A Deadly Winter Retreat

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The truck hydroplaned across a deep puddle with my foot firmly pressed on the accelerator. Cautiously gripping the steering wheel, I maneuvered it into the hospital's parking lot.

The rain blurred my vision, and the wipers slashed across the windshield like a ragged doll being dragged by a toddler. I released a calm breath, slamming on my brakes outside of the brightly lit ER entrance. I noticed two hospital staff walking out the glass double doors, clad in scrubs- a woman and a man. They gazed at us with intense curiosity.

Frantically, I flung the car door open and leaped outside. My feet slammed onto the wet pavement with a resounding thud. Sprinting towards Lena's side, I hastily pulled her door open. Grabbing her by the waist, I helped her out of the truck, using my body to support her weight.

The man in scrubs shouted from across the way, "Do you need help?" His gaze locked onto me.

I nodded urgently. "Yes!" He hastened in my direction.

As I turned, I spotted the woman in scrubs racing toward us, pushing a wheelchair. She wheeled it right in front of us, gasping for breath. Her eyebrows lifted, and the look of despair etched across her face.

"Do you know what happened to her?" The woman inquired, urgency evident in her tone as she helped me place Lena into the wheelchair.

"They held her hostage!" I exclaimed. "She was tied up in a cabin. Up in the mountains."

The woman gasped in horror. Turning back into the hospital, she quickly wheeled Lena inside while I sped walked behind them.

The woman wheeled Lena into a room, slamming the door shut behind her.

As soon as I walked through the doors, I noticed several patients in the waiting room. A woman sat with a young girl across her lap; the girl seemed unwell, with a flushed face and a sad expression. On the opposite side, there was an elderly man and a woman. The man was bundled up in a coat, his eyes downturned and heavy with sorrow.

I bent over, resting my hands on my knees as I I huffed and puffed. I felt breathless while my heart was still pounding erratically from the fear-induced chase. The black SUV was gone, or at least, I desperately hoped it was.

Two nurses were sitting at the nurses' station, each one focused on their respective computer screens. Another was flipping through a stack of patient charts. They didn't even notice me as I walked past, nearly out of breath.

I knocked on the door where the nurse had taken Lena. I heard the sounds of sneakers screeching against the tiled floor.

"Hello?" I knocked once more.

Then I heard a muffled scream.

"Open up!" I demanded, pounding my fists on the door with all my might. The sounds of chairs sliding against the linoleum surface and sneakers screeching across the floor reverberated through the air, creating an indescribable tension. In a sudden blur, three nurses tackled me to the ground.

My back collided with the surface, and a resounding thud echoed through the air. Before I could plead my case, one of the nurses extended her hand, slapping it over my mouth and silencing me.

I cried out in another muffled scream.

"Where is security?" One of the nurses asked the other in an irritated tone. The nurse shrugged.

Then finally, the nurse who clasped her hand over my mouth released it, and I let out a deep breath.

"My friend, Lena." I struggled to get my words out. "They took her in that room." I gestured my head toward the door I banged on.

The tall nurse had a look of confusion etched across her face after I explained.

"Who took her into that room?"

"Two medical staff. I think they're um-uh." I stammered. "Nurses. One male and one female." I explained through deep breaths.

The nurse stood while the two others were still holding me down on the ground as if I were some crazed criminal who came in to attack.

"Let her go," the tall nurse informed, "She seems to be coherent and cooperative."

The nurses released their grip on me, and I could feel the soreness lingering in the muscles of my arms.

As I rose from the floor, the nurse used a key to open the door.

Lena lay tucked in the hospital bed.

I rushed towards her, but the nurse who wheeled her in quickly blocked my way, extending her arm in front of me.

"She cannot have guests or be seen by anyone at this time," the nurse explained. "This is a criminal investigation."

My eyes widened. "Of course, it's a criminal investigation. She was held hostage by Gina Morrison," I clarified.

"Please go back to the waiting room and wait for the cops to arrive."

"I want to know if Lena will be okay."

The nurse gazed into my eyes, a hint of compassion evident. She nodded. "Yes, she'll be fine. She needs to undergo a thorough evaluation. As of now, though, she is not presenting with any emergent issues."

I sighed in relief. "Thank you."