{BOOK 1} I Thought We Would Be Safe - Paulkins/TGWDLM fanfic

Chapter 11 - Regret

Emma must have fallen asleep. Her head was still resting on Paul's shoulder. Awkward. He had put an arm around her and he had probably felt her move, "Em?" he whispered, in case she was still asleep.

Emma groaned softly. "Paul? What time is it?" Paul stroked her hair, "Almost half past three. Did you sleep well?"

"What? But the nurse would come at two... Did she come here?"

Paul smiled, "No Emma, she hasn't been here. Would you like me to go look where she is?" Emma nodded. Just when Paul stood up, they heard footsteps in the corridor, the door opened.

Emma expected it to be dr. Field or the nurse, but colonel Schaffer appeared. She walked towards them, handed Emma an envelope and left again, without saying a word.

Emma and Paul looked at each other. "What was that all about?" Paul asked.

Emma shrugged. She looked at the envelope in her hands, her name - well, not her name, but the name PEIP expected her to use - was written in a shaky handwriting. She sighed and opened it. There was a note. Emma's eyes flew over the page, tears welling up in her eyes.

Dear Emma,

Thank you for telling me that 3 of my best friends died. I suppose they reunited with Chad, a friend of ours, who passed away almost ten years ago. I will follow them now.

Thank you.

Mark

She read it over and over again, but it still said the same thing. "Emma? What's wrong?" Paul asked.

"He" She sobbed.

"Can I read it?" Emma nodded. She handed it to Paul. When he finished reading, he sat down next to Emma and wrapped his arms around her, "It's not your fault. He just-"

"It is my fault, Paul!" Emma shouted, "If I hadn't told him, this would never have happened!"

Paul hugged her tighter, "Emma, you did the right thing by telling him."

Emma curled up against him, "Paul, I just want to go home." she cried.

Paul stroked her hair, "I know, Em. I do too" They sat like this for a while, Emma crying and Paul trying to comfort her. Emma's eyes were heavy, and she would've fallen asleep if another doctor wouldn't have come into the room.

He introduced himself as Liam Robinson. "I'll be your new doctor, since doctor Field- Uh..." An unpleasant silence filled the room. "Anyway, we'll get you walking again as soon as we can. I'll come in an hour."

He walked away and colonel Schaffer almost immediately entered. Could she never have a moment of rest? "I see you've met doctor Robinson?" she said, "Ben. You have to go." she tapped on her watch.

"Oh, right. Sorry Em- Kelly, I'll be back, I don't know how long it will take." He ran away.

The colonel walked towards Emma, holding a scanner with a small needle attached to it. "Give me your arm."

"What?"

"We have to do a blood test to see if you are infected."

"I'm not infected! You know that! I'm not singing!"

"Arm." the colonel demanded. Emma gave her arm and the colonel held her wrist tightly. She pushed the needle into the vein and a green check mark appeared on the screen. "Good." Colonel Schaffer muttered. "We'll send someone to do these tests every month, for at least a year." She left Emma alone in the room.

Emma couldn't wait to get out of this place, she didn't want to move to a new house, but everything was better than staying in this hospital. She eventually fell asleep, but she had nightmares about the apocalypse and dr. Field kept appearing in her dreams.

Paul woke her up. "Emma, were you having a nightmare?" His voice immediately calmed her down.

"Yeah"

Paul smiled. "You slept for three hours, doctor Robinson thought that you might need the rest, so he let you sleep."

Emma sighed. "Paul?"

Paul grabbed her hand. "Yes?"

"I love you." She said it before she realized it.

Paul softly squeezed her hand, "I love you too."