"Mom, you home?" Seth questioned loudly as he entered his house, checking the time. It was still early evening and his imprint, Claudia, knew he had furry business to attend to, but he really wanted to go over to her house as soon as possible.
"In the kitchen, Seth," she called out, placing the last of the dinner dishes in the washer. Grabbing a towel to dry off her hands, Sue Clearwater smiled warmly as she turned to greet her youngest. "Hi, honey. Did you get to eat at Claudia's? There are leftovers in the fridge if you want them, but make sure you leave enough for your father's lunch tomorrow."
Already heading in the direction of the fridge, Seth called over his shoulder, "No, I haven't seen Claudia yet. She had class all day and OH! Pot roast!" Grabbing the container he had been inspecting, Seth pulled it out of the fridge one handedly while stretching across the kitchen to find a plate.
"Seth," Sue chastised, stepping forward to grab the precariously balanced plate from his fingers. "The leftovers aren't about to run away. Set the container down and grab what you need before you drop and break one of my dishes."
"Right. Sorry, Mom," Seth answered, still clutching the casserole pan like a winning lottery ticket. He fished in a drawer for a serving fork, heaping more than half of the leftovers onto the plate his mom had retrieved.
Sue and Harry Clearwater held a strong amount of heritage pride for their children. Their youngest, Seth, had been blessed to honor the tribe with his ability to shape shift and protect. Their eldest, Leah, had also been blessed in being the imprint of the pack's Alpha, Sam Uley. Both of their children would continue to carry the line in any future children they produced and it was a matter of great honor.
Sue spoke quickly, knowing that she wouldn't be able to understand her son once he started to eat his first dinner. "I thought you were waiting at Claudia's for her to get home and then the two of you were going out to dinner. Is everything okay?"
Dropping the forkful of food, Seth looked at his mom in alarm.
"Why?" He asked, food forgotten. "Did she call here? I had my cell on me but didn't hear it ring. What happened?"
Trying not to laugh at what she recognized as werewolf imprint worry, she calmly patted Seth's arm. "Nothing is wrong, honey. I was just asking why you weren't at her house. Isn't she usually home by five?"
Relaxing back against the counter, Seth frowned. "Something came up and Sam needed all of us. I haven't had a chance to talk to Claudia but I'm going to go over there in a few minutes."
Laughing, Sue could only shake her head. "Really, dear, you just couldn't resist stopping by for your mom's cooking? I'm honored that you'd place my cooking above seeing your imprint."
Grinning brightly, Seth tried not to blush. If it hadn't been for Sam, he wouldn't have bothered to come home first, not that he was about to tell his mom that.
"Actually, Mom," Seth began hesitantly, remembering he still had a message to deliver. "Sam asked if you could stop by Paul's house. Since I was already headed this way, he asked me to ask you."
"Sure, honey," Sur replied absentmindedly, replacing the foil on Harry's lunch for tomorrow. "I can go over tomorrow since it's only a half day at the clinic. I thought Sam said he had to work this week but maybe my daughter has finally realized she does still need her mother."
Closing the fridge door, Sue winked at Seth, her smile disappearing when she caught her son's look. "What is it? Do I need to go over now? Is someone hurt? What aren't you telling me, Seth?" Sue asked hurriedly.
Paul's house was the only one set further back than the others. Being the lone wolf, Paul's house would be the place they took someone severely hurt to cut back on rumors from outside people if shouting, snarling and general wolf behavior was to be expected.
"I, umm, can't tell you, Mom. But something is up and it requires your help," Seth answered, hoping she wouldn't be mad.
"Please tell me it isn't Leah," Sue asked her son, worry evident in her tone. When Seth shook his head to say it wasn't, Sue gathered her wits.
She could handle just about anything other than one of her children being hurt even if one of them had exceptional healing abilities. Gathering a bag with the usual assortment of first-aid equipment, she realized that if someone had been hurt badly, Seth would not have stopped to eat before asking her to head over to Paul's. After spending several years dealing with "something" Sue knew it was better just to show up and worry about questions later.
"Who is that?" Sue asked fifteen minutes later, pointing towards the only passed out figure on the couch.
Walking into Paul's house, Sue had carefully noted her daughter and son-in-law to-be before sparing a look at Jacob and Paul, both of whom appeared to be okay. That only left the girl on the couch with her eyes closed as the 'something' Seth had spoken of.
"She would be mine," Paul answered, waiting for the shock of the statement to affect Sue.
Any shock Sue might have had over that statement was quickly doused as the nurse in her, assessed the situation, looking for probable cause. "What's her name?" Sue continued, approaching the curled up figure on the couch to look over her. "And what happened to her?"
Loudly sighing at the pack's refusal to answer anything, Paul supplied all that he was willing to.
"She ran into something and passed out before I could ask her name."
His statement still had no affect on Sue. Whatever she may have run into certainly hadn't been the sole incident that caused all of the girl's current injuries and conditions. Reaching down, Sue picked up the girl's wrist, noting the rapid pulse beat and grime coating the girl's hand.
"Paul, she looks worse than having just hit something," Sue commented, looking up at the closest wolf. "Get me a warm, wet washcloth and some soap."
Refusing to budge from his perch near the couch, Paul waved his hand at Jake to go get the necessary cloth. Sam's look of determination was the only thing that kept Jake's mouth shut as he stood to disappear down the hallway, returning quickly with several washcloths, hand and bath towels, a basin of water and a bar of soap.
"Her breathing was fine the whole way home and didn't pick up until a few minutes ago," Paul offered, worrying that Sue would think this was, in fact, one of his usual types of guest.
Last year he had brought home a chick named Candy, knowing she was a drug user. He had no intention of keeping her around for long, but that bitch could bring him to his knees praying when she gave head. He had had to end that tete-a-tete when the bitch had snuffed one gram to many of blow and passed out at the bar they were supposed to meet.
"Drive home from where?" Sue asked, dipping a cloth into the water before lathering it with soap.
Not wanting to answer any more unnecessary questions, Paul kept quiet. Sam, however, felt the question was legitimate and told Sue exactly where Paul had found her. Apparently the answer was unnecessary though as Sue didn't comment.
Quickly, Sue began to wash the girls face. The task was arduous and she had to continually rinse the cloth out, the water turning dark before she was even half-way done. When Sue had finished, she sat back on her heels, staring that the dirty garments. It didn't take a rocket-scientist to know that this girl had been living on the street.
Even though she appeared to be single mindedly on the one task, Sue was mentally speculating on what exactly had happened to this poor girl. Sam, her daughter's lover, looked pained as he kept watching Paul's face and body language.
Paul, a kid Sue had known since he was born, was not a people person. He wasn't a bad kid and when he wanted to he could show fierce loyalty and protection to those he felt were worthy. Obviously, this girl fit that description which lead Sue to the conclusion that this was definitely a wolf thing. Sue was willing to bet the house that this girl was Paul's imprint; the present atmosphere reeked of mate protection.
Sue hadn't raised two of the most hellish children ever to be spawned for nothing. Over the years, she had learned to grasp situations quickly and when it was and wasn't necessary to state the obvious. This girl was young; possibly not even considered an adult in the eyes of the law.
Still not knowing what was wrong with the girl, Sue had to remove some of the clothing to get a better look.
"Sam?" Sue called out to the Alpha. "Can you please come over here and lift her up, so I can take off her jacket?" If there were injuries and Sue's movement caused any sudden sounds of pain from the girl, she didn't want to be the one holding on to a new imprint while the girl's wolf sat within striking range.
Knowing exactly what Sue was thinking, Sam stood silently to move over and assist Sue.
"I'll do it," Paul said, ignoring when his Alpha continued to move nearby, Jacob flanked a few feet behind him.
Sue had already unzipped the ratty looking slicker, waiting to remove one of the girl's arms from its sleeve. Reaching over the side of the couch, Paul lifted her body, using one hand to support her back and the other to assist Sue.
If at all possible, the smell got worse, even the female humans wrinkling their noses. When the jacket was off, Jacob went into the kitchen to get a trash bag. He would've taken it outside directly to the trash, but it wasn't his imprint. He was pretty sure Paul would throw it away anyways and buy her a new jacket. For now all Jacob could do was try to help cut back on the smell.
With the jacket off, it was clear to see that the girl's other belongings were not any better; if at all possible, they were worse. Leah covered her mouth in shock as she viewed the baggy and torn sweatshirt. The color was unidentifiable and large stains decorated most of the garment, causing Leah to tear up and Sam to step to her side, rubbing his hand soothingly over his imprint's shoulder. The Quileute's population wasn't rolling in cash and Leah knew some of the families lived from paycheck to paycheck just making ends meet. But those people still had clean clothes and the barest of necessities to groom their persons; the girl on the couch looked as though she didn't even have a ten cent comb to brush her hair with.
"That'll do, Paul, thank you," Sue told the wolf, motioning for him to lie the girl back down on the couch. "I don't think this is going to work very well, but we certainly don't want her to awaken to strangers giving her a normal bath."
Sue resumed the impromptu bath, pushing up the sweater sleeves to access arms. Ignoring the gasps from the other wolves, she went back to work, trying to clean the skin as best as she could while not removing any of the scabs that had formed. When she had finished Sue looked at the basin of water. She had only washed off the girl's face and arms and the water was almost pitch black. Looking up, Sue realized that Paul was watching both her and the girl.
"Paul," Sue requested quietly, waiting until he was looking directly at her. "I need to be able to view this girl completely, minus the dirt. If we were at the clinic-" Sue stopped when the wolf bristled tensely, obviously not liking what he was hearing. She hated herself for having to make a suggestion that she had hoped to avoid.
Sue waited until she felt Sam come up behind her before continuing. "If we were at the clinic, I could cut her clothes off to wash her, not worrying about a water mess since we have liners and tile floors. I'd like to propose giving her a real bath in your tub. I don't have to cut off her clothing; Leah can help me remove them and then run home to get a change. Is that acceptable to you?"
"No," Paul exclaimed, standing to pick up his urchin. "I'll agree to giving her a bath, but only if you and I are in the bathroom. The last thing she needs is her modesty exposed." Turning to Leah, Paul looked down at his imprint. "I'd really appreciate it, Leah, if you could go home now and let her borrow some clothes. Nothing fancy; just some sweats will do and if you tell me how much, I'll pay you back, okay?"
"Paul, I can't allow that," Sam spoke up, meeting the shocked glare. "Yes, I'm sure Leah will happily give you some clothes, and don't worry about paying for it, but I can't allow you alone in a room with Sue while your imprint is like this. Carry her in there and then leave, so the girls can wash your girl properly. If you promise not to fight with Jake, I'll leave him here and quickly run over to the house to get some of Leah's things to let your girl have."
"I'm not going to hurt anyone," Paul snarled out, angry at being denied the simple task of helping his imprint. "She doesn't know anyone and I don't think it's a good idea to leave her alone with Leah and Sue. They aren't strong or fast enough to catch her should someone slip."
Before Sue or Sam could say anything, Leah's feminine righteousness came out full force. "You ass," she spat at Paul, earning a growl from him and a returned growl at Paul from Sam. "She doesn't know you either; imprint or not. If you're so worried about accidental slipping, place her in the tub and then leave. Mom and I can remove her clothes and then fill it with water. Once we're done bathing her, we can drain the water, dry her off and put her in a large shirt, so you can come back in to pick her up when we put some pants on her."
Sue was proud of her daughter. She hadn't considered the possibility of Paul seeing the girl unclothed, being only focused on cleaning her up. What Leah said would be more time consuming, but in the long run should pacify all parties involved.
Paul felt trapped; he and his imprint against the world, and it made his body tremble. Despite knowing these people for all of his life, the imprint was too new to allow Paul to lose sight of his girl while she was in the hands of someone else. Even if he stood just outside of the bathroom, barely five feet away, Leah would insist on closing the door and Paul's wolf would explode.
Paul didn't notice when Sam gently pulled Sue away or when Jake stepped closer to pull away the girl if Paul happened to explode into furry madness. He did notice when Sue called out to him in a motherly voice.
"Paul, may I check something first?" Sue asked, not daring to venture closer. When the man looked away from his imprint, Sue could see that his eyes were fighting to change, golden patches appearing and disappearing amidst the deep set grey color of Paul's human eyes.
When Paul still didn't answer, Sue tried to explain her plan. "I want to see if she has underclothes on. If she does, you and I can go to the bathroom, leave the door open and you can hold her while I wash her legs down."
Sue watched as Paul cast a look at Sam then dropped his face back to the girl, pulling her up higher on his chest and watching Sam from the corner of his eye.
"Paul, Sam wants to make sure nothing happens to her either. The girl is obviously important to you and Sam knows that; he could never forgive himself if even something as minor as a bump occurred and he wasn't there to help make sure it didn't happen," Sue explained compassionately.
Forty-five minutes ago, she had been worried one of the pack had been hurt. Now, here in the house, she realized that it was more severe than that. An imprint—and there was no doubt the girl could be anything but—was a wolf's only reason for existence when they found their mates. Sue needed to ensure this girl was okay and would remain so.
When Paul tightened his grip on the small bundle again, Sue knew Paul was thinking through the idea.
"No one is going to see anything they shouldn't, Paul. If she isn't wearing anything under the pants, we'll think of something else. I need you to check though because if she is, we need to clean her up some more, okay? Just feel under the band if she has something on; no one, not even you, will be exposing her," Sue cajoled, her relief palatable when she saw Paul's hand snake to the waist of the girl's clothes.
Breathing heavily, Paul almost felt dirty in his actions; the former playboy persona swallowed up whole by the wolf and the need to help his mate. His fingers trailed over a broken belt loop before inching under the fabric, searching for an indication of more clothing.
Gently scraping against something softer than her pants, Paul sagged in obvious relief. He would be able to help his urchin without unduly exposing her flesh to the eyes of the world. Mentally, Paul knew he was being stupid, but his damn wolf thought he was reacting perfectly fine. The approval from within sent Paul moving in the direction of his room where the only working bathroom was located.
Flicking on every light he passed by, Paul could hear Sam tell Jacob and Leah to wait there and not to come into his bedroom unless asked for specifically no matter they heard. Sue had already begun to follow Paul and Sam hurried to catch up, still overly concerned for his imprint's mom's safety. Once he got into the room, he crouched against the wall next to the bathroom door, ready to spring at the first sign of trouble.
Paul's bathroom was considerably large for a house of this size. He had extended the foundation along the western side by ten feet to expand the kitchen, living room, and his bed and bathroom leaving a lot of space yet to be decorated. Thankfully the toilet had been originally placed on the inner wall, allowing Paul to install a separate shower and tub. He sure as hell wasn't about to take any pansy assed bubble baths in what resembled a small swimming pool of a tub, but the chicks had liked it and right now, Paul was extremely happy to have the maneuvering space.
Kneeling on the floor, Sue pulled some towels down with her to use as cushioning for her knees, not stopping to ask why Paul didn't have any type of mats in here. Turning both faucets on in the tub, she let the water run for a few minutes, checking the temperature and waiting for the enormous basin to fill with at least a good four inches of water.
With the water gurgling from the faucet, Paul sat down on the closed toilet seat to remove his urchin's shoes and socks. Like the rest of her things, her shoes should've been thrown away a long time ago. Noting the various holes throughout the canvas material, Paul tried to untie her left shoe laces, the brittle fabric only staying together from the dirt. It tore and crumpled in between the wolf's large fingers, the knot falling useless to the ground. When he pulled gently at the heel to remove the shoe, the rubber sole flapped uselessly away from the canvas, revealing the bottom of his urchin's foot.
Gnashing his teeth together, Paul tried not to cry like a bitch when he moved on to her right shoe. Unbelievably, it was in worse condition than the left one, a piece of twine wrapped around the middle to hold the sole in place. It was a miracle his urchin had been able to run so quickly without killing herself and Paul's wolf started to whine, thinking of what could have happened if she had tripped on the pavement and cracked her head open to get away.
He heard the water being shut off and hurried to remove her socks, cringing at the mismatched pair: one black colored man's dress sock and one yellowed cotton thing, both thread bare and showing parts of her toes. Paul couldn't look at her feet anymore as he moved to unbutton her pants, untying the piece of leather she was using as a belt and releasing the overly large safety pin keeping the pants closed.
Setting the pin on the vanity, Sue came over to help him, softly tugging the pants down to show that his urchin did have underclothes on. Paul had seen just about every fashion of panties a man could think of, but this…these…rags were not acceptable and Paul had to blink quickly at the onslaught of distress his eyes were about to unleash.
Sue took her time, carefully bundling the pants and walking to the door to ask if Sam could have Leah at least wash the clothing. It probably wouldn't survive the washing machine and Leah had already volunteered to give this girl some clothes, but Sue knew Paul was barely hanging on by a thread. The best thing now would be to make sure the girl could get better without having to be hospitalized and leave the pair alone until the wolf calmed down.
Turning back to the tub, Sue saw Paul had already kneeled beside it, dangling the girl's feet over the side and cupping water in his hands to rinse over the skin. Grabbing two washcloths and some soap, she handed one to Paul, using the other to clean her legs to the best of their ability.
Usually most people awoke when the feel of water touched their skin and the fact that the girl didn't so much as twitch caused a bit of alarm in Sue. Considering what Sam had said and the overall condition of this girl, she withheld commenting, wishing to be done and move on to happier topics.
When the impromptu bathing was finished, both Sue and Paul used towels to dry the area, taking a third larger bath sheet to wrap around the girl's waist and keep her warm. Paul held his urchin perfectly still when Sue grabbed her supply bag to come back into the bathroom and listen to her lungs, stomach and back.
She also checked the girl's ears and throat, stilling her movements as Paul started to growl when she squeezed the girl's cheeks to force her mouth open. Sam was in the room before Sue could even pull her hand away, trying to explain she only needed to see if the girl's throat was swollen and/or inflamed.
Paul quieted when Sam entered, one eye watching Sue and the other observing the close vicinity of another male. Damn, what the hell was wrong with him? This wasn't a situation where his imprint was crying out and saying no or anything. Paul, only just having imprinted a few hours ago, didn't know the wolf had forced itself to be in charge. His mate couldn't speak for herself at the moment and the wolf wanted to make damn sure everyone was aware of how close it was and to be wary of attempting to make unusual touching gestures to its mate.
Wordlessly, Sue finished her examination before speaking to the others, putting her supplies away and indicating for Paul to go back into the living room with the girl. She came in just as he was placing the girl back on the couch; putting a throw pillow under her head and then perching himself back on the armrest to watch both her and the other occupants.
"I don't have to ask as to why you aren't planning on taking her to the hospital," Sue spoke up, "but I must advise that it would be in her best interest."
"Is she that ill?" Sam asked, noticing Paul's increased look of unease.
Hospitals meant paperwork. Paperwork that required answers no one had to give.
"Do you see how shiny her skin is? That's a sign of dehydration. Not severe, but enough to be concerned. She's obviously malnourished and," pulling open her lips, Sue studied the girls gums. "I'd bet she's anemic as well."
Paul felt his fingers grab the couch when Sue approached and touched his imprint again. Once his urchin was scented of Paul, the wolf would relax slightly with others playing touchy-feely. He sure as hell hoped it would happen soon before he accidently tore off someone's arm.
Sue continued her prognosis detail without any hesitation or worries; not with Jake and Sam close enough to tackle Paul.
"I'd have to perform a full exam, but from what I can see, there isn't a part of her body that is free from abrasions and contusions. Most of the cuts seem to be healing rather well but," lifting up the sweaters and shirts, Sue pointed out what she had found while palpitating the girl's abdomen; the same one Paul had been fretting over. "This one here on her abdomen could be dangerous and go either way."
The wound Sue was talking about looked really bad to Paul. He knew, could guaran-fucking-tee it was a knife wound of some sort, judging from the way the skin was cut, and he had half a mind to go back to Seattle and kill whatever fucker still had the blade in his possession. Jacob casually flexed his calves, ready to pounce and reminding Paul to stop thinking like that.
"Can't you just give her some drugs and make it better? That's all a doc would do anyways," Paul demanded, ill at ease that he might not be able to care for her himself and knowing that if he couldn't there'd be a pack of wolves chasing his ass tonight when he attempted to extract revenge in Seattle. If his urchin couldn't be here in his home, he'd go insane thinking about the reason why.
"Yes, Paul, I can," Sue answered. "This one, though, looks as though it might require stitches and while I'm perfectly capable of administering them, we don't know how she obtained the cut. If it was from a rusty piece of metal or wood, there could still be shrapnel under the skin."
"I'd smell it, if that was the case," Paul smirked feeling better already about not needing to send his imprint off to some doctor.
Any other time, Sue probably would've whacked Paul on his knee for his sass. A slightly smiling Paul, though, meant a slightly smiling wolf and Sue was eager to keep the peace. "True," she acknowledged Paul's logic, "but what about a bacterial infection? You mentioned a sewer which is probably one of the dirtiest places to be and a regular safe-haven for methicillin resistant staphylococcus and Escherichia…just to name a few."
At the blank looks, Sue tried not to huff her impatience. "MRSA, e. coli, flesh eating bacteria, do any of those sound familiar? You must realize that despite your incredible healing and immune systems, and the lifestyles of your imprints who are lucky enough to have clean water and food, a child such as this is a disaster waiting to happen. Nothing I have would be effective in dealing with such an infection."
"We can smell sickness; she doesn't have anything like that," Paul insisted, wondering why Sue was trying to worry everyone with talk of damn-near untreatable conditions.
"Paul, I'll not argue with you on this. She may be fine today, but at any moment—if she's come in contact with a destructive bacterial or viral infection—she could crash. Her inadequate diet alone could weaken her immune system's ability to fight and there wouldn't be a damn thing anyone could do about it."
Leah, who had been silent for some time, wanted to pace around the room. It just wasn't right, a wolf's imprint having to live as a homeless person. She wanted to find this girl's parents and beat the shit out of them for just abandoning their kid. True, she didn't know what the real story was, but it didn't matter: this girl needed help!
"But as it stands, she's okay, right?" Paul insisted, unnoticing of Leah's agitation. "You don't think she's presently in the middle of an incurable infection?"
"No, she doesn't have a fever; I'd be hard –pressed to say she has rampaging infection, but neither could I say she doesn't. Not without some blood tests."
"No tests!" Paul barked out. At both Sam and Sue's accusing glare, Paul amended. "If she starts sweating, I'll consider taking her for some tests. But since I can't get sick and she's not leaving any time soon, we'll just stay here for now."
Sue's mouth set into a grim line. As a health care provider, she was required to report any type of abuse, especially if it pertained to a minor. As part of her tribe, though, she was honor bound to protect their secrets. Taking Paul's imprint away from him—even if he hadn't said it yet- before she was even awake, would definitely cause a fight and possibly expose them all.
"All right, Paul. As long as you promise to call me should she develop a fever, I'll step aside. Lucky for you, she doesn't appear to have any type of parasitical skin infections." Reaching into her satchel she pulled out some a tube of ointment and several small, foil wrapped items.
"These aren't very strong, but they will help with an infection if she has a normal strand. The ointment, too, has antibiotic properties and should be applied twice a day. Make sure you wash your hands before doing so. Just because you can't get sick doesn't mean that you can't still transmit germs to those who can."
"I promise, Sue," Paul replied holding up his hands solemnly and giddy that his imprint was staying. "I'll make sure to lick them extra clean before I touch her."
"That's not all he's going to lick," Jacob uttered lowly, no one but the wolves hearing him. Paul smirked while Sam frowned, knowing all too well what wolves liked to do with their tongues to their imprints.
In a house alone.
Where plenty of soft surfaces were easily available.
Trying not to look uncomfortable, his eyes slid over to Leah who was also smirking. She may not have heard the comment, but she could practically narrow down the exact second Sam's thoughts drifted that way.
Picking up her bag, Sue spoke to the wolf in a scary mom voice. "Paul, I don't want to hear about you licking anything of this poor girl's even if it's your own hands to just touch her. Make sure you keep me posted on any new developments and let's hope it will work out," Sue said optimistically, grabbing her things to leave.
"Come on, guys," she said turning to address the rest of the room. "It's getting late and I'm sure this girl could do with some more sleep in a quieter environment." Waving her hands in a shooing motion, they all left, Jacob closing the door behind them as Sue walked over to her car and Sam loaded his deeply thinking imprint into theirs.
"Sam," Sue called as he walked around his SUV to jump in the driver's side. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Sam quietly jogged over, smiling softly at Sue. It had been a stressful afternoon and evening but Sam always had time for her. "Everything okay?" he asked coming up alongside her car.
"Sam" Sue whispered, not wanting to a big deal. "I'm not blind. I can see that the girl inside is soon to be a big part of Paul's life if she isn't already. Honey, what are you thinking?"
Startled, Sam's smile dropped, shock covering his handsome face. "Sue, I don't know what you think is going on but it's being taken care of. Paul won't hurt her, not when it's just the two of them-"
"Samuel, I am not talking about him hurting her; at least not physically. However, she looks really young and I don't think it's wise to leave Paul alone to his own devices to make whatever this situation is, work."
"Sue, I can't just take her away from him. You know what she is even if we can't say it aloud right now and it would seriously break Paul to lose her when he's just found her."
Shifting her weight from foot to foot, Sue tried to remain complacent while still maintaining the seriousness of the situation. "Samuel, what if she's underage? It doesn't matter how homeless or unwanted she was, people will find out and it will bring unnecessary attention to the tribe."
Sam sighed heavily, those exact same thoughts racing through his own head. "I know, Sue and to an extent, I agree. But right now, we're going to have to wait and see what happens when the girl wakes up. Unless she tells us she is underage or asks to leave, I cannot do that to Paul."
Sue could see how heavily the burden was to Sam; she didn't need to add anymore. "Alright, Samuel, I can agree to that. Please, though, if it turns out to be true let me know before Paul does something rash. We won't just quietly hand her over to the state without at least making a case for our side to be heard."
"Thanks, Sue," Sam said, happy to know he could count on her. "I'll advise the others and we'll keep you posted, okay?"
Climbing into her car, Sue just laughed. "You better, Samuel Uley and while you're at it, see if you can convince my daughter to stop by more often. You can't always manipulate her time; I miss her, too."
Waiting until Sue backed out of the driveway, Sam waved before heading back over to his own vehicle. He knew Leah would have plenty to say about the situation and honestly he didn't know how he would be able to answer her.