A/N:/ This story gets a little dark, so please be warned if you are of a sensitive disposition. And don't hate me for it!
Bella sighed deeply, pushing her head back into the pillow, the protective cover crinkling in her ears.
She looked at the clock at the wall, the same one that kept her awake all night with it's incessantly loud ticking, and noted that visiting times didn't start for another half hour.
Her attention was drawn to movement at the slightly ajar door to her room, a small gasp escaping her lips when she noticed a boy, who looked about her age, standing there watching her.
"Hi, I'm Edward." He said, pushing her door open wider. "You look bored, can I come in?"
Bella nodded, her mouth still slightly agape as he walked around the room to the chair and dragged it noisily next to the bed, affording her the time to look at him. He was tall and his dark hooded sweater hid his frame, his oversized beanie hat pulled low his face only visible from his bright green eyes down and his chin was covered in reddish brown stubble.
"So, what's your name?" He asked practically falling into the chair and resting his dirt covered tennis shoes on the edge of her bed.
She cocked an eyebrow at him "My daddy said not to talk to strangers."
Edward smiled wryly, getting up from the seat and walking to the edge of her bed. "Do you always do what your daddy says?"
"I do when he's the chief of police." She said watching his face for a reaction.
He glanced up at her through his lashed and grabbed the chart from the end of the bed. "Isabella Marie Swan. D.O.B September thirteenth, nineteen ninety two."
"It's Bella actually." She sighed flopping back against the bed.
"Edward Cullen. D.O.B June twentieth, ninety one. See now we're not strangers." He smiled resuming his place in his chair. "That looks like fun." he said pointing to the traction device her leg was currently clamped in.
"Yeah it's a regular party up in here." She deadpanned. "What are you doing here? Patient?"
Edward watched her for a moment silently debating something before answering. "Visiting with my mom up in Oncology."
"Oh sorry!" Bella winced and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.
"Don't be she's absolutely fine." He grinned.
"Oh," She relaxed and then frowned. "So how come you're here? Visitors aren't allowed in until eight thirty."
"Well I'm not visiting her yet am I? And my dad is a surgeon here," he shrugged "so they kind of let it slide. What happened to you, cheerleading accident?"
"Ha ha," She scowled "If you must know it was a motorcycle accident!"
"A motorcycle accident? I'm impressed!" Edward nodded. " I certainly didn't have you pegged as a biker girl. Were you speeding? Running from your dads blue lights?"
Bella blushed , looked down at her hands and mumbled.
"I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that?" He said leaning towards her.
"The bike fell on me, okay?" She yelled. "My friend was fixing up some bikes in his garage and I tried to get on one and knocked the kickstand and it fell on me."
Edward clutched at his stomach, tears streaming down his face in silent laughter. "Oh my god! That has to be the funniest thing I've heard in years!"
Bella folded her arms and scowled, watching as he rolled up in front of her. "It's not that funny!"
He manage to look up at her and nod his head through his laughter and eventually her face softened and a soft giggle escaped her lips, quickly turning into a full out cackle.
"So, this 'friend' of yours, that you were locked in a garage with?" Edward said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Jacob? It's not like that, we're just friends." She explained, hiccupping from the laughter. "He's my best friend actually."
"But you want more?" He cocked an eyebrow.
"What's it to you?" She exclaimed, her scowl beginning to return.
"Just weighing up my chances, that all." He shrugged and she blushed.
"Like I said, I don't date strangers."
"No you said you don't 'talk' to strangers, and technically we're not strangers anymore." He smiled. "But I can read some more of your chart if that would help?"
"No!" Bella yelled lunging forward as he stood back up and winced at the pain the sudden movement sent shooting through her leg.
"Shit! I'm sorry, I was joking!" Edward was instantly at her side. "What did you go and do that for? You need me to get a nurse?"
She shook her head and clutched at her thigh. "No it's my own fault, I'm clumsy when I stand still I should have known laying in a bed would be just as dangerous."
"Should I get a nurse?" He asked, his brow furrowed with concern.
"I'm fine, they'll be round soon anyway." She replied shaking her head and breathing deeply.
"I really am sorry Bella." Edward gripped her hand and squeezed it and she smiled up at him, her cheeks tinged pink.
A loud cough drew their eyes over towards the door, where there stood an police officer in full uniform and his hand placed precariously close to his gun.
"Dad!" Bella exclaimed, "You're early, what are you doing here?"
"They made an exception for me." He said stiffly, his eyes on Edward as he walked across the room to her bedside and planted a kiss on her forehead. "And you are?"
Edward's eye widened, and he held out his hand towards the chief. "Edward Cullen, sir."
Charlie looked at the outstretched hand and then back at his face.
"Dad, don't be rude!" Bella hissed and he quickly shook Edwards hand.
"Why are you in here?" He frowned.
"I walked past and she looked bored." he answered quickly.
"You make a habit of going in to random girls bedrooms?" Charlie cocked an eyebrow and Edwards face flushed red, his mouth open and closing.
"Dad, will you just drop it!" Bella half yelled. "The door was open, and Edward was on his way to oncology to visit his mother. He was right I was bored, it's been fun having someone to talk to since you won't let Jake in a three mile radius of the hospital!"
"He's lucky he's still allowed to be in the same state as you after what happened!" He yelled back.
"How many times do I have to tell you? It was my fault!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "He told me not to touch Paul's bike and I didn't listen. The bike fell on me, I wasn't riding it."
Charlie scowled angrily at Bella, his nostrils flaring.
Edward coughed quietly and excused himself. "I'm just gonna…" He said thumbing towards the door. "it's almost visiting time and my mom will be wondering where I've got to. It was nice meeting you Bella, Chief Swan."
"By Edward." Bella smiled and waved. "Thanks for talking to me." Charlie scoffed and slumped into Edward's vacated chair.
"My pleasure." he nodded before disappearing out the door.
~8~
"Bella?" A soft voice pulled her from her sleep, and she lifted her head, rubbing her eyes as she tried to focus in the grey morning light.
"Morning sleeping beauty!" Edward beamed at her. "You are one hard woman to wake up, I was this close," he pinched to fingers together "to throwing water over you!"
"You wouldn't dare!" Bella scowled pushing herself more upright. "What time is it?"
"Seven forty five." He replied pulling up his chair and slumping into it, a plastic bag between his feet. "Waiting on some news today so I've got an early start and I thought I'd bring you some things to brighten your stay. How long you in for?"
"Just the week hopefully." Bella nodded. "If the bones stay in place, so please no throwing water on me or threatening to read my files. If you want to know anything just ask, but I have veto power."
"Fair enough." Edward smiled and reached for the bag. "So I bought you some goodies. Ipod…" He said, handing her the little device with earphone wrapped around it and she began to protest.
"No offence Edward, but you don't know me that well I can't take this from you." She said holding it back out to him.
"It's a loan I'll get it back from you on Friday before you leave, and quite frankly I am offended," he frowned and held his hand over his heart. "I thought we were friends Bella, I'm hurt! Very deeply hurt, so much so that I think I may just keep hold of this huge bag of twizzlers that I was going to give you!"
"Twizzlers?" Her eyebrows popped up. "They're my favourite. How did you know?"
"One almost finished bag on the side," he said nodding towards her bedside table, "and two empty packets in the trash can. I can be quite observant if I want to be."
"You're not one of those creepy guys, that peeks through girls' bedroom windows and carries around large books are you?" She cocked her eyebrow and Edward burst out laughing.
"I like you!" He chuckled ripping open the twizzlers and holding out the packet too her. "But to answer your question, no I am not a Peeping Tom and they don't make books big enough!"
Bella blushed and shook her head as she bit down on the sweet.
"I think you and my sister would get along great." Edward smiled noting her discomfort and changing the subject. "She's been away at a boarding school, but she's coming home to Fork's this week."
"You live in Forks?" Bella asked surprised. "How come I never saw you at school, were you boarding too?"
Edward shook his head. "No I graduated a year ago, I completed at home, but with…everything going on at home, my parents thought it would be better if Alice - my sister, went to school somewhere else. Give her the routine and stability she wouldn't get at home."
"What about you?"
"I handled it fine." He shrugged, tugging nervously on his hat and Bella let it go. "Listen, I've gotta go."
"What?" She frowned as he stood abruptly. "I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry."
"Honestly it's fine, you didn't do anything but I really do have to go." He smiled. "It's news day, remember?"
"Sure." Bella nodded stiffly, pushing a smile on her face.
"I'll come back and see you tomorrow." Edward said shuffling on his feet and Bella nearly jumped from the bed when he pressed his lips against the apple of her cheek. "I promise."
And with that he was gone, and Bella sat staring at the door.
"I see you've got yourself an admirer?" The nurse beamed as she walked into the room, breaking her line of sight and Bella blushed.
~8~
Edward didn't keep his promise. Bella's only visitors for the next two days were Charlie and his wife Sue, who dragged along her teenaged son who, in turn, made it quite clear that he was there under protest and would much rather be back home watching the football with her dad and Billy Black.
Jacob was still banned from the hospital, but when she finally got out of this place she would hobble on crutches the whole was to La Push if that's what she needed to do to see him.
On Thursday morning, she pulled the Ipod that Edward had loaned her from the drawer in her cabinet and place the buds in her ears. She ran her fingers over the shiny metal back, that had been engraved with his name and her stomach rolled.
Bella pulled up the music and scrolled through the play list, stopping every now and then to play a song. Her curiosity was peeked when she found a play list entitled 'Edwards compositions" and shuffled the entire list, closing her eyes as soft guitar music flowed into her ears and a deep melodic voice covered her skin in goose bumps.
Her heart rate rose and fell with the sound of his voice, and her chest tightened at the sorrow and anguish it conveyed.
A hand on her arms shook her from her state and her eyes snapped open to find Edward smiling softly down at her.
"Edward!" She exclaimed. "Where have you been?"
Edward sighed deeply and sat slowly in the chair, his hand on his fore head pulling his knitted hat as low as it could go without rendering him blind, and Bella looked at him properly.
His face looked sunken and pale and his eye's were ringed with dark circles. His lips were no longer soft and pink like they had been two morning ago when they left her skin tingling in their wake, they were now cracked and dry and blended almost seamlessly with the pallor of his skin.
"What's wrong?" She whispered.
Edward finally opened his eyes and looked up at her, a tired smile on his face. "I'm sorry I didn't come yesterday. Something came up and I couldn't make it."
"That's okay." Bella frowned. "Are you okay?"
Edward shook his head, "That news I was telling you about? Not exactly great. We weren't expecting brilliant but it was hard to find out all the same."
"What happened? Is your mom…"
"Can we not talk about it please?" He cut her off "Just for a little while, I'd like to talk to a friend about normal things."
"Sure, sure." Bella nodded. "We can do that. How about those Red sox, huh?"
Edward chuckled. "Bella, baseball season doesn't start for another month."
"Then you gotta help me out here!" She smiled.
"Just tell me something and we'll see where it goes." he shrugged. "What would you be doing today if you weren't in here?"
Bella pulled her lip between her teeth and glanced towards the door nervously before answering quietly. "Honestly? I'd be on my way to La Push to go diving with Jake."
"Really?" Edwards eye's lit up a little and he leaned forward in his chair. "Does the chief know about this?"
Bella shook her head. "You saw how he reacted over me touching a bike, I think he'd have a coronary if he found out I was diving from the cliffs on a weekly basis!"
"What about Jake's parents? Don't they notice him missing school." Edward asked.
"Jake's part of the Quileute tribe, he went to a different school." she shrugged. "His mom passed away when he was little and a couple of years ago his dad had an accident and lost the ability to walk. He dropped out of school about a year ago and started working at his dad's garage. He has Thursday mornings off so usually I drive up there and we dive a few times, have lunch and I go back to school."
Edward stared at her for a moment. "What's it like? Cliff diving."
"It's a rush!" Bella flushed at the memory. "Taking a run up to the edge and jumping, nothing underneath you except a sheer drop, nothing to hold you back or stop you. It's five seconds of complete helplessness and total power."
"Sounds fun!" He breathed.
"It exhilarating." She smiled. "When I get my cast off you can call me and I'll take you."
"I'd like that." Edward grinned and nodded.
"Hey Bells! Oh sorry!" A voiced boomed from behind them and a wide smile split over Bella's face.
"Jacob!" She held her arms up, and Edward watched as the tall man enveloped her in his arms until only her tiny, pale hand were visible as they rested on his waist. "This is my friend Edward." She said as he pulled back.
"Edward, this is Jake." She grinned, as Edward reached out to shake the large hand stretched out before him.
"Nice to meet you, Bella's told me all about you." Edward smiled, standing with him.
"Oh she has, has she?" Jacob cocked an eyebrow and pushed a stray lock of hair that had escaped his pony tale behind his ear. "Nothing to bad I hope?"
"Not at all, I don't think I've seen her smile as much as she does when she talks about you." Edward shifted his eyes over to Bella, who blushed deep red and ducked her head.
"Did my dad finally let you in?" She asked, her eye's not quite meeting Jacobs.
"Not exactly, I managed to sweet talk the nurse at the front desk to let me in so I could bring you these." He held up a small posy of daisies that she'd missed before.
"Aww Jake, you didn't need to do that!" Bella's face turned redder if it was possible and Edward chuckled.
"She's always like this then?" He asked folding his arms across his chest.
"Pretty much." Jacob nodded. " She damn near refuses to take anything, including birthday presents. I had to make her birthday present last year and then prove that I had actually made it so she wouldn't try and take it back to the jewellery shop!" He gestured to her wrist, where there sat a little silver chain with a carved wolf hanging from it.
"Unless it twizzlers." Edward interjected.
"Yeah, twizzlers she'll quite happily rip your arm off for!" Jacob chuckled. "I'll just go and get some water for these." he said before turning to leave the room.
"I'll show you where to go." Edward said. "I should get going anyway."
"You really have to go!" Bella whined and he nodded but stepped towards her, and pulled her softly into a hug.
"Thanks Bella, I really needed a friend." he whispered and pulled away, leaving Bella frowning as he followed Jacob from the room.
"How do you know Bells?" Jacob asked as Edward directed them to find a vase for the flowers.
"I came across her the other day, she looked as bored as I felt so I started talking to her. One of the best decisions I think I've ever made, she's quite something." Edward scoffed.
"Yeah she is." Jacob said as they stopped next to a bathroom. "What exactly are you after though?"
Edward smiled and looked up at the towering boy. "Don't worry Jacob, her heart is, apparently, well and truly in your hands. But over the past couple of days she's been one of the best friends I've ever had. Wait here." He said pushing open the door and disappearing inside, returning moments later with a large plastic cup half filled with water and handed it to Jacob.
"Will you do me a favour?" He asked as Jacob busied himself with arranging the daisies and hummed in response. "Tell her to keep it and…look after her Jake, make sure that you look after her."
Jacob frowned and nodded, watching silently as Edward headed in the direction of the elevators.
~8~
"Are you sure he didn't say anything else?" Bella asked Jacob as she zipped up her bag and placed it next to her on the bed.
"I've already told you, he just said to 'keep it'" Jacob shrugged. "Like I know what that means."
"He leant me his Ipod." She offered as he helped her into her wheel chair and Charlie came strolling back into the room with her discharge forms. "He was supposed to take it back today."
"Well maybe he was feeling generous?" Jacob said throwing her bag on his shoulder and following her as her dad pushed her from the room.
"Maybe." She frowned. "Hey dad? Could you go get the car and I'll meet you out front? I just don't feel right keeping this." She asked holding up the music player.
"Sure, I'll meet you outside in ten, okay?" And Bella nodded and redirected Jacob to the elevator.
"What floor?" he asked and promptly pushed the number she told him, his hands firmly planted on the handlebars of her chair.
The elevator dinged as it reached their floor and Bella twisted the earphone cable nervously in her fingers as they pushed through some doors and into a small waiting area it's only occupants the nurse at the desk and young girl who sat huddled in a chair in the corner.
"Excuse me?" Bella asked timidly, getting the attention of the nurse. "Would you be able to tell me if Edward Cullen is up here?"
The nurse stared blankly at Bella. "I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to give patient details to non family members."
"Oh but he's not a patient he's visiting his mom, and I just wanted to give him this…" Bella was cut of by a sharp gasp and a flash of movement as the girl from the chair suddenly appeared at her side.
"You knew Edward?" She breathed, her red rimmed eyes widening as a tear rolled down her cheek and Bella nodded.
"You're the girl from downstairs that he's been visiting aren't you?" She asked and all Bella could do was continue to nod.
More tears streamed down the girls face and suddenly she threw herself at Bella, who heard Jacob shout something before the tiny, but strong arms squeezed her tight and the girl sobbed into her shoulder.
"Alice!" A mans voice called from behind them, and the girl pulled back and turned to face the man and the woman by his side.
"It's her!" Alice whispered. "It's the girl."
The woman's brow furrowed as she walked closer. "I'm Edwards mother."
"I…I'm…" Bella stuttered.
"Bella." The woman finished and two large tears rolled down her cheek. "Thank you." She smiled sadly, reaching out to touch her face.
"I don't…" Bella frowned and looked up at the people surrounding her. "I don't understand, I just came to give this back to Edward!"
Another sob racked through Alice and her mother turned to grab hold of her.
"Edwards gone." The man said softly, stepping forward and placing his arm around the two women. "He passed away in the early hours of the morning."
"But he…" Bella stammered as Jacob hands clamped down on her shoulders and she looked at his mother. "He said it was you, he was visiting you!"
"No," his mother shook her head. "He's been I'll for a long time, and the treatment wasn't working anymore. We thought we'd have longer but…."
"No!" Bella shouted. "He was fine! He looked fine!"
"Bella!" Jacob knelt next to her and whispered in her ear. "They have no reason to lie about this Bella. I'm sorry baby, but he's gone."
Bella nodded frantically, her eye's stinging with tears that she felt she had no right to shed, and she held her hand out, the Ipod laying in her palm.
She felt a hand close around hers and push it back towards her and his mother was bent in front of her, her eyes streaming and her smile almost invisible and watery. Bella gripped her tight when she slipped her arms around her back.
"Thank you for being his friend." His mom whispered. "Thanking you for making him happy and giving me my son back."
A/N:/ I know, I killed Edward…Please don't hate me.