-1A/N- K, I obvi don't own any of these characters. Think of it as "trying on" designer pieces from the Meyer line ; )
Summary
I probably should just let you read, but this is an AU, Edward decides he's sick of high school and decides to follow in his Dad's footsteps. Let's pretend that Forks has a teaching hospital, where he will meet the love of his life….Bella, a young nursing student, a bit OOC as dancing is one of her extracurriculars, but I don't want to give everything away.
Epov
Not needing to sleep definitely has its advantages. I make my rounds of the now quiet floor at an hour regarded by most of my more delicate co workers as "ungodly." The word brings an ironic smile to my lips, if they only knew. I won't pretend nepotism didn't get me this job, a "young" grad, 'fresh' from Harvard medical school, right onto the floor. Good thing 'daddy' works here. Yes, I'm a lowly intern, but one no one dares to cross. Not that they would dare anyways. What with the whole vampire thing, not that they know. Not like that's the reason no one calls me when they all go out for drinks. I don't mind, no amount of beer could ever quench my thirst. Sigh. Dad was "so proud." Carlisle gave me the forged diploma last week, grinning at my discontent. I went to Yale. Ages ago. But I digress… I am drawn to this work, as my father before me, as penitence for my sins, or as they say "the sins of the father…"
Bpov
"Oh come on" I whined at my ancient truck. I squinted in the dark at my watch. 5:45. I was still early, but I couldn't afford to get out of the truck and lift the hood. Not in my new white..God help me…scrubs. I should NOT be allowed to do this. What if I trip over an IV pole and accidentally kill someone? My breathing began to accelerate with my heart. This isn't even the beginning of the semester, I am bone tired. Because, clumsy though I am while walking, I have a dance to choreograph, we're auditioning new dancers for the semester, I smiled at the thought of our little family growing. I loved dance corps, I had to put a dance together.... On top of my paper for pharmacology. On top of my presentation on juvenile diabetes. On top of two tests, one for med surg, and a performance exam for health assessment, we have to give our partner a complete physical while an instructor breathes down our necks, and takes notes. You don't know who is giving the physical until the last second, and I hope that it's me, because I'm nervous that Jessica is doing this more to get a glimpse of Mike's bare chest in lab than because she's actually interested in nursing as a profession. The point is, if your partner messes up you take the hit with them. It's supposed to build teamwork and trust, but it mostly just elevates my blood pressure. Dancing helps me calm my nerves, but the late night rehearsals make me look like a battered raccoon, and that is being kind.
"Just breathe" I remind myself. The watch tells me the truck needs to start. Now. With a rumbling shudder, as though I am tearing it from sleep, my truck gives in, and the engine turns over. I'm not sure how I feel about that, as it means I actually have to go. I Can do this. I think.
Cpov
I am excited today. For all of my children. They needed to "go to college." They told their mother and me. They couldn't stand another day of high school. The girls and their husbands were going to attend the local college. We waited an appropriate amount of time, we had forever after all, and now Edward was to work here with me, after I pulled a few strings, I'd worked with him before, 50 years ago, and he's an excellent physician.
"Excuse me Dr." I say, when I happen upon Edward, not able to keep a straight face. " Would you happen to have Mrs. Worth's chart? They're setting the interns on her. I want to know what her health was like before.." I trailed off. The north nurses station is small, and that charts are still paper ones. God bless small towns. Computers irritate me. Edward turns the revolving stand that holds the charts, Mrs. Worth's is missing. A frown crosses his face. It takes me a second to remember…something about…other students. Yes, nursing students from the local college. This was a teaching hospital. Edward pulled a note out of the slot where the chart was supposed to be. It was written in a pretty feminine scrawl ' Bella Swan, FC SN has the chart for 621 at south station.' I chuckle at the FC, they chose to call themselves college because of the unfortunate abbreviation Forks University would make.
I am suddenly aware of a beautiful scent, Edward freezes, which for him is saying something. I turn, and face the small girl coming down the hall at us. Her brown hair falls in waves to the middle of her back. I'll have to tell her to put it up. She's stopped at Richard's chair. Richard has been with us for a while. He considers himself the guardian of the halls. "Are you cold Richard?" her musical voice rings out. I grin at her cleverness, Richard is a fan of taking his socks off, which makes him more prone to slipping, without the treads on the bottom. "These socks look so warm, how about we put them on?" She puts the chart down and slides Richard's feet in. "That's better, don't you think?" She asks. Richard just smiles and gets up. " Do you mind walking me to the station, Richard? I have to put this chart back, hold on to my hand and we'll dance there ok? You and me?" He is only too happy to oblige. My earlier annoyance at her hair being down has vanished. I turned to my son, only to find myself looking into eyes that have gone coal black. "Edward" My voice is a low warning, but she is upon us now. Warm and smelling heavenly. Out of he corner of my eye, I see Edward snatch the chart from her, lightening fast. "you were supposed to do your research last night, so that the doctors wouldn't have to be inconvenienced by you." His voice is hard.
"Excuse me Doctor" she sneered, good for her, I was mortified by my son's tone. "But I always like to double check the charts, by the way the lab came back with the patient's new potassium level, it's 6.5. I'm just a nursing student, but someone should probably write an order to give her some calcium gluconate IV stat, and, maybe, if it's not too big of a deal for you, give her some D5 and Insulin. Her ECG isn't looking so good and I feel like a cardiac event would be an inconvenience for you." She. Was. Brilliant. "Put your hair up, this is a hospital, not a runway." Edward snarled back. I could see this was going to go nowhere.
"Edward, do as she says." He looked murderous and began writing the orders. I turned to the girl, who had pulled her hair up to reveal a face and neck that were bright red, she turned quickly on her heel, but I caught her arm. " Nice Job Miss Swan, but now that the Potassium is in the cells, how are you going to get rid of it?" I couldn't keep the smile off my face. " Kayexalate, she's already on lasix for the fluid volume overload caused by her heart failure." She mumbled, burning brighter still. "We'll have to push the calcium slowly, because she's also on Dig." She added as an afterthought, and walked away as quick as her legs could carry her. I was going to like this girl. "Did you get all of that Edward?" I called over my shoulder. I practically flew over to him, and gripped his arm. "What was that back there?"
Epov
"Would you happen to have Mrs. Worth's chart? They're setting the interns on her…" The rest of Carlisle's smart remark was drowned out by the most exquisite pain. My throat was on fire, as if I had swallowed broken glass, chased it with acid, and finished with a flaming baton. I couldn't move. I had to, and suddenly wished beyond anything I ever have that I was still frozen. My hands gripped the countertop, I could feel my grip breaking the edge off. I had to stop breathing, but I couldn't stop my sight. God, I can't do this. She's bent over the old man, her skin is so beautiful, porcelain, it wouldn't take me long, Carlisle and I are the only ones here, no one would have to know. But… But. He would. My father would. After everything he's risked to let me out of the hellish boredom that was high school. He loved it here. This girl would have to go.
Suddenly, she laughs, and shakes her hair out of her face. She should really have it up. What is she an idiot? She's still walking this way, holding hands with the old man, her scent all over the chart that I have to carry around all day. Perfect. I shouldn't smell that. I had let my breaths continue, I ached to taste her. I had never wanted anything so bad. Hunger doesn't begin to cover it. The vast ocean of the word thirst couldn't possibly contain my longing for this child's blood. "You were supposed to do your research last night, so that the doctors wouldn't have to be inconvenienced by you." I snarled. Not a way to make friends, Edward. Wait? Why was I thinking that? I needed her to go away from me. Far. And never come back. She was still talking. 6.5? We need-
" Someone should probably write an order for calcium gluconate IV stat, and, maybe if it's not too big a deal for you, give her some D5 and insulin. Her ECG isn't looking good and I feel like a cardiac event would be an inconvenience for you." Her eyes were…wet as she spit all of this out very fast, why was she about to cry?
She had taken the words right from my mouth. It was then that I noticed the silence. I had no idea why she was about to cry. "Edward" I heard Carlisle's voice in my head. He was looking daggers at me. " Edward, I am mortified , how could you be so boorish." I glared back at him, he knew I couldn't answer right now. Only your parents could take your strengths and turn them into weaknesses. "Put your hair up, this is a hospital, not a runway." I snarled at the girl. Carlisle had a grin on his face. "Put you in your place, didn't she?" His voice rang out in my mind while "Edward, do as she says" escaped his lips. I turned and furiously started writing orders, clearly as I could because I didn't need her coming to find me on her own, making fun of my handwriting, putting her own life in danger.
Bpov
I. Was. Furious. What an arrogant, condescending, Ass! I threw the door to the supply closet open, no longer able to fight my tears of fury. I caught my reflection in a bedpan. Great. A battered raccoon…with sunburn. I couldn't help laughing, I clutched the wall for support, sliding down to the floor. I went over the words we exchanged again, was I right? Carlisle seemed to think so. I had never had a problem with his son until now, in fact, though he was unsociable and taciturn all through high school he remained the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on. While I was on the subject of asses, his looked especially nice in his khaki dress pants. 'Oh My God Bella' I chided myself, ripping open some gauze and wiping my tears with it. 'He's such a jerk, clearly looks arent everything' but they were a lot, and even though we had spent the last five minutes sniping at each other, there was this electrical force, this irresistible pull between us. I had, in fact, vacillated between wanting to slap him and jump him while I was telling him off. It was deeper than just the physical though, even as he was being unconscionably rude towards me, I wanted to just be near him, to know what he was thinking, to hear his opinions about other subjects besides my alleged incompetence.
"Bella?" A voice called out. Jessica. I was surprised she deigned to drag herself here. I snorted. "Bella, Ms. Thomson wants to talk to you." Jessica smirked and started gathering her supplied next to me. " It's only 730 a.m. what could she possibly want? Ugh! Oh My Gosh, you're never going to believe who gave me a ride here!" Her eyes were alight with joy. She didn't give me an opportunity to guess. "Mike! You were right Bella! He doesn't like you! I mean not that way." At this she reached out to pat my hand sympathetically. I fought to keep my breakfast down and a smile off my face. I know she wanted me to be disappointed that Mike was interested in her. I could fake it, for teamwork. I sighed dramatically, forced my face into a mock pout and said "I knew from the way he looks at you in lab that I didn't have a chance, he was just using me for answers." She tried to look at me with pity. She looked like she needed the bedpan. "Don't worry, Bella, you'll find someone." Edward's face flew into my mind. 'Ugh!' I thought 'Stop right there, he clearly is not impressed.' I gave Jessica one last 'Sad' look and tripped over my feet and out the door, stumbling towards my doom. I crashed into something cold, something muscular, and something good-looking…damn! It was him! Stupid small hospital!
"For all of that knowledge, one would think you'd have the common sense to look where you're going." He said, he managed to keep his tone civil, though if his face was twisted up like he smelled something awful. 'Really! I don't know what this man's problem is' I thought, he was really beginning to irritate me, which was not mitigated by his breathtaking beauty.
"This is the time someone usually responds, or was your little display back there a one hit wonder?" He was smiling now! Unbelieveable! 'Glad Im amusing him' I thought angrily. I fixed him with my most withering glare.
"Actually, since my little 'display' back there, I've decided I have nothing nice to say to you, so instead of being rude I'm choosing to say nothing, and now I'm choosing to walk in the other direction, because some of us actually have to take care of patients." I turned on my heel, overbalanced, and fell. Great. Just super. If I was in a pointe shoe, that would have been a graceful pique turn. Instead I'm on the floor in these hideous shoes. I felt angry tears prick the back of my eyelids again. Edward looked stricken. He was reaching his hand out to help me up.
Epov
"Actually, since my little 'display' back there, I've decided I have nothing nice to say to you, so instead of being rude I'm choosing to say nothing, and now I'm choosing to walk in the other direction, because some of us actually have to take care of patients." She was so adorable when she was angry. Her beautiful brown eyes were glaring at me, and color flashed high in her cheeks, spreading like a bloom. She was right of course. I've been horribly rude to her. Even if it was for her own good. I felt chastened.
When she fell, I had to stifle a laugh. It would irritate my already angry throat. I still longed to taste her. More than anything. Almost. More than anything I wanted to know what was going on in that sharp mind of hers. Her smell compelled me, her face drew me in, and her mind took my breath away. I would have to resist the thirst if only to be surprised by what she was going to do next. I reached out my hand for hers.
Apov
I am easily distracted. It kind of happens when you can see the future. The class was boring me. Even with all of my advanced placements I was still stuck in a gen ed history class. Rose's face flashed clearly into my mind. "Alice." she said "we're doing this" In her hand was a dance poster. Auditions were tonight. That left so little time for shopping. I put my hand over my mouth, pretending to be ill, grabbed my things and ran out the door. The professor was so self involved he didn't notice, but my husband jasper's eyes were glued on me. He knew I was up to no good. I grinned at him and mouthed "shopping." He smiled and shook his head. I blew him a kiss and ran down the hall almost straight into Rose.
Rpov
I was conscious of the many eyes on me. I'm not stupid. I know I'm beautiful. Something caught my eye though. A bright poster 'Do you like to dance?' the poster asked. If my heart could, it's beat would quicken. I wasn't sure what people were doing these days, but I was a fast learner. I had to do this, but I wasn't doing it alone. I grabbed the poster. "Alice" I said aloud to no one in particular "we're doing this." I knew she got the message. I was loved dancing when I was human. That sounds ridiculous to say. When I was human. I missed it bitterly. Even with this beauty, and even knowing it would never fade, the memories I fought so hard to hold on to flooded over me. I had one human trait, I was longing for the past. Even with an eternity ahead of me.