Author's note; I love how you all want to know more. And you will - in time. There's a lot to get through first.

What I can tell you is how old the characters are, as a few people have asked. Masen is thirty, and Bella is twenty-four, so there is a little age gap there.

Thanks for all your thoughts and reviews. I'm loving reading your reactions and constructive criticisms. Keep them coming in. Any mistakes are my own, from messing where I shouldn't be messing. I have a wonderful team who go out of their way to help me, so anything that's not right … any discrepancies with the plot, or characters - that's all on me. I'm challenging myself with this story, so everything is a learning curve. I'll make mistakes for sure, so thanks for your patience with me.

On that note…. This is fiction, not a medical drama. I'm no doctor, so excuse any mistakes in treatment, procedures, and protocol. I wrote what works for the story :) Please don't come to me in an emergency.

Chapter 2

MPOV

Back in the ER …

"Hey, I thought you finished at seven?" Eric, one of the junior doctors, asks as I rush towards the paramedics bringing the next patient in on a gurney.

"I wish," I say simply. The lie slips out of my mouth with relative ease. No one questions me - they just get on with the job at hand; that job is to save the patient we have in front of us.

Looking down, I suspect she is the woman Dad called about. Her face is pale, her eyes glazed and unfocused. She's disorientated and clearly in a great deal of pain and discomfort.

"What have we got?"

"Female, twenty-four years old, two gunshot wounds. Substantial blood loss. Low BP…" Mike, the EMT, continues to list off her vitals while I'm doing my own examination, which shows her pulse is unsurprisingly low... Her pupils are dilated, but they are responsive to light. She's barely conscious, but at least she's responsive.

I see the team frantically working as I direct them towards the private room I've managed to secure. It's on the far side of the ward; it will allow privacy, which I'm sure we will need after getting her stabilized.

Moving her hair out of her face, I can see the terror in her eyes … the panic setting in as she takes in her surroundings and the team frantically working around her. She starts to struggle, so I place my hands on her arms, gently trying to calm her.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Bella…" she winces. "The blood, the smell … " she says somewhat incoherently.

"Okay, Bella, my name is Dr. Cullen. You're in the hospital. We're going to take good care of you, okay?"

Her eyes widen, but she nods, grimacing again. It's a relief she's responding at this point, but that doesn't mean she's out of the woods yet.

First things first, I need to know what we're working with to better assess her injuries. Her clothes are soaked in so much blood that we have to cut her out of her jeans, revealing the two bullet holes that are causing the most damage.

Now that I see what we're dealing with, I can tell the girl got lucky. Perhaps that sounds strange, given she's been shot, but the bullets appear to have passed through the soft tissues without damaging any adjacent vital organs. Another inch to the right, and the bullet would have hit a major artery, and that would have been game over. There would be nothing we could do. As it is, she's lost a substantial amount of blood, but once we stop the bleeding and clean up the wound, I will be much happier.

There are bruises scattered all over her body that look fairly recent, making me think that perhaps she suffered a fall or fought off an attacker. Whatever the cause, we can look at those injuries once I've stopped the bleeding. That's my number one priority.

While we work, I keep a close eye on my patient. She's quiet - too quiet. I worry she's going into shock.

"How are you doing, Bella?" I ask, trying to keep her engaged, but her eyelids are dropping; her vitals are too. I need to keep her conscious and alert.

"Hurts … so much," she mumbles. Her eyes meet mine, pleading with me to make the pain stop. Reaching out, she grips my hand with a surprising amount of force.

"You're doing so well ... being strong and incredibly brave. We'll get you fixed up soon, I promise."

I don't know what on earth possessed me to say that. Rule number one; I keep my diagnosis positive but non-specific. I don't make promises I can't keep. However, I know right then that I will do whatever it takes to keep Bella Swan alive regardless of what I promised my dad.

She's too young to die.

The possibility is unthinkable.

It's unexplainable—I don't understand it, but for some reason, I feel a pull … a connection to this girl that makes me determined to get her through this.

I'll do whatever it takes.

Bella stirs in and out of consciousness while we desperately try to save her life. She's mumbling something that sounds like "not again ... don't leave me ... " Something like that. The team works tirelessly until we have the bleeding under control. We manage to stabilize her, then just when we are ready to head into recovery, her vitals crash. Examining her again, it's then we notice her head, and under her mass of long hair, we see the gash and more blood. This could be the reason she is losing consciousness.

"Bella, can you hear me?" I ask, but she remains unresponsive. Her eyes are closed, and there is no color on her face at all.

Fuck …

We need to get her to the OR now, or we're going to lose her.

"There must be another bleed in her head," Jess suspects.

"We need to find the cause," I say with urgency, yet keep my tone level. Panicking gets you nowhere in the ER but damn it, she's not responding.

"Eric, call the OR, let them know we've got an urgent GSW coming up - potential internal bleeding."

"Stay with me, Bella," I say as her eyes close and her stats reach dangerously low levels.

We're not losing her.

Not tonight ... not ever.

I couldn't even contemplate losing her.

...

The team is leading Bella towards the elevator when I hear the raised voices from the lobby. Any other time I would ignore the commotion, but this time, the distraught voices catch my attention.

"Bella!"

"Please, we need to see Bella. She was brought in here."

"Please, tell us what's happening."

"Take her up to the OR; I'll meet you up there shortly," I instruct the team before going to meet Bella's family.

As soon as I'm in the lobby, I'm met with two women; one is in a flood of tears. The woman she's with tries to comfort her, but she's inconsolable.

I don't know who they are to Bella; all I know is that I'm angry … irrationally furious that the woman in front of me came here alone; that she was left to go through whatever occurred by herself. I can't imagine how terrified she would have felt.

I try to calm down … to let my anger go, for now at least, but then I spy the two burly bodyguards not too far behind Bella's family. Why weren't they that close earlier when they should have been doing their job? How incompetent were they? If Bella didn't need me to do my job, I would be straight in their faces, giving them a piece of my mind.

And where the fuck is Charlie Swan?

There's no sign of the girl's father, but I'm guessing he's on his way to the hospital as we speak. It's probably a good thing he isn't here watching us work ... getting in the way, possibly terrorizing and threatening my staff. It sounds harsh, but it's happened before. Multiple times we've dealt with our fair share of distraught, often violent parents.

As a father myself, I understand emotions run high, but I refuse to see any of my staff abused by a distraught parent. Something tells me Charlie Swan would be more difficult, demanding, more headstrong than most, but I'll worry about him later.

Right now, my main focus is his daughter.

"You're here about Bella, yes?" I ask.

"Yes! How is she? Where is she now?"

"We need to get her to the OR straight away. She was brought in on her own - We don't know what happened," I say, fighting to keep the accusation out of my tone. It's clear both of them care deeply for my patient, so maybe I need to save my judgment until I know exactly what happened.

"She's going to be okay, right?" The blonde pleads; her eyes are red and puffy from crying.

I want to tell her that everything will be okay, but I can't give those reassurances. Well, I broke that code once already today. I won't be repeating the same mistake twice.

"We're going to do our very best."

It's all I can offer her.

"We can't lose her… we can't." The older of the two pleads. "I beg you … please save her."

"I'll do all I can," I reassure them. I've said those words before, a long time ago …

My mind drifts back to Lark's birth ... to the moment that changed my life completely.

...

South Korea 2018.

"Doctor, please … I need your help," A desperate voice calls out, and I turn to see a woman rushing towards me, her expression panicked. I know her; she lives in the village with her daughters. She speaks to me fast and in Korean, but I get the gist of what she is saying.

"Come quickly. My daughter … she's having her baby! It's too soon, but she is in pain."

"Take me to her," I followed without a second thought. She leads me inside one of the houses in the neighborhood where a young, heavily pregnant young woman is hunched over, clutching her stomach, crying, and in clear distress.

Taking action, I hurry over, and after examining her, it becomes clear her labor has processed so fast there's no time to move her to the clinic. This baby is coming, and it's coming now.

"What's your name?"

"Yuna …" she whimpers.

"Yuna, listen to me. Your contractions are too close together to make it to the hospital. You are going to have your baby here. If we hold off any longer, we put you both at more risk. We need to deliver the baby now." I explain.

"Noooo, it's too early ... she's too early," she gets out between waves of tears and heavy breathing. She's hysterical and understandably scared, but I need her to understand this is what's best ... what is necessary to save both her and her baby.

Her mom says something to her in Korean, and she looks back contrite at her tone with me, but I don't care. I can see her water has broken, and everything will happen fast.

"Listen to me, I know it's scary, but I've delivered many babies before - hundreds of them, and I wouldn't recommend this unless it were absolutely necessary. Your baby is in distress; we can't wait any longer. I need you to be strong … Your baby needs you to fight for her, okay."

As I'm talking, I'm scanning the space, looking for supplies I might be able to use.

She nods, and with her mother's assistance, we help her to her feet, leading her to a bedroom where we can make her more comfortable. Very quickly, the contractions are stronger the closer they get. Yuna is brave … so strong, but something is not right, and further examination shows the baby hasn't turned; she's breech and in clear distress.

"What's happening?" she pants.

"We need to get the baby out now," I tell her.

"Nooo!"

Her cries go through me.

"Look at me, Yuna. You're in full labor. I'm going to do everything I can for you and your baby, I promise." And I will. I would do anything ... whatever it took to save both mom and baby.

Yuna grips my hand, her expression desperate … pleading … It's heartbreaking.

"Whatever it takes to save her. Whatever you need to do, please do it. I'm begging you, please, save her. Just save my baby," she pleads.

I'm always surprised at how well the younger generation here speaks English. Of course, it makes our jobs easier.

"I'll do everything I can," I promise her.

Despite being in full labor, her baby was born hours later, with Yuna experiencing a lot of pain. She was a small woman; it was so hard on her frail body with a lot of blood loss.

So much blood …

I am relieved when I look at her, but in my mind, I know she isn't out of the woods. I'll go back to the base, get medication for the pain, supplies for the baby, and stay with her for a while.

"Congratulations, you have a beautiful baby girl," I say as I place the baby in Yuna's arms.

"Lark, her name is Lark," she beams when she sees her baby for the first time. I give Mom, Grandma, and baby a moment. It's a beautiful sight; the three of them are sharing this together. Yuna looks up, her tired, bloodshot eyes meet mine, and she offers me a small, sad smile before she speaks, looking resigned.

"Thank you, doctor; you are a kind man with a kind face. I can never repay you. Promise me you will take care of her, please ... look after her. Promise me. I want her to be Amer …"

And then her eyes slowly close — almost like she was waiting for the baby to be okay ... before she could let go.

I fought ... I did everything I could to save her, but sadly she passed away just moments after giving birth to her precious little girl.

...

Back to the present ...

We get Bella into the OR and work tirelessly. She's lost a lot of blood, and it was touch and go for a while. We lost her three times in total before we got her back, and only when we finally got her into recovery did I breathe a sigh of relief.

She isn't out of the woods yet, but she's passed the first challenge...

Now, to speak to her family ...

The moment I step inside the family room, I'm surrounded. Both ladies are in tears, looking at me with tired, desperate eyes, begging me for answers … assurances. There's still no sign of her father, which means I must be very careful what I tell them. Rules are there to be followed, no matter how much I wish to put them at ease.

"How is she?"

"What happened?"

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Are you Bella's family or her next of kin?" I ask gently.

"No, I'm Bella's housemate and business partner; Dora works for the family. Please tell us what's happening. How is she?"

Damn, I was hoping the blond was her sister, Dora, her mother, maybe. This makes the next conversation difficult, to say the least.

"Unfortunately, I'm unable to give out any personal information. I can only give out details of Bella's treatment to her next of kin." I explain, much to her friend's dismay.

Cue more tears.

Thankfully, I seem to have Dora on my side, and she tries to calm Bella's housemate down.

"Rosalie, calm yourself, please," she urges. "The doctor is only doing his job. He saved Bella's life."

Thank you, Dora.

"I'm sorry, I know this is difficult, but my hands are tied. Until her family gets here, I can't discuss any of the specifics of Bella's case. What I can tell you is that she came through the surgery and is now in recovery."

"But she's gonna be okay, right? You can tell us that much?" Rosalie pleads.

"It's too early to be sure, but the signs are good. She suffered a horrific injury, but we are past the first hurdle," I tell her, keeping my prognosis as nondescript as possible. However, there's something about Dora that makes me cave. She looks devastated, and for some reason, I'm desperate to offer her some assurances ... some hope.

What is it about this patient ... this family that makes me forget every single one of my rules.

"Your friend sustained substantial injuries; none of them are life-threatening at this moment, but her body needs time to heal and recover. She's stable and comfortable for now. We're giving her some medication to help ease the pain while we wait for her to wake up."

"But she'll be okay? Will she wake up? How long does that take?"

"Every patient is different. There are no guarantees or set timeframe. It may take some time, but right now, the signs look positive. We will know more once she's had the scans. I know it's hard, but try to stay calm. She is in the best possible hands, and with rest and rehab, I'm hoping she'll make a full recovery - in time," I stress this because Bella has a long recovery ahead of her, and they need to understand this.

"Can we see her?" Dora asks hopefully. I hate to disappoint her.

"No, I'm afraid not. Bella needs to get some rest, and I would suggest you do the same. You've been here all night, and when she wakes, she will need you both at your best. She has a long recovery ahead of her."

Both of their faces show concern.

"I understand this is a lot to take in, but this is good news; she's past the first hurdle of what will be many challenges to come. As I said, my advice to you is to go home, get some rest and come back in the morning, fresh. Maybe you could get some of Bella's things that will make her comfortable; some clothes … personal belongings. She's got a long stay ahead of her, and it will be sometime before she is released."

Dora looks reluctant … hesitant to leave, and I have a suspicion I know what's coming next.

"We don't have to go, though? I don't want to leave her."

It warms my heart to see someone who cares so much for Bella - she's like a mother.

Speaking of family ...

"That's your choice - I can't make you leave, but I'd advise you to make yourself comfortable in the family room rather than out in the corridor," I suggest.

Before I leave to check on Bella again, there is another important question I need to ask.

"In the meantime, has Bella's family arrived? I'd like to speak with them, give them an update on her condition, and there is some paperwork I need them to fill out too."

Both go quiet; Dora looks disappointed, while Rosalie looks plain angry.

"No, not yet. Her father has been delayed. He will be here as soon as he can," Dora says quietly.

"Okay," I attempt to keep the disapproval out of my voice. For a man so desperate to save his daughter, the fact he isn't with her now infuriates me. He better have a pretty fucking good excuse, is all I'll say.

"And her mother?"

"Bella's mother passed away many years ago," Rosalie explains.

I sigh; I should have been told this … damn Dad. But damn, Charlie Swan for not being here.

"Okay, I understand. Please consider what I said; there's not a lot you can do for her now, but Bella will need you when she begins her recovery."

...

When I pull up after midnight, I see both Emmett and my father's cars parked in the driveway of the place I call home. It's great to have my own private space, but it's nice to have my family close by, should any of us require help.

I know they are waiting for me inside, and I barely make it through the door when my mother greets me in the hallway; she hugs me, and some of my bad mood diminishes instantly.

Not for long...

"Lark is in bed, fast asleep."

I grimace, hating that I missed bedtime. I'm even angrier with myself for failing to keep my promise to her. Mom knows me as well as she does, she reads my disappointment, and she tries to reassure me.

"She was out like a light too - I didn't even have time to read her a story."

"How has she been?" I try to keep my tone light, but I'm still pretty pissed that I let my daughter down and broke my promise to her. The fact it was out of my hands doesn't ease my guilt.

"She was telling me all about her day and drew you another picture. Then we baked some cookies."

Mom's expression tells me perhaps I had a lucky escape with those cookies. Lark likes to bake; she loves getting her hands dirty, but let's just say the results are disastrous, interesting at best.

"Your father and brother are in your office, but they can wait. Go see your daughter first."

I can't hide my smile - Mom knows me so well.

I take the stairs two at a time as I make my way up to check on her. Seeing her sleeping form brings a smile to my face, one I get each time I see her. There's nothing that can compare to being a dad. I never thought I would be one; I never had time for dating and girls; I focused on my career and helping others. But someone up there had other plans for me, and I couldn't refuse.

I'm still focused on my career and helping people, but now there is so much more in my life. Another purpose; one that gets me going each day and makes me happy to come home after a long day of work. My guiding light … my angel. Sure it's hard being a single dad. And for sure, there is no time to think about dating. But I figure, when the time is right, just like with Lark, it will be given to me. Well, not exactly like Lark, but I mean, I will be given the path that takes me to her, whoever she may be.

I tuck the covers around her sleeping form and give her a gentle kiss, promising I'll see her tomorrow morning for breakfast.

...

Once downstairs, I head to my office, where I know my dad and brother are waiting for me. Both wear matching solemn expressions.

"How is she?" Emmett asks.

"How do you think she is?" I don't mean to snap, but I'm wiped out from today's shift. Physically and mentally exhausted, I collapse into my chair, angrily running my hand through my hair, pulling at the strands as I try to calm down.

Every patient, every close call takes its toll; this one more than most because I knew just how important her survival was. That was a close call - too close.

"Three times, Emmett …Three times we lost her on that table," I snap, losing my temper yet again.

It's not his fault. My brother wasn't the one who pulled the trigger, but it doesn't change the fact I've been dragged into my family's activities—activities I've purposely avoided as much as I can. I became a doctor to save lives, to make a difference - to atone for my family's crimes, yet, somehow, I still get mixed up in their dealings anyway.

What annoys me more is how Bella got dragged into it, too. The girl was home, most likely alone, yet somehow she got shot. Does Charles Swan not care enough about his own daughter to give her security? And then he wasn't even at the hospital, thus making it impossible for the two women who did care to get information on Bella's condition. She was alone, scared, hurt.

The whole way home, I couldn't stop thinking and worrying about her. I can't explain it. I've never had a patient get under my skin so quickly … since Lark's mother.

"But she's okay now, right?" Emmett asks.

If only it were that simple.

"She is now, but she will have a tough, downright grueling recovery ahead of her. She'll need physiotherapy, counseling, and rehab. Not to mention a lengthy spell in hospital."

Emmett looks sympathetic … remorseful even.

"What the hell happened? Why did someone do this? And what action is being taken to punish those involved?" I demand.

"We don't know, Edward," Em says cautiously; I think he senses I am seconds away from lashing out.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" I say in a lower voice, mindful of my daughter sound asleep upstairs.

"She's Charlie Swan's daughter. She should be off-limits or at the least have protection. How could this happen? How did anyone get this close?"

"She did have protection, Masen. Two of Charlie's best men were killed in the attack. Charlie is looking into it now. He doesn't know who's behind it and why they targeted his daughter. It could be family-related or just a robbery gone wrong- we don't know. It seems Charlie and his daughter don't have a close relationship. "

"So, that makes it okay! What kind of father is he?" I shout, pulling on my hair.

"Calm down, Mase." Emmett tries to reason with me.

"No, I won't calm down until I have the facts. Tell me what happened. I saved her life. The least I deserve is the truth … an explanation." I demand.

"Hey, you know I hate dragging you into this. I'm just as angry as you are."

I send him a look of disbelief.

"I don't think so! You haven't had to fight to keep her alive! She barely made it, Emmett!"

My jaw tightens when I think about how close we were to losing her. The thought hits me in the chest. I shouldn't be feeling or thinking that way, but I can't stand to lose any patient under my care.

"Why the fuck wasn't Charlie at the hospital?" I ask to distract myself from those thoughts.

"Trust me; he has his reasons." Dad finally joins the conversation.

"His daughter almost fucking died! What's complicated about that?"

"It's hard to explain, Masen, but believe me when I tell you Charlie wanted to be there ... He just couldn't, okay? He can't bring himself to go near that hospital. That's why he called me personally - to ensure his daughter had the best care possible. You might not understand, but Charlie is terrified too, and there are reasons he can't be there. You don't understand -"

"You're damn right I don't understand," I interrupt. "I don't care what his reasons are, Dad; he should have been there for his daughter; she was alone and afraid. You didn't see the shape she was in; I did."

"Son, you've done what we asked; we'll take care of the rest."

"I hope so because I can't have anything like this happening again. This is a one-off. I'm not putting my daughter at risk by getting drawn into any more favors for other families. Isabella is the only exception, okay?"

"Trust me; this will be the only time we'll call on you," Dad assures me. "You just focus on her recovery. Thank you for everything you did. I do appreciate it, and I know Charlie will too."

Lots happening in this chapter! I hope you liked it:) Thanks so much for all your support and encouragement. It means so much. xx