Only You Can Save Me

"You almost died!"

Lauren was relaxing on the couch in her home. She was so glad to be out of the hospital and slowly returning to a fully functioning human. Her stomach did hurt from time to time when she would stand up after sitting and when she laughed, but overall she was healing well. 

Camila took a breath as she finished preparing lunch for her and Lauren. She took the plates into the living room and sat down beside her girlfriend. "It's nothing special, but it's lunch." She smiled softly to her as she took her own vitamins from the plate to take them then she glanced to Lauren.

The older woman smiled as her girlfriend brought lunch out to the living room. "Thank you, babe." She said as she kissed Camila's lips softly. Lauren was excited to get back to work because sitting home alone all day was starting to bore her. 

It had been almost two weeks since her girlfriend was shot, and now Camila was thankful that she was home with her, where she belonged. They hadn't really talked about what had happened and Camila feared that it would happen again once she went back to work in a couple more weeks. "Our um... appointment is tomorrow." She stated softly as she looked down at her plate.

"I know, babe. I'm nervous and excited." Lauren smiled as she took a bite of her sandwich. "Do you want me to meet you there or are you gonna pick me up?" She asked softly.

Camila sighed softly. "I'd like us to go together..." she kept her eyes down on the floor as she picked at her sandwich.

Lauren nodded. "I'll be ready then." She said softly as she took another bite from her sandwich. It took a while for her appetite to kick in, but it was back now. "Why aren't you eating, babe? I know you're hungry." She asked, mouth full of food. 

"Laur... I don't want you to go back to work." Camila stated as she slowly looked up at her girlfriend. She'd spent a lot of time thinking about it and she didn't want the fear of losing her girlfriend to be constantly weighing down on her. "Can't you get a desk job when you go back? So you won't be in danger every single day?"

Lauren swallowed her food before sighing heavily. "I'm going back next week and working at the desk until the doctor gives the okay to go back on patrol." She said. "I can't just sit at home and do nothing. And I can't just sit at a desk all day." She sighed.

Camila took a bite of her food and sighed again. "I kind of hope the doctor doesn't give you the okay to go back out." She kept her eyes on Lauren as she spoke.

Lauren set her sandwich down on the plate and looked at Camila incredulously. "What?" She shook her head and leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's my job, Camila." She said firmly. 

"I'm sorry you're so bored at home... but I almost lost you. Our baby almost lost one of its mothers." She frowned to Lauren. "What if it happens again? What if the next psycho with a gun aims a little higher, Lauren?" She frowned and looked back down to her plate, tears sliding down her cheeks some.

The police officer let out a scoff. "It happens. I've been working as a police officer for 7 years and this is the first time it has happened to me...so now you're going to tell me that I can't do what I love to do?" Lauren asked as she shook her head. "I don't want to sit at a desk. If I wanted to do that I would have become an accountant, Camila." She said sarcastically.

Camila reached out to put her plate down on the table, having finished her sandwich. "I know that Lauren..." she ran her fingers through her hair. "But do you understand how scared I am of losing you?" She turned to look at her. "You almost died!" She clenched her eyes shut as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Lauren sighed softly. "I know you are scared of losing me...and I'm just as afraid of dying...especially now that we have a baby on the way." She said as she put her hand on Camila's stomach.

"I can't lose you, Laur. You don't understand." Camila turned her head to look back at the floor. She knew that she couldn't control what Lauren did, but she could only hope that her girlfriend would try to understand what she was feeling and what she was going through regarding all of this.

Lauren sighed heavily. "Look. I wish I had a safer job, but it's what I love to do." She pleaded with Camila to understand. "Would you rather me not be happy and hate my job?" She asked. "I could do that and be miserable and mean all the time, but I don't want to be that person." She said seriously.

Camila looked down at Lauren's hand resting on her stomach. She loved seeing it there and didn't want to lose the images she'd built of her girlfriend touching her growing stomach. "I want you to be safe, Laur. I don't want you to hate your job, I just want you to be safe." She leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes to try to stop the tears. "I don't want the next phone call I get from Normani, while you're working, to be that you're dead."

Lauren rubbed her thumb gently over her girlfriend's stomach. "I will be safe. Sometimes things happen and I may get hurt, but I follow protocol. As long as I follow protocol I have a lesser chance of getting hurt, but it does happen." She said as she motioned to her abdomen that was still bandaged up. "I promise I will be as safe as I can while I am working...for you and our baby." She said softly. "Kiss me." She commanded softly.

Camila tried her hardest to push her fears away, but she couldn't do it. The only thing she could do was pretend that she was okay and live every day in fear. "Yeah..." was all she said as she turned her head to press a soft kiss to Lauren's lips.

Lauren cupped her girlfriend's cheek and kissed her back softly. She knew that Camila was upset and wanted her to have a different job, but Lauren was doing something that she loved so much. Being a police officer was all that she really knew how to do. 

"I'm um.. .I'm going to go and lay down for a nap." Camila murmured as she stood up. She took her plate into the kitchen before grabbing a fresh bottle of water and climbing the steps. The moment she was out of Lauren's view, she let out a cracked sob and cradled her stomach.

Lauren sighed and leaned back on the couch when Camila said she was going to take a nap. She nodded her head. "Alright. I'll just be here." She said. She knew that Camila wasnt okay with it...but she would just have to get over it. She was going to be fine.

AN: This is probably going to be the shortest chapter in this book lol. Just a little filler. If you're lucky, I will get the next chapter up tonight to make up for the short one here!

Hope you enjoyed! -Amanda