Coming Home (Paul Lahote Imprint Story)

Chapter Six

Tala's POV

I laid in my bed staring at the ceiling thinking about everything that had happened today. I smiled thinking about the kisses Paul and I shared outside the hospital and at the beach. He makes me feel so safe when I am with him, like nothing bad could ever happen if we're together. I was sure nothing could ruin the good mood I am in until my phone started ringing.

I looked at the caller ID to see that is was Daniel calling, anytime I was feeling happy he just had to ruin it. I hit the answer button and put the phone to my ear. "So you think you can replace me that quickly do you?" An angry sounding Daniel came from the phone.

My breath caught in my throat as my brain processed what he had just said to me. He knew about Paul and us kissing. This means he knows where I am. No, this means he was watching me, he is here in La Push, Washington.

I could feel my heart beat pick up as he continued to speak to me "Don't feel like talking to me do you?" Daniel sneered into the phone. "That's fine, but just know, I am watching you and when the time is right, I will come for you and you will be mine again" he finished before the line went dead.

I dropped my phone to the ground as I could feel my body shaking in fear. The tears were streaking my face already and I was having a hard time controlling my breath. I slipped onto the floor pulling my knees to my chest and hugging my legs. I can't believe this is happening to me.

I heard the door to my room slam open and I saw a panicked looking Paul in the door way. I could feel my vision going fuzzy. Paul rushed over to me and pulled me into his arms "Tala, Tala, what's wrong?" Paul asked taking me over to the bed still in his arms.

"M-my ex" I managed to get out in-between sobs.

"Tala, what happened with your ex. I can help you, but you just have to tell me." Paul said while rocking me in his arms.

"I-I can't" I said my sobs quieting now.

"What did he do to you Tala" Paul said in a whisper while pulling me closer to him, rubbing my head.

"I-I just can't" I said "I don't want to get you wrapped up in my drama" I finally told him.

"Tala, I will keep you safe, no matter what, I care about you" Paul said making me look him in the eyes.

"Why? Why do you care about me so much Paul, you barely know me" I said confused.

"There are some things I haven't told you Tala, but I am just not ready to tell you yet, I don't want to lose you so soon" Paul said looking away.

"Paul, you tell me to trust you with my secret, but you don't trust me with yours?" I was more confused now.

"No, Tala, that's not it" Paul tried to explain to me.

"No, I think that is it. I think you should go." I told him feeling hurt. "Please just leave" I said as I felt my eyes starting to water again. I watched as Paul got off my bed and walking out of my room without looking back at me. I walked over to my door and closed it and then collapsed onto my bed crying once again until I fell asleep.

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I woke up the next day at 6am to get ready for my first day at the hospital. I took a nice hot shower to try and forget everything that happened last night and just start off today fresh and in a good mood. Once I was dressed in a pair of dark blue scrubs, I went downstairs to make myself a coffee and call a cab.

Once I was all ready I went outside and saw the cab pulling in. I got in and gave him the address and headed to work. I got there 15 minutes early, so I went to the front and introduced myself to the charge nurse and she showed me around. I learned her name was Hayley and she was a few years older than me and had been at this hospital for 5 years.

Once I was oriented to the unit she gave me my list of patients and told me that if a trauma comes in, it becomes all hands on deck as they are still short staffed. I grabbed my list of patients and got to work on getting sets of vitals from each patient.

After the first 3 hours of my shift being uneventful, Hayley said I could take an hour for my lunch break. I went upstairs to the cafeteria and waited in line and purchased a sandwich and sat at a table. I pulled out my phone and saw I had a text from Paul. I don't remember giving him my number, but he must've gotten it from Emily. The text read: I'm sorry, can we please talk?

I felt bad at how I overreacted, I didn't want to tell my secret so why should he want to tell me his. I replied back to his text with: Yes we can, I am done work at 7pm tonight. I hit send and put my phone away and finished my food.

Once my lunch break was over I headed back down to the ER and got to work on doing my rounds and seeing if any of my patients needed anything. It was pretty slow until the doors to the ambulance bay and two paramedics came in with a young girl on the stretcher with a wound on her head and unconscious.

The paramedic started talking to the doctor that was on call and said "we have an 8 year old female with head trauma, fell unconscious at the field, person at the scene said she was running in the forest and she hit her head on a low tree branch, we took her vitals in the ambulance and her vitals are all within defined parameters" the doctor nodded and thanked the paramedics before wheeling the young girl in more.

"Hello, I am Dr. Michaels, you must be nurse Tala, could you please take the patient to acute room 4 please" I nodded and wheeled the stretcher into the room.

I asked another nurse nearby and we transferred her onto the hospital bed. We were getting her all hooked up when a frantic guy came running in yelling "Claire! Claire!" I looked up to see it was Quil.

"Quil! What are you doing here?" I said grabbing his shoulder and noticing he was shaking really bad.

"I was with Claire, they wouldn't let me come in the ambulance with her, I got here as soon as I could. Is she going to be ok?" Quil asked quickly, still shaking.

"Quil I can't give out any information, but I can tell you that she is stable, now do you know who her family members are? So we can contact them?" I asked calmly trying to get him to calm down.

"Yes, she's Emily's niece" Quil said sitting down with his head in his hands.

I pulled out my phone and dialled Emily's number. "Hello" she said on the other end.

"Hi, Emily this is Tala calling, can you come down to the hospital, we just admitted your niece Claire."

"Oh my god of course, I am on my way" Emily said worried and then hung up.