Sorry it took a while to update. It is quite annoying when life gets in the way of imagination. Anyway hope it's ok.

Jessica regarded Charlie as a friend. One of the very few she had in Forks. Which was ridiculous because all that friendship actually consisted of, was one hour a week sat together in the nurses lounge while he waited to have lunch with Doctor Cullen. Carlisle was often caught up with a patient or called to an emergency and that left Charlie hanging around, waiting. They would sit next to each other, quietly watching TV or reading a magazine occasionally commenting on it's contents. It was nice, it was relaxing, it felt…..safe. Wait! No! not safe, it would be a very long time before she ever feel safe again.

Taking a deep breath and shaking her head Jessica pulled herself away from thinking about her eventful past and continued to carry an arm full of medical supplies down the corridor. She was on a later shift and only been in work for an hour or so when the unavoidable walk passed Chief Swan's room proved to be a mistake. Doctor Cullen had collared her and insisted she go and see Charlie, who had apparently been asking for her.

The Doc was not someone you could say no to. He had been exceptionally kind to Jessica since she arrived in Forks. He helped her get work at the hospital and also find a place to live. She also found it hard to refuse a man who had willingly taken in half a dozen teenagers. That seriously couldn't' be an easy thing to do. Although she had never mentioned what had brought her to Forks it seemed that he had a radar for troubled souls. So, as she looked into his mesmerising eyes all she could do was smile, nod her head and reluctantly trace the steps she had taken back towards the Chief's room.

She stood at the door jamb and peered inside, her arms still filled with medical supplies, wisps of hair falling over her face leaving only her breath to blow the strands away from her eyes. Charlie was sat up in the bed staring out of the window. He looked melancholy, a little lost in the silent room. His complexion was pale but still looked a hundred times better than when he had walked into the hospital.

"Jess" he said when he turned to see her stood there, a smile forming on his lips. Oh Hell, she was in trouble. She felt a warmth inside her just hearing him say her name.

"I know you are busy but I wondered if you would stop by and keep me company when you have a break or something" he asked. Jessica thought she could hear an almost pleading tone to his words.

She tried to think for a moment

washing my hair

The bus was late

The Dog ate it

It seemed that her brain couldn't'even think up a sensible excuse to decline the request.

Charlie was waiting for her answer looking at her the same way he always did. He have never been an easy guy to read, His aloofness was frustrating at times. He showed little bouts of anger here and there and the odd smile but nothing with any passion behind it ,so it was hard to know how he was truly feeling. But she was pretty sure looking at him now, that he expected nothing more that friendship from her. She took in a deep breath smiled sweetly and answered.

"I'll try my best, it could be late, I just got on duty and everyone seems to want my company tonight"

Evening had come to the hospital by the time Jessica managed to escape for her lunch break. Walking back into Charlie's room she found him standing at the foot of the bed. His eyes were closed and his left hand gripped the bed rail with white knuckle intensity .

"What are doing?" she enquired playfully and he lifted his eyes to look at her.

"Going to the bathroom" he replied still not moving from his current position

"Not where you are standing I hope" she giggled then watched him sway slightly and he closed his eyes again.

"Just got a bit dizzy" he said, his grip growing stronger on the rail at the end of the bed.

"The heat and the dryness of this place is ridiculous, it's making me light-headed" he continued to say

"And that couldn't't be caused from of the massive blood loss or injuries you have sustained" she posed sarcastically

She watched him shake his head as that suggestion. God, he was stubborn.

"You should get back in bed"

"Nope, Not pissing in a bottle" he answered as he let go of the rail and took a tentative step closer to the bathroom door.

"Can I help you then?" she asked watching the painfully slow shuffle across the room. He stopped for a moment and she watched his thought process. His pride fighting against the urgent of need to relieve himself, his shoulders slumped in defeat and he accepted her offer.

Jessica moved towards him. She put her arm around his waist and could feel the warmth of his body radiating though the thin hospital gown. The sudden awareness that he had a decent body hidden beneath those padded checked shirts or thick Police issue windbreaker was almost too much to bare.

She walked him in to the bathroom and then left him to it. The vulnerability of this strong, 6 foot man made her heart melt a little. She cursed. That walk to the bathroom had been agony for both of them just in very different ways.

Once he was back in bed Jessica sat in the chair and placed her feet on the end of the mattress. She threw a 6 inch sub at him that she had bought from the local deli and watched him study the large sandwich like she just presented him with a gold ingot .

Charlie took a mouthful of bread and sighed as though he hadn't eaten for weeks.

"So what do you want to watch on this piece of shit TV?" he asked pointing to the small antique looking box in the corner of the room.

"The best I could find was Dawson's Creek or old episodes of The Daily Show"

"Dawson's Creek please" she requested more to annoy him than because she wanted to watch it. He rolled his eyes but did as she asked..

Then they were back to their old routine, quietly sat, occasionally snorting at the ridiculous situations the Dawson kids got themselves into but basically just enjoying each other's company.

Jessica looked at her watch, ten minutes left and then she was back to work. She sighed and looked back at the TV, trying to feel the warmth of that North Carolina sunshine and the innocence of those 16 year old kids.