Saving Aurora

Dr. Malena Culver is always on the call at all hours of the day, medical doctors usually are. It was definitely the case late one evening, as while she was spending time with the love of her life, Reagan Schultz. The call centered on a patient at Malena's hospital, and it was someone who was pretty close to her: Aurora Curtis, Malena's longtime best friend.

Malena gave Reagan a kiss before heading on the road back to the hospital. Throughout the drive, Aurora remained on Malena's mind. The two women had been friends since grade school; they attended the same schools together though out their teen years, and even in college as well. After college, Malena and Aurora went their separate ways; the former became a doctor while the latter started her own restaurant business and ended up marrying Reagan, who attended college with both women. However, it was three months prior that Aurora appeared at her hospital...as a patient. A one-car crash left Aurora comatose, with Malena replaying the day Aurora was brought in.

Malena arrived at the hospital, and was rebriefed regarding Aurora's current state--she was showing signs of revival. It wasn't the first time; there was slight movement from Aurora, but it was never long-lasting. Malena put herself in charge of Aurora's well being, as she wanted to get a close inspection of her progress. Once she entered Aurora's room, she had these words to say to her longtime friend:

"Wow...you just don't know when to quit, do you?"

Following that statement, Malena's demeanor shifted drastically. She wore a look of concern for her friend and her patient, but once she was left alone, the expression changed from concern to what appeared to be scorn, all while Aurora was still incapacitated, though her right hand started to show movement.

"I mean, you really are quite tough, Aurora," said Malena. "It's what I loved about you. It's also what I couldn't stand about you." Malena took out a syringe and stared at it longingly, while also reminiscing about the night of Aurora's accident.

"I put a lot of work into this!" Malena ranted. "Even after cutting your brake line, you still managed to show a few signs of life. Thankfully, I was there to take a bit more of them away." As Malena looked back at her incessant stalking towards Aurora, as well as incapacitating her after the crash, she gave a maniacal laugh in twisted satisfaction.

"I always hated being in your shadow!" snarled Malena. "You knew I was in love with Reagan, yet you swooped in and stole her from me! Well, she's mine now, and with this last lethal dose, Reagan will be mine forever!" Malena continued cackling as she walked closer to Aurora, whose eyes began to open.

"Malena..."

"Well, well, well!" cackled Malena. "She speaks! Any last words?"

"Yes," Aurora said, "it's over."

Once those words were uttered, a pair of police officers entered and ordered Malena to put her hands up, right before she was handcuffed and arrested. A few images from the accident had started to come in to focus while Aurora was in the coma, but out of the few memories she had was Malena's appearance. She also maintained a memory of Malena appearing to her a month earlier, and when Reagan visited her wife of 10 years, she learned about Malena during the very brief time she was barely awake, before Malena placed her back under. The police were stunned that someone could basically torment a person that was considered their best friend, and that was brought up during Malena's interrogation.

"We were best friends in title only," ranted Malena. "She always took everything from me, even my parents' attention; they always compared me to the almighty Aurora! Taking Reagan was the last straw. Reagan was mine. Aurora knew that. I just decided to go after what was mine in the first place."

Malena confessed to causing Aurora's accident, as well as keeping Aurora comatose before attempting to murder her former friend. Her career in the medical field came to an end, and she ended up serving a life sentence. Aurora fully regained conciousness, but remained in the hospital as a precaution, with Reagan visiting her wife every day and apologizing to Aurora. Reagan's apologies were always disallowed by Aurora, who firmly saw Reagan as a victim of Malena's evil manipulation. Despite Malena's plot to destroy Aurora and come between her and Reagan, the couple ended up remaining stronger and more in love with each other than ever before.

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