Run (A Shawn Mendes Fan-fic)

Chapter Twelve: Daddy's Baby Girl

There's a certain peace as I open my eyes, letting the light swoop in and confuse my vision before my eyes finally adjust. Where am I? The white walls and cleanly kept room make me want to think it's a hospital but who knows, it could be heaven.

Finally after I regain all my senses, I'm hit with a low aching in my head along with a slow beeping to which I presume is a heart monitor. Yes, I'm definitely in a hospital.

"I'm so glad you're awake," a nurse pushes through the door, talking to me at the same time, "you've been out for quiet a while, but luckily it gave your brain time to heal for a bit. You'll be out of this dank room in no time."

I want to smile at her but I still feel confused and as if I'm on a cloud, what is happening?

"You don't have to speak, your medication is still wearing off," she smiles, writing down some things on her clipboard, "I'm Sally and I've been your nurse for the past weeks, you've have been put in a coma for those weeks in order for your brain and head to heal but you're finally awake now! We woke you up a couple hours ago but then put some sleeping medication in you so you could wake up peacefully. I know this sounds crazy but it will all sink in, in a moment."

I blink a couple times before being able to muster up a couple words, "w-what? What happened?" I choke out. My voice sounds hoarse, and I want to stop the putrid sound from escaping my lips.

"You're going to have to exercise your voice by talking for a couple minutes before you can regain your normal sound," she laughs at my scrunched up face and continues to take notes like I'm a lab rat.

"Where am I?" I wonder out loud, glancing around the neat room.

"You're in the Orlando hospital, but don't worry, I know you're far from your home in New York but we contacted your parents and your father is coming to get you."

"My f-father?" I stutter, rather surprised at the thought of my father actually caring.

"Yes, he had to fly in from the Bahamas a couple days ago but is now here waiting outside."

"Please send him in," I whisper, still shocked that my father that I haven't seen in a year or two is taking the time to rescue you me. Or at least that's what I think he's doing.

I reach up to pat down my hair but feel a bandage across my forehead. My hairs still here, so it seems like there was no surgery removing it but there is a sharp pain coming from beneath the bandage where I touch it.

"My baby girl! Oh, look at you!"

"Daddy?" My eyes flicker to the still familiar man after all these years rushing into the hospital room.

"What happened?" He asks, grabbing on to my hand as he leans over me. I stare at the aging wrinkles pricking at the corner of his eyes and the gray hairs growing on his head.

I can't seem to speak, this is so strange. I don't understand why he's being so caring suddenly, he was never like this around the rest of the family.

As if the fog cleared up, I'm brought out of my haze. This is the man who abandoned Cassandra and I, leaving us to fend for ourselves around our mother, and now he's trying to come back like nothing's changed and as if I still adore him like I used to after all that he's done.

"What happened to you?" I spit back, anger thrashing and bubbling to the surface, "where have YOU been the last two years?!"

"I've been away," he trails off, "finding my happiness."

I stare harshly into his eyes, beckoning him to continue with a proper explanation.

He sighs, "okay, well, your mother is truly horrible to be around, I needed to get away from her and once I found someone else it was just impossible to come back to that life of business parties and drama surrounding her."

"I know how you feel," I hiss, my eyes narrowing into a glare, "still doesn't make it okay to leave me with them while you enjoy yourself, you KNEW how she treated me."

"I know, I know, and I wanted to come back for you and Cassandra but I was so caught up in my tropical life that I couldn't seem to tear myself away from it, but I'm back now and I'll do anything to help you two out," he smiles, squeezing my hand with reassurance.

I whip my hand away from his, my eyes lit with a fire that I've contained for so long, "CASSANDRA'S DEAD!" I roar, before breaking down and ignoring the pain coming from my head. "How could you have done this to me," I sob, freeing all my emotions, "you left me just like everyone else! I trusted you even though you were gone every other week on business trips, do you know how hurt I was when I realized you weren't coming back? Do even know how much worse she got?! She arranged marriages for Penelope and Cassandra! Penelope's marriage was perfect but Cass's, oh, her marriage was the death of her. That crazy man was a murderer- wait," I pause my rant, wiping at my rushing tears, "do people know where I am? Is this in the newspaper?!"

I don't even look at my father, already knowing the answer if the most wealthy man in New York returned for his injured daughter, people most definitely knew.

I leap out of the hospital bed, tearing the tubes off of my wrists, ignoring the light sting, "I need to get out of here, if people know, he probably already knows where I am. Hell, he's probably waiting for me outside," I ramble, confusing my father with my sudden nonsense.

I dart around the bed, placing my weight on the window sill as I peak out of the glass. Paparazzi line the streets of Orlando, probably waiting for my father and I to step outside. Cursing, I begin to pace back and forth in my loose hospital gown, probably exposing some of my skin in the process. Of course, this would happen to me. I get brain damage from one of Shawn's crazy guards and- Shawn! Oh my gosh, I forgot all about Shawn! Where is he? Is Connor going to attempt to kill him also?!

Tears stream down my face as I think of all the possibilities. I can't lose another person that I hold so deeply to my heart, I can't admit that I love him yet but I do know that there's feelings that won't erase themselves and if I lose him, it will hit me hard. He's probably back on his tour bus, on the way to another show. I mean some of his headline shows are getting near as I remember him mumbling some of the upcoming dates to me just weeks ago.

"Oh Shawn, where are you," I cry under my breath.

"Did you say Shawn? As in Shawn Mendes?" I snap my throbbing head over to my father who seems to be collapsed on a chair with tears in his eyes, I guess the death of his second daughter is finally sinking in.

"Yes, do you know of him? Is he all right?" I gush, racing over so I'm standing directly in front of him.

"Yes, he's everywhere on the news. There's pictures of you two running all over Universal and then videos of you two talking at the train. Who's chasing you, Skylar? Because whoever it is, people are searching for them. They want their blood for targeting such an 'innocent girl' as they call it. Face it Skylar, you're a princess in the eyes of the media and they'll do anything to save you."

"I thought they hated me?" I gasp, shocked at this news.

"No, they hate your mother. But they love you. They keep talking about you in the newspapers that I've been reading in the waiting room as the 'troubled daughter still dealing with the family tragedy' I just assumed they were talking about your grandfather's death, not your sister's. I'm so sorry, Skylar. I didn't know what kind of danger I've been putting you in by leaving you, I knew that she was horrible but I didn't think she'd practically murder your own sister," he cries, wiping at his pink eyes.

So the media likes to insult me and judge my every decision when it comes to normal life but I become media's 'princess' when I'm the victim? Wow. It's messed up.

I look over at my father, his shoulders hung in defeat, his wrinkles looking more prominent. He weakly raises his eyes to me.

"Now, tell me, who's chasing you? Who is hurting my baby girl?"