Family Ties (Rewritten)

The Pen

Stella sat in the dark parking lot for thirty minutes before she was able to force herself to walk into the hospital.  She spent the previous night pondering the conversation she had with Vincent, and how much it seemed to reawaken the hellish spirit inside of her that she had so long suppressed.

Thoughts of revenge filled her mind before, but they had become more vivid.  She imagined herself going straight into Elliot Greer's office with a scalpel in her hand, using it to slice his throat wide open, smiling as his blood poured all over his desk, all while he stared into her eyes with horror.

The thoughts frightened her.   She didn't know how to cope with them in a healthy manner, especially since they brought her a strange sense of comfort.

The front doors slid open, sending a cold wave of air blowing past her like an apparition. The young girl behind the desk glanced up, then looked away when she saw who walked inside. Most of the female staff were still under the impression that Stella was trying to seduce the doctor to further her position in the hospital. They hated her.

She ignored the accusing stares from the rest of the staff as she walked down the hall.  'I just have to get through this until I save enough money to get the hell out of here.'  She told herself.

"You're two minutes late, Nurse Bennett."

His voice caused her to stop in her tracks.

"I'm sorry," She said, refusing to turn around.

"Look at me when I speak to you."

Stella walked away from him, not caring about the potential consequences.  She had gone from being fearful of what he would do to her to becoming numb to it.  She expected him to hurt her.

After chugging a cup of nasty coffee from the lounge, she picked up her supplies and went to see her first patient of the night. Earl was already standing in front of his door, giving her a nod.

She could see the pity in his dark eyes.

Earl was no fool. He knew what the doctor and his sister were capable of, but he wouldn't dare turn him in. He hoped one of the victims would do it.

"Good evening, Nurse Bennett," He said, pushing the door open before she responded. He followed her into the room and stood with his arms crossed.

Stella kept her eyes fixed on the floor when she stepped into the room.  She could feel Vincent's gaze upon her until she was forced to look up at him to give him his medication.  His face hardened as she placed the pills in his hand, which sent a shiver up her spine.  He had never looked at her like that before. Something was wrong.

"Do you need anything else?"  Stella asked, lacing her hands in front of her stomach.

Before he could answer, Doctor Greer opened the door so swiftly that he nearly knocked Earl to the floor.  His forehead was drenched in sweat, and his chest moved up and down rapidly.  "Thank God I found you, Earl," He said, "Patient 409 is having a meltdown in the rec room.  They need help."

Earl grunted and rushed out of the room.

Elliot smiled as soon as he left. "I should have known that I would find you here, Stella. You can't stay away from Graves, can you?" 

Vincent rolled his eyes.  "Leave her alone."

"Why?  Does it strike a nerve when I hassle the girl who's become infatuated with you?"

"What are you talking about?"

Elliot snaked his arm around Stella's shoulders, causing her to lower her head. "Haven't you ever seen the way she looks at you, Graves? The way her eyes light up when she comes to your room."