Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

Lauras POV

>in the Forrest< 

I look around my surroundings...

“Where am I?”

I stare down at my hands and I realize that they are covered in blood.

“Whose blood is this?”

My head hurts. I struggle to recall what happened until it all starts coming back to me...

  

>earlier in the Hospital<

 
As a surgical intern at the hospital who saves lives on a daily basis, I´m used to having bad days. But today isn´t one of those days. This day is just darker than any other. I just can´t seem to escape this dark cloud looming over my head. 

We admitted a patient, a little girl the nurses found unconscious and abandoned outside the ER. We don´t know where she came from or who she is. But she´s having these seizures that we can´t explain. I did everything according to the book. This little girl shouldn´t have these complications. Could it be because of these markings she has on her shoulder? It´s consistent with a bite mark, but it´s all healed up. It doesn´t make sense. I really hope her illness doesn´t progress overnight. God, I hope she survives the night. 

My phone starts to vibrate in my pocket. It´s my mother calling. What does she want now? I pick up the phone.

“Mom, I´m at work.”

“We need to talk, Laura.”

“Look, Mom, if this is about my job here at the hospital, I already told you. I´m not quitting and I´m most certainly not going back to New York.”

“You are wasting your time there, Laura. You can have a life here in New York. With me.”

“You certainly didn´t want to live with me all those years when you sent me to boarding school. This is the problem with you, Mom. You make these decisions and only think about what is convenient for you.”

“I only did that because I wanted to protect you.”

“Protect me from what?”

“Forget I said that.”

“Fine, I gotta go.” I end the call abruptly and immediately feel bad about it.

My mom and I have a very complicated relationship. I chastise myself for letting my mom get to me like that. It´s always been a touchy subject for me. Especially these days when I get so easily exasperated. Out of nowhere, I punch the locker room door. I stare in surprise when my fist just left a dent on the metal. What's gotten into me? I brush it off and change into my civilian clothes.

I just got out of a 36-hour shift - I need a drink.

>Hospital hallway< 

I slip out into the hallway and decide to head for the bar across the street. I hear footsteps behind me. I turn to see Dr. Patrick White - Wolf Springs Medical Center´s finest. And boy, he´s fine. His chin-length white-silver hair combed back into his neck. A strand of soft flowing silver in his face. His light blue eyes could probably look deep down your soul and drown yourself in them. His scrubs plays perfectly around his hardened body.

For a moment, I marvel at how handsome Dr. White is. He´s just too perfect. No wonder he´s so popular around here. 

I don´t know why, but there´s something about him that makes me attracted to him. More of the half female population of this hospital probably wants to get into his pants, but for me it´s more than just that. Maybe I should take action first. But that’s ridiculous just to think about it. What should I say? I probably stumble on my own words and embarrass myself to the core. Why would he even be interested in being near me. I´m a nothing. I´d better be quiet.

“Dr. Fuller. Laura. Hey!”

Is this an opportunity? “Dr. White. How can I help you?”

“About that patient of yours in Room 104. The one they found abandoned in the ER last night.”

“We call her Elise.”

“Elise, right. Well, I was reading her charts and I must say that her condition doesn´t make sense.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“You did everything right. Whatever complications she had couldn´t have been avoided. So, don´t beat yourself up about it.” 

Dr. White gives me an awkward pat on the shoulder. He´s being a professional, but I know for a fact that he´s been paying a lot of attention to me lately. Even going out of his way to be kind to me. I´m not sure how to classify that.

And I know I´m not having my signals crossed. He´s so into me. I like it.

“I´ve run every test. I couldn´t find anything in the CT scan. No tumors. But she keeps having these seizures from time to time.”

“We´ll run more tests and keep her under observation.”

“Do you think it´s got anything to do with the bite mark on her shoulder?”

“What makes you think it´s a bite mark?” His eyes seem to stare straight into my soul.

“The pattern appears to be a bite mark. Like from some sort of canine or something. Only bigger.”

Dr. White gives me a curious look. He probably thinks I´m weird now. “Are you thinking rabies?”

“At this point, I don´t even know what to think.”

“Well, if it´s some kind of bite from an animal, don´t you think it would have torn off her shoulders?” “Yeah, probably. Forget that I said that. It´s silly.” I blushed immediately and had to look away. “Anyway, thank you, Dr. White. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. And please, call me Patrick.”

“I´m, sorry, I´m just not used to calling my superiors by their first name.”

“Trust me, it´s okay. I´m only ahead of you by one year. Besides, we were classmates once.”

I gasped “We were?”

“Yeah, at Pemberton University. I used to sit behind you in History class.”

Patrick is smiling this perfect smile and I can´t help but return it. Damn, he´s hot. 

“To be honest, everything before medical school was a blur.”

“I´m kinda hurt that you don´t know me.”

Oh my gosh, that hurt look on his face made my heart skip a beat. Why was this so important to him? He looked like a beaten puppy. And I so wanted to wrap my arms around him. Wait, Laura, stay focused.

“I´m so sorry.” Was all I could bring out.

“Laura.” I turn to see my ex-boyfriend Robert holding a bouquet of red roses. Great timing – NOT.

I rolled my eyes. “Robert, what are you doing here?”

“Inviting you to dinner. Who´s he?” He gave Patrick a disapproving look.

I can tell that Robert doesn´t like Patrick. He didn´t even try to hide it.

“This is my boss. Dr. White. Dr. White, this is Robert Millford."

“Nice to meet you. Well, I´m going to do rounds now. I´ll see you tomorrow.”

His deep gaze still locked with mine and I didn´t know how to deal with.

He seems too eager to get out of here that he´s gone in a flash. Just when we were connecting. Sigh.

“These are for you, Laura.”

I take the red roses that Robert gives to me. We may not be together anymore but he sure knows how to make a girl swoon. It may sound cliché, but red roses are my favorite.

“Thanks Robert. You didn´t have to.”

“But I want to.” 

There´s something different about Robert. I just can´t put my finger on it. He is still hot as hell. But something is definitely different. 

“You look good, Rob. So, what´s new with you?”

“Well, I just quit my job at the research lab.”

“Why, what happened?”

“Well, I know how much you hated me for working at that facility. And I felt like it´s one of the reasons we grew apart. So, I thought making that step will give us another chance.”

“Robert, firstly, I didn´t hate you because you work there. I hated that facility because they used animals as test subjects. And secondly, we grew apart because you are too jealous of everyone. You even asked me to choose between you and my job. And you know how important that job is to me. That hurt me a lot.”

“How many times I´m going to apologize for that?”

“You don´t have to apologize anymore. Because I´m done.”

“Laura, just give me a chance.”

“Why should I when I know I´ll only end up getting hurt?”

Robert moves closer to me, which is when I smell his scent. It´s familiar, yet there´s something different about it. 

Suddenly, my senses are overwhelmed. It´s enticing. What´s this? What´s happening?

“Laura, I want you back.” He whispered as he got really close to me.

“Robert, I...”

“At least just have dinner with me? For old time´s sake.”

I hesitate, I know I shouldn´t do that. I don´t wanna get weak. But it´s just dinner, right? “All right, Robert. I´ll have dinner with you.” 

There´s something about him, that I´m unable to resist. 

“Perfect.” Robert smiled and, in that instance, my heart begins to flutter. I blushed. That smile. Those lips. I just want a taste. But I can´t. I mustn´t. We´re broken up. I must keep this platonic.

That´s when I realized that tonight is going to be difficult.

>Roberts´ House<

I find myself in Roberts´ beautiful house. He´s done well for himself by working as a scientist at that research facility. Apparently, he´s got this whole night planned out as I am treated to a fine dinner at his home.

“I´m glad you agreed to this. I missed this.” He stares at me with those beautiful eyes; for a moment I think I am going to drown in them.

I look away, breaking the connection. The full-moon is visible through the high-ceilinged windows of Roberts´ house, and I´m lost for a moment.

He crosses his arms and looks at me thoughtfully.

“What is it, Laura?”

“Nothing. So, what´s new with you? What are you going to do now that you quit your job?”

“Actually, I already found a new job.”

“Really, what is it?”

Robert seems to hesitate for a moment. “It´s confidential for now. I´m not allowed to discuss it until they work out the kinks on my contract. All those legal mumbo jumbos. It´s never interesting.”

“All right, if you say so, Robert.” But at that moment, my curiosity is already piqued. What is this mysterious job of his? Why is he being vague about it?

There´s a long silence that ensues before Robert speaks again.

“Laura, I want you back.” He reaches out and puts his hand over mine. The touch of his skin sends electricity through me. I close my eyes for a second, savoring the sensation. I try to set it aside, struggling to resist the urge to kiss him now.

“Robert, I think you are a great person. But I don´t think you are the right person for me.”

“You already said I´m great. Why don´t you just stop there? Stop overthinking this. You know you want me as well.”

And I do. My basic instincts practically tell me that I want him right now. “It´s a little bit more complicated than that. 

Robert starts to lace his fingers with mine, and I can feel my heart beating against my chest.

“Kiss me and tell me you don´t have feelings for me. Maybe I´ll believe you then.”

I gasped in shock. “No, Robert, I´m not going to kiss you. I agreed to have dinner with you. But not this.”

“Why can´t we just be friends?”

“Because I don´t see you that way. Well, you should get used to it.”

Suddenly, Robert leans in and presses his lips against mine. I´m surprised by what he did. But I liked it. The taste of his lips lingers in mine.

“Now, tell me you didn´t feel anything.”

Without another word, I kiss him again. This time with a hunger that had finally risen to the surface. I kissed him so hard that I bite on his lip.

“Owww!”

What has gotten into me?! Roberts´ lower lip is bleeding.

“I´m so sorry.” I stuttered. Shocked by my own action.

“It´s okay. Clearly you´re still passionate about me. Can we at least talk about this?”

“I gotta

go, Robert. We´ll talk some other time.”