The Perfect Emma

Chapter Seventeen

Emma Mabel

When Aaron walked down the stairs he seemed happy. As in, beyond happy. "Good day at work?" Emma asked as she pushed herself up onto her feet. Knowing that they were going out, Emma had already dressed herself appropriately. She even threw on a hat - since Aaron would more than likely be trying to hide her.

"Very." Aaron said with a grin. He put on a hat of his own on his head and began to push up sunglasses. "Just fucked over Grayson. Definitely a good day." Aaron stated smugly with a smile. He adjusted his sunglasses and stared over towards Emma, holding out his hand. "Pick a restaurant yet?"

Emma nodded her head happily. "Italian." She stated confidently. "You can pick the place. I just want to go to an Italian restaurant, please."

Aaron tilted his head as he considered Emma's request. Given the fact he was happy to begin with and was already rewarding her, he nodded his head and began to guide her up the stairs. Happily, Emma followed after him and sat herself into his car - though it was a different car from what they drove last time.

"Italian..." Aaron murmured as he stared down at his phone in the garage. He began to flip through, likely picking the safest and best small Italian restaurant in Los Angeles he could find. Eventually, he found one he was content with. "Head down - the entire time." He said sternly to Emma. Emma nodded her head and pulled the hat down over her face, shifting her gaze to her lap as Aaron pulled out of the garage and into the street.

After a drive battling traffic, Aaron eventually pulled in and parked in an Italian restaurant. He hopped out of the car and walked around to open Emma's door - though it wasn't because he was being a gentleman. He was doing it so she wouldn't run away.

Aaron wrapped his arm around her waist and began to guide her inside. Emma merely stayed next to him with her head down, as he instructed, until they were sitting at their table. Emma bounced happily and pushed up her hat slightly as Aaron picked up the menu. Without even checking, he ordered two dishes for both Emma and himself. Emma had grown to not be picky about what Aaron gave her.

Once the waiter walked away, Emma leaned forward against the table and stared at him. She was out to eat and Aaron was happy which meant she wasn't going to be beaten. Why wouldn't she be happy. "Tell me about your day?" Emma asked, being the good little Emily he wanted.

Aaron smiled as he ran his hand across his jaw. "Grayson got sent home early today." He remarked. "He did some, uh..." Aaron shrugged his shoulders. "stuff he shouldn't do."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows together for a moment before wiping that off of her face. It didn't sound like Grayson to do something wrong. Aaron? Yes. Obviously, yes. But Grayson didn't seem like that. "Well that's no good," Emma murmured, leaning back.

Aaron nodded his head in agreement and smugly continued to talk about his day. He talked about being able to work on Emma's case alone without Grayson interfering at the end of the day. Though, the way Aaron made it sound, it was tampering with her case... merely setting her back more from being rescued.

Emma kept her expression clear of sadness at that and merely watched him until the food arrived being placed in front of both Emma and Aaron. Eagerly, Emma picked up a fork and began to spin it around in the pasta. "I'm glad it was a good day." She said - truly happy that he was happy. Whenever Aaron was happy, that is good.

Aaron continued to talk as Emma lifted up pasta to her mouth. She ate and ate - practically scarfing down her food from pure hunger until... she felt something. Emma set down her fork and raised her hand up to her throat. She coughed softly until realization set in. She knew this feeling.

"Emily - what's wrong?"

"P-" Emma coughed as she continued to claw at her throat. She could feel her throat closing up. "Peanuts."

The realization began to set into Aaron's face - who had familiarized himself with the fact that Emma was allergic to peanuts. However, it clearly didn't come to his mind when he ordered a dish that the sauce was peanut based. "Fuck," Aaron stood up and began to speak loudly to the small Italian restaurant. "Does anyone have an EpiPen?" He shouted as Emma continued to gasp for air. The murmurs began to start.

"Oh my god."

"Someone call 911."

"Mama - what's happening?"

Hearing the part about 911, Aaron's eyebrows shot up. "No, no it's okay-" He started, but someone was already on the phone with 911. "Fuck," He hissed under his breath as he glanced down towards Emma. Despite choking, Emma could see everything clearly in his face alone. He wasn't in control - and he didn't like it.

Struggling for oxygen, Emma could feel herself fighting to stay awake as she gasped for air. Time seemed to fly by quickly, since the ambulance soon arrived. Somewhere before the ambulance arrived, Aaron had disappeared, likely hiding from being seen with Emma.

Once the EpiPen was administered in the back of the ambulance, Emma was slowly able to breathe again. She watched as one of the EMTs began to set up a tube to be placed down Emma's throat. However, before that could happen, Emma began to speak while also gasping for air. "C-Call 911"

The EMTs gave Emma a funny look as they continued to prepare the tube. "We... are 911." They spoke slowly, obviously not getting the connection. How could they. All they could see was a woman with an allergic reaction.

"I-I've been kidnapped," Emma tried to explain, continuing to gasp for air. Once again, the EMTs gave her a funny look - likely thinking she's delusional from lack of oxygen. Emma took another breath, with help from the EpiPen, and tried to speak one more time. "M-My name is Emma M-Mabel. Call-" Emma began to cough and gasped for air again. The EMTs leaned forward to place the tube, but she resisted and kept speaking. "Call Detective Grayson Todd. I only trust him-" Emma began to cough again, and the EMTs stopped allowing her to resist. They forced the tube down her throat which allowed her to breathe oxygen.

It was a relief, most definitely. It was the little things in life that you take for granted - such as breathing or, you know, not being beaten and kidnapped.

Being in the care of people that would help her, not harm her, Emma decided to let her eyes drift closed. She felt herself getting moved around on the bed she was currently on but she stopped caring. She didn't even bother to open her eyes and just relaxed. Emma felt herself fading in and out from sleep as people came in and out of the room.

The discussion had first started between a doctor and a nurse about her allergic reaction - saying it was mild and that the tube could be removed soon. However, the discussion gradually shifted to commenting on the burn on her arm that seemed to be relatively fresh.

"...Don't allow any visitors," The doctor eventually murmured while Emma was fading in and out of relaxation. She kept her eyes closed, but merely listened. She couldn't even talk if she wanted to - she had a tube in her throat. "Something isn't right."

"The EMTs mentioned something about her muttering being kidnapped." The nurse piped up. "To only trust a... detective Grayson Toad?"

The doctor remained quiet as he stepped over to Emma. He placed her hand on her arm where the burn was and Emma winced, leaving her eyes closed. "This needs to be cared for," The doctor murmured, turning away from Emma likely to talk to the nurse. "Call the detective. Ask him if he knows an Emma Mabel."