Soot covered her skin, swirling into a green when blood dripped into it and spread it onto the bruises that littered her cheeks, her left eye was near swollen shut and her shoulder bent the wrong way. Wet blood coated her once soft hair and fell onto her face, her hands were cut and sore, black bruises covering her knuckles and her back huddled over as her knees smacked into the roof of the truck. Lifting up her right hand she winced at her discoloured and crooked fingers, opening her mouth she wet her chapped lips to speak when two hands rested on her waist and lifted her up once again into warm arms "Docta, doc" her head lulled to the side, the last thing she felt being her body lifting into the air, then banging into a rough chest as the man holding her jumped from the moving vehicle

The next thing she felt was water dripping onto her face, soft fabric pressing against every injury she had, groaning she tried to open her eyes, her tounge tingling with numbness, spreading out a hand she pushed her palm into the soft grass and smiled at the sensation of it tickling her skin. Turning her head she whined and tried to shuffle away, everything hurt and she just wanted to sleep, but it seemed whoever had saved her wouldn't let her as she was lifted slightly and put back in her place, finally opening her eyes she touched her forehead "Ouch" realising who had saved her, her breathing came out in fast pants "No" scrunching up her face she began to snivel, his bare toned arm wrapped around her shoulder, hand on the back of her head as he moved it to his lap but she turned onto her cheek "Don't, don't hurt me" spluttering out a cough she held his elbow tightly "It hurts" she cried, eyes shut once again as the darkness overtook her

[~~~]

Aditya tried to ignore the heavy feeling in his chest at returning to the church of horrors, pulling her closer to him he pushed his back into the door so it opened then looked up at the image of his mother painted into the wood and the many eyes watching him "She needs help" he stepped forward

"You're back, and with her, who exactly do you think we are, a hospital"? A small woman scoffed "You turned your back on us, we don't help outsiders, leave her outside and we may think differently"

"Nessie, I am not in the mood for your bullshit, my wife is not an outsider, help her like you would help me or so help me god, with my mother as witness I will kill you all, where is Ezzie"?

Nessie shrugged "Dunno, hasn't been around for months, you know her and her dissapearing acts"

Closing his eyes he took a deep breath "Fine, now get the doctor" looking around he scowled "What, never seen an injured woman before, avert your eyes before I burn them out of your fucking skulls" walking past the water fountain he slung her over his shoulder and climbed the winding staircase, placing her down on the bed he crossed his arms "I'll be watching everything, one mistake Harrison and i'll kill you right here, you understand me"? Walking up and down the small room he kept his hard gaze on the doctor "Do you have to take her top off"?

"Got to see the injuries" cutting her top he began to run an antiseptic wipe over her cuts "I'm going to have to sedate her, is she allergic to any-"

"Latex, makes her skin come up in rashes" he coughed "Hurry then, i'll be right here watching"

[~~~]

Resting his head in his hands Aditya ran a hand down his face, three days had passed and she hadn't woken up. He hadn't left her side, the door had been kept locked and he had constantly got her vitals checked, he was dreary, so sleep deprived and starved that his head only hurt more, but the thought of food and sleep only made him feel sick with her in this state, he had lost her once and he wouldn't lose her again, no matter what. It seemed everytime he had lost his temper with her something bad happened to her, it was true that what you spoke in the heat of the moment could be the last thing they hear in their last moments, he wasn't stupid enough to think he could take back what he had said, neither was he stupid enough to think that this would be easily fixed.

Nessie knocked on the door "Phone for you" she waited till he opened it then held it out "When she's better are you going back to the asylum"?

He nodded "It's where I deserve to be, hello"

"Lovebug" Ezzie's voice rasped through the phone "You're okay, I heard about the truck and thought I had lost you"

"I'm fine" shutting the door behind him quietly he frowned "Where are you"?

Coughing she held the phone tighter "I'll be home soon, especially since you brought your little thing with you"

"She's injured Ezzie, I left this place for her and i'll leave again"

"I know I know, no touching the pretty doctor, i'll see you in a few hours lovebug" he could practically imagine her rolling her eyes

Aditya gave her back the phone then entered the room again, moving the hair from Zoya's face he sighed

[~~~]

Esmerelda pulled off her black wig and sat down on her large chair, sipping from the glass of wine she looked forward "So, how have you been"?

"Fine" he nodded "You"?

"Not fine, but I know you haven't been either, have we really drifted that far apart that you can't speak to me anymore"?

"You think I don't know"? He stood up, shoving his hand through his hair "I know it was you that attacked her Ezzie, you promised" slamming his hand on the table he frowned when she jumped

"And when have I ever broke a promise to you, huh"? Placing the glass down she crossed her legs "That girl is getting in your head, I didn't touch her, we don't lie here boy, you understand that" her blue eyes were like glaciers, slowly melting but as cold as ice

Sitting back down Aditya nodded "Sorry" he cleared his throat "Why aren't you fine"?

"He's back" she gulped down the remainder of the wine "Tried to kill Eddy's girl, so I shot him in the leg" she froze when he knelt before her and grabbed her hand

"Did he hurt you"?

She shrugged "When doesn't he, but you do nothing, you understand, we don't kill our own blood, come back lovebug, rule with me" she cupped his cheek "This is the empire you've always wanted, and after I shot Eddie-"

"YOU WHAT" he stood up again "Left or right Ezzie, left or right"?

"Left, god, the left, I don't kill my own, even if all he does is remind me of his father" she looked away "You love her"?

Aditya nodded "More than anything" he gulped painfully "I'm scared she won't wake up"

"When it's just you and me son" she placed her hand in his hair "You can cry, just not infront of the others because-"

"Because we don't show weakness" sitting on the floor he closed his eyes "I haven't admitted to anyone that I love her, not even her"

She laughed sadly, gaze faraway "Have you cried infront of her"?

"Too many times" he laughed "She doesn't think i'm weak, she isn't like them, you'd like her if you just gave her a chance" he looked up "Will you, give her a chance"?

Ezzie hadn't seen the innocence in his eyes for a while, he had never asked her for anything until he had met her "Like you gave your father a chance you mean"?

"I don't want anything to do with that man" he pulled away "I should go"

The hooded figure at Zoya's window pulled it up, shoved his head in and looked around before climbing inside, pulling the blanket off of her he gripped her waist and wrapped her arms around his neck to carry her to the shower, switching it on he faced her toward it, kept one arm around her and used his free hand to push against her mouth while squeezing her nose

Zoya opened her eyes and kicked her legs, muffled screams vibrating against his thick palm as the water burnt her eyes and filled her nose, then just like every night this stranger had came, he pulled her away, switched the shower off and pushed a needle into her neck, three seconds passed before her head lulled to the side and her eyes shut again

"No wait" Ezzie stood up "I'll give her a chance, tell me about her, when did you know she was the one for you"?

Sitting across from her Aditya blinked away the tears in his eyes "She just isn't like the rest, she doesn't bow down to me because of my looks but she doesn't act like she's above me either, she isn't perfect, she drinks when she's sad and shouts sometimes too quickly, but I think I prefer that, she is a challenge and i'll never fully work her out, she has a big heart though, far too kind and more nervous than she lets on, I knew she was the one when she told me that you need love too" he looked up "And you do"

"She make you happy"?

He nodded "More than I thought was possible"

She held up her hands "That's all I ever wanted, beyond all of this, when it's just me and you, all I ever wanted was to see you happy, but love is a funny thing, makes you become someone you wish you weren't, makes you weak, makes you strong, just don't forget what I taught you lovebug, no lies, no rape, sins must be cleansed and no hurting the innocent"

Aditya moved away from her gaze "She hasn't been cleansed and she won't be, she doesn't see it how we do, she sees it as" he scratched the back of his neck "Rape" this conversation was pointless, she'd never understand, he needed to get back to Zoya

Zoya's body was thrown back into the bed, a similar grey t-shirt pulled over her body after she had been wiped down and the front of her hair pushed back so the water looked like grease, her lips parted and a faint sigh escaped her lips. The man pulled the cover over her then looked down at his watch, he always had less than five minutes to visit her everynight when Aditya went to get coffee, so the job was always rushed but always to perfection, climbing back out the window, he pulled it down and made his escape

"You can't have a woman who isn't cleansed, if you father a child it will be tainted" she clicked her tounge

"Nothing from her will ever be tainted Ezzie, she doesn't want it so it isn't happening, if I force her it will be rape"

She nodded "If you go along with this, some of the people here may not be as understanding as me" she stood up and ruffled his hair "But i'll handle them, no one will take away my boy's happiness, I hope she's worth all of this"

"More than you'd know"

[~~~]

Allison gasped at the woman in her husband's office "I'm sorry who are you"?

Straightening the pencils into a line she lifted her head slowly and smiled "Drazah Desime, but you can call me ma'am, i'll be filling in for Dr Martin Rowlan"

"I own this hospital with my husband, if anything you should be calling me ma'am"

Sitting back she smiled "No darling, your husband owned this hospital, you worked for him, so until he is back, this is my hospital, I want Aemelius' care moved to me, I believe he needs a trained professional not those pesky little interns" standing back up she walked up the corridor and smiled at Jay who rounded the corner "Jay"

His face paled instantly "You, what are you doing here"?

Sticking her long nails into his shoulder she bit her lip "Didn't daddy dearest tell you darling, i'm the new boss, do say hi to him when you speak to him, do tell him his fairy misses her" leaning forward she grazed his ear with her teeth "Master" she whispered seductively

Character Sketch has been updated, do check it out x