Behind Closed Doors

13 - pain.

Hazel's POV:

"Dad?" I ask. He looks up at me and smiles.

"Dad!!" I run into his arms. He picks me up and spins me around like I'm seven again.

"Hey, Hazelnut!" He says, putting me down. I look up at him and smile.

"What are you doing here?" He asks.

"I.. got into a car accident."

"Just you?" I shake my head.

"Kat, too."

"Kat's not mine."

"I know. The timeline doesn't match up. But she thinks she's yours." He smiles.

"I adore her. That's alright." I hug him.

"Hazelnut," he says, pulling away.

"You're not ready yet. It's not your time. You have a woman that loves you and a sister that needs you. I need you to go back, okay?"

"But- I miss you," I whisper.

"I know. But you know what I said. Pink and Orange in the sky is me. And whenever you see anything penguin related-" he says. I cut him off.

"It's me hugging you. I know, daddy." He kisses my forehead.

"Okay. Good. Go, sweetheart." My lip quivers.

"I'm not ready to leave you yet."

"And Natalia isn't ready for you to leave her yet. Go. Run, Hazy. I'll time you!" I laugh.

"I'm being serious! Run!!" He kisses my forehead, and I start running the opposite direction.

"That's my girl! Go, sweetheart!"

I take a gasp of air and look around. I'm in the ambulance. Natalia's holding my hand with tears streaming down her face.

"Hey," she whispers. She strokes my hair back, and I smile up at her.

"Hi, nat."

"The sky is pink and orange. It's so pretty, Hazel. I took about 10,000 pictures because it's.. Fuck it's insane." I smile. Big.

"It was me and my dad. We met," I whisper. She smiles.

"Oh, princess."

"Is Kat.. dead?"

"No. She's in the other ambulance with Lyss and your mom. Who.. feels.. terribly guilty. I watched her collapse to the floor sobbing. And her sobs were.."

"Heartbreaking. I mean what she said or did wasn't okay but like-" she pauses. "She cared."

"My mother isn't always like that, Nat."

"Like what? Caring?"

"No. A stone cold bitch who slaps her daughter."

"She feels really guilty about that now. She took you into her arms and kissed your cheek over and over." I nod.

"Cool." I look at the paramedic. Long, black hair. It looks thick. Like you'd have a hard time brushing it after days of not brushing it because you're in a depressive episode.

"I'm feeling 22.. Everything will be alright if you keep me next to you," I sing. Both of them laugh, and I sigh.

"Patient is responsive," Natalia says, stroking my hair back.

"What's wrong with the patient?" I ask.

"Blunt force trauma to the head. Concussion. I'm assuming some trauma to internal organs that you may need to go under for," the paramedic says. I look at her.