1: Rescue Me
BILLY POV
I was sitting in the kitchen reading the paper when the phone broke the silence that had surrounded me for several hours. I glanced at the clock on the stove. It was 11:30 pm which meant only one thing to me. My best friend and chief of police in the next town had locked himself out of his house again. Wheeling myself over to the phone I quickly realize I was very wrong about this call, it was a hospital in Los Angeles where my oldest daughter Rachel lived.
Slowly I pressed the talk button on the handset lifting it to my ear. After taking a deep breath trying to slow my heart rate down a bit I said "Hello?" I heard my voice already giving out and panic setting in. I didn't want to think the worst but it was too late I knew in my heart there was something wrong with my little girl. For a second I closed my eyes saying a small prayer as I waited for a response on the other end.
After what seemed like hours I heard a woman on the other end of the phone. Her voice was low almost too low for me to hear her. "Is this William Black?" she asked in a blank tone. I knew at that very moment what was about to happen and I hated the feeling eating at my gut. The woman didn't wait for me to give her an answer before she spoke again. "My name is Heather and I work at the Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center. We have a young woman here by the name of Rachel Danielle Black and it says in her medical records that you are her emergency contact," she murmured softly.
My heart sank in my chest and my hands began to shake as I got up the courage to speak. "Yes, I'm Rachel's father," I said dreading the question I was about to ask. "Is Rachel alright?" I already knew the answer but I prayed that I was wrong. I was very rarely wrong but in this case I wanted nothing more than to be dead wrong.
Heather's voice seemed to become louder as my panic set in further. "You'll need to come out here as soon as possible. Your daughter has been brought in the emergency room and she appears to have been severely beaten. Please get here as soon as you can, she is asking for you," she said before hanging up the phone.
The words were spinning in my head as I tried to call my best friend Charlie. My little girl was lying in a hospital bed in Los Angeles and I was miles away. Charlie didn't answer his phone so I was stuck leaving him a message. "Charlie, Rachel has been hurt pretty bad I need to get out to LA as soon as possible," I rambled out ending the call without saying goodbye.
I heard a car pull into the driveway slowly almost as if they were lost. Charlie came through the front door and I nearly fell apart just looking at him. Charlie walked over to me placing his hand on my shoulder. "Let's get going, I booked us a flight out to Los Angeles. It leaves in an hour and a half so we'd better leave now," he told me worriedly.
The next thing I had to do was tell Jacob, my only son, my youngest child that his sister had been hurt. I swallowed hard trying to find the words to tell him as I rolled into his room. Jake spotted me right away and I froze looking everywhere but into his eyes. "Jake, we need to talk," I choked out desperately trying to hold myself together.
The room fell silent, so much so that you could hear a pin drop. "Dad, what is it?" Jacob asked. His eyes never broke contact with mine as he stood up and walked toward me. "The last time you had that tone in your voice, you were telling me that Mom was dead."
Everything in the room around me seemed to blur as Jacob's words rang through my ears. It felt as if someone had just stabbed me in the chest with a double edged sword. "I know, Jake, but I have something I need to tell you," I stammered desperate for help.
Charlie walked in the room in that moment like he was reading my mind. "Jake, it's Rachel, she's been hurt pretty bad and I need to fly out to Los Angeles with your dad to check on her," he said placing a strong arm on Jake's shoulder. "Do you want to go with us to see Rachel, Jacob?"
Jacob shook his head slowly not looking at me or Charlie when he spoke. "No, I think I should stay here besides someone has to tell Paul," he said staring out the window. Jake turned to me obliviously fighting back his emotions. "Dad, can you do me a favor please?"
Pushing my chair over to Jacob, I reached for his arm trying to relax him. "You can ask me for anything, Jake you know that," I whispered softly hoping that it would help. "Whatever it is Jake, I'll do it for you." I was desperately trying to break the silence I felt once I stopped talking but knowing that Jacob was upset didn't help matters any.
Jacob looked at Charlie and I with tear glistened eyes. "Can you tell Rachel that I love her and that I'll be waiting for her to come home?" Jacob's voice was broken with every word he said but I knew he genuinely meant everything. As I turned to leave I heard Jacob's voice again. "I just can't lose her too!" he said breaking down into tears.
I wanted to comfort Jacob desperately but I had to catch a plane before it got any later so I did what any worried parent would, I called Charlie's daughter Bella to help. The phone rang twice before Bella picked up. I rambled out what was going on before she even had a chance to say hello. A few minutes later Bella was on my way to my house without asking any questions. All I could say to her was for her to take care of Jacob for me.
The flight to Los Angeles seemed so long I was gripping the plane seat harder than I should have. My knuckles were white and sweat was beading down my face I hadn't felt this nervous since my wife Sarah passed away. Charlie placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and took a deep breath. "She'll be all right Billy she is a Black after all," he told me sounding like he had to convince himself of that as well.
The next few hours of the flight were a blur I just remember Charlie saying that we have landed and we should be at the hospital in a few minutes. My heart was pounding in my chest so loudly I could hear it in my ears. I didn't know what to think or feel I had gone completely numb. We walked into the hospital and nurses and doctors swarmed me. They were asking so many questions I couldn't keep up with the answers. My mind flashed back to when Sarah had her car accident I didn't know what to do but all I wanted was to see my daughter.
A tall dark haired doctor met Charlie and I in the waiting room with a chart in his hand. He looked a lot like Dr. Cullen back in Forks and somehow I almost wished that he was. He took his seat beside Charlie. "Mr. Black?" he asked extending his hand to meet mine. "I'm Dr. Paisley I've been the one overseeing your daughter's care," he told me flatly.
The tone in his voice seemed to bother Charlie but I had just assumed that he was exhausted just like we were. "Is my daughter all right?" I asked not really wanting specifics of her case at the moment. "I just want to know if my baby girl is all right," I said hoping he would answer my previous question before I answered any of his.
Dr. Paisley smiled briefly and looked down at his chart. "Rachel appears to have been badly beaten. The damage is not irreversible but she does have a long road of recovery ahead of her. She keeps asking for someone named Paul, does not name mean anything to you?" he asked quietly.
I nodded once and tried to keep my cool. "Yes, Paul Damon is her best friend he lives back in La Push, Washington with me," I told him before turning to Charlie. "We'd like to see Rachel now if that's all right." I knew my tone was probably not at the best right now but I wanted to see Rachel and worry about the details later.
With a nod Dr. Paisley led us into a small room with white walls and white curtains. The sound of beeping machines bounced off the walls. The nurse pulled back the curtain surrounding the bed and there she was. My daughter was black and blue everywhere I could see and they had her on oxygen to help her breathe. The nurse smiled at me and took a minute before she spoke to Charlie.
Charlie and the nurse left the room to give me some time with Rachel. Her eyes were closed and her black hair seemed damp as if she had just gotten out of the shower. I hated this I hated every second of it I wanted her to open her eyes and tell me what happened. "Rachel if you can hear me open your eyes sweetie," I pleaded squeezing her hand.
When the nurse came back with Charlie I was still holding onto Rachel's hand for dear life. Charlie squeezed my shoulder looking down at Rachel. "Do you want the details, Billy or would you rather just sit here?" he asked. Without an answer Charlie began to tell me little bits and pieces of what went on. "The nurse said that she wakes up every few minutes screaming for Paul like her life depended on it. Jamie asked if we knew how to reach Paul," he muttered softly.
I turned my head to look at Charlie. "Who is Jamie? As for reaching Paul, let Jake handle that please," I whispered not wanting to disturb Rachel. I looked down when I felt someone squeeze my hand to see my beautiful daughter staring at me. Tears of relief streamed down my cheeks and I was unable to speak.
Rachel glanced at the Charlie and half smiled. "Hi Uncle Charlie where's my Paul?" she asked still holding onto me. The bed creaked underneath Rachel's weight, not that she had much weight anyway. Charlie smiled again and Rachel looked at me concerned. "Daddy, where's Jake? You didn't leave him home alone did you?" she whispered weakly.
I wanted to tell her Jake was with Paul but that would only raise questions for me that I had no right to answer. I pressed my lips to Rachel's forehead wanting her to relax a little. "No, princess, I lied. "Jake is just fine, he's with Embry. You remember Embry, don't you?"
Rachel smiled a little but she also seemed curious and skeptical about what I said. "Daddy," she muttered as her gaze darkened to meet mine with a no bullshit twinge to it. "Please don't lie to me I've been told enough of them to last me two lifetimes."
The door of the hospital room opened and saved me from making up yet another lie to cover up the last one I'd told Rachel. I let out a sigh of relief staring at the flowered wallpaper that made a border around the center of the walls. A tall slender brunette walked over to the bed looking very nervous. "Mr. Black, there is someone here to see Rachel; he says his name is Sam Uley."
I nodded silently watching Rachel grip the side of the bed and start thrashing around. The nurses came rushing in like a herd of wild animals after their prey. Then the doctors whispered "It's about to start again, we need to find this Paul guy and fast!"
A few minutes later Rachel let out an ear piercing scream that sent chills down my spine. "PAUL! I need MY PAUL!" she screamed undeniably frightened. "PAULY!" she screamed again making me realize just how badly she was hurt.
The doctors left the room a few minutes later, leaving Charlie and I at a loss for words as Rachel mumbled Paul's name like a broken record. Sam stepped in the room walking straight to Rachel's bedside lightly touching her hand. "Rachel, do you remember me?" he asked quietly searching her eyes.
Rachel turned her head to look at Sam with a sudden shyness. "Hi, Sam," she whispered softly. I hated the fear that coated her voice and I watched as she snatched her hand back to her side. Her actions told me without a shadow of a doubt she needed Paul more than anyone else at the moment. "Can you do me a favor, Sam?" she asked quietly as she stared blankly at the clock hanging on the wall in front of her.
Sam bowed his head a bit casting a dark glance at me as if I were a criminal on trial for an unspeakable crime. "I'd do anything you ask of me Rachel, you're like a kid sister to me," he muttered almost reluctantly. "What do you need?"
My eyes were fixated on Rachel as her body jolted around the bed, a sign she was about to start screaming for Paul any second. Just like clockwork the horrific screams made their way to my ears. "Rachel, it's okay baby, you're okay," I whispered desperate to make the screams stop.
Rachel looked at Sam again after she had calmed herself down. "Sam, I need you to do me a really huge favor right now," she breathed trying to sound as normal as she could, given her current state. "I want to go home to Paul, please Sam take me home to him."
Sam looked to me for answers but I couldn't give him any because Rachel started to scream again. Sam tried to calm her down but it was useless because the thrashing was too violent. "Billy, we have to bring her home," Sam said over the constant screams. "Paul's touch might help; he has always had that effect on her."
Paul did have a calming effect on Rachel, I had to admit that and ever since she was five years old that boy has made her eyes light up like a billon stars in the blackest of night skies. The light was gone from my baby girl's eyes now whatever Danny had done to her tonight was not the first time but it would be the last I'll be sure of that. I reached out to grab Rachel's hand just as my phone rang, which made her hand jerk away from me. I answered the phone seeing Jacob's name on the screen. I took a deep breath and put the phone to my ear to be greeted with agonizing howls. "Jacob, what is that noise?" I asked afraid I already knew the answer.
Jacob was quick with his answer and his tone told me that this was not a casual call to check on his sister. "Dad, that was Paul howling when you answered the phone," he told me in a rush. "He can tell something is wrong with Rachel and to be honest he's starting to scare me. Please, hurry home!"
