Nick drew a breath in when as he witnessed the older woman slam his
beloved cell phone to the floor, shattering it. He narrowed his eyes as he
thought of all the unspeakable things he could do to the woman for revenge.
He caught AJ’s eyes as the woman walked out of view; a slight shake of his
head, and the word ‘no’ mouthed. Reluctantly, Nick resigned himself to be a
spectator rather than a participant in this game the woman seemed
determined on playing.

“Tiffany, hold the patient still,” Ester’s voice called out.

”NO! I said no more of this bullshit!” AJ rasped as he watched the
woman turn with a syringe held tightly in her fist.

Ester narrowed her eyes. “You will do what I say. I’m only doing this for your
own good.”

AJ laughed sarcastically. “Game’s over. I know what you’ve been doing and
you can’t stop me by trying to stick a needle into my arm when things don’t
go your way. When I call the police, your ass will be locked up and you won’t
ever see daylight again.”

“I highly doubt that Mr. McLean.”

Suddenly, the old woman lunged, holding the sedative filled syringe over her
head, thrusting it toward her victim, not caring where it made contact.

”You freakin’ bitch!”

Just as Nick was preparing to jump out from the bathroom door, it was
slammed shut. Sounds of AJ yelled and the old woman screaming out as well
as furniture being pushed around added to the chaos.

”STOP! PLEASE STOP FIGHTING!”

Nick frantically tried to open the bathroom door several times. His
adrenaline kicked into overdrive and if he could have pulled the door from
it’s hinges he would have. Ignoring the pain from his injured arm, he slammed
his shoulder against the closed door, trying to force it open with his body,
crying out each time his shoulder connected. Expecting the door to meet
with resistance the last time he threw himself against it, Nick was shocked
when he sailed out of the doorway, tripping over someone’s body on the floor.
He landed safely on top of the bed.

“We don’t have much time,” Tiffany pleaded in a shaky voice. “Help me get
him up!”

Nick turned toward the young girl’s voice. She was standing next to AJ, his
face held a blank expression.

“She got him with the sedative.”

“Bitch didn’t get me,” AJ slurred.

Nick rushed up towards his brother. “Are the keys still on her?”

Tiffany released AJ’s arm and his legs gave out. She reached back to give
him support.

“Go get the keys, I’ll keep him up,” Nick huffed as AJ leaned heavily onto his
side.

“I got ‘em, hurry we have to get out of here before Jack comes back.”

Taking the ring of keys from the pocket on Ester’s lab coat, Tiffany handed
them over to Nick. Nick held the ring up. “Which key is for the door?”

“I don’t know,” Tiffany cried. “I was hoping you’d know.”

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath as he looked at all the different sizes
and shapes of keys on the ring.

“Watch yer potty mouth,” AJ slurred a reprimand.

“C’mon, help me get him over to the door,” Nick grunted. “J you have to help
us out a little. You’d think all these years of helping you when you got
wasted...”

“Try that big gold key there..” Tiffany suggested as she watched Nick
fumbled with the set of keys. “No, the one with the red tip,” she calmly
directed.

Hoisting AJ with his good arm and fumbling with the keys with the other,
Nick lost his grip, sending the keys crashing onto the floor. “Dammit.”

“Watch yer...”

”SHUT UP!” Nick and Tiffany shouted.

Tiffany picked the keys up and quickly inserted what she decided was the
door key. She held her breath and breathed a sigh of relief when the door
clicked open. “Hurry.”

Nick dragged AJ as they fled the room. “Lock the door behind us, trap that
bitch!”

Tiffany nodded and slammed the door shut, placing the door key into the
lock and securing it.

“Take the keys with us, there might be more locked doors,” Nick pointed out.
The girl nodded and took the keys from the door. “Which way?”

Taking AJ’s other arm and draping it over her, the young girl whispered,
“This way.”