AN: This chapter will hint towards abuse from the past.
Connor leaned against his chair, watching the steady rise and fall of the unconscious child. Something drew him to this child, something that he couldn't explain. Maybe it was his rough past trying to protect an innocent soul.
"Hey," a voice brought Connor out of his thoughts.
"Hey Ethan," Connor stood up, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes.
"It's been four days, man. You should take a break. You haven't even gone home since the child was brought in." The Child was what the staff started calling the kid, saying Jane Doe just didn't fit a lost girl. "If you want, I can watch over her while you go home and get yourself cleaned up," Ethan said softly.
"What if she wakes up? She'll be terrified; she may even try to run for it." Connor glanced over the child again; her face had been badly cut from the rocks. Her right arm was in a cast due to a broken arm. "How did she make it through the river without more injuries?"
"She's lucky," Ethan said, putting a hand on the bed. "Sh..." His voice trailed off, interrupted by a low groan from the child. "Did you hear that? Or was that me?"
"I heard it too," Connor shot to his feet.
"Sa...sha," the child mumbled weakly.
"It's okay," Connor said softly. It's Dr. Rhodes. Can you hear me?"
"Wh...what..." My eyelids flew open, showing off crystal blue eyes.
Connor gave a small smile to Ethen, then turned his attention back to the girl. "You're at Chicago Med, do you remember what happened?"
"My head," I groaned, the words scraping against my dry throat. The harsh fluorescent lights above stabbed at my eyes, making the throbbing in my skull even worse. The steady beeping of monitors filled my ears, each sound like a hammer against my temples.
"I see The Child is awake," Will said, his white coat rustling as he walked into the room.
"We've been waiting a while to see those pretty eyes," April said kindly.
My eyes darted wildly around the room, taking in the forest of medical equipment, the tubes snaking from my arms, the strange faces hovering above me like moons. My heart monitor began beeping faster, its rhythm matching my rising panic. "Pl...please..." I stumbled over my words, my tongue feeling thick and clumsy in my mouth.
"Hey, it's okay," Connor's voice was soft, like velvet wrapped around steel. His steady hands adjusted something on my IV drip, the clear liquid flowing steadily through the transparent tube. "You're safe in the hospital."
The word 'hospital' hit me like an electric shock. "NOOOOOOOOO!" I let out a blood-curdling scream that bounced off the walls. Ethan and Connor jumped back.
"What's going on?" Natalie asked, her pregnant belly preceding her as she rushed into the room, followed by Daniel.
"GET AWAY!" Pure terror coursed through my veins like ice water. My fingers clawed at the IV lines in my arm, desperate to tear them free. The monitors shrieked their protest as my vital signs spiked dangerously.
"April, 2 CC's of Ativan," Connor ordered, his professional demeanor taking over as he grasped my wrists with firm but gentle hands. His palms were warm against my cold skin. "Kid, it's okay. No one is going to hurt you." His blue scrubs rustled as he leaned over me, trying to keep me still without causing pain.
"Meds in," April noted, her efficient movements belying the concern in her dark eyes. The room fell silent except for the erratic beeping of monitors and my ragged breathing. The staff stood frozen, like statues in white coats, watching as the medication slowly worked its way through my system. My muscles, tight as bridge cables, gradually began to loosen, my rigid body melting into the thin hospital mattress like ice cream on a hot sidewalk.
"I think we should let her sleep," Will whispered, his words barely disturbing the heavy air as my eyelids grew heavy. The world began to fade around the edges like an old photograph losing clarity.
"I want to stay," Connor said stubbornly, settling into the vinyl chair beside my bed. The last thing I registered before slipping back into darkness was the soft rustle of his scrubs as he crossed his arms, preparing for his vigil.
"You need to get some sleep. You haven't had a day off since before she came in here," Ethan said, giving his friend a pointed look. It might be better if she wakes up without the stress of having others around."
"Having at least one person in here may do her good. However," Charles held his hand up, preventing Connor from saying anything. "It might be better for one of our ladies to stay in here rather than a guy. We don't know what she went through; most likely, it was a guy that hurt her. Connor, you said her body is filled with scars?"
"Yes, she has scars on 70% of her body. Some look like cuts from a sharp object; she has burn scars and a couple of scars that no one can figure out what caused them." Connor shook his head, "how could anyone do this to a child?"
"Whoever did this deserves to rot in hell," Will's voice dripped angrily.
Charles nodded his head; all of them felt the same hatred for whoever laid their hand on an innocent child. "Natalie, why don't you stay with The Child until she settles down. I have a feeling she will be waking up again here in a few hours."
Natalie glanced at Connor, "I'll keep an eye on her. If anything happens, I'll text you."
Connor glanced at the sleeping child. Her chest slowly rose and fell in a peaceful rhythm. "If anything happens, please let me know." With one last glance, Connor reluctantly left the room, followed by the others.
Frightening images flashed like lightning through my dreams, each burst illuminating new horrors in the darkness. No matter how hard I fought, I couldn't escape the dark, foggy field; my bare feet seemed fused to the frost-kissed grass. When something swooped at me from the darkness, its wings beating like wet leather, I tried to scream, but my voice died in my throat as if strangled. "HELP ME!" I attempted to shout, but the words dissolved into the thick air like smoke. Heavy gray fog writhed around me.
A whooshing sound sliced past me, followed by white-hot pain blazing across my left arm. Warm blood cascaded down my skin. I stared at the ground in horror as the puddle spread, dark and viscous, reflecting my terrified face like a twisted mirror. "HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLP!" I screamed again.
"Brat," a voice slithered through the fog.
"Ungrateful." Another voice thundered.
"Freak, just another useless freak."
"You can't trust anyone." This voice whispered.
"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, shut up..." I collapsed to my knees, my sobs echoing in the void. The blood-soaked ground squelched beneath me, my nightgown growing heavy with the dark liquid. "Please, don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me." My pleas came out in ragged gasps.
"Freaks like you deserve to be beaten." The voice boomed.
"You can't trust them." Another hissed.
"They will betray you!" The voices screamed from all directions, a cacophony of hatred that made my skull feel like it would split apart.
"Wake up," it murmured. "It's okay, wake up. No one is going to hurt you; just open your eyes. You're safe now; you're safe." The gentle words seemed to push back the darkness.
"Where are you?" I called out.
"I'm all around you; I'm with you. I'll keep you safe on your journey, " the voice replied, wrapping around me. "Just open your eyes. Everything is going to be okay now. You're in a safe place; no one will ever hurt you again."
I slowly opened my eyes, only to squeeze them shut again as the light pierced my vision.
"Mrs. Raccoon took Chester by the hand and nuzzled him on the ear." Natalie's soft and melodious voice floated through the air like a lullaby. Sometimes we all have to do things we don't want to, " she told him gently, even if they seemed strange and scary at first. But you will love school once you start." She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper as tender as a mother's kiss. "Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you."
I opened my eyes again, fighting against the harsh light. The voice was achingly familiar – the same gentle tone that had guided me through the nightmare field. My heart leaped with desperate hope. "Mom?"
"Hey, sweetheart," Natalie said as she stood next to the bed. The mattress crinkled beneath me as I shifted, and the IV line in my arm tugged slightly. "You're in the hospital," she said, her words as delicate as butterfly wings.
"W...Why am I here?" My voice came out rough and broken.
"You went through some white water and hurt yourself. You were taken to another hospital, and once they had you stable, they sent you here." Natalie explained, her hand hovering near mine as if afraid to touch.
"I'm safe," I managed a small smile, the muscles in my face feeling stiff and unused.
"Yes, you're in a safe place now. No one is going to hurt you..." Natalie's voice trailed off as the door hissed open. Her shoulders tensed as Connor walked into the room. What is that idiot thinking?! She thought to herself, her jaw clenching ever so slightly.
"I'm glad to see you awake," Connor's footsteps were deliberately measured as he approached the bed, each step careful as if approaching a spooked animal. "I was worried you wouldn't wake up."
I stared at him, my fingers clutching the thin hospital blanket. "Do...Do I know you?" The question came out barely above a whisper.
"No, not really." Connor chuckled. "I'm Dr. Connor Rhodes; I've been caring for you since you came to this hospital." His eyes flicked to Natalie, then back to me. "What's your name?"
"My name?" The question echoed in my mind. I searched desperately through the fog of my memories, each attempt meeting only darkness. Who am I? Panic rose in my chest. Why can't I remember anything? Hot tears spilled down my cheeks, leaving cool trails on my skin.
"Hey, hey, hey. You don't need to cry." The mattress dipped slightly as Connor perched on the edge, his presence steady and reassuring. "I didn't mean to upset you."
I shook my head, the movement making the room swim. "I don't know," I whispered, the words tasting like defeat. "I don't know who I am. I don't remember anything," I sobbed, the heart monitor's beeping increasing with my distress.
Without thinking what he was doing, Connor pulled me into a hug, his arms wrapping around me like a protective shield. The steady thrum of his heartbeat echoed against my ear, a calming rhythm that seemed to push back the shadows of fear. "It's okay," his voice was warm and kind.
"It will come to you, eventually."
"M' sorry, m' sorry." I clung tightly to his scrubs, my fingers twisting in the soft blue fabric as if it were a lifeline.
"You have nothing to be sorry about," Connor rubbed soothing circles on my back, his touch gentle as butterfly wings. The motion stirred something deep in my memory – a half-formed echo of comfort from long ago – but it slipped away.
"Freaks aren't allowed to cry." The words tumbled out in a broken whisper.
Connor's body tensed like a bowstring, his hand pausing mid-circle on my back. His eyes met Natalie's across the room, wide with horror. The pregnant doctor's face had drained of color, her hands protectively cradling her belly as if to shield her unborn child from the ugliness of the world.
"Who said you were a freak?" Connor's voice was carefully controlled, but a tremor of anger vibrated beneath.
"I don't...remember," I said between a yawn that seemed to rise from my bones. The steady rhythm of Connor's heartbeat was pulling me toward sleep like a gentle tide. I laid my head against his chest. Something crystallized in my mind through the fog of encroaching sleep – a single point of clarity in the murky waters of my memory. "Lexa...My name is... Lexa."
"Lexa, that's a pretty name." Connor's voice softened to match my drowsy state. He glanced down at me, then caught Natalie's eye across the dim room. "I think she's asleep," he mouthed silently, his lips barely moving. With the careful precision of a surgeon, he eased me back onto the bed, making sure not to disturb the IV lines or monitoring wires that surrounded me like a technological cocoon.
Something deep inside Connor's chest stirred – an emotion he couldn't quite name, powerful as an ocean current and just as unstoppable. Making a silent vow in the quiet of the hospital room, with only the steady beeping of monitors as a witness, he promised he'd protect this child, no matter what. The oath settled into his heart like a key clicking into a lock, absolute and irreversible.