Chapter 2: Bedside Manners

Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight

Another week went by. Bella talked to him on the phone several times, but it just wasn't the same as having her there with him in person. God, how he missed her.

In the meantime, that damn redhead apparently had recruited an army of the undead and he and his pack were conscripted to help in fighting off the horde. On the day of the big battle, he overheard Edward tell Bella, "The best night of my life was the night you promised to marry me."

He was reeling from that revelation, his heart ripping at the seams. That particular comment however led to a glorious kiss on the mountain summit.

When Bella peered at his face twisted in anguish, and listened to a proposal to take himself out of the equation, she felt the bottom of her heart drop to her feet. An ice-cold dread gripped her.

Bella stood in front of him, trembling in fear for his life, pleading for him to stay. He was unmovable until she desperately spoke the words he was dying to hear. No other words would suffice.

"Jacob, kiss me … I want you … to kiss me."

Was this for real? Bella was a statue waiting for him to make his move, and she didn't have to wait very long. His response was instantaneous. That kiss was earth shattering. Jacob was surprised that the whole mountain didn't quiver and quake, and tumble in a heap from the force of it. It was that full of pure, unadulterated passion.

The wolf boy took off from the mountain with a spring in his step, and lightness filling his soul. As he began his descent down the slope, he overheard Bella say, "I don't know what happened."

Ha …well, Jacob knew. Bella was in love with him, and it only took that awesome kiss to convince her of something that deep down, she was already aware of.

The newborn battle had begun, and the wolf pack was in rare form. Equipped with Jasper's expert fighting techniques, they were nearly invincible, that is, until Leah got caught unawares. The vamp was too much for the she-wolf, and Jacob couldn't let her be taken down. He rushed to her aid, and was on the leech in an instant. Somehow in all the chaos, the tick maneuvered into position behind him, and with one quick squeeze, Jacob was done. Embry and Quil, along with Leah, finished off their enemy while poor Jacob writhed in pain on the ground, his whole right side smashed and mangled, like he'd been crushed in a trash compacter.

Leah trotted alongside the human litter as his pack brothers transported their fallen comrade to his home. When Carlisle arrived, there was another war being waged.

"Leah, I think it best if you went outside with the others," Carlisle admonished.

Her face was set in stone. "No, I'm not leaving Jake alone."

Jacob whimpered, shaking his head, "I don't want you to see this, Lee. Please go ... for me"

"I said I'm not leaving. Are you both deaf?"

Carlisle took a syringe and a vial of liquid from his bag. "Okay then … Jacob, I'm giving you some morphine. I hope it will take the edge off."

He injected the fluid into a vein, and told Leah, "You'll have to hold him still."

Leah … she was a blessing. He was glad she stayed; he couldn't have endured it without her. Her presence didn't lesson his suffering, but just knowing she was there, helped to calm him somewhat.

Every scream and whimper that escaped Jacob's lips, was accompanied by a tight squeeze of his hand, as if to say, I'm here, Jake. I'm here with you.

Thankfully, he passed out a couple of times, but then would wake up a few seconds later, shaking in agony. As his eyes adjusted, he focused on her beautiful face, and settled there while the torture continued.

All the re-breaking was done, and Jacob was exhausted and in excruciating pain. Leah leaned over him, lifting his neck up slightly, and pressed a cup of cool water to his dry lips, then she brushed the hair away from his sweaty brow,

Carlisle packed his bag, and promised to come back to set up a narcotic drip. He left the room and went to update Billy and the rest of the pack, milling around in the front yard.

"It's over, Jake. You can breathe easy now," Leah whispered, as she wiped away his tears.

She sat on a chair beside his bed, still holding his hand, when there was a timid knock on the door of his bedroom. In walked the girl who was the reason for all this misery. By the look on her face, he knew the battle to win her heart was over. He'd lost her.

He tried to sit up, and sagged back against the pillow, gasping. Exhaling a couple of times, he directed his gaze at Leah, and implored her, "Can you give us a minute?"

Leah rolled her eyes, and stood up, giving Bella a menacing look. "I'll talk to you later, girl."

Before she left the room, Bella asked Jacob, "Are you okay?"

Spinning around abruptly, Leah fired back, "Of course he's not okay. What are you, a freakin' idiot? He just had about a hundred bones smashed to bits, how do you think he feels? And from the looks of you, you're here to finish him off."

Jacob choked out her name in a raspy voice, "Lee …"

"I'm goin, I'm goin," she sputtered as she stormed out of the room.

As expected, Bella stomped on his heart once again. She was choosing the leech over him. He turned his head away as she got ready to leave.

Her voice was low as she questioned, "Should I come back to see you?"

He couldn't restrain the tears that were falling. "I'll let you know," he murmured.

The boy was alone in his room for at least twenty minutes. Where was Leah? Why hadn't she come back?

Billy wheeled himself next to Jacob's bed. He stroked his son's hand. "Son, can I get you something to eat? Sue brought us some food for supper."

"Maybe later. Is Lee, still out there?"

"You want me to send her in?"

"Could you?"

"Sure, son. I'll go get her for you."

Leah walked in with Carlisle trailing behind. She took her seat as sentry, and watched as the doctor started the hydromorphone drip. The medication began to work in about five minutes, finally letting Jacob's body lose some of its tension. It was such a relief as he felt the drug reduce the pain to a level he could tolerate.

Carlisle stood over him and asked, "How's that? Are you feeling better?"

"Much better … thanks, Doc."

"There should be enough medicine in the bag to last for three days." He handed Jacob a funny little contraption, shaped like a large ballpoint pen. There was tubing attached to it from the bag containing the drug. "This is the dose regulator. Anytime, you start to feel the pain getting out of control, just push this white button."

Nodding, Carlisle smiled, and remarked, "You rest up now, and I'll come by to see how you're doing tomorrow." With that said, he left the room.

Jacob now turned his attention to Leah. "I got a little anxious there, wondering where you were. Do you think you could stay with me for awhile?"

"I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be."

His face flushed as he added, "Could you hold my hand again … please?"

"Anytime, mister."

A half hour later, Leah had a clean wash cloth, some soap and a basin full of hot water. She wiped the perspiration from his tear-streaked face, then proceeded to wash the dirt and dried blood from his torso. As she started to gently scrub away below his navel, her hand was getting closer and closer to his groin. One more inch, and Jacob grabbed her wrist tightly with his good hand. "Whaddya think you're doin', Lee?"

"Whaddya think I'm doin', moron? I'm cleaning you up."

"Not that far down south, you're not."

"Jake, I have seen you naked before."

"Yeah, but seeing isn't the same as … well, you know … touching my junk. Believe me … you are not goin' there. Now hand me the soap and the wash cloth."

Leah winked at him coyly. "And here I thought all guys wanted girls to touch their junk."

"That applies only if I have you in the sack with me."

In a breathy voice, she asked, "Is that an invitation?"

"Whaaaat? Nooo ... just give me the damn soap and wash rag ... jeez."

Leah quirked an eyebrow, "You are feeling better."

Leah stayed with Jacob for the next three days. By that time, he was able to sit up, feed and bathe himself. He had even called Bella to see if she could come by, but she didn't show—probably felt too guilty to face him or the pack.

It'd been seven days since he got creamed by that rotten newborn and Jacob was walking at First Beach, using aluminum crutches that Carlisle had brought him. He felt like he really didn't need them, but the Doc said it would speed his healing further if he would use the freakin' things.

He rested on the ol' driftwood bench, laying the crutches aside. That's when he sniffed the crisp, cool air and caught Leah's scent.

She ambled slowly toward him. "I thought I'd find you here. I went to the house, and you were gone."

"Yeah, I was goin' stir crazy. I had to get outta there."

"If you'd have waited for me, I would've gone with you."

"I know that, but I didn't want to bring you down."

She stopped dead in her tracks, a frown forming on her lips. "I don't believe it! You're still stuck on Swan, aren't you? Get it through that thick skull of yours. You don't have a chance with her. She's made her choice. Instead of moping here, you should be madder'n hell.

"Think about it, Jake. I didn't see her at your bedside even once since that first day when you were a broken heap barely breathing."

He put out his hand to stop her. "I don't wanna hear it, Lee."

Her eyes were flashing in anger. "Well, too damn bad. Someone has to say it. She didn't choose you: she doesn't love you."

"She does—and you and nobody else is gonna convince me otherwise."

"You are so blind …"

"Shut it, Lee. Why don't you just go home. I don't want you here."

Without answering, and with lips quivering, she turned on her heels, and speedily began the trek back to the Clearwaters'.

Jacob immediately regretted his words, and grabbed up his crutches, hobbling after her. "Lee, wait. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

One of his aluminum supports caught on a slippery ribbon of seaweed, and he slid to the ground, his usual balance not fully restored yet. He groaned as he righted himself. The wolf boy knew that she heard him hit the sand, but Leah never looked back.

His heart was enveloped in loneliness. The male pack members came to see him, but it wasn't the same. Jacob pined for Bella, but surprisingly, he missed Leah too. What was that he told Bella once? You can be in love with two people at the same time. It was a little confusing.

Finally, Edward eased up, and Bella got to visit sporadically. She even was present at a bonfire. Leah was there for a few minutes, then seeing the leech lover and Jacob together, walked away and didn't return for the rest of the evening.

He kept running, and running, and running after that fancy-schmancy, cream-colored card arrived in the mail. That miserable wedding invitation. It was too much—his heart couldn't take another beating—so he lost himself as his wolf took over.

Weeks went by, and the date for Bella's folly was creeping up on him. His conscience was pricked; he was her best friend, and he needed to be there for her even though he was heartbroken over her decision. Jacob would suck it up like a man, and show his support.

A/N: Hang in there gang, you'll get to peek into Leah's head in the next chapter.