Saving Her

Chapter 1

The sounds of beds moving and quiet whispers in the hallway fill the air along with smells not many people will ever experience.

This is typical of the dedicated special victims unit at Toronto General.  The smells and sounds aren't great, but the people are.

26 year old Camila Cabello is one of those great people.  Although she works simply as a receptionist on the unit, her warm smile and kind eyes radiate goodness with just one look.

Camila has been working on this unit since she graduated college.  Her father was a well liked and respected doctor, who actually opened this unit at the hospital when the need for a safe and quiet place for abuse victims became more apparent in the city.  Her father was the champion of creating a space that was meant to be calm and less hectic than every other unit at Toronto General.  The staff here care for some of the most vulnerable and broken people, so creating a space that allowed for safe healing and comfort while beginning to piece their lives back together was important to Dr. Ale Cabello. 

Sadly, Ale passed away a little over a year ago, leaving Camila, her mother Sinu, and her sister Sofi devastated, but well off.  Never needing to worry about money, Camila continues to work on the unit because it helps keep the memory of her father alive. 

Shortly after her return, the remaining doctors and nurses decided to dedicate the unit in Ale's name.  A plaque detailing his time and efforts into this unit hangs on the wall near the art and music room that he specially designed based on his daughter's love for creativity.  It's one of the most popular rooms on the unit, even in the short time most patients stay, it's frequently used to begin the healing process and serve as an outlet to channel their inner thoughts in a safe space.

As crazy as it might sound, Camila loves her job.  She sees things most people never wish to see, but she knows that if even just by giving a patient a smile, it helps brighten their day otherwise filled with fear and gloom; she's making a small, yet potentially significant difference.

Camila also loves her job because that's how she met her boyfriend Andy Bennett and how she gets to see her best friend Shawn Mendes so often.

Andy works as a Physician's Assistant on the unit and literally swept Camila off her feet on the first day they met.  Remembering back to that day, Camila was walking out of the staff lounge carrying a cup of coffee and totally missed the "Wet Floor" sign, mid-slip, Andy swoops her up into his arms and carried Camila the rest of the way back to her desk.  Safe to say, Andy had Camila at "Gotcha there darling, that could have been disastrous."

Ever since Andy and Camila have been in a loving relationship of almost 6 months.  Their only arguing point is Camila's friendship with Shawn.  Still after 6 months of being a couple, Andy gets fire in his eyes and steam out his ears when he sees Shawn talking to Camila at work.

Shawn and Camila met one night at a college party and have been inseparable ever since.  Shawn worked his way through the police academy and at 28 was prompted to detective on the Special Victims Unit of Toronto.  Unsurprising to Camila, when Shawn was promoted, she knew he would be great! And he is.  Shawn's one of the hardest working detectives on the squad and he takes his job very seriously.

Just as much as Andy dislikes Shawn; Shawn dislikes Andy.  Shawn thinks Andy isn't good enough for Camila and often refers to him and "surface level" and "undeserving of his wonderful Mila."  When Camila told Shawn she was dating Andy, Shawn's heart sank all the way to his toes.  He loves Camila as a friend, but there's no denying he loves Camila in a way that's so much more.  He's always had a thing for her, but has never been brave enough to tell her that he wants to be more than friends.  Unfortunately, Shawn doesn't think he'll ever get the chance to tell her that.

___________________________

A/n: First ever chapter of the first ever book I've started on Wattpad.  Kind of surreal for someone who never thought she was capable of writing 💕