I'm so sorry this has taken so long to finish. I honestly didn't realize that I hadn't posted the whole thing. This chapter is kind of short, I'm sorry, but the final chapter should be up soon. Enjoy :)


Cheryl's head jerked up from its resting place at the kitchen table upon hearing the ghastly scream behind her. She rushed into the living room and knelt down beside the couch, desperately trying to rouse Emily. She could see the beads of sweat across the young woman's forehead, but to the touch she was freezing.

"Emily? Em, honey!" Cheryl cried out, shaking her frantically. "Emily, wake up!"

The negotiator shot up from the fetal position she'd worked herself into, her eyes were bloodshot and swollen from the devastating nightmare. She tightly clutched the blanket draped over her shoulders until the color had completely rushed from her knuckles.

Cheryl gently rubbed the side of Emily's arm, trying to console her, "Are you ok?"

Emily swung her legs off the side of the couch and stood up, "I have to go to him… We have to leave now!" she said, grabbing her cell phone off the coffee table and bolting for the door.

Sensing the urgency, Cheryl grabbed her car keys and followed Emily out to the SUV, never questioning the negotiator.

They arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later, Cheryl drove up to the main entrance. Emily had the door open and one foot on the ground before the car came to a complete stop. She sprinted between the two automatic doors and through the lobby towards the elevators. She pressed the button to signal the lift to pick her up and waited impatiently. When it didn't arrive in due time, Emily's patience ran out. She rounded the corner to the stairwell and jerked the door open, slamming it against the wall. She hurried up the three flights of stairs to the ICU floor and barged through the metal door.

A doctor making his morning rounds grabbed the negotiator's arm as she tried to rush past him. He jerked the young woman around, bringing her face to face with the dark skinned man. "You can't be--," he began, but Emily cut if him off, flashing her badge and ID, "FBI." The doctor released her, needing no further explanation for her presence. The entire hospital had been buzzing with bureau employees checking up on their colleague.

She slowed her pace as she approached Matt's room, the door was slightly ajar. Emily took a deep breath and forged onward, pushing the door aside. She paused in the threshold, motionless, terrified to move forward, to bring her nightmare to life.