had closed the distance between us, closing one hand over my mouth, grabbing the keys from my hand and turning me around so his muscular chest was pressed against the soft curves of my back. Clawing at the hand on my mouth and the hand wrapped around my stomach I screamed, hoping Josh would hear me, hoping anyone would hear me but it just came out as a raspy broken breath.

He was dragging me to my car, swinging me when I had dug my heels into the moist ground. I could feel his erection growing against me, pulsing slightly, and creating new waves of rage and panic induced adrenaline to burn though my system and I couldn't stop myself from crying. My salvation was literally less than thirty feet away from me but he wasn't coming to rescue me. He didn't even know I was there. I heard the soft click of my car doors being unlocked. He released his hold on my chest to open the door and then shoved me in. I landed on my back, my left arm twisted under me and I heard a sickening crunch then an explosion of white hot pain in my left wrist and I was sure it was broken.

The man climbed in after me, slamming the door and I wished with all that I was that someone had heard it and was checking to see who was slamming doors at this hour. I tried open the door on my side but he grabbed me by my ankles and flipped me onto my stomach, a shooting pain dancing up and down my left arm. My screaming sobs so raspy and broken and muffled in the back seat of the car that when he grabbed for my wrists and zip-tied them together behind my back no sound escaped.

I could hear him breathing, long, slow, calm breaths when he grabbed my hair and arched my back, pulling my face towards him. I could feel his rough fingers sliding up my skirt and dipping under my panties. "Are you scared?" he whispered, his sickly sweet breath against my neck.

Please," I cried. "Please don't do this. Please just let me go!" I sobbed, my voice cutting in an out.

"That's not what I asked you, pet," he sighed. "I asked you if you were scared." He pulled my hair much harder.

"Yes!" I screamed to the best of my ability. "Yes, I'm scared!"

"You should be." I could feel his grin as tears spilled from my eyes.

He flipped me again, my broken wrist dragging against the surface of the car seat and crunching again when my weight was on it and I cried out. I tried kicking him but he was between my thighs, sighing again, and pulling something out of his back pocket. It wasn't until I heard the familiar sound that I realized it was duct tape.

"If you're going to keep screaming, you're really giving me no choice here, pet," and he kissed me, his tongue lightly licking my bottom lip, as I pressed my lips together as tight as I could, not letting him get inside. He pulled back and smashed the silver duct tape down on my chapped lips. I tried to scream out and struggled to get him away from me, but my screams were barely audible and the pain in my wrist severely limited my movements.

He reached up my skirt again and fondled my silky, soaked panties. "Oh my God, pet. You really need me don't you?" he sighed as he slowly inserted a finger into me. "You're so tight and warm!" He exclaimed. "I want you so bad." He rubbed his hot, thick cock against my slick entrance. Alright, Elizabeth. This is a terrible situation. There has got to be- but before I could plan anything to get me out of here, he pushed into me. It felt like he was ripping me in half. Muscles I didn't even know I had were stretching to the point of agony. He didn't give me any time to adjust before he started thrusting in and out of me.

"Oh my God," he chuckled. "You are so tight!" He leaned down and took one of my small pink nipples into his mouth, sucking it until it puckered tightly then dragged his teeth lightly across the hard nub. He slowed his thrusts down to slow and hard and he hit my sensitive clit making me gasp and my inner walls to throb. My body was betraying me but no matter how good it felt I was still getting violated. I was being raped... right outside my boyfriend's house.

"Oh. Did you like that? Do you want me to rub your clit?" he smirked. I shook my head as violently as I could willing him to stop. I didn't want it to feel good. I didn't want to cum for him, but then he hit it again and my body convulsed. "You're getting close aren't you, baby? You like it when I fuck you like a slut, don't you? God, your pussy is so wet." He fucked me harder, almost hitting my cervix and causing an exciting new thrill of pain mixed in with the pleasure as he rubbed my clit with his thumb. I couldn't help but raise my hips to meet his thrusts. He pounded himself into my G-spot and I cried out in self-hatred and pleasure. I could feel my orgasm building in my core and I'm sure he could feel it too.

"Are you going to cum for me, love?" he sighed through his smirk. I fought it, suppressing the feeling. My walls pulsed around his thick cock and he groaned and bit me on the neck and I couldn't control it anymore. My mind was flooded with ecstasy, I saw stars and I could feel my pussy clench and release his throbbing cock sporadically as I screamed out.

"Oh, Jesus, I'm going to cum," he whimpered. Jesus Christ, Elizabeth, you are not on birth control. Do something!

I panicked and did the only thing I could think of. I bucked my hips as hard as I could, forcing him to lean forward on me, his warmth radiating into me and head-butted him as hard as I could. I felt his nose crunch under my forehead.

"You stupid bitch!" he yelled and slapped me, the thick ring on his hand cutting into my cheek. I tried to wriggle my way out from underneath him, my wrist screaming at me. He started to choke me when I heard a soft click. I didn't even have time to open my eyes before he slipped the blade into my ribs.

You're fine. You're fine. He hasn't removed the blade. You won't bleed out unless he removes the blade, just slow your heart rate and you'll make it until morning. Someone will find you in the morning. Just calm down. You're fine.

I heard the jingle of my keys, I felt him spit in my face and then he removed the blade, wiping it on my shirt. Then he left, locking the door behind him.

Okay, stop the bleeding. You have to get up and stop the bleeding. Elizabeth, stop crying, get up and stop the bleeding! My mind was screaming at me. Everything I learned in medical school, every instinct I had couldn't prepare me for a day like this. ELIZABETH! Get up! Open the door!

I tried to move. I had barely managed to flip onto my side to put pressure on the wound when I realized my hands were still tied behind my back, and my mouth was duct taped shut. I couldn't unlock the doors even if I tried.

I was going to die in this car, so close to him unable to tell him that I love him one last time before I was gone. My warm blood pooled underneath me, soaking everything in the back of the car. I wasn't sure how much time had passed before someone noticed but suddenly someone was banging on the car window and screaming my name. I heard window break and click the unlock button. It was Josh. I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't. I wasn't even sure if I was breathing. For all I knew this could have been a hallucination, my brain trying to bring me a sense of peace in my last moments.

It wasn't until he pulled me out of the car when I realized I was still alive. Being dead wouldn't hurt that much. He was cradling my bruised, broken, blood stained body in his arms crying and begging me to come back. I wanted to tell him that I was still there but I couldn't. Darkness was pressing in on me again and it felt so comforting, so painless, I let myself drift away.

"What do you mean she has a pulse?" Josh screamed.

"I'm telling you this girl isn't dead! Get her in the ambulance. Prep a bag of O negative."

I wasn't dead. Yet. Being put on a stretcher and driven to the hospital was one of the most painful things I'd ever endured, not the physical part but the emotional part. Sean was sobbing: the man who grew up hungry, the man who watched his best friend die, the man who had his humerus nearly shattered by a bullet wound when he tried to stop a mugging, the man who wasn't emotional about anything was sobbing over me. I wanted to comfort him. I had to comfort him, to let him know I could hear him and that I was going to be fine.

I moved my hand over to his and opened my eyes just to look at him. The whole ambulance gasped but that was all of the energy I had before I slipped into black again.

I could see daylight behind my closed eyelids. Josh and my dad were talking. I heard a steady, rhythmic beeping and I felt a needle in my hand and a tightness in my chest. A hospital. I was alive. I turned my head to look at them. They looked like father and son. I tried to smile but I was too tired. I must have made a noise because they looked at me, terrified and joyful. My dad was at my side and Josh was calling for the nurse. They cooed in my ear asking me so many questions and giving so many reassurances I thought my head might burst. A woman, the nurse, came in, her ashen blond hair tied into a tight bun on the top of my head and she shooed them out.

She did the typical tests on trauma patients and then sighed and sat on the side of my bed with me.

"You scared us all half to death, Dr. Williams," she scolded. "Your first day here and you nearly died! We weren't sure if you were going to make it. The Dean of Medicine is furious. You're our bright and shining new doctor and..." she shook her head and sighed.

"Wait, this is my hospital? This is where I'm going to work?" I was flabbergasted. The possibility of this being my new workplace hadn't even crossed my mind.

"Well it was going to be –"

"What do you mean 'going to be'?" I interrupted her.

"Well, we all just assumed you would leave the city. That was a horrible first impression. I can't believe that happened! And in a neighborhood like that!"

"I want to stay. I want to work here. I worked really hard to get a position here, I'm not going to leave just because of –" I gasped, the wound in my side punishing me for talking so much.

"You need to rest now, Dr. Williams," she smiled. "You are a fighter, that's for sure. I'm going to go get the doctor. You seem fine but I know he's going to want to check on you."

"Thank you, Miss... Um..."

"Just call me Cyndi," she smiled again, though it didn't reach her eyes and she left me.

My dad and Josh came back in, Josh holding a bouquet of purple flowers and my dad holding a cup of chocolate pudding.

The next few hours were filled with friends and family showing up with flowers, cards and teddy bears. Most of them cried including all of my close guy friends. It was very strange to me to see all of these men cry, especially over me. It made me very uncomfortable, almost ashamed. Carly was the last to show up. She had booked a flight when my dad called her. I needed her. I needed her hugs. I needed her reassurance and her misplaced, off the charts anger and situations like these, but when she walked in she burst into sobs, dropping the flowers she bought me and ran to my bed. I stroked her hair and told her that I was fine.

"You're not fine! Look at you! You were fine eight hours ago when you left work but you're not fine now. You're in a hospital. You nearly died! Lizzy, I'm sorry. You never should have left. You should just come back with me. God! If I ever find the cocksucker who did this I'll cut off his balls and–"

"Car! I'm fine, really I am. This changes nothing. I'm moving in with Josh and I'm going to be working here. It was a fluke. It's not going to happen again. I swear to you."

"Liz, it's not–"

"Knock, knock. Can I come in?" said the doctor at the door. I couldn't see him behind Carly but he had a certain kindness in his voice. His bedside manner must be great. "I'm going to have to ask you all to leave us be. I need to do a physical examination."

Carly squeezed my hand and Josh kissed me. By the time I had the opportunity to see my new co-worker his face was buried in my file. He walked over to the window and closed the blinds. "The nurse who examined you this morning -"

"You mean, Cyndi? She was very nice."

"Yes, well she says that everything seems to be fine but I'd like to check you for myself, if you don't mind."

"Not at all doctor...?"

"Van Harten." he said as he lowered my file and smiled at me. His blond hair looked much lighter in the daylight, his tall frame towering over me, the thick golden ring glittering on this right index finger. The bruise on his nose had swollen and was covered with a small bit of tape. I must have broken it.