Chapter 13 Kidnapped Again
Melody looked up at Chandler, her eyes brimming with fragile innocence.
479
147
He hesitated, then slowly sat back down at the edge of the hospital bed.
An hour later, after making sure Melody had fallen asleep, Chandler quietly stood and headed to Ginny’s room, only to find the bed empty. She was gone.
Panic surged through him. He rushed to the nurses’ station.
“She already checked out?” he repeated, his voice rising. “Didn’t you say she lost too much blood and needed bed rest?”
His tone was sharp, his anger so intense that the nurse stood frozen for a long
moment before she could even react. But by then, Chandler was already gone.
Not far away, Melody had been watching the whole scene unfold. Her hand
clenched tightly around her phone as she stood in silence for a long time. Then, without a word, she turned and returned
to her room.
Back in bed, she lifted her phone and sent
a text.
*****
Three days later, Ginny felt strong enough to return to work. She stepped into the
ER, only to immediately cross paths with Chandler and Melody.
Melody looked pale. Chandler had his arm around her as they approached the doctor’s office.
Ginny spared them just a glance before turning to head inside. But just then, an elderly couple approached, supporting each other as they walked.
“You’re Dr. Jenkins, right?”
She didn’t recognize them, but she paused politely.
“Yes, I am. And you are…”
“We’re Nathan Finch’s
ER, only to immediately cross paths with Chandler and Melody.
Melody looked pale. Chandler had his arm around her as they approached the doctor’s office.
Ginny spared them just a glance before turning to head inside. But just then, an elderly couple approached, supporting each other as they walked.
“You’re Dr. Jenkins, right?”
She didn’t recognize them, but she paused politely.
“Yes, I am. And you are…”
“We’re Nathan Finch’s
great-grandparents,” the old man said. “We heard everything that happened the day he had the accident.”
The woman chimed in, her voice gentle, “Dr. Jenkins, our family-our useless children and grandchildren-they wronged you. We came today to thank you in person.”
They’d even brought a banner,
embroidered with the words: Miraculous
Hands Restore Life, A Doctor with a
Noble Heart.
“We know doctors don’t accept gifts,” the old woman said, “but we had to do something. Something to show how grateful we really are. We heard that young people these days like giving
thank-you banners, so we had one made. It’s nothing fancy-please don’t think we’re being presumptuous.”
Honestly, Ginny hadn’t thought much that day. She’d just wanted to save the boy.
If she were the child’s mother, she might’ve reacted the same way as his family-frantic, desperate. Yes, their behavior had been over the line, but
from their perspective, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
She didn’t want to make things difficult for them. She accepted the banner with a calm nod. “I’m a doctor. It’s my job to save lives.”
C
In that moment, a rare smile lit up
Ginny’s face-one Chandler had never seen before.
It caught him off guard.
There was something captivating about it, quiet and radiant.
He found himself staring, entranced.
Beside him, Melody noticed. Her fist
clenched.
“Chandler,” she said tightly, “they’re calling our number.”
Snapping out of it, Chandler tore his gaze away from Ginny and looked at the display screen.
Sure enough, it was their turn. He said nothing, just nodded and guided Melody into the exam room.
Ginny pretended not to notice Chandler and Melody. Once the elderly couple left, she returned to her office, changed clothes, and got back to work.
The nonstop pace of the ER left her no time to dwell on anything. By the time she looked up, it was already late into the night.
Her colleague arrived for the next shift, and Ginny headed to the locker room, took off her white coat, grabbed her bag, and walked to the parking lot.
It was midnight.
The lot was eerily silent, lit only by a few flickering streetlights. Not a single person in sight.
Ginny wasn’t easily spooked. She’d walked this path countless times. Even with the broken lights, she felt no fear.
That is, until she heard footsteps behind her-soft but deliberate.
Her instincts kicked in. Something wasn’t
right.
Quickly, she pulled out her phone and sent a text to Ryan: [Help me.]
The message had barely gone through
when something struck the back of her neck. Her vision blurred to black, and she collapsed.
XXXXX
At that exact moment, Ryan was stepping out of his office building, ready to head
home.
His phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen-then his whole body tensed.
“Brian,” he barked to his assistant. “Call the police. And take my house key—go to the study, open the safe, and get the cash inside. Use every connection we have. I want to know where Ginny is—fast.”
With that, he got into his car and sped off.
Smack!
Ginny woke up with a start, shivering.
It was summer. And yet she was freezing.
Her body trembled violently as she forced her eyes open. The place was dim, hollow,
cold-like a warehouse.
Where was she?
She tried to remember.
The parking lot. The footsteps. The blow
to her neck.
And now, this. The realization hit her
hard.
She’d been kidnapped again.
But unlike last time, she didn’t panic. She scanned the space, searching for anything that might help her escape.
The metal doors creaked open.
Two thuggish-looking men walked in.
“You’re awake?” One of them chuckled
as he dragged over a chair and sat across from her.
“Perfect. Now the boss can see how scared
you look. Maybe we’ll get a bonus.”
He made a call. It didn’t take long for the other end to pick up.
Melody’s face popped up on the screen.
“You!” Ginny said, her voice sharp with fury. “What are you doing? Don’t you know kidnapping is a crime, Melody?”
Write your comment
Gifts
