---- have children, as doubtful as it is, my mind still forces the vilest scenarios on me. | needed to ask questions rather than come up with imaginary scenarios. Those thoughts would drive me crazy before | get a chance to question someone who has the information | need. Just as | clutch the mattress on my sides and try to get out of bed, a nurse enters my room, and her loud gasp stops me. "Good Lord, child, what are you doing? You're on strict bed rest for the next two days; you can't just get up and walk around as if nothing happened!" She scolds me as she rushes closer. | raise my hand to keep her at a distance and fight yet another wave of tears and nausea threatening to escape me. Why am! sucha crybaby? Why can't | build walls thick enough to protect myself from outside dangers? Why do | have to be so weak? "Don't, please," | whisper, barely holding back. To be completely honest, I'm terrified. I'm ---- scared someone will get close to me and touch me against my will. Even if the person who approaches me is a woman, the fear is just as raw and intense as it would be with a man. | dread the moment of more forced physical proximity. "Okay,' she raises her hands and takes a step back. "But please lie down. | don't want to call for help to keep you in that bed." She adds. The very thought of bulky men entering this room and holding me down on the bed sends waves of panic surging through me. That's the last thing | want - to have someone's hands all over me while | can't fight back, while I'm too weak to scream. | gulp, nod and carefully lie down to keep the nurse at bay. Her eyes lock on me as the nurse flashes me a weak smile. "Sweetheart, | won't come any closer, but | will move. | have your medical records here,' she waves something in her ---- hand. "And | need to check your vitals. | can do that from here; | just need the information from this device," she points to the devilish noisemaker. "Is that okay with you?" Although deep down, | know she isn't here to harm me and didn't enter the room with ill intentions, | still don't trust her. Look where trusting people has gotten me. The truth is that | can't trust anyone, regardless of how close | believed the person once was. Sooner or later, they will betray me and strike as soon as | let my guard down. An unreadable look crosses her features as she tilts her head and sighs. "| had a feeling this might happen, so | brought someone with me. You can't tell anyone; | could lose my job. Scratch that - | will lose my job if anyone gets a whiff of this. To hell, your father could banish me from this pack. There's a lot at stake for me, so keep that in mind if you are thinking of telling on me,' the nurse points her finger at me accusingly. ---- | raise an eyebrow, forcing my lips into a thin line. The less | speak to her, the less comfortable | get, thus avoiding another disaster that fate is eager to throw my way. The nurse turns to the door and calls out. "Lola, you can come in." My breath hitches as the door opens, and the only person who has ever cared for me quickly slides inside the room. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!