Calum's PoV

Shit. She really had me cornered. If I wanted her to stay I had to be honest? But as soon as I'd mention it she'd run a mile. Why did I get myself into this dumb situation? Why couldn't I just say no?! Right now, whilst Naomi wasn't in front of me, I loathed her. I wished she'd never come back into my life, breaking everything like a bull in a china shop, and ruined what I had spent a long time perfecting. Poppy and I had been through so much with those awful people from her past but we'd fought it off strongly, together. The trust between us and that bond we had were what kept us going, through thick and thin, holding each other's hands through the mess. It wasn't the same this time. It wasn't teamwork because I was the one failing, Poppy was now beginning to get mad and lose trust in me, so we were finding it hard to fight things together. For this to ever get back to normal, I'd have to be honest with her and that meant telling her what I'd been so desperate to hide. I bit the bullet. I explained everything, how I was in a state after the accident, barely thinking as Naomi came in and flirted with me again. I'd said no but she continued until finally she got the message and left. Poppy said nothing in response. She stared off, her body weirdly still as she glared into nothingness.

"Poppy?" I pushed. Her eyes finally moved to mine. She looked as white as a ghost, like all the blood had rushed from her body.

"Calum. Doctor." She wheezed before she collapsed straight down, thumping onto the floor.

"Poppy!" I ran over quickly, skidding to my knees as I took hold of her face. "Poppy? Can you hear me?" No response came from her. Panic began to set in again. I fumbled in my pocket for my phone and dialled the numbers with shaking fingers.

"Hello, emergency services, how may we-" I cut them off in terror, every second counted in these things, right?

"Hi, my name is Calum Hood. I was talking to my fiancée when she passed out. She was really pale and now she's not responding. She's breathing but I don't know what to do. She was involved in a car accident a few days ago I don't know if it's related." I rambled on, hoping that would be enough for them to send an ambulance right away, giving the address of the hotel which I'd read off a notepad on the table. "Please, you've got to help her!" My breathing was shaky as I heard the operator typing.

"Okay, Calum. I need you to calm down and answer my questions. I've already dispatched an ambulance and it should be with you shortly. Now, is she laying on her back?"

"Y-yes."

"Okay, I want you to make sure her legs are elevated to help with blood flow." I yanked the footstool beside me closer to Poppy and rested her legs on it. Every moment her body was still caused mine to panic even more. I couldn't lose her. Please God don't let me lose her.
It was like an epiphany, hitting me in full force as my mind finally came into a realisation. Why was I wasting time with Naomi when I had this woman here, one who nursed me back to health, who helped me when I was down about having my cast and crutches, she protected me from her past but I wasn't protecting her from mine. I was letting it eat her up whilst I sat back and watched. She was my world, the one person I was more than happy to be with, to share news about having a child with, to marry and have for the rest of my life. Yet here i was refusing to let go of my past, not having the willpower to fight back.

"Mr Hood? Can you hear me?" The operator on the phone pulled me back to my fearful reality.

"Yes sorry."

"Is her colouring any better?" She asked, but it wasn't. She wasn't looking good at all.

"Not a bit. She feels cold too." My stomach knotted excessively. Please be okay, Poppy. Please.

"Okay, sir, listen to my instruction carefully. Place two fingers just under the corner of her jaw and press down lightly, you should feel a pulse." My shaking hands moved to her neck, my fingers pressing on her cold yet clammy skin. I felt around, pressing and moving my fingers around until there it was. Poppy's heartbeat.

"Okay I feel it."

"Just count every beat out to me from now." She ordered and I began to count, with no knowledge of what I was doing. 38, 39, 40. "Thank you sir. Now, can you see her chest rising and falling?" I moved position to watch it.

"Yes, just about."

"Count those too?" And I began again. 10, 11, 12. "Thank you sir. I can confirm the ambulance should be there by now, please stay on the phone until they get to where you are." My body now felt numb, scared, exhausted. There was a knock at the door and I ran, flinging it open in desperation. Luke was at the door.

"Calum, I-" he began but he froze as soon as he saw my face. "What's happened?" I merely took a step away from the door, Luke's eyes falling on Poppy. "Oh god." Mere seconds later the paramedics had arrived and Luke and I moved away to let them work.

"Pulse and respiration's are low, she's cold and clammy." One said to the other as they did more checks. "Blood pressure is low too." Luke could see my worry as I watched on helplessly and despite everything that had happened between us, and how he'd practically been avoiding me since the accident, he put an arm around my shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Hey. It'll be okay. Whatever it is, they'll fix it." I offered him a small thankful smile, but his words weren't enough. The only way this was going to be fixed was speaking to Naomi and getting her to leave us alone for good. Whether that meant confronting her, or getting a restraining order, we needed her gone. I needed her gone. No more was I going to give in to her, letting her twist me around her little finger and use me. She was not someone worthy of my time. Poppy was. She was someone who had been there through a lot and pushed me to be better - not that I'd shown her any thanks for that. This was my next mission, to get rid of Naomi for good.