Black
"Sam, whoa wait," Emily cajoled as he leveled the barrel of the pistol at Jake. "That's Jake," She insisted reaching to lay her hand against his shoulder. "He's no threat to you, it's safe." She soothed watching Sam's muscles shake and his grip tighten on the pistol. It had only been the span of a couple months since he'd suffered a major blow to the head, among other serious injuries during a battle with a group of rogue newborns. After several weeks in hospital and some physical therapy, he was home but his mind was still not functioning normally and his memory of people, even those who were family was sketchy at the very best.
Sam's hesitation was apparent but the confusion within his mind could only see Jake as a threat. His aim wavered, his body shaking with fear. He pulled the hammer back. "I…I don't know you…" His voice cracked and faded into the noise of discharging firearm.
"Sam, don't!" Jake's voice broke over the ringing of the gun and Emily's frightened scream. He collapsed his hand immediately going to his shoulder as the bullet entered his flesh from close range, "I'm not..."
She gasped, her half shocked, half frightened voice barely managing to leave her lips as she rushed to Jake's side. Her hands immediately moved to catch him before he could fully collapse and instead eased him into a horizontal position in the middle of her living room floor. She turned her gaze back to Sam who had dropped the pistol and sank to his knees still overwhelmed with terrified shivering. "You leave that gun right there, Sam, you hear me. Just…please… I have to tend to Jake…you…we have to find you some help…"
"Emily, I…" Jake's voice faded and he clutched his shoulder, his own blood oozing from under his hands to stain his shirt. "I…call…"
"Shh, be still." She ordered pulling the apron she'd placed over her jeans earlier when she had baked cookies. She folded it and carefully shifted Jake's hands long enough to place the pad of cloth beneath them and against the wound. Her hands shook as she reached into the pocket of her jeans for her cell phone and hit the emergency call button, knowing that the call would go directly to Carlisle and if there was no answer it would redial for Edward. It rang several times before finally there came an answer. The instant his voice came over the receiver, she realized that the emergency dial had not reached Carlisle but Edward.
"Emily, it's not like you to call unless there's a problem," He insisted not necessarily picking up her thoughts but more the fact that a call from her was unusual in and of itself. He immediately keyed on her hesitation just from the distressed tempo of her breath over the phone. "What's wrong?"
"Edward, there's been an accident," Her words jumbled forward as she continued to try and keep Jake alert and somewhat calm. She shifted her position so that she could also keep a watch on Sam who was now holding his head in obvious confused regret. "It's Jake," Her voice cracked as the emotion flooded to the surface. "Sam, he didn't know who he…I tried to stop him but…but he shot Jake." The last was merely a whisper as she waited for what she knew would be a barrage of questions layered with concern.
Edward paused in stunned silence. He'd never known a time, even when Sam and Jake were at odds, that Sam would maliciously attack Jake, but he also knew that Sam's mental state had not been right since the trauma to his head. "Emily, I need you to focus. Give me details as to the location of the wound and Jake's current status?" He put his Bluetooth on his ear and pressed the button to activate the hands free before quickly beginning to gather materials for the medical case.
"Left shoulder, just above dead center," Emily answered, the fear for Jake's life and Sam's condition very apparent in her voice. "He's alert but I don't know…I…he's shaking and sweaty and…" Her emotion overrode her voice as she kept her hand against Jake's neck to monitor his pulse like Carlisle had trained all members of the pack to do when there was a serious injury, "And growing a-a…bit pale."
"Okay, just take a breath and calm down," He assured finishing the task of packing the medical case just as Carlisle entered the room. "Keep pressure against the wound. Carlisle and I are on our way. Have someone let the pack know that we will be crossing the border. Just keep Jake still and as alert as possible." He assured giving her final encouragement before severing the call and giving Carlisle the details of the situation.
"It would seem that Sam's mental condition has not improved much since the injury," Carlisle admitted as he picked up his black bag and they left the house for Emily's. "I brought some medication for Sam as I am afraid that our presence may only serve to further stress him."
"Emily was already an emotional wreck having to care for Sam more or less around the clock," Edward admitted as he sped down the back roads of La Push, roads that would lead them on the quickest route to Emily's home. "This incident isn't going to help her nerves. One of us should let Charlie know what has happened after we get a better handle on Jake's injury and condition just to keep this from blowing itself out of proportion when the rest of Jake's pack and Billy find out."
"I will take care of that once the situation has been diffused and Jake's condition is stable."
"Please, Jake just hang on," Emily encouraged, tears streaming from her cheeks as she watched him and kept track of his pulse, knowing that he was gradually growing weaker. "You have to stay awake, Edward and Carlisle are on their way. You're going to be okay, just…" Her voice hitched and the last of her words were overtaken by the slamming of the screen door and the sound of Paul and Embry's voices echoing down the foyer.
"Trying…" Jake's voice barely made a scratchy whisper in response to her nervous insistence. "Just really…tired." He mumbled, the words slurred slightly as he fought to remain conscious even though he knew he was gradually losing the battle.
"Shh, don't talk, just focus on staying alert." She soothed blotting the beads of sweat from his forehead with the bottom of her shirt. Panic coursed like lightning through her body as the footsteps from the foyer came to an abrupt halt putting a still unfolding situation in the spotlight.
"Jake, do you want us to…" Embry's question died before it could even form and the tension within the room grew astronomically.
"What the hell happened?!" Paul's voice reverberated against the walls as his gaze surveyed the room, landing first upon the pistol on the floor near where Sam was still sitting, and then shifting to Sam. "What the fuck…?! Why, what is your malfunction?"
"Paul…" Jake had weakened to the point that his voice was unable to rise above the den enough to catch Paul's attention as he interrogated Sam. "It's…he…"
"Please, shut up! Please…Paul…it's not what you think…just...he didn't recognize, he didn't…" She pleaded, her voice rising with each word, tears now flowing freely to leave ruddy streaks beneath her eyes and inflame her cheeks.
"Don't demand me Emily, I'll handle this!" Paul picked up the pistol from the floor. He gripped the stock, his hand running along the trigger as he eyed Sam, his expression cold and raked with angered confusion. "I want to know what your fucking problem is! Head injury or not, your shit is getting real old real fast." He pressed moving to take hold of the collar of Sam's shirt and yank him up from where he'd been sitting. "I ought to put a bullet in you right here, right now, think it might fix your malfunction."
"Paul, enough!" Embry spun his pack-mate away from Sam, "Didn't you hear Emily? It's not what it seems." He took hold of Paul's hand and pushed the barrel of the gun upward in an attempt to prevent another accident from happening if one of them should accidentally pull back on the trigger. "You need to chill, put a lid on that beastly temper of yours."
A battle of strength and attrition began as he struggled with Embry over possession of the gun. "Maybe it's time that Sam gets a taste of his own medicine," He ground through clenched teeth as he tried to pull the pistol away and turn its barrel toward Sam. "Maybe it will solve whatever mental issue he supposedly suffers from now."
"But it won't solve the problem…only create another…"Embry hissed his voice straining as he forced the barrel of the pistol toward the ceiling and disrupted Paul's grip. "Stop, this isn't helping, can't you see, you…"
BANG! The sound crawled along the walls, drowning out the argument and covering it in the shattering of glass from the overhead light and the sound of Emily's terrified scream. She laid over Jake, shielding him from falling debris, her tears dampening his shirt ever so slightly before she raised up again.
"Dammit Paul!" Embry hissed wrenching the pistol free and immediately emptying the remaining bullets from the chamber. He clicked over the safety and wiped the blood from his forehead; the gash coming as collateral damage from the shattering of the overhead light and falling debris from the fan. "Chill the fuck out!" He pushed him down onto the nearby sofa opposite of where Sam had retaken his seat.
"Screw you, I'm not the one who needs the attitude adjustment, it's him." Paul sniped pointing and glaring at Sam. "A bullet would've done him good."
"Please guys…please just…"
"Paul, I said…" Noise at the door and hurried footsteps once more in the foyer halted the brewing storm. The sound provided a welcome respite and a glimmer of hope for a positive resolution to the current building tragedy…
"To injure Sam would not have helped the situation. It would only have made this current issue much worse down the road." Edward's voice put a permanent halt to what would have continued to be nothing more than a heated argument, the stress of which was not helping anyone, especially Jake. He moved to tend to Sam as Carlisle knelt to begin assessing Jake's condition and providing stabilizing field treatment until they could get him back to the house and into the medical center.
"I swear Sam didn't realize, I mean he didn't…is Jake going to be okay?" Emily spluttered wringing her hands together as Carlisle pulled a portable oxygen canister from the medical case and placed the mask over Jake's mouth and nose.
"He's going to be fine, Emily." His tone remained the cool, calm, collected presence that his medical training provided him as he quickly began assessment of the gunshot wound and the probable internal damage that had been done by the bullet. He paused only briefly putting a hand against Jake's neck to check his pulse. "Easy Jake, you're in no danger, just relax."
"Pain…so tired…" The harsh pinch of the needle as Carlisle started an IV barely registered over the fiery pain radiating from the wound itself. "I…" His voice broke and his consciousness waned as the effects of shock and blood loss coupled with the introduction of IV fluids and medication to ease his discomfort temporarily overcame him.
"Paul," Carlisle called as he shifted the portable stretcher that he had brought in from the SUV into position. "Come help me get him onto the stretcher so that I can finish assessing his condition." Carlisle ordered, his gaze lifting to survey the room as he removed other necessary items from the medical case.
"Embry, why don't you take Emily into the kitchen," Edward suggested as he helped Sam up from where he'd been sitting. "Sam and I are going to go into another room as sitting here watching is not helping his current mental status." He nodded at Emily who hesitated to even leave the room much less Jake's side. "Go with Embry, you need to calm down before the stress makes you ill."
"But…" She rubbed her hands against her jeans and the hesitation and overall fear was apparent. "I…I…won't he need help, I mean I need to clean this up and…" Her pleading grew silent at the touch of Carlisle's hand against her shoulder. Their gazes met only briefly but his calm, confidence was enough to ease some of her concern.
"Sure," Embry agreed flinching slightly as Edward cleaned and closed the gash on his forehead with butterfly closures. "Is Jake going to survive?" He questioned the application of ointment and proper bandage causing the wound to ache and sting.
"The bullet has missed his heart and seems to have also missed all of the major arteries." Carlisle answered continuing to tend to Jake as Edward finished with Embry and motioned for Sam to move toward the nearest empty room which was a spare bedroom that Emily never used other than to store excess household items and winter clothes. "He's going to need some surgical repair to deal with damaged muscles and structures in and around his shoulder and possibly to repair a minor nick in his left lung but he should recover with no long term deficits." He locked gazes with Edward and no words were exchanged even though Edward gave a nod in response as he efficiently read Carlisle's mind.
Paul put himself in position to aide Carlisle as Embry reached for Emily's hand and gently helped her to stand before leading her toward the kitchen. "We won't be long," Edward admitted as he left to deal with Sam. He watched as Paul and Carlisle carefully eased Jake onto the stretcher before exiting the room with medication in hand…
Edward pulled the door closed so that the calm, quiet of the room would help in the process of getting Sam settled enough that he could focus and not be so on edge. The room had the musty scent that comes with lack of use but it was comfortable in its furnishings just the same. He turned to find that Sam had taken a seat on the single bed that graced the center. The throw at the foot, he had pulled it askew and now clutched it against his head and face. His entire body shook with apparent anxiety.
"Stop it." Sam muttered under his breath, "Just shut up." He shook his head and buried his face in the throw blanket, "Jake… I … I didn't know… I thought…" His voice trailed off again and Edward didn't need Jasper's empathic ability to realize that he was ripped apart by the actions of only minutes ago. "What have I done, why did it happen this way, not like this… I never wanted this. Just shut up and go away…"
Edward moved in to sit down on the bed close enough to be a presence but not so close as to further his current anxiety. He pulled the vial of medication from his pocket and readied the syringe with its proper dosage. "Sam, I need you to try and focus for me. Calm down, Jake will be fine. Talk to me about these voices that you seem to be hearing." He watched closely, picking up the signs of mental confusion and the symptoms of a brewing mental breakdown just with observation.
"No you just shut up," It was clear then that Edward's presence was overlapping with the sounds, sights and the visions no one else could see. Sam was becoming more agitated as whatever, or whomever he was hearing was escalating the issue. "Just go away, leave me alone." Sam's hands were wrenching the throw blanket into a knot as he was not seeing Edward at all but something else entirely. Likely, someone else.
He carefully took the blanket out of Sam's grip. With one calm, fluid motion he swabbed Sam's arm with the alcohol pad and gave him the injection, making sure that he projected a firm but calm presence as he did so. He watched for signs of an allergic or negative reaction to the introduction of the anti-psychotic tranquilizer. He knew then that Sam's condition was going to require further, more intensive treatment and likely hospitalization to prevent an irreversible mental fracture.
Sam rubbed his face, the tension in his muscles fading as the drug's sedating properties began to affect him. He took a deep breath as the static raging in his mind was dampened by the drug. He shook his head, pushing back the sudden grogginess, his body wavering slightly in response to the tranquilizer.
"Sam, can you talk to me about these voices?" He questioned as he helped him to lay down on the bed now that the medication had sedated him enough to ease the anxiety and fully relax his muscles. He pulled the blanket and draped it over him before positioning himself where Sam could see him and retaking his seat. "Sam, try to focus and talk to me."
The sedating property of the medication would eventually strengthen to the point that Sam would sleep for several hours and remain overly groggy and lethargic for some time afterward but the effect would only last for eight to ten hours at best. However, even though it would temporarily stabilize his condition and dampen the voices in his head it was not a permanent solution and until his condition could be fully diagnosed and treated he would continue to pose a danger to himself and others.
"Static," Sam mumbled shifting his position enough so that he could briefly rub his temples. "I don't know why they won't shut up. I don't understand what is wrong with me, I can't focus, I can't…" His weary gaze focused then to Edward, his expression still utterly confused. "I don't know, I…nightmares…I don't remember…" He sucked in a ragged, heavy breath, his frustration held at bay only by the sedating effect of the drug.
"Okay, we're going to keep working on that but for now rest." Edward insisted adjusting the blanket as the medication was finally beginning to overwhelm him enough that he was drifting into sleep. "We're going to get you the help you need." He quickly and gently did a precursory medical exam on Sam just to be certain that there were no negative side-effects appearing in response to the medication and also to be sure that the stress of what had happened earlier had not had any detrimental effects on his overall health…
"Edward, we've loaded Jake into the SUV, and so far his condition is relatively stable." Carlisle's thought rang clear and even though he didn't get an immediate response he knew Edward had heard him just the same. "Update me on Sam," He insisted as he added another layer of pressure bandage to Jake's wound and secured an arterial line, that would later be used to replenish blood and vital fluids, along the upper inside of the same arm he had inserted the original IV. He covered the entrance point with wraps of gauze and carefully placed strips of tape. He locked both IV's into position so that the motion from the trip back to the medical center would not jar them loose or aggravate them in any way.
"Medication has settled him for the most part. He's going to need further, more intensive treatment as he's showing signs of mental illness that I think may be severe PTSD or Schizophrenia. The medication will only temporarily stabilize his condition and once it wears off I'm concerned that he may once again be a danger to those around him or himself as he's having a great deal of difficulty with focus and memory." Edward answered checking Sam's pulse once more and adjusting the blanket.
"If you feel he will pose a threat to himself or to others in his family such as Emily or members of the pack then the best option might be to admit him to the medical center at the house for a few days. I would suggest trying to at least stabilize his mental condition there before making any firm decision about placing him in an actual institution." Carlisle suggested as he adjusted the drip sequence of Jake's IV and the oxygen flow. "The medication should last long enough for us to get Jake back to the house and his repair work completed. Has Emily been made aware of Sam's condition and the possible diagnosis?"
"No not yet but…" His answer was broken by the entrance of a half-agitated, and obviously concerned Emily. Embry trailed close behind her his hand on her shoulder, tugging her back in an effort to prevent her from disturbing or aggravating the situation even further.
"Emily, you really shouldn't just…" Embry barely managed to move clear as she jerked away from him, spinning with the back of her fist sailing toward his face.
"I need to see if Sam is okay, bug off!" She cursed, her cheeks stained with left-over tears as her gaze focused first on Sam's now sleeping form and then up to rake Edward with a confused, worried stare. "What's wrong…what…Sam…?" She spluttered as he stepped in to explain the situation.
"Sorry Edward, I tried but she's well…damn stubborn when she's upset." Embry hissed crossing his arms across his chest and stepping back to watch and listen as Edward began first consoling her and then explaining the details of Sam's current state and the likely reason for his actions.
"Easy Emily," He soothed keeping his presence between her and the bed where Sam was resting. "Sam is fine. I gave him some medication to calm him down and help ease the anxiety that he was experiencing. It has sedated him so that he can rest." He paused to allow her to assimilate what information he had just given her. "Listen, Sam is having some serious issues with memory and focus. He needs to have further treatment for this condition. For him to remain here will not facilitate proper diagnosis as his overall stress levels and condition will need to be carefully monitored until a medication routine can be set in place if one is necessary. So once Carlisle and I get Jake back to the house medical center and his injuries are treated and his condition stable, I am going to return and retrieve Sam. He will be admitted to the medical center at the house for a few days so that his mental condition can be diagnosed and a treatment regimen put into place."
"But, I…he's not crazy, I mean he- he didn't mean to…" She shook her head in utter panic and confusion as she tried to look over Edward's presence to see Sam, who had finally fully succumb to the sedation provided by the medication. "You have to understand, he's not…I mean he would never intentionally hurt anyone...not even Jake, he just…"
"I know, Emily, I know. What happened here was caused by a medical condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated properly. I know Sam, under normal circumstances, is all bluff even when he has been angered but this situation needs to be dealt with. You want him to be the Sam you are familiar with and love, yes?"
She managed a positive nod in answer to his question as she continued to process the situation. "He's…I mean…he's going to be alright?" She spluttered wiping the tears away with the sleeve of her blouse, the heavy sobbing leaving swollen ruddy rings beneath of her eyes and making even the most basic of thought processes difficult.
"Of course, as long as he can receive the proper treatment, he will be fine, and so will Jake. But for the next few days, Sam needs to be in the house medical center where his condition can be monitored and treated accordingly." The assurance seemed to ease her concern at least until Sam could begin getting proper treatment for his current condition. "Now, Sam will remain in this state until I return as the sedating effect of the medication will last eight to ten hours at least. Just let him rest undisturbed, alright Emily?" He turned then to Embry, "Carlisle and I are going to get Jake taken care of, you and Paul stay with her at least until I can return to get Sam."
"Sure," Embry agreed moving to take Emily into a guiding embrace. "Come, let's let Sam sleep." He insisted as they followed Edward from the bedroom. "I'll have my phone handy for an update on Jake's condition."
"I will let you know. Jake should be fine." Edward assured as he left the house. Emily and Embry could only watch as he climbed into the SUV and it pulled out of the drive to disappear down the road.