Elena

Life is unpredictable. As an orphan, I found bliss when Miss Laura Dcruz Cassius, a 28-year-old widow and independent woman, adopted me. She was an American who had married an Indian man, but he tragically died in a plane crash after just four years of marriage. The trauma from his sudden death caused her to lose their baby, which left her heartbroken.

Miss Laura began visiting the orphanage where I lived, spending time with children like me who felt alone in the world. When she decided to adopt me, she gave me her surname, became my mom, and showered me with love. She never let me feel like an orphan. As a skilled lawyer, she fiercely defended me against anyone who raised a finger at me.

I was so happy to have her in my life, but a year ago, everything changed. God had different plans and took my happiness away. My mom, who had been suffering from cancer, passed away. I stood by her side when she took her last breath, promising her I would always strive to be happy and work hard to become an orthopedic doctor. I will keep that promise, no matter what obstacles I face. I believe my mom and God are with me, guiding and protecting me.

Today, on the one-year anniversary of her death, I stand before her grave, missing her deeply. After speaking to her, I head to the station and boarded the train. It will take around 2hrs to reach Naples and then maybe a walk of 15- 20 min to Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Federico II ,the allotted hospital for my final semester viva.

After two hours, I finally arrived. I took a public transport ride to the hospital and stepped down just in time. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself and moved forward. I remind myself to stay strong as I approach the cabin floor where the exams are held. As I walked in, I noticed a gathering of students, many of whom I recognized from my college, waiting quietly for their turn.  I pull out my notes to revise until my name is called. Taking a deep breath, I adjust my lab coat and ID badge before entering the cabin, where I'm greeted by senior doctors—one woman and one man. The viva begins, and I manage to answer their tricky questions. However, the male doctor proves to be a tough critic.

"How would you describe the function of the knee? What are the common types of knee injuries and their treatments?" he asks.

Oh my, don't tell me I have to give an essay on this...

However I braced myself.

"Do you want a detailed explanation?" I reply.

"Yes, explain as if you're an orthopedic surgeon speaking to a patient," he insists.

Alright, I think. I'll give it my best shot.

"The knee is a complex joint that serves as the primary weight-bearing joint in the body. It consists of the femur, tibia, and patella, connected by ligaments and tendons. The knee provides stability and flexibility, allowing us to walk, run, jump, and squat.

Common knee injuries include sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations, and meniscus tears. Treatments typically involve RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation), physical therapy, medication, and sometimes surgery. A sprain occurs when a ligament is stretched or torn, while a strain affects muscles or tendons. Fractures can range from minor cracks to complete breaks. Dislocations happen when bones misalign due to trauma, and meniscus tears occur when cartilage between bones is damaged."

I finish my explanation and notice a smile from the tough doctor. He hands me a glass of water, which means I must have satisfied him. As I leave the cabin, he says, "Next," and I can't help but roll my eyes.

Relieved, I head to the cafeteria for a hot coffee.

"Finally, it's over!" I say to myself.

Suddenly, I get a notification on my phone. With no classes for the rest of the day, I feel free. I toss my coffee cup and join my classmates, who are celebrating our successful vivas.

As we walk towards the bus stop, chatting and laughing about our experiences, a few cars suddenly stop in front of us. A man leans out of one car, asking for directions. In a shocking turn of events, he grabs one of my classmates and pulls her inside.

We rush to help her, but before we know it, we're overpowered. Someone sprays what I assume is chloroform, and its effects hit me hard. As I struggle to stay conscious, I hear the car engine roar to life, and everything fades to black.

I jolted awake, a cold splash of water hitting my face. The sudden shock pulled me from the depths of unconsciousness. Blinking away the haze, I found myself in a dim, cramped room, bound to a chair with several of my classmates nearby, groggy and confused.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," a figure said, leaning over me. 

"You're in for a treat today." 

Like..... what?

"You've been brought here for a reason. This one"—he gestured toward the injured man, "needs your skills. Help him, and you can all go back to your little lives."

"Wouldn't it be better to take him to the hospital and get him improved medication, instead of bringing us here?" I asked, not understanding anything happening around

"Ah, how delightful of you to offer that unsolicited and unwelcome suggestion. But no, we have no intention of taking him to the hospital - for you see, we are not his friends, but his sworn enemies. Our desire is for him to suffer, to witness his own downfall and destruction. Let him wallow in agony, bereft of aid or comfort. His pain is our pleasure.

but but but...... at the same time we don't want the bastard to die quickly. No, we want to make him suffer, to watch as we destroy him, piece by piece, until he's begging for the sweet release of death." - he said  cruelly

"Now get up, move your feet's and treat him " he said pushing us to another room where the man was .

As I analyzed the man, I realized there wasn't much an orthopedic student like me could do. I examined his bones and the scratches on his skin, noting a few minor injuries but no fractures—except perhaps on his head, which had already been treated by one of my friends, a neurology student. We were all from different departments, each assessing him according to our expertise. Once his injuries were bandaged and treated, we checked his movements. To help him regain his senses more quickly, I gently sprinkled some water on his face.

All this while we all felt creepy looks from these disgusted creatures around us. We tried our best to finish quickly and get out of here. Soon in a few minutes he will be in his senses since I sprinkled some water to make it quicker, no logic but I felt it will be helpful , don't know why though.

As we finished up, I felt a hand on my shoulder, an unwelcome touch that sent a shiver down my spine. I swatted it away and turned to confront one of the men from the group. He was staring at me, his gaze crawling from head to toe, lust pooling in his eyes.

Panic gripped me as I watched my friends being dragged and touched inappropriately. We fought back with all our might, managing to knock down 4 of the 7 men. However, the remaining 3 were larger and bulkier than the others. Desperate, we continued our struggle, but one of them suddenly grabbed me from behind, strangling me and bringing the entire confrontation to a halt. 

 "Cease your assault, young warriors. Do you truly believe you can stand against us? How foolish of you to even attempt it." 

The cruel man grinned sadistically as he crushed me with his powerful hands. Suddenly, his laughter turned to an agonized howl, and his grip around my neck loosened. I was shoved downward, but my friends were there to catch me. As I looked up, I saw the previously unconscious man now standing, holding the rod he had likely used to strike our attacker.

"RUN AWAY! NOW! MOVE " he commanded us in hoarse yet dangerous voice and within a flick we all ran away from their taking our bags and other belonging not before knocking the men down who came in the way. After ensuring everyone else had evacuated, I attempted to assist the lone man who was still engaged in a physical altercation. 

I tried helping him however can but seeing no other option, I sprayed some kind of gas which was lying on the near by table in the entire room, making it nearly impossible to breathe or see. I then grabbed the man and pulled him out of the room, locking the door behind us and closing the window to keep the gas inside. As I hurried away, I had to practically drag the man, who was still struggling to breathe and see properly.

 We managed to make it to the road, but the danger still loomed over us. They could catch up to us at any moment, and we needed to act fast. Lost in thought, I was trying to come up with a plan when he yet again commanded" Give me your phone!" rude! but its not the situation to curse him. I quickly gave my phone ,thankfully it was in my jeans pocket and didn't fall out in all these stunt performance.

After making a few calls, the man handed the phone back to me and then pulled me along with him, god knows where. Observing the situation, I realized they made their way and trying to chase us. We hid behind a large tree, and as they did not see us nearby, they went in the opposite direction. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, I felt a weight on my shoulder. Turning to my right, I saw the man was unconscious. Assuming it was due to his poor health, I let him rest on my shoulder. Soon, a car arrived, and a call came to my phone. Seeing the man from the car calling someone, I understood it was someone he had contacted using my phone. I waved my hand, and the man quickly approached me, confused at first, but his expression changed when he saw the unconscious man on my shoulder.