Olivia sprinted down the hall as fast as she could. Adrenaline coursed through her veins.
The pager in the waistband of her blue scrubs buzzed incessantly as she ran to the trauma room.
"Dr. Pope, we have a 29-year-old male victim. Blunt force trauma to the skull with the object penetrating the frontal lobe." the EMT said as Olivia arrived. Her attending doctor, Dr. Roberts jogged from the other entrance of the trauma bay. He was in his late forties and already his hair had turned silver.
"Dr. Pope, I want you to scrub in," he said to Olivia as he walked to the patient and examined him. He flashed a small light in the man's eyes to check his popular response. "Prep the patient for a craniotomy stat. There's bleeding in the brain. O.R. room 5."
Olivia took off with a team of nurses and the man on a gurney.
"Dr. Whelan, Dr. Stewart, I want you to scrub in as well, you can assist."
Both Doctors ran off and then Dr. Roberts followed.
It was hours later when Olivia finally left the operating room. Her patient had survived and now the nurses were transporting him to the recovery room. The fatigue that accompanied a 28-hour shift was upon her again now that the adrenaline has passed. She was in her 3rd year of surgical residency in neurosurgery at Massachusetts general hospital, the best hospital in the country. At 25 years old she was younger than all the other residents in her year but she'd managed to garner the attention of the attendings in the hospital with her skill.
She went to the resident's room to change out of her scrubs and dress in the baggy jeans and large sweater she wore to the hospital. Her eyes felt heavy and she wanted nothing more than to fall into her bed and sleep but she had work. Her second job waitressing at a restaurant a few miles from the hospital waited for her. She made a meager salary as a resident, it wasn't enough to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans that she's racked up after years in school nor could it cover her rent and living expenses which included her mother's nursing home and rehab expenses.
Her shift would last 5 hours. It sounded easy enough but she'd had such a busy shift at the hospital that she hadn't gotten a chance to nap for longer than a couple of hours in the on-call room.
"You know it's not safe right?" Abby said as she walked into the locker room. She noticed Olivia staring at nothing in particular, lost and dazed.
"Huh?' Olivia asked.
"It's not safe for you to go to work or to even drive. Why don't you just call out of your shift and sleep in the on-call room."
"I can't keep calling out Abby, only when there's an emergency." Olivia stood and took a breath then smiled."Anyhow, I'm fine. I'll take a shot of espresso and I'll power through it." she grabbed her bag and slung it across her shoulder. "Who needs sleep. We save lives," she said with a chuckle.
"Olivia. You already worked 80 hours this week. You worked 28 hours this shift. It's not safe for you to drive. You're tired-"
"-I'll see you at home, okay," Olivia quickly. "That craniotomy was amazing."
"Yes, I was there. I can't believe Roberts let you remove the skull flap and the shiv."
"I know. I was so excited."
"He only did it because he wants to sleep with you."
Olivia's smile faded, "I should go."
Olivia walked in the cold autumn evening with her hands stuffed in her pocket. She headed through the parking lot to her old jeep and quickly hopped inside then drove off to work.
She parked almost a few blocks away, a ten-minute walk. It was what she usually did. She wasn't allowed to park in the lot by the restaurant because that was for customers only. It was insensible to pay for a parking meter for 5 hours and so she parked on a residential street and prepared to brave the cold walk to work.
The moment she hopped out of her jeep, her cell phone rang.
"Mom," she said quickly as she answered and pulled her phone from her pocket. "I'm headed to work but I'll call you when I get out."
"What time do you get out?" Her mother Maya's concerned voice beamed through the phone.
"My shift is 5 hours so I'll be out at 12."
"In the morning-" Maya said with a sigh, "just call me when you get out."
"Okay mom, love you, bye."
Olivia quickly hung up and pushed her hands in her pocket then continued walking as briskly as she could in the cold, windy evening to work.
"You're late. Again," her supervisor scolded the moment she clocked in at the employee lounge.
"I'm sorry. I was saving lives," Olivia responded.
"And that's the only reason why I let you get away with it. Table 5 is waiting," Anna-Marie said.
"Any chance I can get a shot of espresso," Olivia said.
"Machine's broken," her supervisor said as she walked out to the dining area from behind the double doors.
Olivia took a deep breath, "power through it," she said to herself and then grabbed her notepad and hurried out to the dining area as well.
Le Reve was an old steakhouse that had grown more upscale as the years passed. A steak cost upwards of $50 and a typical bill for two guests was around $200. It was the perfect place to make hundreds of dollars in tips, especially on a rather busy Friday night.
Olivia clocked out of work at 12:23 am. It was a harder than usual shift, with fatigue catching up to her much earlier than she intended, she found herself unable to focus and jittery which resulted in several mistakes. Home wasn't far away, only a 15-minute drive from the restaurant but tonight the prospect of it seemed like a cross-country trip.
Her phone rang in her pocket. This was the second time after the first time went unanswered.
"Hello mom," she said softly as she walked slowly out of the parking lot of Le Reve.
"I asked you to call me," Maya said.
"I know, I planned to but I had to stay a bit later than usual."
"Why?"
"I dropped some glasses- it was an accident. I had to help clean it up, I didn't want to leave it there for Mary, She has enough to deal with. The place was a mess."
"Are you walking to your car?" Maya asked.
"M-hmm."
"Stay on the phone with me. It's late."
"Mom, I walked to my car at this time all the time. You don't have to stay up and chat with me."
"Yeah but-"
"It's okay mom-"
"Stay on the phone with me. I'm already up, a few more minutes won't kill me before I go to sleep."
"Okay," Olivia said, defeatedly.
"How are they treating you at the home?"
"Fine, like an invalid but that's usual. I can't wait to finish my therapy so I can get back to work."
"Work was what gave you a stroke to begin with. That's not a good idea."
"Well, I'm doing it. I'll stop working when I'm dead."
"That's funny until you actually die, mom. I already feel bad you were working so hard to help me with my loans, just take a rest now."
"I'm your mama. It's my job to help you. I'm here to help you. Once they clear me I'm going back to work and we'll pay them off together. You just worked an entire day and then you worked an extra shift on top of that. There's no way I'm not helping you when I get out of here."
"Mom-"
"Look around to make sure now one's following you."
Olivia rolled her eyes, "mommy-"
"Look," Maya scolded through the phone.
Olivia rolled her eyes petulantly and scanned around her surroundings. There was one man a block behind her across the street. There was no one else but cars driving up and down the main street.
"All clear," Olivia said.
"Okay," Maya said. "You sound tired?"
"Exhausted," Olivia said with a chuckle, "but I have the day off tomorrow from the hospital which is good and hopefully I don't get called in. I also have a shift at the restaurant at 5."
Olivia turned on the residential block and continued walking. It was a lot darker now that she was no longer on the semi-busy and street lined with street lights.
"Are you almost there?" Maya asked.
"5 minutes. Maybe…"
"Okay good."
She turned around again to do a quick scan and noticed the man in a jacket was still behind her only now he was much closer. Now that she could see him clearly he was wearing all black with a black cap. He had his hands in his pockets as we walked.
After her quick glance, Olivia turned and continued walking.
"Don't freak out mom but there's a guy walking behind me."
"What?" said a little too loudly through the phone.
"Don't freak out. Maybe he lives in the area."
"Why don't you cross the street," Maya said. "Is he close?"
"A bit- hold on," Olivia said as she stepped to the curb and crossed the street to the other side. When she was across the street she glanced quickly again and noticed he hadn't changed pace and hadn't looked her way.
"Did he follow you?"
"No but you make me so paranoid I think the worst of everyone," Olivia said with a smile then she yawned. "I'm so tired, I can't even think straight."
"Just look again to make sure he isn't following you," Maya said.
"Mom, stop freaking me out."
"Just look, Olivia. I'm all the way in Brooklyn and you're my only kid. I need to know you're safe."
Olivia turned slightly to glance as she walked and noticed he had crossed the street to her side.
"Oh my god, he crossed the street."
Her heartbeat swelled in her chest and suddenly she felt unsafe.
"Run in the middle of the street, Olivia," Maya said firmly.
"Mom, you're freaking me out-"
"-Olivia, listen when I talk, run!"
Olivia turned and glanced again but he was gone and suddenly her thudding heart calmed.
"He's gone, he probably just crossed the street to go into his house," Olivia said. "Mom, this is why I don't tell you anything, you get so scared so fast."
"Of course I get scared. I'm not letting anyone take my only child from me, you remembered what-."
"-I'm not going anywhere, mom." Olivia said, cutting her off. "I'm almost at my car."
"Good."
Olivia continued walking briskly and as she did so she noticed a black SUV driving slowly down the middle of the street. She picked her speed up another pace.
"Are you there?" Maya asked.
"Almost… it's just another block."
Olivia heard footsteps behind her and turned around and it was the man again, closer this time. Immediately she burst into a sprint, as fast as her tired legs could carry her.
"What's going on?" Maya cried over the phone when she heard Olivia's labored breathing.
"He's back, the man is back."
"Oh my god. I'm calling the police-" Maya said.
Olivia reached the block where she parked her car but it was gone. The spot was empty and when she saw it her heart sank. It was the feeling you get when you had the big drop on a roller coaster ride. The feeling of doom and danger.
It all happened at once. The SUV stopped and all the lights shut off. The man behind her converged and another man suddenly stepped out into her path from between two cars and grabbed her.
"MOMMY-" was the last word she screamed before she held something prick her and she faded into a dizzying blackness.
When she woke it was bright out, so bright that it hurt to open her eyes. She felt dizzy as she slowly blinked to clear her blurry vision. She tried to reach up to rub her eyes but she realized she couldn't move her hands. When she looked down, her hands were tied together. She tried to make a sound but her mouth was gagged.
Panic overcame her like a wave. She began to hyperventilate as she tried to contemplate her situation.
"Calm down," a voice said from across the room. She looked up and saw a bald, heavyset man standing at the entrance of the room. He had tattoos all over his ivory skin and he was wearing a suit.
She looked around the room, panicked and scared. It was a beautiful room with stone walls. The ceilings were high and there were wall-length clear glass windows on the windward side of the room but the view was blocked by semi-sheer white curtains. On the other side of the room was the bathroom. The entrance was a large glass sliding door that gave a view of the shower, bathtub, toilet, and vanity. It was all marble inside.
It was cool inside the room and when she moved she felt something soft and realized she was on a large bed. She tried to spit the cloth gag from her mouth but she was unsuccessful. Tears came to her eyes at the realization of what happened. She remembers her mother and wondered if she would ever see her again.
A drop of water rolled down her cheek and fell on the white cotton blanket. She tried to move her legs but they were bound as well. It was then that she realized just how cramped her muscles were which made her wonder just how long she'd tied and left on the bed.
"She's up," she heard the man say. She twisted her head slightly and turned to look at him and realized he was on a phone.
She felt more tears gather in her eyes as she waited for what seemed like forever. Soon after the knob on the door twisted open and she heard several footsteps enter the room. There was one in particular that sounded more distinct from the rest. It walked closer until she could hear it only a few feet away then it stopped. She could see the silhouette of the black he wore but she never looked directly at him.
Suddenly she felt the man grab her by the rope that tied around her wrist and pulled her up in one swift motion so she was upright.
"Stop crying," he said roughly, almost annoyed.
More tears sprung from her eyes and then what came after were uncontrollable sobs muffled by her gag.
He pulled the gag from her mouth and pressed his thumb against her lips. The skin was rough against her lips. The fact that he was touching her only terrified her more.
"There's nothing that annoys me more than crying so I'm going to ask you to stop crying one-last-time," he said one last time.
She sucked in a breath and tried her best to stop her tears.
"Good," he said.
He stepped back and sat on the beige armchair at the side of the bed then crossed his legs. She avoided looking at his face but she saw his hands. He had a few small tattoos on his fingers and some silver rings.
She finally looked up and saw a handsome, statuesque man sitting in front of her. The most handsome man she could remember seeing. She expected him to be angry or even apathetic but instead, he looked intrigued.
"My name is Olivia. I'm 25 years old. My mom's name is Maya and she's in a nursing home because she's sick. I don't have any siblings so I'm all she has. I'm a neurosurgery resident at Mass General Hospital. I'm in my 3rd year... I don't know how long I've been gone but if I don't go back I could lose my spot in the program-"
The man laughed as if what she'd said was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.
"You get kidnapped and you're worried about getting your spot back in some program?" he shook his head, "that's...different and a bit audacious since you're assuming you'll leave here alive."
Her eyes immediately began to sting. It was so intense that she had to close her eyes praying it would stop. Then she felt tears and quickly opened eyes and found the beautiful man glaring at her.
"What did I say about crying?"
Olivia sniffled, "what does it matter. You're going to kill me anyway."
"Not if I don't have to." Fitz stood from the armchair and wiped her cheek with his thumb. "If your father gives me what I ask for and if he does it quickly then I'll let you go."
Olivia nodded though his words gave her no solace. "I haven't seen my father in six years."
"Doesn't matter," Fitz said.
She looked up to him and caught his icy blue eyes. "Please let me call my mom and tell her I'm alive. Please."
He chuckled as if her ask was ridiculous. "I like you. You've got spunk."
He pulled a silver pocket knife from his pocket and folded it open. Olivia instinctively squeezed her eyes shut and moments later she felt the ropes around her wrist loosen. She opened her eyes and saw that he had cut the ropes from her wrist.
What came out was a relieved breath.
Fitz lifted her legs in the air and sliced his knife between her ankles. When the rope broke Olivia fell back on the bed with her legs sprawled open in front of him. She closed them quickly and flushed with embarrassment. The beautiful man smirked, thoroughly amused.
She was still dressed in the baggy jeans and oversized sweater shirt from work though her jacket was gone now. She still had her converse sneakers on.
She looked at the exit of the room. There were almost five men in there with her.
"Someone will bring you food. You're free to use the bathroom."
At the mention of food, her stomach growled and it was then that she realized she was starving.
"How long have I been here?" she asked.
Fitz turned to the man who stood at the door, "don't let her out of your sight."
"What's your name?" Olivia asked.
He turned back to Olivia and he seemed to mull over her question for a moment before he answered, "Fitz."
"Where am I?"
"Not important?"
"Am I still in America? At least answer that. The weather's changed, it's bright and sunny and not the cold I left in Boston." she pressed softly.
"No."
"There go my plans of escape," she said with a sarcastic chuckle.
"Good. That wouldn't have worked out for you," Fitz answered. He headed towards the door.
"Fitz, whatever you want, my father won't give it to you. He doesn't bend, he doesn't break and he hasn't been in my life since I was 12 so I don't think he'll care too much if I'm gone."
"That sounds like something you should be worried about and not me."
He walked to the door and left. The group of men left with him, only one stayed behind. It was the same one as before.
Olivia let out a deep breath and stepped off the bed. The minute she stood, dizziness overcame her and she wobbled. She knew it was the effects of hunger and dehydration that caught up to her. She walked slowly to the bathroom and closed the sliding glass door behind her. She pulled the white curtains behind the glass door shut and walked to the sink. She turned on the faucet and scooped water into her palm and began to drink. Moments later, the bald man walked in and stood by the curtain.
"What are you doing?" she leaned up from the sink and squealed, frightened.
"The boss said not to let you out of my sight."
"I don't think he meant that literally."
"He did," was all the man replied.
Olivia sighed and turned off the faucet. She looked up in the large mirror above the vanity. Her face looked gaunt but the dark bags under her eyes had disappeared. They had virtually taken up residence under her eyes since the days of med school but now they were gone and it made her wonder how long she'd been asleep and what drug they'd given her for her to do so.
She had to figure out a way to escape but what would that look like? Where was she? How big was the house where she was being kept in? How secure was it? How would she escape her perpetual security guard? If she failed her escape, what would be the consequence? All of these things she was left to contemplate as she stared blankly into the mirror.
A/N - sorry for the new story guys... Writing is my passion and I just needed an outlet to get away from my busy life. Something with no back story to track as I wrote. Let me know your thoughts and whether or not I should continue.