Find me (English)

The trap

It was little Chris again, during her deposition earlier than Hailey's because she was not physically able to hold an interview, who made Alan realize what had been wrong with him since the day he had briefly regained his old self. She had not just been reduced like this by that gunshot; someone had slaughtered her before.

There was another person to find. Because they had eliminated one, but he had not acted alone. Because that well-dressed man would never stoop to ruining the hands he needed to work. A tall, big, blond man with boots. "Like the workers'," were his words. One named Markus. She had heard his name several times in those days when she had gone from schoolgirl getting off the bus to sequestered.

The news reporting the death of the famous transplant surgeon, as well as benefactor, as well as researcher and university lecturer, Felix Meyer, as well as child trafficker and another slew of crimes that exceeded his medical record came out in every news outlet. Unofficial personnel checks allowed Alan to identify one Markus Seidel who worked at the same hospital as a hospital waste employee who had not shown up for work for two weeks now.

It could have been anywhere. Neither Hailey's name nor any other information was given in the article. But in any case, Alan was thinking of planning an escort out of the room, because he did not feel comfortable. He at that moment was the only one who knew everything and knew that she was not really safe.

                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Phil's pov

For the first time in my life I disagreed with her. I had recently recovered from her disappearance, I had recently finished being afraid because I thought I would lose her forever, and I felt I was dying. For a moment I had seen myself in her place, like ten years before, begging someone to help me die because without her I would not have made it. It was devastating for me.

And now after talking to Alan, because you can't lie to her and even though she's sick she's bossy as hell, she wants an article to come out about his presence in this hospital. Because she knows the damn bastard is still on the loose. And she knows that if she reads his name he will probably come after her. Yes, I know everything because he told me. I know everything.

Because she doesn't hide anything from me. Because we don't hide anything from each other. She was afraid but she told me. What was even sadder was that she was afraid not of remembering or reliving that horror. He was afraid of what I would think. Of what I would think about her and what she had done. I locked myself in silence and she thought I was mad at her. And instead I was just thinking that I had to find him.

And when I would find him, I would take him out. I have fear and desire to find him at the same time. Because I don't know what I will be able to do. But if I compromise myself by killing him they will arrest me and I will lose her. But if I don't do that she will always be afraid to find him and I don't want her to live in fear.

But I can't even be with her 24 hours for the rest of my life. She wouldn't want it to live like that. Controlled. She is the victim not the perpetrator to be imprisoned. I was so absorbed in my darkest thoughts that I didn't notice she was silently crying. Until she spoke.

"I think I disgust you. -she told me through tears-I understand if you want to leave, I'll let you off the hook."
She was half-sitting in that hospital bed, her lower lip trembling, she was crumpling the sheet, her arms full of bruises of various shades of color, her loose hair that she thought needed a brush but looked wonderful to me, her loose gown and that thin scar between her collarbone and breast.

And I was thinking everything except that she sucked. I wished that she could see herself the way I saw her and that she could feel what I felt every time I looked at her.

"You couldn't disgust me even if you committed yourself, I love you and I'm not going anywhere." I answered her by sitting on her bed and pulling her gently to me. If I could I would have squeezed her tightly but it would have hurt. And she cried. She cried a lot. She had been strong for so long and had burst out. Exactly as I did in that waiting room when I was waiting to know if I was going to lose her.

It was at that moment that I realized I wanted to marry her. That I wanted to stop, to really stop. Because she didn't suck, because she was and is my life and I wanted to be with her for the rest of my days. I would have asked her yes.  As soon as she was well again, physically and mentally. As soon as that story was over and all the nightmares were gone. And I hoped so much that she would say yes.

In the end even though I disagreed, I respected his choice. I would have supported every decision she made. And I was going to be there for her.  I couldn't go against her but I could protect her so I told her to resign herself to seeing me inside that room as long as I could.
"I will be your punishment Bishop, just know it."

He did not protest, kissed me and replied that he would punish me in turn ... making me watch the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy until he resigned. On a loop!

"Nooo please, Frodo throw me into the flames of Mount Doom," I told her feigning despair and then took her hands and mimicked Gollum as I told her she was my precious. She punched me because I was making her laugh and everything hurt.
I will make you laugh forever, I promise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As promised, Alan along with Amanda issued a statement to the newspapers saying that the brave policewoman who had enabled them to free two little girls was hospitalized in serious condition at Duskwood Hospital and that they were waiting for her to wake up to name or identify any accomplices. The trap had been set, now all that remained was to wait for it to work.