At the office, I burst into the lobby, nodding at the reception desk and security guards. Then I half staggered up to swipe my employee pass at the gate only to realise that I had lost my employee pass. It had been lost along with my purse, phone and weapons.
I just about collapsed on a step, trying to catch my breath. A security guard sat beside me, while reception called upstairs to find Mr Holt for me.
According to the rules, even if they recognised me, a recognised employee from the relevant department had to walk me through the security gates if I had lost my pass. It was to prevent any mistakes. I was going to have so many forms to fill in to replace and explain all my missing stuff later.
"What happened to you?" the security guard poked my side. "You're bleeding a lot."
I jumped sideways away from him with a yell. In fact, I jumped too far and jumped myself slam bang into the wall. Sliding down the wall, I then fell over when my legs wouldn't take my weight anymore.
Ow that hurt!
It didn't hurt before he had touched it, but now I could feel the burning sharp pain digging into my right side. The abrasions on my left side stung. My headache got worse. Enough that I couldn't see clearly for a moment.
"Sorry," the security guard apologised, coming over to help me back up. He pointed at my head. "Your head."
"Yes," I told him. "That vigilante murderer everyone's chasing caught me and nearly bashed my head through the floor. Then after I escaped, and while I was on my way here, I got hit by a car."
With my breath recovering and the sweat on my body starting to cool down under the air conditioning after all that running, it seemed the adrenaline was wearing off. The temperature dropped. I was beginning to feel all the aches and pains in my jarred joints and the sharp stabbing pains from other injuries. The influx of painful stimuli my brain was receiving was a bit much to cope with for a moment and I put my head between my knees before I could faint. Even then, I could feel my head buzzing and mind blurring.
My body swayed and the security guard made a comm call up to the infirmary.
"Tell whoever's on duty that they're about to receive a patient. Bleeding from a long scratch in her side and one of her head wounds. May have other injuries. Likely has a concussion and seems to be in a lot of pain, on the verge of fainting. Was attacked, escaped and hit by a car on her way to the office."
Mr Holt came hurrying down. With him was Big Brother.
"Kim. Kim, are you alright?"
"Kim, you're bleeding a lot. You've grown quite a few pigeon eggs on your head there."
I felt their arms help pick my heavy body up while the security guard repeated what I had told them. Before long, I was being helped into the lift where I leaned on Big Brother.
They soon had me laying on a bed in sick bay. Strangely, I didn't seem to remember walking in there or getting on the bed. Yet there I was.
Someone was examining my pupils beneath a bright pen light, while another had my arm in a blood pressure cuff.
I groaned. There was a sharp pain in my side and my head felt as if someone had taken a blunt axe to it.
"Here. Have some painkillers. There's a dear. We're also going to take some blood. Just a sharp sting."
Some pills were popped into my mouth, the bed head lifted and a cup of water brought to my mouth. Obediently, I sipped the water and swallowed the pills with a grimace. Then a tourniquet was tightened around my arm, a finger felt about for a vein and then a sharp jab.
"We're cleaning your wounds now. We're going to need you to take off your top, dear."
With another face, I took off my jacket and shirt with the nurse's help. Then I had to grit my teeth while they cleaned and dressed the big scratch and abrasions. My head was looked at and the blood there wiped away. It seemed to have stopped bleeding already.
When everything was all done and the painkillers had begun to take effect, I lay back down with a sigh of relief. Mr Holt returned and I made my report. I didn't tell him how I had leapt across the Blue Gulf. Only that I had taken a big leap to escape.
Big Brother was there at my side, stroking my hair while I reported. I pushed his hand away several times but after a moment, he would start again. Eventually, he just held my hand in a tight grip that I couldn't pull my hand out from. He seemed nervous.
"This is quite serious," Mr Holt and Big Brother exchanged looks. "We must have missed some important clues. How could we not have noticed that they were there? Kim, I'm so sorry we left you there."
Now that I thought back to the event, it was alarming. Frightening. It was amazing that I hadn't panicked more than I had. My mind must be more resilient than I thought.
I had seen people killed and dying before. Many times. It didn't stop me from getting shocked and scared whenever I saw it happen again though. I should be happy that rapist murderer had finally been caught and killed. So why did I still feel bad about it? Had I during my time as a captive developed some feelings toward that evil criminal?
It was possible. He did leave me the only one alive of all his other victims. I suppose I was a bit grateful to him for not killing me. That and his kindness.
Ordinary life with him while I had been a captive hadn't been bad either - he hadn't captured, tortured or killed other victims while I had been with him. Not any that I had known, anyway. In fact, he had been quite thoughtful. Almost cute and sweet in the way he took care of me. If I hadn't lived everyday in fear that it would be my last, it might have been almost enjoyable.
Clouds. Did I have a mild form of Stockholm's?
"It's ok, Kim. You're safe now," Big Brother stroked my cheek and gave me a hug. "Calm down. It's ok."
"I wonder why criminals like to show themselves to you when no one else is around," Mr Holt sighed, scratching his head. "It's a good thing you got away. He probably allowed you to escape on purpose."
"I don't think he wanted to kill me exactly," I agreed, remembering the fight. "It felt more like he was trying to stop me from seeing his face and control me. But he's got all my stuff. Do you mind helping me get all the forms so that I can start filling out all the paperwork?"
"That's right. He's got your phone. He may try to contact one of us," Mr Holt lifted his head and tapped his chin. "And he's got your employee pass. We'll have to get security to keep a sharp eye out. I'll go get you the forms so that you can start on your paperwork now, Kim. Make sure your report is detailed, because having lost so many things, the inspectors are going to go through it with a fine toothed comb."
"Yes sir."
"Big Brother, you can stay and keep her company for a while if you want, but then you need to help me brief the rest of the team. If that murderer calls your mobile phone, you know what to do."
Big Brother kept me company until the others arrived. Sarden patted my shoulder, Mary Belle scoffed and Flint tried to creep a hand under the covers to touch me. Big Brother caught his wrist with a glowered warning and dragged him out of sick bay with the others.