Chapter 2 – The Arrival
"Miss, Miss." A young attendant said while tapping my shoulder.
"Yes?" I asked groggily.
"We are about to land. I thought you would like to know. May I take your champagne glass?" The woman asked me.
"Oh, yes. Thank you for waking me up." I said.
I handed the attendant my glass and she walked away tending to the other passengers. I put my blackberry back into my bag and made sure my seatbelt was fastened. In just a couple of minutes I would be on the ground again and headed to Forks. Once we got to our gate we were allowed to get our overhead baggage and leave the plane. I made my way over to baggage return and in no time my bags started coming around on the conveyor belt. They were moving too fast for me so I asked the man next to me if he could grab one before I had to wait for it to come back around.
"Sir, do you mind grabbing that bag? I have three I need to grab." I asked a man who looked to be about my age with unruly reddish brown hair.
He looked at me and laughed and walked away. What an asshole.
I grabbed two bags quickly and then waited on the other one to come back around. Once I had my bags I made my way over to the rent a car desk. They let me choose between a Honda and a Ford, I chose the Honda. I made my way out to the parking garage and found the car I was renting. I put my bags in the trunk and back seat and set out towards Forks, only about three and a half more hours until I was at my destination.
After driving for about two and a half hours things were starting to look familiar. I was in Port Angeles. I was only about an hour from the hospital in Forks. I decided to stop in Port Angeles and get some breakfast and gas. I pumped the gas and went into the station to pay and see what they had for breakfast. I ended up getting a bacon and egg biscuit with a bottle of gatorade. I got back to the car and continued driving.
Once I got into Forks I made my way to my dad's house to drop off my luggage. I pulled up to the house and it looked exactly the same as it had ten years ago when my mom, Renee, and I left. He always kept a key under a rock by the front door so I got the key and let myself in. I brought in my bags and set them by the stairs. He still had everything the same inside, except there was a big flat screen TV in the corner.
After locking the house back up I got back into the car and started to drive towards the hospital. It was now 5:30 am so I was sure the Doctor would still be there. I pulled up into the parking lot five minutes later and walked up to the entrance labelled visitors. I looked around and found a desk. There was a red haired elderly woman behind it doing crossword puzzles.
"Excuse me?" I said.
"Oh, dear, you scared me. What can I do for you honey?" She said.
"I'm Bella Swan, my father, Charlie Swan, is here. Dr. Cullen is expecting me." I replied.
"Visiting hours doesn't start until seven, honey." She said.
"I came here from Phoenix and just got here. Dr. Cullen is expecting me. Can you page him or something please?" I asked.
She reached for the phone and dialled a number. I heard someone pick up on the other end and she briefly explained the situation. He spoke a few words and she hung up the phone.
"He will be right down dear. Would you like any coffee or anything while you wait?" She asked.
I didn't have a chance to answer because there was a young blonde man at my side.
"Bella?" He asked.
"Yes. Are you Dr. Cullen? I asked in return.
"Yes, if you will follow me to my office so we can talk and then I will take you in to see your father." He said, leading the way into some double doors.
We went down a few hallways and up a set of stairs and ended up at a door that read, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, MD. We walked in and he motioned for me to have a seat on a small couch and I took a seat, him opposite me.
"Bella, I just wanted to talk to you about the care your father is going to need. You may want to hire a home nurse or if you feel comfortable you can easily do these things yourself. Your father will need to be in a wheelchair to move. At this point he can move it himself but it is very tiring. He is going to need help bathing, using the restroom, and changing clothes. He has full function of all his organs and "bodily functions" he just can't feel or move his legs or feet." He said.
I sat for a moment taking all of it in. I didn't think I would be able to help him change and shower and such.
"I think we will need a nurse. The private things would be uncomfortable for both of us." I said.
"I can find one to start tomorrow morning. That is when I will be discharging him to go home. Do you think you could have the house ready for him?" He asked.
"Yes, it shouldn't be a problem. He actually already did most of that. He has a friend in the same condition, but from diabetes." I answered.
"Well, Bella, are you ready to go see Charlie? It may be uncomfortable seeing him in such a vulnerable state. He isn't in any pain though, and he is very alert and oriented. He can't wait to see you." He said.
"Yes, I am ready." I answered.
We started out the door and on the way out I noticed a family photo on his desk. There was a reddish brown haired man that looked really familiar but I couldn't figure in out.
We walked down some stairs and down a few halls and finally came to a closed door. He nodded his head in assurance and I opened the door and walked in.