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She felt like she had been trapped there for an eternity. Trapped on the bed, her arms handcuffed to the bedframe. Every part of her body ached. She wanted to scream, but something was muffling the sound.
She recognised the man in front of her. He whispered something seductively into her ear multiple times. She wanted to throw up, but she couldn’t. There was tape over her mouth.
Her body was exposed. All her scars from pregnancies and missions. More bruises than she could remember. Her skin was paler than it had ever been. She cried in pain. No one was coming to save her. Not this time.
It took them weeks to find her. The GDF had raided the house that she had been kept in. She heard Colonel Casey order one of the officers to bring her something to clothe her. She kept her professionalism. That had always been her aunt.
The next thing she knew, she was in a hospital bed. Not another bed. She’d already been confined to one for what felt like forever. The hospital felt worse. Everyone was telling her what she needed. What she needed was to move around. To be free. To do whatever she wanted.
Conrad’s hands were wrapped around hers. He stayed by her side. John was in the room too. Behind Conrad. Next to him was Kayo, wearing her pilot suit. She must’ve come from the raid. Of course, she was part of it. The more the better. Her father was on her other side. He shared the same concerned look that everyone else had. She must’ve looked terrible. It must’ve been bad.
She turned to Conrad first, “Go. Please.” She begged. The first thing she said since being trapped on that bed. Her eyes looked at John, wanting to say the same thing. He probably wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t want to leave her alone. Instead, her eyes looked at Kayo. She tried to speak.
She saw Kayo grip John’s hand. She turned to both men, “Listen to her. She's not going anywhere.”
John nodded, looking between his sister and his wife. He kissed Kayo’s cheek. He and Conrad both stepped out of the room. Kayo looked up at the rest of the family. She gave them a stern look. The rest of the family followed them out.
It was just Estrella and Kayo in the room. She sat down on the chair that Conrad had just occupied. She smiled softly, “How are you feeling?”
“You saw. Didn’t you?”
Kayo lied, “Wasn’t looking. Focused on getting you out of there.”
“How long?” She asked. Her voice was raspy. She tried to adjust herself. She had bruises all over her arms. She could barely move.
“You were gone for a few weeks. Maybe a month. You’ve been unconscious for a few days.” She told her sister. Estrella didn’t respond. Kayo assured her, “They sent an army to look for you. We never stopped looking.”
“Thank you, Kayo.” She smiled faintly. She tried not to move too much. The pain medication had gotten to her, even though her brain had memorised the pain.
“Just rest. No one will come in without your say so.”
She wasn’t in the hospital for long. Kayo had managed to convince Jeff and the hospital staff that she would be better off recovering at home. She stayed in Kayo’s room. John was forced to sleep in the guest room.
Conrad and John both fought with Kayo over the decisions. Whenever she was outside the room, she would be by Kayo’s side. She would hide herself from her brothers and family. Kayo and Estrella would take walks around the island. So, she could stretch her legs. Most days, they could be found in the pool. The feeling of water all over her body calmed her down. It felt relaxing.
It lasted months. She remained only on Tracy Island. Never leaving the safety net of her home. She wouldn’t even look her father or brothers in the eyes. Her children barely saw her smile. In Lucy and Wally, all she could see was the Professor, and she hated it. They were her children, and this was the first time she was seeing them in this way. She feared them.
Eventually, she found John standing in front of her. He didn’t speak. He just put something on the bed. She glanced at it. It was their mother’s necklace. A locket. It was their mother's.
“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to make sure you had this.” He looked at her, not expecting a response. He waited for her to pick it up. She smiled at it, feeling it in her hands.
She looked up, “Thanks. I’ve been wondering where it was.”
“It was in your jewellery tray in the hanger. It’s been sitting there for months.” He explained.
“It wasn’t there when I went down there.”
“It had been there for months. We kinda moved it all to a safer place when the kids came home for break.” He confessed.
Estrella gave him a faint smile, “Why are you being nice to me? I keep pushing you away, and you’re still here.”
“Because you are my sister. You mean everything to me.” He began to make his way to the door. He stopped when he reached the doorframe, “We are waiting for you to be ready. Whenever that is.”
He left her in the room again. She ran her fingers over the cold metal of the necklace. She opened the locket. It wasn’t their mother. It was a sonogram of both her and John on each side. She could feel herself smiling. She couldn’t take her eyes off of it. The locket was the first piece of gold that she had touched since before her last mission and her kidnapping. She cried. It became hers when Lucille died. Jeff wanted his daughter to have a piece of her. Something to remember.
“John.” She whispered. Her voice was croaky. She thought he wouldn’t turn back around for her. But he did. He stood at the door. He didn’t speak. He just waited. Eventually, she looked up at him, “I’m sorry. For everything.”
“No apologies necessary. You’re just healing. You have every right.” He gave her a slight nod.
“How are you and Conrad doing? I know it must hurt.”
He looked down at the floor, “We’re managing.” He looked back at her with pure honesty, “Take as long as you need. We’re here for you.”
“Was there a report?” She asked him. Kayo never told her anything about the recovery. She didn’t want to ask Kayo anymore questions.
John nodded once. She could see in his eyes that he knew something. He bit his lip for a moment. He wanted to tell her. He also didn’t want her to run.
“John, whatever it is, you can tell me.” She assured him.
He was closer to the door than she was. He asked her, “What do you remember from that place? Do you know who kidnapped you?”
She looked at him, whimpering. Her eyes turned to glass as she began to cry silently. He stepped toward her as she stepped back. She turned away so he couldn’t see her cry.
He stiffened, “When I read the report, I noticed it wasn’t just Professor Harold. It must have been every lecturer that you had whilst you were at Harvard. I recognised every single name on that report. I am so sorry that you were taken advantage. That never should have happened. I’m sorry I let that happen.”
“John, you didn’t know! You can’t keep track of every single person here.” She reminded him. All of a sudden, she became herself again.
He smiled, “I know, but I should have been watching you.”
“John.” She smiled back at him, stepping toward him to bring him into an embrace. She cried in his arms and he held her tighter. His sister was back. He had almost forgotten what she was like. It had been too long and now she was back. His other half had returned.