All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer
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Ho Hey
The Lumineers
Bella was very unaware of how long she just stood there allowing whoever this guy was to stare at her. But for the life of her, she couldn't move for the longest time. There was something about his gaze that felt as if he were longing for something. He stood so calmly, with his hands placed in his pockets, the wind continuing to mess his already messy do.
Luckily, or maybe not so luckily, the rain began falling and Bella threw her hood on and ran back to the truck. And now, even days later she couldn't stop thinking about it.
Why hadn't she looked away? Or better yet, what was he staring at?
She couldn't figure it out even as she stood in front of her mirror looking at her monochrome brown eyes and equally dull brown hair. She pouted her lips, pushed her cheeks together, ruffled her hair and then straightened it again.
But she couldn't figure out what caught his attention.
Who knows, maybe the guy was blind and didn't know he was staring. That would explain the aviators on a cloudy day.
Bella convinced herself to forget about him…sort of. As much as she could anyway.
Still dressed in her pajamas she thudded down the stairs to the kitchen and when the last step creaked it made her think about her house in Phoenix. She lived there contently until she turned nine until randomly her long lost mother Renee convinced her to move to Florida with her and her new husband, Phil. Renee teased Bella with images of the ocean and of starfish. There was no way she could have said no.
She had her bags packed in a day and a week later Bella sat at the airport waiting for Renee to bring her to her new home.
It wasn't as if she were trying to get away from Charlie, she just wanted to travel somewhere new. The only problem was Bella waited for three hours and Renee never came.
After she cried in the bathroom for an hour she found someone to help her call Charlie. He spent way more money than necessary and got her on the next flight back to Phoenix where there were no beaches but cactus. Though in defense of Phoenix, they both had palm trees, but to a nine year old kid it wasn't the same.
To this day Bella rarely answers Renee's phone calls.
As much as Bella dislikes her mom she can't help but notice how much they're alike. Though the biggest difference being Bella chose to stay alone and free whereas Renee dated frequently and as you can see, settled down enough to have a baby. Bella decided early on if she was never attached to anyone or anywhere, no one got hurt. Especially her.
She heard Charlie moving around his room and decided to cook him a homemade breakfast. She was positive he ate out every night since she was gone which probably affected his health in some ways.
Opening the door of the fridge Bella realized going to the grocery store would be on her list of errands for the day and at some point she wanted to find a small job here, just to keep her from going stir crazy. After cracking a couple eggs in a pan she scanned the kitchen looking for dishes.
There was a small round table in the kitchen she didn't recognize. Did Charlie sell everything from their house? She went to clear the various things form the top of it when a large white sheet fell to the floor.
Picking it up she saw it was addressed to Charlie and though she shouldn't pry, she unfolded it.
It was a medical appointment sheet for the end of the week with the name Dr. Carlisle Cullen signed at the bottom.
Bella felt her face pale staring at it so closely.
"Morning, kid."
Bella glanced up quickly shoving the paper in with the rest. Charlie stood shaky, hunched at the shoulders but his smile was strong. She could tell he was trying hard not to show his struggle.
"Hey, Dad. I made some eggs."
He shuffled to a chair and took a seat, "Oh, I'm not that hungry."
Bella scooped the eggs from the pan placing them on a yellow plate, "I think you should try to eat something."
Charlie mumbled something under his breath which Bella ignored.
She watched closely as Charlie scooted the eggs around on his plate knowing he'd never tell her what was actually wrong with him. She noticed him take deep shallow breaths and when he caught Bella staring he frowned.
"What are you looking at me like that for?"
She shook her head, "No reason, I just missed you."
That seemed to make him happy and Bella loved watching the crinkles around his eyes. This time she didn't have to imagine what they looked like.
"What are your plans for the day?" she asked once he finally pushed his plate away. She picked it up scraping the remainder of egg in the trash and then rinsing it before putting it in the dishwasher.
"I couldn't sleep very well last night. Would you judge your old man if he told you he was taking a nap for the better part of the day?"
Bella smiled but she knew the real reason why he wanted a nap. "Of course not. I was going to run into town for a few errands. Maybe go to the grocery store for dinner."
After wiping down the counter she turned back, "In fact I think I'll just get going."
Before she could walk out Charlie grabbed her hand. "I'm so glad you're home, Bella."
"Me too." and she meant it.
-3-
Like usual, she hardly put any effort into getting ready. The fact that she could run into mystery man again hadn't crossed her mind until she was inside her truck. By that point there was no turning back.
Besides, what were the odds?
No matter how hard she tried avoiding it, Bella couldn't get Charlie's letter out of her head. Before she realized it she was searching the map on her phone for Forks Hospital. If she were going to get any answers she'd have to find them out for herself.
Like everything else it was right off the main road in a building that looked worn out and tired, kind of like the patients she imagined. She entered into the main building and went to the receptionist's desk.
Sitting behind a tall oak desk and large purple framed glasses was an older lady with the name tag the read, Mrs. Cope.
"Hi, I'm looking for Dr. Cullen's office."
The lady looked up form her paperwork and Bella couldn't help but notice the way her pupils dilated at the mention her the name, Cullen. Though an odd reaction, Bella let it slide.
"Do you have an appointment?" she asked.
"Uh," should I lie? "Yes…well, no."
Mrs. Cope looked confused.
"I just really need to speak to him personally."
Her plastic fingernails clicked against the keyboard on her computer, "I suppose he may have a minute or two." She looked up above her glasses frame, "If you promise to make it quick, I'll tell you his office is up the stairs to the left, second door to the right."
Bella let out a sigh, "Great. Thanks so much."
She felt awkward wandering through the hospital hallways, especially for as much as she had to visit them as a kid. She realized at a young age her brain and her feet were on opposite teams.
The hallway was silent and her shoes echoed off the tile stair case. As she came to Dr.
Cullen's door she saw it was cracked.
She knocked against the wooden door with her knuckles and slowly peeked inside, "Hello?"
When he turned around Bella felt like someone slammed her in the gut.
Oh my go-
"Hello?" It came out more as a question and Bella froze in the doorway staring opened mouthed at Dr. Cullen.
No wonder Mrs. Cope's eyes rolled back in her head.
"Dr. Cullen?" Bella finally managed to get out.
Why is he so attractive? Not that I'm complaining or anything but…focus.
"Can I help you with something?"
Once Bella got over the shock of how vibrant green his eyes were she couldn't look away from his hair.
Why is his hair so familiar? And since when is hair a dominant trait to remember someone by?
It was rather unusual she reasoned. It had a bronze tint with an untidy yet very put together look. As if he purposely rubbed a balloon over his head and then walked through the rain just to make it look that disheveled and perfect.
When she realized she had been staring she looked down blushing.
"Please come in," he all but whispered with a velvet tone.
For some reason Bella felt as if she were being invited into his arms and not his office.
"Hi, uh I'm Bella Swan. Charlie Swan's daughter." Right now was the time she was cursing Charlie for passing his stuttering onto her.
He looked confused. Yet she decided it was a very beautiful confused. The kind of confused magazine photographers search for years to find on a face. The kind that makes you look tortured and misunderstood.
Why isn't he wearing a white doctor's coat?
Were doctors suppose to wear such appealing dark wash jeans with tight black t-shirts that show off their rather muscular arms? Was it healthy for weak women to be examined by someone like him?
If he were her doctor she'd be sick too, very sick.
She tried shaking her thoughts free once she realized what she was doing. She was here for Charlie after all.
"I wanted to talk about my dad."
He stepped over to the desk scanning it with his eyes until he reached down and picked up an envelope. "Of course. Please, take a seat." He motioned towards the black chairs beside his desk.
Bella thought he would take a seat in the plush chair behind his desk but to her surprise he walked around to the front and took a seat on top of it in the corner. She was suddenly very aware of how close he sat and how wonderful he smelled.
When he looked at her he looked directly into her eyes and the moment she felt the heat rush to her cheeks he smiled a heart stopping crooked smile. Good thing she was in a hospital with equipment to jump start her heart because he had certainly had a way with his smile.
It was in fact a lethal dose of dazzle.
Yes, he dazzled her.
As soon as he spoke again her heart thankfully restarted on its own.
"What did you want to talk about?" he looked down long enough to read over what was inside the folder.
Bella wondered how much he needed to know.
"I've been traveling for the past few years and have been out of touch with him. He called me however telling me he was moving here for the fishing and that he was sick. The problem is I don't know what's actually wrong with him. And I didn't even know he liked fishing or the rainy northwest. I mean it's always cloudy here, why would he want to retire here? That would make me even more sick. Living in a small town. That's sick too."
Why not just tell him everything? She knew she had a problem with talking too much.
"Do you have a cure Dr. Cullen?" she asked frantically.
"I'm afraid I'm confused about what you're asking me."
There it was again. The dramatic, gorgeous confused look… and maybe a little fear.
Bella sighed anxiously. "What's wrong with my dad?"
"Have you talked to him about it?"
She gave him a pointed look that said it's not that easy and he let out a sigh. A musical sigh.
"I'll tell you this but I think you should discuss it with him." he paused gauging her reaction. "Your father has acute Leukemia. It's a form of cancer that starts in places like bone marrow that causes large amounts of blood cells to be made and entered into the blood stream."
"It's life threatening." It wasn't even a question. Bella already knew the answer to that.
Dr. Cullen simply nodded.
Her sudden need to faint was only enhanced by the fact that the information given to her was delivered in the form of a Greek god. He tried continuing but Bella put in her hands up in front of her stopping him.
"I really don't want to hear anymore." She grabbed her forehead with both hands.
Charlie had Leukemia.
Dr. Cullen noticed her face go pale and jumped down off his desk leaning down in front of her. "Are you okay?"
His scent was clouding her thoughts even more so and when she moved her hands away from her face she was met with a pair of jade gems burning into her soul. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked over at his long, slender fingers. His touch sent an electric shock through her body.
There goes the heart, she thought.
He sat so close to her, merely inches from her face.
This guy can't be real.
"Are you an angel?"
"Excuse me?" he chuckled.
Bella blushed furiously. That wasn't suppose to be said out loud.
"Why are you so young?"
He looked at her questioningly.
"I mean do you really know what your talking about? How old are you anyways?"
"Twenty-six."
"Did you even graduate from medical school?"
He blinked a few times and stood up backing away. Did she just insult him?
Bella stood up quickly, "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just freaked out about this."
"You have every right to be." he spoke softly.
"I'm sorry." she said again nervously.
He placed Charlie's file on the desk, right back where it had been sitting and both of them were silent for a considerable amount of time.
"What can I do for him?"
He paced the room a bit before settling in the back corner with his arms crossed over his chest.
"At this point you need to make sure he's comfortable, eating healthy, lots of rest and that he stays happy throughout this." His voice was deep and smooth pulling Bella closer to him and she nodded taking it all in.
"A positive spirit makes all the difference."
"God, you're gorgeous."
Dr. Cullen lowered his head laughing to himself while Bella felt like jumping out the window he was leaning against.
How did that slip out like that?
She knew she needed to get out of this office. She retreated quickly towards the door tripping over her feet and stumbling into the small trashcan by the door.
"Thanks for your time. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon, he has an appointment this week."
With that a sudden look of alarm passed by his features before he dismissed it quickly. He gave no reply, not even a small wave as Bella hurried out the door into the hallway where he wouldn't cloud her thoughts. She ran with as much speed as her clumsy self would allow back towards the stairs. It wasn't until she was outside leaning against her truck breathing heavily that she felt the tears.
Charlie, the only person she had in this life was dying and there was nothing she could do about it. But not only that, she had completely made a fool of herself in front of his doctor. She took it as a joke when he was standing there when there was nothing funny about it.
The truth was she did care, she cared a lot and discovering that her dad only had so long left made her feel sick to her stomach. She leaned over her knees dry heaving as the rain began to fall yet again.
She shouldn't have come.
-3-
Bella confronted Charlie as soon as she made it home. He was never one for affection but together they sat in the living room, him holding his daughter as she cried. She cried for not being there sooner for him and she cried because it was all she knew to do.
Yes, there were treatments he could take and that's the real reason why he had come. Dr. Cullen was a renown cancer researcher who specifically picked up Charlie's case. But hanging over both their heads was the fact that none of it may work and in the end, the cancer could win.
Charlie told Bella everything about how he discovered it and how he at first decided to not fight. It was when he thought about her that he realized he had an obligation to his daughter. For Bella, he would survive.
The days went by and Bella did every she possibly could to make sure Charlie had everything he needed. She cooked him fresh foods and made him rest often and because he had to stay happy, she allowed him to go fishing because apparently he actually enjoyed it. It was one of the many things Bella didn't know about him.
Maybe now they'd actually become acquainted. Or even more so, they'd become friends.
On Thursday afternoon Bella drove Charlie down to Forks Hospital for his first check up. She noticed everyday his deteriorating strength, a bad sign for his condition. She helped him out of the truck and walked beside him towards the waiting room him fussing all the way. He hated being taken care of, Bella insisted however and so he gave in. But it wasn't because he was too tired to argue, that he made sure was clear.
Mrs. Cope checked them in and once again she drooled at the sound of the name, Cullen. This time Bella rolled her eyes. At least she had kept her cool during their meeting…somewhat.
The nurse called them in and she took a few minutes checking his vitals. When she left the room Charlie mentioned how cute she was and Bella laughed. They were alike more than either of them knew.
Without warning the door came open and an older attractive man with blonde hair stepped inside.
"Mr. Swan, Miss Swan, I'm Carlisle it's a pleasure to meet you." he held out his hand for Bella to shake but she just stared at it.
"You're not Dr. Cullen."