I've Never Been So Cold

Realisation

As the new day had dawned, it had gradually got lighter in Nikki's prison. She hadn't slept. Her night had alternated between struggling to get free, crying, and shouting. 

As the light penetrated the room, she could see that she was on a mattress in the corner of a small room. There wasn't anything else in the room. It was a concrete floor, with very high, narrow windows. She could hear background noise some way away, like heavy machinery or industrial equipment, and there was a constant dripping noise, although she couldn't see any water.

She managed to shuffle herself upright so she was sitting on the mattress. Her headache had subsided, although her throat was sore from all the shouting, and she was completely exhausted from her ordeal.

She could see a door on the other side of the room, which she thought she could get to. She shuffled to the edge of the mattress, and managed to get onto her knees, but it was so hard to stand up from there without being able to use her hands and with her legs tied together. She collapsed on the concrete floor and shouted in frustration as she bumped her head. The tears started again as she thought back to how she had got here. 48 hours ago she had finally kissed Jack. Beautiful Jack. Her heart ached as she thought of him. She saw his dark, handsome features, his big strong arms, and the twinkle in his eye, and she sobbed. It all came flooding out. She loved him with all her heart, and she didn't know why she had kept it bottled up for so long. If she ever got out of here she was going to tell him. She loved him and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She thought about his strong arms wrapping around her, and how safe she felt when she was with him. He truly was the love of her life and she couldn't think why she hadn't told him this before, she had wasted so much time, time that could have been spent with Jack.

She didn't know how long she had spent on the floor. She didn't have the energy to get herself back over to the mattress. The floor was freezing, and she was slipping in and out of sleep because she was so exhausted.

She heard footsteps. Her first thought was Jack, he's found me, and her heart skipped a beat. The door opened, and she saw a hooded figure enter the room. It was far too small to be Jack. Her heart dropped and she felt herself tense with fear. Once inside the room, the figure took their hood down.

'Ollie' she said, shocked but relieved to see him, relaxing slightly. 'Please, help me, untie me, I don't know what's happened, someone took me from the Lyell'

Ollie laughed. 'You're not going anywhere Dr Alexander'

A look of realisation swept across Nikki's face. It was Ollie that had done this. Ollie. He had drugged her, tied her up and brought her here. 'Ollie, you can't do this. You need to let me go, take me home, please' 

He laughed again. 'I can do what I like. You're tied up, there's no one here. Just you and me'

Nikki started shouting again 'Help. Please someone help me' 

'No good shouting Dr Alexander. No one will hear you'

Nikki struggled again against her ties, writhing around on the floor, trying to get herself free, determined to get away from Ollie. He stopped and watched. 'I like seeing you like this. Vulnerable. Frightened. Struggling.' He sat on the floor and stared at her.

'Ollie please' she begged. 'If you let me go now I won't say anything. Please. Just let me go and we can get on with our lives as if nothing happened'

'But something did happen didn't it Dr Alexander. You were in my bed. With me. I wanted you to come back to me, to stay with me, but you went to him didn't you. Jack' He spat the last word out with such hatred and venom that Nikki recoiled away from him. 

'I'm sorry Ollie' she cried, starting to feel very, very scared. 'We can sort this out, please Ollie, just let me go'

Ollie just sat there, staring at her.

'Why are you doing this. Why. Please Ollie. Just let me go, I won't tell anyone. I promise. Please'

'Oh but you will tell someone won't you. You'll tell him. Aaargh, I can't even bear to think about him.'

Ollie jumped up and kicked the wall. 'Why. Why do you want him and not me. I can give you everything. Everything.' He was pacing the small room, the anger and pain evident in his face.

'Ollie' she said softly. 'This isn't the right way to do things. You can't just take me and keep me tied up.'

He shouted again, his hands balled up into fists. 'I know. But I have to keep you away from him while I think how I can keep you for myself.'

'You can't keep me for yourself, not if I don't want you'

She knew as soon as the words had left her mouth that she shouldn't have said them. Ollie spun around to face her, anger and hurt written all over his face. 'You wanted me the other night' he shouted. 'You filthy little bitch. Just a one night stand was I. Dirty tramp'

He kicked her in the stomach where she lay on the floor and stormed out of the room, leaving Nikki sobbing on the floor on her own.