Alrighty everyone, here's chapter two :)

Emma found herself wide awake in the early hours of the morning, the digital alarm clock reading 2:15 A.M. as she rolled over and sat up with a defeated sigh. It wasn't like she was going to get any good sleep anyway. She was up at least every hour or two checking on the condition of the wounded hunter, which had been a roller coaster ride for the past few days. The tired woman rubbed her heavy eyes thinking about how every hour seemed to hold something different. One moment he would seem to be improving; his breathing easier and his skin not so deathly pale, but then after a few hours he would seem just as close to death as when she first saw him. Right now was one of the not so good times as the nurse heard the hunter groaning quietly, the sheets rustling slightly from his restless flinching. The exhausted woman rested her head on her knees, exhaling a long, drawn out breath. She had learned over these past few days that being in top physical condition did not always help the injured man out, especially since his metabolism went through the morphine in no time at all. Pushing her bangs from her eyes and flicking on the lamp, Emma swung her legs over the side of the bed, shuffling over to her bedside spot in her black shorts and pink camisole. Taking the scrunchie from her wrist, she quickly threw her long hair up into a messy bun before sitting down next to the ill hunter.

"I don't know what to do with you Yagari," Emma uttered quietly, glancing at the small battery operated monitor that reflected his racing heartbeat. The hunter continued to grow more anxious, writhing in pain. Quickly scanning the notepad on which she kept track of dosage times, her heart sank when she saw he had another hour to go before she could offer him any relief. "Jesus you need to be in a hospital," Emma muttered after noticing that the hunter's restless moving had caused some of the fragile wounds to bleed through their dressings. She knew his body was still in immense shock, and without blood tests, she didn't know if his condition was stabilizing or not, or if he was suffering organ shutdown. But that wasn't an option right now. With a defeated sigh the young woman wrung out the cloth from the bowl of water that stayed by the bed. The tortured man didn't calm as Emma sponged the streaming sweat from his ashen face, in fact she grew more worried as his breathing raced ragged and cracking. "Mr. Yagari, can you hear me?" Emma asked trying to remain calm while grasping his hand in her own. The hunter began to moan hoarsely, Emma's own heart beating faster as she saw his heart rate reaching dangerous levels. She was just reaching for the syringe filled with a sedative when the hunter shot up in the bed, a strangled yell of agony escaping him as he lurched forward, Emma just barely catching him in her now shaking arms.

"No Luce!" the hunter cried in his hoarse and damaged voice, his blue eye wild and panicked as his raven hair flew into his face. Emma was desperately trying to hold the delirious man up without disturbing the many wounds that covered his torso. She could feel his body shuddering in agony, but this time, she knew it wasn't all from physical pain.

"Mr. Yagari, everything's alright," Emma tried to sound comforting while struggling to get him to calm down. "You're ok, just relax," she said as she felt him begin to slowly cease struggling. "It's alright, everything's alright," she soothed as she carefully held the broken man in front of her, her pale fingers brushing his wild locks from his face. She felt her heart tighten when she saw how shattered the blue eye that hazily stared off unfocused was. Soft tears slowly trickled down the scarred face as he fought to breathe.

"What…have I done?" he whispered broken as he lifted his glazed eye to Emma. Though he was still very much a stranger, Emma couldn't stand watching him sit there shivering in such agony.

"It's ok, it's ok…" the young nurse softly said while very carefully gathering the trembling man in her arms. "It's just a dream," she said as she felt him relax against her, his shoulders shuddering. Emma cradled the hunter's head against her shoulder as he began to weep softly, warm tears beginning to trickle down her skin. "It's all an awful, awful dream," she whispered, her fingers slowly gliding through his damp locks. She wished that everything the hunter was experiencing was nothing but a shock induced nightmare, but she knew the nightmares were a past that still haunted him. After checking to make sure none of the I.V. lines had pulled loose, Emma held the injured man close for quite some time in the dark hours of the morning. His heart rate had gone back down somewhat and his fragile body wasn't trembling near as badly. She began to worry if the ill hunter's body really was beginning to shut down because of the terrible hallucinations. She hadn't seen him fully conscious since that brief moment on her first day. Panic began to creep up her spine but just at that moment, Emma felt him struggle to push himself up from her arms. At first she was scared he was going to panic again, but instead the exhausted Yagari finally held himself up with shaking arms against her own. His black hair fell around his face as he fought to keep himself up, blood seeping through the large gauze on his chest. "Are you alright?" Emma asked softly while gently supporting him. Her voice brought the hunter to slowly raise his head to her own, his eye tired and broken, but clear.

"Who…are you?" he asked slowly, his voice raspy and thick. Sweat dripped from his face as Emma stared dumbfounded, not able to believe he was lucid. Before she could answer the hunter's breath caught in his chest as he clutched the livid wound that was bleeding slightly. Emma's hands carefully helped the man to lie back down, his eye still trained on her pale face.

"I'm Emma," she said quietly while propping him up slightly. "I'm taking care of you while you heal," she said kindly, a small smile on her face. "You were injured pretty badly in a fire," she told him compassionately while sitting down beside him. The raven haired man lay quietly, taking it all in as best he could against the searing pain.

After managing a deep breath, Yagari struggled to get out, "So…it's been you…with me, you're the voice that…I've heard," he rasped, his blue eye scanning her face.

"Yes, we've been here for four days now," she spoke gently while taking the cloth and blotting the glistening skin of his face and neck. The hunter's eye widened at her statement. Turning his head, he raised his arm that was taped with tubes, his fingers then tracing the oxygen tube that ran across his face.

"Am I in…a hospital?" he asked weakly, his head turning back to her.

"I wish I could say yes, but Cross said it was too dangerous so he called me," she told him. "Right now, it's just you and me in this hotel room," she said with a half-smile.

The hunter lay watching her, his mind trying to wrap around what was going on. Though he was conscious, he still felt like he was in a haze. He was going to try to croak out another question for the red haired woman, but his scorched lungs decided to act against him in that moment. The man's body jerked as a wave of hacking coughs snatched his breath away. Emma was there immediately supporting him as his body hitched, her soft hand offering him the cloth. She didn't like the sound of such angry and deep coughing, but at least she knew his body was struggling to right itself again. Finally the hunter got control of himself, although he was doubled over by now from the pain of moving so much and his chest felt like it was on fire as he panted for every breath of air.

"I know it hurts, but you're already doing a lot better than you were a few hours ago," she said as she stacked the pillows behind him to prop him up more to help with his breathing. She noticed a look of panic on the hunter's face, but then her eyes fell on the cloth he was holding which was stained a dark, bloody color. "Don't worry about that," she said while helping him to sit back. "Your lungs could probably put fried bacon to shame so this is part of the healing process," she said trying to ease his worry some. The two of them sat in silence for a few long minutes as Yagari caught his breath. The pain that was now livid was threatening to make him sick as the cold sweat continued to run down his body. Emma noticed this as well as she eyed him gripping the sheets.

"I can give you more pain meds so you can sleep, if you would like," she said quietly. His head instantly turned to hers.

"No…I don't want…to…see that again," the man begged her breathlessly. Emma instantly knew what the hunter was talking about.

"Alright, at least let me give you something to take the edge off. I promise it won't make you unconscious," she reassured him. After grimacing against a wave of pain, the hunter agreed with a slight nod of his head. "You know, I was really afraid you weren't going to wake up," she said softly while drawing up the medicine, his eye half opening to look at her. "You've fought so hard to stay alive these past few days," she smiled while taking his hand in hers. He watched her inject the liquid into the clear tube that was taped onto his hand, thankful when the sharp pain that blazed all over his body dulled somewhat. "'There you go, now that should give a break somewhat," the slender woman smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you," the exhausted man breathed as he closed his eye again, his body begging for rest, but he was afraid to slip back into the darkness. Afraid of the terrible memories it had been tormenting him with. Emma saw him force his eye open even though she knew he was fighting sleep.

"I…I understand the pain you are feeling at least somewhat," she said quietly, her voice now heavy as her green eyes looked to the floor. She could feel his gaze fall on her questioningly. "A lot of the time…I'm afraid to fall asleep because…those memories always come back," she said slowly. Finally she lifted her head to look at him, his eye watching heavily. "I lost my fiancé Allen a few years ago…he was a hunter like you," she uttered somberly. "I'm sorry about Luce," she said quietly, her hands fumbling together in her lap. She barely knew this man, and yet she felt a sort of kinship with him in that they shared the same stabbing pain in their hearts. The hunter stared at her wide eyed before she saw his eye grow heavy and his chin dip toward his chest before he started. "It's ok now, you can sleep," she told the weary hunter with a warm smile. "I'll be right here, so if it happens again, I'll be here to wake you up".

The hunter nodded his head slowly before he allowed himself to drift off to sleep. Emma sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking about everything that had just happened. This was the first time he had consciously spoken with her, and a part of her craved to hear his voice again. Even though she herself was exhausted, she stayed by the man's side through the rest of the night. Thankfully, he wasn't plagued by any more dreams of the past as his breathing remained calm and steady. By around six in the morning, Emma couldn't hold her eyes open anymore. Against her will, she eventually folded her arms on the side of the bed, her head coming to rest on them as her eyes closed in sleep.

Cold adrenaline rushed through Emma's veins as she felt herself jerk out of her sleep, her breath coming in gasps as her green eyes searched her surroundings. She felt something warm, however, around her hand, and upon looking down, she saw that it was a lightly tanned hand with a clear tube taped into place with clear medical tape. She quickly sat up, her eyes darting to the raven haired hunter who was quietly watching her.

"You were…dreaming," he said quietly in his still hoarse voice as he released her hand. Emma felt her cheeks flush slightly as she looked at him, her heart pounding in her chest.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she stumbled over herself while pushing her bangs from her eyes.

"Don't apologize," he said while wincing. "I'm sorry…about…Allen," he croaked before coughing again.

The young nurse smiled lightly as she got up and headed to the mini fridge in the corner of the room. "Thank you," she said softly while grabbing a bottle of water and heading back to her seat. "I'm sure you'll be happy to have this," she said handing him the cold bottle, which he took gratefully. She noticed that his hands shook slightly as he drank the cool liquid hungrily.

"Why do…they…do that?" he asked while staring at his lightly trembling hands.

"You're still very weak, and it's also a mixture of pain and medications," she said with a grin, finding it surprisingly cute that the world's top ranked vampire hunter was sitting here asking her that question, but then she looked at the state his body was in and was immediately thankful he was even able to speak.

The hunter sat quiet for a few moments before coughing quietly. "Where is…Cross and…the others?" he asked heavily. Emma ran her hand through her bangs before sighing quietly.

"They um, they went after the Association," she said quietly. Yagari stared silently at the sheets before clutching them in his hands. Emma could see the anger, defeat, and betrayal in his single eye.

"The girl…did she…make it?" he asked without looking up. It took the woman a while to figure out who he was referring to. From the condition he was in and just barely surviving himself, she could only guess the worst for the child.

"I honestly don't know," she said somberly, seeing the hurt in the man's eye.

Before the mood got too heavy, the sound of an empty stomach growling filled the room. Emma immediately saw the hunter's cheeks blush slightly under his still pale skin.

"Well, I guess I better get to work finding you something to eat," she smiled lightly as she stood, the gruff hunter's face still borderline mortified. "Five days is a long time without food," she said while slipping on her tennis shoes and grabbing the room key. Suddenly a loud knocking was heard at the door and at first Emma felt her heart drop to feet in fear that they would be found out, but a nasally woman's voice could be heard from outside.

"Hey, I would like a word with you in there!" the woman demanded. Emma's gaze shot to the hunter who was just as shocked as she was. After peering through the peep hole, Emma stepped out the door and shut it behind her to face the sunglasses wearing mom in her yoga pants with a two little boys at her side and a baby on her hip.

"Um, yes?" Emma tried to play it cool.

The woman with two toned hair that was overly stacked in the back smacked her gum before letting the young nurse have it. "Just because this place is out of the way it doesn't mean you can get dirty with your husband, boyfriend, or whatever," she snapped. "We could hear you loud and clear next door. And…because of you…I had to give my kids "the talk" last night," she said as she got in Emma's face. The young nurse could hear the boys giggling wildly at their mother's side. "Have some respect girl…seriously," she shook her head before herding her kids toward her minivan.

Emma slammed the door behind her with her hand clapped over her mouth, her face a shade of red she never thought possible even for her. She dared to look over at the baffled hunter, the slightest smirk forming on his lips.

"She let…you…have it," he said as he lay against the pillows. "What for?" he asked, his curiosity growing at the horrified state of his care giver.

"Sh…she thought we…we were…you know," the poor girl stammered out red faced. "She said she had to give her kids…the talk…because of us," she said mortified. Yagari's eye went wide as it dawned on him what Emma was saying. Emma was pinching the bridge of her nose in embarrassment when she heard the hunter snigger. She turned to find him chuckling lightly, as best as his injured lungs would allow. Emma could only stare as she watched him laugh softly, and she had to force her heart not to beat faster as she watched him push his raven locks from his eye, the clear tubes following his movement.

"I'm sorry…I got you…in trouble," he hoarsely said before coughing again, his face going tight in discomfort at the motion, but the small smirk soon returned. Emma quickly turned her face away when she felt her cheeks warm after seeing his grin. It was also at this time that she realized she was still wearing just her black shorts and pink camisole. With the hunter being unconscious for most of the time, she hadn't even thought about what she was wearing. Now it fully hit her that she was dressed rather skimpily for her standards in front of a man she had really only gotten to know a few hours ago. Trying not to show her panic, she grabbed her cream sweater from her bed and threw it over her arms, pulling the front together hastily.

"I'll be back," the young nurse said with a flustered grin before she shut the door behind her, leaving the injured hunter still slightly smirking at the memory of the woman's horrified expression.

It wasn't long before Emma returned with bags adorning her arms. "We're lucky there's a little store just across the street," she said as she pushed the door shut with her foot. "I don't want to push it so we're going to stick with soup for a while, but I didn't know what kind you like so…I bought one of everything," she said breathlessly while setting the many bags down on the wooden dresser in front of the room, the hunter's eye wide. "But, since you're still pretty weak, we're going to start with chicken noodle," she said while opening a can and pouring it into a bowl she had bought. After popping it into the little microwave Emma continued going through the bags. "With your metabolism and with those injuries, you're going to need a lot of calories to keep up your strength," she said while stuffing loads of small bottles into the fridge. "I hope you like fruit flavors because its all they had," she said with a smirk of her own as she walked over and handed him one of the brightly colored bottles. "It was this or Pediasure," she said as he eyed the protein drink.

"I'll skip…the baby food…thank you," he croaked while twisting open the top.

Soon the microwave beeped and Emma had made sure the soup wasn't too hot before she sat down next to the hunter. "Now you're going to hate me, but you're not going to eat this by yourself," she said while stirring the liquid. Immediately the hunter's cheeks flushed as his eye cut to hers quickly.

"I can…manage," he muttered while keeping his stare.

"If I had a dime for every patient that has said that to me only to end up in a mess that I'll have to clean up, I'd be friends with Donald Trump," she smirked. "I know you're Toga Yagari, top ranked vampire hunter, but right now you are also my patient, now swallow your pride for just five minutes and eat," Emma said as she held a spoonful of soup out to the now scowling hunter. She had to try exceptionally hard not to giggle at the deep crimson his cheeks were. Finally, after throwing her a severely displeased look, the gruff hunter allowed himself to be fed spoonfuls of soup. Emma herself felt her own cheeks blushing as she watched him take bite after bite. The hunter soon forgot his irritation at being humbled after tasting food when he had been deprived of it for five days. Emma felt pity for him, thinking back to the woman earlier. She didn't think it was possible to confuse his pitiful and anguished cry of pain with something totally different.

Seeing the hunter want to eat boosted Emma's outlook on his recovery. When he was finished and after Emma had eaten something herself, she was ready to start doing her job. "Now you're really not going to like me," she said walking out of the bathroom in a pair of her scrubs, this time a blue paisley pattern. She saw the hunter's mood dampen as he realized what was coming as she sat down and pulled out a pair of purple latex gloves from one of the bags. "Being a nurse means you have to do all of the bad stuff like giving medications and poking needles in your arm," she said as she began to roll a small bottle in her hands. "I can't tell you how many times I've been cussed out when I've walked into a room," she smiled softly at the now quiet hunter. She had to stifle a giggle at how child-like Yagari's face looked as he watched her with apprehension. "How's your eye," she asked while removing the cap from the bottle of drops.

"Stings…blurry," he muttered as he watched her grab a tissue and hand it to him.

"It's going to take some time," she said before standing. "Now you didn't like this too much even when you were unconscious," she smiled sympathetically before leaning over and carefully pulling the lid of his still slightly red eye up. She felt a tingle run down her spine as his eye looked straight into her own, the warmth of his skin against her fingers. She felt him flinch as she squeezed the medicine into the eye. "Sorry about that," she sighed softly while watching him blink and squint in discomfort. Glancing over at the table, the young nurse picked up the leather eye patch and held it out to it's owner. "You can have this back if you want," she smiled warmly. The hunter stared at it shocked for a moment, his hand reaching up to confirm that his face was bare. She saw a brief panic flash through his eye. The poor man didn't even realize he didn't have it on.

"It's up to you, but, I personally don't mind seeing you without it," she said quietly before turning to look through the bags. The hunter stared at the patch in his hands. He had always had it since his eye healed from "that day", but such a simple piece of leather carried so many memories, a lot of which he didn't want to think about right now.

"It doesn't…bother you?" the man asked quietly, the timid tone of the question causing the nurse to look up surprised. The injured hunter stared at the sheets, remembering how he had tried to go without a patch in the beginning, but he soon grew tired of the stares.

"I've seen a lot worse," Emma said while standing with a new bag of fluids in her hand. "Spend enough time in an emergency room, and you see a lot," she said switching an old bag out for the new one. Sitting back down, she noticed that the leather eye patch had been replaced on the bedside table, it's owner still staring at the sheets. The young woman couldn't help but smile softly as she took the purple stethoscope from around her neck. After helping him to sit up somewhat, Emma listened to the hunter's still weak lungs. She could feel him working just to get a deep breath, and though he was much better than before, he still sounded awful. She had to wonder how much of the damage was permanent.

"We've got work to do," she sighed while casting the hunter an encouraging glance, but he didn't seem to buy her cheery act as he painfully leaned back against the pillows. Emma sighed softly, knowing that the hardest part of the day was now upon her. The blood stained dressings that covered each awful wound needed to be changed, and she knew it was going to be a painful process. "I know it's your first day really tasting reality, but I think you'd be more comfortable if I gave you some pretty heavy drugs while I change these bandages," Emma said softly, her hands wringing together just thinking about it. Half of her didn't want him to slip back into a drugged delirium. She was growing fond of not being alone in the small, secluded room. But the other half of her knew that it would be torture for him to sit through that, even with mild pain medications.

"No," was the firm reply that she received, her green eyes widening in surprise. She expected his expression to be harsh with such a sudden answer, but instead she found his face pleading. She knew he didn't want to go back into that dark and confusing place, but she didn't want him to suffer.

"It's going to be painful," she reminded him as her eyes cast to the floor.

"I know," he quietly uttered. "It's alright," his voice rasped as she looked up at him.

Emma nodded her head slowly before getting up and gathering the supplies she needed, her expression tight. After filling a small basin with cool water, she sat down next to the hunter on the bed. Again she helped him to sit up before she set to work cutting through the gauze that covered his chest. "Here we go," she said softly as her fingers began to gently peel the material away from the damaged skin. She winced when she heard his breath catch in his chest, his nails digging into the mattress as he fought to keep his composure. "I'm sorry," she whispered sadly while slowly continuing to work the gauze, her fingers feeling his ribs sucking in for air. Finally the young nurse removed the old dressing from the burns on his chest, but it seemed like only that had drained the hunter of any energy he had left. "Are you alright?" she asked the man who was now chalk white. Emma got her answer when he lurched forward, her arms catching him against her. "Just breathe…it's alright," she soothed the raven haired hunter as he trembled in her arms. She could feel him panting for air against the skin of her neck. "You're still too weak to put yourself through this," she said softly while gently running her fingers through his raven locks. "I know you're strong…and I know you don't want to experience that again but, your body can't do this right now," she said while gently helping him to lay back, his skin the color of the white sheets.

"No…please…," he weakly begged the nurse. The rouge hunter didn't have many fears, but he had quickly developed a phobia of being unconscious, and Emma understood that very well. She knew the last four days for the hunter had been nothing but a horror filled haze that he couldn't climb out of.

The young nurse sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling torn as to what to do. "Cross said you were a stubborn one," she uttered before blowing her bangs from her eyes. "You really don't need this stress," she told him while reluctantly reaching for the cloth soaking in the medicated water.

"I'll…be fine," the hunter mumbled in between pants, but he wasn't very convincing to the young nurse as he sat there chalk white and trembling.

"I hope so," Emma sighed softly before beginning to clean the angry wound, the hunter's breath hissing in pain as the cloth made contact with the damaged skin. Emma was just about to retract her hand when she noticed his posture relax somewhat. She flicked her eyes up to Yagari, who while still in pain, appeared to be tolerating the discomfort well as he sat gripping the sheets tight faced. "You're doing a good job of getting me to believe you," Emma laughed softly as she finished up cleaning the burns that covered his torso. The hunter didn't respond as he lay panting, his fingers finally releasing the covers. After applying a medicated salve, the young nurse scooted her chair closer to the hunter's side, his blue eye shifting to her curiously. "Put your hands on my shoulders so I can bandage these up," she said turning to him with a roll of gauze in her hand. "It'll be easier for you," she said warmly while gently lifting a lightly tanned and pacing a calloused hand on one of her shoulders. The hunter promptly turned his face away as he gave in and did the same with the other, his cheeks warming as he felt the woman's small and delicate collar bone. Emma wasn't even paying attention as she set about carefully dressing the wounds, her mind fixated on her task at hand. "There we go," she said as she finished, clipping the fabric into place. Green eyes looked up to meet with a single blue one that was merely a few inches from her own face. Suddenly she felt the warmth of his hands on her shoulders, her cheeks going red at their closeness. Before she could hide her own blush, she caught sight of a small smirk forming on the hunter's lips.

"Ms. Richardson…I think…I saw…you blush," the man's voice croaked weakly, but she could hear the slightest hint of cockiness in the hunter's voice. In a way, she felt like she was seeing the faintest glimpse of the real him.

After clearing her throat and regaining her composure, the young nurse put on a smirk of her own as she helped the hunter to lie back. "I do not know what you are talking about Mr. Yagari," she said coolly. "I believe you are extremely exhausted and are seeing things," she said while getting up to discard the old dressings. She felt her cheeks heat up even more when she heard him laugh softly behind her. "I don't believe my blush was any different than yours," she said matter of factly while pulling the sheets from his bandaged legs. She grinned to herself after catching sight of his face taking on a shocked look. "Are you ready for part two?" she asked sympathetically.

"Not…really," the hunter said, grabbing a fistful of the blankets and bracing himself. "But you're…going to…do it …anyway…huh?" he said before inhaling deeply, his irritated lungs wheezing.

"I'm a nurse, it's what I do," she said with a small giggle before beginning to cut through the bandage on the left leg. "Alright, I'll try to be as careful as I can," she said after finishing. She watched the hunter clench the blankets in his fists as she began to gingerly peel the gauze away. To her surprise…and utter shock…he didn't even flinch as the bandage stubbornly clung to the wound. Her fingers continued to work the bandage, and never once did the man signal any pain. Emma felt a cold chill run down her spine as she stared blankly at the half visible, awful wound. Pulling the blankets back over him, the young nurse quietly got up from her seat and went to the wooden dresser on which she kept the many medications on, her hands shakily grabbing a syringe.

After filling it, she turned back to the hunter, who was watching her quietly, a restrained panic and confusion written on his face. "This will help," she said quietly, her voice threatening to quiver as she took his hand. She couldn't look into his eye while he willingly allowed her to administer the medication. She forced herself to smile at him sadly after setting the empty syringe on the table, her fingers wrapping around his. So many emotions were written on the scarred face that watched her so desperately until his eye widened in horror.

"Wh…why…"he asked, growing more anxious. "Why…did…you?" he tried to get out, his words becoming slurred as he shot up in bed, only to lurch forward drunkenly, his eye wild with panic.

Emma felt hot tears begin to roll down her cheeks as she caught him, his hands feebly trying to push her away.

"Im sorry," she whispered as she held him close, his struggling quickly fading as his arms grew heavy and limp from the fast acting drugs.

"No…please," she heard him beg with misshapen words against her shoulder, something warm beginning to dampen her shirt as his head rested against her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," she began to cry softly as well while leaning him back, his hazy eye fighting to hold onto her as a tear trickled down his face. "I don't know what to do," she whispered, her slim finger softly wiping the tear from his pale face. By now the hunter could barely hold his eye open, his body limp. "Please, forgive me," Emma breathed into the warm skin of the top of his hand as she took hold of it. She knew what she did was selfish and wrong, but she didn't know how to tell the hunter that his leg was ruined, the nerves damaged beyond repair. Even merely walking would now be a challenge for the once agile hunter. She knew she panicked. She had never seen something so bad, but telling the world's best that his days as a hunter were over to his face was even worse. She wasn't prepared to see the crushing hopelessness in his eyes.

The young nurse cried quietly into the now unconscious hunter's hand for quite some time. Delivering bad news had never broken her so badly before. She had never panicked. But this man she had only known for a few days…had her heart tearing to pieces for him. As her tears dried and she set back to work changing bandages, she was left to wonder. Why was it that this one, out of hundreds of others that had been under her care, had her chest aching so badly?

Against all of her reason, the broken woman gently brushed the raven locks from the hunter's face before bending over and softly kissing the smooth skin of his forehead. "I'm sorry…I can't give you your life back," she whispered sadly as she sat holding the man's hand while waiting for him to wake up.

And somehow I manage to always write sad stuff lol. Please please please review please! Thank you :)