*Beep...Beep….Beep*

I slowly open my eyes to see a heart rate monitor. Panic is quickly setting in. I try to move, but I try to move but pain shots thru me. I try to look down, but I feel lightheaded. I feel pain everywhere.I lay my head back down and sleep overcomes me.

Female Voice "She has three broken ribs and 16 scars on her back."

Male Voice "From what?"

Female Voice "We don't know. The man who brought her in said that she ran in front of his car and he hit her."

Male Voice "What about her ankles and wrist. It looks like she's been tied up, or something."

Female "We don't know. She came in naked and unconscious."

I'm awake again, but I can't seem to open my eyes. Ugh. The pain is unbearable. Someone make this pain go away.

Male Voice: "Take her down to get to x-rays. I need to know the severity of broken ribs. Check for any other broken bones as well."

Female Voice "Yes, but doctor you should also know that she is malnourished. Her toxs screen shows signs of heroin use."

Doctor: "That explains being malnourished. Check her from head to toe and let me know if you find anything else."

Nurse: "I will."

XXXX

Doctor: "How is our patient doing?"

Nurse: "After completing the x-rays we discovered her left wrist is broken in three places. She must of landed on it after the car hit her. We also want to show you something."

I can feel a sheet or whatever is on top of me move. Someone gasps.

Doctor: "She was being abused."

Nurse: "We believe so. These are fresh cuts that couldn't have come from the accident."

Doctor: "Call the police."

Nurse: "Already did."

Doctor: "Put a security officer on the this door. No one comes in her unless they work for this hospital."

Nurse "Okay."

Doctor: "Get a cast on her wrist and ace bandage her ribcage. Clean out the cuts and start her on pain medication."

Nurse: "I'm on it."

XXXX

Nurse: "Can you hear me?...Miss…...Can you hear me?"

XXXX

I slowly open my eyes. It's so bright in here. I quickly snap them shut. I slowly open them again. I look to my left and I see an IV bag hooked up to my arm. I look to my left and see a heart monitor machine and some other machine that is beeping. That's annoying. I sigh. I look down and realize I have a hospital gown on. I also have a blanket. I grab the blanket and pull it up over my shoulders. I'm so happy to feel warm. Then it hits me I'm in a hospital bed. I must be in a hospital room. I'M SAFE! I'M FREE FROM JOSE!

The door opens and I look in that direction.

Nurse: "Hello. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay I think."

Nurse: "Do you know where you are?"

"A hospital I think."

Nurse "Yes you are. Do you feel like answering some questions?"

"Okay."

Nurse: "What is your name?"

"Anastasia Steele."

Nurse: "What's your birth date?"

"September 10th 1994."

Nurse: "Is there anyone you want us to contact to let them know you are here?"

"No"

Nurse: "I'm going to put this information into your chart and bring in the doctor on duty to evaluate you."

"Thank you."

Nurse "If you need anything press the call button on your bed and a nurse will come in."

"Okay."

The nurse bringing up my parents makes me want to cry. My biological father died when I was three. He was on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico when there was an explosion on the rig. No one survived the explosion. My mother was heartbroken. We lost everything shortly after my father died because my mother didn't work. The house that we had, car, everything gone. We moved in with my grandmother, but her and mother didn't get along. She passed away when I was six and my mother inherited in small two bedroom house in Savannah, GA. When I was nine my mother meet a man named Ray. They were in love and my mother and I moved to Washington to live with him. My parents were very much in love. When I turned sixteen I was at a party and my parents were on their way to pick me up when they got into a car accident. They were hit by a drunk driver and both died. I became emancipated shortly after because I didn't want to go into the foster care system. I got a job at Olive garden working part-time as buser. I work after school to make enough to pay for the pge and water on the house my parents left me. But, I was in for a shock the following year when I received a bill for property taxes due. I owed four thousand dollars. I didn't have that kind of money. So, I stayed in the house until they city took it from me for non-payment of taxes. I was able to stay in that house until I turned 18. About a month before my 18th birthday I knew I was going to go to college, so I started looking on craig's list for a room to rent near WSU and that's how I found Kate. She was renting a room and I moved in with her. It worked out perfectly because I was losing the house my parents left me.

*There's a knock on the door* The door opens and in comes the nurse that was here early and what i'm assuming is the doctor.

Doctor: "Hello Anastasia."

"It's Ana."

Doctor: "Hello Ana. My name is Grace."

"Hello."

Doctor: "Ana, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

Doctor: "That's good. You have a lot of injuries. Do you mind telling me how you got them?"

"I… can't…. If I say something….."

The doctor puts her up as to stop me from talking.

Doctor: "You don't have to tell me exactly, but I would like you to speak with a police officer."

"I can't"

Doctor: "Ana. You have 16 scars that seem to be from a belt or whip. You have seven fresh wounds. Your wrist are scabbed and bruised. Your left wrist is broken. Your ankles are scabbed and bruised as well. We found heroin in your system. You have signs that you were being abused before you were hit by a car."

I can't believe what she is telling me. I don't feel any pain. How could it be that I have so many injuries and not feel any pain. I lift up my left arm and see the cast that is now covering my forearm, wrist, and part of my hand. Jose drugged me? When did this happen. All I can remember was the beatings.

"I can't…"

Doctor: "I will give you sometime."

As the doctor and nurse turn to leave "Can I ask you a question?"

Doctor: "Of coarse."

"What day is it?"

The doctor looks at the nurse with a confused look on her face. "It's September 23rd." They walk out of the room.

How can it be September 23rd? I counted nine weeks. My last day of work was May 29th. I was in that cell for almost four months. How did I lose track of some many days. It was the only thing I made sure to count. I counted each day as the sun came up. The beatings must have blacked me out longer than I thought. Wait. The heroin. I remember reading that given a strong dose it makes you relax and then pass out. That has to be how I lost so much time. My head is spinning I'm going to pass out.

XXXX

I need to talk to Kate. I open my eyes and hit the call button for the nurse to come in. She comes in shortly after I pushed the button.

Nurse: "Can I get you something?"

"Can you call my roommate?"

Nurse: "Yes. What is her number."

I tell her Kate's number and see leaves the room. I look around and see a huge bouquet of white roses by the window. I want to get up and smell them, but I just don't feel well. I feel sick. My stomach hurts. I page the nurse again. The nurse comes in.

"Can I get something to eat?"

Nurse: "Let me ask the doctor. Do you have any food allergies?"

"No."

Nurse: "I called Kate and she stated she is on her way here."

"Thank you."

A little later the nurse walks in with a tray a food. There's apple juice, apple sauce, some kind of frozen popsicle and a bowl of soup. It look delicious compared to what scraps I've been living off of lately. After I eat I feel full for the first time in a long time and go back to sleep.

XXXX

Kate: "Ana?"

I open my eyes and I'm relieved to see Kate. I start to cry. Kate takes me in her arms "It's okay Ana I'm here."

I don't know how long I cry, but Kate just holds me. "Ana if you want to talk about it what happened?"

"Can we talk some other time."

Kate: "Of course. I'm just happy to see you're okay." I cry some more. Then she tells me "Jose is here. He's sitting in the waiting room. Do you want me to go get him?"

Her words hit me like a freight train. The fear on my face must say it all. "Did he hurt you?"

I don't reply I just stare at her scared out of my mind. I don't know what to say or do. "Ana….. Ana….. look at me! Did he hurt you!"

I just nod my head up and down. Kate takes off out of my room and I hear a bunch of yelling. I can't make out what anyone is saying though. After what feels like hours Kate comes back in my room.

"What did that piece of shit do you? I was yelling at him and he just kept smiling at me. I asked him what he did you and he said nothing you didn't deserve, so I punched him the face. What did he mean by that Ana?"

I lift the blanket off of me and pull up my hospital gown to show her the marks on my body. I haven't have the guts to look at them myself, but her face says its all. She looks horrified. "Did he….."

"Yes."

Kate: "Oh Ana." She pulls me into a hug when I wince from the pain coming from my ribs. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's alright. I guess I have broken ribs. I was hit by a car."

Kate "He hit you with a car?"

"No Kate. Jose had me locked up in a cell somewhere and I escaped. I ran and ran thru a forest and then bam I was hit by a car."

Kate: "Holy shit."

"Yep."

Kate and I sit and talk for awhile. She tells me how she's been looking for me. She's looked everywhere in Seattle and couldn't find me. She tells me how she met a guy during a search and rescue group when she was looking for me. She really likes him, but didn't want to date him until she found me. I'm happy to know that Kate was looking for me. It's good to know that she cares that much about me.

We hear a knock on the door and a cop walks in.

Officier: "I have some questions I need to ask you Ana."

"I don't feel like answering your questions right now. Can we talk some other time?"

Officer: "I think it would be better if we talked now. There's a man in the waiting room claiming to be your husband and he wants to come in here to see you. Would you like me to let him in?"

Kate "She's not married!"

Officer: "And you are?"

Kate "I'm Kate. I'm Ana's best friend."

Officer: "I'm going to need you wait outside while I talk to Ana."

Kate: "Fine I will be right outside."

Kate walks out of the room and the officer walks up next to me.

Officer: "I'm here compliments of Jose. If you so much as scream I will make your life a living hell."

I go to reach for the nurse call button, but he grabs my hand.

Officer: "What did I just tell you."

*Smack* Right across the face. Fuck that hurts.

Officer: "Jose did say he's still training you be obedient. Anyways, I'm here to tell you that when you're released you will be leaving here with Jose. You will be going back with him."

"NOOOO!"

*Smack* Slap across my face again. Kate comes running in the room.

Kate "Why did you yell?"

Officer: "She tried to get up."

Kate looks at me and she see the scared look on my face. Kate yells for the nurse. The nurse comes in the room.

Nurse: "Can I get you anything Ana?"

Kate: "Can you ask this officer to leave. Ana needs her rest."

The nurse walks over and see my heart rate is high. She doesn't know me well enough to know that I'm scared. She pages the doctor. The doctor comes in and checks my vitals. At this time my eyes is starting to swell and my cheek is turning red.

Doctor: "Everyone needs to leave. Ana needs her rest."

The officer walks out of the room and gives me a death glare as he walks out.

Doctor: "What happened here?" She's pointing to my face where the officer just slapped me twice.

I don't say anything. I'm too scared. Jose has a police officer threatening me because he can't get in here to do it himself. I can stop shaking.

Kate "She was fine till that police officer made me wait outside. What did he do to you Ana?"

I don't say anything. I just close my eyes and hope everything will go away.

Doctor: "I'm going to give you some pain medication that will make you sleepy. Do you want Kate to stay with you?"

I just nod my head yes. The doctor puts the medication in my IV and I started to feel sleepy almost instantly.

Doctor: "If you need anything press the call button." The doctor walks out of the room. Kate gets up. "Don't leave Kate."

Kate "I'm not going anywhere. I just want to smell these roses over here."

"Who are they from?"

Kate "The card just says Grey. Nothing else."

I'm starting to feel really tired. I can't fight the will to stay awake and out I go.

A/N Thank you for all of you who are following! It's amazing. Thank you to everyone who left a review. I tried to answer all of your questions in this chapter. If not they will be answered in the next one. Let me know what you guys think. I'm not a professional writer. I just have this idea for a story and I'm trying my best to write it. Thank you everyone for supporting me!