Jess was almost thankful for the list of tasks as she worked, what she assumed, was through the night. She woke up to Octavius tapping her shoulder, her head resting on a tower next to her. He turned on the unit and her head rang loudly.
I hope that's not what an alarm feels like.
"Good Afternoon." Otto spoke and handed her the notepad. Jess replied by signing the same back to him. "Tonight you'll be coming with me to the ransom location. They don't trust me so we need to swap." She read the paper and nodded.
"Sorry I didn't finish." She signed, but he pointed to the pad so she wrote.
"No problem." He handed the pad back to her and walked off. Stretching her legs, Jess stood up and went to the kitchen area, helping herself to her own food. After she cleaned the dishes, she changed and then returned to the lab. She worked on the rest of his computers until she heard his footsteps behind her and turned around.
"Time to go?" She voiced 'go' and stood up. She started towards her room but Octavius stopped her, speaking as she read his note.
"No luggage in case they don't pay. If they do, I'll get it back to you." She nodded again as he showed her a piece of cloth and a short rope. He motioned for her to turn around, and he turned off the unit. She faced him, as he tied her hands and then blindfolded her. She stood still, trying to keep herself from shaking when she suddenly felt her stomach jump as she was picked up and cradled in the man's arms. She felt him moving around and then she smelled the cool, outside air. Her hair whipped her face and her stomach did flips as he moved to their destination. Eventually, he slowed down and she felt his voice. She was set down gently and the blind was removed. They were on top of a building, overlooking Central Park. Her hands squirmed in the ropes, trying to sign, but she stopped herself as she felt the rope dig into her skin. The wind was chilly as she held her arms close to her body.
Octavius scanned all directions around them when suddenly something wet and sticky wrapped around her. Jessica went flying backwards, right into the arms of the city superhero. Octavius saw Spiderman and snarled as he charged at him. Spiderman quickly lowered Jessica on a thin strand and barely managed to dodge the incoming actuator. A swarm of officers ran around Jess, whisking her off before she could watch the battle. They wrapped a blanket around her and pushed her towards an ambulance as cameras flashed and a crowd gathered. Someone shoved her into the ambulance and she buckled up as the vehicle started to lumber through the crowds, and traffic towards, she presumed, the hospital. Her assumption was correct as the blanket was folded over her head before she was shuttled up to a private room. A nurse stayed with her as people rushed in and out, checking her pulse, trying to comfort her. Jess watched passively as everyone walked in and out, keeping a constant eye on her when they brought in a paper dress and the nurse motioned for her to get changed. She shrugged, going into the bathroom and putting it on. When she walked back out, her clothes were taken from her and she was left to herself, with the exception of the two officers across the hall, looking in on her as she sat on the bed.
About twenty minutes later, two investigators and a female doctor walked in, followed by a man that she recognized as the interpreter she had befriended, and used for her interview at Oscorp.
"Tom!" Her eyes lit up and they hugged before he moved over next to an officer and waited for them to start.
"This is Captain Jones and Lieutenant Thompson. Doctor Meyer will be in charge of taking care of you for now." She watched Tom's signing closely, making sure not to miss a word. "They will need to question you, and also they need to give you a physical, considering what's happened." Jess nodded and Doctor Meyer moved over and sat down on the bed next to her, but Jess kept her eyes on Tom.
"We have a hospital councilor on call if you need them. For now, we need to find out what happened, and I'll need to make sure he didn't leave any permanent damage." At the thought, Jess's hand flew up to her neck and she felt the metal there.
He, never removed it… The doctor jumped and parted the back of her gown, her fingers tracing the skin around it.
"Tom?" She waited for him, his hands hanging in the air as the two officers walked around behind the bed. She turned enough to look over her shoulder at them, and wished she hadn't. She quickly turned her head to face Tom again, swallowing the lump in her throat. She felt the doctor's hands run along the upper half of the metal, and paused at the spot in the middle of her shoulder blades.
"What does the button do?"
"It…turns it on." She was glad she couldn't actually see their faces, and their reactions.
"What does it do when it's on?"
"It makes me hear." She looked back at the doctor who had an incredulous face. Tom moved so she could look at the people behind her, and also see him. Doctor Meyer nodded and then closed up the back of the gown.
"We'll be back later to ask you about what happened with Doctor Octavius, Miss Roarn. Until then, please rest." The officers shook her hand and then left.
"So, I need a physical?" The doctor nodded and then began to explain what she needed to do.
Jess sat back down on her bed, tired after the full days of tests and constant questions. She seemed to frustrate the investigators with the fact that she didn't know where Octavius was hiding out, though she had reiterated that she had either been blindfolded or stuck in her room. They eventually accepted her story and left, allowing the doctors to finish their x-rays and scans of her back, and the device that Octavius had left on her. Now she had a chance to actually relax as she flopped backwards onto the bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tom walk in, and she waved.
"You look tired."
"As do you." He returned her exhausted smile.
"You've been a real help today, Tom. Thanks."
"Anytime."
"But." She paused and gave him a chiding look. "You should go home and rest. They'll probably be back tomorrow, and then, I imagine a press conference will be happening soon." Tom nodded and then walked over as Jess sat up in bed. She gave him a hug and he walked over to the door.
"Sleep well, J." She smiled at the nickname as he waved and then walked off. Jessica crawled in under the covers and closed her eyes, feeling her body sink into the bed. She turned over and looked out at the open door, and saw Doctor Meyer looking in at her. Jess beckoned her to come in, and sat up.
"Sorry, didn't mean to keep you up." The doctor wrote on her notepad and handed it to Jess.
"No worry. What do you need?"
"I just wanted to check how the device on your back was doing. Does it hurt?"
"No. In fact, I hardly notice it. By the way, have any results come back on how to get it off?" Jessica handed the pad back to the woman, and her face suddenly lost some of its color. The pen was poised above the pad, but it made no marks as Doctor Meyer decided how to reply.
"Yes, but I think we should wait until tomorrow so I can have a couple other doctors here."
"Please, just tell me now. I'd rather know, than wait."
"I really think…" Jess put one hand on the doctor's wrist, stopping her writing and signed 'now' to her forcefully. Doctor Meyer took a visible heave, and then hid the pad as she started to write. After a few tense minutes, she stood up and sat on the edge of the bed next to Jessica. She handed her the paper tentatively, and waited until she had read it.
"No." Jessica shook her head, and hoped she'd voiced it clearly. She kept shaking her head as Dr. Meyer put an arm around her shoulder.
Why would he do it like that? She kept shaking her head, and hoping she had misread the page, skimmed it over to the last sentence. Why did he have to make it permanent? Jess looked over at the doctor and took a steadying breath.
"Thank you." She signed, holding herself upright, and gave the notepad back to the doctor.
"You'll be okay?" Jess nodded. "If you need anything, I'm on call. Just get the nurse and tell her you need me." Dr. Meyer gave her a light hug and walked out of the room hesitantly, turning to look at Jessica from the door.
"You're sure?" She voiced. Jessica read her lips and nodded again.
"Good evening, Doctor." She signed and the woman left. She flopped backwards onto the bed and heaved as she stared at the ceiling through blurry eyes.