HER

Chapter 12

Nina stirred awake, snapping out of the darkness. She took in her surrounding and frowned when nothing looked familiar. She turned to the side to find Gina beside her bed, head resting at the edge of the bed and one of her hands atop hers. Nina searched her head to explain her current situation and she came up with only one answer.

Tom.

She shut her eyes and tried to remember the last thing that had happened before she lost consciousness and when the scene played out in her head, she snapped her eyes open as quickly as she could. Her heart rate increasing, she didn't want to relive that ever again. She tried to sit up but winced at the sharp pain she felt in her lower abdomen. Her entire body ached but that one hurt like hell. Gina stirred awake and when she realized Nina was awake and trying to get up, she was on her feet and easing her back down.

"You have to rest, sweetheart."

"What happened?" Nina asked when she way laid back.

Gina was silent for a moment.
"Well I found you tied to the bed, that's what happened."

Nina broke eye contact and looked away feeling embarrassed that Gina had seen her at her weakest point.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." Gina caressed her face. "That animal who calls himself a man should be the one who's embarrassed for treating you or anyone the way he has."

Nina felt her eyes tear up.

"Let it out honey." Gina said "Let it all out." Gina took her in her arms as she cried.

"It hurts." Nina sobbed in Gina's arms "Everything hurts and I'm so tired, I don't want to live a single second anymore."

"Don't say that. You have people who love you, you can't be selfish and think of just easing your pain. If you go, we'll be the ones with that pain. I know you've been through a lot but you'll get through it; there's always a calm after the storm and you'll only get to experience is if you just hang on a while longer."

"How much longer?"

"Be patient. Just try and let go of the hurt and live each second to the fullest." Gina said. "Now dry up those eyes and let me get the doctor."

Nina sniffed as Gina let go of her to get the doctor.

A moment later she came back with a man in a white coat trailing behind her.

"Ms..." The doctor checked her chart and frowned.

"Just Nina."

He looked at her and gave her a gentle smile.
"I'm doctor Lucas."

On a normal day, Nina would have thought him handsome but she wasn't in her normal state of mind to drift or even think about such a thing. Dr. Lucas was over six-feet tall, dark-brown eyes and jet-black hair that fell over the side of his face in disregard. He was more concerned about his patient than his looks and Nina happened to be on his priority list of patients to be worried about. She had been through a lot and her co-worker Gina had told him enough to know what had happened and who was the culprit. When she was brought in, he had been too busy trying to get her stable and hadn't bothered about a name but now that he had checked, she didn't have a surname which had only one explanation.

"How do you feel, Nina?"

"Sore, In pain, tired." The look in her eyes made his heart break. There was nothing in them, they looked lost, tired, numb.

"That's normal after what you've been through." He came closer to the side of her bed and checked her heart beat. "You don't need to be scared of me."

Nina looked at him and clenched her jaw. He smiled at her.
"Your heart's racing."