Two

"Nurse, defibrillator right now!"

"Clear...1...2...3"

"Clear!"

Natalie watched helplessly outside the glass door as the doctor and nurses tried to get a pulse from her brother while her brother struggled to live.

The feeling of helplessness made the tears roll down her cheeks as her heart felt empty.

"He's gonna die just like she did..."

"You can't do anything about it, Natalie!"

"You're worthless! You failed!!"

Voices echoed in her head and she tried her best to ignore them.

He's not going to die! She assured her racing heart.

"Nurse, clear!"

"Time of death, 11:49 am."

She felt her chest constricting, she couldn't breathe. She was gasping for air, slowly she fell to the floor clawing at her chest. She needed to breathe...the walls were closing in on her.

She heard a scream unaware that it belonged to her. It sounded far and unlike her voice.

"Deep breath, Nat."

The voice sounded so distant and familiar. A bell was ringing in her ears bringing back buried memories.

"No! Don't do this..."

"Breathe for fuck sake, Natalie. If you die right now I'm gonna die and hunt you down and kill you myself!"

The harsh voice snapped her back to reality as her breathing came back to normal and she stared into the face of...

"Lexi, I'm so glad to see you!" Sniffling she pulled her best friend into a bone-crushing hug.

"Easy there, Nat. I didn't save your life for you to hug me to death," Lexi said in an amusing tone.

Natalie pulled away from her and saw the small playing on her friend's lips. "I hate that I love you."

The door of the room pulled open as she saw the doctor standing in front of them. Scrambling to her feet, she raced towards him.

"How is my brother?" She asked immediately.

"He's stable now. We managed to get a pulse," he replied.

"Oh thank God!" She exclaimed wiping off the tears from her cheeks.

"I need you to see me in my office right now, Ms. Tyson."

Natalie shivered at the stern voice of the doctor and glanced nervously at Lexi. She had a feeling her brother wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Go ahead, I'll keep an eye on him," Lexi assured her.

Giving her best friend a grateful smile, she raced after the doctor slipping into his office before he closed—wait, he locked it, she heard a click—the door and sat down on his seat.

"Why did you lock the door?" She asked eying him warily.

He chuckled, "you're more concerned about that than your brother?"

She instantly felt a guilt pinprick her conscience. "Yeah, what happened to him?"

"His leukemia is getting worse, Natalie," he replied soberly.

Her heart sunk at his words. Her worst fears were gradually becoming a reality. She was going to lose her only family left and be alone for the rest of her life.

"He needs a stem cell transplant urgently," the doctor added.

"Doctor, you've got to help me!" She cried wringing her hands helplessly.

"I'm sorry there's nothing I can do, it's all up to you," the doctor replied in a mocking voice.

She glared at him. "What is that supposed to mean, Jared?"

He threw his head back and laughed. "Not doctor again, right?"

She shrank in her seat, "I'm sorry I snapped at you doctor."

In one fluid moment, before she could comprehend her next statement, he was standing in front of her gripping her chin so her head was tilted to stare into his eyes.

"Don't apologize for calling my name I love how it sounds coming from your lips and I'll really wanna hear you moan my name in bed, Natalie."

Her eyes narrowed into slits, "you are not hearing it anytime soon, doctor!"

With an eye roll and a hard glare at her, he went back to his recliner chair and flashed her a grin.

"Your brother has limited time to leave, Nat."

Her face tightened in a frown as she tried her best not to break down. "My brother will live!"

"He's living on borrowed time, Natalie!" He yelled at her, "don't be so stupid as to allow your brother to die when you can do something about it."

Her blood ran cold as he came toward her again.

"I like you, Nat. I'll help you save your brother just let me feel you just once."

She felt her skin crawl in disgust as she watched him run his fingers over her folded palm. Her chest thumping in fear and anger.

"How could you ask me of this right now?" She cried out, "my brother almost died!"

He chuckled like it was nothing! "Not almost, he died and I brought him back."

She glared at him. "You are a doctor!"

"And I'm just doing my job. I can take care of you and your brother."

She stood up ready to go but he grabbed her pushing her against the wall. She stood rooted to the spot glaring at him angrily.

"Let me go, you bastard! I'm taking my brother out of this hospital!" She growled at him.

He smirked at her, a mischievous glint sparkling in his eyes. "Go ahead honey but be sure to clear all your debts before leaving and find a hospital that can accommodate all your bills!"

Natalie raised her chin up glaring at him fiercely she wished she could burn him with her eyes. She had no money but she would not succumb to this bastard antics of trying to rid her of the one thing she had left—her virtue.

"I will pay all the debts, Jared, and then you would never see I and my brother again!"

"Why are you being so stubborn, Natalie?" Jared asked, walking away from her and going back to sit down.

"It runs in the family, doctor!" She snapped icily, "That's why my brother still lives and will continue to live."

"You have forty-eight hours, Natalie," he gave her a bone-chilling smile, and she rolled her eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"Natalie, you have three options to choose from. One, either you pay up all your brother's hospital bills and proceed to further his treatment, or you take him out of my hospital after clearing your outstanding. Then the last is my favorite, submit to me Natalie, and I'll take good care of you and your brother."

Taking slow steps towards him, a coy smile playing on her lips she dipped her face down just inches from his lips.

The fool had the guts to shut his eyes.

"Even if you were the last hope for me and my brother on this earth, I would never submit to you!"

Then she turned on her heels and strutted out with her head held high.

~~~~*

Natalie stormed out of the hospital briefly forgetting her friend waiting for her.

Anger was simmering inside her and she needed to blow off steam most likely punch Jared for trying to use her situation to his advantage.

She hated them all. The entire generation of perverted bastards!

She would go to hell's gate to search for a job if that will prevent him from laying a bloody claim on her.

She needed to salvage the situation within these forty-eight hours and show him that she was an independent woman.

Had been since the universe decided to punish her for a crime she never committed.

"Nat! Wait up."

She whirled around immediately and saw her best friend peering at her.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

She chuckled. "Not now, Lexi."

Lexi shrugged. "What did the doctor say?"

Natalie opened her mouth to tell her everything but clamped it shut. Experience had thought her how dangerous it was to trust and she didn't want to tell her best friend. She wanted no pity from anyone.

"Nothing I can't handle," she replied with a hint of pride shining in her eyes.

Lexi stared at her but said nothing. If she had understood what Natalie was saying she made no sign of it.

"Where are you heading off to?" 

Natalie gave her a goofy grin.

"Job hunt."

"You know you can always talk to me." The soft voice of her best friend unnerved her and made her feel bad for pushing her away just like she pushed the world away.

"I have to go, Lexi," she replied instead.

"I won't even bother asking about your other job," Lexi said running her hands through her hair.

Natalie chuckled. "That's why I love you."

"I just so happen to know of a job opening, you might as well check it."

Natalie gave her best friend a weird look. "What interview?"

Lexi rolled her eyes, "No questions asked. Wear your big girl's pants and go get this job. I'm gonna text you the address."

"What's the job about?" Natalie asked as her best friend flagged down a taxi and pushed her into it.

"It's a nanny job and check your phone for the address!" Her friend yelled slamming the door shut.

"What about Noah?" She asked worriedly winding the taxi window down.

"I'll take care of him, make me proud!" Lexi yelled as the taxi drove off.

"I always do," she smirked at her friend as the car drove away.

It was just a nanny job, how hard can that be?