She could tell something was wrong. Something in the way she saw her swimming, veering like she hadn't before. And she almost didn't believe it when she hit her head on the edge like she did.
Disbelief came first. "Em?" she asked innocently enough. When she didn't get a response, she got scared. "Emily?" she said a little louder. She then saw blood. "EM!" she screamed, and she was headfirst in, trying to get her out. With the help of the other swimmers nearby, they managed to get her out, but as fast as they got her out, she was gone, probably carried out by stretcher.
"LET ME THROUGH!" she yelled, tears streaming at this point. Emily was on a stretcher, only a little coherent at this point. "I'm her girlfriend, let me through!" she stated loudly, trying to shove her way past the other EMTs.
"Paige, stop. You can't see her right now," her coach tried to persuade her. This seemed like it calmed her down until she spotted an opening to Emily, which she took faster than even she could process. In the couple of seconds she had in the confusion, she managed to say "I love you Em. Please be okay," and grabbed her hand.
"Ma'am, get away from her." the medic said to her calmly. And she complied, knowing that if she struggled anymore she'd end up in severe trouble. Now all she could do was worry and wait, just like everyone else.
"Hey." she said to a now awakening Emily, rubbing the hand she was already holding with one of hers. "What happened out there?" she asked. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I- I don't know. I lost count of the strokes. Never swam on painkillers before," she laughed lightly.
"Em, why didn't you tell me you had that bruise?" She grew worried about her.
"Because then I'd have to tell you how I got it." she said weakly.
"Okay, later. Just rest now, okay?" she said, switching over to caretaker in an instant.
Emily nodded and then fell asleep. Still holding on to her hand, she brought it up to her mouth and kissed it, "Oh Em…"
She sat on the other end of the bed where Emily now lay propped up on pillows, rubbing her head to try to alleviate a headache. "There has to be something you can take for that," she said worried.
"No, there isn't. I just took too many painkillers as it is, Paige," she replied, trying to ease her worry.
"So why didn't you tell me about it? Where did you get that bruise" she asked, now that she was coherent enough to answer.
"I was saving Aria and Mona and got my shoulder hurt in the process." she said hesitantly.
"Saving them from what?"
"Not what. Who?"
"Y- You mean A? Em, why didn't you tell me any of this?"
Emily started to look desperate. "Because I don't want to live in that fear anymore. And I don't want you too either. I just want to live in that room you had on the computer with the beds pushed together. I want to be with you. And only you. Away from this town, and safe. Starting real life together, just you and me," she was on the verge of tears at this point.
"Hey, maybe we are, Em," Paige replied, trying to make some of the pain dissipate. She leaned in for a kiss and leaned her forehead onto hers.
"You want me to hold you?" she asked in a soft voice. Emily nodded, and the two of them worked their way to a cuddling position, Emily in Paige's arms. They talked about nothing for a little while, taking her mind off of what had happened, and soon Emily drifted off to sleep in Paige's arms. "My brave little idiot," she whispered. "I love you."