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

Chapter 23 - The last goodbye

Pain exploded through Emma's chest. She could hear the sound of breaking glass and screams. It took her a moment to realize what caused the pain; she'd been shot. Her blurry vision made it difficult to see what was happening, but someone punched Michelle and she fell to the ground. After he had kicked her a few times and she didn't move anymore.

The person ran towards her and she could now see that it was Hidgens. "Emma!" He rushed to her side. Emma looked at him, but she was more worried about the fact that Paul wasn't standing next to her anymore.

"Paul?" she asked, while professor Hidgens looked at the gunshot wound in her chest. Paul ground softly while sitting up on the floor, clutching his shoulder. "Paul!" Emma cried. He slowly stood up, still holding his shoulder. "Paul, you're bleeding."

"So are you."

Emma inhaled sharply, "You need help."

"So do you, Em."

"No I don't! I'm going to die okay?"

"Emma, dear You won't die." the professor cut her off.

"Yes I will! I'm already weak. I'm in a hospital bed for god's sake. Paul, you need help. If I die, then I at least want you to live!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

The professor left, mumbling something about finding a doctor.

Tears streamed down Paul's face, and Emma grabbed his hand. "Paul, please I've been through enough. I don't want to suffer even more. But you I hoped that I could marry you someday, but now that day will never come. Just go. Get some help and start over. Find a new life, forget about me. Do what makes you happy. I will watch over you, Ben Bridges."

"Emma Perkins I'm not leaving you."

"Okay" she gave in, "Just promise me you won't be sad if I don't make it."

"I will be sad, but I'll try not to, okay?"

"Yeah..." Emma's hands hovered over the wound, but she was too scared to touch it. "It hurts so much..."

"Tell me about it Em, I love you so, so much, you know that, right?"

"Yeah I do. I love you too." Paul smiled weakly, tears were glistering in his eyes. He bent down and kissed Emma's sweaty forehead. "Paul, I'm so sorry."

"What could you possibly be sorry for?"

"Everything. You know, sending you to blow up the meteor. And afterwards you had to put up with all my injuries and I cried more in the past two weeks than I did the rest of my life and I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

"Emma, don't apologize I would be infected if it wasn't for you. I would have given up the moment an alien came near me. But I didn't. For you."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, before professor Hidgens burst into the room. "I can't find the doctor. I know he's not dead because we would've heard more gunshots. But now you might die..."

"Hidgens It's okay I just want to thank you for everything you've done for me."

"I love you, dear. I'll always keep you with me." He reached into his turtleneck and pulled out a necklace: the necklace Emma had given him for his 55th birthday, a few years ago. It opened to reveal a picture of the two of them.

"You still have it." Emma whispered.

"I never took it off." Hidgens wiped a tear away, "Emma, dear, I love you so much." He sighed. "I'll leave you two alone."

"Paul?" Emma asked when he was gone.

"Yes?" Paul answered, holding back tears of both pain and sadness.

"I love you."

"I love you too." He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. Emma smiled, before letting out one deep breath and letting her head rest against the pillow. "Goodbye." Paul whispered.

Emma closed her eyes and slowly all the pain faded away.