19 - the recovery

"Chloe's brain was deprived of oxygen for a short period of time. We will have to wait and see the extent of that damage once she wakes up," the doctor explained.

The surgeon's words rang out in my head over and over on the way up to see Chloe. Seth continued to question the doctor, asking all the what ifs that I couldn't seem to formulate. I vaguely heard terms like "brain damage" and "long-term memory loss" but I still couldn't lose hope. According to him, Chloe was recovering and breathing on her own and that was all the hope I needed.

My Sugar was gonna come back to me. She had to. It took me too long to find her to just let her go.

By the time we had arrived on the recovery floor, my mind was wandering. Seth pointed me in the direction of the nurses' station. "Let them know who you're here for," Seth directed, gently pushing me in that direction before he stepped away with his cell, no doubt letting the other guys know where we were.

"Miss," I called out softly to the nurse with her back to me. I waited for her to face me and I forced a smile. "Can you please tell me where Chloe Cavanaugh is recovering? I'm her boyfriend."

The young nurse looked confused and then whispered to the nurse beside her. "I don't know. He said he was her boyfriend," I heard her say.

"Is there a problem?" I demanded, my voice laced with irritation. "Can you help me or not?"

The young nurse, whose name tag read, Valerie, approached me and looked nervous. "I'm sorry, Mister…"

"I'm Paul." I paused for a beat, really trying to reel in my frustration. "What exactly is the problem?"

I watched as she smoothed her hands down her scrubs, glancing back nervously at the other nurses who stood nearby. "There isn't really any issue, but Miss Cavanaugh is out

of recovery and we've moved her into a room."

I sighed a breath of relief. "Is she here...on this floor? And...can I see her?"

Valerie nodded and forced a smile. "Yes. She's just down the hall, Mister…"

"Just call me Paul," I insisted. "What's the room number?"

The young brunette came out from behind the large, curved desk and held her hand out to show me which direction. "There is something I need to tell you, Paul," Valerie said softly as she tugged on my arm.

A sense of dread swirled in my stomach. I stopped and turned to face her. "Just tell me what's wrong? Has something happened to Chloe?"

"No!" she sighed. "She's doing just great. She's breathing on her own and once we lower her pain medication, she'll be more responsive."

I nodded and glanced down the hall. "So what's the problem?"

Valerie furrowed her brow and it was obvious there was something she didn't want me to know. "Just spit it out!"

She jumped back a bit at my harsh tone but then finally said, "Chloe has a visitor already."

I shrugged. "Okay. It's probably one of our friends. Young guy? Quileute like me?"

Valerie shook her head quickly. "No, it's a man. He's much older."

That pit in my stomach twisted when she added, "He said he was her boyfriend."

My jaw clenched painfully. "Call security...now!"

"Why? What's wrong?" Valerie demanded.

"Because the man who shot her is in her room!" I roared.

Seth appeared from around the corner and rushed down the hall with me. "Room 6215," he panted when he caught up to me. Just a few more rooms down.

I rushed to the sliding glass door and yanked it open, noticing how the curtain encircling the room was waving a bit. "Where is he?" I shouted at another young nurse as she stood next to Chloe's bed. I threw open a closet door and searched the bathroom before she finally answered me.

"Who are you looking for?" she pressed.

"Was there a man in here just now?" My patience was wearing super thin at this point. "Just tell me!"

"Sir, if you will just calm down and tell me what's going on…"

"I need to know if someone was just here!"

The young nurse took a step back and held a hand to her chest. It was obvious that my screaming wasn't getting us anywhere. "Please…" I begged.

"There was a man here. He left before you got here," she explained. "He said he was her boyfriend, but he didn't tell me his name."

"Did he hurt her?" I demanded, stepping closer to Chloe's bed and examining her carefully.

"No," she began as I smoothed Chloe's hair from her face and kissed her forehead. "He held her hand and said…"

I raised my gaze to meet hers. I noticed her name tag and it read, Madison. "He just kept telling her how sorry he was," she said softly. "He was a mess."

I sighed deeply and took Chloe's hand in mine. "I'm so sorry," I whispered to Chloe. "I promise I'll never let him touch you again."

"I believed him when he said he was her boyfriend. But...it looks like you are. Am I right?" Madison inquired gently.

I nodded quickly. "I am. My name is Paul."

"I'm Madi," the young nurse beamed. "And Chloe is doing great so far."

"Thank you for taking care of her, Madi. But if you see that man in this hospital again, call the police."

"I certainly will," Madi agreed easily. "What did he do?" she asked after a short pause.

I rubbed Chloe's hand between my two palms and brushed my lips across her hairline. "He did this to her. It was a drive-by shooting."

Madi gasped, throwing her hand over her mouth. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry."

I ran a hand down my face and through my hair. It was late and the long day was catching up to me. "You didn't know. You had no way to know and...fuck, I never thought he'd have the nerve to show up here like this." I paused to glance at Madi, noticing the blush on her face. "Sorry for my language. I'm just...so worried about my girl."

She shook her head and smiled. "Don't even worry about it. I've heard worse."

"Fuck!"

Both of our heads snapped to the open glass door. Seth tumbled through the doorway holding his head and groaning. "That bastard hit me!"

I rushed to Seth's side, guiding him to a chair in the corner. Madi slid on a pair of latex gloves and crouched down in front of Seth. I stood next to them, trying to figure out what the hell happened. "Your father is an asshole!" Seth moaned when he reached for the back of his head and pulled back a hand covered in blood.

"Let me look," Madi coaxed as Seth's eyes snapped open. His whole body stiffened when he realized she was in front of him. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and lowered his head. "I'm gonna get some gauze for the bleeding, but you may need some stitches," she told him as she gathered supplies from the cart near Chloe's bed.

Seth couldn't tear his eyes away from Madi as she scurried around the room. "What happened with Jack?" I pressed, trying to gain his attention.

"Huh?" Seth dazed as Madi pushed a piece of gauze to the back of his head. "Oh yeah! I saw Jack taking off down the stairwell so I chased him. But then he got the drop on me and slammed me in the back of the head with his gun. Sorry, man. I really tried…"

"You chased down an armed man for your friend?" Madi gasped.

Seth beamed. "Of course, beautiful. I'd do anything for a friend...or you."

Beautiful? I mean, Madi was pretty but it was so unlike Seth to be so forward, unless… Oh!

"Can I get your phone number?" Seth sighed as he gazed up at her.

Madi glanced at me with a furrowed brow. "Does he always act like this?"

I choked back my laughter and shook my head. "Maybe he has a concussion."

When Madi got called away to the nurses' station, I kicked Seth in the shin. "What the hell, man? Could you be more obvious?"

Seth stood up and glanced in the direction Madi just took off to. "I...I know it's crazy, right?"

I walked away from him, focusing back on my imprint. I tucked the blanket around her fragile body and took her hand in mine once more. Seth approached me slowly, running his eyes all over the wires and tubes running in and out of her body. "Has she regained consciousness yet?"

I pulled a chair close to her bed and lowered the railing. "No. And I hate that my bastard father got to her."

"He didn't try to hurt her, did he?"

"No. Madi said he held her hand and apologized. So obviously she wasn't his intended target."

"You were."

I nodded solemnly, trying not to let any of the hatred I had for my father bubble up to the surface. I knew he was on the run and this was far from over, but in this moment, I just needed to be close to my girl. Seeing her and touching her was the only thing keeping me from screaming right now.

"So you said her name was Madi, huh?" Seth inquired as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Go," I chuckled. "Go look for her, but ease up on the intensity a bit, huh?" I advised as I glanced up at his beaming face.

"I'll be back," he called out quietly as he fled the room on a mission. I couldn't help but be happy for my friend, but right now, more than anything, I longed to look into Chloe's eyes and tell her how much I truly loved her.

When I wasn't holding her hand or fielding questions from security, I was pacing the room. It had been hours since her surgery and although the nurses had tried to convince me, "It should be any time now," there was nothing. She made no movements, no progress, nowhere closer to coming back to me.

"Can I offer you a pillow and blanket?" Madi asked gently from the doorway. "I assume you'll be spending the night here."

"How did you guess?" I asked as I stood staring out the large window.

I turned to find Madi wheeling in a folded up cot. She carefully set it up near Chloe's bed. I helped her put the sheets on before she pulled a blanket down from the closet. "Seth told me there was no point in trying to send you home tonight. He was pretty adamant that you'd want to stay the night."

I couldn't help but notice the blush rise in her cheeks when she mentioned Seth. "Oh did he now? What else did he tell you?"

Madi shrugged and busied herself attending to Chole's iv bag. "He's sweet. Your friend is really something else," she added dreamily.

I scrubbed my hands over my face as I sat on the edge of the bed near her feet. "Seth is a good guy. I'm glad he didn't scare you off."

"You should try to get some rest. That's what Chloe is doing right now. She's sleeping so her body can heal. If you rest now, you'll be your best for her when she wakes up."

I nodded and yawned, realizing how exhausted I truly was. Madi turned the lights down as she left the room, making sleep even more inviting. I didn't want to miss her waking up but Madi was right, I had to get some rest.

I glanced at the cot and turned up my nose. All I wanted was to feel my Sugar in my arms. We had spent the last few nights wrapped up in each other and the thought of not having her body close to me had my stomach twisting.

I grabbed one of the pillows Madi left me and slipped my boots off. I pulled back Chloe's blanket and settled in beside her. There was more room further down the bed, so I placed my head beside her hip, pulling her arm around me and placing her fingers in my hair. My legs were hanging off the end of the bed and I was barely touching her but I didn't want to risk hurting her. This was better than nothing. I wrapped my arm loosely around her legs and felt myself drifting away.

….

I woke up to the feeling of fingers sifting through my hair and the sound of...giggles. I could barely raise my head, my body felt like I had been run over by a truck. I slept so hard in Chloe's bed that...Chloe! My head snapped in her direction, immediately finding her coffee brown eyes smiling back at me.

"Morning, sleepy head. For a minute there, I thought you were the one who'd had surgery," Chloe teased. Her voice sounded scratchy, but other than that, she seemed fine. I could finally breathe.

"Wow, Paul. Don't you have anything to say?" Kim mused as she rubbed her swollen belly.

I cupped the side of Chloe's face and held her gently. "Fuck, I missed you, Sugar. Are you okay?"

Chloe beamed at me. "Everything is perfect now," she sighed before pressing her lips to mine.

When she kissed me, everything else just fell away. In that moment, there was only her and I. I wanted nothing more than to keep my hands on her, holding her close to me and knowing that my father hadn't destroyed us. "I love you," I whispered into her hair when she pulled away and hugged me.

The whole room erupted in awes when I cradled Chloe against my chest and stroked her hair. All the imprints were here, Rachel, Kim, Emily and even young Claire. "Paul, you should have kissed her yesterday and maybe she wouldn't have slept so long," Claire joked.

"I'm not sleeping beauty!" Chloe exclaimed as she lifted her head from my chest. "But Paul is definitely my Prince Charming."

"You're damn right," I sighed before kissing my imprint softly on the lips. "And don't you forget it."

More giggles and sighs erupted before Madi walked in with Seth trailing closely behind. "I get you all set up with a cot and you sleep in her bed? That's gratitude for you," Madi laughed as she approached the bed and poked my leg. "You better get up before the doctor comes by on his rounds."

I groaned and nodded, knowing I should get up. Chloe was obviously doing fine and in good company. Seth gave me a pointed look as he jerked his head back toward the door. I could see Jackson pacing outside, so I knew there must be some news about my father.

I gave Chloe one more careful squeeze before climbing out of her bed. She reached for my hand and pulled me back toward her when I tried to retreat. "They told me you never left my side," she said softly as I pressed my forehead to hers. "Is that true?"

I brushed my lips along her hairline and inhaled deeply. "I never left you, Sugar. I was a mess when they took you from me."

I leaned back and caught sight of my imprint blushing. "I love you so much," she gushed.

"Not more than I love you," I murmured against her lips.

"Wow, Paul, you've really flipped for this girl, huh?" Kim teased before I tossed a pillow her way.

"Get your feet up, Kim," I ordered as I sauntered out of the room. "I don't wanna hear it from your husband later."

I slipped out of the room as the girls began giggling again. Seth followed me, barely able to tear his eyes away from Madi. "So how's that going?" I smirked when I finally caught his attention.

Seth shrugged, looking every bit bashful as he thought about his imprint. "She's great. Like you wouldn't believe. We stayed up all night talking when she got done with her shift last night but she still wanted to come check on Chloe with me first thing." Seth paused to stretch and yawn. "But a nap later is definitely in order."

"With Madi?" I teased.

"Man, I hope so," he beamed.

Jackson approached us now, grinning from ear to ear. "Shit, this place is like a gold mine for chicks, isn't it?" I laughed when he glanced back at a red-headed nurse who was waving shyly at him.

I clasped the young wolf on the shoulder and sighed. "I'm so glad my girlfriend's shooting is helping you two make a love connection," I groaned sarcastically.

They both laughed before their faces turned somber. "They still can't find your father," Jackson informed me. "Best guess is that he's on the run. He never turned back up in Seattle after he fled the hospital yesterday. And nobody thinks he'd be dumb enough to stick around La Push when everyone is looking for him."

I turned my head and caught sight of my girl. A new sense of dread filled me when I wondered how far my father would go to hurt me.

I knew this wasn't over.

"As long as he stays the hell away from Chloe, I'm fine with him disappearing. When he resurfaces, we can deal with him then."

The three of us talked a little more, but I was way too distracted to carry on any sort of decent conversation. I just couldn't wait to get out of this hellhole hospital and be alone with my girl.

Chloe couldn't contain her smile when I returned and sat at the end of her bed. "What's so funny?"

Chloe just shrugged and blushed. "The girls were just filling me in on 'the old Paul.' It sounds like he was a real asshole," she teased.

I glanced at Rachel, noticing she looked a little guilty. "What did you tell her?" I accused.

"Nothing," she reassured me. "I just told her how good it is to see you happy. You've never been this content with anyone before. It's nice." Her voice sounded wistful and I could hear the regret. This was how she wanted it to be with us when we were together, but I couldn't give her that. No matter how hard I tried.

As the girls began saying goodbye to Chloe and I, I reached for Rachel's hand and quietly asked, "Are you and Embry okay now?"

Rachel nodded quickly and gave me a warm hug. "Don't worry about me and Mr. Grouchy. I can handle him. Just take care of this beautiful girl of yours."

I watched her stroll away, knowing Chloe would have questions, her brow already furrowing with worry. "So we should order you some breakfast," I exclaimed as I reached for the menu on her bedside tray.

"What happened with Embry and Rachel? Did you do something wrong, Paul?"

My shoulders sank, knowing I couldn't keep anything from my girl. I sat next to her and told her what had happened between Rachel and I in the restroom yesterday. I held her close to me when she tried to pull away. "Rachel and I have a history. One that Embry isn't very fond of. And he wasn't happy when he heard me tell Rachel I've always loved her."

"You do?" she gasped, her breath hitching.

"As a friend," I added quickly, holding Chloe close to me and nestling her little body against my side. "That's all we are, Sugar. Because you're my girl," I sighed, cupping her cheek and guiding her mouth to mine.

Chloe resisted me at first, obviously still emotional after my confession. "I love you, Sugar. You're mine and you always will be," I moaned into her mouth.

I could feel her walls breaking down, her resistance fading as her fingers trailed up my neck and into my hair. When she tugged lightly, my whole body lit up with need. I buried my face in her neck and tried to will my desire away. I knew she needed me, wanted to feel wanted by me, but this wasn't the time or place.

When the surgeon arrived to give Chloe a quick check-up, I begrudgingly left her side. He was happy with her progress and even agreed to let her get up and move around once her catheter was removed. "Make sure she doesn't get up on her own," he warned. "She'll be weak at first, but I can tell this girl is a fighter."

I nodded and smiled, proud of my girl for being so strong. And he didn't need to tell me not to let her get up alone, because I had no intention of ever leaving her side.

…

A/N: I'm trying to get back to updating this one more regularly. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!