Chapter 2: Escape II- A Week
James drove back to his house while contacting any connections that he have. If he had not given up his everything for Aurelia back there, now he would. He will not lose her.
Not now, not ever.
"Dr, Gonzalez," He greeted through the phone, he is readying every papers that he will need. "I have a request." He said that made the man on the other line chuckled.
"Impatient as ever, I see. So, what can I do for you attorney?"
---
Blinding Lights.
That's the first thing that welcome me.
"Congratulations, baby girl." said by the deep husky voice that immediately wake up every fiber of my being. The blinding lights hurt my eyes as I abruptly open my eyes and instantly shoot straight up with panic.
"Relax," the doctor then guided me to lay back down. He is smiling just like how moments ago before my consciousness slipped.
"Where am I?" I asked, the hoarseness of my voice itch my throat. I immediately notice we are not in the same room where he operated me.
"I transferred you to a more comfortable room." He answered, still smiling. I don't know why but it really gave me the creeps.
I used to smile like that.
And it is a smile that I am only using with the weaklings I used to beat before.
"Where is James?" I asked again. The silent room besides the beeping of the machines made me restless. We are the only two in here and the plain almost dead looking walls just did not sit right to me.
When his gaze landed on mine while he is checking the IV fluid on the side, he just smiled. No answers about the question asked. That again made me restless than ever.
I fiddled with the white sheet that is covering me in a hospital gown and I sit up slowly while he eyed me. I took a deep breath and smiled at him.
He is calm and so am I.
At least I pretended to be.
"Where is James doctor?" I asked again, voice soft. But I am taken aback when his smile turned a full blown grin. What the heck?
"I don't know." He answered, now with a sad frown. The quick changes in his displayed emotions is enough for me to doubt his mental health.
And I do not like where this is going.
"Maybe he is mourning about his loss." He then continued and I stared at him confused. Mourning? James is mourning?
"Why? Is there something that happened while I am in the operating room?" I asked, voice filled with worry. But as far as I know, James had no relatives or whatever that made me confuse again.
"Aurelia is dead." The doctor said watching how my face filled with questions.
Aurelia is, dead?
What?
But Aurelia is me.
I am dead?
What the hell?
"What are you talking about?" I voiced out, hating the fact that I intended to demand it but it came out as a plea. With the close proximity between us and his 6'3 built towering over my 5'4 height, it is impossible not to feel intimidated. Not to mention his ever so composed expression.
He is always smiling and it's really disturbing.
"Aurelia is dead." He repeated with a perfect sad and sympathetic face and voice but the glint in his eyes said otherwise. He tucked my blonde strands of hair in my ears that made me still. "but baby girl is not." He continued but now in a low whisper.
I physically cringed that made his smile widened. Why in the world would he call his patients like that?
Yeah, it's not like in a perverted way but nonetheless creepy.
Oh my God, no, it's really perverted but didn't feel like it because of his looks that can pass as a Calvin Klein model.
Okay, shut up.
"What?" I breathed. I have no strength with all my limbs still feeling exhausted that it's shaking weakly. I wanted to run but my useless body would not budge.
He just smiled and took a step backward. The beeping of the machines are wild indicating my again erratically beating heart.
"It's nice to know that your new heart is working just fine." He then changed the subject. "Just do not fall into hysteria all the time." He said with a wink and equipped in his arms his papers. I just stared at him, still did not know what to say nor do.
He opened the door and the noise outside filled my ears as he does so, then leave but not before looking back at me one last time.
I started to panic.
But not just because I realized that the room is soundproof.
Nor the fact that he just claim I am dead and that James is mourning.
But because before he stepped out of the room I saw the date written on the paper.
April 7, 2020
A week had already passed.
---
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Eric Gonzalez, the doctor that James contacted asked for the nth time that day. He rolled his eyes at him again.
"We are already doing this for days, Eric" he deadpanned. He is busy monitoring the CCTVs around the vicinity where he last saw Aurelia and that damned doctor.
"Just making sure if you're really up to exhaust your resources." The doctor answered with a hint of truth. He just stayed quiet.
Yeah, he has money and resources but it will just last for decades not a lifetime. Yet, it's just material things, he can still earned it another time.
But not Aurelia.
She cannot be replaced.
"Did you already find out whose body it is?" He asked instead. The doctor just shrugged and turn his way. He is already doing his research about the body that he already examined.
"Not all the details. She is Canya Smith, 23 years old. I am still digging about what happened when she just disappeared two months ago. But from what I have found out from her autopsy, she's also suffering from a heart condition." James nodded, they have the lead but still not enough.
They just know that this all is connected to an organization and it's big. That's why, a doctor can be crazy enough to do this. The body, which is the dead Aurelia the crazy doctor aforementioned, have undergone a plastic surgery and is one of their victims months ago. He is not sure why they are doing this or what they are up to but it's crazy.
A whole lot of crazy.
Fortunately, he is not powerless.
Just not powerful enough to do something.
"How did you find out she is not Aurelia anyway?" Eric asked him, completely forgetting the question when James called for his help in haste a week ago.
"She is so complete that it is too much," He started, eyes still on the monitors. "The body have her left ear pierced." He continued. After a second the doctor nodded and chuckled.
"But Aurelia just wearing clip ons?" Eric then concluded. He nodded and he can't help but smirk too. They are so smart they overdo it.
"I really did not like her messing with her ears or body in general." James said and shrugged. Thankful that he stopped her from getting peircings or tattoos so she have no choice but to do hennas and just wear clip on earrings.
They continued their work and after a while of just sitting around and sometimes chatting with the doctor, he decided to take a break. But something caught his eyes from the monitors.
"Gotcha," He smirked and decided the break can wait as he focus his eyes on the familiar dark hair, tall man.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone