Chapter 1

"Daddy I don't feel good," Emma said as he came into her room to wake her up for school. He felt her forehead and she didn't have a fever. Sitting down on the side of her bed he stroked her hair back from her face.

"What's wrong do you have a sore stomach?"

"No but my head hurts and I'm really tired." She told him rolling onto her side.

"Ok I'll let you stay home from school today, alright. But daddy has to go into work so I'll have to get a sitter to watch you, is that alright? Or do you want me to stay with you."

"No you can go to work." Patrick left her to get some sleep and went to call a sitter. He hoped someone would be available on such short notice.

Luckily one of the babysitters he had used in the past was available and would be coming over shortly. Patrick poked his head into Emma's room to see if she was asleep, she rolled over and opened her eyes. "Hey sweetie I found someone to come watch you for a little bit, ok. Do you remember Sarah?"

"Yes."

"You can call me if you need anything or want me to come home alright." He felt horrible for having to leave her when she wasn't feeling good, but it was probably just a twenty-four hour thing and she would be feeling better in no time.

"Ok daddy." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving the room. When the babysitter arrived he headed in for his shift. He was a little later than usual so he headed straight for the locker room to change and start his shift.

"Dr. Drake your late," Ephiphany said as he came back to the nurses desk to grab his charts.

"Sorry Ephiphany, Emma wasn't feeling well so I had to find a last minute sitter."

"I'll let it slide, this time." She said with a smile and he knew she was joking.

Patrick had just finished with a patient and was heading to the break room for some coffee when his cell phone rang, he fished it out of his pocket. "Sarah is everything alright?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Drake but Emma spiked a fever a little while ago, I tried a wet cloth but it doesn't seem to be going down."

"Can you bring her over to the hospital?" He asked wanting to check things out for himself.

A little while later Sarah stepped off the elevator carrying Emma in her arms, "Has the fever went down any?"

"No I don't think so." Patrick took Emma from her and carried her to one of the empty rooms to check her out. He laid her down and told Sarah to stay with her while he went to get some stuff.

"Alright I'm back baby, daddies here." He said as he took her temperature.

"Daddy I don't feel good."

"I know sweetie you have a fever. Daddy wants you to drink this ok," he said handing her some water. He needed to keep her hydrated and try to get the fever down. He sent a nurse to get some cool compressed and some medicine to help bring her fever down. "You'll feel better soon, I promise."

Patrick pulled a chair up to her bedside and took her tiny hand in his, "Try and get some sleep baby."

"Don't leave me daddy."

"I'm not going anywhere sweetheart."

"Here's the medicine Dr. Drake," the nurse said handing it to him. He had never seen this nurse before around the hospital.

"Thank you. Emma here you go sweetie this will make you feel better." He told her giving her the medicine as the nurse got the compressed ready. Emma looked up at the woman standing beside her bed, "What's your name?"

"I'm Sabrina." She said reaching out and touching the little girls arm.

"I'm Emma." She said weakly before closing her eyes.

"Are you new here? I haven't seen you around the hospital before." Patrick said looking at her.

"Yes i just moved here."

"It's nice to meet you."

"Do you need anything else?" Sabrina asked as she took her hand off Emma's arm. Emma opened her eyes and looked up at her sleepily.

"Can you stay with me too?" Emma asked her.

"Oh sweetie, Sabrina probably has other patients to look after," Patrick told her.

"Do you?" Emma asked her.

"No actually I just finished my shift so I can stay as long as its alright with your daddy." She asked looking at Dr. Drake.

"Sabrina can stay with us as long as she wants sweetie." He said with a smile. Emma must have really liked her if she wanted her to stay and he would do anything for Emma at the moment.

"I'll stay until you fall asleep, is that alright?" Sabrina asked her. All she did was shake her head and Sabrina could tell she wasn't feeling any better yet.

The next day Sabrina came in a little earlier to check on Emma. She couldn't get that sweet little girl out of her mind and she had to make sure she was feeling better. The door was open so she stepped in and noticed Dr. Drake slumped over in the chair by his daughters bed. He must have stayed with her all night and she didnt blame him. She had wanted to do the same thing, last night when Emma had asked her to stay she almost melted. She stepped a little closer to the bed and Emma looked like she was asleep as well so she turned to leave and come back later.

"Sabrina I don't feel so good." She heard as she turned back around and walked over to her.

"Do you feel like your gonna be sick?" She asked her as she touched her head to check of she still had a fever.

"Mmm hmm." She said as Sabrina grabbed something for her to get sick in. As the little girl bent over and started to get sick Sabrina rubbed her back and tried to console her. Patrick immediately woke up and stood up to stroke the hair back from her face.

Patrick checked her fever and it was higher than it had been yesterday. "Let's try some more compresses." Patrick took her hospital gown off because it was soaked and that's when he noticed the bruises. They were just starting to form on her back and this had him worried, "Look at this."

She stepped closer and looked, "How long have those been there?"

"They weren't there yesterday."