Start Over New
"Dad, can't I just not and say I did?"
"No. You are Lucky the courts let you transfer your sentence out here from Alaska. You have a parole officer here that will be monitoring you. Now this is what you will do…"
He let his father's voice trail off as they went in the Elevator up to level eight of Forks Hospital. He honestly wished he'd not done what he did, just so he didn't have to be there in that moment. Apparently, strike two of prank-calling the cops was prison without the actual jail. He was always doing stupid things; prank calls, vandalizing, doing things to the teachers… he was the classic bad boy. Well Denali, Alaska had enough. Since Dr. Cullen was highly respected, when he'd gotten the opportunity here, the court told him to make his son do community service with him.
He groaned. "Dad, the coma ward? You're going to make me do my service hours in the coma ward?! Dad, I didn't steal the president's car! I just…"
"I won't tolerate you complaining. You brought this upon yourself. Now these are the patients you will be working with."
They went into room after room of car accident, overdose, and other serious injury patients that were currently in a coma.
In the last room, a beautiful, brown haired girl lay, blissfully unconscious. Shock bubbled inside of him. She was beautiful. Even as she lay there, broken ad probably without chance of repair, she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on. "Who is she?" he couldn't help but ask.
"She's probably the saddest case on this floor. Her name is Isabella Swan. The police chief's daughter. She recently moved here, only shortly before the accident. Her first day of school, Bella was standing outside of her vehicle when another car lost control and slammed into her. It literally crushed her. The other driver, Tyler Crowley, was killed."
Edward was stunned. "Oh God," he whispered painfully, inching over to the bed where the girl lay, broken and bruised with tubes, needles, and wires protruding from every inch of her visible, mangled skin.
"Son, are you alright?"
He hadn't noticed the tears that welled up in his eyes. He attempted to toughen back up. "Yeah," he said, but his voice broke over the word.
"Edward," Carlisle said as gently as he could, "We have to move on, son. There are some things that we still have to go over."
Edward nodded, turning back to the still form on the bed. He reached out and brushed some matted, silky strands from her porcelain face. "I'll see you around, Bella," he whispered.