Good evening Readers. While this is categorized under books of Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal - this story takes place between Hannibal Rising and Red Dragon. Hopefully my request to adding Hannibal Rising or Hannibal Lecter Series happens so for now, this is where this story is categorized. Notice: Light profanity, blood, and mention of abuse/alcohol. Will do my best to keep all minimum and tasteful.
Elizabeth was unsure why she would not report Jacob. Everyone else was telling her to report him to the campus security but she just could not do it. Too much was at stake between him affecting her success in obtaining her doctors in Public Health. While he was a child with the silver spoon in his mouth, she struggled keeping up with her debts by working overtime.
Sitting in the Mental Health ward, Nurse Rose crudely over Elizabeth's re-fractured nose and double black eyes. A little twitch could be see over Nurse Rose squinting eyes but Elizabeth ignored the woman while stuffing her nose with a fresh tissue.
"Lizzy, you're attending a Medical University… go to the ER… we can't throw this under the rug anymore," Rose stated as she examined Lizzy's swollen eyes tracking the light. Time… the mention of time made Lizzy look to the clicking clock on the wall behind Rose.
"Shit, I'm late."
Before Rose could stop Elizabeth with a firm hand, the small framed woman bolted out of the ward to the stairs as trails of bloody and clean tissues fell from her pockets.
"Damn it Lizzy! I'm calling Professor Tolpher to drag your ass back!" Rose screamed down the bare hall echoing Elizabeth's clicking kitten heels.
Turning to kick the door to the stairs open, Elizabeth yelled in return, "Wait for at least two hours Rose! Really want to get info from the guest speaker!"
The guest speaker in her Mental Health class was the infamous Dr. Lecter. Only two years older than Elizabeth, she had only learned of him through his studies and doctoral notes. This was the first and probably only time, she was going to be in the same room, and she was not going to miss it.
Running across the quad and into the educational building, Elizabeth slowed her pace as she reached the hallway that held the packed lecture hall. Sliding her heels off to not bring more attention to her, the girl calmed her breathing as she tried to open the doors to the back of the room.
Locked. Awesome.
Damning herself for being 10 minutes late, the girl in black slacks and long sleeve, pulled her white lab coat over her shoulders while keeping her heels and notebook within her arm. Knowing the only door now open was the front right door of the hall, Elizabeth calmed her heart as she walked slowly to the looming door. Taking a deep breath, she slowly peeked in. Light had flooded the front row students causing them to squint to the sudden change in light. Muttering a few baby swear words, Elizabeth slide in and slowly closed the door behind her, not letting the latch click.
Closing her eyes to adjust her eyes, the girl opened to see her Professor staring at her from across the large room of students. While the well-rounded man in glasses appeared irritated, he always looked that way. Wanting to clear her throat from running across campus, Elizabeth watched her professor turn and look to an empty seat.
Great. The last seat, hundredth row, hundredth seat. Awesome.
With every seat taken on every row, she had no choice but to cut through the front.
Not even ready to embarrass herself even more as the guest speaker continued his presentation in a rich accent, Elizabeth was grateful for her small stature. Hunched as she crossed the front of the classroom, not once did she passed the horizon of the speaker podium or display tables. While there was one victory, the victory was short lived as she saw her professor at the foot of the stairs blocking her from salvation.
"I'm sorry Professor, I had…" Elizabeth started to whisper but the Professor shook his head for silence as his finally caught the black eyes and line of blood close to falling off her upper lip. Pulling a clean white handkerchief from his breast pocket, the man held it out. As the small drop broke from her lip and onto her crossed arm, she took the handkerchief hastily to cover her mouth and nose again.
"Stay after the lecture Miss Kerr," the man requested before stepping out of her way to answer the muffled phone ringing from his office.
Great. I'm screwed. And there's Rose calling to get my ass back and into ER.
Reaching the last available seat, the girl forgot about Rose, writing her notes, or even putting her shoes on when she looked to the infamous, Dr Hannibal Lecter. The man was the definition of suave; hair gelled back, words chosen well before spoken. She watched his eyes glitter from the idle light flickering from the projector; as much as she wanted to call them hazel, there was a deep color of red within the low and high lights of his eyes. Almost maroon, like blood on the moon. While she eyes the man talking about the brain, a note was soon at her elbow.
I got the notes. Just listen. –M
Thank the gods for Melissa, her next-door neighbor. She was not necessarily her neighbor as they lived within the same house. It was a four-bedroom row house that had walls knocked out; two rooms in the basement, two on second floor, with ground floor as common areas. With Elizabeth alone on the basement floor, issues between her and Jacob was easily mistaken or not heard but Melissa knew. She was working on getting it through Elizabeth's head that what he was doing, was not okay.
The lecture had taken over an hour, but as the final words from the doctor ended and a few questions were tossed in his direction, the floodgates opened as students filtered out of the room as others shook hands with Dr. Lecter. After 10 minutes of idle conversations with the young man, Elizabeth was finally alone in the room with just the Doctor and her Professor. With her head held by her fingers over her mouth and under her chin, the white handkerchief was almost red by the time she finally came to realization she was the only student left.
Slowly standing as she slid her feet into her beige heels, the girl wavered as she stood. Gripping the railing as she held onto her notebook and clutched the red piece of fabric in her fingers, Elizabeth felt ill as she came closer to the front of lecture hall. While she could hear Professor Topher introducing Elizabeth to the doctor, the girl began to reach out to the table that the men stood at before missing it by inches and falling to the floor.
With Dr. Lecter already in mid motion of offering his hand to greet Elizabeth, he was soon holding her body weight to softly place her on her back. Even though he caught her as quickly as he could, her face had brushed his shoulder, reopening the wound on her nose that sent blood down his shoulder. She knew this because she saw the fresh red stain smudged on his lab coat and some of her beige lipstick.
Before she could apologize and attempt to sit up, Professor Topher and Dr. Lecter began examining her.
"What happened to you?", Dr. Lecter stated in an almost American accent. Even though she was breathing through her mouth as she tilted her head to not have her blood go down her nose, she could almost smell his cologne. Warm, inviting.
"Fell down the stairs," she replied but Professor Topher shook his head. He knew it was someone but he was not able to find out who.
"When did it happen?" Dr. Lecter continued as he shined a light into her eyes.
"Two… three… maybe four hours ago." While she followed the light with her eyes, she could not stop herself from looking into his eyes. Such a pretty color.
"Is this common?" he continued.
Elizabeth could not answer but continued to stare at his eyes.
"What is your blood type?" Professor Topher requested. While it was not in reference of finding blood for her, it was his way of knowing that his students were his students.
"AB negative." She stated clearly.
"When was the last time you ate?" he continued.
"… two…", another moment of hesitation as she thought hard.
"Two what?" the Professor stated as she could hear something ruffling out of vision.
"Two days ago?" she replied in a question still staring at the doctor.
Before she could apologize for the mess she was, Elizabeth Kerr checked out.
Awesome first time meeting a well-established doctor Liz.