A/N: Kudos to my beta, ShadowPast620. Hugs and wolfy kisses to my reviewers.
Well, this was one shiny ball of fuck up! Paul thought irritably.
He wasn't much of a social person, one of those guys who went out to sports bars and shit to watch sports and brag/bitch about the female he was currently screwing. Brady suggesting that they all go out on a date like a group of twats was the last fucking thing he would ever agree to. The pack knew that and rarely badgered him, but Brady, the shitter, had pulled out a secret offensive move and instilled the help of Urchin to get Paul to go.
It wasn't fair to blame his urchin, though. This wasn't a matter of him being forced into some nightmarish 1950's date of movies and ice cream. The outing was what Urchin wanted; not to make Paul unhappy, but because she had been really excited to go somewhere! His wolf had been at the standby, ready to beat the Hell out of Paul had he indicated that he wasn't keen on going.
Paul was still nervous about the trip. Urchin may think she was ready for this, but Paul knew Brady and Regina. One talked shit until he was blue in the face and the other…well, she talked a lot of shit, too, and by doing so, could make the task of watching paint dry look like an intellectual marathon in comparison. He'd have to find a few minutes to give Brady a call and remind the love-bird lumps to keep the chatter to a minimum.
The thrumming of his cell interrupted Paul's internal bashing and reluctantly he dug it out of his pocket to see what new low life was calling to give him shit.
When the caller I.D. on Paul's phone flashed the word 'Clinic' he growled in annoyance. He hadn't fucked a local in a few months and wondered what slut bunny was currently calling to blame him for her –whatever her it was—recently discovered infection of bubonic crabs. Despite his wolf's immunity, he wrapped his shit tight and knew damn well he was never the cause of passing around STD's, nor was he about to be some loser bitch's baby daddy.
The phone kept ringing and Paul's eyes darted to his Urchin's form currently sitting in the dining room and staring out at the rain. He knew she hadn't heard the near silent chirping and easily he could get up, tell the caller off and then be back, with Urchin none the wiser.
His bedroom door had no sooner clicked shut when Paul answered with a "Look, Ho. I didn't give you shit and any brat you're trying to claim is mine, isn't. So do us both a favor, save the fucking minutes and hang up. If you need to piss and moan, call a damn therapist."
If Paul hadn't been a wolf, he would've missed the tentative response of "Paul? It's Sue."
Awkwardly, Paul fumbled with the phone, bringing it back to his ear before he could disconnect the call.
"Oh, fuck…Sue? Shit, sorry about that," Paul said automatically. He meant the apology, but his tone lacked the sincerity to sound convincing.
"I see," Sue answered, struggling to remember why she had called Paul after his abrupt greeting shocked her thoughtless.
…A patient had stopped by for a refill on post partum depression medication; the doctor mentioning that she also continue to take prenatal vitamins for a few more months; the three cancellations in a row due to bad weather…
"There were a few cancellations this afternoon at the clinic and I was hoping you'd bring Arial by. The doctor can give her an exam and we can do some blood tests," Sue offered, her voice returning to its normally cheery attitude.
Paul's mouth turned to dry ash. He thought he had made it perfectly clear that going to a doctor's office was a bad idea, especially a small town local office where everybody knew each other's shit. Urchin couldn't talk and they had no way of being able to provide simple information like a birthday or name. Besides, she was okay. Hell, even the knife wound was healing spectacularly due to Paul's meandering tongue.
"I...umm...Sue, that's a really bad idea," Paul said uncomfortably. "I mean, Urchin is fine. Her knife wound is practically gone and she doesn't have a fever or any of that shit." Unconsciously, Paul's ears strained to hear his girl's heartbeat and he inhaled deeply, scenting for any ripple of pheromones that might suggest he was mistaken and Urchin was sick.
"Paul, I am relieved to hear that her wound is healing nicely, but I thought I made it perfectly clear when I said she could still harbor some type of infection," Sue explained, breaking Paul's urchin observations.
"Like what?" he asked sarcastically, tired of the Doomsdays games. Jesus H. Fucking Christ, could no one be normal and happy that his girl seemed to be adjusting just fine and fucking dandy?
"Like an STD," Sue said point blank. "Paul, we don't know exactly what type of conditions she's been living in, unless she's told you something?"
Way to fucking remind him that his girl still wasn't talking. That aside, Paul's anger rose at Sue's insinuations that he and Urchin were having a clothesless relationship! "No she hasn't said shit, but I haven't fucked her either and even if I had, I wouldn't have given her anything, remember?"
"I'm not talking about you, Paul," Sue seethed at his obstinence. "I'm talking about Arial's health."
"I already told you, Urchin couldn't give me anything even if she did have something. Which she doesn't," Paul declared adamantly. Fuck this shit! He didn't care what Sue or anyone else might think, Paul knew his girl wasn't carrying around crotch-rot of any sort!
"I'm still not talking about you!" Sue repeated shrilly, looking around the office before lowering her voice. "She could have something and while you'd be immune, she won't. Finding out before symptoms appears makes a great deal of difference for the treatability rate. Can you honestly say that's she been safe with past partners?"
"What past partners?" Paul asked blissfully dumb. Considering even dreaming Paul couldn't get laid by his girl, he sure as shit didn't want to think about someone else receiving pleasure from Urchin.
"Do you think she's a virgin, Paul?"
God damn! Sue was really trying to kill Paul. "Yes!" He answered, while his inner psychoscreamed, 'No!'
"Paul," Sue sighed in exasperation, "Just show up here at noon. Most of the staff will be out to lunch and the doctor has agreed to see her then."
"But I don't even know-"
"Noon, Paul! Goodbye," Sue said, disconnecting the call.
"God-fucking-dammit," Paul muttered as he slipped his phone into his pocket. He didn't want to think about this shit now…or ever. But apparently, Nurse Clearwater held a different opinion and Paul knew she'd run to the Alpha Asshole and whine if he didn't comply.
Shit! Now Paul was depressed about not being able to be horny due to some imaginary fucking nonexistent condition.
Bella felt like she had made a mistake.
After the grocery store incident, she wasn't sure she wanted to be around any of his guy friends. When the man from earlier asked about going to the movies, her innate fear of strange men was momentarily forgotten with the promise of going to the theater. Bella didn't have any money and even though that Brady person had mentioned paying, she was worried that the Paul man would get stuck doing so and then be mad at her for agreeing. She had studied his face very carefully, looking for a sign as to what she should say as both men waited.
Something enticing had flickered in his eyes. Bella wouldn't say it was eagerness or hopefulness, but it did allow her to agree to go. Afterwards, as the Paul man kept telling her everything was okay and asking what he could do to make her more comfortable, she felt that Brady person staring at her and tried not to show how much it had bothered her.
The Paul man was quick. Whatever expression she had tried to repress, he had somehow seen it and turned abruptly on the other man. He must have looked extremely mean since the Brady guy left right away. As usual, Bella had felt a small flicker of renewed fear that the Paul man's anger would be directed at her.
Nothing could have surprised her more when they were suddenly seated on the couch and he began to ask what kind of movies she liked and if she really wanted to go or was just agreeing because she felt like there wasn't "any other fucking choice".
The answer was simply yes, and to both questions. Bella didn't have any choice, but she also really wanted to go and tried to let the Paul man know it. Cautiously she reached for one of his hands and rubbed her palm against the top in reassurance, wondering if most people had such warm hands. It was probably only true for those who had their own homes, she decided unimportantly, happy when he moved to fully clasp her own colder one.
After awhile, he had suggested she get changed. The Paul man was kind of weird like that, wanting Bella to change at least twice a day from what he called sleeping clothes to normal clothes. She knew the difference, sort of, but Undergrounders were considered lucky if they could change once a month, say nothing of twice a day!
Watching his expressions again to make sure it was really okay, Bella got up and happily took a shower. She liked the feeling of warm, clean water on her skin and the ability to wash her hair. The fact that if the Paul man were to suddenly come in when she was bathing and hurt or use her wouldn't be nice, but she could live with it.
She hoped!
Making her way back out into the living room, she halted, watching as the Paul man sat on the couch, mumbling to himself. He was a really nice looking man; well groomed with his short black hair, absent facial hair and darkly hued skin. Bella was almost certain his skin tone wasn't from a tan, whatever it was, she kinda liked it. The increasing tinkling sound of rain caught Bella's attention and she quietly left the Paul man alone, choosing to sit in the dining room and look out the window.
It rained a lot in Seattle, but it rained even more at the Paul man's house and as Bella watched the non-stopping water fall from the sky, she began to reconsider living here. If she was lucky enough to find a cave, she'd be stuck inside most days due to the cold. Summer rains could be harsh as well, but not like the Fall and Winter ones.
Hopefully she wouldn't have to worry about that for a long time, considering that the Paul man had seemed to enjoy their kissing from yesterday. Heck, he had been the one to give her the second kiss, pulling away before she could let her nerves start up. That part of the kissing did worry Bella. She'd give him whatever he wanted and despite enjoying the initial contact, she was scared that he expected her to instantly like everything.
Oh, but she was trying to like everything!
Bella was starting to feel an emotion of warmth from being around him, the odd feeling increasing whenever she managed to make choices he approved of. The fear of punishment still clouded her mind; an inherent terror that he'd get really mad, hurt her viciously and then throw her back to the monsters.
Trudging back out to the dining room, Paul carefully sat at the table across from Bella. She thought she had heard talking, but since it obviously wasn't meant for her to hear, Bella had shrugged it off, studying the window.
"Urchin?" The Paul man spoke to her directly, pulling her thoughts away from things that might never occur. "I just got off the phone with a friend, Sue. She's Leah's mom and a nurse that works at a nearby clinic. She asked if I'd bring you in because…"
Her eyes closed quickly and filled with tears and Bella knew she had been lying to herself all along. She wasn't hurt and knew no one would waste money for an unnecessary trip to the doctors. The Paul man was going to hurt her first and then take her to see the nurse because it was probably going to cause more damage than the band-aid box he had made could fix.
"Shit! Why are you crying?" He demanded harshly. Bella didn't hear him get up, but when his hands gripped above her shoulders, she tensed and squeaked.
The squeaking didn't make the Paul man leave, but he dropped his hands and then repositioned them to pick her up and set her in his lap.
"Look, I don't like doctors and their bullshit either, but it's just to make sure you're healthy. Sue's nice, just like Leah is, and she'll be by your side the whole time, okay?" The Paul man pleaded with her.
Bella couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong with her! He was being nice and she needed to stop crying and agree to what he was asking before he did something mean, like say no to going to the movies or worse, kicking her out of his house.
"Come on, Urchin. I swear, no one is going to fucking hurt you. Hell, I'll tell Sue that I'm going in with you so you'll know I mean every damn word. If I even think the quack doc is looking at you funny, I'll bash his head in," he told her, hugging her tightly and comfortingly.
Having lived all of her life in violent circumstances, Bella couldn't stand the thought of people being hurt. Strangely enough, the idea that the Paul man would protect her and hurt those who meant her harm, were a comfort.
She couldn't stop crying fully, managing to stifle her sobs until only a few stubborn tears continued to fall. Pulling back, she nodded to the Paul man. No, Bella didn't want to see a doctor unnecessarily, but if this was what he asked of her, she could do it.
It never fucking failed. Ask the Spirits if the day could get any more fucked up and they beamed brightly as they shoveled more shit than Paul thought any person should experience.
That and many more asinine –heavy emphasis on ass—thoughts occupied Paul as he drove his girl to the clinic. He had meant every damn word he'd promised; that he would sit with her while the doc did his shit and make damn fucking sure there weren't any squirrelly procedures planned.
Apparently the only nuts were in Paul's plan. As soon as he and Urchin walked through the door, Sue had appeared, told Paul to have a seat and then whisked his girl away into a back room. Paul had been six years old the last time he had ever visited a clinic and as far as he knew, Sue would quickly come back out and let Paul sit with Urchin.
"Paul!" Sue hissed, coming out of the exam room Urchin was waiting in. Quickly she walked to where he was sitting, so she could glare at him appropriately. "I told you not to use your inner talents to take care of Arial. Why is her gash almost healed?"
"She doesn't know it was me. I waited until she was asleep before I did anything and it was never in my inner form," Paul answered directly and indirectly, letting Sue knew he hadn't phased in front of his girl. "Can I go be with her now?" He asked, standing up to do just that.
No! Sit down, Paul," Sue commanded, not caring what he thought he may or may not be entitled to do. "What about the antibiotics I gave her? Has she been taking them as well?"
For once, Paul couldn't hide his mistake and whispered quietly as he sank back into the chair, "She took them for a couple of days, but with everything else going and the pa-boys," he quickly amended, "constantly barging in, it slipped my mind."
Sue's anger grew and despite knowing she shouldn't aggravate him, she couldn't help herself. "Paul Lahote! Are you seriously telling me you just quit giving her the medication?"
"Yesss," Paul hissed back. "I didn't do it on purpose, but I did still take care of her and the wounds. The ones on her hands, too! She's doing fine. No fever, no sickness and definitely no funny smelling infection coming from her. If the only reason you brought me here was to nag, I'm grabbing Urchin and we're outta here!" Standing back up, Paul took one step forward before he felt Sue's hand grab at the back of his shirt.
"Sit down, Paul, before you make a scene," she demanded. Nurse Clearwater definitely wasn't a match for a wolf, but she was using one hell of demanding tone. Once he had done just that, Sue tried to clear her mind of the anger she was feeling and think of a way to address this particularly moody wolf.
"I understand that you might have become distracted and that using your natural talent seemed like the best option," Sue began slowly, waiting until he nodded before continuing. "However, I must ask that you resume the antibiotics. Probably not the ones I gave you, though. I'll mention to the doctor about prescribing something more effective for infections."
"What did you tell the doctor about Urchin? He's gonna wanna know why she needs that shit, won't he?"
"Well, yes," Sue hedged, feeling slightly uncomfortable. It wasn't in her nature to lie, but she had done just that to Dr. Hamlin. "I told him that she was a close friend of Leah's, visiting family from Port Angeles. She's been staying here at the Rez, went camping with a group and some things happened."
"Things?" Paul asked, not liking the sound of that.
"Yes, things, Paul," Sue exclaimed. "I had to come up with a rational explanation as to why a girl appears out of nowhere, wanting a pelvic exam and accommodating blood work."
Lalalalalalalalalalalala, sang Paul's wolf, conscience and mind. Trying to even think about things would just piss him the fuck off.
"Yeah, okay," Paul said dismissively, still irritated over the medicine thing. "Just make it quick. I can hear Urchin's nervousness and it is not helping."
That had to be the understatement of the year. He could hear her trembling on the paper sheet, smell her anxiety and if he closed his eyes, would fucking bet that she was hunched up into a ball, staring in terror at the closed door Sue had left through.
"We will, Paul, but she might become even more nervous when the doctor enters. I also told him she was deaf but could read lips so he won't be suspicious when she doesn't speak. But…" trailing off, Sue waited until Paul was staring directly at her with his full attention.
"Some women experience discomfort during the exams. It's completely normal and I don't want you to come bursting through the door if she makes any type of distressed noises."
Clenching tightly to the wooden arm rests of the chair he was sitting in, Paul looked at Sue like she was crazy. He damn well, sure as fuck, wasn't going to just sit out here on his happy ass if Urchin was in pain.
Sue beat him to the punch. "Now, I'm going back in there because Dr. Hamlin will be making his way in shortly. I need you to go outside and stay in the forest with Seth."
"What?" Paul asked in disbelief.
"I called Sam after I spoke to you this morning and explained about the appointment," she said entirely guilt free. "Seth is nearby to help you, in case you can't control yourself."
"I am not leaving this chair until Urchin is ready to go!" Or needs me by her side! Those thoughts alone caused Paul to shake, not in a phasing manner, but in battle to stay seated versus just prancing his determined ass on back to the exam room with Urchin.
"Yes, you are," Sue smirked, clearly showing the world where Leah had gotten her grit from. "It's not asking too much. Arial is still close enough to you that stepping out won't change the fact. No one here is going to hurt her and if you don't do as I ask, nicely, I will be forced to call Sam again and put you on the phone with him."
"I'm not scared of the big bad Alpha, go ahead. Call him!" Paul stated, calling the bluff. He could feel her huff of indignation fan across his face before Sue tried to change her tactic.
"Paul, why do you make trouble where none exists? If I have to go find a phone to referee you, that means Arial will be by herself even longer. Can you please, just go outside? The quicker I can go in there, the sooner we'll be done."
Staring hard at the woman who was telling him to willingly leave his girl's side, Paul scowled. Sam would probably Alpha order his ass to do something gross and unnecessary, like hiker cleanup. Those nasty ass campers left all sorts of shit just lying around like bundles of shit filled toilet paper and used, crusty filled condoms.
Fucking nasty!
Plus…his girl was here to get checked out. Paul didn't need to really hear all the details, preferring for when Sue just gave him the bottom line minus the nitty gritty. Urchin probably wouldn't even want him to see her in an exam room, her dignity already just barely being held on by a thread.
Sighing heavily, Paul stood up and left to go outside. He really didn't want to talk to Seth and hoped the other wolf would understand that and keep his distance. Finding a thick pine tree just inside the forest line, Paul leaned back against the trunk, closed his eyes and hoped his girl would still look at him by the time this shit was over with.
Bella tensed when a soft knock came at the door and the Sue nurse called out to say she was coming in. The door had barely closed when another knock came, this time announcing a doctor's arrival.
"Hi, Arial. I'm Dr. Hamlin," the man said, looking at her face directly and speaking clearly. He held out his hand to shake hers and Bella slouched away, not at all comfortable or willing to touch it.
If the doctor was offended, he didn't show any signs, dropping his hand and sitting down a stool that he scooted closer to the table.
"Nurse Clearwater tells me that you're good friends with her daughter, Leah," he spoke conversationally, reading whatever was in his hands after he was done talking.
Bella could only stare at the strange doctor as he constantly insisted on looking at her directly when he spoke and making Bella wonder what that was all about. The Sue nurse kept giving encouraging smiles and nods to Bella from across the room.
The entire time he was talking, whether to Bella or the Sue nurse, he kept saying strange things about her 'mistake' with a boy in the woods and how wise she was to take care of it immediately. She almost jerked off the table when he lifted her feet into stirrups, instructing her to relax as the nurse came to stand by her side and hold her shoulders down, suddenly repeating every word the doctor man was saying despite the fact that Bella could hear.
There was nothing that could have prepared Bella for what came next. When the doctor man started to touch her there and inserted something cold and hard, Bella's mind shut down as she was thrust back into the memories of the Underground. She no longer fidgeted or whimpered, locked inside of a hellish nightmare where demons taunted and threatened her helpless body.
Sue could see instantly the shut down Arial went in to. She kept repeating what the doctor was saying, pretending Arial was fine while samples were taken and the examination progressed.
"And, I'm finished, Arial," Dr. Hamlin declared, sealing the sample bags and removing the medical instruments. As he backed the stool away from the table to wash his hands, Sue gently lowered Arial's legs and covered her with the gown.
"Dr. Hamlin, it appears that Arial might have passed out. From embarrassment," Sue spoke quietly, wincing when she heard what sounded like a wolf snarling in anger outside. "I think we should finish her exam before we revive her, if that's okay?"
Most doctors wouldn't dare touch a patient for an examination if they passed out mid-exam. Dr. Hamlin was of a similar mindset, but before deciding, he wondered if Sue knew anything about what he had discovered.
"Sue, you said Arial was a good friend of Leah's. Has she ever…talked to you about anything she's experienced?" The doctor asked
"Not much," Sue admitted honestly before proceeding to lie. "Arial's family is extremely religious, zealots even, and while she's very quiet, Leah's mentioned that she often hangs out with a rough crowd."
"Is she currently in an abusive relationship?"
"Not that I know of, no." Dread swept through Sue like a wildfire. Had Paul done something he shouldn't have? "Why, is something wrong?" She asked, mentally calculating how quickly she could contact Sam in the event that Arial would not be returning to the Lahote house.
"Arial has extensive vaginal scarring, the kind most often seen in patients who have been raped multiple times in a short time span and usually by more than one abuser. There are no present injuries, although, the newest scar looks to be only a few months old."
"Oh my god," Sue breathed in horror. All along, she had suspected it would be something like this, but to hear a doctor confirm it made the situation more real.
"I've taken extensive swabs and we will, of course, need to do a panel of blood work. Has the girl told you who her accident was with?"
"Excuse me?" Sue asked softly, her mind still whirling between the lies she had fabricated in order for Arial to be seen and the heavy dose of truth the doctor had just laid at her feet.
"Are you okay?" Giving Sue a look of concern, Dr Hamlin wondered if her odd response was due to Arial being Leah's friend. It was a bad idea to treat family members and if the girl was exceptionally close to the Clearwaters, Sue's behavior could be explained as being similar to that of a parent.
"The guy she was with?" Dr Hamlin tried again. "State law requires that she disclose the information in the event of gram positive yields."
"Ye..yes. I mean, no," Sue stuttered, a bit unnerved at the extent her lying was about to go. "Arial hasn't said who it was but if the tests come back, I'll make sure she does."
Shit! Sue had never tried to outright break the law and she wondered what her chances were if it came to that. Did the lab automatically send the results to the state or did they assume the medical staff performing the tests would contact the proper officials?
"Did she mention if she's on birth control?" Dr Hamlin questioned, breaking into Sue's criminal thoughts.
In for a penny, in for a pound, Sue thought before mentally stealing herself to continue the fabrication. "No, she's not taking any. I don't think her family would have allowed that."
"Hmm," Dr Hamlin muttered, scribbling some more notes. "It might be a good idea to mention contraceptives if Arial continues to live this type of lifestyle."
The doctor hadn't seen an abuse victim this mistreated since he interned a decade ago at an inner city hospital. Many young girls had been rushed in to the ER bloody, beaten and disfigured to the point of death. More died than could be saved and he fervently hoped that Arial would be a survivor.
"I'll finish looking her over, particularly at the wound you said you were worried about, but until the labs comes back, I'm hesitant to prescribe anything, especially if one of the tests yields positive gram results," he announced, placing the file down and approaching the table.
"Very good, Doctor," Sue mumbled, blindly observing the man as he examined Arial's stomach wound. She was unaware as the doctor made comments of how well Arial's wound was healing and that it probably wasn't as severe as Sue had first thought, considering the flesh was knitting well.
Sue Clearwater was still stuck on the realization that Arial had been sexually abused and not just once, but multiple times throughout her short life. The mother in Sue raged. That this girl's parents had not seen fit to find their daughter or even give her over to a relative when they obviously didn't want her.
Here she was, this girl that Paul had brought home through divine intervention of the Spirits and all the nurse could think about was that it looked like it had been a few years too late. The people in Arial's life now, could ensure that she would never have to live the life she had been. They could try and show her that there was more to life than punishment and acceptance of pain.
But would it be enough? Could a group of people who had never lived the way Arial had, or even dreamed of the degradation the girl had witnessed first hand, help erase the misery Arial had experienced in the years that were supposed to be the building blocks to life?
Whatever the doctor had been doing, Sue didn't notice until Arial sat up suddenly, coughing and whimpering. Scrambling away from the doctor, she almost fell off of the exam table, stopping when Sue came up behind her to act as a brace.
"It's okay, Arial. Dr Hamlin is finished with the exam part and both of us will step outside for you to change back into your clothes," Sue explained, reaching over to the bundle in a nearby chair and setting them on the tabletop.
Either the doctor forgot or he was overly engrossed in his patient's behavior, unmindful of the fact that Sue was standing behind the patient while speaking.
Not that Arial was paying much attention to anything other than the strange man standing in front of her.
"Nurse Clearwater will come back in here once you've changed and take some blood work. We'll have you back in once the results are in, okay, Arial?" The doctor explained, not waiting for a reply.
Sue could still hear canine grunts, whines and unhappiness from outside and decided she had to speed up Arial's progress before someone went outside to see what the noise was about or before a six and a half foot local native came bursting through the doors to abduct his imprint.
"You did fine, Arial," Sue said conversationally while attempting to quickly dress her patient. Rummaging through the clothes, she frowned when she couldn't find Arial's bra. Leah had told her they made sure Paul had bought the girl the beginnings of a wardrobe. Mentally shrugging, Sue decided she'd just add it to the list of things to talk to Paul about later.
"Quickly, now, put on your pants and underwear. The sooner you get dressed, the sooner I can finish the labs and then you can go back home with Paul."
If nothing else, at least the name of her wolf made the girl brighten slightly. Arial did as asked and seemed to be okay until Sue brought the syringe and collection tubes for blood. Wearily, she held out her arm for Sue when asked and then tried to pull back when the needle tip was placed in the crook of her elbow.
"Arial, look at me," Sue demanded, not releasing the girl's arm nor the syringe. When a pair of large, fear laced, brown eyes looked into Sue's, she almost faltered. It was like she could see the girl lose the grip on hopefulness and happiness she was reaching for and as the hypodermic slipped beneath the skin, the small flame vanished.
Sue tried to pretend she was over exaggerating. Arial was just tired and was hoping the exam would soon be over. Once all the vials were collected and Paul came back inside, Arial would be okay.
Paul was anything but A-O-fucking-K when he came back into the clinic. He had clearly heard everything the doc told Sue and had to do so while Seth was trying to talk him off a destructive ledge. Or off any ledge in general. That boy just wouldn't shut the fuck up, phasing from wolf form to human to stand next to Paul and spout out ridiculous shit like how Paul should have Leah host a party for Arial. Right down to verbally counting how many hamburgers they could split up amongst the group, Seth had just talked! Eventually, Paul had to strip, phase and beat the crap out of the smaller wolf. He hadn't gotten in more than a few good nips since Seth learned pretty fucking fast that his bully wasn't willing to go farther than a few hundred yards from the clinic.
Before Sue could even finish uttering the words "We're all done, Arial," Paul had shimmied himself into a human form, dressed and stalked back inside.
"Hey, Urchin. Are you ready to go?" he asked the only person whose opinion mattered right at that minute. He took one look at her dead eyes, and failed at swallowing the rage building quickly.
"Did you fucking hurt her?" Paul whispered aggressively to Sue. His arms shot out to grab Urchin and tug her next to him.
"She was just surprised by the needle, that's all," Sue said pleasantly as if it were an everyday occurrence. "I'll call you later and let you know what you owe, okay, Paul?"
Eyes flashing, Sue tried to convey the message that still had a lot more than a fee to discuss with Paul and he tried not to groan at the look of over protective mommy shit Sue was exuding like a death cloud.
"If you're going to call, that's fine," Paul agreed. He was still fucking pissed beyond belief, but he had plenty of shit to say as well. "Just make sure you don't pass any notes my way through Sam."
"Paul, I am not dumb. I will either call you, or if I have to make a visit, Sam will be accompanying me," Sue declared, telling Paul two things. One, he'd hear back from Sue once she had gathered her thoughts and two, if she was still riled, it would be a face-to-face conversation with Sam standing in between him and the nurse.
"Whatever. We're leaving." Turning around, he simply waved his acknowledgment as Sue tried to give some parting advice of feeding Urchin and letting her nap.
Paul was kinda fucking freaked when he had to lift Urchin into the jeep and buckle her belt. She was lost again somewhere in her head and neither he, nor the wolf, liked feeling shut out. By the time they were back at his house, she was coming around. Her eyes weren't exactly bright, yet she did nod when asked if hungry. She didn't look at him directly when he said she could lounge on the couch. Instead, she shuffled down the hall to his room, went into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
Actually, Urchin going to take a second shower in one day surprised Paul so much he was frozen on the spot momentarily. What the ever loving fuck had he put his girl through in agreeing to let Sue and some quack fucker examine her?
He wanted to believe that this was for the best, but Paul and the wolf within were of the opinion that shit was about to go from bad to worse. If that was the case, there was only one reasonable option left: Take Urchin, ditch Dodge and find a new home where the two could live without interference from the fucked up shittiness of the real world.