Disclaimer: I do not own the characters.

Chapter 1

I was running later than usual as I walked quickly down the hospital corridor, nodding my hellos at the nurses I had grown to know over the course of several months. It was Friday, so the hospital was busier than usual, likely preparing for a night of ill-conceived decisions made by drunken partygoers. I knew Charlie was doing the same down at the station. His words from this morning still echoed in my head.

"Bella, you need to be home at a decent hour tonight. The first Friday after school starts is always wild, and I don't want to worry about you on the road with drunk drivers."

"Of course, Dad." I had mumbled, feeling awkward about his concern. It was so different than what I was use to with Renee. "I just have to volunteer at the hospital for a few hours, and get some groceries but I should be home no later than 5:30."

Charlie had nodded, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck "Good." He said sighing, relief flooding his features.

I suppose that was one less thing he had to worry about tonight.

In no time, I found the door I was looking for and pushed it open slowly. The nurse in the room smiled up at me as she checked the patients vitals. "Afternoon, Bella. How are you today?" she asked me.

"Late," I groaned, knowing I wouldn't be home until after 5:30 now, and sincerely hoping Charlie wasn't going to make a stink. "But otherwise good, how are you, Jess?"

She smiled a knowing smile before venting a little about how busy the ER was already. "You would think people would learn to stay away from the Quileute river this time of year." she huffed before setting the stethoscope back in its proper drawer. "Well," she went on, winking, "I will be at the nurses station if you need me."

"Mhm," I rolled my eyes as she left. She knew how much I enjoyed reading to patients in my free time, but I was fairly certain she knew I enjoyed my time with this patient the most.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, I started the timer, plopped down in the uncomfortable bed side chair and started reading. It wasn't too long before my thoughts started to wander.

If not for his permanent residence within the hospital, the chances of ever meeting Edward Cullen were unlikely. He was high society, a business man, made of money with a rich family, spectacular home and gorgeous wife—or so I was told, because Edward had never actually spoken a word to me, and any remnant of his life before the hospital was nowhere to be seen, including his knockout of a wife, Kate Denali.

I sighed as I glanced over toward his lifeless body. It had been 8 months since his accident and his wife had only been in to visit him once since I started volunteering here 3 months ago—presumably not by choice either, as there had been something wrong with the paperwork that required her presence.

The gossip surrounding her infamous visit was still being discussed months later in our quaint little town of Forks. Apparently, she flew in with an entire legal team for a meeting with the Cullen's, who came armed with a legal team of their own.

None of the hospital staff knew what was discussed, but ever since that day in the board room of Forks General, any new information regarding Mr. Cullen was to be first passed unto the head physician, who just so happened to be his father, Carlisle Cullen. It didn't take a genius to figure out that guardianship had been transferred from his wife, to his parents but no one knew why and Kate hadn't been back since.

As I looked him over, I had an even harder time imagining why she wasn't there. I knew she was famous, and her acting career in California kept her busy, but, and according to the online articles I had read about their life together, they had been together for 10 years and were deeply in love. Letting my eyes travel over his face, I felt an all too familiar pang in my chest, wondering if perhaps they got it wrong.

Another sigh escaped me I glanced back down at the book I had been reading him for the past 20 minutes. Thinking about his wife's abandonment when he needed her most was too much, and I felt the tear trickle from my eye and down my cheek before I could stop it.

Annoyed with myself, I wiped furiously at my face, "stupid, stupid, stupid," I laughed humorlessly. None of the other patients effected me quite as much as him, which was truly silly considering I was actually able to have more than a one-sided conversation with them...

Maybe it was because I knew what abandonment felt like, or maybe it was because of the latest rumors surrounding Kate and the mystery man she had been seen with. Nevertheless and regardless of why I cared so much, the reality of the situation was not lost on me. Edward Cullen was not my concern, not really. I was just there to read to him for 30 minutes after school as a volunteer.

One day he would wake up, leave the hospital and I'd likely never see him again, or at least that was the hope. And yet…. glancing back, I couldn't help but feel an inexplicable connection to him, one I would mourn the loss of when that day came.

I was so lost in thought that I jumped when a sudden beeping noise alerted me to the fact that our thirty minutes were over. Frowning, I packed away my things and slung my pack over my shoulder. I reached for his hand as I always did before saying goodbye and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I know you have no reason to care what I think." I said pausing only for a minute, wondering if there was apart of him that could hear me "But for what it is worth, if I was your wife, I would never abandon you. I'd be here every day, waiting for you to come home to me."

Without another word, I turned and left, walking back down the corridor toward another room, a fake smile plastered on my face as my gut twisted painfully.

Authors Note: Where can we go from here?