Free Collecting Scars by Tee Smith Page B

really is the sweetest.” She quickly tapped out a reply.
    A-Wish you were here too, good night x
     

Chapter 10
     
    “DO YOU GIRLS EVER DO any work?” Maria yelled as she walked past Asha's office.
    “Looks like she's in a mood today, we better get back to it,” Asha warned Gemma. Seemed it was going to be one of those days.
    Asha left her office, closing the door behind her and wandering out into the clinic. She had to speak to one of the patients who had come in for their chemotherapy. Reports had been coming in that this patient had not been attending pre-organised appointments.
    Suddenly there was a commotion coming from the waiting room. Asha stopped in her tracks and went to see what was happening. Walking into the waiting area, a chair came flying toward her. In the nick of time, she launched herself out of the way, unfortunately not quite fast enough to completely dodge the flying missile and it clipped her right arm causing a fierce pain to shoot through her arm.
    “Ow,” she cried out in shock.
    Her eyes flew around the room, doing a quick assessment. Gemma sat in her chair, frozen, eyes wide. Several patients were inching towards the door, trying not to be noticed. And standing across from Asha was the aggressor.
    A man in his early twenties, wild hair going in every direction, sunken eyes, scratches to his face. His body was thin, his clothes sagging on him, looking like they were a size too big.
    “Can I help you?” she asked trying to stay calm and not antagonise him any further.
    “Where is she? Where is that fuckin' mole? Get her out here!” he screamed at her.
    “Who? Who do you want?”
    “That fucking stupid cow, she's out there hiding from me isn't she? Thinks she can take my shit and I won't notice.”
    Asha shot Gemma a glance, she had never seen her friend look so terrified. Asha was scared as well, her blood pumping so hard she could hear her own pulse in her ears. No one else was coming to help, she was the only one here to deal with this situation, Gemma was in no state to do anything. Where was Maria? She was the manager shouldn't she be here dealing with this?
    “The duress Gemma,” Asha whispered, nodding at the desk, hoping Gemma would hear her. All the desks were fitted with duress alarms that would alert a security guard at the hospital.
    Asha held her arm where she had been hit, sucked in a deep calming breath and took a tentative step forward. Keeping her voice as even as she could, she did not feel calm on the inside.
    “I can't help you if you don't tell me who you’re after.”
    The man moved forward and she took a hasty step backwards.
    “That fucking woman I know she is in there,” he seethed. Then started yelling towards the hallway behind her. “Get out here, you fucking bitch before I come in there and fucking find you.”
    Shooting a look back to Gemma, who still not have moved. Asha barked out, “Now Gemma.”  Gemma jerked into action and hit the alarm.
    Suddenly the man was running at her as she stood in the doorway. The side of his body, hit the side of hers' with such force, it threw her back against the wall and she lost her footing, tumbling to the ground. Her back screamed in pain as she landed awkwardly on the floor.
    The front glass doors slid open and two guards dressed in black, taser guns in hand, came charging through the door. From her vantage point on the floor, she watched as they rushed at the man. Sparks flew from the taser guns as they hit their target.  A yell came screeching from the man's lungs as he hit the floor convulsing, he was now on eye level with her. Asha made eye contact with him but his eyes were so glassed over he did not appear to see her.
    “Dylan,” Maria's voice fell on Asha's ears and she looked up to see her manager charging towards them both where they lay.
    “Finally, she makes an appearance,” Asha muttered under her breathe.
    Maria fell to the floor at the young man's side.
    “This is all your fuckin' fault