Isaac walked out of the bathroom after a bath, droplets of water still clinging to his hair and trailing down the lines of his neck and shoulders. He moved to Sienna's side and stopped.
She had fallen into a deep sleep after their wild activity, so deep that she couldn't even be bothered with her sleeping position. She was sprawled gracelessly across the medical bed, her body barely covered by the thin sheet he had draped over her. The canvas of red marks her skin had become on full display.
For a long moment, he did nothing but watch her.
The rise and fall of her chest, the way her lips parted slightly with each exhale, and the beautiful curve of her butterfly-wing-like lashes. He couldn't help but admire her.
With every thought that crossed his mind about her, he found himself more drawn to her. He was falling so deeply and he wasn't even trying to stop it. He had never felt anything like this before, a feeling so foreign and beautiful, and he wanted to keep it forever.
He moved closer finally and began to massage her waist. There was no way that side wouldn't ache once she woke up; with so much gentleness and focus, he kneaded and rubbed her waist, applying pressure on his fingers though not enough to wake her up.
He turned her slightly to adjust her sleeping position, and at that moment, he noticed something.
A marking on her stomach. More like a hot branding, the edges uneven and rough. The number 57 was burned into her skin, bold and definitely not new. The scar had faded to brown showing how old it was.
Isaac frowned.
He had one just like that.
But instead of 57, his was the number 3, branded in the same place, on the same spot, though his had been done with much more care. The lines were cleaner, and the scarring was less chaotic. Someone had taken their time with his.
As for where he had gotten it, the memory had become a blurry and forgotten part of his childhood. And no one would speak to him about it.
What was the connection?
He was certain he had never been in the same place as her before until recently. Their worlds had been oceans apart. And yet here they were, marked and branded in the same way.
Or was it just a coincidence?
That didn't seem likely.
He ran his hand over the marking, his brow furrowing deeper. It must have hurt, he thought. She must have been so small and helpless when it happened. What exactly happened in her childhood, or just like him had the memories faded.
He had never thought to look into his childhood before. The past was a locked door he had been satisfied to leave closed. But recently, with everything that was happening, he found himself wanting to know the contents of those blurry memories?
Just then, Sienna shifted in her sleep, her body seeking warmth. She moved closer to him, her forehead pressing against his thigh, her breath warm against his skin.
"Warm," she mumbled, the word barely audible.
The sound disrupted his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. He looked down at her, this impossible woman who had stumbled into his life and turned everything upside down.
He chuckled, the sound low and quiet, and got into bed with her. He pulled her into his arm, her body fitting against his like she had been made for exactly this purpose, and kissed her forehead.
She sighed in her sleep, content.
He could sleep for the rest of the day too.
Neither of them noticed Sienna's phone flashing on a table in the far end of the room, call after call lighting up the screen, unanswered.
---
It was unexpected. Surprising. Entirely without warning.
That evening, the Dilrik government released a press statement that sent shockwaves through the nation. Doctor Sienna Rivers' freedom was being withdrawn. The official reason, they claimed, was that they had reason to believe she was no longer fully focused on serving the citizens, that she had begun prioritizing elite patients over the common people. To prevent this and to promote equality, especially in this time of war, they were forced to take action. She would be placed under the direct watch of the government, her movements monitored, her will revoked.
Ava was at home knitting when she saw the news.
Her hands stilled and her face turned dark.
How could the government claim Sienna was being partial? She was practically sacrificing her life for the people of Dilrik, working herself to exhaustion, skipping meals, forgetting sleep, and giving everything she had to save lives that would have otherwise been lost. But apparently, the government couldn't see that. Or they could see it and simply didn't care.
The news pissed her off so much she wanted to punch the television. Drag the prime minister out and beat him to death for all the nonsense he was pouring out. Her hands shook with the effort of containing her rage.
She picked up her phone and called Sienna.
No answer.
She called again. Nothing.
Again. Straight to voicemail.
She called a fourth time, a fifth, and a sixth. Each unanswered ring drove her anxiety higher. Eventually she assumed Sienna must be busy, but she really needed to talk to her, to know her reaction to the news, to hear her voice, and to confirm she was okay.
Two hours later, a knock sounded on the door.
Ava hurried to open it, expecting Sienna's face.
Instead, she found government security officials and police officers standing on her doorstep.
Their leader stepped forward, raising his ID, as he spoke. "From the government office. We are here to take Doctor Rivers. The government is taking custody of her."
Ava's face turned stormy. Her anger was boiling so badly she might 'accidentally' hit one of them.
They didn't even want to grant her a day more. Not even a single night to process their stupidity and prepare to leave the partial freedom she had cherished.
"You all are so unbelievable and selfish," Ava said furiously. "And just so you know, Doctor Rivers isn't home."
"We will have to search the house to confirm that, ma'am."
Without hesitation, Ava opened the door wide. "You are very welcome."
The men exchanged glances, clearly unsettled by her easy compliance. They moved to step inside.
Just then, a voice came from the main gate leading into the compound.
"What is going on here?"
Everyone's attention shifted.
Sienna stood at the gate, her hair neatly packed, her clothes neat and without a single wrinkle; her face, though, held an expression of exhaustion and confusion, which showed she was tired from wherever she was coming from and had not seen the news.
Ava's heart ached at the sight of her.