Jessica Jones was stood behind the nurses station closest to the main doors. Her dark hair was pinned up loosely on top of her head with tendrils escaping around her face. She dotted the I's and crossed the t's on some paperwork while waiting to go for a well deserved break.
She had been in Forks for 8 months, but she was no stranger to towns like this. Jessica moved around a lot and explored new places. There was something a little different about Forks though. There was a split between familiarity and secrets. Whist most folks seemed to know everything about everyone, there was also a strong feeling of mystery about the place. Things happened that were just a little odd. But maybe that was just because she saw things from an outsiders view point.
Most of the hospital staff were townies, born and breed. They lived for gossip on their friends and neighbours and Jessica soon found that she knew intimate details about people she had never met. It made her feel a little uneasy and while she remained friendly towards her colleagues she also kept a certain amount of distance from them, partly afraid of them asking about her own life.
Doctor Cullen was more on the side of mystery. Although people liked to gossip about the Cullen family it was mere speculation as they very much kept themselves to themselves. This was possibly why Jessica had stayed around so long. If the Cullen's could keep there business private then she should be able to do the same.
"Hey Jess, do you think you could have a look at Miss Flynn, she's had an eventful night" The soothing tone of Chief Swan filled Jessica's ears as she finished the paperwork in front of her.
A small smile crept across her face as she lifted her eyes to greet him. But it quickly vanished as she assessed the scene. The Chief was holding on to a young girl who looked in shock but all Jessica could see was Charlie covered in blood all down his right side. His complexion was grey and he swayed as he spoke. Jessica found herself on the other side of the desk quicker than she could breath
"Holy Hell Chief, what happened?" she shouted. Panic evident in her voice whilst she tried to assess the damage. Two other nurses had also rushed to the scene and the sudden fuss seem to take Charlie by surprise.
"Hey it's just a scratch, but you need to have a look at Katie here" he insisted and one of the other nurses took hold of the girl to check her over while Jessica seemed unable to take her eyes of the Chief. She watched the nurses move the girl away from him and he suddenly realised that young Katie had been holding him up. With her no longer by his side Jessica watched him crumble to the floor when a new wave of pain thumped through his body. She dived forward and caught his head just before it smashed into the floor tiles. He looked up at her with an intense gaze as though coming to some realisation.
"Hey, you have really pretty eyes" he said and then he passed out.
The compliment to her eyes floated away in the ether as Jessica helped the team work on Charlie's injuries. Cutting away the checked shirt and jeans revealed a deep wound to his shoulder, one to his thigh and some shallow cuts joining the two. Nothing turned out to be life threatening, once the loss of blood had been addressed.
Charlie awoke to a stiff neck and sore throat. He barely had time to work out where he was before Bella threw herself around his shoulders, his eyes focused on his daughter as her strong hold on him began to cause him pain.
"Hell, Charlie what are you trying to do to me" she yelled at her dad.
"It was just a scratch" was all he could think to say still trying to fill in the gaps of how he was sat in a hospital bed.
"Carlisle tells it a little differently, He tells me you've been stabbed twice. One hell of a weekend you've had planned for us, Charlie" she said with a nervous laugh.
"Where's my grand-daughter, please tell me you didn't bring her here" he asked looking round the room wondering what time it was, he vaguely heard Bella mention she was with Edward when past events started to come back to him. The last thing he remember was seeing Jessica behind the desk…. He was there with… Katie Flynn. That was it.
"How is the girl I brought in….I need my phone, What's happening with Shane at the station?" a hundred things started to file through his head and he moved his arm to search the table for his cell phone but stopped abruptly when an almighty dull pain shot through his shoulder.
Bella watched as her dad cursed loudly at the pain. Although he made a conscious effort not to swear in front of his daughter he often forgot, usually when yelling at some sport on the TV, It made Bella smile a little to see that he probably hadn't realised that he done it.
She watched as he tried moving his arm again more slowly this time but it still hurt like hell. The culprit to his current condition suddenly filled Charlie's thoughts.
"I'm going to kill that little fu….felon" he said this time realising that his little girl was in the room
Doctor Cullen leaned in the doorway watching his friend writhe in pain from his injuries, glad to see him awake and in usual irritated spirits.
"Hey Doc how was the kid I brought in, Katie" he said having still not received an answer from Bella about her.
"She if fine, just a few bruises and mostly shock. We kept her in for a while but she's gone home now, I think some of your officers came to see her about what happened last night".
Both the Doctor and the Bella watched Charlie thinking things through, it was clear that he was still in Chief of Police mode.
"This is why you have a deputy Dad, they are more than capable for getting things done you know that" Bella said giving his hand a squeeze.
"And they are going to have to be capable because you are going stay here for a while, you need to heal" Carlisle added sternly
"How long is a while?" Charlie asked a little annoyed that he wasn't allowed to go as soon as he had woken up.
"Until I say so" came the response and Charlie looked over at his friend with a feeling of utter helplessness.
