I own nothing but the idea and the words that will flesh it out.
This takes into account the first portion of New Moon, with a twist coming in after the cliff diving incident.
Three things happened in quick succession.
One. Jacob nearly kissed me, but that part wasn't so shocking. I nearly let him, thoughts of Paris and Romeo commandeering my senses.
Two. The phone rang and I answered.
Alice's panic stricken voice trilled into me like a semi.
"Bella, Bella!"
"Al-" I attempted to interrupt her, poorly.
"I arranged a ticket for you; you have to get to the airport. Now. The best I could do was Seattle, but it'll be faster that way. I will meet you there, but please trust me. If you don't get on that plane, Edward's dead."
Sheer panic flooded my body.
Three. I took off. I dropped the handset and flew up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Jacob was right behind me. I remember packing in a dazed frenzy. I remember Jacob fighting with me about my choice to pick up and run after a man who didn't want me. I remember begging him to take me to the airport. I remember him refusing. I remember jumping in my truck and barreling for the highway.
And then nothing.
I felt a tingling sensation in my arm, like ice water was swirling through my veins. There was a pinch, too, like that of a needle. My head felt like it was floating above me, held down by a single tattered string. My legs were… where had they gone? I tried to move them to no avail.
My fingers twitched, and then I heard it.
"Bella?" a voice called. Was someone standing in a tunnel?
I began to hear other noises then. A steady beep … beep … beep … a strange mechanical pumping noise. The hum of electronics.
"Bella." This time the voice was closer.
A set of warm hands fell on my arm, the less tingly one. The fingers were large and warm. They touched lightly and then they were gone, only to reappear on my cheek. A thumb brushed my bone.
I struggled against weighted lids, fluttered my lashes, and immediately regretted opening my eyes. The room I was in was impossibly white. Bright, harsh white. I cringed and shut my eyes as quickly as I could.
"Oh thank God," I heard the voice say. It was a male. It was familiar.
"Mmph," was the only sound from my parched, sore throat.
"Doctor?" I heard the voice shout.
Dots connected. Charlie.
"Hold on honey," his hand stroked my forehead, brushing strands of hair back, "the Doc'll be right here."
"Carlisle," I managed to croak. I coughed twice for my efforts.
"No, honey, Carlisle's gone, remember?"
And him, too.
I kept my eyes closed, afraid of the light. I heard the doctor come in and I heard my father tell him how I'd moved my fingers and then opened my eyes for a second. His voice faltered. Something told me this was bad.
"So is she coming out of it?" Charlie asked.
"It would seem that way, we'll have to run some more tests to be sure," the doctor answered.
I laid there, still and dazed and afraid to open my eyes. I felt the doctor close by.
"Bella?" the doctor asked, "can you open your eyes for me?"
I cleared my throat, coughed again. "Do I have to?"
He laughed and so did Charlie, though it sounded hallow. "It would be helpful. I know it hurts, your eyes will have a lot of readjusting to do, but I need to take a look at you."
A lot of readjusting…? How long had they been closed? I panicked again.
"It's okay, Bella," Charlie pleaded.
I huffed and steeled myself against the blinding light. I opened my eyes as quickly as I could and they thanked me by watering profusely. As if the light wasn't bad enough, the doctor shone a small flashlight into my pupils, causing them to go haywire.
"They're reactive, which is good. Bella, if you could just stop blinking for a second, I'll be able to see what I need to."
Stop blinking? I didn't realize I had been. I blinked as though trying to bat my lashes flirtatiously, a very funny sight I was sure. "Sorry," I muttered.
I held my eyelids up painfully. The flashlight assaulted my pupils again and the doctor did one of those typical 'Hmmmm's.'
"What is it, Doc?" Charlie sounded as though he might climb the walls.
"Well, it's early to tell and we'll still need to run some tests, but she looks quite good. I wasn't expecting this."
Wasn't expecting this? Things were adding up in my head, the mathematics becoming very displeasing.
"How long have I been…" I struggled for the right word, "asleep?"
The doctor and Charlie exchanged worried looks, but Charlie spoke up, "Bella, you've been in a coma for three weeks."
Three weeks. Twenty-one days. 504 hours. 30,240 minutes. 1,814,400 seconds. Holy crow!
"What the hell happened to me?" I snapped, jerking my arms up.
Big mistake. I winced as the IV pulled on my arm.
"Calm down, honey," Charlie crooned as he exchanged places with the doctor.
"I'll leave you two for a moment. The nurse will be back in a moment. Bella, please try to relax."
The doctor retreated and I stared my father down.
"What happened?" I asked again.
"You were apparently in a hurry to leave town. We got a call late Friday night, a wreck outside town. When I saw your truck… Bella…" Charlie choked up for a minute and looked away.
I was overwhelmed with grief. More dots connected. In a hurry to leave… in a hurry to get to him. Suddenly, I felt as though I'd been hit by a train. My heart sputtered and my lungs felt close to collapse.
"Oh, my…" Charlie looked back once my tone sunk into his ears. "Dad! Dad, I have to get out of here… I have to…"
To what? I didn't know what number Alice had called me from. She had disconnected the only one I had stored in my phone. I had no line to Edward. I winced as I heard my mind whisper his name. Nothing. I had no way to communicate with any of them.
My eyes went impossibly wide.
"You have to what, Bells?"
"I-I… don't know."
I crashed back into the bed, now aware that I had sat up. I let out a ragged breath I hadn't remembered pulling in.
"Where were you going?"
"I was…" I bit my lip, willing away tears that now stung my eyes. I didn't want to tell Charlie the truth. I couldn't. Not if there was a chance… I didn't want him angry with Alice, or Edward. "I was just driving."
Not the truth, not a lie.
"Honey, I've told you to be careful about that. It was pretty icy out that night."
No kidding.
"I'm sorry, Dad."
I resigned. I had no idea what to do. I simply lay back as the dread settled into my chest.
"I'm just glad you're awake, you have no idea."
I felt merciless guilt again.
"I'm sorry," I repeated.
There had to be some way, some way to figure this out. I had to think. Think! There had to be a way. What if Alice had gone alone? What if Edward was…
And then the panic shot through me again, adrenaline racing up and down my limbs and making them ache with the need to move. I pushed away from the back of the hospital bed and felt Charlie's hands on my shoulders.
"Bells, what are you doing? Lay down, you're going to hurt yourself."
I screamed when the IV moved in my arm. Screaming had been the last thing I wanted to do. From the way recognition flashed across Charlie's face, I guessed that it was the scream he awoke to every night.
I tried to free myself as a nurse walked into the room. Exactly why I had been opposed to screaming, it attracted attention. The heavy set woman's lips formed a perfect 'O' as she focused on my flailing body. She scurried around the bed and to the equipment beside me. I knocked almost every item off the bedside table opposite where she stood.
I saw her grab for a syringe.
Bite me. I flung an item at her, unsure what it was.
She ducked, but like a true champ, removed the cap on the syringe. I saw her stab it into part of the IV tube meant for injections, felt my head float away again. No, no, no, no! I felt my arms go limp. Felt my spine turn to Jell-O. Felt my legs (oh, there they are) go flat against the starched sheets.
And then the world went black again.
So, this was just an introductory chapter. The chapters to follow will be at least twice the length, I promise… but on one condition: Review! ;) I would like to know what you think. Yes, Jasper will make an appearance shortly. However, things are not as they seem. R&R