what if Lucy gets kidnapped again?

Fragile steps forward

The days blurred together as Lucy remained in the hospital, physically recovering but still haunted by the shadows of her ordeal. The sterile walls of her room became both a sanctuary and a prison. She was safe here, shielded from the outside world, but that same safety felt suffocating. The familiar faces of nurses and doctors came and went, their words of encouragement doing little to ease the weight she carried.

Tim visited every day, his presence a constant source of comfort. He never pressured her to talk, never pushed her to open up before she was ready. Instead, he sat with her in silence, offering quiet support as she navigated the turbulent emotions that churned within her. His patience was unending, and though she couldn't bring herself to say it, Lucy was grateful for his understanding.

Angela and Jackson had visited too, their concern palpable as they tried to find the right words to say. They meant well, but their efforts to distract her with light conversation or to lift her spirits with jokes felt hollow. Lucy appreciated their attempts, but there was a chasm between her and her friends now, a distance she didn't know how to bridge.

Each night, the nightmares returned, relentless in their pursuit. Lucy would wake up gasping for breath, her heart pounding in her chest, the terror still fresh in her mind. She began to dread sleep, knowing that it offered no escape from the horrors she was trying so hard to forget. The hospital bed, once a place of rest, became a battleground where she fought a losing war against the demons that plagued her.

It was on one of these sleepless nights that Lucy found herself staring at the ceiling, the steady beep of the heart monitor the only sound in the room. The shadows seemed to press in on her from all sides, suffocating in their intensity. She felt like she was drowning, trapped in a sea of fear and shame with no way out.

Her mind raced with thoughts she couldn't control. She replayed every moment of her captivity, every word he had said, every touch, every threat. The shame she felt was overwhelming, a heavy weight that crushed her from the inside. She had survived, but at what cost? She felt tainted, broken, like a piece of herself had been lost forever.

As the hours ticked by, Lucy's thoughts grew darker. She began to wonder if she would ever truly recover, if she would ever be able to move past what had happened. The fear of the unknown, of what her life would be like now, gnawed at her relentlessly. She didn't know how to be the person she was before, and the person she was now felt like a stranger.

The morning brought little relief. The pale light of dawn did nothing to chase away the shadows that clung to her. The nurses came in to check on her, their smiles warm but their eyes filled with concern. They asked the usual questions—how she was feeling, if she needed anything—but Lucy's answers were always the same. She didn't know how she was feeling, and she didn't know what she needed. All she knew was that she felt lost.

It was during one of these routine check-ins that the nurse mentioned something that made Lucy's heart skip a beat.

"The police will be coming by today," the nurse said gently as she adjusted Lucy's IV. "They need to take your statement about what happened. I know it's difficult, but it's important for their investigation."

Lucy froze, her blood running cold at the thought. She hadn't spoken to the police since her rescue, hadn't told anyone the full extent of what she had endured. The idea of reliving those moments, of putting them into words for a stranger to hear, filled her with dread.

"They'll be here later this afternoon," the nurse continued, unaware of the panic rising within Lucy. "If you need anything, just press the call button, okay?"

Lucy nodded numbly, her mind already spinning. The thought of telling the police everything made her stomach churn. How could she possibly explain what had happened? How could she put into words the fear, the pain, the humiliation? She didn't know if she could do it.