Carlisle's POV

"The office sure is busy tonight, isn't it?" Paul asked.

He's a doctor working in my field. Tonight was one of the busiest nights we've ever had.

"I wonder why that is," I mused, checking up on some paperwork.

I was about to sign out for the night. Though it was busy, our floor, the ICU, was getting calmer. I was sure Paul could handle the rest of the night without me. I planned to go hunting with Esme after work and I didn't want to keep her waiting. I glanced at the clock.

"Just get out of here, Carlisle," he insisted. "I can handle this."

I nodded and signed my name on the sign-out sheet sitting on the front desk. I was just about to hang up my coat when the ambulance alarm sounded through our floor of the hospital. I paused my movements and saw a nurse rush to where we were standing.

"Dr. Cullen, they've just brought in a new patient," she said.

I smiled politely. "I just signed out. Why don't you let Dr. Smith take care of this one?' I gestured to Paul, who was waiting patiently.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry but she's pretty banged up. She's not conscious at the moment and her bodily injuries look like they'll need a miracle. You're the only one we would trust with someone like this."

I sighed and shot an apologetic look at Paul, then followed the nurse to where a crowd of hospital workers were gathered around a bed in the distance. I immediately smelled the blood that probably drenched through the sheets. There was something familiar about it, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I shrugged it off. I could tell how urgent it must be but I tried to keep a human pace as I followed her quietly.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I answered it as I walked.

"Carlisle?" Esme stressed form the other end of the line. "Where are you?"

I sighed. "I'm still at the hospital. We're running late and they just brought in a new patient. She must be in a terrible state, or they wouldn't have asked me to stay. I'd already signed out."

I heard her gasp. She always empathized with the patients I told her about. "Is she okay?"

I approached the bed and the doctors moved aside to make room for me. "Yes, I'm sure she's . . ." I looked won at the young girl on the bed, who seemed to be in a crucial state, possibly near death, and it dawned on me why the blood smelt so familiar. "Bella," I breathed out, letting my hand that held the phone drop to my side.

"Carlisle?!" I still heard Esme's worried voice from the other end of the line. "Is everything alright? What about Bella? Carlisle?"

I moaned softly, and examined her body. There was no doubt in my mind that based on her torn clothes and multiple stab wounds, this was a rape case. My professional mind knew it, but I just didn't want to accept it. Bella was . . . raped? My mind rejected the words, couldn't comprehend what they meant.

"Dr. Cullen?" the nurse said frantically. "Should we wheel her into ICU or the operating table?"

I snapped out of it and shut off my phone, putting it in my coat pocket.

"Operating table," I answered immediately, trying to maintain my professional persona. "She needs stitches. There's also some glass in her wounds."

"She's low on blood," she responded, feeling Bella's pulse. "She'll need a transfusion or two before we can operate. That will take a couple of hours."

I frowned. I should have known that. Maybe I was just slow because it was Bella there, instead of another person that I had no emotional attachment to.

The nurse wheeled Bella into ICU and I hooked her up to an IV, preparing to wait until she was strong enough to withstand anything major. I could tell that she had several broken bones, possibly even some punctured organs. This scared e more than anything. I didn't know how long she could hold on. I didn't like taking my chances by waiting, but I had no choice. Once she was stabilized I looked at the nurse.

"Maybe you should leave, Natasha. She's stable for now."

She looked at Bella and sighed. "We need to find out who she is."

I looked at her. "That won't be necessary. Her name is Isabella Marie Swan, daughter of Chief Swan. She's eighteen years old, but legally under her father's care." I saw the question in her eyes. Though it wasn't her place to ask, I explained anyway. "My son, Edward, is currently courting her." I sighed. "She's in here enough though. Her medical records must be in my files somewhere."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Cullen," she whispered, looking back at the broken girl on the bed. "Should I contact anyone? Your son?"

I smiled wistfully at her. "No. I don't want to alarm her father at this moment. And I'm sure my son will be here soon."

She nodded and left the room, probably going to search for Bella's records. I groaned and looked back at her. I couldn't understand how Alice hadn't seen this! But if she hadn't before, she would have by now. And Edward would storm through the door any second, wanting to see her. I grimaced. I'd never seen Bella look this beaten. Not when she was attacked by James, or when she needed stitches on her eighteenth birthday.

Her face was bloody and covered in bruises, one right on her closed eye, and a deep gash covered her right temple, dried up blood ran down to her chin. Her neck was covered in black splotches where large hands must have held her. Her clothes were shredded but I could see that she was wearing a blue shirt. It was ripped down the middle but the nurses put a safety pin on it to keep her hidden. I could still see the bruises and red spots. There were scratches all over her skin. My eyes trailed down to her legs, just barely covered by torn and burnt jeans. There were burns all over her left leg and bruises everywhere else. Her shoes were missing, as well as any purse or bag she might have carrying.

My temper flared when I thought of the heartless monster that could have done this. But I calmed myself. I knew how upset Edward would be, I knew I would have to be the one to talk him out of murder. I had to stay calm.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't see her," I heard Natasha say to someone at the door.

I didn't even have to look up to know who it was.

"I have to see her! You don't understand! Where is Carlisle? Let me speak to him immediately!" Edward ranted form outside.

I walked to the door and opened it, coming face to face with the nurse and my furious son.

"Natasha, please," I said, waving Edward into the room.

She frowned but nodded, stepping aside. Edward stormed into the room, a grim expression on his face. There were no other beds in this ICU room but Bella's and he glided straight to it, not even looking back to watch me approach him. He took a sharp intake of breath upon seeing her, and fell to his knees at her side, a pained look on his face.
I grimaced for my son's pain. I could only imagine the torment he must be feeling.

"How bad?" he whispered after a while.

I sighed. "I took a few X-rays and examined her thoroughly when we were alone. She has a deep head wound; that was where she lost most of her blood; a mild concussion and third degree burns covering her right leg. That's the worst of it. Then there are a lot of minor injuries. Bruises covering every inch of her skin and bad scratches over her chest. Those weren't too bad."

He grimaced. "Not too bad," he whispered, "but bad enough."

His nostrils flared at the smell of the blood but his breathing held a steady pace. I knew he would feel more comfortable if he waited until after she was cleaned up.

"Edward," I started.

"No!" he interrupted fiercely. "I'm staying with her!"

I nodded and watched as he took her pale, lifeless hand in his own and rubbed it soothingly.

"Is she . . . ," he trailed off, never looking away from her face.

I sighed. "She'll be fine. The only concern is if her concussion causes her to slip into a coma, but the odds are very slight," I assured him.

He growled and turned to me. "The odds?! Haven't you realized yet that the odds are always stacked against us?! Has that not occurred to you yet? Tragedy after tragedy and that hasn't crossed your mind?!"

I didn't even flinch. I knew he would be angry. I knew he was speaking out of anger.

He reined his anger in, the excitement in his eyes died down. "I'm sorry, Carlisle. That was inexcusable of me. None of this is your fault. I have no right to be angry with you. This is my fault. All mine."

I nodded and put my hand on his shoulder. "I understand that you're upset, but this isn't your fault, Edward. You had no way of knowing this would happen."

He ignored my assurances. "What happened to her, Carlisle? What would be your best guess?"

"Edward, I—"

"Please?" he interrupted. "I need to know . . ."

I sighed once more. "We don't know for sure, but it has classic signs of . . . sexual assault . . ."

He moaned loudly and slumped is shoulders, letting go of Bella's hand and holding his head in both of his. "Bella, oh, Bella! How could I let this happen?"

I was about to argue when I smaller voice sounded from the door.

"I'm sorry, Edward."

I was the only one to turn around and saw Alice standing at the doorway, with Jasper standing next to her, covering his nose against the smell. Alice. She should have seen that this would happen. Why hadn't she? One look at Edward's face as he turned around to see her told me that he was thinking the same thing I was. And that he was in no mood to see Alice.
I shuddered as he stood up.

Please, Edward, I thought, Don't.

His head was down and I couldn't tell if he had heard that or not. He couldn't possibly blame Alice for not seeing this, could he?
As he lifted his head his eyes held the answer for me. Yes, yes he could.