Chapter Twenty Eight

I know it's been a week. I reached a point in this chapter where I seriously debated over two different directions and decided to leave it ambiguous. Please read end author's note!

Disclaimer – I do not own Twilight but I do own Hetani, Elisha and this plot.

Paul POV

I was sure that there weren't many feelings worse than knowing you were a large part of the reason for your little sister being shot. It had been two days since the incident at the school – two days since Embry had so much as looked at me, two days since Elisha had started glaring at me, muttering insults under her breath that she thought I couldn't hear and two days since I realised that, despite how much she hid it, Rachel was mad at me for my involvement in the bullying of Josh Dennis. I had betrayed my imprint, gotten my sister shot and torn up one of my best friends, all with one stupid mistake.

"Maybe you should talk to her." I glanced up at Sam before looking back down at the coffee in my hands. The Styrofoam cup was half empty, yet I couldn't really remember drinking it. I'd had so much over the past two days that it just sort of happened.

"Embry and Elisha won't let me within ten feet of her," I pointed out truthfully. Although he didn't say anything, Embry got this tortured look in his eye every time I so much as looked in the direction of Hetani's room but I refused to leave the hospital for more than an hour. Rachel had practically taken up residence in the hospital and I refused to leave for very long despite her silent anger. Elisha, on the other hand, was very vocal about her dislike for me and downright refused to let me near Hetani. It was tearing me up. Sam suddenly got a thoughtful look on his face and I eyed him carefully, wondering what he was thinking. He had no real reason to help me but it looked like he was about to.

"Embry has been dragged back home by his mother to clean himself up. Elisha hasn't arrived yet but I will . . . distract her if she does – don't screw up." I nodded, not pointing out that I couldn't screw up a one-sided conversation. Sam nodded firmly and moved away in the direction of the entrance so he would know if Elisha arrived. I sped down the corridor and slipped into Hetani's room, stopping short at the sight of the girl I had long ago accepted as my baby sister. Her dark skin was almost grey and there were deep, dark purple shadows under her closed eyes. Her face looked sunken and her chest wasn't moving very much. Too many needles and tubes were attached to her face, arms and hands to count and I steadily ignored them, sitting in the chair next to her bed. I chewed my lip, wondering what to say.

"I know you probably don't want to talk to me. I know I wouldn't – I'm the reason you're in here. Embry's a wreck without you here, all moping about and silent that it's really worrying." My attempt at keeping my tone light failed miserably and I took her hand gently in mine, sighing in exasperation. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you. If I had known what would happen, I would change it, make it better. But I can't do that, munchkin. You have to do something for all of us, though. I know it's not fair but you have to come back – to Embry, to Jake, Elisha and everyone else who loves you. We miss you, Tani, so open those eyes soon, ok?" Breathing deeply, I swallowed and stood up from my chair. After pressing a soft kiss to Hetani's forehead, I left the room, wondering what was going on in her head.

XXX

"You know I'm out there talking to you, right?" Paul questioned and I nodded. The pair of us were seated in the same spot where I'd found him after the failed ambush on Victoria, side by side just watching the calm waves.

"I hear you," I answered more thoroughly. He grimaced slightly, looking at me contemplatively.

"Are you mad?" He sounded genuinely scared of my answer but I just shrugged, thinking it over. I knew that Elisha was fuming, I had heard her the day previously telling me all about it, but was I? I decided it was too complicated.

"I don't know," I replied and he sighed, scratching his head.

"Rachel is." I knew that too. She had told me. I could hear everything that they told me if I tuned in, which was often, but I so preferred my beach conversations with whoever came along.

"She'll get over it."

"She'll get over it – if you wake up. If you stay like this, she'll probably never speak to me again." Imaginary Paul was strangely accurate in the agony that washed over his face at the thought of my older sister damning him to eternal silence from her. I imagined Embry never speaking to me and the squeezing in my heart made me shake the thought away.

"Listen, we are in my head right now. We should just enjoy it and not think about the negatives." He nodded and we returned our attention to the distant waves.

XXX

Elisha POV

When, not if like all those pessimists were saying, my best friend woke up, I was going to kick her sorry ass. I was mad; mad at Paul for causing this to happen to her, mad at Rachel for daring to stick by him and mad that everyone seemed to be keeping some kind of secret from me. I assumed it had something to do with why Embry had always been so attached to Hetani, even before they were together. It was weird.

"Mom, I'm going to visit Hetani," I told her even though it was unnecessary. Despite it being the weekend, she knew I would keep up my routine of visiting Hetani. Besides, Josh had kicked off Spring Break with a boom (literally the day after Hetani's birthday – ass), so I had plenty of time to spend with her anyway during the week.

"Remember to eat something!" she called from the kitchen. She was cooking and baking a multitude of foods to give to Billy and the wolves because she was worried about them getting violently ill from hospital food. My mom was a strong believer in a healthy diet and apparently hospital food, funnily, didn't fit that category. I knew I would have to cart it all to the hospital the next day and cringed at the thought.

"Hello Elisha, no one is with her right now," the friendly receptionist, Carla, informed me when I approached her. Apparently there's only so much time you can spend in a hospital with your comatose best friend before people start learning things about you – like your name.

"Thanks Carla," I said with a small smile and walked through to Hetani's room. As usual, she was asleep and looked deadly sick, even in unconsciousness. The doctors insisted that we should talk to her, just in case she could hear us and I had been doing so – particularly expressing my fury at Paul. I wondered how Hetani felt about him. Did she blame him too? Would she forgive him? There were multiple scenarios that could occur but, as much as I knew Hetani Black, I could not fathom which one would actually happen. So I put those thoughts to the back of my mind and told her about everything I could think of, including my mom's newfound obsession with cooking for the masses. She'd probably start some kind of campaign or whatever. I then proceeded to moan about all the homework we had been set that I was putting off. It kind of made me dread becoming a junior.

"Hey," Embry's familiar voice said when I'd finished complaining and I looked around with a welcoming smile. He did look completely broken but he and Hetani had been dating for just over a year, so I kind of got it. Still, it was strange. I didn't comment though and just surrendered my seat to him.

"See you later," I said comfortingly, moving out of the room. Embry and I didn't really talk much but it wasn't an awkward relationship – just quiet. Generally I was a loud, outgoing person but I hadn't actually spent that much time with him and with Hetani being in a coma, I didn't really feel it was time to really bond. He was even quieter than before.

"Elisha." Wow, they could really sneak up on me. I turned to see Leah hanging around, a cell phone clutched in her hand. "How is she?" Leah was another oddity. I'd heard around the reservation that she was a right bitch who couldn't control her temper but seeing her around the hospital and, at rare moments, with Hetani, that opinion went straight out the window. She was actually really nice and I had a feeling that Hetani had something to do with it. Although I also had the feeling that Leah only behaved like that when Hetani was involved – kind of like Paul, but I didn't like him.

"Hey Leah. She's . . . the same, really. Nothing to report," I answered sadly and the girl sighed, running a hand through her short hair. She looked weary. "Maybe you should go home and sleep," I suggested, knowing Hetani would insist the same thing if she could see Leah.

"Yeah, I am. I'm just waiting for my brother to come back from eating." She made a disgusted face and I instantly knew she would share my mother's opinion on hospital food supply.

"Leah!" a cheerful voice called. Surprised that someone be happy in such an environment, I turned a hundred and eighty degrees to see a gorgeous guy heading down the corridor. I assumed he had to be Leah's so called younger brother but he did not look younger. He looked to be the same age as me, maybe even older with the abs of a Greek God and a smile that just didn't go away. He was cute – but too young for me.

"Hey Seth. This is Elisha." His smile instantly fell a little bit, sympathy colouring his expression as he stuck out his hand. I shook it, jumping slightly at the boiling temperature. Surely this kid was sick or something?

"I'm sorry about Hetani. Is there anything changed?" he asked and I shook my head, struck by his sincerity. His wide eyes were clear and honest and I found myself extremely appreciative for the genuine thoughts.

"No, there's not." I glanced at my watch and winced, knowing my mom would be waiting. "I should go, my mom's waiting. It was nice meeting you, Seth," I said, a small smile turning my lips up. He nodded in reply, his smile returning to full strength. I gave a little wave before leaving the siblings together. He was really cute, for a younger guy.

XXX

"You're a right pain in the ass, you know that?" Elisha's called, plonking herself down on the cliff next to me. She, like me, was dressed in a bikini with a flowing top over it and her blue eyes were sparkling with humour.

"But you love me anyway," I pointed out, staring over the water a long way below us. The breeze was calmer and made the temperature feel hotter but I wasn't particularly bothered. In the distance, it looked like the day was beginning to come to an end, the sun sinking closer to the sea but not enough to be considered a sunset just yet. Elisha slung an arm around my shoulders and hugged me tight.

"You know I do, darling. You're my Tani! This brings me to my next point: you better wake your ass up. As you know, because Outside Me has been telling you, I'm not a happy bunny and, if you don't wake up soon, I may beat Paul up." I giggled and Elisha joined me, both of us laying back to look at the sky, arms behind our heads.

"Get a crowbar," I suggested but didn't explain myself at her puzzled look.

"Alright, you're keeping secrets from me. Tell me!" she begged but I just smiled weakly.

"Why? Outside You won't hear me," I said objectively. She grumbled what I was certain were insults under her breath before sighing.

"Fair point. However, you will have to tell me eventually. That's a fair point too and you know it," she argued and it was my turn to sigh. I knew she was telling the truth.

"If I ever wake up," I replied and Elisha sat up sharply, looking down at me with a vicious glare.

"You will wake up, Hetani Black, because you are strong enough. It's all up to you." I knew she was right about that too but grew distracted by her quick glance at the sun. "Hurry up, best friend. My time is up here – yours should be too," she concluded before fading away like my mom had. Exhaling deeply, I sat up, leaning back on my hands and looking at the slowly sinking sun. It still couldn't quite be considered a sunset but it was getting there. I had the strong feeling I would have to decide before it disappeared completely.

Great.

XXX

Jake POV

I could see that Embry was approaching the point of completely hopelessness. It had been a full three days since Hetani had went into her coma and Embry was going gradually insane. She hadn't so much as twitched a finger, her heartbeat was just a continuous, dull beep on a machine and her breathing never changed. Embry and I refused to let Edward anywhere near her, even though we both wanted to know what was going on in her head, if anything. Nessie occasionally stopped but I didn't like her being near Hetani when she looked the way she did and I knew Nessie hated seeing her aunt so vulnerable. Everyone else did. On the morning of the fourth day, I left Embry under Leah's watchful gaze to spend time with my sister because I had barely visited. I could barely stand seeing Hetani like that and even though Embry felt that way too, he could barely stay away from her. It was a wolf's instinct to protect their imprint and his massive guilt fest over not being able to save her from that damn gun meant he hardly left her.

"Hey," I greeted simply, sitting down on the uncomfortable plastic chair that was way too small for my large frame. As per usual, Hetani's skin was decorated with needles and tubes leading to various bags of liquid. She had to be fed through a tube but they kept it minimal and I know there was at least one blood transfusion somewhere or another. I had no clue what the other things did. "I can't think of anything else to say that hasn't been said by everyone else already. Dad's been spending a lot more time around Charlie and Sue – staying away from the hospital and from me. It's obvious why – he's miserable but I think a part of him also blames Paul, like everyone else has been." I paused for a long moment, thinking about Paul. Embry, although he didn't say anything, was angry at the most volatile wolf. We all knew that. And I was mad too. I was furious that he had bullied the Dennis kid and that led to our SISTER with a bullet in her chest. The more rational side of me (granted, not a big part as my sister was in a coma and I was allowed to be a little irrational about that) argued that Paul had only been a stepping stone. He hadn't bullied anyone since before becoming a wolf (OK, there was one incident), so a tonne of shit had probably happened to Josh before he eventually cracked. At least, that's what the tiny part of my brain capable of reason told me.

"I'll just go and get him." Leah's voice was travelling down the hall and I felt the familiar tug on my heart, informing me that Nessie had arrived and my time with Hetani was up. Someone else would come into the room in a heartbeat, so I didn't feel so guilty about leaving her alone. I kissed her hand gently and left, scooping an excited Nessie into my arms. She squealed with laughter as I spun her around and I noticed Leah casually saunter up the hall to Hetani's room.

"So, what are we doing today?" I asked and Nessie chewed her lip adorably as she thought. Her head titled to the side as she contemplated some more. She was so indecisive that it passed annoying and went straight to amusing. Her hand finally pressed to my cheek and I saw an image of us sitting together in her favourite La Push diner eating. Of course she wanted food. After spending so much time around the pack and Emily, she had learned to enjoy human food despite her initial disgust towards it. Every time we were together, she would ask to go out for meal and I would agree. It was just that simple.

XXX

Outside Jake had just left Outside Me when he appeared in my head. It took me a while to decipher that it wasn't Nessie giving me images but my own head concocting the interactions I was having with various people – except the one with my mom. I knew that was real.

"Titch." My brother was charming. Just because he was a giant, muscled specimen didn't make me one too.

"Yeah whatever." Jake rolled his eyes at the pathetic comeback. I would have too but it was too embarrassing. I turned my attention back to where my legs were dangling over the edge of a lower ledge than the one I'd been on with Elisha and further to the left. Jake sat next to me quite gracefully, legs crossed Indian style and his hands behind him, holding him up. The sun had lowered enough to be considered setting and was getting closer to disappearing with every breath I took.

"Why do you keep hanging out here? What has this place got that outside doesn't?" I didn't look at my brother but I could almost feel my heart pick up speed. Weird. I hadn't been able to properly feel what was going on in my body for however long I'd been in my head for. Pushing that aside, I felt the need to be completely honest with Jake, just as the bottom of the sun sank below the horizon.

"In here, I'm free. I don't have to be in pain or watch Embry feel guilty over something he had no chance of stopping. I don't want to have to choose whether I'm mad at Paul or not and I just want to be at peace. That's what I get here." My chest was tight but I assumed that was because I was feeling highly emotional. Jake looked at me with a completely bewildered expression.

"But don't you want to see them all again? Yeah, there'll be guilt but Embry needs you – more than anyone else in the Outside world, he needs you." The sun had halfway disappeared, the sky growing darker. My breath was coming out in short pants and I could feel my heart pounding against my ribs painfully. The sound of frantic beeping assaulted my ears.

"She's crashing!"

I had to choose. There was no time.

"One, two, three!"

A shock ran through my body and I felt my back arch off the bed, despite still being in my head. My thoughts spun out of control.

"Hetani? Hold on." Leah had appeared next to Jake and the pair were looking at me pleadingly. Did I want to face the real world? Could I?

"Come on, Hetani, fight!"

"I'm scared," I breathed, tears spilling down my cheeks. My brother and Leah smiled at me comfortingly.

"It's all up to you, Tiny Tani."

"Not us."

"Again!"

I crumpled to the ground as another shock knocked me down. Inside Jake and Leah were getting angry.

"Damn it, Hetani! Choose!"

"Damn it, Hetani! Fight!"

I chose.

PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! Anyway, my question is: should Seth imprint on Elisha? I kind of just left it there but it could happen. It wasn't an initial plan but it's kind of growing on me. The thought occurred to me and I was like 'you have lost your mind'. I don't know – so let me know what you think. I'm not sure how long this story will last for but I do know it's going to be another week before I update. Thank you SO MUCH for the reviews/alerts/favourites. I love you all so much for them and they made me smile. Love Bianca :) x