A/N - What's that? 2 chapters in one day?! I'll take it :) Now let's see how Bella is and maybe take a trip into Paul's mind.
BTW - I don't own anything, I'm just playing with Steph's characters!
Embry POV
I rushed into the emergency room with Bella still hanging limply in my arms. I was praying to every god I knew that she would some how wake up and be ok. The nurse behind the desk saw me running and immediately called for a gurney and a doctor. I got Bella settled and explained that we had been hiking and she tripped and hit her head on a rock. She'd been out about an hour at this point and I was really worried. She hadn't stopped breathing which was good but I wanted her to wake up.
They wheeled her to the back and I began to pace. The nurse asked if I could fill out paperwork for her, but I had no idea about nay of her personal information. But another nurse came out and said "Sheila, it's Bella Swan." and it was like a light went off in her head. Apparently they had dealt with her frequently.
I began pacing in the waiting room, anxious to get any kind of information and also wanting to check on Jared and Jacob. I knew from the look on Jake's face when we arrived at the hospital that he would more than likely be phasing right about now. After what felt like an eternity, Jared came through the doors with a frazzled looking Charlie running behind him. Charlie immediately went to the desk and they took him to the back while I got an update from Jared.
"Paul is outside in the forest, he's so damn anxious he can't calm down enough to phase back. Jake did phase and he's ok. Actually a damn sight better than I thought he would be. He managed to phase back human and he and Sam are talking now about what happened today and his new responsibilities in the pack. Woulda been here sooner but had to take the Cullens car back to their house. Heaven forbid a lowly kid from the rez be tooling around in a Mercedes." Jared said quietly. I nodded at him, chuckling mentally about the Mercedes and feeling unsure about Jake phasing. I was glad to have my friend back, but honestly I wouldn't wish this crap upon my worst enemy.
Jared left after updating me to check up on Sam and I continued to pace the lobby. She had to be ok, there was no other option. I couldn't even think about what would happen to Paul if something went wrong with Bella.
Charlie POV
The good thing about a small town is there really isn't a lot of crime that I have to worry about. An occasional break in, a kid rolling a house; nothing big really. So when one of the boys from the reservation came barreling into the station, panting and wearing only a pair of cut off shorts, I was immediately on alert. He paused at the front desk "I need Charlie Swan ASAP!" he practically yelled at our poor receptionist. I came out of my office and he immediately turned to me.
"Chief, we need to go...hospital...now." He couldn't seem to get his thoughts out correctly.
"Whoa, slow down son, deep breaths, tell me what's going on." I placed a calming hand on his shoulder and almost jerked back. This boy was on FIRE!
"Sorry sir. My name's Jared Cameron. I'm a... friend of Bella's. She was out on the rez hiking with me and Embry Call and tripped and hit a rock on her head. She was breathing, but wouldn't wake up and it took us forever to get her out of the forest and to the hospital. They should have her in the back right now." Jared said. I could feel the blood draining from face. What the hell was she doing hiking?! She is barely coordinated on a flat surface much less a hilly forest!
I grabbed Jared's arm and we made our way out the door and to the cruiser. Mentally I made a note to ask about his lack of clothing if they were hiking, but my main concern was getting to Bella and making sure she was ok.
We made it to the hospital in record time. I barreled through the doors and straight to the desk. The nurse was already standing by the time I got there and leading me to the beck where we met Dr. Gerandy. "Where is she doc? I need to see her!" I could barely get the words out of my mouth coherently.
"Slow down Charlie! Bella is ok. I got her stitched up and have sent her to MRI to check for concussion. As of right now she hasn't woken up, but I'm hoping by the time that's done she will. She'll be back out in just a little bit. Have a seat here Chief. We're taking good care of her." Dr. Gerandy lead me to a portioned off part of the ER and I sat in the plastic chair to wait.
And wait.
And wait a little more. It felt interminable. I just wanted to see my little girl. I thought we were done with this kind of mess. She hadn't been injured in so long I had hopes she had out grown it. But no, here we are in the ER with a head injury. Go figure.
After what felt like hours, but was actually only 30 minutes, I heard doors open and the squeak of a hospital bed rolling in. I stood and waited until they rolled Bella through the curtain and got her set up. She looked so tiny and pale in the bed and I just wanted to curl up with her and sleep like I did when she was a baby. I can protect a whole damn town, but I can't protect one little girl from injuring herself.
Time passed. I'm not sure how much it was, just that it was passing as I waited for her to open her eyes. Just when I was starting to lay my head down on the bed next to her to maybe catch a little shut eye, I heard her shuffle and grunt. I jerked up and looked at her face. She blinked a few times, seeming to gain her focus. She turned her head experimentally from left to right and smiled when she saw Charlie. "Alright old man, what did I do this time?" Her voice was a little raspy and worn, but she had a little grin on her face. I was cautious though. She asked what happened so that meant she didn't necessarily remember where she was or who she was with. So I had to ask, "Bella, what's the last thing you remember?"
She looked confused for a moment. "Come on dad, what did I do? Trip down the stairs? I'm sure Jake and Quil are out there pacing because I've done something stupid... Again."
I kept examining her face, looking for any indication that she was joking or anything. "Bella, supposedly you were hiking with Jared Cameron and Embry Call in the forest on the reservation. You slipped and fell on a rock and they rushed you as quickly as they could to the ER. Your head is stitched and they did an MRI on you. I'm hoping they'll have the results pretty quickly."
Her eyes scrunched up and she looked confused. "No, that's not right. The last thing I remember I was at home getting the last of the pies out the oven to take to the rez." I shook my head. "Bella, that was two, almost three days ago. Are you sure that's the last thing you remember?" Her brow furrowed further with her intense concentration. "Yeah dad. I was making a sweet potato pie for Jake. He had never tried it before." She looked up at me, her eyes a little lost and a lot confused. I just shook my head. "We'll have to talk to Dr. Gerandy when he comes back. Hopefully he'll..." I trailed off as I heard a commotion in the lobby. There was shouting and lots of shuffling.
"NO! I HAVE TO SEE HER!"
What the hell? Bella's head turned towards the door, her eyes wide. "You recognize that voice?" I asked her. She shook her head. "No, but I feel like I should." I could hear the frustration in her voice. I got up to give her a hug when the ER doors burst open to reveal a heavily breathing Paul Lahote. He was dressed like Jared in cutoffs with no shoes or shirt. He zeroed in on Bella and rushed over to the bed, paying no mind to the yelling nurses around him.
"Bella? Are you ok? Have they said anything?" His voice seemed breathless as he knelt beside the bed, staring at Bella. For her part, Bella still had the look of confusion and frustration on her face, like she was trying to figure out a complicated puzzle, but couldn't get the pieces to fit properly. She cleared her throat carefully and glanced back at me before facing the boy again. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
Paul POV
The moment the words left Jared's mouth, I was shooting off towards Bella. My heart raced as my feet pounded the earth. I had to get to her, help her, protect her. I have failed her so much in the past two days I cannot afford to fail her again.
When Jared showed us the car left at the Cullen's I immediately changed course and headed towards Forks and the hospital. My brain was on the Bella track and I couldn't get it off. Not even when Jake phased for the first time. I just ignored him and kept my pace. I took note of Sam and Jared's conversation and Sam's orders for Jared to get Charlie. It seemed like it was taking forever for me to get there but finally I met up with Sam and Jacob. They had phased human, but I couldn't. So I paced.
There was a rather large rut in the ground by the time I was calm enough to phase back human.
I stalked towards the hospital determined to check on my mate. Jacob growled at me and attempted to stop me. "Paul, where the hell do you think you're going?" I just looked him up and down. "Really pup? You want to attempt to take me on right now? You are standing between me and my mate. Now move before I remove you myself." My voice was low and deadly. He looked confused. I glanced at Sam. "Apparently you skipped over the whole imprint thing?" Sam shook his head. "I was getting there." I just nodded. "Be sure he understands. I'm going now."
I saw the look of confusion deepen on Jacob's face as Sam placed a hand on his shoulder and began a conversation that I did not envy. I stalked towards the hospital, determined to get to my imprint and make sure she was ok. I walked towards the front desk. The nurse glanced up at me and I couldn't even take a moment to smirk at her appreciative stare. "Bella Swan." She seemed to shake herself out of her stupor and was able to stutter out "S-s-sorry, f-f-family o-o-nly." I eyed her levelly. "Look, I'm going back there whether you tell me she's there or in a room. Now. Bella...Swan."
She took a deep breath and shook her head. Embry came up behind me and placed a calming hand on my shoulder. "Man, take a breath. Charlie will come out and let us know what's going on, don't worry." I just shook him off me and turned towards him. "NO! I HAVE TO SEE HER!"
I shoved my way through the ER doors and immediately scented Bella. I stalked towards her. Oh thank god finally. She looked pale and tiny and ad a bandage on her head. My hands were trembling as I approached her bed. I expected to see the look of confusion on Charlie's face, but not the one on Bella's. It was like she didn't recognize me. "Bella? Are you ok? Have they said anything?" I knelt beside her bed and continued mentally assessing her. She seemed ok but for the cut on her head. But then she said the words that tore my world apart. With every syllable, my heart cracked into a million pieces.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?"
A/N 2 - dun dun duuuunnnnnn! I dunno, have you seen amnesia? I don't think I have. At least not in a wolf fic. So, send me a review, lemme know what you think :) I make no promises on when the next update will be, hopefully it will be soon!