Emmett

"Hey baby girl." I murmured quietly as angel slowly began to open her eyes. Her shaking had eased slightly but she still appeared to be very frail. The sound of her heart and the flow of the blood in her veins were enticing but appeared off to me. Of course, my vampire intuition was drawn to feeding on her, but the aroma of her sickness was enough to hold me back. She wasn't well at all and she desired much comfort. I wanted to pull her into my lap and never let her go but at the same time I was fearful that I would cause her more harm.

"Em?" Rosie looked at me through hazy, blank eyes. "Em." She slowly tried to sit up, but I gently pushed her back against the sheets.

She wasn't well enough to sit up. Not yet. "You need to rest. You're not well. Do you remember everything?"

"Yes!" She gasped suddenly; the air rushing out of her lungs. "Mother will be mad at me. I must go home. Emmett, I have-"

I pressed my finger against her lips to silence her. "You can't go anywhere. You need to get better. You're not well."

She shook her head violently; the movement perceptibly causing her pain because she winced indistinctly. "Mom will be so angry."

"Hey don't cry." I murmured softly, reaching out to catch one of the stray tears on my finger. "Carlisle will clarify everything to your parents I promise. You don't need to worry about any of that. If you're not well then they have to understand that." Carlisle had such a way with words I had no concerns that all wouldn't be well.

"They won't." She told me candidly; managing to sit up in the bed now. "Ow, my chest hurts."

"You had a bad breathing episode. You put your heart under a lot of stress." I smiled half-heartedly. She had given me such a scare. I could hear how off rhythm her heart was, and it made me a little uneasy.

"I'm sorry Emmett."

Just as I was about to respond, Edward and Esme walked through the door; some comfort objects in hand. Esme offered Rosalie a large, fluffy white bear that had a blue nose and patches all over. Edward offered her Alice's fluffy comforter and set down a neatly folded pair of clothes to the side.

"I hope you're feeling better." Esme whispered quietly as she brushed back a loose strand of hair from Rose's face. Her usually calm face held a small bout of concern; a small crease edged between her perfectly sculpted eyebrows and her eyes appeared sad. Rosalie's illness and presence had taken a huge toll on our family.

"I am, thank you." Rosalie smiled at my mother weakly and pulled the bear closer to her. "I was just wondering when I could go home."

"Not yet." Seeing the look on Rosalie's face, Esme continued. "I'm sorry, dear. But Carlisle doesn't think you're well enough and your parents don't seem supportive. He's going to call your father tomorrow morning."

Rosalie shook her head side to side and collapsed back against the sheets defeated. "I'm fine. Em, please. Em, you know I'm okay. I'm fine. Em I-" Her breaths began rapidly, and her cheeks started to colour to a patchy red.

I gently rubbed my hand down her back, pulling her closer to me. Her skin was hot underneath my hand. "Hey, calm down, Rosie. You're okay. Your father won't be angry. I'll protect you I promise."

"She's having a panic attack, Emmett." Edward told me lowly so Rosalie wouldn't hear him. Speaking louder, he slowly approached the bed. "Rosalie. Just breathe. Like this. In and out. In and out. Well done, keep going. That's it."

Rosalie eventually settled, instantly falling into a light sleep. Her body was exhausted.

"She's anxious," Edward noted. "She's worried about what her parents are going to do when Carlisle calls them."

"She must have an eating disorder, she's so worried." Esme murmured, stroking the human's face gently to not wake her up. "I'm so sorry, darling. You will be okay; you will get better."

"She's been through so much," Edward said, meeting my gaze. "I don't think going home at all will be the best thing for her. Carlisle will figure all of this out. Don't worry."

I sat with Rosalie for a long while, even after Esme and Edward left. I was so drawn to her and it was so hard to leave her. I didn't want her to be alone in the fragile state she was in.

I wanted to move her to my bedroom where she would be much more comfortable than in the examination room, but she was attached to so many monitors that I was scared to move her too much.

"Oh Rose," I murmured. I held her close to me but made sure the blanket was in between our skin so that she didn't become cold from my freezing temperature. "How did this happen?"

I had fallen in love with a human. I was completely and utterly memorized by the small human in my lap and there was no turning back now.

I had to protect her at all costs.