Chapter 2: Justin Awakening

Justin blinked slowly, his eyelids heavy. A soft, rhythmic beeping filled the room, a constant hum that seemed to vibrate through his skull. The sharp scent of antiseptic and lingering feeling of anesthesia still felt like it stung his nostrils. His head throbbed, a dull ache that pulsed with every beat of his heart. This chest and stomach all stung, A thin tube snaked its way to his nose, delivering a steady stream of oxygen.

He tried to move, but his body felt heavy and unresponsive. This mouth felt dry and as he tired to sit up his arms felt like lead weighs on the bed, a cold, metallic grip that chilled him to the bone. A wave of nausea washed over him, and he turned his head to the side, dry heaving into a basin that was conveniently beside his hospital bed.

"Easy now," a soothing voice said. A nurse, in full surgical wear: a green surgical mask, face shield, gown, gloves everything. Only her eyes were visible from the surgical mask, as she rubbed his back gentle. "You're doing really well."

He tried to speak, but his voice was hoarse and barely audible. "Where...where am I?"

"You're in a recovery room," the nurse replied, her voice gentle. "You had a series accident and a little procedure had to be performed to stabilize things."

A surge of fear shot through him. A accident that was not true and what procedure! What procedure? He tried to remember, but his mind was a fog. The last thing he recalled was seeing Sarah’s face above him as he was put under with anesthesia in the surgical room as her practice patient as she had called it, and the strange sensation of falling into darkness as he looked up at her.

How are you feeling, the surgical nurse asked Mr. ...?" she trailed off, her voice muffled by the mask.

"Justin Collins," he managed to croak out. "Just call me Justin."

The nurse nodded, her eyes flicking to a chart that was on a side table by his head out of his eye site. The nurse who was definitely not Sarah leaned over him, her movements swift, but practiced. She checked his vitals closely. She then adjusting the saline IV drip.  "Mr. Justine, how's the pain?"

He winced, the pain felt sharp and pulling at what seemed like his entire chest and stomach felt like it was on fire "It hurts," he admitted.

The nurse nodded understandingly. "I'll give you something to help with that now I will be right back”

She left and then returned a moment later with a syringe filled with a clear liquid. "This will help take the edge off and let you sleep for a while," she said, quickly injecting the medication into his IV that Sarah had put in his arm.

The drug took effect almost immediately but Justin’s heart began to race faster. He was falling unconscious again not just being given something to numb the pain. The nurse gave me something to strong he thought “I need to get out of here. I will be fine Pleaseee…, "Where's Sarah? She was with me... I was with Sarah."

But as he said that his thoughts became muddled and he mummed pleaseeee. “Shhhh just rest for now” the unknown surgical nurse said. As Justin felt a wave of relief and sleepiness wash over him. The pain began to subside, replaced by a comforting warmth. He began to drift off to sleep, his mind clouded with confusion and fear.

As he slipped closer towards unconsciousness, he heard the nurse mutter something under her breath. "Almost there, Scott….M"

Justin's mind slammed into overdrive. Scott who was that? “No… no, I’m Justin he thought desperately something was very wrong as the drugs took him under and he drifted into a trouble sleep.,”

Time passed and Justin came awake slowly blinking his eyes, his head pounding constantly. He tired to move his arms and legs and realized with a start he was now restrained to the hospital bed, soft cuffs wrapped around his wrists and ankles securing him to the hospital bed at the four corners. He tired to be calm but panic was closing in on him.

He decided to see exactly what surgery had been done to him now that he was fully awake. He awardly pulled the blanket off this chest with his hands in the restraints. When he did he inhaled sharply and tried to be calm. He had 6 large bandages in 6 different places on his chest, stomach and near his kidneys. What in the world had happened what has Sarah done to him. She had actually cut him open in 6 different places no wonder he was feeling pain and discomfort.

He began to break into a panicked cold sweat his EKG monitor could be heard getting more and more frantic as he started to hyperventilate at the situation he was in sunk in. This panicked hyperventilating was interrupted by the arrival of another nurse coming into his room. This nurse was also in a surgical gown and gloves but minus her surgical face masks and hair cap leaving a sweet happy face visible with light brown hair in a loss ponytail.

“Hi Mr Scott Michael my name is Veronica” she said while walking into the room and glancing down at a clipped board she had with her. “I’m your duty nurse” “How are you feeling now” she said while walking over and looking with some concern at the EKG monitor that was still beeping rather frantically and checking his bandages gently before touching the blanket back over his chest.

“My name is Justin Collins! you’ve got the wrong person. I’m not Scott Michael” “I am Justin if you find Sarah Douglas she is a nurse here and knows me ! I’m not who that says I am.”

The nurse Veronica straightened, after checking his monitor and IV drip and quickly wrote something on his chart by the monitor and on her clip board. She then turned giving him her full attention. . “I’m so sorry, Scott” she said, a note of true sympathy entering her voice. “we were a bit worried about your behaviour when you woke up in recovery after your surgery you seemed to be very confused, so we had to put you in restraints for your own safety while we assess you physical and mental state.” “Your doctor will be in soon to talk with you, and examine you.” “Please for now just rest and try to stay calm.”

A cold icy hand griped Justin’s chest filling him with a chill. Confused? Was he? No. He was certain. He was not this Scott person this was not a dream. He was Justin why didn’t they want to believe him.

“Listen to me!” he pleaded, the frustration in his voice growing sharper with each failed attempt to break through to Veronica. “I’m not Scott Michael I’m Justin Collin’s . “Please can you find Sarah Douglas she is a surgical nurse in this hospital, and she knows who I am… you have to listen to me!”

Veronica simple shock her head sadly and Justin could sense she would not listen to him. She continued to ignore his words, moving about the room with quick efficiency. She adjusted his bedding, making sure he was covered fully and checked his restraints making sure they were not hurting him or cutting uncomfortable into his arms or legs, but never once did she listen to any of Justin’s pleading. It was as if he was talking to a wall.

“Please Veronica you need to listen to me” “I’m not confused I’m fine,” Justin said, struggling to keep his voice calm and steady. "I don’t need to see the Doctor just untie me, and I’ll leave. I’m fine." The words were starting to sound hollow to him, as if he were convincing himself more than anyone else.

Veronica finished adjusting things around the room as she moved past him towards the door she turned giving Justin a sad sympathetic smile. “Scott I will be back in a bit to check on you please try and rest ok, I promise everything will be ok.” “Your doctor will be with you soon” she turned and walked out closing the door behind her as she left.

Justin was alone again, his mind was racing. He tried to piece together the fragments of his memory, but the more he thought, the more we realized he was missing something.

A few minutes later, the door opened quietly

Justin’s heart skipped a beat as he saw who was cautiously coming Sarah ! She entered the room dressed in pink scrubs, her face a mixture of determination and stealthy rushing. He tried to sit up, but the restraints held him tight. “Sarah thank god what is going on? I don’t understand. They— They keep calling me Scott Michaels. My name is Justin! what’s happened last night? What’s going on?” His voice cracked with confusion and fear.

Sarah’s face looked a little haggard and sad as if she had been crying recently. She didn’t immediately respond to Justin questions. Instead she quietly partially closed the door then turned and walked over to him. Her eyes getting wide and her expression growing more concerned and alarmed as she took in his condition restrained, connected to monitors and an IV drip. Justin understood right away she was definitely not suppose to be here right now.

She moved to stand by the bed her voice low. “I’m so sorry about this Justin it’s all my fault. She took a breath trying to work up the courage to speak. It seemed to Justin, she started in a quiet whisper that grow loud with tears in her eye she began to tell him “When I was having you be my practice patient I only meant to give you two small incisions but the surgical robot started running a program I was not trained on and started doing an exploratory surgery program and began cutting you open In 4 more places “Then” she looked down and toyed with her ID badge “Sarah” Justin said “and then” he asked trying to get the rest of the story. She took another breath “Then due to it trying to cut you open and explore your insides it caused internal bleeding and it was necessary to stabilize your condition and things got out of hand” “I swear I didn’t mean for this to happen.” She started to cry harder now with big fat tears rolling down her face as she finished.

Justin’s eyes widened in disbelief. “So you wanted to cut me open but only in 2 places and the surgical robot then did more cuts and opened me in 6 places ? “Sarah” he started to yell “What kind of crazy shit is his you wanted to cut me open!” “Shhhhh Justin” Sarah said throwing a hand over his mouth to silence him and looking with alarm towards the door “you have to try and stay calm or they are going to come in, and sedate you again as they think your psychological unstable”

Justin took a long breath to try to stay calm. In a low angry voice he whispered “ok so you had me be your practice patient to actually cut me open truly and the robot then started to cut me open more then you wanted to but you actually were performing a surgery on me when your only a surgical nurse”

“It was not suppose to be anything serious Justin,” “The surgical robot was only suppose to make 2 shallow low surface incisions and then I could practice suturing your 2 small wounds closed, I just want to have a little fun as I said a little practice” Sarah assured him.

She then looked a little embarrassed and flushed “I Justin…hmm……I…wanted…have.. you..” she looked very nervous and her cheeks suddenly got very face got very red and flushed she looked down as her shoes quietly saying “I want to confess more but not here not like this but it was not suppose to happen like that I had a special plan. It was only suppose to be a little fun medical play in the operating room with you but” again she looked down red faced and embarrassed “I never imagined the robot would start running the exploratory surgery program so fast and then so quickly make more cuts in you”

“When I managed to stop it you where bleeding internally from several of the incisions they were small but I had to call a code, and get a surgical team in right away and I may have put you in the hospital system under an alias (Scott Michael) when I was setting you up as a practice patient in the hospital data base.

“When the doctor and other nurses arrived I made up a story about you having an serious accident in the parking lot” “That I rushed you in and got you ready and didn’t have time to move the surgical robot, and it had been left on” “Lucky my friend Doctor Nicole covered for me as well but you woke up sooner then I thought and now they won’t release since you seem like your behaving erraticly.” “Add to it several of your incision don’t seem to be doing well , they are worried you may still be bleeding internally so now you can’t be release and….”

Sarah then took a breath looked behind her at the door and then quickly bent down and whispers in his ear.

“I’m getting transferring you to my area, with friend, Dr. Nicole, she will be your doctor. She’s amazing, and she’ll take really good care of you.”

Justin was still confused, but he nodded slowly. Sarah’s presence was comforting, and he felt a sense of relief wash over him.

“Don’t worry,” Sarah said, her voice gentle. “Everything will be okay.” “Sorry but I need to go back to my area so for now just be calm and go along with things when Dr. Nicole arrives ok” With those final words, she turned and left the room quickly, the door clicking shut softly behind her as she left.

Justin lay back in the hospital bed for some time mulling over everything that had been said and what was going on, What was happening? His body felt heavy, his mind clouded, but the one thing he was certain of was that his name was Justin Collins, and this wasn’t just some crazy dream it was all real. This mind kept spinning with a mix of fear and almost panic. His chest ached like a weight was pressing down on him and it took effort to remain calm. The last thing he wanted was to be trapped in this hospital bed, restrained and labeled under an alias name someone he wasn’t like Scott Michaels. It was a name that echoed in his brain like a nightmare he couldn’t shake.

He pulled at the restraints again, testing them, but they were just as firm and unyielding as before. Every time he tried to move, his body felt heavier, more foreign. Something wasn’t right this was not his life. The hospital staff weren’t understanding people, and the more he tried to make them understand, the more they looked at him like he was crazy.

He forced himself to slow his breathing. “Panicking want help you here” he said out loud. He needed to escape but the hospital was a maze of corridors and secured doors from what he remembered last night with Sarah. However he knew that somewhere in this place, there had to be an exit he could find.

As the seconds ticked by, Justin began to focus on the small details in the room anything that could give him a clue, a way out. He studied the windows too high up. No chance. The door was locked, of course. Sarah had said he was being transferred to Dr. Nichole’s care, who was a friend of hers but what would happen then.

His mind raced as he turned over his options. I just needed to get out of these restraints. He could then hopefully find a phone, then maybe he could call someone his family, or even the police so they could fix things. However getting his personal belongings was going to be hard. He mentally cures himself that he didn’t ask Sarah where his stuff was.

Just as the panic began to claw its way up again, the door opened. A woman entered in light blue scrubs and a lab coat with a stethoscope hanging loosely around her neck. Maybe this was Dr. Nicole Justin though as she stepped into the room with a quiet confidence, her movements fluid and sure.

She looked to be in her mid 30’s he guessed tall, with dark, glossy hair that fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and deep, knowing brown eyes. Her south American beauty was almost surreal, a kind of sharp elegance that made Justin freeze for a moment. He had never met someone who looked so stunning and so well portioned in the chest and ass. For a second Justin almost forgot about the restraints, forgot about the confusion in his head. He swallowed hard, trying to gather his thoughts trying to not look like a deer in head lights.

“Mr. Michaels,” she said softly, though her tone held authority. “I’m Doctor Nicole Lopez. I’ll be your new doctor and will be taking care of you from here on out.” “You can just call me Dr Nicole” She smiled after her introduction clearly enjoying the effect her appearance had on Justin.

Justin gave his head a shack and tried to sit up more, his voice rough with urgency. “No, you have the wrong person ! I’m not Scott Michaels! II’m Justin Collins I don’t know why everyone here keeps calling me that name. But you need to please, listen to me I’m fine. I don’t need anything other than to be released.”

Dr. Nicole Lopez’s eyes softened just a little as she stepped closer, but her expression remained calm, almost too calm. “I understand, Justin I need you to please be calm and listen ok” she said, her voice quiet but firm. “Sarah and I are good friends and she told me most of what happened last night, she gave a small smile at those words. Justin wondered exactly what Sarah had told the doctor. “Sarah explained that you’re not Scott Michaels and I do believe you.” “But even if you say that I have my own responsibilities as your doctor regardless of your alias name on your medical file” “I sadly can’t change those facts, and I can’t authorize your release till the multiple surgical incisions on your chest are examined as several are not doing well”

She then paced back and forth in front of his hospital bed and put her hands in her lab coat pockets looking a little conflicted as she stopped and turned again to faced him “Sadly Justin Sarah’s activities last night got out of hand and she is lucky I could cover for her but your behaviour has been too erratic and it’s got them thinking your unwell and psychologically imbalanced, so your luck I’m taking over your care as I was able to call off the psychology assessment they had scheduled.” “However I’m still going to need to make sure everything is fine. You’ve been through a lot and your reading are not what I want to see”

She paused, letting everything she had just said sink in before continuing. “Sarah is also very concerned about your condition Justin.

Therefore I’m going to need to conduct a very thorough examination of you.” “So I need you to please remain calm and we can get through things quickly and hopefully then we can remove the restraints.”

Dr. Nicole allowed Justine a few minutes to digest everything she said while she studied his EKG reading. Then checked his chart making a few notes on it.

Justin turned over the options in his head Dr. Nicole seemed nice and understanding but he decided enough was enough he was leaving, and would see his own doctor on the condition of the incisions!

“No Dr. Nicole sorry that is not happpening.” Justin shook his head fiercely, trying this best to keep his voice calm and level . “You know I’m not Scott Micheals and I feel fine I don’t need an examinations.” “Just let me go and Sarah and I will talk another day on everything, and my own doctor can examine the incisions.” “I’m done playing medical games ! I’m fine!” “Now please untie me show me where my cloths and personal items are and I will happily be on my way” as he said this he lifted one arm and gestured at the restraints.

Dr. Nicole expression surprisingly didn’t falter much at Justin’s speech as if she expected him to say everything he did. She stood there for a moment, with a pleasant netural expression watching him struggle against the restraints. When she spoke again, her tone still was gentle, but with a new concerning authoritative edge to it.

“Justin I don’t think you understand the situation you’re not leaving this hospital until I authorize it and currently I hold complete medical authority over you” “In the absence of a legal guardian or parent due to the concern about your psychological I am in charge of you. That stat means I can make any call I see fit” she said these words like the crack of pistol firing in the room.

“I want you to think very carefully on this Justin if you cooperate it will be easier but I already have planned for the possibility of you being problematic” “Sarah will support me and help me since I’m covering for her so she won’t help you” “If I leave this room when I come back in we will be done talking or negotiating. I will simply sedate you and move you for the procedures you need for your heath and welling.” “This is your last chance Justin cooperate for an examination or I will be forced to do what is necessary against your wishes” she said this with a warm but predatory smile.

Justin froze, his blood running cold. Sedate him? No. He couldn’t let that happen. If they sedated him, he would be trapped. They would control him completely. He needed to stay alert. He needed to figure out what they were planning to do to him.

“I won’t let you do that,” he said, his voice trembling but firm. He tugged at the restraints again, trying to summon some reserve of strength, but the reality of his situation was sinking in. He was alone, isolated and Dr. Nicole had all the control and he knew it.

Dr. Nicole’s smile slipped and she just looked at him, watching him her gaze unreadable, till she gave a small nod, as though the appropriate time had passed for him to have changed his mind.

“Very well, Justin you have made your choice I’ll be back shortly with the appropriate measures.” With those final chilling words, she turned and left the room, her footsteps echoing into the hall till the door clicked shut behind her.

Justin was left in a swirl of panic and disbelief. Sedate him? and what where these procedures he would need was that the only way out? Was that how she was going to keep him from escaping?

His breath hitched as the minutes dragged by. The fear was suffocating him waiting for Dr. Nicole to return and what the “appropriate measures” be!

When the door opened again it wasn’t just Dr. Nicole, Sarah also accompanied her but she was now dressed differently. She was wearing a blue surgical gown, over her scrubs no mask, no gloves. However the most concerning thing he saw was her expression on her face a very apologetic, strained look, and her eyes were pleading something to him but he couldn’t figure out what.

Behind her followed Dr. Nicole, also in a matching blue surgical gown, both of them looked serious. Sarah had a tray in her hands with a single syringe on it, and as she stepped closer, she glanced at Justin, her lips silently mouthing. “I’m sorry,”. Her eyes were filled with regret, but there was no time to figure it out

"Sarah, why are you helping her what is in that shot?" Justin's voice was becoming hoarse with panic, and the beeping in the room began getting more frantic as his heart rate spiked. "Please Sarah don’t do this help me tell her I’m fine”

Dr. Nicole spoke before Sarah could her voice flat and professional. “Justin I warned you and gave you a chance, but you wanted to do it the hard way now we need to proceed with your sedation so we can move you to do your required procedures”

Justin stared at them both in horror, his heart was pounding in his chest. Sarah didn’t say anything, but her eyes were pleading with him trying to reassure him. The syringe on the tray was filled with a liquid that had a slight yellow colour but he was sure if he received that shot it would knock him out fast.

He knew what was going happening. He also understood Sarah, didn’t want to help Dr. Nicole but that she didn’t seem to have much choice. Basically he was screwed and this made him suddenly laugh out loud hysterical at the situation.

Dr. Nicole shut the door softly behind her as Sarah stopped and looked at Justin with a questioning look “Justin are you ok?” And Dr. Nicole came over and stood beside her also giving Justin a small quizzical expression at his laughter. Justin was left facing them both trapped in the hospital bed.

“Ohh Sure” he said finishing his laugh “I’m fantastic” he said sullenly as he lapsed into silence. The air in the room seemed to grow charged as Dr. Nicole walked and stood beside his bed with Sarah silently setting the tray down beside him. The soft clink of the syringe on the tray sounded so loud in the room with only the steady beep…beep of his heart rate monitor filling the room.

Sarah then final spoke “Justin it’s all going to be ok please just let this happen don’t fight this” she met his gaze, her face tight with concern. She moved slowly, deliberately, as if each motion was designed to keep Justin calm and relaxed like he was a caged lion but it wasn’t working. It only made his heart race get faster and the beep….beep..beep got more and more frantic.

She walked over to a wall-mounted dispenser and grabbed a pair of yellow surgical gloves out, pulling them on without a word. The latex snapping as she finished securing them over the cuffs of her surgical gown. She then glanced back at him, her eyes apologetic but determined, there was nothing she could do to help him.

"Relax please" Justin thought he saw Sarah’s lips form or maybe it was "Please relax." Her voice wasn’t there, but the words and her expression were clear. Still, his rising panic clouded his thoughts. Could she truly do nothing and simply stand there and assist in what was going to happen?

Justin pulled at the restraints again, his wrists screaming in pain as he tried to move, but it was useless. His body felt weak, his mind clouded with dread. No he couldn’t let them do this.

“Dr. Nicole don’t do this” Dr. Nicole had silently been putting on a pair of surgical gloves paused, her eyes flicking to Sarah before turning to Justin. She took a deep breath, her expression unreadable, as she snapped on the second surgical glove. Then she spoke in that same, calm, unhurried tone.

“Justin I explained what was going to happen I can’t trust you now you have the look of someone who wants to run and your going to fight this so we have to do it this way.” She stepped closer to him, the sound of her shoes on the tile echoing in the small room. “But if you’ll let me examine you restrained, maybe it does not have to be as severe and we can get through things faster.”

Justin’s chest tightened. “I’m fine I don’t need an examination. I repeat I’m totally fine” at this point he started to desperately pull at the restraints with as much force as he could muster”

Dr. Nicole eyes softened for a brief moment, as she watched him struggle. She smiled with a sad but knowing look. “I understand, Justin,” she said, her tone laced with sympathy “Unfortunately, you don’t get to make the rules here.” She glanced at Sarah, who stood by the tray, her posture stiff, she still looked….sad and very conflicted.

Dr. Nicole nodded and Sarah picked up the syringe handing it to the her. Dr Nicole her expression now totally unreadable other then, a glint of cold professionalism in her eyes, nodded. “Alright, Justin,” she said. “I wish we didn’t have to do this the hard way but you have left me no choice.”

Justin looked at the syringe and simply whispered “Nooooooo” Dr. Nicole hand held the syringe poised. As his eyes locked onto the needle, the long, thin shaft glinting under the fluorescent lights with a drop of liquid coming out the needle sharp tip. His heart raced faster, his mind screaming, but he was making no progress thrashing or trying to break the restraints.

Justin’s pulling at the restraints became more and more frantic and violent “Nooooooo please no don’t do thisss!” Justin shouted, almost screamed his voice starting to crack. “You don’t have to do this.” But it was too late.

Dr. Nicole gave Sarah a look nodded and suddenly quicker than Justin thought possible Sarah grabbed him and pinned him to the bed with a surprising amount of strength. “Get off me “Justin scream and thrashed as Sarah struggled to hold him down fully Dr. Nicole tired inserting the needle into his IV port but his screaming and thrashing prevent it.

Justin had lost it completely and began screaming and howling “Nooooooo nooo get off me you crazy women” “Get off me” Don’t do this” as he tired to thrash free in the hospital bed but it was useless.

He heard multiple people hurrying into the room as a code was said over the speakers after his crazy screaming had started. “Hold him down quickly please” he heard Dr. Nicole say to someone as he kept screaming with Sarah above him the holding him down and he realized another nurse blond in orange scrubs had join her on the other side of this bed and he felt others hands at his legs as his thrashing was stopped by the combined weight of people holding him down. “Hold out his arm please” together Sarah and the other nurse pried his arm out and held it out.

Dr. Nicole then quickly appeared and injected the syringe into his IV port “Noooooo” Justine screamed as he watched Dr. Nicole press the plunger down her eyes meeting his one last time. “You’ll feel a little cold,” she said, “but it will help you sleep and then we can move you.” He could feel the cold sting of the substance entering his bloodstream. It spread quickly, an icy burn racing up his arm, and within seconds, his head started to grow heavy, the world around him started getting blurry.

His thoughts began to slow, his vision fading at the edges and the room seemed to tilt at an impossible angle. His body felt like it was sinking his ability to move dimmed “I don’t need this…” he hoarsely whispered.

Dr. Nicole voice could be heard in the distant. “Yes will need the special surgical suite for this patient” he didn’t see who she was talking to as all he saw was all the nurses holding him down as the world faded but he thought he could feel Sarah touching his face saying “Your in good hands darling” as he slipped into black unconsciousness.

End Part 2