Oblivion [CURRENTLY EDITING]

Chapter One

Meredith Vincent was anticipating the end of an excruciatingly long shift, ready to return home and become a willing hostage to the warmth and comfort that her bed provided. Perhaps —  Meredith thought to herself as amber hues remained trained on a nearby clock with the eagerness of a child — if she were to remain locked away from the world for long enough, everything that had Conyers so shaken as of late would somehow disappear; as if this was all just a bad dream. Signing off one final notice in a patients file, she slid her pen into the pocket of her white coat before making her way to the locker room to gather her things.

Thirty more minutes and you're home, she thought to herself, silently repeating the words like a mantra in her own mind as she made her way through the floor of the emergency room.

A call was what finally shattered Meredith's daze; the smell of blood engulfing her senses as her heart thrashed against her ribs. Her head twisted in the direction of the sound, sending waves of hair flying as her level of adrenaline immediately rose. She watched a tall figure stagger through the automatic doors of the emergency room, a lifeless child cradled in strong arms. The man was shouting for anyone to help him, and Meredith knew that this was her queue to intervene. She tried to quell her nerves as she ran out from behind the front desk and over to him, arms held out to receive the child.

"I'm going to need some help over here!" she shouted as loud as she could, hoping that someone — anyone — working the emergency room that night would be able the hear her cry. Gently taking the child into her own arms, the young woman quickly began noting the man's injuries.

Apparent bullet wound to the temple. Only one entry point, appears to be a flesh wound. Blood loss, and lightheadedness. Impaired vision. How the hell did this guy drive here?

"Please," the stranger pleaded to her, breathless as he grabbed her arm with a weathered and calloused hand; he clung to her with a fierce grip. His head lazily bobbed back and forth as his eyelids dipped, weighed heavy by unconsciousness that would soon overcome him entirely. She eased him into a nearby seat, knowing full well that this stranger could collapse at any given moment.
"Just keep her alive, please."
The two individuals made eye contact for a brief moment; his polar blue eyes stained crimson by blood locked with her own amber hues. It took all of his concentration and might to keep them focused on Meredith, and both his unyielding nature and the strain on his body was evident. She gave him a quick nod in return before rushing away breathlessly, finding a stretcher to lay the child on. That was when she finally got a good look at the tiny, blonde girl — Anna Dover.

Anna had been missing since thanksgiving, the same girl who was the source of the communal uneasiness that had settled over the otherwise calm town of Conyers in previous weeks.

Upon this realization, Meredith became frantic. Though her voice trembled with fear, she continued to call out for someone to step in and assist her, as trembling hands desperately worked to hook the child's frail body up to various machines. She wasn't built for situations like this. What kind of monster, so filled with hatred and contempt, would do such a thing to a child was beyond her — but the thoughts lingered in her mind. Mer cursed under her breath, hands shaking hard as she tried to concentrate on getting an IV into Anna's arm, unable to find a vein that didn't seem to be punctured already.

Why can't anyone hear me calling? Where is everybody?

Suddenly, the IV needle was snatched out of her own hands by a male resident that had been working the shift with her that evening. Julian Martinez. She took a step to the side and watched over his shoulder as he effortlessly finished the job, ensuring that Anna's vitals were stable as he efficiently examined her. No one working in the general hospital could deny that Julian was good at his job — however, Meredith found it to be his only admirable trait. He turned back to face Meredith with rich, brown eyes as dark as the night sky, stray curls of raven-coloured hair fell onto his forehead, which he quickly shook away.