Friday, June 13, 2014

Chapter 19: The Enemy Within

Mild Nudity, FYI



"Iliana, please put this on."

The doctor standing in front of me looked a little concerned, and was handing me a surgical mask. I tried not to freak out, but I would be lying if I said I didn't get a "Patient Zero" thought in my head. You know, those movies where the world is wiped out by a deadly virus started by some innocent person with a cough. The fact that these were apocalyptic times did not help to ease my worry. I was unsure as to what was going on, but I listened to him, putting the elastic band around my head after putting the mask over my mouth.


"Ok, now that you have that on, I should tell you that you have TB."

"Tuberculosis? I thought that disease wasn't common anymore."

"Well, you're right, it wasn't, but with the nation's collapse, and deteriorating conditions, the disease is making a comeback. It thrives in unsanitary environments such as these. We've got you on antibiotics for it, though, so it is under control. I've got to go do some paperwork, but I'll be back shortly, okay?"

I nodded, and decided to rest while the doctor left. I felt less nervous because I was glad I had something that was curable, and not anything like the horrible thoughts I'd had in my  head earlier. However, I was fairly contagious, so the doctor thought it best that Everett sit by the window in a chair outside my room.


I walked down the hallway, and to the nurses station, setting the paperwork down on the counter. Then I made my way to the waiting room to make a phone call.


"Hey. I have the package."

"Good. Make sure it's ready for transport in forty-five minutes. I'll be waiting."

After my phone call was over, I went to find Dr. McClaren because I knew he had been waiting a long time to see his wife. I led him to her room, and told him what she had. He was sad that she was sick, but he was also relieved that she wasn't missing anymore.


When the doctor in the blue scrubs came back, he had a smile on his face. I was happy that he seemed less somber.

"Hi Iliana, I have someone who wants to see you. Do you feel up for a visitor?"


My voice caught in my throat, as I thought of the only person who would want to come see me. Could it be? Was he actually alive? Was I finally going to be free from this nightmare? I smiled and nodded at the doctor, who left again to get the visitor. I patted my hair, giggling to myself as I felt the hilarity of the situation. Here I was, just about to see the man who had lived with me for five years, the man who had seen me naked multiple times, the man I was in love with, but I was nervous? How ridiculous. At the same time, I somewhat understood what I was nervous about. I had been forced to do unspeakable things for nearly... one month? Had it really only been one month? Why did it feel like decades had passed? I wasn't the same person anymore, or at least I didn't feel like it, I felt tainted.


"Iliana?"

My heart fluttered when I heard his voice. I turned towards the door, smiling at him. Even though he couldn't see my mouth through the mask I was wearing, I knew he could tell I was smiling. I wished I could kiss him, but my TB was preventing that. He had done his hair differently than when I last saw him, it was a little longer, and some stubble had grown in on his face. He looked weary, but his eyes lit up when he saw me. I moved over and he came and sat on the bed, taking me in his arms and pulling me close to him. I snuggled myself in his grasp, laying my head on his chest as close as I could, placing my hand on his shirt, unable to believe that he was really here. I was finally safe. Having my head so close to his, I could hear his quiet sniffles as tears fell down his cheeks. I couldn't help but shed a few of my own tears as well.


"I can't believe you're here, baby. I missed you so much. I was so worried about you. I tried looking for you, but my leads ran dry, and I got stuck. I thought the worst, I didn't know if I would ever see you again."

"Gerard? Is it really you? I feel like I'm dreaming. I thought the same too, whether I'd see you again."

"Yes, baby, it's me. I'm so sorry I couldn't find you."

"It's okay. It's good to know that you tried. I don't want to let you go. Can you stay with me forever?"

Gerard laughed a little through his tears, and I knew he was doing it because my request was a silly one. I knew it as well, but I really didn't want to let him out of my sight again.


"Well, baby, I wish I could do that, but since you have TB, we have to move you to Quarantine for a few days until you become less contagious. Then you'll be a few steps closer to coming home."

I nodded, glad that I was on the path to recovery, but sad that I couldn't go home right away. I felt safe, though, knowing that I was in Gerard's sights again.

"Gerard?"

The other doctor who had given me the surgical mask earlier was back, requesting Gerard for something, probably a surgery. Gerard got up off the bed, and sat on the edge of it, keeping his hand close to me on the mattress. I touched his arm, wishing I could hang onto him for just a little longer.


"I'm sorry to interrupt, but your patient is prepped and ready for you in the OR."

"Ahh, it's not a problem, Keith. Thank you so much for telling me where Iliana's room was. Can you do me a favor, and move her to Quarantine? I'd like her to be able to get better as soon as possible so I can take her home."

"Of course, Dr. McClaren."

"Iliana? I'm going to go do my surgery, but when I'm done, I'll come right back, okay? You'll be in good hands with Dr. Lendel here. You should sleep, let your body work with the antibiotics so you can heal."


I hugged Gerard goodbye and he went out of my room. Keith came over and switched out my antibiotic bag, seeing as the other one was getting low on fluid. I smiled at him, and closed my eyes again, feeling sleepy and comfortable enough to take a nap. As I drift off to sleep, I feel Keith raise the bars on the side of my hospital bed and release the brakes on the wheels, pushing me out of the room and down the hallway to Quarantine.


When I woke up, I was not expecting to see what I did. My heart dropped, my throat tightened up, my stomach started feeling tight, and every muscle in my body tensed. I was looking into emerald green eyes, the eyes I hoped I'd never have to see again.


"Welcome back, Iliana."

"NO! What is this?!"

I struggled, feeling that my wrists were restrained to the sides of the small bed I was laying on. I couldn't help but cry as I thought about how unlucky I truly was. Maybe my visit to the hospital had been a dream. I had just begun to get better, I had seen Gerard again, I was almost home free, and now this. I felt cold, all over, and realized that I was naked.


"This, my dear, is your punishment. It's a shame, really, darling. You were my favorite. I really did treat you better than everyone else. I even gave you your TB meds. But then you had to go and run away. I was taking care of you, and you repay me by running away. Now I see that you are just an ungrateful little whore! So... this is the part of the brothel for those clients who want a little more of a hardcore experience. That's why you're restrained, the pain turns them on. I occasionally sent some of the other hookers down here when they pissed me off, but you, you never wronged me. Until now."


Leo glared at me and left my bedside, walking towards a small end table next to the bed. My head was reeling with the things I had just learned about him. He was taking care of me? He knew about my TB? How was he getting medicine for me? It was then that I put two and two together. Leo had someone inside the hospital who was giving him the supplies he needed, and that someone was Keith. I cried harder at my revelation because Gerard didn't even know. He didn't even know that the enemy was right under his nose. Everett was powerless to stop anything because he never would have suspected a doctor harmlessly wheeling me down the hallway. I underestimated Leo. I underestimated him gravely, and I was going to pay, hopefully not with my life.

"Are you, are you going to kill me? Torture me?"

"No of course not, you were my highest earner, and you still will be. Unfortunately for you, all the perks that went along with that, all the freedom I so generously gave you, are no longer a possibility for you. I'm going to let the clients have their way with you, however they so choose. Some of them enjoy strangulation, bondage, various other kinds of things I won't mention. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."


Leo got a rubber tube off of a small end table, and when I realized what he was doing, I squirmed within my restraints to no avail. He tied the tube around my arm and patted it so my vein became more apparent. Leo got out a white powder and sprinkled a little bit of it onto a spoon, then held a lighter underneath it to melt it. Then he filled a syringe with it, flicking the needle to get the air bubbles out. I squirmed more, knowing what he was going to do to me and wanting none of it.

"Stop moving, Iliana, you don't want me to miss because it will hurt. It will hurt like I'm stabbing you in the arm. You don't need that on top of your TB."

"I don't want this, please, Leo, I'll do whatever you want, just please, don't make me an addict!! I'm begging you!"


"SHUT UP! Groveling isn't going to help you. I trusted you, bitch, and you broke that trust. I am done being nice to you."

Leo flicked the needle again, and then pushed it into my arm. I looked away, closing my eyes as if doing that would stave off the effects of the heroin. I of course, knew it wouldn't, but then, suddenly, nothing mattered anymore as I felt like I was flying through the air, my breathing slowed, and I drifted off to a state of euphoria, or unconsciousness, or sleep, I'm not sure which, but I didn't care.


26 comments:

  1. (oT^To)
    (╥﹏╥)
    ༼;´༎ຶ ۝ ༎ຶ༽
    NOOOO!

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    1. >:D MUAHAHAHAH!
      LOL, seriously, though, she won't be there forever. ^_^

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  2. And I just knew that here woulde be updates, too... God, the poor thing. But at least her husband knows she is still alive now and I bet he and his ex cop friend will find her.
    And Gerard, of course.
    Can hardly wait for THIS to happen

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    1. Hey stranger! :) Good to see you.
      Ahh yeah, Iliana appears to be in the hopeless situation again, but you are on the right track that now Gerard knows she's alive, and him and Francis will no longer be stuck anymore with finding her. I'm excited to write the next chapters about that. ^_^
      Thanks for reading and commenting. :)

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    2. Welcome. I love your stories. and I was not kidding, I have no idea how I managed to miss your updates. I made a mental note to check on your stuff manually now *lol*

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    3. Aww, haha, I love your loyalty, anna. :)

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  3. NO! That lovely, happy reunion with her husband <3, and then THAT! NO! :'-(

    Leo's threat almost makes her having TB a trivial thing >:-(.

    Can't wait for next update!

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    1. Iliana's day went from blissful to terrible in a matter of forty-five minutes. T_T
      Oh yeah, I agree, her disease is nothing compared to the new hell she's been dumped into. It's so sad when something like having a disease is not as bad because you're in an even worse situation. o.O
      I'm excited to write the next part of this! :)
      Thanks for reading! :)

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  4. OMG! I wasn't expecting that!

    She gets her husband back for all of five minutes and then she's taken hostage again. I don't understand why dirt bag Keith mentioned her whereabouts to Gerard. Surely now that he knows for a fact that she's alive, he won't rest until he finds her again? He was the last one to see her so surely he knows that his cover will now be compromised?

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    1. >:D
      If I am going to be known for anything... it would be unpredictability. It's what I strive for. LOL.

      Keith is playing both sides, which is why he let Gerard visit Iliana. Keith is Leo's mole in the hospital, I suppose, that would be a way to describe him, he's the one on the inside who can get supplies and information for Leo, and if Leo gets hurt, Keith is the one who will give him medical attention. In addition to being Leo's inside man, Keith is also pretending to be good friends with Gerard in the hopes that no suspicion will be placed on him. Keith's a master of manipulation, and he's smart, which is necessary when you are a criminal such as this.

      Yes, Gerard knows she's alive now and he will use Francis to help him find her this time. It's true that Keith's cover could be compromised, but that's up to Keith and how he manipulates the situation while he's around Gerard. Let's just say this isn't the first time Keith has done something like this, he has been moonlighting for Leo for a long time, while also having a "legit" job as a surgeon at the hospital.

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  5. It's crazy to think that it all tied together now, seeing as how a while ago, Leo was getting her meds, and then when she escapes and is taken to the hospital, Keith is the one who was providing those meds, and hes also the one she ran into and he told Leo about it.. UGH! When he first went away to make that phone call, I knew there was something I didn't like or trust about him.. -___- I thought he might've been just smuggling drugs out of the hospital since he's a doctor and has the capability, but on top of that, now he's smuggling out people to sick psychopath's like Leo who think they can do whatever the hell they want with a human being.. *screams in frustration* She only got a taste of heaven for five minutes and then she's right back where she started.. Poor thing.. T_T I hate to say it, because I really love Iliana, but I don't think she's going to be making it out alive again. *cries in a corner*

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    1. >:D I'm having lots of fun tying things together in this story. It can be difficult at times, but so much fun. LOL yes, the phone call was sort of a 'what?' 'Package?' That word is all too often used by criminals and it just makes you sound like a drug dealer. ROFL. Leo has connections everywhere, unfortunately, even the crime business works like a regular business, you network to get your business to be successful. Leo needed someone at the hospital because well, in his line of work, he is bound to need stitches or surgery at some point. He also needed someone at the hospital who wouldn't ask lots of questions and had some reason to even work with a criminal. Although fear seems to be a good driving force in this town. T_T She got a small forty-five minutes away from captivity only to be plunged right smack into the depths of it. O_O As for what happens to her... >:D you'll just have to wait to find out, but hopefully not as long as last time... LOL.

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  6. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Ugh! You do know how to make us all go crazy, don't you!? :D Glad to know this won't last long, but she'll have to deal with all the effects of the drugs and emotions from everything Leo and the clients do to her. So terrible! :(

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    1. ROFL, if I could describe my writing in one short phrase, it would be 'roller coaster.' I often don't make things go smoothly for any large amount of time. XD I find it quite boring when everything is perfect for too long.
      Yeah, sadly she has now been introduced to heroin... :/ so she's going to have to deal with withdrawal symptoms and all the wierd emotions that go along with drug use. *sigh*

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  7. OMG OMG!! What are you doing?! LOL :-D
    This was an unexpected turn of events, very good :-) Looking forward to the next chapter!

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    1. LOL! I am showing how unstable apocalyptic times can be. Muahahhahaha! XD
      Also, building up to what eventually happens to Iliana...
      Thanks so much, swiirl! :)

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  8. What kind of...Damn it Gypsy! **fuming**

    I know it's not her fault, but GOD DAMN IT ALL! I knew the moment Keith was all, "I have the package" that something was going down. But then you threw me off with Gerard and lulled me into a false sense of calm. Just so you could crush my heart by having us wake up with that monster staring down at her. I legit thought it was a dream.

    le sigh...hurry with the next chapter, I needs to know what happens next!!!

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    1. LOL. IKR? "package" is just... it makes you look like a criminal. Poor FedEx and UPS. LOLL. Just kidding. >:D I do strive for unpredictability, which goes perfectly with this story. I needed to have this happen so that the next chapter could happen the way I want. :D

      Haha, I won't be making people wait super long for the next one since I know what I am going to do with it. :)

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  9. :( I was so hopeful and then the rug was ripped out from under me. UGH!! So good! Not that she's back with Leo but that you blindsided us!!

    "The package. . ." Jerk! He watched as a husband and wife were reunited and didn't care that he was about to break both of their hearts. Asshole!

    Oh crap! What's going to happen now? Surely he'll find her again, I hope, but what's going to happen in the meantime. . .I'm like Blythelyre, I needs to know! lol!!

    Great chapter!!

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    1. LOL thank you for the compliments. :)

      Haha, "package" is just such a creepy word, that immediately makes someone sound like a criminal. Such an innocent word too, but combine it with a secret phone call, and it's like BAM! *immediate creep factor* ROFL.

      O_O She's in hell right now... hopefully she won't be for too long, it definitely won't be another month, he'll find her sooner rather than later... but hopefully Leo hasn't done too much damage to her in that short period of time... >:D

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  10. Oh. My. God. You are EVIL!!!! How could you do that to your character??!?!?! Seriously? LOL. First it looks like everything is working out, she gets medical attention to treat her TB, sees her husband, and then....wham. Back down in the dungeon for the extra kinky mother fuckers???!?!

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    1. MUAHAHHAHAH! Yes, yes I am. This needed to happen so that next chapter could go the way I wanted. LOL. Now they both know the other one is alive, so things can progress forward because before Gerard was completely stuck with no clues as to where she was, and she was just having to move on not knowing about him. Haha, extra kinky mother fuckers, nice way to put it. LOL.

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  11. I knew it! I knew Leonardo had inside connections....what a dog. I can't believe Keith is a crooked doctor....Gerard better open his eyes FAST and save his wife. Now Iliana is going to deal with more Shit because shes back in that hell hole and he gave her drugs. Ugh Leonardo makes me sick....he didn't have to do all that...He's such a pig.and I hope his little brothel gets shut down. Nice chapter...when she woke up and you had that picture of Leonardo there my heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach *thumbs up*

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    1. Haha, a good crime lord always needs some people on the inside, especially a doctor, because in Leo's line of work, there's always a risk of getting injured somehow, and he needs a doctor who won't ask questions.

      Gerard will of course, realize Iliana's missing sooner or later, and go look for her. Now, Leo is actually giving her drugs, LOL, before he was just giving her the TB meds. Well, yeah, he did have to do all that, because he's an evil crime lord. XD

      LOL, I'm glad I got that reaction out of you and that you enjoyed this. :)

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  12. GAHHHHH! I mean I had a feeling that Leonardo was going to get his hands on her at least once more, but I didn't expect it to be so quickly, and I certainly didn't anticipate her being locked up and freaking shot up with heroine with the goal of turning her into an addict!!! GAHHHHHHHHHHHHH. How horrible to have gotten everything in your grasps, only to be torn away from it just as suddenly!!

    I stand by the fact that Iliana's story is the most heart-wrenching and horrible. Gah. Poor girl :( Please let Leonardo get red-roomed! Oh wait...wrong legacy, LMAO. STILL, SAME IDEA! HE MUST PAY! >:O

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    1. Mm hmm... things are not going to be very good for her right now, and yeah, LOL, I did want Leonardo to find her again and keep her for a little bit, so I could show his ruthless side. Earlier, she was being treated pretty nicely by him, but now she's feeling the full effects of his wrath. LOL, I also wanted to show the major instability of a world that has been plunged into chaos.

      LOL, red-roomed. Leo does deserve that, a hundred fold, but for now he's the bad guy, and this story has a very long way to go, so he probably won't suffer his fate as soon as you might want. XD I think Iliana's story is very sad and especially daunting for other women reading it, probably. This is a situation that no woman wants to be in.

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