Meanwhile, in an effort to lose the cops after the run-in with one police car had left yet more destruction behind them, Steve had decided they should hide out. The van was left round the back of some deserted building on a run-down industrial estate, while Steve, Mary, her boyfriend and Steve's inmate Rafe, and Sam went inside.

While inside the van, Steve had tied Sam's hands together behind her back and shoved a gag in her mouth. The gun still grasped firmly in his hand, he took her into the empty building and pushed her down into a corner.

Sam was too scared to try and run. She was all too aware of what her ex-husband was capable of, and she dreaded to think what he was going to do with her. At least Alex wasn't caught up in all this, Sam thought to herself, as she struggled to sit up.

She gasped as two shots suddenly rung out. Looking up fearfully, she saw Mary and Rafe's bodies slumped on the floor, blood pooling from the bullet holes in each of their foreheads.

Sam shrunk back further into the dark corner as Steve turned to face her.

"It's going to be better now." He told her quietly. "Now that we're together again, everything will be alright. I'd rather we were all dead, than be apart and all screwed up." Steve pointed the gun at her. Sam tried not to cry.

She closed her eyes but instead of hearing a third gunshot, she heard the sound of a glass bottle grating on the rough concrete. Opening her eyes again, Sam watched as Steve, now sitting on the ground in front of her, took a big gulp of whatever cheap, strong alcohol was inside. He drank again and again, all the while maintaining a secure hold on his gun.

Once the bottle had been drained of its contents, Steve threw it against a nearby wall where it smashed. Sam recoiled at the action, worried that it could have been directed at her. Steve moved closer to her. She tried to get away but couldn't. Moaning in fear and pain through the gag, Sam begged him not to touch her, but he didn't listen.

Steve's weight was heavy on top of her, pinning her to the ground. He hands bound behind her; there was nothing Sam could do to defend herself. She could smell the alcohol on his breath as he pressed his lips against her mouth forcefully.

Sam desperately turned her head away from him, struggling to breathe through the material. She fought back tears as his hands roamed over her body, under her clothes. Closing her eyes, trying to think of Alex and Tony, Sam was unable to block out the reality of the situation as her ex proceeded to rape her. Wishing more than anything for it to be over, Sam felt the tears start to stream down her cheeks.

Eventually Steve finished and collapsed drunkenly beside her. Sam lay still for a few minutes, praying that he wouldn't wake up, before she removed his arm from across her stomach and moved away from where he was passed out. She struggled with the ropes binding her hands and after a while they loosened. Ignoring her sore and bruised wrists, Sam pulled the gag out of her mouth and got shakily to her feet. She winced as shards of stray glass bit into her palms but she didn't take much notice.

Running out of the building, away from Steve's unconscious form and passed the bodies of Rafe and Mary, Sam didn't look back. Reaching the entrance her heart sank. They were miles outside the city, and she had no way of getting back to County General... The van. But where were the keys? Rafe or Steve probably had them, Sam thought miserably.

Deciding this was still her best option to get out of here, considering she didn't have her cell on her, Sam made her way quietly back inside. After checking Rafe's pockets she concluded that Steve must have the keys.

She made her way cautiously over to him. He was still out of it, which was hardly surprising due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed in the space of a couple of minutes. Sam carefully rolled him onto his back and began searching through the pockets of his jacket.

Just as her fingers closed around the cold metal of the keys, Steve jerked awake and grabbed Sam's arm. Without thinking she seized the gun from where his slack grip had dropped it, pulled the keys from his pocket and backed away from him. When he refused to release her, Sam pulled the trigger.

Steve yelled in shock and pain as the bullet imbedded in his flesh, but Sam didn't stop to see. She barely felt the gun slip from her trembling hands as she fled.

Terrified that he might follow her, she threw herself into the front seat of the van, shoved the key into the ignition and sped away. Only when she reached the throughway did she slow down a bit, confident that he wasn't going to catch her.

Sam exhaled; trying to hold it together as she drove back to the hospital. Her hands were still shaking and the pain from the broken glass was beginning to hit her, as were the bruises Sam knew now covered her body.

Soon some dodgy sounds started coming from the engine of the van, and considering the battering it had taken in the run-in with the police car earlier, Sam was hardly surprised. Fortunately for her, she was just round the corner from the hospital, so she pulled over and got out. As Sam made her way to the entrance of County General, the adrenaline being pumped round her bloodstream was decreasing, so as a result the shock and reality of her situation threatened to overwhelm her.

She clutched at a pain in her side; bruised ribs probably, caused by the near car-crash a few hours ago plus being thrown about in the back of a speeding van. Despite her nurse's training, Sam felt a wave of nausea wash over her at the look of the blood on her hands and wrists. Nearing the ER doors, the pain seemed to worsen, but her heart rate had slowed down at the familiar and comforting sight.

Summoning the last of her physical, and emotional, strength, Sam pressed the button for the doors and stepped into the ER. The scene that greeted her was not one of total chaos and destruction like she had feared, so Sam was relieved.

The ache in her side worsening, Sam stumbled further into the room, towards the admit desk.