The surgery took nearly 3 hours and Sam was a well held together person…on the outside. On the inside? He was the leader of the Hot Mess Express. He had bitten his nails down and he was jiggling his leg so hard and so fast that he was sure the floor was shaking. Sue finally convinced Charlie to grab a quick bite down in the cafeteria when Layla was wheeled back to the O.R. Sam turned to look at Paul.
"Tell me everything that happened. Every single detail." Sam said softly but firmly.
Paul took a deep breath and raised his head. His eyes betrayed how tortured he was. It took ten minutes for him to tell everything.
"She kept smacking me… calling me stupid, calling Layla a whore, talking bad about my dad...Layla saw and took her down backwards by her hair. When my mom punched her in the leg...I couldn't stop it. My wolf was out for blood. Then she really hurt Layla. Fuck...I never thought this would happen. I figured mom would have just got fed up and would have stopped setting me up and nagging me." Paul said sadly.
"That's uh… that's not everything." Jake said. "Paul, I think you ought to leave. We saw other things that happened and Sam has a right to know."
"No...I'll own up to it. I, uh...Layla and I kissed. I know she's your Imprint. I couldn't have stopped it… even if I had wanted to. I might not have Imprinted on her, but I feel this very strong connection to her. I don't know how to explain it. I can't apologize for it." Paul said, bracing himself to get knocked out.
"And attention was brought to the side effect of his crush on her." Leah said.
Sam sat, unmoving. His wolf was clawing to burst out and challenge and defeat for the right to his Imprint. He felt his blood boiling and he began seething. This unworthy male had put his mouth to his Imprint and tried to impress her with the size of his…
Sam couldn't even bear to associate that word with Paul and Layla in the same sentence! His jaw ticked and he could feel the vein in his neck throbbing with barely suppressed rage.
"I am sorry for hurting you, Sam. I-" Paul started.
"Not. Another. Goddamn. Word." Sam growled out, his voice gravelly and deep. "You are lucky that you are not killed where you sit, traitor."
Paul swallowed thickly. Leah put her hand on Sam's shoulder just as Sue and Charlie walked back in. Sue saw the look of betrayal and pure anger on Sam's face followed by the look of pain on Paul's face.
She knew shit was hitting the fan and she hoped neither one shifted while in the hospital.
"Paul, I'm sure Jake or Leah would give you a ride home. You look exhausted." Sue said, giving them all a look.
…
3 hours later, Layla was being moved from recovery to her hospital room. She would whimper and groan as she became more and more alert. Sam was at her side in an instant, soothing her with his touch and, even though he was sure she couldn't exactly hear him, his words. Sue watched in amusement while Charlie watched with curiosity. Had he not known Sam since infancy and watched him grow up and mature, he would have taken him aside and threatened him with several choice words. Sue looked at Charlie and could pretty well guess what was going through his mind. She made a mental note to talk to him about it when he drove her home.
Layla opened her eyes, her vision very blurry. Sam noticed her eyes opening immediately and alerted Charlie and Sue. Sue called for a nurse to tell Dr. Cullen she was awake. Layla made out 3 people around her. She turned to Sam as he was closest, but even with squinting she couldn't see more than a blurry image. She held a hand out to try and grab whoever it was and pull them closer. Sam grabbed her hand and let his bonding scent out. Layla sniffed and recognized it immediately.
"SAM!" Layla said loudly.
Sam smiled and moved closer to her so she could see him better.
"I COULD SMELL YOUR COLOGNE BEFORE I COULD SEE YOUR FACE!" Layla shouted. She had no idea she was talking so loudly.
Carlisle came into the room and greeted Charlie and Sue before going over to the bed. He pulled up a chair beside Layla and reached for his stethoscope, otoscope, and pen light.
"Layla, can you hear me?" Carlisle asked.
Layla hadn't turned away from Sam and noticed that Carlisle had even come into the room. Layla reached her hand out to smooth out the wrinkle between his eyes when Carlisle reached out and touched her arm. Layla wasn't expecting an icy cold hand to grab her arm and she screamed in surprise.
Loudly.
Sam winced at the loudness but was all but wrapped completely around Layla within seconds, both to keep her from hurting herself and to satisfy his wolf that his Imprint was okay. He had to restrain himself from snapping Carlisle's arm off, repeating mentally that he was here to help and heal Layla.
"Well, that answers my question about her level of hearing." Carlisle chuckled, pulling out a notebook and pen.
Carlisle wrote on the pad and handed it to Layla, watching. Layla took it on the third grab and brought it incredibly close to her face to read it.
"YOU HIT YOUR HEAD AND DAMAGED YOUR EARDRUMS. I NEED TO CHECK YOUR EARS AND EYES." Layla read loudly. "IS THAT WHY MY HEAD HURTS?"
Carlisle took the notebook and wrote an answer back in huge letters before placing it in her hands. Layla brought it close to her eyes and read it.
"YES. YOU HAVE A MILD CONCUSSION AND EARDRUM DAMAGE. DUE TO THE SWELLING, IT'S IMPACTED YOUR VISION. THIS IS ALL TEMPORARY. MAY I CHECK YOU OUT?" Layla read. "SURE." she replied.
Carlisle checked her ears and looking in her eyes, noting how they were still dilated. He figured when the swelling went down, her eyes would return to normal. He checked her heart, lungs, pulse, and blood pressure. He took the notebook from Layla and wrote in it again before handing it over. Layla read.
"I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING FOR PAIN AND TO HELP YOU SLEEP TONIGHT. I WANT YOU TO GET AT LEAST 10 HOURS OF SOLID SLEEP." Layla read aloud. "DON'T LAY ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE. WE DID EAR SURGERY ON THAT EAR AND THE PRESSURE COULD PULL IT APART."
Layla gave a thumbs up and laid back in the hospital bed. Carlisle rang a nurse to bring the prescribed medications to him and he would administer. Carlisle stood and went to talk to Charlie.
"Her ears look as good as can be expected. As long as there's no further disturbance or trauma, they should heal within a few weeks and her hearing will come back gradually. Once the swelling and pressure on her optic nerves goes down, I expect get vision to return to normal. I want her out of school until her vision is back and I'll either have her on homebound or have one of the kids bring her work by and teach her. If she does well tonight and tomorrow, I'd feel comfortable releasing her sometime tomorrow evening. My advice is go home, get some sleep. She's not in immediate danger and she'll have a nurse checking every fifteen minutes. I'll let you know if anything changes, Chief Swan." Carlisle said.
Charlie sighed heavily and watched as the nurse brought in a syringe and handed it to Carlisle. Carlisle walked over to Layla's IV port and pushed it through. Sam was still glued to Layla's side and didn't look like he was all too ready to move. Charlie and Sue approached the bed and Sam nudged Layla and drew her attention to them so she wouldn't be startled. Carlisle handed Charlie the notebook and pen so he could write his thoughts. He held it out to Layla who squinted and took it to read.
"I'M GOING TO TAKE SUE HOME AND HIT THE SACK. I'LL BE OVER BEFORE WORK TOMORROW MORNING AND AT LUNCH. LOVE YOU KIDDO SEE YOU TOMORROW. SWEET DREAMS." Layla read loudly. "I LOVE YOU TOO UNCLE CHARLIE." she ended on a yawn.
Sue tucked Layla in and turned the big lights off and clicked on the side lamp before whispering to Sam under the guise of straightening the bed.
"Are you staying all night?" Sue whispered.
Sam nodded. Nothing, but nothing, could drag him away from his Imprint right now. He was anchored. Besides, Layla looked entirely too comfortable half laying in his chest for him to even consider leaving. Sue stood up and gently fluffed her pillow, waving to Layla before ushering Charlie to the door.
"Wait, isn't Sam leaving?" Charlie frowned, looking back.
"He's fine. Don't worry, he'll watch over her. If she so much as whimpers once he'll have every nurse and doctor in here. Plus, look at Layla… she looks pleased with using him as a pillow and a security blanket. Could you really take that away from her and have her start to cry?" Sue asked.
Charlie sighed heavily and shook his head, letting Sue pull him away and to the parking lot. Layla wiggled around until she found the perfect sleep spot; half laid out on top of Sam with her head on his chest and her right arm and leg slung around Sam's waist and thighs. She had her hand gripped tightly to the fabric of his shirt as she drifted off. Sam let himself be completely selfish tonight as his Imprint all but shared his body space. He let himself think all the selfish thoughts he'd kept away since meeting Layla. All the imagined, but hopefully true, feelings. That his Imprint didn't want him to leave. That Layla would have kicked up a fuss had Charlie or Carlisle tried to make him leave her side. How she subconsciously knew that he was her safety and her affection and her protection. That she instinctively knew that cuddling up to him made her comfortable and warm yet made him feel invincible and powerful and in awe that she wasn't demanding Paul or Jake or Seth or even Emmett or Alice to come and stay.
Sam thought back to the waiting room earlier. How Paul admitted to kissing Layla. How he was also informed of Paul showing off his erection to Layla. How he admitted to having a special attachment to her. Sam growled deep in his chest. Layla whined softly in her drug induced sleep and moved her face just enough to kiss his chest and tighten her group in his shirt before nodding back off, snoring softly. Sam felt his anger drain instantly. He knew she couldn't have heard his growl. He surmised she could have only felt the vibrations through his chest. Her method of calming him down was not something that she could have learned or been shown.
Smiled smiled in pure wolf pride.
Layla was behaving more and more like his wolf's Imprint by pure instinct. If that didn't make Sam puff up in pride. He rest his lips against Layla's forehead and whispered all that was in his heart.
He, Sam Uley, loved Layla Delaney. He would not share her. With anyone. And if Paul was willing to stoop that low to try and seduce her away?
Well… Sam could play that game too.
...
do you all like it better when i post early in the morning or late in the evening?
So yeah shit met the fan. But we haven't even seen Sam get Paul back for what he did. That'll come later. Or maybe pack justice will get him. I haven decided yet.
So like I've got my few but precious commenters. I love you okay?
But i wanna hear from everyone reading this even if its to tell me it sucks. So comment please? I might pick one of toy lucky ducks to make an Appearance as the imprint of Jared or Embry or anyone of them that's not already taken. So comment and tell me your favorite wolf or vampire. I might get ideas hint hint!