~~Chapter Seven~~
Emmett sighed as he placed Bella comfortably on the couch and draping a blanket over her for warmth while he waited for Marcus. Something told him that taking her all the way into town to Marcus's practice wouldn't have gone down well, so he placed a call, and thanked every deity he knew that Marcus had open slots this morning due to cancellations.
Nobody was 100% sure what had happened and though Emmett got a feeling this was more traumatic than physical. Garrett pretty much threw a fit and went into a brotherly self-destructive mode that had Kate dragging him back to their tent while the others continued on with their plans knowing that there was nothing they could really do and knew Bella would be embarrassed by their mother-henning so to speak.
At the sound of a car door closing, Emmett went and opened the front door for Marcus, greeting him warmly. "Marcus, thanks for coming."
Marcus grinned at the young man before him, taking in the drenched clothes. "It was no problem, my boy. Now tell me, what is the problem?"
Leading Marcus through his house towards the den where he placed Bella, he went through all the details. "We were white-water rafting, she took a dunk in the river, not for long but she's been unresponsive since. There's no bump, and she coughed up the water, but I thought it best you take a look over her."
Humming Marcus knelt next to the young woman and gently ran his fingers across her head to double-check, he felt no bumps or tender spots on her skull that would indicate a fracture, no blood or anything related to it which he was pleased. He quickly checked her breathing and listened to her lungs, though there was a slight rattle it wasn't anything that he was concerned about.
"She seems fine, but she will need to be warmed up. Make sure she stays hydrated and I'll give you a script of some medication just in case she does catch a cold from the water. But you did well my boy, if anything else happens that is concerning give me a call." Marcus states as he pulls out his pad and writes off a script.
"Thanks, Marcus," Relief was very evident in Emmett's voice and Marcus couldn't help but raise his brows as he saw the emotion run across Emmett's face as he turned back to glance at her.
"I take it she means something to you?" Marcus asked casually as they walked back out to his car, laughing softly as Emmett choked on air next to him.
"She's Jasper's friend, we just met…" Emmett trailed off, but Marcus could hear those that were left unspoken.
"But there is something about her… ah yes, I remember that feeling well when I met my Didyme." Marcus replied with a chuckle. "But take my advice Emmett, it may seem like it's just a day, but stranger things can happen because of Love and Destiny, yes, it sounds strange but let things happen… You'll be plenty surprised."
"I'll take that under consideration Marcus," Emmett replied with a roll of his eyes and a smile. Marcus was an old family friend from Italy and very odd in the ways of beliefs. But Marcus had never been wrong apparently, his mother told him long ago that it was because of Marcus that she and his father got together.
When Marcus left, Emmett turned and frowned. He needed to get Bella warm but to do that he'd need to take her out of the wet clothes and he knew that would not settle well if she found out he had a hand in doing that, let alone the fact he didn't feel comfortable doing it either. Though, the gods looked favourable on him today as his phone pinged with an incoming text.
How is she? J
Marcus gave her the all-clear, but she needs to be changed out of wet clothes. Em
I'll message Kate, she's the closest, be prepared for Gare. J
Emmett sighed and made his way back inside and to the kitchen, taking off his wet shoes and socks as he did so. He took a glance in the cupboard and fridge, wincing when he saw how bare they had gotten, it had been ages since he went shopping beyond the essentials as he usually went to the Bar for dinner or over to Jasper and Maria's.
Though, he did have what he needed to make the ultimate comfort food, tomato soup and grilled cheese. It was something his mother made for him whenever he was cold or sick, it did wonders in perking him up. With a grin, he went about heating up the soup and making the grilled cheese.
"Come in, the door's unlocked!" He shouted as he lowered the soup to a simmer and pulled out the grilled cheese, giving Kate and Garrett a grin. "Hi, Bella's just in the den, through those doors."
"Grilled cheese and tomato soup?" Garrett asked as he eyed the kitchen, but Emmett could see that there was something in the other man's face that had him hesitating.
It made Emmett hesitate and think, maybe she was allergic to something in here, he should have asked first. "Uh yes, is that okay?"
Garrett sighed and moved forward taking the grilled cheese from Emmett and placing it down on the board, cutting it into an odd shape. "It's okay, more than that. Bella told me when she was little this is what her grandmother would make her when she was sick, then her father. I took over the role when my dad married her mother."
"Oh, my mom made this for me when I was sick as well. It always warmed me up, I thought it may for her as well." Emmett replied awkwardly though he was pleased that he got something right.
Garrett frowned and glanced at the tall giant of a man. "You like my sister, though I didn't think you've met her before today at the rafts."
"Uh, well. She put me in my place at Lucy's bar the first night you all arrived and then I stopped her this morning from stepping on a bear trap, seemed she didn't see the signs as she wandered off the path." Emmett explained and watched as the man before him seemed to facepalm. "I take it that's a normal thing for her to do?"
Garrett laughed and felt some of the tension in him over the fact he left his sister in the care of a stranger leave him. "She's so serious all the time but when she picks up her camera, she becomes so scatterbrained, so focused on the thing that she's itching to catch that she ignores the world around her."
"She said that," Emmett chuckled as he poured the warm soup into a bowl after hearing soft whispers coming from the den.
"I want to apologise," Garrett started, halting Emmett in his tracks. "For today, Bella may be my step-sister but…"
"But she's your sister." Emmett finished "You don't need to apologise, I'm the same way with Lucy, Maria and Nettie. I've been friends with them since the last year of high school, they were the only ones to really stick with me besides Randall after my accident. I would have reacted the same way."
Garrett narrowed his eyes at the man in a way that made Emmett feel slightly uncomfortable and bare, it was a gaze he's only really felt once in his life and that was from his high school girlfriends' father. But whatever Garrett was looking for in him, it seemed to please the man greatly.
"I'd appreciate if you don't mention to Bells that I freaked out, she hates it when I blow things out of proportion and I really don't need to be on the end of another 'You've disappointed me' look," Garrett started with a wince. "Now, sounds like she's awake, let's take her the food."
Emmett chuckled and followed the man into the den with the grilled cheese, grinning at Bella who was more alert now and changed into a comfortable pair of sweats and a jersey.
Bella looked up and grinned though she could still feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Kate says you're the one to thank, I'm sorry you had to see that."
"Oh, it was no problem, I'm just sorry that it happened," Emmett replied remorsefully as he handed over the grilled cheese, feeling warmth bloom in his chest as he watched her face transform into one of delight.
"I attract trouble, if it can happen, it usually does," Bella replied as she dipped the grilled cheese into the soup and took a big bite, moaning at the flavour. "This is amazing."
"Thanks, it's my mama's recipe, though not so secret I thought you'd take comfort from something simple and warm," Emmett replied as he took a seat on the edge of the coffee table, not wanting to sit on one of the leather chairs in his wet clothes.
Kate raised her brows and glanced him over before frowning as she realised, he too was still in damp clothes. "You better go change too before getting sick."
"I wouldn't argue with her," Garrett stated from his spot by the door, giving the big man a grin. "She's a hard one to win against."
Holding his hands up as he saw Bella nod in her agreement as she continued to eat what was left of her lunch and quickly raced up to his room to change, grinning as laughter followed him up the stairs. Maybe the day won't be so disastrous after all.
Author Note: Okay, this story is so hard to write! It's all fluffy goodness, I had to throw in some whump.