The blinding light that the doctor was shining in my eye, was giving me an instant headache. 

"And how long did you lose consciousness for?" He asked me in that serious doctor tone that now had me convinced I was about to have a brain hemorrhage. 

"Uh... I don't know, I was unconscious."  

"It was only a few seconds, doc." Ethan piped up from the chair in the corner of the room. Not only had he insisted on walking me into the emergency room, but he'd also insisted on staying with me too. I'd tried to tell him to leave several times, but it hadn't worked. 

"How do you know?" I asked, looking past the doctor at him.

A small, playful smile lit up his face and eyes, "I saw the whole thing."

"Oh God!" I lowered my eyes in utter embarrassment. Someone had bore witness to one of those moments in my life I would rather forget. And not just anyone, but Ethan Michaels. 

"I have no idea how you didn't see that branch, by the way." A small chuckle escaped his lips. 

"Are you implying that she ran into the branch on purpose?" The doctor turned and looked at Ethan. 

"What... oh NO! No, I would never... I just didn't see it." I quickly corrected. I didn't want the doctor to put me on an emergency psychiatric lock down or something because he thought I was running into trees on purpose. 

"It was pretty obvious, though." Ethan piped up from the corner again. I gave him the fiercest glare possible and he held his hands up in mock defeat. 

"I was in a hurry and I wasn't concentrating. That's all!" I smiled at the doctor, hoping to convey total and utter sanity on my part. He looked at me for a moment or two and then put his finger on the tip of my nose. 

"Follow my finger, please." 

My eyes hurt trying to keep up with the doctor's finger as it whizzed around in front of my face. But finally, it was over. 

"Well," the doctor spoke, "There don't seem to be any neurological issues, your pupils are dilating normally, you're not having any problems communicating, so I don't think we need to do a brain scan."

"Ok, great!" I started getting off the bed but the doctor stopped me 

"However, you did lose consciousness, so I would prefer to monitor you for the next few hours."

"Next few hours?" I didn't want to be stuck in a hospital for the next few hours. 

"In case anything changes, which is highly unlikely." He qualified, before patting me on the shoulder and leaving the room. 

"Uh..." I looked around the small room, Ethan had put his legs up on the chair in front of him, as if he was making himself comfortable and settling in for the night. He looked over at me and gave me a small nod. Why was he behaving like this? 

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" I asked. I couldn't think of one reason that the Ethan Michaels would want to stay here. Didn't he have hearts and virginities to break, nachos to eat, funny shaped balls to kick and beer kegs to inhale? 

"Nope. Looks like you're stuck with me for a while, Sleeping Beauty." 

"Well, my dad will probably be here soon, so you should probably, no, definitely,  go..." I looked out the door and down the passage nervously. If my dad found me here with Ethan, he wouldn't be very happy. He was completely against most forms of male interaction, and all forms of dating. Mind you, he was against most things that involved fun and were part of the normal college experience. Not that I was the kind of person who was looking to get drunk, throw up on myself and have sex with random people while being filmed. 

"You should really go, though." I slipped off the bed and walked over to the window and looked out. I couldn't remember the last time I was out at this time of night. I was usually at home by now, reading in my bedroom and wondering what the world outside looked like at this time. And now I was seeing it. 

"I'm sure your dad would like to thank the man that saved your life," I heard the scrape of a chair on the floor and then heard his footsteps coming up behind me. 

"Mmm, you clearly don't know my dad then." I turned and looked at him. He had a bit of a dopey look plastered across his face and suddenly I remembered that smell of beer on his breath. This probably explained all his behavior tonight. 

"Are you drunk or... other things? Is that why you're finding this all so entertaining, or whatever it is that you're finding it right now." I asked him, folding my arms in front of me. 

"I'm not finding this amusing," he was smiling again.

"Then why are you smiling?" 

He shrugged. "I had two beers... slight beer buzz. Not enough that I would find a girl knocking herself unconscious on a tree amusing. I'm not that much of a dickhead- contrary to popular belief, I'm sure." 

"ROSE!" My father burst through the door like a race horse through the gates. 

"I'm ok, dad. I'm okay." I quickly tried to assure him, I knew how stuff like this made him panic.

"No, you're not!" He pushed passed Ethan and grabbed my face between his hands and stared at the bump on my head.

"It looks worse than it really is, I promise. The doctor says I'm fine. I can go soon." 

"Jesus! How did this happen?" he was tilting my head from side to side, looking for other cuts and bruises. 

"I was my fault. I was being careless. I ran into a tree, but it's fine dad, seriously." 

"How many times have I told you to be careful." His tone was a mixture of panic and anger, and I knew why. 

"I know. I'll be more careful next time, dad. Sorry." I looked over his shoulder and Ethan was looking at us curiously. I knew exactly what he was thinking- it was written all over the disapproving look on his face. Overprotective, overbearing father. And he would be right, however, Ethan just didn't realize that he had a very good reason to be like this. 

"And who are you?" My dad swung around and looked at Ethan, his eyes wandered up to mine momentarily and I shrugged apologetically at him. 

"Hi, Sir. I'm Ethan, I'm the one who found Rose and drove her here." He extended his hand for my father to take- he really didn't know my dad. 

I heard my father sniff the air. "Have you been drinking, son?" 

"Uh..." Ethan's brow scrunched in confusion and he eyed my father strangely. "I'm not over the legal driving limit, if that's what you're asking?" 

"That's not what I'm asking." My father took a step forward. Ethan was tall and big, and probably knew how to hold his own, but he was no match against my six foot four inch giant of a father. Ethan shot me a questioning look and I shook my head at him. 

"I... I think I should get going." Ethan spoke in a formal sounding voice now and started walking backward. 

"I think that's a very good idea." My dad said in that voice that was enough to shake even the most unshakable person. I silently cringed. For one brief moment I'd had a (vaguely) normal interaction with a guy without him thinking I was a total freak. But not that was all over now. 

"Bye Rose," he gave me a small wave before turning and walking towards the door, "I'll see you on campus or--"

"Goodbye, Ethan." My father cut him off and I couldn't help the exacerbated sign that escaped my lips. I watched as Ethan exited and walked down the corridor away from me. 

"Dad! He was just trying to help me." I pushed past my father and sat back down on the bed.

"They are always "just trying to help""my dad gestured air commas and the pitch in his voice kicked up a notch, I knew exactly what that meant. I was due another lecture on how evil all members of the opposite sex were- except him of course. I didn't feel like one tonight, so I stopped it before he had a chance to start. 

"You're right dad. Of course, you're right." I said quickly, shrinking onto the bed. 

"I know I am. Besides, that guy reeked of alcohol!" 

I nodded in agreement. But really, it was just defeat. I loved my father, but his obsession with keeping me safe and protected was becoming harder and harder to bare the older I got. I was eighteen years old for God's sake, was he going to keep me wrapped in cotton wool for the rest of my life? He probably would if he could. 

"I don't want you seeing that Ethan guy again, Rose."

"No." I nodded. "I won't." I doubt he would ever want to see me again after this anyway. 

"He's nothing but trouble, trust me. I can tell."

"Yes dad. Nothing but trouble." I repeated the words emotionlessly and robotically as I felt another little bit of my life slipping away. 

**Thanks for reading, please remember to comment and tell me all what you think of it. 

JOX