Michael P.O.V

Charlie collapses on the floor and loses consciousness. I nudge him several times, but he doesn't respond. He's still breathing and I can hear his heart rate, but he's unconscious and that's not a good thing.

I run out into the woods where I've hidden some clothes and shift before putting them on. I started keeping clothes closer to Charlie's house when we started getting close to each other.

I run back into the house and grab Charlie off of the floor. His body is limp and relaxed. Something just isn't right. I can sense it.

I run to the garage with Charlie in my arms. Since I spent the night here, I don't have my truck. Luckily, Charlie has a car of his own. I set him down in the passenger seat and quickly get in the driver's side. Charlie conveniently keeps his keys on the dash.

I start the car to keep Charlie warm while I open the garage door. Charlie's house still doesn't have power. It's not exactly the most convenient situation in the world. I get back in the car and start to drive to the hospital.

I drive as fast as I can in order to get Charlie to the hospital. My veins are coursing with adrenaline from the situation. It's hard to think straight when someone I care about could be seriously hurt.

The hospital is roughly half an hour away from Charlie's house. I manage to get there in just over ten minutes. Needless to say that I was well above the speed limit.

I park the car and take Charlie inside. He stirs in my arms only slightly. Other than that, he barely moves.

The active nurses show clear concern when they see us walk in. One gets a wheelchair for Charlie while another starts checking his vitals.

"What happened?" one asks.

"He just passed out. I don't know why," I manage to tell them.

I'm handed a clipboard to fill out while the nurses take Charlie back. Unfortunately, this is all personal information about Charlie that I don't know. I can't fill out even a third of the form. I don't know his family medical history, insurance, or social security. I know his name, birthday, and reason for coming in and that's about it.

I sit in the waiting room and sigh. Every minute that passes without an answer is agonizing. I hate not knowing what's going on. I want to know if Charlie is okay. I need to know if he's okay.

I watch the clock tick and tick away. It only makes time seem slower. I try to focus on something else in the room, but my attention always adverts back to the clock. It's the only thing that I manage to focus on.

After nearly an hour, a doctor comes out. "You came in with Charlie, correct?" she asks.

I quickly stand up. "Yes. Is he okay?" I ask hastily.

"He's fine now. You were smart to have brought him in when you did, otherwise, he may not have been so lucky."

"Why?"

"His appendix burst due to an infection in his body. If left untreated it would have been fatal," the doctor explains.

It feels as though my heart has dropped to my stomach. Charlie could have died if I wasn't there to take him to the hospital. Unfortunately, the infection I caused is what landed him here. If I had never clawed his leg this wouldn't have happened. In a way, this is all my fault.

"Can I see him?" I ask softly.

The doctor nods. "He's resting right now, but should wake up soon."

She leads me to Charlie's room and opens the door quietly. I walk in and sit down next to the bed. Charlie is sleeping peacefully. I sigh softly and run my fingers through my hair.

If I hadn't gotten close to Charlie none of this would have happened. He would be healthy. He wouldn't be in the hospital for an appendix that exploded. That wouldn't have happened. All I do is hurt him. That's all I'll ever do, even if it's not my intention.

Charlie lays asleep, hardly moving at all. I watch the heart rate monitor as it beeps with every heartbeat. My mind is overtaken with guilt. Every bad thing that has happened to Charlie as of recently is my fault. I don't want to keep hurting him.

I don't want to hurt Charlie at all. I never wanted to hurt him. Situations like these are the exact reasons I was avoiding being anywhere near Charlie in the first place. I knew better than to get any closer to him. Every decision I made put him in danger in one way or another. I knew something bad would happen, I simply didn't want to admit it. I tried to tell myself that we could live at least a semi-normal life. I was lying to myself. That will never be possible.

A soft sigh leaves my lips as I stand. Charlie is still asleep. He doesn't even know that I'm here with him. Hell, he probably doesn't even know that he's in a hospital. At least this makes things a little bit easier.

I lean down and kiss the top of his head softly. The familiar sweet scent of his shampoo fills my nostrils. I could never figure out what it was before. I only associated the scent with Charlie.

I take a deep breath as I walk to the door. I look back for a brief moment and I feel my heart physically ache.

"I'm sorry, Charlie," I whisper softly.

I hate having to do this, but it's for his own good. Charlie would never be safe around me. There would always be a risk that I or another wolf could hurt him. That is why I must let him go.

I open the door and walk out. All my instincts say to go back, but I force myself to keep going. I won't be able to let him go if I stay any longer. I love him and I have to let him go. This is for the best.