A/N: Okay, this is just a quick story I wrote when I was bored in History. Just a random idea I thought of and wrote down. As always, read, review, and most importantly, enjoy!
Because I couldn't talk, everyone assumed I couldn't hear either. People assumed a lot about me- most people thought I was stupid as well. They spoke like I wasn't there, and never bothered to lower their voices or anything. But I didn't mind too much. I liked listening to doctors talking about patients, nurses talking about doctors and patients talking about other patients and their families and friends. You learnt so much by just listening.
I wouldn't have picked Dr. Cullen to be the kind of person to not realize I could hear. He seemed to be a very understanding person, but people weren't always what they appeared to be. In all fairness to him, I did have my eyes closed at the time- he could easily have assumed I was asleep. Maybe that's why he said what he said, revealing his secret to someone who could never tell anyone.
Dr. Cullen was visiting my ward, making his usual rounds. He was standing at the end of my bed when his son, Edward, came in. My eyes flicked open when I heard his voice- I had always liked Edward. He had smiled at me once, but he hadn't spoken. Maybe because he knew I couldn't reply.
Edward looked agitated, a state I'd never seen him in. That's why I shut my eyes- as much as I like listening to people talking, seeing people in distress was something I'd never enjoyed.
"Carlisle," Edward said in his beautiful voice.
"Edward," Dr. Cullen replied. "What's wrong?"
The bed on my left was vacant and the other held a patient who seemed to be almost always asleep. So Edward talked normally. And even though I kept my lids closed, I was shocked by what I heard.
"I told her, Carlisle." Edward said.
Dr. Cullen seemed to know who 'she' was, and what Edward had told her.
"And how did she react?" he asked. His voice stayed relatively calm, with only a hint of worry in it.
"Too well." Edward said. "She isn't bothered by it at all. In fact, she half guessed before I told her. A Quiltete told her, one of the kids."
I didn't understand what he was saying. Normally I could understand conversations by listening to a bit of them, but I couldn't make head or tail of what Edward was saying.
"Hmmm." Dr. Cullen said thoughtfully.
"I wish she didn't know." Edward said.
When Dr. Cullen replied, he sounded surprised.
"Would you prefer she didn't know the truth?"
"Yes," Edward replied. He lowered his voice just a tiny bit, but I could still hear. "I don't know how she can love me the way I am. As a vampire."
A tiny shiver went down my spine when he said that. The way he said that, I knew it was true- not some personal joke or anything. Edward truly was a vampire, or at least he believed he was. And Edward was not insane, I knew that.
Head spinning with this information, I tried to sit up. Having only one arm that responded made this a difficult task. I opened my eyes; slowly, as if I was just waking up. Dr. Cullen and Edward immediately drew apart- they had been standing close together when they talked- and Dr. Cullen came over and started asking normal doctor questions. I tried to answer them normally and not stare at Edward. But I couldn't resist glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. He caught me staring and smiled. I smiled back.
People were never what you expected them to be.