What in the actual fuck. I haven't been here six months and I've gone through two unforgettable experiences, and unforgettable in a bad way. When will I catch a break? I haven't had enough time to fully recover from the bank incident before I was taken hostage by a psycho path who was obsessed with Evan. Thankfully I was found alive and untouched. Athena's team bursted through that door and searched the basement for a door to let me out. Turns out there was a button on the wall on the opposite side of me that I could not see. All it took was one push and the glass door swung forward, allowing me to my freedom. If they hadn't found me when they had I probably would've lost my sanity.
According to Officer Thomas I wasn't even missing a full week. In my mind it felt like an entire month. That's what happens when you are left in a small glass prison with your thoughts. Alone in a tight space with nothing to do, only a makeshift bed and a stupid metal toilet in the corner. Usually victims who go missing for over 36 hours are presumed dead. I was gone for almost three days and luckily my abductor wasn't a serial killer. At least I don't think so. Who knows what would've happened if they never found out where she lived. I'm not sure how they pieced everything together and found me. What matters is that they did.
"I want to see Buck" were the first words to come out my mouth when I stepped out the small one floored shabby piece of shit my abductor lived in. All I could think about was the date my abductor; whose name turned out to be Jackie, was telling me about. I was worried about her hurting him. Officer Thomas was reluctant at first at my request to be taken to see Buck. Somehow I managed to convince him to call Athena and let me speak to her.
"There's too much going on right now, you need to give a statement and then we need to worry about getting you home safely. You've been through a lot in the past month"
"I don't care about that right now all I want is to make sure Buck is okay! She was talking about a date-"
"Yeah I know, we interrupted it."
"Did you arrest her?? And Buck is he fine?"
Athena is quiet on the other line and the silence makes me more anxious.
"Athena!"
"Stella listen..." her words cause my heart to stop. This doesn't sound good.
"Where is Buck?" I push. "Tell me. Did she do something to him?" My thumb sits in between my teeth, my nerves a mess right now. Athena is upsetting me. I know she's hiding something from me I just wish she'd spit it out.
I hear her let out a long sigh. The tone in her voice shifts, it sounds like she's holding back tears.
"He's been shot... it's not looking so great right now." A sniffle. The phone slides off the side of my face. Officer Thomas furrows his eyebrows.
"What is it?" He asks.
"Take me to the hospital, now." I demand the heavy weight man.
"Those weren't the sergeants orders"
"I don't care! Take me to the hospital now or I will take myself." My thumb presses the red button on the screen, Athena's voice no longer audible. I hand the officer back his phone.
"So what is it going to be? Are you going to take me or will I have to walk myself?" My eyes are burning but I don't want to cry in front of anyone right now.
He hesitates before looking around the scene. Officer Thomas calls over a short blonde woman.
"Have someone drive her to the hospital-"
"Griffith" I interrupt. I don't have to ask where Buck has been taken to because everyone knows Griffith is the best hospital in Los Angeles. He has to be there.
The blonde woman questions the officer. "Are you sure that's what we're supposed to be doing? We haven't even brought her to the stat-"
"Just do it Nyla before she walks her damn self!" He orders the blonde. Nyla glares at officer Thomas before giving me an unpleasant look, nodding for me to follow her. Either I get my way or I raise hell. Thomas was wise to cooperate with me. I follow Nyla with a satisfied smile on my face but it quickly fades as my thoughts run back to Evan.
************
I nearly rolled out the back of the police car before Nyla could come to a complete stop, rushing in through the front doors of the hospital. Gasps and whispers breakout as I speed walk towards the front desk. Dianne, my favorite nurse, looks at me with wide eyes as she realizes it's really me.
"Oh sweet heavens honey you're okay!?" Both her hands cross over her chest, she looks like she could faint. It hasn't been long since I have been found so it'll be a bit before the entire city of Los Angeles learns about it.
"Dianne I'm fine and I know this is all crazy but I need to know where Evan Buckley is" I take a deep breathe feeling slightly fatigue after rushing the words out. Dianne gives me a puzzled look.
"That's Dr. Russell's patient. He's still in surgery" one of the other nurses chimes in. I give her a nod and walk away from the counter before another word is spoken. I bring my trembling hands up to my mouth as I silently pray for him. He needs to make it out alive. I've only been back in the real world an hour and he's the first person I thought about. Not my mother, not my best friend or my friends. Him. The sadness behind Athena's voice when she said things weren't looking too bright for him has me in nervous sweats. I wouldn't know what to do if Evan didn't make it out. Don't think like that. He's strong. He will make it out.
A pair of arms spin me around nearly scaring me to death but when my eyes lock with hers, the tears come streaming down my face. Gigi wraps her arms around my neck and sobs, causing heads to turn on us but I don't care. I silently cry into her shoulder as I tighten my hold around her.
"I thought I was never going to see you again..." she whines. I gently rub her back.
"I'm okay."
"How the hell are you even here? There wasn't any news about you being found" Gigi wipes her tears but still the disbelief sits on her face.
"It literally has only been an hour and I was supposed to be at the station but Athena told me about Buck and I had to come here Gigi, I need to make sure he's okay"
The look on my best friends face doesn't help make me feel any more at ease. Instead it makes my stomach churn.
"What? What is it?" The nervousness clear in my voice.
"He was shot four times... one bullet nearly hit his heart but he's in very bad condition Stel..." her voice trails off. I shake my head.
"But Dr. Russell is doing everything he can. Me and you both know he's the best surgeon here" she tries comforting me but I back away. If Evan dies...
The room starts to spin around me. "Hey hey" Gigi grabs me by my arms. "You need to sit down okay, come on" she guides me to the waiting room.
"Have you been looked at? There aren't any visible signs of-"
"I'm fine" I say while she tries examining me. "I swear. She didn't once touch me which is shocking"
"I would've murdered the bitch" Gigi says her tone and face serious.
"I know. And I would've had to bail you out" I rub my temple.
"You know I'd do anything if anyone hurt you." I nod my head. I know she would. I'd do the same for her. She's more like my sister than my best friend.
"I'll stay with you if you want until Russell gets out of surgery" I watch Gigi take the seat next to me. My head rests on her shoulder, her hand rubbing my arm. "Everything is going to be okay" she whispers.
"I can't lose him G.."
"You won't."
"And if I do?" I look up at her, my eyes watery making her look blurry.
"Then I'll be here and so will everyone else."
"There's so much I haven't told him yet" My emotions start taking over making me spill things I normally wouldn't.
"Such as?" Gigi tries to sound surprised but she knows exactly what.
"It took two bad things in a such a short time frame to happen for me to realize and accept my feelings for him. And it's scary as hell."
"I think those feelings have always been there but you were too stubborn to admit it."
"It's annoying how right you can be sometimes" I tell her.
"Being locked up in a glass box alone had me thinking about so much"
"Mostly him huh? Kinda hurt you weren't thinking about your best friend"
I suck my teeth, playfully pushing her. "Shut up. Of course I was thinking about you."
"You better have because I've been worried sick the day I came home to find you gone!" Her voice cracks and I pull her in for a hug. It happened and I don't want her thinking about that day.
"I'm not gonna cry I promise" she says. "But tell me about your prison glass thoughts"
I sigh loudly. Before I could open my mouth to spill my heart out about Evan, Victors eyes lock with mine. He seems tired and worn out. But when he sees me his eyes go wide. If Victor is not in the OR that means the surgery is done.
"Stella?" Victor whispers. Gigi is on her feet before I am walking to him. She whispers something to him. I watch as he takes his cap off, crumbling it up in his hands.
"Victor" I'm inches from him. His eyes scan my face, still not being able to believe I'm standing in front of him. Before I realize what I'm doing my hands are holding his. They aren't trembling as bad as they were earlier. I hold my head up high to level my eyes with his.
"You're okay?" He asks, a small smile forming on his lips. I nod my head. Our hands are still touching. I feel terrible. I hate myself for liking Victor the way I do but not the way I feel for someone else....
"How is he?" I ask, moving past the topic of myself. I can hear him swallow. There's a flash of some emotion in his eyes as he looks away from me. I'm not sure if it's from me asking about him or the news about how Evan is.
"Stella" he whispers. I shake my head.
"Victor don't you dare tell me anything other than that he's alive"
His hand rubs the back of his neck but he's still not looking me straight in my eyes.
"How is he!?"
"Stella" Gigi tries reaching for my hand but I push her away. Suddenly it's hard for me to breathe. Instead of answering my question Victor inches closer to me and I find myself throwing my small body into his arms, gripping tight onto his scrubs as the tears fall down my cheeks.
"Damn it Victor what happened?"