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A little EPOV for the readers...

Chapter 3

"Man..." I groaned as I slowly peeled my eyelids apart.

The pounding in my head had made it difficult for me to do much of anything at the time. I wasn't sure, but I was pretty sure that I could hear a high-pitched beeping sound with each thud in my skull. The feeling only made me want to go back under, and sleep, but I knew that I was too far awake to do anything but. Opening my eyes didn't last anyway, as the florescent lighting triggered them to snap back shut.

I let out a sigh, and heard a gasp from somewhere in the room. I listened closely as I heard footsteps pad across the room, and then back. When I attempted to open my eyes again, I was relieved to see that the person in the room had shut the lights off for me. I wanted to thank them, but I was too busy trying to figure if I knew them or not.

Now sitting in the plastic chair beside me was a man with blond hair. He looked old enough to be my father, and yet not old. His face was eerily familiar as it speculated my own. I sucked in another testy breath, finding that my lungs were in tact as I did so. I let out a gush of air at the realization, and the man chuckled slightly. I raised my eyebrows, and mentally dared the man to talk first. To tell me who he was. He was wearing scrubs – if he was my doctor, then he should have been telling me what was wrong with me.

"Okay, I can see I'll be talking first." He murmured and sat up a little straighter. "I'm Doctor Carlisle Cullen, but you can call me Carlisle."

Cullen.

The name seemed to have rang a bell in my head. I suddenly understood why his eyes were so familiar to me.

I jumped in front of Bella the moment that I recognized Mike as the shooter. Bella peeked out enough to see him. I knew that he'd already spotted her, and by the look on his face, that he wanted her as a target. I had the urge to run over there and rip the gun from his hands myself at the thought of that. But I knew it was wrong, it was unsafe, and would be completely irrational if I did something like that.

So, I kept my place and stood in front of Bella.

"Mike, please..." She pleaded, her voice desperate.

I was a little (and surprisingly) pleasantly surprised when Mike started in on this spiel about how I always got the girls, and how that included Bella Swan. I'd known the girl for ten minutes, but that was long enough to be able to see the difference. She wasn't like other girls – it was clear to me that Mike had somehow found this solace in her too. The difference was, Mike was a sociopath and he'd been pushed too far.

I wasn't happy that he was taking this out on Bella.

But the boy just kept going on and on about how Bella was head-over-heels for me, but completely ignored him. She repeatedly reminded him that we'd only known of each others' existence for mere minutes, and that she was only doing as Mrs. Goff had asked. I couldn't help but feel slightly offended at those words, but I didn't argue. If there was anything that I knew, it was that you couldn't fight the facts. Especially when it was life-or-death.

I was flabbergasted when Bella moved out from behind me with her camera. Mike laughed sadistically, and made a comment about how she couldn't stay hidden behind her camera forever. I growled at him, and asked what she was doing. She didn't answer as her finger slowly slid down to the button on her camera.

Bella was about to take a picture of what could have been her own murder.

"Bella!" I screamed as she pressed her thin index finger down on the button, and Mike pulled his own trigger.

The gunshot rang louder than the one earlier, as it was closer, and I screamed horrifically. I didn't care that I sounded like a girl as I charged towards Mike. Mike just kept laughing as he pulled the trigger again. He hit me directly in the left leg. I dropped to the hard, tile floor with a strangled yell and he pulled the trigger again. Once. Twice.

The second time I felt warmth seep through my other pant-leg. The pain was almost unnoticeable compared to the pain in my other leg. It was becoming complicated for me to make the difference between left and right at all as I felt my clothing get soaked in my own blood. I groaned, rolled over, and attempted to drag myself closer to Bella. As I did this, another shot sounded, but this time it hit neither of us.

I ignored the dull thud across the area as I examined the girl. I tried not to think about her long, dark hair as I pressed my hand over the bloody hole in her head. By the sight of it, I knew that she probably wouldn't have been making it out alive that night. I felt tears prick in my eyes as I jerked my other hand up, and pressed it firmly over her hip. It looked like she'd been shot there the second time. I knew that I should have been applying pressure to my own wounds, but I couldn't leave her. Not when she had a smaller chance than I did.

It just didn't seem fair.

So, I put my all into holding my hands onto her skin. I looked away, not wanting to watch the dark red seep over her pale skin. A few minutes ago I was marveling at how clear her skin was. It was pristine, and pale – it looked like one of those dolls that old women collect. I'd never seen a teenager, who wasn't on the cover of Seventeen, with skin like that. It struck me as very odd, and intrigued the heck out of me. I hated watching it go.

I didn't remember much after I went into such deep thoughts about her skin. It was all a daze – the part where a doctor showed up, and then the paramedics. I remembered them putting me to sleep for surgery, and then waking up now. The in-between may as well had not happened. I didn't focus on that thought though.

I wasted no time and frantically looked the doctor in the eyes. I wanted to make sure he wasn't lying when I asked him, "Bella didn't make it...did she?"

"Bella...," he sighed, his eyes closing. He had to of been related to Bella. His eyes...his obvious love...the fact that they shared a last name. I waited silently, growing impatient as I prayed for her life. His eyes opened again, and I watched them longer. This time, I was thinking about how much they looked like Bella's did. "She's alive. I can tell you that much."

"But?" I asked him, and he continued with a sigh.

"She's unwell. She took a shot to the head, and her left hip." He told me and I nodded. I didn't want the reminder.

"You're a doctor...do you think she can do it? I don't know her well...but she came off as the type to try." I shrugged half-heartedly and he grinned slightly.

"You seemed very intent on keeping my daughter alive," he nodded once and I just smiled sheepishly. I think my cheeks grew warm too. I couldn't help but wonder what the blush was about.

"Yeah, I guess." I spoke as if it were obvious and he sighed.

"Is there a reason why you were so...I don't know, generous?" He asked me again, and I suddenly felt like I was under pressure. Like, he was judging me for her. I didn't even know her. I just didn't want her to die.

"It seemed like my only option. I couldn't watch her die when I had two working hands..." I breathed heavily, knowing that I needed to calm down. The more I thought about it, the more labored my breathing grew, and the more incessant the beeping became.

That's when a woman came running over from the other side of the room. I couldn't see who was in the bed past Carlisle, but I could see the woman that got up from where she'd been napping next to them. She had dark hair, like Bella's, but it only fell to just past her shoulders. Her eyes were a soft blue, and made me feel comfortable. She ran straight to Carlisle, and took his hand.

"Is he okay?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

"Yeah, he just needs to calm down." Carlisle's brows furrowed as he realized that I was having trouble getting my breathing under control. I tried to focus on other things, like them, but it wasn't working.

"Here," the woman stood and ran around, and to my side. Her touch was gentle as she began running her fingers through my hair, and then smoothly rubbing my lower arm. I looked up at her, and didn't talk as she whispered simple things to me. She reminded me to breathe, and told me that things were okay. I felt selfish, making her help me while her daughter was touch-and-go, but I couldn't ask her to stop. She grinned as the beeping slowed, and my breathing grew a little bit more healthy. "See, you're okay. It's all okay."

"But...Bella..."

"I didn't mean to freak you out, son," Carlisle told me and I shook my head.

"I just...this entire situation..." I took in another deep breath.

"I know it's hard," the woman murmured. "You're liable to suffer from some post-traumatic stress disorder because of this. Just keep reminding yourself that things are okay. Both of you kids are breathing. That's all we could ask."

"I shouldn't keep you from her...where are my parents?" I asked, looking between the couple. Carlisle sighed, this time his face wasn't so positive.

"They both said that you could wait until they got off of work..." He spoke as if he were disgusted with them. I looked down, and at my hands, not saying anything. I wasn't surprised, and I was slightly embarrassed. I was keeping them from their daughter, and they probably stayed because they pitied me. They pitied me because my parents didn't want me.

"But I'm sure they're just as worried," the woman whispered reassuringly.

"It's okay." I nodded, trying to keep up a stoic face. "You should go back to your daughter. Both of you."

"Actually, Edward, she's right over there..." Carlisle chuckled, pointing to the bed behind me. Carlisle scooted his chair a little bit to the left, and I could now see Bella. She had a bandage wrapped around her head, and her hair had been cut to where it just touched her shoulders. Her eyes were shut peacefully, and she had many tubes and IV's coming in and out of her. I cringed, feeling bad for her. I knew that she must have been uncomfortable.

"Gosh..." I breathed.

"It looks worse than it is, really," the woman, who I was getting tired of calling 'the woman', spoke optimistically. I would too if my kid was messed up like that. It was a scary situation.

"What's your name?" I asked her out of pure curiosity.

"I'm Esme Cullen, Bella's mom." She smiled at me and I nodded.

"It's nice to meet both of you. I can't thank you enough for having been here when I woke up...I know I would have panicked if I woke up alone in this place." I told them the truth, and knew that they deserved every bit of it. They seemed like good people.

That's when the door swung open, and in ran someone who I wanted to see least just then. Her strawberry-blonde curls bounced as she ran recklessly towards my bed. Tanya squealed my name, and I cringed, remembering my constant headache then. Of course Tanya would be the one to bring it back to me. I closed my eyes, and groaned. I didn't miss the part where Esme and Carlisle gave the girl dirty looks.

"Eddie, honey, are you okay?" She giggled as she sat down right in front of Esme.

"Tanya, really, pet-names aren't right. We aren't together." I mumbled, feeling embarrassed. I didn't sued to be embarrassed by Tanya. She always bothered me, but never to this extent. I wasn't sure why I felt so...needful of impressing Carlisle and Esme. I didn't want them to judge me negatively – especially off of Tanya Denali's actions.

"But you're injured! Look at you, all wrapped up. His is so cliché! I love it!" She laughed loudly, and Esme grimaced openly.

"I'm fine, Tanya. Really, you don't need to be here." I tried to tell her to leave without being rude, but it wasn't working.

"Tawny, is it?" Esme asked and Tanya's eyes shot to Esme with a sudden iciness in them.

"Tanya. T-A-N-Y-A. Get it right next time," Tanya spat and Esme chuckled.

"You don't seem to see the fact that Edward was shot to it's full extent. He was shot twice, with a real gun. He needs proper time, and care to heal. Quite frankly, I don't think he's ready for visitors yet. I'm just waiting with my husband for Edward's parents to arrive." Esme spoke, her face stony.

"Edward's mom and dad love me. They wouldn't make me leave." Tanya kept her nose in the air as she spoke and I rolled my eyes slightly.

"Well, this is doctor's orders. Leave the premises, or I will not refrain calling security," Carlisle spoke seriously and Tanya instantly paled. Well, paled as well as she could with her spray-tan.

I watched smugly as Tanya left without a goodbye. She high-tailed it out of there faster than I'd ever seen her move. Other than when she was on the hunt for a new boy-toy. The thought of that only made me chuckle again. Esme smiled sheepishly at me, her cheeks turning a familiar pink as she moved to sit in the chair that Tanya had just been in. I laughed again, only this time I was even more honest about it.

"Sorry if you wanted her around...she seemed a bit catty." Esme remarked and I shook my head.

"She's a suck-up to my mom and dad. So, they always have her around. Apparently, I'm probably going to fall in love with her, and then marry her one of these days. I don't really think I will, but I can't make her leave. I know that she doesn't really understand, and I also know that she's never been told no. She'd break down like Mike did." I grimaced at the thought of another possible shooting at my school.

No way.

"I understand. My parents were very..." Esme looked up for a minute, as if she were thinking of a word. I knew that feeling, not having a real word to describe your mom and dad. You didn't want to disrespect them, and yet you didn't want to make them sound like saints either. "Restrictive as well."

"Yeah, don't worry. I know." I shook my head.

"Now that I have you awake, and I'm sure you're up to it, we need to fill out some forms." Carlisle sighed, standing and grabbing a clipboard from the end of my bed.

I answered his questions as he went through them. They were all fairly simple. My parents always drilled this stuff into me – they feared being forced to visit me in the hospital. Things would be easier for them as long as I knew if they had a history of cancer in their family. The thought of that made me roll my eyes.

That's when the door opened, and in ran my mom and dad. They were both dressed up, and in their work clothing. My mother was a doctor in a hospital out of town, and my father worked as an attorney. I cringed when I realized that they both had frustrated looks on their faces. They weren't really worried that I'd gotten killed today or not – no, that's willy-nilly.

"Edward Masen! You should have been more careful!" My mother scolded, her blueish eyes sharp as she neared me. Her hair, which was the same color as mine, and fell down her back in ringlets, was pulled up and into a very professional bun at the nape of her neck. She was still in her dress clothes, and her lab-coat. I cringed, glancing shyly in my father's direction.

"I can't believe you were so careless as to get shot! And my goodness, the doctor said that they found you trying to save another child? If she was stupid enough to get shot by somebody, then she obviously was not worth keeping around!" My father ranted, and Carlisle stood up with a jolt.

"Excuse me, but what your son did today was extremely heroic! He was in a much more stable condition when he helped my daughter survive. It was neither of their fault that the boy came to school with a gun. So calm yourself down!" Carlisle argued with him. Only the difference was that Carlisle kept a professional tone. Nothing about him made you think that he was scolding my father's ideas just then.

"Heroic? Don't play that card with me, Doctor Cullen!" My mother hissed.

"Doctor Masen, I think you and I both know full-well that these kids did all they could today." Carlisle spoke seriously, not answering her attitude.

"Yes Carlisle, once the hero, always the hero." My father rolled his green eyes, which were very similar to mine. That's when I realized that they all knew each others' names. This implied that they had all known each other before this incident.

"Edward, Elizabeth, please," Esme cut in, cutting off all of their bickering. "How about we try to be the adults here?"

"Edward is very much an adult Esme." Elizabeth cut in. "Which reminds me, you had no right to kick Tanya out of here earlier! Miss Denali came to pay her respects to Edward, and you shoved her out. Edward is an adult, he can make his own decisions. Not that he'd want to be rude to someone like Tanya anyway. Isn't that right Edward?" My mother's head snapped in my direction and I nodded once, my eyes growing wide.

"Yes, they're eighteen, but that doesn't mean they're grown-up, Elizabeth." Esme huffed, her face clearly annoyed with my parents. "Things happen, and when it's not their fault, we need to support them. It could have easily been anybody in that hallway today."

"The police said that the shooter had a grudge against your girl. Not Edward." My father crossed his arms, his lawyer strategy kicking in. I was surprised that it hadn't earlier.

"Dad, Mike was just mentally unstable. He'd had a crush on Bella, and she didn't know any better. He'd already had the gun at school, and shot it, when he saw us doing a favor for Mrs. Goff. He assumed the worst and took it out on Bella. When I tried to help her, he shot me too. End of story." I told them and my mother rolled her eyes.

"You should know better!" She scolded me and I sighed.

"I wasn't going to leave Bella to die. That's stupid, mother."

"What's stupid is your decision making!" She literally snapped at me.

"You guys just aren't getting it!" I crossed my arms sternly.

"I think we need to let him rest, Edward...Elizabeth." Carlisle spoke, his voice sounding very much like one of those doctors on a Soap Opera.

"I think you need to let us make our own decisions," my mother all but barked at Carlisle, her face completely angered. "I'm a doctor too, I know what's best for my own son."

"Why are you two still hanging around anyway?" My father's eyes narrowed at the couple, and the Cullens' smirked at them.

"That's the best part. The hospital was completely full, and so they're going to be sharing a room while they're in." Carlisle explained and I sighed with relief.

I liked the idea of sharing the room with Bella. I really wanted to get to know her better than I had. I knew that after this my parents wouldn't be around much, and that I could probably talk to her all I wanted to. She really did seem cool when we first talked, and I was disappointed that she probably wouldn't be able to talk for a while. There was a big tube going down her throat – life support. The thought of it made me grimace.

My parents glowered at Carlisle, and then Esme. And then, as if it were the simplest thing in the world, they all began yelling. I tried to sink back into my bed as much as I could. I was embarrassed that my parents were causing such a ruckus when Carlisle and Esme had been so nice to me. I tried to ignore all of them as I turned my head to look at Bella.

I blinked, and thought that I'd imagined things when Bella flinched in her spot. I looked away, and then back at her. She was making a strange, strangled noise. I knew that the adults in the room couldn't hear her at all, because they were all shouting. I cleared my throat, and then again, trying to get them to shut up and check on her. Bella went into full panic mode, her eyes opening and darting around the dim room.

"Everyone! Just shut up!" I yelled and the room became silent.

Well, aside from Bella's gurgling and coughing.

"Crap!" Carlisle all but knocked a chair over as he ran over and took her hand.

Her brown eyes were soft, but flighty as they looked up at him. He began telling her to calm down, and that she needed to hold back the coughing. Apparently, she had to keep the breathing tube in for a while. The bullet that hit her side, had hit her lowest rib, which had somehow managed to scrape her lung. He said that breathing would be hard for her for a while, and that they had to make sure that she was capable of it first.

She nodded her head slowly and he sighed with relief. Esme sobbed as she sat down on Bella's other side and took Bella's hand. Bella's eyes grew more relieved as she looked at her mom. She looked a lot better, now that she understood and knew that her parents were there. I could tell that she really trusted them with herself. I almost envied her for that much.

I watched her in silence as her eyes glazed over. She looked panicked again, like when she woke up, and I wondered what was wrong with her. That's when the heart-monitor went wild and she began wailing again. Carlisle stood up, and for once, looked at a loss as to what was wrong with her.

A/N: REVIEW if you would like me to continue this story!