"You don't understand!" Barry exclaimed upset. "She's been gone for over
two hours! We've looked for her everywhere. And we can't find her." He
stared at the guard in front of him who had his arms crossed over his
beerbelly, looking down on Barry with condescending eyes.
"Sir, calm down. She might've left without you." He didn't believe Barry. He had much experience with people disappearing from their partners or spouses or whatever kids were these days. He worked at an airport, people came here to leave. But the guy in front of him refused to accept it, his dark haired friend wasn't much better.
"Helen wouldn't leave without me! She was going to the bathroom." Barry tried to explain as clear as possible, he wanted to beat it into the guards head so he'd help them. He was going frantic. If anything had happened to her he'd never forgive himself.
At first Ray had been a little surprised over his reaction, then she'd been gone half an hour and he'd been blaming the long lines. But Barry had insisted something had happened and they'd spent an hour and a half looking for her without succes. Now even Ray was feeling the nudging fear and worry that was starting to become such a familiar feeling.
"I don't have time for this sir." The guard tried to get away from Barry who grabbed his collar and got a very threatening look back. Ray stepped between and pushed Barry away from the large guard.
"I'm sorry." He apologized. "But this is a very dear friend of ours." He glanced at Barry. "Fianceé even." He added. "She isn't the type who walks off, in fact I know she'd never walk away from Barry here if there was still a breath in her body."
Barry felt something take a cold grip around his heart hearing that. If there was still a breath in her body. That spelled out that there was a possibility there wasn't.
"Heller." He mumbled quietly trying to lean on something. But there was nothing to lean on, so he just stood there in a bent forward position staring at the floor.
Ray didn't notice. He was busy with the guard. "So you see, any - any - help at all, would be much appriciated. We need to get to the hospital and we are running very late. Is there any chance you could help us. Call her out on the speakers or something?"
The guard scratched his beard. He glanced at Barry and then nodded. "Yes, okay. I will have her name called out on the speakers." He sighed a little and then pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from his back pocket.
"What is the name of the missing girl?"
"Helen, Helen Shivers." Ray told just as a janitor pushed his broom by Barry. He threw the blonde guy a concerned glance but then flinched hearing the familiar name.
"Helen Shivers, the girl from the news." He said and Barry who'd straightened his back nodded.
"Yeah, she's an anchorwoman." He confirmed, his eyes two hollow pits.
"No, no. She's here. The girl from the news is here." The janitor said excited and both Ray and Barry turned their attention to him.
"You saw her?"
He looked at Ray. "Si, she was looking for the bathroom. Very nice girl." He smiled again at Barry who's eyes got wide.
"Where? When? Do you know where she is?"
The security guard pushed him away and stepped between. "I'll handle this sir." He said and turned to the janitor. "Can you show us where she went?"
The poor guy looked confused on the three men in front of him, his smile was gone. "Si, si." He nodded and put his broom to the side. "She went over here." He led the way and the others followed.
"She's okay Barry." Ray reassured as they got closer to the bathroom. His friend kept running his hand through his hair, breathing hard and rubbing his face with his other hand. Ray knew there was no comfort until he'd put his eyes on Helen and that there was nothing he could do, so he kept quiet and let Barry take the lead.
"Here." The janitor stopped in front of the bathroom and Barry immediatley rushed in, ignoring the possibility of any girls being in there and the guard calling him.
It took a couple of seconds of surveying the room in front of him. He saw nothing out of the ordinaire, not a soul in sight. Then in the corner of his eye he spotted the tiny hand, right below the door to a stall.
He immediatley ran over and pushed it open, the guard and Ray at his tail.
"Helen." He cried seeing it was her lying unconcious on the floor. There was blood on her left temple and he lifted her up into his lap. "Helen" He called again, shaking her, tears emerging his eyes.
Ray stopped putting his hand on the wall and the other over his mouth. The nightmare was never going the end.
The guard was trying to use the walkie-talkie thing he had on him but it didn't seem to work. He mumbled something about 911 and then rushed out of the bathroom.
Time stood still.
Ray kept staring at the scene in front of him. Two of his best friends on the floor, one of them lifeless in the others arms. He had to get to Julie. He had to see that she was okay. But he couldn't move. His feet had the weight of two stone blocks and his legs refused to work.
He kept staring, wishing to wake from this hell.
**********'
Julie was waiting in her room. She was supposed to have been picked up an hour ago and the hospital staff was giving her angry looks. She had her bag on the bed and was dressed and everything.
She was thinking of going out into the entrance but then she was sure she'd miss her friends and they'd spend forever trying to find each other in the big building. So she stayed put and kept glancing at the clock. Something must've happen.
Anxiety grew within her and she jumped high when somebody opened the door behind her.
"Oh, I'm sorry miss. I didn't know you were still in here." It was a male nurse who'd stopped by a couple of times during her stay. She hadn't liked him. There was something off putting about his eyes.
But Julie still forced a smile. "Oh, it's okay. I'm not supposed to be, but my friends are running late. I can go out in the hall if you want me to." She gestured at the door but the guy shook his head and showed his pearly whites.
He was very neat and clean, almost to overexaggeration. She wasn't sure why but he made her nervous. Something about his presence.
"No, no you don't have to. I'll be out of here any second." He said with a nod and changed some blankets or something in a small closet. Pretty useless thing to do and even if she didn't look at him she was sure she felt his eyes on her.
'Stop being so paranoid Julie' She told herself in her head.
"Have a nice day miss." He said with another row of pearly whites and then he was gone. She relaxed.
"I'm not well." She mumbled as Ray came rushing into the room. "Ray!" She exclaimed happily but the look on his face made her smile die.
"Jules." He said and gave her a firm hug that seemed longer then just a friendship hug. "It's Helen." He said as he let her go. "She's just been brought in."
Julie thought her head was going to explode. She grabbed his arm crampishly as her knees went soft underneath her. "What? Brought in? What do you mean brought in? Is she okay?"
Ray shook his head and Julie's eyes expanded to absoulte widest width.
"We have to get to her! Is Barry there? We have to get to her!" She said all in a rushed mosh and Ray nodded matter of factly.
"I'll take you to her." He promised, putting his arm around her shoulder - keeping her on her legs, and grabbing her bag with his other hand. "Come on. This way." He said leading her away.
"Sir, calm down. She might've left without you." He didn't believe Barry. He had much experience with people disappearing from their partners or spouses or whatever kids were these days. He worked at an airport, people came here to leave. But the guy in front of him refused to accept it, his dark haired friend wasn't much better.
"Helen wouldn't leave without me! She was going to the bathroom." Barry tried to explain as clear as possible, he wanted to beat it into the guards head so he'd help them. He was going frantic. If anything had happened to her he'd never forgive himself.
At first Ray had been a little surprised over his reaction, then she'd been gone half an hour and he'd been blaming the long lines. But Barry had insisted something had happened and they'd spent an hour and a half looking for her without succes. Now even Ray was feeling the nudging fear and worry that was starting to become such a familiar feeling.
"I don't have time for this sir." The guard tried to get away from Barry who grabbed his collar and got a very threatening look back. Ray stepped between and pushed Barry away from the large guard.
"I'm sorry." He apologized. "But this is a very dear friend of ours." He glanced at Barry. "Fianceé even." He added. "She isn't the type who walks off, in fact I know she'd never walk away from Barry here if there was still a breath in her body."
Barry felt something take a cold grip around his heart hearing that. If there was still a breath in her body. That spelled out that there was a possibility there wasn't.
"Heller." He mumbled quietly trying to lean on something. But there was nothing to lean on, so he just stood there in a bent forward position staring at the floor.
Ray didn't notice. He was busy with the guard. "So you see, any - any - help at all, would be much appriciated. We need to get to the hospital and we are running very late. Is there any chance you could help us. Call her out on the speakers or something?"
The guard scratched his beard. He glanced at Barry and then nodded. "Yes, okay. I will have her name called out on the speakers." He sighed a little and then pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from his back pocket.
"What is the name of the missing girl?"
"Helen, Helen Shivers." Ray told just as a janitor pushed his broom by Barry. He threw the blonde guy a concerned glance but then flinched hearing the familiar name.
"Helen Shivers, the girl from the news." He said and Barry who'd straightened his back nodded.
"Yeah, she's an anchorwoman." He confirmed, his eyes two hollow pits.
"No, no. She's here. The girl from the news is here." The janitor said excited and both Ray and Barry turned their attention to him.
"You saw her?"
He looked at Ray. "Si, she was looking for the bathroom. Very nice girl." He smiled again at Barry who's eyes got wide.
"Where? When? Do you know where she is?"
The security guard pushed him away and stepped between. "I'll handle this sir." He said and turned to the janitor. "Can you show us where she went?"
The poor guy looked confused on the three men in front of him, his smile was gone. "Si, si." He nodded and put his broom to the side. "She went over here." He led the way and the others followed.
"She's okay Barry." Ray reassured as they got closer to the bathroom. His friend kept running his hand through his hair, breathing hard and rubbing his face with his other hand. Ray knew there was no comfort until he'd put his eyes on Helen and that there was nothing he could do, so he kept quiet and let Barry take the lead.
"Here." The janitor stopped in front of the bathroom and Barry immediatley rushed in, ignoring the possibility of any girls being in there and the guard calling him.
It took a couple of seconds of surveying the room in front of him. He saw nothing out of the ordinaire, not a soul in sight. Then in the corner of his eye he spotted the tiny hand, right below the door to a stall.
He immediatley ran over and pushed it open, the guard and Ray at his tail.
"Helen." He cried seeing it was her lying unconcious on the floor. There was blood on her left temple and he lifted her up into his lap. "Helen" He called again, shaking her, tears emerging his eyes.
Ray stopped putting his hand on the wall and the other over his mouth. The nightmare was never going the end.
The guard was trying to use the walkie-talkie thing he had on him but it didn't seem to work. He mumbled something about 911 and then rushed out of the bathroom.
Time stood still.
Ray kept staring at the scene in front of him. Two of his best friends on the floor, one of them lifeless in the others arms. He had to get to Julie. He had to see that she was okay. But he couldn't move. His feet had the weight of two stone blocks and his legs refused to work.
He kept staring, wishing to wake from this hell.
**********'
Julie was waiting in her room. She was supposed to have been picked up an hour ago and the hospital staff was giving her angry looks. She had her bag on the bed and was dressed and everything.
She was thinking of going out into the entrance but then she was sure she'd miss her friends and they'd spend forever trying to find each other in the big building. So she stayed put and kept glancing at the clock. Something must've happen.
Anxiety grew within her and she jumped high when somebody opened the door behind her.
"Oh, I'm sorry miss. I didn't know you were still in here." It was a male nurse who'd stopped by a couple of times during her stay. She hadn't liked him. There was something off putting about his eyes.
But Julie still forced a smile. "Oh, it's okay. I'm not supposed to be, but my friends are running late. I can go out in the hall if you want me to." She gestured at the door but the guy shook his head and showed his pearly whites.
He was very neat and clean, almost to overexaggeration. She wasn't sure why but he made her nervous. Something about his presence.
"No, no you don't have to. I'll be out of here any second." He said with a nod and changed some blankets or something in a small closet. Pretty useless thing to do and even if she didn't look at him she was sure she felt his eyes on her.
'Stop being so paranoid Julie' She told herself in her head.
"Have a nice day miss." He said with another row of pearly whites and then he was gone. She relaxed.
"I'm not well." She mumbled as Ray came rushing into the room. "Ray!" She exclaimed happily but the look on his face made her smile die.
"Jules." He said and gave her a firm hug that seemed longer then just a friendship hug. "It's Helen." He said as he let her go. "She's just been brought in."
Julie thought her head was going to explode. She grabbed his arm crampishly as her knees went soft underneath her. "What? Brought in? What do you mean brought in? Is she okay?"
Ray shook his head and Julie's eyes expanded to absoulte widest width.
"We have to get to her! Is Barry there? We have to get to her!" She said all in a rushed mosh and Ray nodded matter of factly.
"I'll take you to her." He promised, putting his arm around her shoulder - keeping her on her legs, and grabbing her bag with his other hand. "Come on. This way." He said leading her away.