Chapter 9 – Forgiveness
Between the starch crispness of the hospital sheets, Emily lay still and pale. If not for the soft movements of her breathing, she could be mistaken for a corpse, so bad was her blood loss. Her face was bandaged, but some of the redness and swelling was evident beneath the bandage. The Clearwaters were massed around her bed, their faces as drawn and pale as the patient's. Leah sat in the furthest corner in the shadow, staring at her cousin from across the room, the interplay of anger and worry quite evident on her face. But no one was watching. All eyes were on the girl still unconscious in the hospital bed.
Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Perhaps we should all go and get something to eat. They told us she wouldn't be awake for a time yet."
Sue nodded and wearily rose from her chair, collecting her bag. Seth slouched from out of his corner like the moody teenager he was becoming. He had been acting so strangely lately. All he did was sleep, eat and be obnoxious – or at least that's how it seemed to Leah. Harry was looking old and tired. They all paused at the door, looking back at Leah.
She waved them away. "I'll stay here with Emily in case she wakes. You guys go. Can you get me something moderately edible though?"
Her mother smiled wryly at that and all the family shuffled out into the glaring white corridors. Leah got up and moved to Emily's bedside, facing the side of Emily's face that hadn't been clawed. While she slept under the influence of the morphine, she looked so sweet and innocent. Leah still wasn't quite sure what had happened out there. She had been so angry she hadn't seen past the red haze of her emotions. Maybe her cousin hadn't been a willing participant in all that went on. Maybe she had just been caught in the cross fire of the emotions flying about. After all, Emily was her best friend as well. If only she had given Emily the benefit of the doubt before leaping to conclusions.
As she had sat with Emily, waiting for the paramedics she had called on her cell phone, she had been eaten up with guilt. This was Emily, the girl who had showed her how to braid her hair, had played My Little Pony with her as a child, who had written her sweet childish little letters as her pen pal. Leah stared at the result of her impetuousness, unflinching. She should have listened.
Her mind turned further back, to Sam. He was dangerous. Look at what he had done. She had never believed he could hurt anyone, her Sam, even when he was at his most surly. But he had been there in wolf form when she arrived, unable to change back. She had fancied she could almost hear the apologies but he refused to change back, or perhaps couldn't, to explain. When the paramedics had arrived, Leah had to lie and say she thought she saw a bear. Something big and furry and scary. But her blood had boiled, she was so livid with him. He might not have done it, but he was surely to blame for what had happened to Emily.
Leah sighed and leant back in the chair. If only Emily would wake up, so Leah could apologise and it would all be ok again. A movement in the hallway caught Leah's eye and she looked up to see Sam standing in the hallway, looking like the thug he was with his back curved and hands deep in his pockets. He looked haunted, a positively hang dog expression on his face.
She slipped immediately out into the hallway, her face as threatening as a thundercloud. "What the hell do you think you're doing here Sam Uley?"
He flinched back from her, but stood his ground and replied, "I'm here to see her Leah. To see that she's ok."
Leah's lip curled back in a snarl. "Ok? Ok, Sam? She could have died."
Sam's head lowered and she continued viciously, "You could have killed her. You idiot. Even if she's not emotionally damaged, she's scarred for life. And we can't afford the plastic surgery for her!"
Sam's eyes lifted to Leah, brimming with tears, as he so softly interjected, "No."
"Yes Sam," Leah said, "you've ruined her."
His shoulders slumped and a few tears trickled over his eyelids, running down his cheeks.
"You did this, didn't you, when you changed?"
Slowly Sam nodded his head, more tears coming. He was distraught and having difficulty keeping himself under control. He wondered when Leah had stopped caring about him in any way that she could treat him like this.
As if she knew what he was thinking, she said bitterly, "She's my cousin Sam. How could you?"
Over Leah's shoulder, a movement drew Sam's eye. Leah swivelled to see Emily stirring.
"You," she hissed, "better get out of here before she sees you."
Sam didn't budge, staring bleakly into the room and at the girl he had put into hospital. Leah sat, blocking the view of him with her body. She gently stroked the unmarked cheek with the back of her hand as Emily's eyes opened sleepily.
"Where am I?" she asked, her voice soft and groggy.
"In the hospital honey. Do you remember what happened?"
Emily's eyes narrowed as she tried to concentrate. "I was in the forest with Sam, and then we fought.. and then.."
Her eyes flew open and she looked at Leah with such anguish.
"Leah, I'm so sorry," she whispered hoarsely. "What happened.. how I hurt you..."
"Shh," Leah said, looking with shining eyes at her cousin and stroking her cheek. "It's all ok now."
Emily visibly relaxed, almost smiling. "Thank goodness. If I couldn't have your blessing to be with him.."
Leah stiffened. "What?"
With an uncomprehending look, Emily said, "Sam and I... I.. I love him, Lee."
"Even when he did this?"
Leah grabbed a mirror from the bedside, turning it to Emily. With wide eyes, Emily looked upon herself, her pale and drawn face with one eye blackened, the edges of stitches poking out.
"The scar will fade," Leah said softly, "but it won't ever entirely go away."
Emily's lip trembled a little as she looked on her poor battered face. A pang of guilt wracked Leah, but she needed to show her what Sam had done.
"We can't afford plastic surgery Em," Leah stated. "But you might be able to, from whatever is left from your parents assets."
Emily swallowed and looked Leah in the eyes. "It doesn't matter Lee. I love him, and I know that despite this, he will still love me."
Leah decided to play her last card and entreated, "What about me? He will always be mine in some way Em. Don't do it. Please think about me and what this will do to me. Give him up!"
Looking away, Emily replied, "Don't ask me cousin. I cannot give him up. I love him so that I could not breathe without him."
"Even for the love of you, I cannot."
"Then damn you both. I will not speak to you again, you unfaithful wretch," Leah hissed.
She stormed from the room and saw Sam, still waiting. She marched up to him.
"She awaits you. You deserve each other, you faithless bastards," Leah spat hatefully, tears in her eyes.
With troubled eyes, Sam watched her storm down the corridor. He waited for a moment, sighed, and went in to the hurt little girl who shed tears for the love she had just lost, maybe forever.
He stroked her hair and looked at her so lovingly. She managed a trembling smile for him.
He coughed nervously. "Emily, I love you so so much. Let's be together now."
She nodded at him.
"There's one more thing," he said, digging into his jacket pocket, "and I know it really isn't the time, but I need to ask now."
"You sing to me and make me feel whole."
He extended his hand to her, the ring pinched between his fingers "Marry me."
....
Leah had stormed out of the hospital and collapsed, sliding down a wall. She was furious and hurt, but she felt empty. She had lost all hope of reconciliation with the boy she loved, and her best friend to boot. Great heaving sobs wracked her as she mourned the former happiness of her life, and the complete and utter loss of the two people she had loved best in the world.
....
Leah slowly dragged herself back to the room, her eyes red and puffy. She walked nonchalantly into Emily's room, not looking at her cousin. Sue raised an eyebrow at her daughter and waved the salad wrap at her. With a wave of the hand, Leah slid to the floor. She had no appetite any more.
All the Clearwaters had been surprised to see Sam at Emily's bedside when they had returned, stroking her hair tenderly. Harry's mouth had thinned to a cold hard line, and would have made him leave but for the way Emily clutched his hand. Sue quickly noted the absence of her daughter and the red-rimmed eyes when she reappeared told her part of the whole sad story.
"Now that Leah's back," Emily started, "I have something to tell you all."
The Clearwaters looked up – all except Leah, whose eyes remained fixed on an invisible point in the floor, though her lip did lift in distaste.
"I will be moving out."
Even Leah looked up at her, shocked. Sue started, "Now listen.."
Emily stopped her with a hand raised. "It is nothing to do with you all. I love you all dearly and you have been so kind to me."
"You're not eighteen!" Harry blurted.
"No," Emily replied. "But I will be in a couple of months. And if you don't let me go now, in a couple of months I will go of my own accord. I had hoped I might count on your support."
"Where will you go?" Seth asked, his voice gravelly.
"Sam and I," she said, squeezing Sam's hand and looking deeply into his eyes, "are going to buy the little old cottage on the edge of the forest, and we are going to get engaged."
Leah's eyes shut tight as pain stabbed right through her heart and into her stomach. That had been her and Sam's plan after school finished. She bit her lip hard, to stop herself crying out. Sue and Harry looked at each other, then quickly at Leah curled in a ball. Seth just appeared dumbfounded by the new developments.
Sue sighed. "Can we talk about this when we go home? You've had a big shock.."
With a smile, Emily nodded and then cringed as her stitches tugged painfully. "Sure Aunty Sue, but my mind is made up."
Leah stood abruptly, still not looking at Sam and Emily, and made her way to the door. Harry grabbed her arm as she passed him.
"Where do you think you're going young lady?"
He almost pulled back when faced by the naked despair in his daughter's deep brown eyes.
"Anywhere but here," she replied woodenly.
Harry eased his grip and went to hug his daughter, but she stepped back, evading his embrace.
"I'll see you at home, alright?"
Without waiting for an answer, Leah practically stumbled from the room. In deathly silence, every pair of eyes in that room followed her halting progress down the corridor until they couldn't see her anymore.
