A/N: This is just a cute story I wrote in twenty minutes. I think it captures Carlisle's personality both as a doctor and "father".
I hope you enjoy and review. Reviews that are kind and polite make me smile and make my day.
I walked into the hospital, greeting the lady at the front desk.
"Dr. Cullen!" Dr. Snow called. "Dr. Tod, Dr. Winters, and Dr. Flow are all gone on some sort of doctors conference. We're going next week. I need you to help with several patients today. The first one is a little girl who refuses to talk. None of us can get through to her. She's in room 210. I thought you should give it a try."
"Certainly," I said, turning and heading to the room.
The good thing about being a doctor, aside from helping others, is that you get to meet all kinds of patients. Each patient was different from the last. By gender, personality, physical appearance, mental state...
The patient was a small little girl, who was shaking. I knocked before I entered, so she knew I was coming.
"Hi," I said gently, approaching the bed. "I'm Dr. Cullen. What's your name?"
I checked her chart. There was no name. Dr. Snow was serious when he said she responded negatively to the other doctors.
The little girl shook her head.
"It's all right," I said soothingly. "It's OK. You can tell me your name. Don't be afraid little one."
"Anna," she said very quietly. Luckily, I could hear her with my heightened senses.
"Good girl," I whispered and filled in the name spot with the name she had provided.
"What seems to be the problem, Anna?" I asked, moving forward again and gently taking Anna's hand.
"I'm sick," Anna replied.
"I'm going to give you a checkup, OK?" I asked.
"OK," the little girl said.
I retrieved my medical bag from the nearby chair where I had set it. I took Anna's temperature, looked at her eyes, and ears, and checked her heartbeat.
"Have you been coughing?" I asked, now in full doctor's mode.
Anna nodded.
"Well, you have a temperature of one hundred degrees," I said. "It's high, but it's treatable. I will go get you some medicine. Where are your parents?"
"At work," Anna said.
"Who brought you here?" I asked.
"An ambulance," Anna replied. "From the school."
"Do you know if the school called your parents yet?" I asked.
Anna shook her head.
"All right," I said. "I'm going to get your medicine. I will be back shortly."
I stepped out of the room and headed towards our medicine cabinets. I found the medicine quickly and got a glass of water from the cooler.
I returned to Anna's room and set the medicine on the bedside table.
"Would you like for me to help you sit up?" I asked.
Anna nodded. She tried to sit up on her own, but fell back against the pillows.
"Easy there," I said, moving forward and slipping my arm under Anna's shoulders. "You're weak from the sickness."
I helped Anna sit up with one arm, and handed her the cup of medicine with the other. She drank it and made a face. I handed her the water, which she gratefully accepted. She gulped down the water and I lowered her back down.
"Rest," I said gently. "I can call your parents if you'd like."
Anna nodded.
I exited the room and saw Dr. Snow approaching.
"You actually got through to her?" he asked me. "How?"
I shrugged.
"You are brilliant, Dr. Cullen," Dr. Snow said. "No one knows how you do it, but you get through to so many people."
"Must be how I speak with them," I replied. "Having adoptive children helps."
"Sure seems like it," Dr. Snow said.
I stepped past him and called the local elementary school. They said they had already called the parents and they would arrive at the hospital shortly. I thanked them and went back into Anna's room.
"Your mom and dad will be here shortly," I said. "The school called them earlier."
"Thanks," Anna said, giving me a hesitant smile.
"Any time," I said, giving her a gentle pat on the hand.
"Dr. Cullen, you've got another patient." Dr. Liz said, coming into the room.
"I need to go help another patient, Anna," I said gently. "I will come back to check on you if I have time."
"Thanks," Anna said quietly.
"You're welcome, little one," I said gently, stepping out of the room. I followed Dr. Liz to the patient's room.
This girl looked to be about Edward's human age. From the moment I walked in, I knew she was having trouble breathing. I moved past Dr. Liz and stood by the girl's side.
"Samantha," I said, checking her chart. "What is causing your breathing problems."
"Asthma," she managed to say. "No inhaler."
She coughed a few times. Her breathing was becoming labored.
I leaned forward and pulled her up into a sitting position.
"How long have you been without your inhaler?" I asked. "Just hold up your fingers."
Samantha held up all ten fingers.
"Send in an emergency inhaler!" I called as Samantha began coughing and panting seriously.
A nurse ran in with the inhaler and handed it over. I pressed it into Samantha's hand. She took the medicine and fell back on the bed, wheezing.
"Are you all right?" I asked, noticing her breathing was less dangerous.
"My throat hurts," she said hoarsely.
"Would you like some water?" I asked kindly.
Samantha nodded. I poured a glass for her from the water jug on the table. She sat up and gulped down the water gratefully.
"Rest," I said. "Call a nurse if you need me."
I stepped out and headed to another needy patient. I loved this job very much. I can help people and make a difference in the world, rather then killing innocent humans for their blood. I save people rather then kill them. And if I cannot save them, I do my best to try to revive them.
I heard a patient in a nearby room scream. I jumped into action and raced into the room.
The little girl was panting and thrashing around. She was in obvious pain. The girl looked to be at least five. I rushed forward, not loosing control or panicking at all. I stayed calm assessing the situation.
"Hey," I said, moving forward and speaking over the agonized moans of pain. "Hey. Hey. Shhhh. Relax. Calm down. It's all right. I'm a doctor. What's wrong?"
"My wrist," she said, holding up her arm and whimpering. "It hurts."
I took the injured arm into my cool hands and she quieted down immediately. "What happened?" I asked gently.
"I fell off the top of the slide," the girl said, wincing as I examined her wrist with my fingers.
"You broke your wrist, little one," I said, gently placing the wrist back down. "I need you to keep it still for me while I get you a cast. Can you do that for me?"
The girl nodded and kept her arm still.
"Good girl," I said, exiting the room and moving to fetch some quick-drying plaster for the cast. I headed back into the room and lifted the girl's wrist. I wrapped the plaster around and fit it to the appropriate shape.
"Keep your wrist as still as you can ok?" I said, and the girl nodded. As she lay there with her arm still, I grabbed a Tylenol pill with the correct dosage for a young child and poured out a glass of water.
When the plaster finally dried, I helped the little girl sit up and take the Tylenol. She lay back down and closed her eyes.
"I'm sleepy," she said in her small voice.
"Then sleep, child," I said, closing the door behind me.
I spent my lunch break in my office. I did not eat, as usual of course. I filled out the required paperwork for this morning's patients. Most were little children, which made me think of Esme. Esme had always wanted a child, but after she lost hers, and became a vampire, was unable to have any. When we tell people we are unable to have children, we really are unable to have children.
After I finished my "lunch" break, I headed into the operating room. I had a surgery scheduled for this afternoon. When everything was prepared, the nurses brought in the patient: a little girl.
The operation went well. The little one pulled through successfully and soon was up and walking again, after knee surgery.
When I finally got home to my "family," I was greeting to my lovely Esme and children.
"How was work?" Esme asked, giving me a kiss on the check.
"It went well," I said, smiling at my beautiful wife. "I had several children as patients today. In fact, I only had children as my patients today."
"Oh how lovely!" Esme said, beaming. "What happened to them?"
"One little shy girl with a cold, one teen with a very bad asthma attack, one very small child with a wrist injury, and one successful knee surgery."
"Aww, poor children," Esme said, showing the mothering side of her.
I put an arm around Esme's shoulders. "The children made me think of you," I said, looking around at my "children," and Esme.
"Why?" Edward asked.
I raised an eyebrow playfully.
"Son, I am not blocking you," I said.
"Yes, but you should tell the others," Edward said, giving his crooked smile he so rarely used.
I nodded.
"The children reminded me of you children," I said. "The one with the cold was very shy and quiet. Underneath that shyness was trust, which reminded me of you, Jasper. You aren't exactly shy, but you keep to yourself and trust your family."
Jasper smiled at me and sent waves of love and trust. I smiled proudly at Jasper.
"The teen with the asthma showed strength, which reminded me of Edward. Edward, you hold on to strength from others. You haven't found love yet, but you are very strong and willing to stand with these who love you."
Edward moved forward and shook my hand, all-the-while thinking thoughts of appreciation and respect towards me.
"The little girl with the broken wrist reminded me of you, Alice," I continued. "You are both tiny. And she asked for help with an agonizing cry of pain. You silently asked for help and love, and you found Jasper."
Alice grinned and jumped up and down. I smiled.
"The girl in knee surgery reminded me of both Rose and Emmett. She got up and walked a few hours later. Rose, Emmett, you embraced this lifestyle, whether or not you wanted to. Rose, after what happened to you with Troy and his gang, you remained strong. Emmett, after being attacked by the bear, you immediately braced this life, showing strength."
Emmett grinned broadly. Rosalie gave a very rare smile.
Esme squeezed my shoulders, smiling. I looked down at her, smiling.
Edward moved over to his piano and played Esme's favorite. He hadn't played in such a long time. Esme looked pleased and moved to stand by Edward with her hand on his shoulder.
The family gathered around Edward as he played. I stood on Esme's other side and placed my hand on Edward's other shoulder. Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper gathered around, looking pleased to see their "brother" playing again.
Edward finished the song and the family applauded politely. I patted Edward's shoulder, smiling.
"Thank you, Edward," Esme said. She looked like if she could cry, she would.
Edward smiled at Esme. I didn't need Jasper's gift to feel the love coursing through the family. Edward looked at me and nodded. I had been thinking about the song he had composed for me back in the beginning.
Edward played the song for me, causing me to smile, pleased.
"Thank you, Edward," I said quietly.
Edward rose from the piano bench and hugged me.
The family left in couples, leaving me alone with Esme. I sat on the piano bench, pulling Esme into my arms.
Esme kissed Esme's cheek gently.
"I love you," I said.
"I love you too," she said, grinning.
I sighed and looked around the room.
"I love this family," I said, letting the feeling of love extend to the rest of the family with Jasper's help.
"We love you too, Carlisle!" my family said in unison.
I smiled, pleased to have such a great family.