Chapter 3:
Elizabeth walked into the room, mentally reminding herself she was not insane. This was in fact happening. There was a serial killer a couple of rooms over seeking a brunette doctor to butcher. But she could deal with it. No problem. She reminded herself that she wasn't Maria. That she knew how to remain level headed in such crazy situations. Of course, she had never been targeted for murder before.
"I said, are you ok?"
"Huh? Oh yes... I'm fine. A bit tired, but fine. You ever just had one of those days?" She tried to smile despite the situation and found herself miserably failing.
"Everyday." She looked up into the man's eyes and saw a similar quality to the mysterious Mr. Evans.
"Are you and Mr. Evans related?"
"You could say that."
"Brothers?"
"In a sense. More like cousins."
"I see a similarity."
"That's a first." His chuckle brought her eyes back down to his hand as she finished her stitching.
"Well that should be it Mr... Michael."
"It was a pleasure Dr...." He looked down at her lapel. "Parker."
She stepped out of the room and took a deep breath. She could do this. It was just another patient who just happened to need her assistance in a different way. She walked down the hallway and caught Max Evans' eyes.
"I swear he better know what he's doing." She muttered under her breath and looked around to make sure no one was listening. She wasn't crazy. But after this event, she just might admit herself to the psych ward on the third floor. She opened the door and purposely left it open.
"Hello Andrew. I'm sorry that took so long. I had to get some extra stitching supplies elsewhere. Our closet stack was empty. Seems it's been a heck of a night for bruises and cuts."
"It's no problem." His previous charm and allure were now lost to her. That's how he must have gotten all of his victims. She tried to control her shaking hands.
"So, where are you from?"
"Nowhere in particular. I moved around a lot as a child."
"I was from a small town." She kicked herself in her head. She was babbling! She was babbling just like Maria babbled when she was nervous!
"Really?"
"Uh huh. Roswell, New Mexico. Home of the little green men." She closed the stitching on his forehead. He reached his hand up and wrapped it around hers.
"You've got soft hands."
"Thank you." She swallowed the lump that made its way to her throat. "I think you're all set Andrew."
"Dr. Parker...." He kept a firm grip on her hand and she looked out of the open door, hoping to catch a glimpse of her savior. Of course, he wasn't there.
"Yes?"
"Thank you." She looked into his bright eyes and was fooled, even for an instant, into thinking that this man was no threat.
"DON'T MOVE! Sylvester Adams, you are under arrest." She looked out into the hallway and saw Mr. Evans, two uniformed cops at his side, and several behind them. This did not look good.
"Put them down or I'll kill her!" Elizabeth felt his strong grip tighten and he spun her around and placed the scalpel to her neck. Why did she fear this was going to happen?
"You don't want to do that Sylvester."
"PUT THE GUNS DOWN!"
"Ok... ok. They're down." He looked over and demanded everyone put down their weapons.
"Step away from the door."
"How do you assume you're going to get by here? Huh? A little careless Adams. This place is full of people that will gladly tackle you to put you away." Elizabeth stared at Max Evans in shock. Pissing a person off was the last method she thought he'd resort to in order to save her life!
"F**k you. She's mine. All mine." He pressed the scalpel to her throat and she began to feel a faint sting and throb of being cut. He was going to kill her. She closed her eyes to prevent the tears when she heard the gunshot and his body slid down to the floor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Are you alright!?"
"I'm fine. Really. Just... a bit cut." Max watched as several doctors worked on patching up Dr. Parker's small cut. The woman was brave, there was no denying that. And beautiful. He closed his eyes a bit, the bright lights of the cameras blinding him.
"How did you know when to shoot?"
"Do you think he would have killed her?"
"How did you find him?"
"What were you doing here?" Max rolled his eyes a bit and turned back to Dr. Parker, who was now wearing a small gauze pad taped to her neck. Their eyes met for an instant and he smiled. Surprisingly, she smiled back.
"Detective Evans!"
"No more questions for tonight." The press cameras shot to the right and headed for the small doctor.
"Dr. Parker, what was it like?"
"Were you afraid?"
"Did you know who the man was?" Max laughed and headed towards her with several police officers.
"This is a public health facility. I'm afraid you all will have to leave at this point and make an appointment to come back. Good night all." They escorted the last of the press out and he made sure that the cops kept them out. He looked over at Michael who had fallen asleep on the small plastic waiting chair. He walked over to the hot drinks machine and got two cups of hot chocolate. Slowly, he made his way over to Dr. Parker.
"Long night?"
"Funny." She smiled and took the cup he offered.
"You really did great in there."
"You almost let me die."
"I would never." She put her head down and laughed, a strand of her brown hair falling on her face. He couldn't deny that he liked her. But he couldn't decide why he felt hesitant. Besides the fact that he had never dated in his life. Women always scared him. Their ability to discover one's inner secrets were world renowned. His secret... well, it was too big to risk it.
"Well, Mr. Evans...."
"Max, please."
"Max. I can't say it was a pleasure... but it was definitely an interesting experience."
"Well, it was a pleasure on this side." He smiled as he shook her hand.
"Dr. Parker?"
"If we're going to be informal, you might as well call me Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth... how about dinner tomorrow night?" Her smiling eyes suddenly opened wide to reveal the shock that he himself was experiencing. This was insane.
"I can't believe you're asking me that."
"Well, despite the unfortunate circumstances in which we met... I would love to see you again."
"You are really something, you know that?" Max prayed that her laughter was more with him than at him.
"How's seven sound?"
"Eight. Meet me here. I'll be off my shift." He couldn't help the cheesy smile that had suddenly wrapped his face.
"Goodnight, Dr. Parker."
"Goodnight, Detective Evans." He walked over and shook Michael up. They headed to the door and when he turned around, she was gone.
Elizabeth walked into the room, mentally reminding herself she was not insane. This was in fact happening. There was a serial killer a couple of rooms over seeking a brunette doctor to butcher. But she could deal with it. No problem. She reminded herself that she wasn't Maria. That she knew how to remain level headed in such crazy situations. Of course, she had never been targeted for murder before.
"I said, are you ok?"
"Huh? Oh yes... I'm fine. A bit tired, but fine. You ever just had one of those days?" She tried to smile despite the situation and found herself miserably failing.
"Everyday." She looked up into the man's eyes and saw a similar quality to the mysterious Mr. Evans.
"Are you and Mr. Evans related?"
"You could say that."
"Brothers?"
"In a sense. More like cousins."
"I see a similarity."
"That's a first." His chuckle brought her eyes back down to his hand as she finished her stitching.
"Well that should be it Mr... Michael."
"It was a pleasure Dr...." He looked down at her lapel. "Parker."
She stepped out of the room and took a deep breath. She could do this. It was just another patient who just happened to need her assistance in a different way. She walked down the hallway and caught Max Evans' eyes.
"I swear he better know what he's doing." She muttered under her breath and looked around to make sure no one was listening. She wasn't crazy. But after this event, she just might admit herself to the psych ward on the third floor. She opened the door and purposely left it open.
"Hello Andrew. I'm sorry that took so long. I had to get some extra stitching supplies elsewhere. Our closet stack was empty. Seems it's been a heck of a night for bruises and cuts."
"It's no problem." His previous charm and allure were now lost to her. That's how he must have gotten all of his victims. She tried to control her shaking hands.
"So, where are you from?"
"Nowhere in particular. I moved around a lot as a child."
"I was from a small town." She kicked herself in her head. She was babbling! She was babbling just like Maria babbled when she was nervous!
"Really?"
"Uh huh. Roswell, New Mexico. Home of the little green men." She closed the stitching on his forehead. He reached his hand up and wrapped it around hers.
"You've got soft hands."
"Thank you." She swallowed the lump that made its way to her throat. "I think you're all set Andrew."
"Dr. Parker...." He kept a firm grip on her hand and she looked out of the open door, hoping to catch a glimpse of her savior. Of course, he wasn't there.
"Yes?"
"Thank you." She looked into his bright eyes and was fooled, even for an instant, into thinking that this man was no threat.
"DON'T MOVE! Sylvester Adams, you are under arrest." She looked out into the hallway and saw Mr. Evans, two uniformed cops at his side, and several behind them. This did not look good.
"Put them down or I'll kill her!" Elizabeth felt his strong grip tighten and he spun her around and placed the scalpel to her neck. Why did she fear this was going to happen?
"You don't want to do that Sylvester."
"PUT THE GUNS DOWN!"
"Ok... ok. They're down." He looked over and demanded everyone put down their weapons.
"Step away from the door."
"How do you assume you're going to get by here? Huh? A little careless Adams. This place is full of people that will gladly tackle you to put you away." Elizabeth stared at Max Evans in shock. Pissing a person off was the last method she thought he'd resort to in order to save her life!
"F**k you. She's mine. All mine." He pressed the scalpel to her throat and she began to feel a faint sting and throb of being cut. He was going to kill her. She closed her eyes to prevent the tears when she heard the gunshot and his body slid down to the floor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Are you alright!?"
"I'm fine. Really. Just... a bit cut." Max watched as several doctors worked on patching up Dr. Parker's small cut. The woman was brave, there was no denying that. And beautiful. He closed his eyes a bit, the bright lights of the cameras blinding him.
"How did you know when to shoot?"
"Do you think he would have killed her?"
"How did you find him?"
"What were you doing here?" Max rolled his eyes a bit and turned back to Dr. Parker, who was now wearing a small gauze pad taped to her neck. Their eyes met for an instant and he smiled. Surprisingly, she smiled back.
"Detective Evans!"
"No more questions for tonight." The press cameras shot to the right and headed for the small doctor.
"Dr. Parker, what was it like?"
"Were you afraid?"
"Did you know who the man was?" Max laughed and headed towards her with several police officers.
"This is a public health facility. I'm afraid you all will have to leave at this point and make an appointment to come back. Good night all." They escorted the last of the press out and he made sure that the cops kept them out. He looked over at Michael who had fallen asleep on the small plastic waiting chair. He walked over to the hot drinks machine and got two cups of hot chocolate. Slowly, he made his way over to Dr. Parker.
"Long night?"
"Funny." She smiled and took the cup he offered.
"You really did great in there."
"You almost let me die."
"I would never." She put her head down and laughed, a strand of her brown hair falling on her face. He couldn't deny that he liked her. But he couldn't decide why he felt hesitant. Besides the fact that he had never dated in his life. Women always scared him. Their ability to discover one's inner secrets were world renowned. His secret... well, it was too big to risk it.
"Well, Mr. Evans...."
"Max, please."
"Max. I can't say it was a pleasure... but it was definitely an interesting experience."
"Well, it was a pleasure on this side." He smiled as he shook her hand.
"Dr. Parker?"
"If we're going to be informal, you might as well call me Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth... how about dinner tomorrow night?" Her smiling eyes suddenly opened wide to reveal the shock that he himself was experiencing. This was insane.
"I can't believe you're asking me that."
"Well, despite the unfortunate circumstances in which we met... I would love to see you again."
"You are really something, you know that?" Max prayed that her laughter was more with him than at him.
"How's seven sound?"
"Eight. Meet me here. I'll be off my shift." He couldn't help the cheesy smile that had suddenly wrapped his face.
"Goodnight, Dr. Parker."
"Goodnight, Detective Evans." He walked over and shook Michael up. They headed to the door and when he turned around, she was gone.