A/N: Sincerely sorry for the long hiatus between updates. Thanks for being patient. There is another song featured in this chapter, so remember to look for the (*) to mark when the song starts.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible. It belongs to Disney and its creators. If it was in the show, I don't own it. Any songs mentioned are the property of their respective owners and artists. I am not doing this for compensation, simply for enjoyment and practice.
Claimer: Krista Ruthie Stoppable is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask. Krysta-L (aka Krystal) was created by StormChaser90 and used with permission. If you want to use her, please contact him for permission.
Songs: "Say Something" by James Harris
TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains themes and vague descriptions of abuse.
After All This Time: Revenge
Chapter 14
Middleton General Hospital
1 Hour Later
The helicopter had barely touched down before a team of doctors and nurses descended on it. The GJ medics carefully lifted the stretcher down onto the pavement and were quickly surrounded by other medical professionals. Kim's mother was among them. The sight of her granddaughter, pale, broken, and bloodied, brought tears to her eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat – there was no time to fall apart now.
Kim met her mother's gaze, panic radiating from her. "Mom, you have to do something! She's not waking up! Drakken – he—he injected something… Mom, she's getting worse!"
Dr. Possible began shouting orders to the team around her as Krista was rushed into the OR. Kim and Ron were stopped outside the operating room doors, unable to proceed.
"No! I need to be with her. Let me through!" Kim struggled against the orderlies, very nearly resorting to violence, before her mother put a hand on her shoulder.
"Kim, you can't come in, honey. I promise you, she is in the best hands. I'll make sure she's alright," Dr. Possible said gently. Kim paused, searching her mother's face, then nodded slowly, relenting. Dr. Possible left to return to the OR, leaving her daughter staring at the closed doors. The hero's lower lip trembled before she collapsed into sobs, burying her face in her husband's chest. Ron shed tears of his own as he hugged his grieving wife. The two stayed like that for a long time, desperately hoping their daughter would pull through.
XXXXXXXXXX
Several Hours Later
Kim and Ron jumped up at the sound of the waiting room door opening. Dr. Possible, still in her operating gown, entered, a somber look on her face. The duo held their breaths, preparing for the worst.
"We got her stable, but she's still in critical condition," Dr. Possible began.
"Can we see her?" Kim asked, desperation creeping into her voice. Her mother nodded, knowing it would be useless to tell her otherwise.
"But you need to prepare yourself, Kimmie. She's in the ICU… she doesn't look good." Kim didn't need to hear another word. Without waiting for her mother to guide them, she started towards the Intensive Care Unit, every fiber of her being needing to be with her child.
(*)
To say it was a shock was an understatement. The moment Kim and Ron stepped in the door of the hospital room, they paused, frozen in horror and anguish. Their little girl was hooked up to so many machines – a ventilator, IVs, monitors. She looked so small and frail in the hospital bed. The harsh light of the room illuminated the bruises on her pale skin. Several lacerations had been stitched up, and bandages covered several areas of her body.
Kim clung to Ron as they approached her slowly. Kim sank into a chair next to the bed, while Ron stood protectively beside her. She reached out hesitantly, placing her hand over her daughter's gently, as if she was afraid the slightest touch would shatter her already fragile form.
The crimefighter's eyes filled with tears. "My baby girl… what have they done to you?"
Dr. Possible took up position on the opposite side of the bed. "We ran several tests and found an unknown substance in her bloodstream. Wade is scanning it now. He said he'd call as soon as he has news." She paused, needing to steady herself before continuing. "Krista is extremely weak. She lost a lot of blood. X-rays showed the beginnings of pneumonia in her lungs. She just wasn't strong enough to breathe on her own. The ventilator will help keep her stable until we know more."
Kim listened absentmindedly, never taking her eyes off her child. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor and the wheeze of the ventilator were the only sounds in the room for several long minutes as she gently smoothed her daughter's hair back. Finally, she turned to Ron, a steely hatred in her eyes.
"Drakken and Shego will pay dearly for what they did to our child."
XXXXXXXXXX
The first thing she was aware of was the throbbing pain in her head. Krista groaned, slowly opening her eyes and pushing herself into a sitting position. She looked around, trying to get her bearings, but was surrounded by nothing but white. Her heart began to beat a little faster at her unknown whereabouts.
The last thing she remembered was being strapped to that cold, metal table. Then, a pain in her head. Then, nothing. Blackness.
Was she dead?
She looked down at herself. She was dressed in a white t-shirt and white shorts. Her feet were bare. Her skin was dotted with bruises and cuts, but the pain from them had already begun to fade. Slowly, she stood, testing her balance. She felt strong – better than she had in days. Krista turned in a circle, looking for anything that would tell her where she was, but only saw white.
"Hello?" she called into the void. Her voice echoed, bouncing around her before dying out. She stood in silence for a moment, straining her ears to hear a reply.
None came. "Is anyone here? Where am I?" Still no reply. Krista fell back to her knees, hugging herself as tears began to form.
"Am… am I dead?" she whispered.
"You're not dead." Krista shrieked and fell to the side as she turned to find the source of the voice. A girl stood before her, wearing a pale blue dress. Her blonde hair hung loose around her shoulders. Freckles dotted her face, her warm smile reaching her emerald eyes. Krista stared, not quite believing the sight in front of her.
"Who are you? Are you… me?" she asked.
The girl giggled. "Kind of, I guess. I'm you, but I'm also not." Krista's brows furrowed in confusion.
"Wait… what?"
The girl laughed again, a musical sound. "I know, it's confusing. For the sake of keeping things straight, just call me Ruthie. Now come on. We've got a lot of ground to cover, and not a lot of time." Ruthie reached out her hand to help Krista up. Krista hesitated for a moment, then took it.
"Now, just to prepare you, this isn't going to be all Nacos and Cuddle Buddies. We're going to experience some tough stuff… some stuff you never, ever wanted to remember again. But please trust me. I'm here to guide you," Ruthie explained.
"What do you mean experience—" Krista was cut off when a portal of blue light appeared in front of her. She looked from the portal back to Ruthie, whose expression had changed into one of remorse.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But you've gotta do this." She pushed Krista through the portal.
Before Krista could even work through what Ruthie meant, her surroundings changed. Instead of white and warmth, she was engulfed by cold and darkness. A feeling of dread crept into her stomach. She recognized this place – the dampness; the cold, stone floor; the creaking wooden stairs that warned her of danger. She was back in the cellar at the Moore Home for Children.
Ruthie had sent her straight into a nightmare.
A/N: Short update, I know, I'm sorry. But I wanted to get something out. I'll be working on the next installment soon. Please be patient with me – I'm juggling unknowns and transitions in my job as well as several other things. Hope you are enjoying the story. Leave a review if you want. Thanks for reading.
