For good measure, I don't know what possessed me to write this. I'm just girl-crazy I guess. :) Reviews are welcome as always.
Rachel gained access to the 3rd floor patient wing by punching in the four-digit code she had received from Ernest. This hall was darker than the previous areas of the hospital; it appeared that some of the overhead lights were in need of replacing. It didn't seem that this facility was big on maintenance though, judging from the overall run-down condition of the place. The left-hand wall was lined with doors, each labeled S1, S2, S3, and so forth. The first two were actually missing their knobs, but the third one was still intact, and it was from this room that Rachel heard a strange, low noise. She leaned against the wall and drew her gun, slowly opening the door and thrusting her weapon before her before entering; an act that seemed to scare more people than anything, but it was a risk she was willing to take. She soon let down her guard, though, when she was greeted by the sound of soft crying.
"Police," she announced. In the diluted sunlight that shone through the room's single, barred window, she found that the room was extremely small, just big enough for a single narrow bed and a small bedside table. On the bed, a young woman lay in a fetal position, keeping her back to the door. Her thin body was racked with sobs.
"Miss…are you all right?" She placed a hand gently on the woman's shoulder, causing her to jump a little. "It's okay miss…I'm a police officer."
The woman relaxed a little at this. "That voice…" She turned over and sat up slowly, her eyes slowly traveling up Rachel's body to her face. Rachel stared back; trying to place a face she knew she had seen before. She was young, close to Rachel's age, with medium-length blonde hair and brown eyes. She wore a loose-fitting white gown, just as she had seen other female patients wear. It was difficult to tell her body type under the ill-fitting cloth.
"Rachel," she said. "Don't tell me you don't remember me. Lisa Garland? I was your nurse at Alchemilla."
Remember…how could she ever forget. It was five years ago. She was still a rookie, not even two years into her career when she was involved in a shootout in Silent Hill's shopping district. One bullet aimed at the police met its mark, right into her back. It grazed her spine; the doctors had told her without mincing words that two millimeters to the left would have spelled eternal rest for her. Instead, her fate had been a week's stay at Silent Hill's Alchemilla Hospital. Her doctor, Michael Kaufmann, didn't exactly have the greatest bedside manner, but she was fortunate enough to be left in the capable hands of a young nurse most of the time. She had come to know Lisa Garland, a young woman struggling to build a career under the eagle-eye watch of the chauvinistic Dr. Kaufmann. She witnessed the nurse suffer cringe-inducing, humiliating abuse at the hands of the doctor, and came to truly sympathize with her. Unfortunately, after her release she lost contact with the woman she had come to consider a friend, and never saw her again…until now.
"Of course I didn't forget," Rachel said lamely. "I just never expected to find you in a place like this."
Lisa sighed, and curled her legs under her on the bed. "I never expected to end up in a place like this. But maybe I belong here. I shouldn't have let him get to me…"
"What happened?"
She hesitated. "I killed him."
"Who?"
"My boss. I just couldn't take it anymore. The abuse…all the humiliating things he did to me…the things he made me do…" She lowered her eyes, and drew a shaky breath. "You probably think I'm a terrible person, don't you?"
Rachel thought about this. "Well…speaking as a cop, I cannot condone murder. But as a woman who's been where you were, I can't really blame you for snapping. Drastic measures call for drastic actions."
Lisa raised her head, and smiled for the first time, sighing with relief. "I should've known you'd understand," she said. "I wish you had been with me during that time. Maybe it wouldn't have had to come to that. But then again…maybe I was meant to end up in here. Maybe it was the only way I could see you again."
"Maybe."
Lisa rose from the bed, and Rachel noticed for the first time that she was barefoot. She cringed at the idea of any exposed skin coming into contact with the dirty-looking tile floor, but Lisa didn't seem to mind. She stood very close to Rachel, as could be expected in such a small space.
"Well…if I really was meant to see you again, I guess I should tell you a few things," she said.
"Like what?"
"Well…" Lisa fidgeted, shifting from foot to foot. "It may sound silly, but…I think I had a bit of a crush on you back then."
Rachel was quite taken aback at this, but did not show it. "Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, you're so strong. You're a cop, it's your job to protect people. I wanted you to protect me."
"Well, I can still do that. It's not safe here. Let me help you get out."
"No!" Lisa blurted out, surprising Rachel. "I mean…what if that killer is out there? What if something happens to you?"
Rachel shook her head. "That's not gonna happen. I'm no rookie anymore."
"I know…but still, I worry. I don't want to lose you again. When they said there was a chance you could have died…I was scared."
"I know. But it'll be okay. I'll protect you, I promise."
Lisa smiled a little. "Okay…but before we go, can we just…stay here for a little while longer?"
"Sure."
"And…" Again with the fidgetting. "Could you do something for me?"
"What?"
"Could you…just hold me for a little while? We don't have to do anything else. I just think it would be relaxing."
Rachel considered. It was a strange request, to be sure, but the protective part of her could not refuse. "Sure."
"Thank you, Rachel," Lisa beamed. She then hesitated, looking down at the bed, and then back at Rachel. "Sit there," she instructed, pointing to the bed. Rachel did as she was told, sitting on the bed with her back against the wall. Lisa settled in next to her so that they were touching. Rachel didn't have to be told what to do next; she placed an arm around the girl's narrow shoulders, and Lisa snuggled close to her, resting her head on her shoulder.
"Mmm…this is relaxing," she said. They sat in silence for some time. Rachel's mind was racing a mile a minute. She considered all the possible outcomes of this situation. As she had said previously, this did not exactly top her list of safe places to rest. The door was not locked; anyone could walk in here. Stanley was still on the loose, as was Barry. She would never hear the end of it if the latter walked in on them. And then of course there was the possibility that Lisa would want to do more than just be held. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.
"You know," Lisa said out of nowhere. "I've never really talked about what happened to me. I mean, I told the doctors, but I don't think they really cared. They're men, after all. They probably don't blame him for what he did." The slightest bit of anger tinged her words.
"Well, you could tell me if you wanted," Rachel said. Anything to break the tedious silence.
"Yeah…I feel like I can tell you anything," Lisa said. "Well, it started with him just making rude comments, like telling me how great my ass looked in a skirt, stuff like that. Then he started touching me. I hated that he did that, but I put up with it. I worried that I could lose my job if I said something. And then…" She paused. "One night, I was pulling a double shift. I was in the break room getting coffee. He came in there…he locked the door behind him, I remember that now. He came up behind me…and put his arms around my waist. I was startled…I spilled coffee all over the place. Then he turns me around and just…kisses me, really harsh-like. He practically crammed his tongue down my throat. I couldn't breathe…I thought I was going to choke to death. Before I know it, I'm on the floor. He's on top of me…my skirt was shoved up…" She started to choke up at this. "He raped me right there on the floor."
"Oh God…" Rachel instinctively put her other arm around her. Lisa broke down and sobbed, pressing her face into Rachel's shoulder.
"It hurt so bad…I was so scared. And then…when he was done, he got up and zipped up his pants. He never took off any of his clothes. And then he goes, 'Okay, time to get back to work. Those bedpans don't empty themselves, you know.'" She sobbed harder, clutching onto Rachel for dear life.
"That's so awful," she said. "Did anything else happen after that?"
"Things went back to normal…at least as normal as things got around there. He still did things to me, but just the touching and comments, that sort of thing. But one day I decided I'd had enough. I bought a gun. I put it in my purse…and then…I finally did it." Her words dissolved into another flood of tears.
"It's okay. It's over now. That'll never happen to you again…at least not if I have anything to do about it."
Lisa raised her tear-stained face to stare into Rachel's eyes. Their faces were just inches apart. Rachel knew what portended, but that was not to say she wasn't shocked when Lisa leaned in to kiss her. It was light but lingering, and an unmistakable rush of heat flooded through her body. She was still shocked, to be sure; after all, she wasn't usually so inclined. But there was something about giving this gesture of solidarity to a deeply troubled woman obviously in need of comfort that just made it feel right.
"Mmm…you have no idea how long I've dreamed of this," Lisa sighed dreamily. "You really are the best thing that's ever happened to me, Rachel."
"That's nice," Rachel said lamely. She didn't know what else she could say or do, but it seemed that Lisa already had that planned out for her. She placed her arms around the detective's neck and pulled her in for another searing kiss. This one was deeper, much more intimate than the last; Rachel just got completely lost in it, though she wasn't sure why. It was questionable at best, considering she was currently on duty, but she reminded herself it was what was best for Lisa at the moment. That did not explain why her entire body was reacting, though. She was actually trembling.
"It's getting hot in here, don't you think?" Lisa breathed. Rachel could only nod in agreement. She kept her eyes closed, allowing her other senses to take over. She became more attuned to everything; the heat of Lisa's body so close to hers, the sound of her voice, the sudden sharp pain in the side of her neck…
"What the hell…?" Her eyes shot open, and she brushed her fingers against the side of her neck. It still stung, much like an insect bite or a pin prick. There was the slightest bit of blood on her fingers.
"What's wrong?" Lisa asked, placing a hand on the side of her face.
"Something just pricked me…" No sooner did the words leave her mouth than she started to feel a little dizzy. The room started to spin, and she struggled to focus on Lisa sitting in front of her.
"Don't worry, Rachel. It's for your own good." Lisa's cryptic comment barely registered It was, however, the last thing she heard before she passed out on the bed.
Some time later she regained consciousness. She was still on the bed, as far as she could tell, but she was also aware of the feeling of her arms and legs being stretched. Sure enough, her arms were sprawled awkwardly over her head, and she learned with some dismay when she tried to move them that they were secured that way to the bed frame, as were her legs. She blinked several times to clear the haze from her eyes. The blurry vision of Lisa standing over her eventually became clear.
"Lisa…?"
"I'm sorry I had to do this, Rachel," Lisa said. "I have to leave you for a little while. I have to do something…something I'm not proud of. I don't want you to have to see it. I'll be back for you, I promise."
That doesn't sound familiar or anything, Rachel thought to herself. Out loud, "Lisa…what are you…?"
Lisa paused for a moment, gazing at her with a familiar glint in her eye. "Seeing you like this…makes me wanna stick around for a little bit," she said, her voice heavy with seduction. She then proceeded to straddle the bound detective on the bed, running her hands lightly over her shoulders. Rachel barely felt it; her brain was still heavy with a barely-conscious fog. She turned her head to the side, noticing for the first time a syringe lying on the bedside table just inches from her head.
"Wait a minute…you…drugged me?"
Lisa chuckled a little. "I had a feeling you wouldn't let me do this to you," she said. "But I'm glad I was able to. You're so cute…and hot…I want you so bad." She leaned in to capture her lips hungrily. It wasn't quite the same this time. Rachel was not used to feeling helpless, let alone literally being helpless as she was now, and she didn't like it much. She struggled in vain against her restraints as Lisa began unbuttoning her shirt. Her anxious hands tugged at the black button-down tucked neatly into her jeans.
"You know I've already seen you without your clothes," she said. "But I just can't get enough of it." She ran her hands over the cop's flat stomach, stopping at her waist to enclose her fingers around her belt buckle. "Nice…you must work out a lot."
"Rachel?" Barry's voice came in over the radio on her belt. "Rachel, can you hear me? Come in."
"Barry!" she cried, knowing full well he couldn't hear her.
"Ugh…that's annoying." Lisa yanked the radio out of its holster and switched it off before setting it on the bedside table. "It's just in the way too." She then went to work on undoing her pants, no doubt realizing it would've been much easier if she had done so prior to tying up her "victim". Rachel didn't help much; she pressed her back into the bed to keep from losing any more clothing against her will.
"Why are you resisting?" Lisa said playfully. "I'm having you right here, whether you like it or not."
A flood of panic struck Rachel. "Lisa…stop. Why are you doing this?"
Lisa laughed, an eerie, almost sinister laugh, and reached in to brush the bangs out of Rachel's eyes. "I already told you…I just wanna have a little fun with you before I go." She leaned in to kiss her again, but Rachel jerked her head to the side.
"What are you planning, Lisa?"
Lisa looked a bit irked at the rebuff. "I can't tell you. I don't want you to remember me that way."
Before Rachel could question this oblique comment, the sound of the door being thrust open distracted both of them.
"Rachel!" Stanley came stampeding into the room, and froze in his tracks when he saw the two women.
"Aw man…wish I'd thought of that."
"You!" Lisa bolted from the bed, causing him to jump. "I thought I told you to stay away."
"I came to stop you, you crazy bitch!"
"You bastard." With that, Lisa suddenly reached over and grabbed the gun from Rachel's belt holster, pointing it at Stanley. "I'll kill you!"
"Lisa, no!" Rachel shouted. The words barely left her mouth before a gunshot rang out. Stanley staggered backwards from the force, but the bullet merely struck him in the upper arm. He clutched the wound, smiling creepily as the blood oozed between his fingers.
"You'll have to do better than that to stop me."
Lisa stared in disbelief at what she had just done, and then down at the gun, which she soon dropped. She stared slack-jawed at it for some time before bolting from the room without a word.
"Lisa!" Rachel sighed in defeat, and looked over at Stanley. He smiled unsettlingly at her, ogling her barely-clothed midsection while still holding onto his wounded arm.
"You mind telling me what all that was about?" she asked. "And while you're at it, how about untying me?"
"Sorry, I'm afraid I can't do that," he said. "But I will let you help me." She watched, baffled, as he reached for the knife at her belt. He then proceeded to roll up the blood-soaked sleeve of his shirt and skillfully dug the bullet out of his arm with the knife. He scarcely even flinched as he did it. Once the bullet was extracted, he reached for something under the bed, pulling out a somewhat dirty, wadded up sheet. Some strips had already been torn from it, and Rachel discerned it must have been the same one Lisa had used to tie her up. Stanley tore another good sized piece from the sheet and wrapped it around his arm, holding one end of the makeshift bandage in place with his teeth as he tied it off.
"There," he said with a flourish of finality, wiping the knife blade on his pants before putting it back where he found it. "Now as I was saying…I'm sorry I have to leave you hanging, Rachel, but it's for your own good. I'll be back as soon as I stop that crazy bitch."
"Stanley!" Rachel called after him, but he was already long gone. She grumbled under her breath as she observed her current predicament. She looked down at her legs, and then at each arm secured to the bedposts, and that's when she noticed that the cloth swath that secured her left arm was looking rather threadbare. One good jerk could probably rip it. She tensed her muscles, and drew her arm in with all her might. The rickety bed rattled with the force, but the weak cloth succumbed, freeing her arm. She immediately reached for her knife, using it to free her other arm and then her legs. She sat up, taking a moment to collect her bearings before she reached for her radio, switching it on.
"Barry. Barry, come in."
"Rachel! Thank God…I was starting to worry."
"I know. Sorry about that. I was…a little tied up," she quipped, knowing he wouldn't get her meaning. "I'm securing the rest of the third floor."
"Before you do that, I think you need to come to the women's locker room on the second floor. There's something you need to see."
She sighed. "Alright, I'll be there in a few." At this point she felt she was prepared for anything.
