Author's Note

This story is all coming from the POV of an as yet unkown person, Hannah Haggerty. Read and review, tell me what you think!

Sleeping peacefully, I wasn't expecting to hear the blaring music coming from my speakers like it did. That's the only excuse I have for why I rolled out of bed (ok, so I fell...), onto the floor and my nine inch killer hunting knife that I'd bought for myself last Christmas.

Naturally the damned thing would cut me deep enough to not only hurt like hell, but to also need stitches. So I ended up making an unexpected trip to the ER. It was there that I met the sexiest man alive...sort of. That was also what caused me to be as banged up as I currently am, sitting on a street somewhere in Rio de Jainero, hoping for my godsend of a cousin to fly down here and save me.

But maybe I should tell the whole story, eh? Like I said, it all started with the unnecessary blaring of very loud Rock 'n' Roll music in my ears at 6:00am...

***FLASHBACK***

Danger, Danger... High voltage! When we touch; when we kiss! Danger, Danger...

"What the hell?" The unexpected noise shattered my eardrums, and I flailed my arms to get the demon from my nightmare away from me. The momentum from my sudden rush of movement, coupled with a pair of very sticky hands against my back, pushed me off the edge of my formerly comfortable bed, and onto the hard and unyielding surface of my floor.

My mother has always told me to put my clothes in the hamper when I take them off, and not to not leave things lying about 'willy nilly'. I learned the wisdom of those words for myself as my body encountered my three inch heels that I had worn on a very unsatisfying date last night. I felt a sharp jab in my back, near my shoulder, and I looked up to see my sister Sarah smiling her cutest gap toothed grin at me.

"Wakey Wakey, Hannah! School today!"

With her words I realize that the music I had heard was not the soundtrack from my nightmare, but rather the alarm on my bedside table, telling me it was time to get up and get ready for the first day of school.

Groaning I leaned back and the jab in my shoulder became a spike of white hot pain that caused me to clench my teeth.

"What's wrong, Hannah? Hannah? Hannah, you're scaring me."

Unable to catch my breath, I opened my eyes to see Sarah staring at me, horrified. "Mommy!" she screamed as she raced out the door of my bedroom. Inky blackness impaired the edges of my vision, and I panicked, thinking I was about to be claimed by death.

My mother entered the room with Sarah then, the phone to her ear talking to someone, probably her latest boyfriend, Jonny. She saw me on the floor and screamed. Normally, I would have made a sarcastic comment about her ability to be calm in complicated situations, but I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and my thoughts were becoming as hazy as my vision. Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard her tell someone she'd call them back later, then she dialed someone else. I was vaguely aware of my dog, Candy, at my feet, whining pathetically.

The next thing I saw were four men in masks standing over me. When did they get there? I must have blacked out...again..because the next thing I knew, I was alone in what looked like a hospital room with one other patient snoring behind a curtain and the TV playing quietly in front of me.

I had no idea what was going on or how long I'd been asleep. I wasn't even sure at what point I'd fallen asleep. What I did know was that I still felt a significant amount of pain, though the lethargy and weakness in my limbs indicated I'd been drugged.

The door opened and interrupted my thoughts. A man entered carrying a clipboard and walked to my bedside. He was very beautiful in an ethereal sort of way. His blond hair was neatly combed with not a strand out of place. He had perfectly manicured nails and teeth, and his eyes were like liquid amber. His skin was pale, almost ghostly, and he stood with perfect posture.

"Good evening, Ms. Haggarty. How are you feeling?"

"I..." I had to cough a few times to clear my throat before I could manage more than a whisper. "I feel sore."

He nodded. "Don't worry about your voice, we've had you in an induced coma for observation for a few days now. You took a nasty fall and landed on a very sharp knife. Do you remember that?" At my affirmative nod he continued. "You had to have stitches, but I'm afraid the wound will still leave a faint scar. There's nothing we can do about that. Your medication should be wearing off so we're going to give you an IV with some Novocaine. That should help with the pain. If you need anything else, you can hit the button to your right and a nurse will come help you. You are not to leave this bed without my express permission. Do you have any questions?"

After several attempts to speak I finally managed to say, in a whisper, "Can I have some water?"

He smiled and headed to the counter where he filled a glass and helped me sit up so I could drink it.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Doctor Carlisle Cullen."

"As in Edward Cullen?"

He looked confused for a second and asked, "Edward is my son. How do you know him?"

"I don't really. I mean, we've never met. My cousin Bella Swan just married an Edward Cullen last June."

His brow cleared of the lines it had formed. "I don't remember seeing you at the wedding."

"I wasn't there. My mom and Bella's don't get along any more. I don't think they've spoken in almost ten years. Bella and I haven't spoken in that long either but we parted on good terms."

"How did you know of the wedding then?"

"I got the invite last month. It took a while before it caught up with us I suppose. We've moved a lot."

"Well I'll let her know you are here. I'm sure she'd enjoy coming to visit you. In the meantime I'm afraid I must see to my other patients, so remember what I said about the button to your-"

"Right. Got it. Thanks, Dr. Cullen."

As soon as he left I felt the drowsiness creeping back and realized I hadn't thought to ask about my mom or Sarah. Knowing my mother though, I figured she'd probably be at work, worry settled at the back of her mind, firmly cast aside for examination at a later date with a certified psychologist.

I let myself relax and the throbbing pain in my back and neck settled into a dull ache. I drifted off into sleep, and stayed there by myself, peacefully unaware that this was the first time I'd done so in three weeks.

When I awoke, it was to the sound of someone screaming obscenities. I was startled awake, I seemed to be having a lot of that lately, and looked around for the source of the disturbance. The other patient that I had noticed had awoken before me and changed the channel on the TV to ESPN if I had to guess. Apparently whichever over-paid football team he favored was not winning, because that seemed to be the source of his unhappiness.

A nurse entered the room then and calmly told the man to please be quiet and that he was disturbing the other patients. The man promptly told her in no uncertain terms that he did not give a 'rat's ass' whether the other patients were disturbed. He then went back to avidly watching the television.

This continued for several hours until the man was moved to a different room down the hall. When I asked one of the nurses where they were taking him, she smiled prettily and said, "To a room without a TV." We both laughed, though I was more careful than she was because of the insistent pain covering my back and neck like an unwelcome blanket.

The nurse handed me the remote, refilled my glass of water, and left; presumably to tend to her other duties.

I flipped through the channels for a while, but couldn't find anything remotely interesting. With no other option, I rang the nurse. She came relatively quickly, and it was a nurse I'd seen before, though not the same one who had spoken with me earlier.

"What do you need, darlin?" The woman had a definite southern twang, and it amazed me to hear her accent in West Virginia. I had not heard an accent like that since I had moved away from Georgia a few years before.

"Two questions. One, the doctor didn't tell me how to go about getting food, but he did forbid me to leave the bed. How do I…?"

She understood me easily enough and said, "You just missed lunch actually, but if you'd like I can have someone get you something from the cafeteria."

"I would really appreciate that, please."

"Alright, sugar, you said you had one more question?"

"I'm really bored just sitting here and there's nothing on TV…I was kind of hoping you could tell me how to get a deck of cards or access to the internet. Something I can do to while away the hours I have to sit here."

"I have a deck of cards, but I'm afraid you won't be able to find anyone to play with."

"I can play solitaire. And if I need to I can alternate with cartoons."

"Alright-y then…I'll go order that tray for you and be back in a jiffy."

She walked away then, and I was left with nothing but a stupid cartoon with no plot playing on the television to entertain me.

Enough time passed that I started to wonder if the nurse had gotten distracted and possibly forgotten me. I briefly considered trying to call another nurse in, but I dismissed the idea.

She did come back in, however, and she brought with her a tray, which she set on the rolling table and placed in front of me, and a deck of cards which she also placed on the table.

"Bone Appa-teet, honey."

She left me alone to eat then, and I discovered that hospital cafeteria food really is much worse than school cafeteria food.

I played so much solitaire that day that by the time Dr. Cullen came to check on me, I was winning every round I dealt myself.

"Feeling better, are we?"

"Actually my shoulder is still sore, but I guess that's pretty much unchangeable."

"Yes, I'm afraid it is. Where did you get the cards?"

"One of the nurses brought them in for me because I was begging for something to do. I would have offered to mop the bathroom floor if I'd thought she'd let me."

He laughed a little. "Well, would you like to try your hand playing against a real partner instead of just fate?"

"You bet I would. What do you want to play? I know speed, gin rummy, blackjack, slapjack, trash, war…? What would you care to try your luck in?"

"Hmmm…it's been awhile since I've played gin rummy. Why don't we try that?"

"Sounds good. You play with ten cards or seven?"

"I usually play with ten. Makes for more of a challenge." I dealt our cards, giving myself ten and him eleven. "So who taught you to play gin?"

"My father taught me. He never really got along with my mother; they always yelled at each other a couple times a day. He petitioned the courts for the right to see me every once in a while and they granted him partial custody. The problem was that he liked liquor, women, and sports; I liked fashion, Barbies, and kittens. So we bonded over cards. Every other weekend I'd go to his house and he'd play with me. Afterwards I'd go home and beg my mother to play, but she always refused; said she was too busy."

Playing as I spoke, I counted the cards put down. I had two options. Either go for the five of spades, or try to find the ace of hearts. The ace was already buried, so I exchanged my king for a two…just in case I did lose.

Dr. Cullen and I continued to play for another few minutes before I finally drew the five of spades. Discarding the two that I had picked up earlier, I showed him my cards.

"Well done. I don't know anyone who has beaten me except my son Edward and my daughter Alice for a very long time."

"Well, you're a tough man to beat. Another card and you would've won."

He smiled. "Well perhaps we are equally gifted."

"Care to test your theory on another game?"

"I'm afraid I have to get going, but I'll take a rain check. I spoke to Bella this morning. She's flying into town tomorrow morning."

"That's cool. Will she come see me?"

"That is why she's flying in."

"She's flying in to see me? Why?"

"Because she cares about you."

"Oh."

He chuckled at my stunned expression and headed to the door saying, "I'll see you tomorrow then. Get some sleep."

"Dr. Cullen…?"

He turned around to look at me. "Where is she flying in from, exactly?"

"Monte Carlo. She and Edward will be flying in early in the morning."

I nodded my thanks for the information and he smiled at me in return, nodded, and then turned, walking out the door.

That night I was tortured by a nightmare again.

In it, demons fly at me from all directions and I cover my eyes so that I do not have to look at them. They screech in high pitched voices that seem familiar to me.

"Why can't you do anything right?"

"Why can't you stop being a lazy pig? Oh wait, I forgot…it's in your genes!"

Their voices continue to barricade my ears, until I hear the crashing of waves over rocks and the squawking of sea gulls overhead. I uncover my eyes and look up to see Dr. Cullen standing in the sun, but something isn't quite right with him. There's something off about the way he looks, but I can't tell what.

"I've had you in a coma for a few days, Hannah. We wanted to observe you. Nothing serious. Just rest. Everything is fine…" His voice fades off into the distance, and he walks past me. I turn around and yell, "Dr. Cullen! Come back, what are you talking about?" But he keeps walking, and eventually he disappears over a nearby hill. I turn in exasperation and notice a young girl with chocolate eyes and auburn hair standing on the beach. I had not previously noticed her there.

"Who are you?"

"Don't you remember me Hannah? We used to be best friends! It's me, Bella! I just wanted to see you one last time before you died."

"What are you talking about? I'm not dying. Dr. Cullen said I was going to be just fine."

"Dr. Cullen is lying to you Hannah! Don't you see, that's why he's being so nice. No one wants to tell a dead girl she's dying! In fact, right now…you might as well be dead!" She giggles and turns around to run away from me to the ocean. I run after her, but she gets farther and farther away from me. My legs keeps sinking into the sand, and I can't figure out how she's running so fast. I look down at my feet and gasp in surprise. I'm up to my shoulders in sand. Small clicking noises draw my attention and when I look up, I'm no longer on a peaceful beach, but in an arid desert. Six small scorpions crawl toward me on skinny legs as I struggle to get out of the sand. Closer and closer they come until they reach me, and I see one lift its tail, readying itself to stab me in the eye…

"Ahhhhh!"

"Shhh shhh, wake up! Wake up! It's just a dream. Nothing will harm you."

I opened my eyes to see a man standing over me, but he was no nurse. Wearing dark but expensive looking street clothes, the man hovered over me. His hands were cold, even through the sleeves of my hospital gown.

"Are you all right?" he asked me.

"Y-yes…I…I think so. You wouldn't happen to be the grim reaper, would you?"

I thought I saw a smile curve the shadows of his face as he relaxed his grip and said, "Not quite, but I am known to have a nasty temper."

I smiled in return and said, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. Thanks for waking me up."

"You are welcome." I noticde a faint British accent in the words coming off his tongue. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No I don't think so. I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Hannah. Hannah Haggerty."

"My name is Felix."

"Well thank you again, Felix, for waking me. That nightmare was more vivid than any I can remember having for a very long time. If there's anything I can do to repay you…"

"Vuoi aiutare me? Che strano... Well, I am somewhat lost. Do you suppose you could direct me to the terminal wing? I'm looking for my father. He was admitted here a few days ago, and I only just received word today."

The words rolled off his tongue and danced around my ears like beautiful music. His voice did things to me that I had not thought possible. The Italian was intoxicating, and I wanted to hear him say something else, even though I wasn't sure what he said to me.

"Truthfully, I couldn't tell you. I'm not even sure what floor I'm on."

"La tua bocca mi incanta. Well then, perhaps a kiss?"

"A kiss?"

"Yes, one kiss. To repay me for saving you from your bad dreams."

His request was so outrageous that I almost said yes. Then I reconsidered. We were alone in a hospital room, with the lights out. To kiss him would be asking for trouble. His mere presence was giving me danger vibes that I didn't like. He was speaking to my subconscious in a way that had me trembling; from excitement or anxiety I wasn't sure. Then I reconsidered again. It was a gamble; a huge risk. So what? I loved to gamble; I'd learned how from the best.

I nodded my head up and down, and apparently that was all the assent he needed. His lips brushed mine lightly, then harder, as if he worried for my fragility. I could have told him it was useless to treat me like some china doll. Instead I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips more firmly against his. His lips were icy, as if he'd just emerged from a frozen lake and he had yet to defrost. His tongue was even more so when he licked my lips; requesting admittance to enter. We battled in that way that lovers do, first charging then retreating, and then charging full force back into enemy territory.

As for how long it lasted, I couldn't say. When he released my lips, I sat, panting as I felt his muscles tense. His shoulders bunched and his mouth tightened. He looked extremely frightening, especially with the shadows thrown across his face like they were.

"Felix? What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"

As I spoke he seemed to force himself to relax. I then noticed that he'd gripped the handles of my bed hard enough to put a slight dent in the material.

"Everything is fine, ragazza prezioso. Go back to sleep. This time, dream of happy things."

After he mentioned sleep, my body seemed to take that as an order that needed to be followed. "I hope you find…"Yawn…"your father." And with that I fell asleep, peacefully this time, all my demons scared away by Felix, the fierce.

"Dolci sogni piccola. Avrete bisogno di loro."

A/N: Translations

Vuoi auitare me? Che strano...: You want to help me? How strange...

La tua bocca mi incanta: Your lips enchant me.

Ragazza prezioso: precious girl

Dolci sogni piccola: Sweet dreams, little one.

Avrete bisogno do loro: You will need them.