A/N: For this "move," Emmett is working as a police officer (he and Rosalie are also married, and living in a house separate from the rest of the Cullens). Carlisle allowed it after Emmett pointed out that he has as much control as Carlisle did when he started working as a doctor; Carlisle has also warned him that one substantiated reported of excessive force will be the end of his police career. Barbie

Conflict of Interest

Edward

I was looking at Mickie in confusion and some concern as Jim skillfully drove through the neighborhoods, sirens wailing. She had been watching the limited view we had of the passing streets, and then she had suddenly stopped thinking of what street we were on. Unable to tear her eyes away, she had deliberately kept herself from recognizing the turns, and done it so well that if I hadn't known better I would have sworn she was trying to block me. I wanted to ask if she was all right, but aside from a fixed stare, there really wasn't anything I should have noticed.

Then Jim pulled up in front of the house, and I knew — knew what I should have realized long before Mickie did; from the moment I saw the address in Jim's mind. This was her house. And that could only mean one thing…Kendra.

"Mickie!" I called, as she came unfrozen and dashed out the back of the ambulance without any of our usual preparation and ran up the front steps.

I grabbed the medical case and followed at my fastest human run, grateful I could hear Emmett's thoughts among the first responders. "Em, don't let her through; we have a conflict of interest here." I spoke quickly more for the sake of speed itself than to keep my words from the humans.

Emmett didn't ask any questions. As Mickie attempted to run past him, he snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her against his broad chest. "Let me go!" she cried. "That's my daughter; let me go!"

Her daughter… I heard the horror in the thoughts of the other policeman, the one who was bending over the girl who lay gasping on the floor beside her wheelchair. In truth, I hadn't stopped Mickie because of the advisements against treating family members. Carlisle had treated both Bella and Nessie while remaining calm and professional; Mickie's thoughts were nowhere near coherent enough to allow her near a patient.

"Em, she's thinking of biting you; she'll break a tooth if you let her," I warned as I dropped to my knees beside Kendra and flipped open the medical case.

Emmett swiftly but gently captured Mickie's chin in his hand. "No, you don't," he told her. "You let Edward take care of your daughter; she'll be fine." Right, Edward?

I nodded briefly; I would make it true. I quickly checked the girl's condition and asked a few terse questions of the police officer and Kendra's caregiver. The woman wasn't a trained nurse, and was completely shaken by the whole thing.

I had the syringe in my hand when I suddenly paused, realizing what I was about to do. Officially I was only an EMT, not licensed to break a patient's skin. But technically I had two mds…practically I wasn't about to let this girl die when it was within my power to save her. Chances were no one would even make an issue of it unless it ended badly; if they did and Carlisle couldn't convince them I had acted appropriately, I at least knew he would much prefer a hasty move because I had tried to save a life than because someone had taken one.

My hesitation was so brief that only a vampire could have seen it — and Emmett was so sure I would do all in my power that he didn't notice. He was right, I realized as I injected the drug; there had never truly been any doubt.

Kendra's breathing eased slightly, and I fitted an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose before checking her eyes and pressing my fingers to her pulse.

"Should we get another ambulance?" the police officer questioned.

"It would take at least five or ten minutes to get here; by that time we could be almost at the hospital. I say we take her in."

The man hesitated a moment, then nodded, assured by my confidence. Jim had brought in the stretcher, and he and I quickly lifted her into it.

"Emmett, will you drive Mickie to the hospital?"

"Sure thing, bro."

I winced; technically he was supposed to be my adopted uncle by marriage this time around. Fortunately, the humans were all too preoccupied to notice his slip.

I lightly squeezed Mickie's hand as I passed. "I'll take care of her, Mickie, I promise."

She nodded woodenly. She had stopped fighting Emmett and now leaned against him for support.

"Watch out for her, Em."

You got it.

Jim hesitated a second as he was about to get into the driver's seat. "Sure you can handle it alone back there, Eddy?"

I winced slightly; I didn't so much mind Jim calling me Eddy, with the almost fatherly concern in his thoughts, but if Emmett started in with it he was asking for trouble.

"Yes, I'm fine," I assured him. "You just worry about getting us there."

"Whatever you say, kid," Jim agreed, turning on the siren and pulling out as I shut the loading doors.

I was glad to be alone; to be able to move at my true speed; not to have anyone question my level of treatment.

I had Kendra moderately stable by the time Jim pulled into one of the ambulance bays at the hospital. To my relief, it was Carlisle's thoughts I heard waiting for us. As Jim and I wheeled Kendra in, I explained vampire-soft and -fast why I was treating this patient on my own.

In a normal tone, I gave him Kendra's vitals and treatment so far. "Masen factor two point five zero one," I added, dropping my voice once more below human hearing.

When I started work as an EMT, Carlisle had begun asking me about the level of patents' thoughts when we brought them in. We had quickly found it clumsy for me to always describe the cognitive level by comparing it to "a sleeping human" or some such, and not entirely accurate, either. So we had developed the Masen factor, a scale by which I could give Carlisle all the information he needed on a patient's mental state with a set of numbers. The point represented a division between two sets of data rather than a decimal; our system had gradually grown more complex as I gained practice evaluating patients.

What is it normally? Carlisle questioned, knowing Kendra was mentally challenged.

"Variable; say seven point two five as an average." Which was higher than everyone except Mickie assumed it to be; Kendra hated how even her doctor spoke as if she couldn't understand.

Carlisle nodded tersely and turned to follow as an orderly wheeled Kendra into one of the exam rooms.

I turned as Emmett led Mickie into the waiting room, an arm around her shoulders. "Where's my baby?"

I stepped forward, putting a hand on her arm. "Dr Cullen's treating her now. You need to wait out here, Mickie."

She dropped into one of the chairs, burying her face in her hands.

The kid gonna be all right, Edward?

I nodded briefly. Yes, she would be…but only because I had been the one to treat her. If Jim had realized the call was for Mickie's daughter, he would have asked them to send a different ambulance. The extra time alone might have cost Kendra her life, but I could also say without arrogance that another EMS team might not have been able to save her. I had gone beyond my own EMT licensing, beyond even a paramedic's training, drawing on my two medical degrees and a century of listening to Carlisle's thoughts, and I had done it at vampire speed.

The necessity of my being there made me wonder…was there a reason I hadn't recognized the address in Jim's thoughts? I had bought the house for Mickie myself, and I had a vampire's perfect recall.

Carlisle believed in a God who directed things for good; the chances of my forgetting were so small that I had to believe it was more than mere chance.

Next story coming next week!

I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!

Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie