"Some people spend their lives under the shade, afraid of the darkness. And, not realizing that the sun is beside them."

The moment he entered, every sense of mine felt unease. He felt familiar- way too familiar- that he couldn't have been only my patient. When we sat, I sensed his tension hidden under what he claimed to be the truth. The more he spoke, the more my doubts got clearer.

I focused, remembering the trauma I was put in a few hours ago. It was him. He had fresh bruises on his arm. They could have only been the result of my nails trying to fight him as he held me. His eyes were identical. Every thought, and every clue were confirming my doubts as each droplet of sweat formed on my forehead.

He was my kidnapper.

"Wait," I interrupted.

I stood, walking away from him in slow steps. I was terrified as images of the knife and his threatening voice began surrounding my vision. My blood boiled, of how courageous he was to stand in front of me as if he wasn't the cause of my bleeding arm.

"It was you. You kidnapped me!" I screamed.

"Get out of here right now!" my tone tensed.

"Give me a chance to explain. It's not what you think!" he responded.

"You destroyed everything! And you're still standing in front of me!" I said, stepping farther away.

"I had to do it!" he exclaimed.

"Stop! Just stop! Why are you still standing here! I told you get out!"

Not daring to reply, he dissolved behind the door. Who was I? And what was I supposed to be doing for eternity? Those were all questions he stole.

I took out my blood results from the bag, and burned them. They were in flames, and I saw how my career had the same fate. I kept reminding myself that I had to do what he asked, in attempt to calm my rage. Ethan and Ellena didn't have to die because of me. I had to save them. Whatever was the cost, they deserved to have a life ahead of them. They couldn't just die now.

I wore my brown coat, and walked towards an unknown path. Hours passed, and my drained feet carried me towards Aunt Olivia's grave. I couldn't speak to anyone about what happened. It was just the her dead body, who did not have the ability to confess anything. But, I hoped she would hear me, or maybe take me with her.

"Aunt Olivia. I wish we were still there, playing in the beautiful garden you had. Everything is so complicated, and unsolvable problems are racing, one after another. My parents suddenly sent a letter after years of their disappearance. I always told you I didn't care about them," I said in a brittle voice.

"I'm really sorry, because I just realized how desperate was I to know them. But your simple smile would always make me forget them. When you were around, I never missed my parents. I would get so involved in your stories- and feel like my problems were magically solved. I don't know whether you want to know this, but your husband is dying. There isn't much I can do to save him. And I can't help but wish for him to live because he may be the only one who knows what happened to my parents."

I paused for a moment. Whenever I went to Aunt Olivia's grave, I would imagine her in front of me, still commanding me to hand her the water bucket. I would smile and even giggle at times. But soon realization would strike me. The realization that she is dead, and that she's not commanding me. Even that didn't stop me from feeling her calm presence around me, as she hugged and supported me.

"Earlier today, I chose to sacrifice my career for the sake of Ellena and Ethan. I'm really sorry I'll have to break my promise, my dear Aunt. I loved being a Doctor more than anything. I only hated that I wasn't able to save you. But I couldn't be the reason for the murder of innocent people," I cried.

I dropped the flowers on her grave, and told her the hardest goodbye. I then left in silence and tears, while the sound of the howling wind accompanied me. The sun began to rise, killing the dimness of the grave. I always wondered, if this was the time Aunt Olivia woke up in. If she would just appear and respond. But I would leave too soon, and this question forever remained a mystery.

It was too late to go home, as my shift was going to begin. I arrived to the hospital, looking around in dismay. When I heard the patients' symptoms, I got more convinced by the idea that it was just another day of work. But I knew that this was just the beginning of it. Today, I entered as a clean soul, but I will leave as a criminal.

Knowing my fate, I left the desk. I just took the rotten rose in one of my drawers. I then slackly headed towards the archive room, not bothering to check if there were any nurses around. I sat in front of the computer, and typed his name in the search panel. Adrenaline rose through my body. Each key I pressed initiated the feeling of guilt, sadness and betray.

With my hands trembling, I clicked on his record. The first fields were his name and some other general details. I continued to scroll until I reached the 'additional information' section. Gasping for air, I deleted anything associated with the unknown component of his blood and confirmed, and falsified the data associated with his blood components and type. Then, I tossed the hard copy of his medical record, and burned the researches Maria performed about his blood.

I exited, not hearing any footstep, not even a door click. I only heard my guilt's voice through my sweaty forehead and rapid breathing.

For the rest of the night, I lay on the couch. My eyes didn't stop glancing at the door. At any moment, the police would come. Hours kept passing as I sat in front of the fireplace. One hour, five hours, then ten hours.

Suddenly, sirens were clangoring throughout the neighborhood. Blue and red colors bloomed on the roof I stared at. When I looked through the window, a lot of police cars blinded my eyes. People gathered around the blue uniforms. Among the sirens, I heard the cling of the doorbell.

Aware of the ringer, I crept towards the door. A tall-fat police officer was the dominant figure standing in the middle of the door entrance. He was looking into some paper before he realized that the door opened. Then there were four men surrounding him. They didn't move. They just stood.

"Is this Aryn Anderson?" the officer in the middle spoke.

"Yes, sir," I replied.

"We have a command to arrest you for fabricating data. You have the right to remain silent and the right to be represented by a lawyer. At the police station, you will also have the right to perform a call. Anything you say will be used against you at court."

He presented me a warrant with the details of the crime and its committer. The officers beside him handcuffed me, and I could hear the gossiping of the people around. They dragged me into one of their cars, and the last thing I heard was everyone's gossip.

The sky from the window was byzantine blue. That deep color before the sun shone. I looked at its beauty with vigilant eyes, knowing that it may be the last time I ever see it. The car drove at a moderate speed, but it was fast enough to make the grass strands appear as a plain ground.

After we reached the police station, they took me into a room where I would perform the phone call. I was either going to call the lawyer, Ethan or Ellena. But, I chose to call the lawyer. There was something on that warrant, not right, and he had to explain that.

"Hey, Mr. Adrain. It's me, Aryn. I've been arrested, and I urgently need you," I said with a low voice.

"Mrs. Aryn? I'm coming right now!"

Some time passed before the lawyer looked at the evidence the officers showed, and then came to me. Unusually, his prominent posture faded as he came towards my seat. As he sat, he looked down, not knowing what to say. Between the wooden walls, it was as if he had an illusion that a third person was here.

"Mrs. Aryn, the evidence presented against you is strong. I am afraid that I can't do anything about it. They have videos and photos showing clearly the process of data alteration taken by you. Although what you were exactly doing on the computer isn't shown, the time the file was accessed is in their hands. Unfortunately, it exactly matches by minute the time the video was recorded. And there's a witness. She's a nurse called Clara, who documented Louis's record. She knew that the data has been changed,"he said without lies.

"Mr. Adrian, I wasn't expecting that you would be able to help me with this. I am guilty, and I will admit that in front of the law. But, in the warrant they gave me, I am charged for attempted murder," I said in a cracking voice.

"I am afraid, Mrs. Aryn, that one of the doctors blames you to have attempted to kill a patient called, Laim Benjamin," he replied in a disappointed tone.

"The Doctor showed clips of you trying to suffocate him."

"What are you saying, Adrian? Those are obviously fabricated!"

"The bigger problem is the fact that the patient and his mother are pressing charging. The Doctor managed to buy their false claims. Our only hope is to prove that those clips are fake through your alibi."

"Who is that Doctor, Adrian?"

"I think he was called, Doctor Fredrick."

"They will now take you to the investigation room, and you have to say what I tell you."

Not long after, a police officer entered without knocking and announced that our time was up.

I exited the door, with Mr Adrian's words ringing through my ear.

"Mr. Adrain, don't inform Ethan or Ellena of this for now," I uttered as the police officer dragged me.

"And inform the witness, Maria, to visit me."

A bold officer opened the wooden door when I arrived. There was a brown table at the middle, and a tall officer sat to its right. His scalp was almost bald, except a bulk of hair curling around his ears from either side. I sat on the chair with my handcuffs on the table. It wasn't silent for long as he quickly began the interrogation process.

"Did you fabricate the data?" he bluntly asked.

"Yes, and I fully admit my crime."

"Is it true that you attempted to murder your patient, Liam Benjamin?"

"No. I treat my patients equally, and, as a doctor, I do more than my best when it comes to any patient."

"What about the video, and photos recording you during your act?"

"Sir, I never denied fabricating data. But I fully reject and object the charges that claim that I attempted murder. Those videos are fabricated. During that time I was home. My shift ended, and my neighbor, Ellena can prove that."

"Then can you explain your reason for fabricating data after all the staff members left and without authority? Also, our officers found the patient's record hard-copy and some remains of important researches concerning him burned in a nearby place. We were able to identify some words after some restoration. However, the words were enough to prove that those papers were researches. Apparently, you burned them. Can you explain all that?"

"I already told you. I destroyed everything concerning his record and fabricated the data. But I deny attempting murder," I confidently replied.

"So, you admit altering the additional details field and burning the researches. But you deny attempted murder. This is your final statement, right?"

"Yes. I am not adding a word to what I said."

"But then, you didn't answer the main question. Why did you do that?"

I looked at him with determination, refusing to reply. I couldn't tell him that I got kidnapped. Or that I am a protector. I sacrificed my job to bury this truth. Seconds passed, with my pale lips refusing to utter any word. Memories of what I didn't want to say kept flashing through my thoughts. For a moment, I imagined his knowing the truth, and perhaps calling me crazy or mentally ill.

"Take her," he commanded.

Like a garbage sack, they dragged me again. But this time it was to jail.

There was a cracked bench standing on the steel-grey floor. A single flashing lightbulb dangled from the roof. Through the bars beside me, I saw a well-built man seated at the corner. He had a huge scar crossing his left cheek. His left eye had a bandage, but his right eye carried the deep brown color.

I directly shook my head after he looked at me with tangled lips. My trial was tomorrow, but I couldn't track the time because of the absence of a clock. I had to wait for one of the officers to come and strike the steel bars. But, they wouldn't need to do that because I would have no sleep tonight.

Waiting while doing nothing, except peering at the roof, elongated each second into eternity. I couldn't talk or listen to anyone. I was trapped physically and mentally, and occupied by the thought that Maria would confess everything. I desperately hoped that the lawyer would be able to find her before it was too late.

Trying to gather every sentence Louis said, my heart was as cold as ice, but the fire those protectors ignited kept melting it. I was a crumbled-forgotten paper, not knowing its destiny. The cold-grey ground was my new home, and the new place for the unknown destiny.

I didn't miss my bed, or the fancy blanket. It was my white coat. It wasn't hanging beside me anymore, calling for another shift. There were only dull walls, and howling winds, calling for a new journey. I really felt desperate for someone to hear me. I didn't want to stand alone anymore. I wanted someone to drag me. My power ended.

"Aryn," a voice called.

I turned and looked hoping it was Maria. But it was Ellena. Her thick-black braid was scattered all over her light-beige skin and her thin eyebrows. The wide amber eyes were no more than a finger-nail far from her refined nose. She frowned with her full-pink lips when I looked at her.

"The lawyer told me, and Ethan everything. And the fact that you didn't want to tell us. But you are innocent, I know it. Who forced you into this. Is someone threatening you?" she said in a brittle voice.

"No one threatened me. I did the crime and I am not denying," I faintly said.

"But the Aryn I know can never attempt to murder someone," she hopefully claimed.

"Then, she's still the same. Aryn didn't attempt to kill anyone. You've known her correctly. But she did a mistake. And she must get what she deserves. She betrayed her oath of graduating," I replied with mascara dripping from my eyes.

She tugged my shoulder assuringly from the narrow spaces the bars had in between, leaving promises that I would be freed. This promise was made to be broken, and her tears revealed so.

It wasn't long before a tall shadow lured on the grey walls. He intensely looked at me with his chocolate-colored eyes and thick eyebrows. Ethan walked towards my cell, hoping to light some hope or patience, but not realizing the fact that they died long before I became trapped.

"You're innocent, and no jail or trial will change that. I'll be waiting for you, and I promise I'll bake you those cupcakes again," he said with a smile.

I replied with a weak grin, recalling the horrible cupcakes Ethan baked.

He moved into our neighborhood over three years ago, where many coincidences joined us as neighbors. Once at the garden, and another in a nearby store. A few months passed before he finally confessed his love, but I stood silent. I wanted to start a relationship and to feel loved and love, just like anyone. But memories always stood in the way. "If my parents abandoned me, why wouldn't he?"I thought.

Not giving my rejection much thought, I was peacefully reading a book when the doorbell rang. But there was no one. I only found cupcakes neatly fitted into a pink basket. They looked gorgeous, yet they were the worst cupcakes I ever ate. Ellena told me that Ethan baked them himself, after asking her of my favourite flavor. I smiled, not realizing that I was beginning to fall in love with him.

As the police officer came, I travelled back to the reality and his innocent face looking at me.

Ethan left upon the officer's command, with hopelessness tying him.

Every now and then my eyes would fall on every passer by, hoping that it would be Maria. Waiting was my only defense, but it was getting weaker as each unknown second passed.

"Doctor Aryn?"

"Maria! Finally! I had lost hope that you'd come," I stood up.

"The lawyer told me that you wanted me specifically. Did something happen?"

"Did you give the police your statement? Did you mention the researches or anything?" I quickly spoke.

"Not yet."

"Listen, don't tell the police about anything concerning the blood type. All the researches we did together, everything. Not a soul should know about it."

"Doctor Aryn, you know how much I respect you. But misleading the law is a crime itself. I can't do that."

"Maria, if I didn't tell the police what I know, and you didn't, who will know that you misled the law?"

"But-"

"Please, Maria. I promise you'll never see my face after this. I'll never forget it."

"Fi-ne doctor," she hesitantly replied.

Suddenly, I collapsed onto the ground. For a moment, I felt that the blurry images were the energy escaping my soul. In a moment of agony, my eyes closed, hoping that a nice dream would be my reality. This was the last day that I'd be able to see the sun.

Not long after, a deafening sound suddenly roared in my ears. When I half-opened my eyes, I could see the guard striking the bars with a metallic object.

"Wake up! It's time for your trail," he screamed as he unlocked the door.