Chapter 22: Awakening to Nightmare

Ashley's eyes fluttered open, and she was met with a wave of pain and discomfort. Her head was throbbing, and her body felt like it had been run over by a truck. She tried to sit up, but a sharp stinging sensation in her lower abdomen made her gasp and fall back onto the bed. As she looked down, she saw that her stomach was covered in dried blood and bruises. A wave of panic washed over her as she frantically searched for her baby bump, but it was gone. Her stomach was flat, and she felt a sense of loss and despair wash over her. Panic set in as she scrambled to remember what had happened. The man's face flashed into her mind, and she recalled the sedative he had injected into her IV line. She had been so scared, so helpless. Ashley's mind was racing as she tried to piece together the events that had transpired while she was asleep. As she looked around the room, she saw that it was empty and sterile, with no signs of her baby or the man who had taken her. A single sheet of paper on the bedside table caught her eye, with a note scribbled on it in red ink: "You'll never see your baby again." Ashley's eyes widened in horror as she read the note, and she felt like she had been punched in the gut. She was consumed by a deep sadness and grief, and she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her baby. Had the man taken it? Was it safe? The questions swirled in her mind, but she had no answers. She tried to call out for help, but her voice was hoarse and barely audible. She coughed, trying to clear her throat, and then tried again. "Hello? Is anyone there?" she cried out, but there was only silence. The door to the room slowly creaked open, and a nurse walked in, pushing a cart filled with medical supplies. Ashley's eyes locked onto the nurse, and she saw a glimmer of hope. "Please," she whispered, her voice shaking. "You have to help me. I need to know what happened to my baby." The nurse's expression was sympathetic, but it was tinged with a hint of fear. "I'm so sorry, Ashley," she said quietly. "I'll do everything I can to help you. But first, I need to get you checked out and get you some pain medication." As the nurse began to tend to Ashley's wounds, Ashley couldn't shake off the feeling that she was running out of time. She had to find out what had happened to her baby, and she had to find out now. The nurse's actions seemed slow and deliberate, and Ashley's anxiety grew with each passing moment. The nurse's voice brought her back to reality. "Ashley, I need to ask you something. Do you remember anything... unusual happening before you were sedated?" Ashley's mind flashed back to the man and his sinister smile. "A man," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He was here. He touched my stomach, and then he gave me a shot. He said something about taking care of my baby." The nurse's expression changed, and Ashley saw a flicker of something in her eyes. It was a look of knowledge, of secrets kept. "I'll get the doctor," the nurse said quickly, and she hurried out of the room, leaving Ashley alone with her thoughts. As Ashley lay there, she couldn't help but wonder what the nurse knew, and what she was hiding. She also couldn't shake off the feeling that she was in grave danger, and that she had to find a way to escape before it was too late. The pain and the fear were overwhelming, but Ashley knew she had to keep fighting. She had to find out what had happened to her baby, no matter what it took.