I rise the next morning as my body protests as a result of the exhaustion I feel. I'm exhausted despite sleeping soundly last night and late this morning. It's Wednesday which means Tobias has already left for class but I roll over to find a note from him.
Tris-
I know you've been through a lot in the last few days so I didn't want to wake you. I love you and hope you have a great day. I won't be home until late tonight as we have a group project and I need to work on it. Please remember to eat and take care of yourself.
-Tobias
I smile at his note, admiring the imperfect handwriting that was no doubt written for me. I manage to rise and get dressed before heading to the cafeteria. I eat quickly then find I've nothing to do so I decide to wander around campus.
The air is growing colder as I can see my breath. I miss having someone to talk to as everyone else is at class right now and I am not. Eventually, I settle on visiting the library and check out several books about nursing and baby names mostly.
It's early to begin thinking about names but I suppose it should give me something to do in the meantime. I wonder what my parents and brother would think if they knew I had a boyfriend and was pregnant right now. Would they be angry? Would they be supportive? Both?
The thought of being a parent is both exciting and scary obviously. I think of Kaitlin's parents and wonder how they are able to deal with losing a child. I can't imagine going through something like that and hope I never have to find out.
I shift my focus back to the stack of books in front of me. I decide to read some of a copy of on what to expect in pregnancy, then move to a baby names book, and then one on being a NICU nurse.
There's so much to learn about the infants that I quickly shut the book for now. It's overwhelming and I'm beginning to see why parents might feel the same way. There's so much to know about weight, life expectancy, infections, and more that I never considered before.
I've made a list of names I want to discuss later with Tobias. For a girl, I like the names Claire, Olivia, Ava, Ella, Amelia, Rose, and Charlotte. For a boy, I like the names Ben, Aiden, Ethan, Liam, Finn, and Wyatt. I also like the names Alex and Riley which could work for either gender.
I make a mental note to buy and begin taking prenatal vitamins soon. I take the time to look up OB/GYNs and make an appointment to see one next week. I'm tired by this point so I stuff the books into my backpack and head back to the dorm.
It's a bit of a walk back with the crisp, cool air outside. I decide to see if Christina and Will are home yet and knock on the door. No one answers but I feel a hand clamp over my mouth, expecting it to be Christina or Tobias as I chuckle to myself.
When I look up though, it's not anyone I expect to see. His eyes are tense and he appears angry as I try to bite his hand and wiggle myself free. He quickly overpowers me though and everything goes black.
As I open my eyes, I try to take in my surroundings but the room is dark. There's a metal fold up chair behind me but otherwise, the room is completely bare. I notice my hands are tied behind my back and sore like they have been for a long time.
My head feels fuzzy as I try to piece together what happened and how I got here. I remember going to Christina's and having someone fight me until I passed out but the rest is difficult to remember.
I start to panic, breathing quickly. I can't risk passing out again so I try to take in my surroundings as much as possible to give my mind something to do. The walls are a rustic red brick with a small window in front of me. It looks dark out, suggesting it's either early morning or late at night.
Basement? Could I be in a basement? It seems possible especially as the floor beneath me is concrete. I wonder how long I've been gone and if anyone has noticed I am yet. Will Tobias think I have suddenly up and left him?
I hope not, I hope not. I wonder about who took me although I don't know as my mind seems to have wiped out this detail. I must have been drugged, it's the only explanation I can think of for why everything feels so confusing.
Before I passed out, I remember my attacker plunging a needle into my arm, injecting me with something but I don't know what exactly. I still have all of the same clothes on as far as I can tell so it wasn't rape-related but he obviously took me for some reason.
But I still don't know why I'm here or why I was taken, it's a mystery my mind is trying to solve. If I could just remember his face, maybe I would know but I can't. I can't remember much of anything.
My mind is still pondering all of this but I can't make anything coherent out of it. As I'm still thinking, I notice that a door handle I hadn't noticed begins to turn. I want to pretend to be unconscious again but it's too late as I watch the handle turn, indicating that whoever is behind the door will soon be present.
At first, when I notice the male figure enter the room, I think it is Tobias. My heart jumps at hoping he is rescuing me when I realize he isn't. The same dark hair, same piercing blue eyes that glare at me. It isn't Tobias but Tobias' father, Marcus. What does he want with me?