Expect the Unexpected

Chapter Five

I could hear the beeping of a hospital monitor before I was completely awake. I smelled the astringent smell of rubbing alcohol and slowly opened my eyes.

Yep,my suspicions were confirmed. I was in a hospital room.

I had a nasal cannula that was tickling my nose after I started to rub the sleep out of the corners of my eyes so I ripped off the clear tubing from around my head. I sat up and grabbed my head which was pounding, making every one of my heartbeats seem like it was the loudest bass drum going off between my ears. I realized I was alone in my room and had an IV in my left arm. I looked around and saw a metal tray with gauze in it so I flung my legs over the side of the bed attempting to stand. When I did, I felt every muscle in my body tense up from being so sore like someone hit me repeatedly with a baseball bat and I winced in pain. Once completely upright, I slowly made my way over to the tray, grabbed the gauze and miraculously came across some medical tape underneath. I shuffled back to the bed and sat down, beginning the process of removing the IV as quickly as I could.

Once the hole where the IV once was had been covered, I scanned the room for my pajamas that I had on last night but didn’t see them. I made my way over to where the small, rectangular closets were in front of the bed and found brand new socks, light gray and white tennis shoes, a lavender hoodie and matching sports leggings inside that appeared to be my size. I didn’t question it and just put everything on ready to make my escape before anyone realized I was awake and stuck me with a giant hospital bill before I had even gotten my adult life started or worse, contacted CPS to speak with me regarding my runaway status as well as the crew’s whereabouts even though I was now legally eighteen.

Once I was dressed, I walked quietly to the door that was cracked open and looked into the hall. There was one nurse at the nurses station that looked like she was getting ready to leave. I didn’t see anyone else within my view so as soon as the nurse turned around, I slipped out into the hallway and walked as if I was supposed to be there instead of running like I wanted to. I threw my hood on and kept my head low as I heard two male doctors discussing a patient in front of one of the hospital rooms. I heard the ‘ding’ of an elevator nearby and peeked up from under my hood to confirm the elevator was in front of me. I walked swiftly over to the button and pressed it repeatedly as if it would cause the elevator to come faster. At long last, the doors to my right opened up and were empty. I jumped in and pressed the button for the ground floor.

Right as the elevator doors were closing I heard a female voice yell, “She’s gone! She’s not in her room”!

Shit. s**t. s**t.

As soon as the doors opened on the ground floor, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me which wasn’t as fast as I would have liked considering how sore they still were. There was a set of revolving glass doors that were in front of me that I rushed into and tried to get through as quickly as my body would allow.

Once outside in the parking lot, I ran to the end of the driveway to try and figure out which hospital I was at within Chicago but I didn’t see the familiar streets that I’m used to in front of me. Just woods and a two-way street going in both directions.

I hear a shout from behind me but I ignore it and just start running, taking my best guess at which way will get me home.

As I’m running, I hear two or three male voices yelling at me to stop and to come back but I dare not listen. I just keep going.

WHERE THE HELL AM I?! What is this place? Why am I not in Chicago?! I scream inside my own head, panicking.

After I run for almost a half mile, I hear the sound of tires behind me. I knew it was over from there. I start to feel weak and my mouth is dry from the lack of water I’ve had to drink with all this running and the whole painful episode last night..

The car gets closer and closer until finally it speeds past and veers itself in front of me. It's a black SUV with darkly tinted windows. I look around like a cornered animal trying to calculate my next move and about the time that I decide to jump into the ditch and run into the woods, the passenger side doors fling open and out jumps two men.

The one in the front seat has blonde hair and blue eyes wearing all black clothing but the second guy that exits out the rear passenger door makes me catch my breath. Once he exited out of the vehicle, that glorious scent that enveloped me last night and at the market hit my nostrils. I knew then and there, this was the man that the scent belonged to.

He has dark brown hair that is slicked back and striking green eyes that have me frozen where I stood. He was dressed in what appeared to be a suit but without the tie and jacket. His shirt looks to be wrinkled as if he had been wearing it for longer than he should have but still looked damn good.

Too good. No human being should look or smell THAT good.