"Hi, I have an appointment with Dr. Holland at 2 p.m.," Emily said to the receptionist nervously as she handed her the appointment card.

"Welcome, Emily. Dr. Holland will be with you in a few minutes. Please take a seat. Would you like any coffee, water, soda...?" She offered as she dialed the extension to the doctor's office.

"No thank you, I'll just wait."

As the minutes droned on, Emily became more nervous and started to become absorb in her thoughts. I wonder if he's nice. Of course he's nice, he's a psychiatrist. I just need to calm down and not worry. I'll be fine. I can do this, I kno-…."

"Emily Owens." Dr. Holland pronounced while looking around the waiting room.

"Right here." Emily said chirpily, while grabbing her purse and the files from her old psychiatrist simultaneously.

As she walked through the office door, she took in her surroundings, suddenly remembering the Psych rotation that was required during medical school.

"Take a seat, please," Dr. Holland asked while gesturing to the plush burgundy couch with overstuffed throw pillows.

Without skipping a beat, Dr. Holland started peppering questions about why she was here. Based upon her chart, he could see that she had been raped when she was nineteen and had seen a psychiatrist upon the aftermath of the attack.

"Next question, Emily. What provoked your panic attack at work that caused you to seek therapy?" Dr. Holland investigated further, while scribbling down notes on his pad.

Emily said nothing while picking at her cuticles nervously.

"Dr. Owens, you're face is very easy to read. If you want help, you're going to need to tell me everything."

As soon as those words slipped out of the doctor's mouth, Emily's head swam with a million different thoughts. That was something that the rapist said. Why that?

"Dr. Holland," Emily said while trying to maintain composure, "I need to leave. I can't breathe, I think I'm having a panic attack. I'm sorry, but I can't be here."

"Emily, I'm gonna help you get through this. Trying breathing slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth." Holland said as he grabbed a paper bag and gently placed it in Emily's hands. "This should help. I'm right here; I won't leave, I promise."

As Emily took deep breaths, she felt her head clearing and her breathing return to normal.

"Now, let's start with baby steps. Tell me how you feel about the sexual harassment that came from the prisoner."

As the therapy sessions progressed further, Emily was starting to come to terms with her past rape and was starting to put it behind her. After her twentieth therapy session, Emily felt that she was ready to put this chapter of her life behind her. At the end of her last therapy session, she handed Dr. Holland a Starbucks gift card: she had noticed that he was usually tired during their sessions in the afternoon and usually drank the bland coffee from the cart by the nurses' station.

"Thank you, Emily. You've made a lot of progress over these last six months and I'm glad I was able to work with you. If you have any more questions or find yourself seeking advice, you know where to find me," Dr. Holland said as he walked Emily to the entrance of the psychiatrists' office.

As Emily walked to the locker room to change for drinks with Will to celebrate, she felt a sense of accomplishment. I'm whole again. I can start all over and this isn't going to haunt me anymore.

As Emily walked into the bar, she spotted Will sitting in a booth with champagne.

"Emily! Congrats! Let's celebrate!" Will said as he handed her a flute of champagne.

Two martinis in and three hours later, Emily gathered her coat and purse and decided to head home.

As Will hugged her goodbye, he warned her to sober up in her car before she left.

Exiting into the brisk October Colorado weather, Emily heard a man call her name.

"Emily. Dr. Owens?" A gruff voice emerged from the shadows.

Emily turned around to see who it was, but not before a fist collided with her cheekbone.

As she whimpered in pain, the man pinned her to the wall.

"Don't you remember me? I'm the patient that was in prison. I escaped about a week ago and I've looking for you."

Emily looked frightfully into the gray one's of her attacker and he answered "Yes, you."

As he through punches at her torso and started to squeeze her neck tighter, he began to make his intentions more clear.

"Ever since I went back to prison, all I could think about was you. How you walked around that hospital like the tease you are and how you wore your scrub top so low." He said, as he delivered a blow to her ear, causing the drum to burst.

"I'm a man that gets what he wants, and I'm going to have you, regardless if you want it or not." He growled as he pushed her dress up and ripped off her panties.

"Now, be a good girl, don't make any noise, and this will be over soon and no one will get hurt." he said as he pushed her down on the gravel.

As he began to assault her, she saw a much taller man run towards her and the attacker, pull him off, and throw him against the wall.

As strong arms picked her up and cradled her, she sank into the warm inviting comfort of unconsciousness.

I apologize for the graphicness of this chapter. For the next couple of chapters, it's going to be very dark. Please rate and review.