RIVER (An Eminem FanFiction)

Chapter 36

October 26th 2023
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Paul's POV

I walk into Marshall's hospital room, the nurse immediately leaving, giving us our space.

"How you feeling today dumbass?"

"Man fuck you. Not bad. You know I spoke to Soph yesterday."

"Oh, how'd that go?" I'd got the call last night to say the charges had been dropped but I know it'll never be as simple as forgive and forget.

"Better than I thought."

"Good. Look, I've got the media up my ass, they're desperate to find out what's going on. The last they heard was you'd been arrested for assult back on the 18th. We can't just sweep this under the rug forever. I'm thinking of doing a statement. Letting them know charges have been dropped and the matter is being resolved, how does that sound?"

"Like shit. Paul I need to say the truth. I can't tell Soph I'm sorry and then shy away from the truth in public. I can't do that to her, I've hurt her enough. The least I can do is come clean."

"About Ava and Soph?"

"I have to. I owe it to them both. We both know the thing with the press is if you don't talk to them then they make it up."

"What were you thinking?"

"I'll do an interview, tv, none of the radio shit. If I'm coming clean about this might aswell go the whole way, no point hiding away from the camera's."

"Marsha-" I begin to warn him against this but get cut off.

"I don't care Paul. If I lose my career and my fans, if my legacy gets tainted then so be it but I refuse to lose Ava and Soph over this."

"This is going to blow up, I hope you're aware of that."

"I know. I've been doing this for over twenty years Paul, I ain't as dumb as you think." He nods, it seems as if he's got this all planned out. "Oh and Paul cand you get me all this stuff together please?" He says and hands me a list of items scribbled onto ripped up piece of paper.

I furrow my brow at him.

"Am I your servant now or something? Who's it for?"

"You always have been. It's just a card, chocolate and flowers for Soph."

"I'll get it sorted. Oh, also I was speaking with your doctor a minute ago and she says that if you agree to see a therapist then we can avoid putting you in a psychiatric hospital. If you continue to recover as you are you can leave in two days."

"A therapist? Fuck no." He alnost shrieks at me.

"Therapist or psych unit? What do you want?"

"Therapist." He mutters under his breath.

"That's what I thought. See you later."

"Later fuckface."

With those kind words I leave and head over to Sophia's room.

"Hi Paul, didn't think I'd be seeing you. How are you?" She asks with a huge smile.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"I'm good, don't worry about me."

"That's hard not to do when you're in a hospital bed Sophia." I laugh.

I've always loved Soph the most out of anyone Marshall has been with. There's something so genuine and pure about her, a genuinlly nice person who'd do anything for you.

"I just can't wait to get out of here."

"I don't blame you. Look, I want to run something by you really quick."

"Ok?" She says, almost hesitant.

"Marshall wants to go and do a tv interview to clear the air about everything. That would mean that you and Ava would be spoken about heavily."

"Look, if he feels that's what needs to be done then so be it. He's far more experienced in this whole fame and media side of it than me."

"You do realise it would only be a matter of days before they identified you, got pictures, videos, your whole life story? It'll change your whole way of life."

"Its going to come out one way or another isn't it? Might as well be in a way we can control it."

"You make a very good point, so you're good with this happening?"

"As good as I can be."

With that I head out of the hospital, clutching the torn up list of items that Marshall wants me to organise for Sophia...

A/N - thought I'd switch it up and do a little bit of Paul's POV.

As always, any feedback or suggestions are welcome.

~ Im 💕