Road of the Lonely Ones ✸ Paul Lahote

007. Deer Heart

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Hospitals. They have been around for many millennia, yet they never seem to lose the awful smell and uncanny feel. Paul couldn't help but feel uneasy. He had rushed there as soon as he had managed to control his anger and shapeshift back. His heart was beating fast, and only going faster as he walked through several hospital corridors. Not one bringing him any more relief as he sped round the corners, trying to find the room Saskia had been put in.

He finally caught sight of two people sitting outside a room, one a taller boy with his elbows on his knees, hands over his face; the other was a young boy, half asleep and resting on the person beside him. Levi and Hugo.

"Hey, hey, what's going on? Is she okay?" Paul immediately questioned Levi in a hushed tone, careful not to wake the sleeping boy next to him.

"I-I don't know, they pushed us out while they were trying to calm her down. She's hysterical." Paul's heart was thundering, his worry overtaking him as he looked towards the door behind where the siblings were sitting. "She hasn't been taking her meds, and she keeps talking nonsense about her being crazy, something about the werewolves and vampires. I don't know what to do, Paul."

The tone of the boy was so defeated. Paul wanted to help these poor siblings more than anything. But the overbearing weight of his disturbance about the whole situation happening with his Saskia took over as he could faintly hear her crying from the room in front of them.

"Can I go in?" He was fidgeting, his hands already itching to reach for the door handle and storm in to hold his imprint close.

"Yeah, we thought you might be able to help."

Paul breathed. It hurt.

Opening the door hurt even more. He barely made it through the threshold before a body slammed into his chest. A shorter blonde figure was suddenly pushing at him. Again, he could feel the overwhelming surge of emotions coming from the girl. Before he could even begin to talk, she was already talking.

"Paul, please, they want to keep me here. I don't need to be here." Saskia was staring at him, but it wasn't her normal soft eyes looking at him. No, instead they were wide, like a deer in headlights. Panicked and nothing but afraid. He wasn't quite sure what it was she had to be scared of. "Please, get them to take me away. I'm crazy. No one believes me. I'm going insane."

Oh, she was afraid of herself.

"Hey, hey. It's okay" Paul put his large hands on the side of her neck. Rubbing his thumbs along her cheek as if to try and out her at some sort of ease. "You're okay." He breathed out in relief. Finally scanning the rest of her body. She was on her feet which was a good sign, and her arms were bruised. Though a redraw cut rested on her cheek across to her neck, just below her ear. That would scar. Her chest was heaving, and he could hear her wheezing. She must have broken a few ribs. His poor imprint. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

Saskia groaned, and he could see the tears of frustration forming in her eyes.

"Sir, we need you to step out of the room." A doctor suddenly came up beside them. A couple of nurses and hospital security surrounded the young girl as if trying to herd her.

"I'm not leaving-"

"Alright, alright back up, let the kids have some room." Sheriff Swan was suddenly in the room, taking charge immediately.