Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted characters that I write about

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted characters that I write about. No copyright infringement intended. Please don't sue. So hope you like this chapter! Please review after! It'll help me write faster! Haha. Take care!

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A/N: I replaced the 2nd and 3rd chapter. I really recommend that you read it first before you proceed so you can understand the rest of the story, okay? Thanks.

JACOB BLACK

I woke up and saw the clock on the night stand read 10:00 AM. I groaned and sat up while rubbing my eyes. I tried to stand up but then I felt something snag in my arm and then I heard some rapid beating.

"Sir, sir!" I heard someone say. "Please lie down." Yesterday's events suddenly struck me and I rubbed my eyes again and saw the whitewashed walls and the busy bodies in the ward. The nurse ran over and tried pushing me down on the bed. I saw the effort she was giving so I obliged and lied down. I had no choice anyway. I was still in that silly paper gown and there were too many people in the ward. I deeply regretted my decision last night. I should have used the night shift to escape this place.

The nurse reattached the IV and then left me after giving me a warning to stay until the doctor arrived. I groaned as I laid back down. I looked up and saw there was a TV attached to the ceiling. I wondered what dad was doing right now. Probably watching sports or fishing with Charlie. Charlie; Bella's dad. Ouch. Was it really possible to experience physical emotional pain?

"Hey Jacob!" I turned my head and saw Nathaniel Van De Camp poke his head from behind the divider.

"Uh, hello?" I ventured. I saw he was carrying a large paper bag and he set it down on my night stand.

"I brought you some stuff," said Nathaniel. "I don't know if they'll allow it but I think it's a crime to keep feeding you the crap the hospital dietician cooks. Blech! Besides, they won't dare try to stop me from giving you this stuff." He started pulling out plastic containers from the bag. I immediately smelled the wonderful aroma of human food.

"Why are you bringing me food?" I asked him.

"I saw what they fed you yesterday," he said nonchalantly. "I've been there. I mean, they should have stabbed me with a knife instead of poisoning me slowly. I told Ada to make this for you. Dad said it was a good idea. I mean, we're growing boys. Food constitutes to almost half of what we're thinking. Half of that goes to girls, by the way. By the way dad's out there talking to the doctor."

"You talk a lot," I told him. He looked at me and then laughed.

"You'll get used to me," he said while chuckling. "So, are you like a body builder or something?" Now I was the one who laughed.

"Dude, have you seen yourself?" I asked him. He looked almost as tall as me and I bet I was only slightly larger than he was.

"Yeah, but I'm not as buffed up as you," said Nathaniel. "I play soccer so it's all about lower body strength. You look more like a football guy." I just shrugged. I wasn't that into sports. The strength I had was owed mostly to my transformation into a werewolf, but I didn't want to explain that to him.

"So why is your dad talking to the doctor?" I asked him. "It's not like he knows me or anything."

"He's just helping out," said Nathaniel. "Since you don't know anyone from here and all. Eat up. I'll be back. I'll just tell dad you're up. He wants to talk to you." He left me and I stared at the plastic containers. I was really, really hungry. Well, he did bring it for me, so why shouldn't I eat it? I picked up the first one and opened it. It had roast beef and it was still hot. I finished off everything, including the mashed potatoes and salad in the other containers before they got back. A few minutes later, Nathaniel came back inside with his dad and the doctor in tow.

"How are you feeling, Jacob?" asked Dr. Sloane.

"I feel like a million dollars," I lied. Honestly, I felt like crap. I was hungry as hell and I wanted to get out of this sanitary paradise, only I didn't have any other choice at the moment.

"Your fever is still up, but other than that you're fine," said the doctor, as he scanned my charts. "I can only discharge you if someone will claim you here in order for them to take care of you while you get better."

"No one's coming," I told him bluntly.

"That's what Mr. Van De Camp thought," said the doctor. "That's why he's asked me to discharge you to him." I sat there on the bed half-naked with my mouth gaping open. Victor Van De Camp exchanged a few words with Dr. Sloane, after which the doctor excused himself from us.

"I did some research on you, Jacob," started Victor. "And I'm a little baffled by what I've learned." I shrugged casually as I waited for him to continue. Whatever he found out about me wasn't exactly a glorious biography that it was enough for him to take me in.

"You live four thousand miles away in another country and you have no relatives here or anywhere near this area. I don't know how you got to be here in the first place, but I can see that you're reluctant to ask us to contact your father or anyone you know. You're still in high school and I've come to the conclusion that you ran away from home. How you got past the border without drawing attention to yourself, I'll never know, but I'm willing to take you in just until you decide what to do."

"You don't even know me," I told him frankly. "For all you know, I'm a crazy nudist sociopath." Nathaniel burst out laughing but his father kept his rigid, yet concerned façade.

"You can decide when you can tell us about your nudist sociopath ways, but my son seems to think you're a good person and I trust his instincts because after all, he inherited them from me."

"What's in it for you?" I asked him. Obviously, no normal human being would take in a stray unless they had an ulterior motive. I refused to believe that there were people out there who could show any stranger any genuine compassion. I wasn't raised to shrug off anyone who needed help, but I wasn't inclined to easily trust people either. Growing up within the tribe left no room for understanding the ways of open generosity towards people who weren't family. Victor smiled then and raised a hand to pat my back.

"Nothing really," he answered jovially. "I just think that a kid like you needs a helping hand now more than ever." I looked at the father and son tandem wearily as I contemplated my options. On one hand, I could call Billy to take me away from this place and settle for drowning my sorrow at home in La Push, or I could stay here in Labrador City for a while where I could get away from the past. Away from Bella.

"I need to think about this first," I told him. He nodded in understanding and led Nathaniel out of the ward as I sat there on the sterile bed thinking of what my decision should be. Obviously, I knew what it was already.

A/N: So how was it? Please read and review! Here's a few questions I would like you to answer on the review.

Did I deviate from the story in any way?

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Thank you!

danielleanne