"What the hell are you doing here?" Brandon demanded as he stormed into the hospital room where Brooklyn was, hooked up to various wires and machines.
"Now is not the time to annoy me, Brandon," Harry warned, not looking up from Brooklyn. He was seated next to her, holding her hand tightly. "You're lucky I even called you."
"Oh my gosh!" Brooklyn's aunt and uncle rushed into the room and gasped at the sight of their battered niece.
"I'm going to find a doctor," Brooklyn's uncle stuttered. "Find out what happened."
"Brooke," Brooklyn's aunt whispered and shakily walked over to the bed.
"They operated on her. She had a tree branch in her stomach. She lost a lot of blood, she nearly didn't make it," Harry said, his voice empty. "She's stable now."
"Were you with her when it happened?" Lisa, Brooklyn's aunt asked.
"No, Brooklyn's friend Sasha was driving. She got away with a mild concussion and a few scrapes."
"What happened?" Lisa asked and brushed one of Brooklyn's curls away from her face.
"Sasha said a wolf ran in front of the car. She lost control and they crashed," Harry said.
"I can't believe this. Thank you for being here for her."
"I'll always be there for her," Harry said. "I just wish she'd let me."
"She has a bad past, it's hard for her," Lisa said softly and sat down at the end of Brooklyn's bed.
"I know," Harry said, his eyes flickering to Lisa.
"She told you?"
"She did," Harry nodded.
"I'm glad she's found someone she can confide in," Lisa smiled.
"You like him?" Brandon called. "You like him!"
"Brandon!" Lisa gasped. "Don't be so rude!"
"He's an ass! Brooke is better off without him!" Brandon snapped.
"Now isn't the time for your petty hatred," Harry warned. "Shut up or get out."
"You can't talk to me like that, she's my cousin!" Brandon exclaimed. "You get out."
"Brandon, you're being childish!" Lisa said. "Brooke is hurt and you're yelling and causing a scene! Take yourself outside and calm down before you come back."
"Mum-"
"Now!" Lisa snapped and Brandon glared at Harry before storming out of the room.
Harry sighed and held Brooklyn's hand to his lips, kissing it gently. "C'mon, babe, wake up."
"I'm sorry about my son," Lisa said.
"I don't care for him," Harry said dismissively.
"You do for Brooke, don't you," Lisa said.
"More than I ever thought I could care about someone," Harry muttered. "She just needs to wake up!"
"She will," Lisa said soothingly. "She has too."
"I may wake up, but I'm going to lose my hand because of you." Brooklyn's weak voice filled the quiet room and both Harry and Lisa let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Fucking hell, you scared the life out of me!" Harry gasped. "Don't do that again, babe."
"What happened?" Brooklyn groaned and tried to sit up, but moaned in pain.
"Don't move, honey," Lisa said. "You were in an accident."
Brooklyn rubbed her eyes and looked dozily from Harry to her aunt. Her skin was sickly pale and she looked like death, but Harry was grateful that she was awake.
"W-what? What happened?" Brooklyn panicked.
"Calm down, babe," Harry said and Brooklyn let the sparks relax her. "You and Sasha had a car accident."
"We..." Brooklyn gasped. "Oh my god." Brooklyn looked at her stomach and cringed when she pulled the sheet away and saw blood seeping through the dressing she had on her wound. "Oh my god. Is S-Sasha okay?!"
"She has a mild concussion," Harry said dismissively. "She's fine."
"Good," Brooklyn breathed.
"Do you remember what happened, Brooke?" Her aunt asked.
"There..." She looked at Harry. "There was a wolf."
*
Brooklyn groaned as she tried to push herself into a sitting position. Her stomach was screaming out in pain and she gritted her teeth.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Brooklyn jumped when Harry walked into the hospital room and kicked the door shut with his boot.
"I'm just going to gra-"
"No, you're not," Harry said and Brooklyn groaned when he gently pushed her back down on the bed. "You're on bedrest, babe. The accident was two days ago, you can't rush the healing process."
"I'm fine," Brooklyn mumbled and rubbed her eyes. She sighed and looked at the wires and tubes attached to her. "I don't need all this fuss. It doesn't even hurt that bad."
"Lie, lie, lie," Harry tutted and sat down on a chair and kicked his feet up onto Brooklyn's bed. "You're not fine, the fuss is completely justified and you are in a hell of a lot of pain."
"I hate hospitals," Brooklyn sighed and closed her eyes. "They're just so cold and miserable."
"But they save lives," Harry said. "Like yours."
"It wasn't that serious," Brooklyn said dismissively.
"You were unconscious, you had no idea how serious it was, babe," Harry said sharply.
"The doctors said you were in the ambulance with me. How did you know where I was?" Brooklyn asked quietly.
"The block you had up broke when you nearly died," Harry said stiffly. "I could find you easily."
"Oh," Brooklyn murmured and looked at her hands. "Thanks for er... being there, I guess."
"Where else would I be?" Harry said. "We may not have seen much of each other over the past few weeks, but that doesn't mean I wasn't keeping an eye on you."
"That's creepy," Brooklyn said.
"You always seem to be getting into trouble," Harry said and raised an eyebrow at Brooklyn. "Can you blame me?"
"Yes."
Harry sighed. "I'm so glad you're okay, babe," he said.
"Me too," Brooklyn said honestly. "How's Sasha doing?"
"I don't care how she's doing, do you think I know?" Harry asked. "She's doing a hell of a lot better than you so she's not worth my time."
"Harry!" Brooklyn scolded. "She's my friend!"
"And she crashed you into a tree," Harry said. "I think I'm justified to not like her."
"You're not the one who crashed," Brooklyn said. "You're not justified at all."
"I don't care either way," Harry shrugged. "You're the only person I care about."
"Ace said he's never seen you care about someone like you do with me," Brooklyn blurted.
"Ace needs to keep his mouth shut," Harry growled.
"Is it true?" Brooklyn asked.
"Yes," Harry said simply. "I haven't got many people to care about, Brooklyn. I don't get close to people. I don't build relationships with people."
"Is it because of what happened with your family?" Brooklyn asked quietly.
"I'm not a nice person," Harry said. "I don't like people and they don't like me."
"You don't give anyone the chance to get to know you," Brooklyn said.
"Good."
"You're such a miserable bastard," Brooklyn huffed but she couldn't help but laugh. "Out of all people why did I get stuck with you?"
"Do you think I wanted a bubbly, friendly mate that loved talking to people and making friends?" Harry wondered. "Opposites attract, babe."
Brooklyn glanced at Harry and bit her lip. "So they say," she murmured.
"Have you read anymore of the book?" Harry asked and Brooklyn thought of the book that told her all about werewolves.
"A bit," she lied. She had read every single page.
"A bit?" Harry said with a smirk.
"Fine, all of it," Brooklyn muttered.
"And?"
"Why are you asking questions when you're in my head?" Brooklyn asked.
"Because I'm sure it won't be long before you block me out," Harry said.
"I can't," Brooklyn admitted. "It's too much effort. My whole body feels like a sack of potatoes and it's taking me a while to process things mentally."
"Well, it looks like I've got an access all areas pass for the moment," Harry smirked.
"Fuck off," Brooklyn groaned. "You're in the same room as me, do you have to be in my head as well?"
"Did you realise you lie a lot, babe?" Harry said and arched an eyebrow. "I don't like liars, I like to know the truth."
"I know you do," Brooklyn said and rolled her eyes. "Alright, Harry, tell me a truth."
"What?"
"What were you and Brandon arguing about earlier? I heard you in the hallway."
"He seems to think that it's my fault you're in here," Harry said and rolled his eyes. "He also didn't want me with you."
"You threatened him," Brooklyn said disapprovingly.
"And?"
"He's just concerned-"
"No, he's using your situation as an excuse to argue with me," Harry cut Brooklyn off. "Your aunt told him to go home and cool off."
"She likes you, doesn't she?" Brooklyn said and Harry nodded. "You said that people don't like you."
"She likes me with you," Harry corrected. "She likes that you've found someone you can trust. A guy."
"She told you that?" Brooklyn gasped.
"She didn't need too," Harry said. "Your uncle is a little more wary, but that's to be expected. Men are always more protective."
"He is?" Brooklyn said and laughed. "I couldn't imagine him being stern or mean to anyone."
"They love you," Harry said. "A lot. Your aunt cried horrifically when she left the room after you woke up."
"They've been better parents to me than my own ones have," Brooklyn said and laughed. "My own parents don't even know I was in an accident."
"You're not going to tell them, are you?"
"No," Brooklyn shook her head. "I don't want anything to do with them."
"You don't need them," Harry said. "You've got more than enough people that care about you."
Brooklyn sighed and nodded. "Would you say you're one of those people, Harry?"
"Yes."
"If you care about me then do you want to do me a huge favour?" Brooklyn said with a sheepish grin and she felt the pressure in her head.
Harry rolled his eyes and stood up. "Yes, I'll go and buy you pizza."
*
Soon after Harry left to get pizza, Brooklyn's aunt and uncle came in to make sure she was okay. They wanted to stay at the hospital with her but she persuaded them to go home.
"You have jobs and stuff going on, I'll be fine on my own," Brooklyn assured them.
They agreed to leave, but were going to come back the next day with clean clothes for Brooklyn.
Brooklyn was flicking through the channels on the hospital tv. She was already bored and she settled with watching an episode of Friends that she had already seen about 30 times.
Harry arrived not long later and Brooklyn grinned when the pizza came into view.
"I'll pay you back," she said and Harry gave her a look.
"Don't be ridiculous," Harry said. "Don't worry about it."
"But-"
"Shut up and move over," Harry said and Brooklyn gently eased herself across the bed and Harry sat down next to her. He wrapped an arm round her shoulder and Brooklyn shivered when she felt the familiar sparks. They seemed to dull the constant ache she had and she leaned her head on Harry's shoulder.
"Thank you," she said as she opened up a pizza box. "You don't have to stay here with me-"
"I've got no reason not too."
"School?"
"You're more important."
Brooklyn sighed. "I just don't want to keep you here. You don't have to visit me."
"I do and I will continue to do so, babe," Harry said.
"Even if I don't want you to?" Brooklyn asked and looked up at Harry.
"Even then."
"But-"
"Eat your pizza before it goes cold," Harry said sternly.
"But-"
"Eat."
"Harry-"
"Stop talking."
"You-"
"Shut up."
"Harry!"
"Don't make me shut you up," Harry said and Brooklyn gulped when Harry looked down at her with dark eyes. He gently cupped her face and ran his thumb over the cuts and scratches Brooklyn had gotten during the crash. "Eat, babe, we can argue later."
Brooklyn huffed and took a bite from the pizza.
It was going to be a long journey to recovery.