A/N: Don't forget there is picture's if you like.
This story is M rating for a reason: drug use, violence, bad language and most certainly lemons and all that good stuff. For mature audiences only so if you ain't old enough, don't read please.
Disclaimer: I'm covering my ass here… I don't own Twilight or any of the characters. They belong to the lovely and talented Stephanie Meyer. And just in case I don't own any of the music that will be talked about, they belong to my favorite and oh so talented musical artists.
Chapter Three:
"Man this place is huge. I can't wait to see the rest of it. You think she has satellite dish?" Emmett mused as he looked around the spacious living room.
The ceilings were high with big windows along one wall that gave a breath taking a view of the woods and deck outside. There were two couches both tan and two dark leather plush seats in the room. A huge plasma T.V. sat along one wall that had huge fireplace made of brick that went all the way up to the ceiling. The kitchen was off to the side in an open floor plan. A large staircase was in the corner in the living room along the wall.
"Right now all I want is a hot shower. I'll worry about the necessities later. My balls are so tiny right now I'm 99.9% sure they shrunk up into my body," Mike replied as he stepped closer to the fireplace.
Edward couldn't help but let out a laugh as he sat on the bar stool in the kitchen. Rose and Bree were currently sitting by the fire wrapped in a large quilt they found on the back of one of the couches.
"God it's cold how long before this place warms up?" Rose said as she fought chattering her teeth.
"Fuck my life," Edward mumbled as he found that his cigarettes were were all smashed to bits.
"You can have some of mine," Bree piped in.
"Uh…." Edward replied unsure what to say. Bree liked smoking those Misty Slim Ultra Lights and they were a little to girly for his taste. Perhaps if he got real desperate he'd ask for one.
At that moment Bella rounding the corner in a pair of surgical latex gloves and her medical bag slung over her shoulder. She noticed Edward's predicament and made her way over to the drawer were she kept a stash of Marlboro Menthol 100's cigarettes and an ashtray.
"Uh, while I clean up your friend here, please feel free to get comfortable. So please if you're hungry or thirsty, don't ask just help yourself," Bella said as she dropped the box of cigarettes, a lighter and an ashtray next to him. She was a godsend; he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She then knelt down in order to look at Edwards leg wound.
"Menthols?" he said as he tore into the box.
"Sometimes... I have some regular ones but they're in my office. Also I usually only smoke in the game room or the patio but I'll make an exception for you… you know on account that today was well it probably didn't make the top ten fav's list," she said with a small smile. In no time at all Edward was inhaling deeply.
"Are you a doctor?" Rose asked curiously as she made her way to the cigarettes, she'd quit a year ago but there was no way in hell she was denying herself today of her favorite cigarettes.
Bella stopped what she was doing and contemplated Rose's question for a minute.
"Yes."
She said without looking at anyone and then went back to removing the towel from Edward's leg. Everyone in the room was now staring at her.
"Game room?" Emmett mumbled to himself, hopeful.
"So what are the odds of that? I mean you seriously saved our asses today and now… now you're a doctor too? I mean that's, that's just-" Mike replied as he scratched his head.
"Lucky… That's all," Bella replied as she stood up.
"I admire a girl who can handle herself. For what it's worth thank you, thank you for everything," Rose said with sincerity. Everyone else also chimed in with their gratitude.
"It's no problem, just doing what anyone else would-"
"No… not just anyone would do that," Edward replied with sincerity as Bella's eyes snapped over to his. And just like that time stood still as they eyed each other. For some strange reason they couldn't look anywhere else.
A throat cleared filling the awkward silence and breaking their eye contact. Bree was staring at the pair with narrowed eyes.
Eventually Bella got her bearings and quickly pulled her bag onto the counter and cleared her throat. She could still feel Edward's eyes on her.
"Will he be okay?" Mike asked as he watched the pair curiously.
"So far… from what I see he has multiple superficial wounds. I can't know for sure whether or not you have a skull fracture or a concussion but we'll treat you as you do. You should be fine," Bella said as she began pulling supplies out and laying them out.
"What kind of doctor are you?" asked Bree not at all interested, but yet the jealous nature within her couldn't help but ask.
"I was a general surgeon-"
"Was? As in your not anymore-" Bree quickly cut in with a quirked eyebrow.
"Bree…" Edward warned as he could see Bella's discomfort.
"What? I think it's important information to know I mean for all we know she could have been fired for malpractice or-"
"Bree that is none of your damn-"
"It's okay Edward, she's right," Bella said as Bree gasped loudly.
"Not about being fired though. I quit a few years back," Bella replied with tone of finality.
"How would we know that-" Bree cut in again grasping at straws but Bella shut her down quickly.
"If you'd like you all can go and do some exploring since this will be your home for however long it takes. The bedrooms are upstairs to the right. Mine is all the way down the hall. Everything else is open to you."
"Wait how long will we be here?" Bree asked as she made her way over to Edward and Bella. Edward's headache was growing along with his annoyance.
"Not sure. Temperature dropped so fast during the night we will most definitely have a whiteout. Which means the snow storm coming will be so bad that if you went out there you wouldn't be able to see the person next to you. Roads will be covered in snow and ice, electricity will go down, and towns will close down until the storms gone and they get everything cleared up."
"But we have plans to be somewhere and-"
"Bree… there is nothing anyone can do so for now let's just be thankful we're safe and not back at the car," Edward said to Bree with a tone of annoyance as he ground out his cigarette. Right now he was far from being concerned about their little road trip.
"Thank you again for everything. Guys why don't we get our things settled. I'd like to take a hot shower and then something to eat," Rose replied as she gave Edward the rest of her lit cigarette to which he was thankful for. His friends all began to shuffle out with their luggage in search for their bedrooms.
Bree ran her hand down Edward's arm and then leaned forward to kiss him on the lips. Edward turned his head away from her causing her to kiss his cheek instead. Edward's eye's snapped up toward Bella as Debussy's 'Clair de Lune' started playing.
"Uh… I'll see you soon," Bree huffed as she fought to keep her jealousy at bay and soon walked off without any confirmation. Bree's actions were beginning to feel more like that of a girlfriends, he needed to have a talk with her later.
"You like classical music?" Bella asked as she turned away from her Ipod speaker dock.
"Yes. I have a very eclectic taste in music. Debussy is a favorite," he replied back.
"Perfect… I do too on both accounts. The music will help us both relax while I work," she said as she handed him bottled water.
"Hey uh, I'm sorry about Bree…she can be a bit-"
"Don't worry about it… she's just looking out for you," Bella replied only believing that was half true.
Right.
Edward thought to himself sarcastically.
"Right now I need to ask you some questions, so please humor me. Let's start with your full name," she said as she grabbed a small flashlight.
"Edward Cullen and yours?" he said.
Bella smirked as she stood in front of him. He could suddenly smell the sweetest aroma of jasmine mixed with leather and a little bit of gun powder. He sniffed the air between them discreetly again.
"Isabella Marie Swan. Please follow the light. Your uh… Bree, back in the garage called you Anthony," she probed as she checked for dilation of the pupils.
Shit.
Edward thought to himself, he didn't realize Bree had slipped up again. He also didn't want Bella assuming that he was with Bree but then again how would he go about explaining what they were or for that matter why he even had to explain the situation to her to begin with.
"Ah, ya it's a nickname? But please call me Edward," he recovered after sounding unsure.
Idiot! And you call yourself and actor.
Edward rolled his eyes at his inward monologue.
"Birthday?" She asked as she then grabbed a huge syringe and filled it with clear liquid. He couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Uh…"
"It's just saline to flush out the wounds, see there is no needle on the end. Birth date?" she asked again. Edward breathed a sigh of relief.
"June 20, 1981 and yours?" Edward figured if she was going to ask him questions then he was too. He'd done it in the past with nosy reporters. He knew asking a woman her birth date was always a no no but he was curious. She looked like she could be early to mid 20's and right now she was smirking at him.
"Ballsy. Hold this against your head, right here so the solution doesn't end up all over the place," she said as she placed a bowl like item that fit perfectly with the contour of his head.
He held it in place as she wrapped a fresh towel over his shoulders. She then began flushing the blood and glass off him. He let out a small hiss.
"Sorry, I won't be able to numb it until it's thoroughly cleaned out. And I'm two years older than you," she said as she continued to flush the area clean. He raised an eyebrow at her clever way of not disclosing the actual date but yet surprised she didn't tell him to go fuck himself.
"Can you tell me your parents' names? Siblings?" she asked as Edward tried to focus on the beautiful doe eyed angel in front of him instead of the pain in his head.
"Uh…" Edward was a little uneasy talking about his family he always did pride himself on keeping his personal life personal.
"Look, I … you might have a mild concussion so I need to know if you're suffering any memory loss, if it makes you uncomfortable you can tell me your friends' names?" she replied sincerely.
"Sorry. I … it's just," Edward took a breath.
Fuck it!
"Esme…. And Carlisle, are my parents and they've been married for 35 years. I have three sisters their names are Tanya she's the oldest, then Charlotte, and then Angela, and well me, I'm the baby," he replied as he smiled a genuine smile at recalling his family and the hell those women put him through growing up. This of course made Bella smile at the sight.
Boy how his eyes sparkle.
"You?" Edward asked as Bella refilled the syringe with saline again.
"My mom's name is Ranee and my dad's name is Charlie, surprisingly they've been married the same amount of years. My brother Peter is the oldest. I'm the second oldest, well by 7 minutes. I have a twin brother named Jasper, and then there's Alice the baby. She was actually adopted when she was 15, now she's 25 and honestly the best sister I could ask for. Close your right eye, I'm going to clean the area around it now," she began washing off the rest of the blood and glass. She couldn't understand why she was telling a complete stranger about her personal life, it just came out.
"Now be honest, is your vision still blurry?" She asked as she gently patted the area dry with another fresh towel once she was done.
"A little, it's better since the accident," he said as he looked into her eyes again. She looked at him and smiled.
"Good, now can you give me an account of what happened? What you remember?" she asked as she emptied the bowl into the sink.
"The tires locked up, we fishtailed, the car slammed into a tree on my side and well, then I was out. When I came to, I… we were attacked," he replied with a monotone voice. He was still having a tough time dealing with what happened. But the worst part was those dark evil eyes.
"Edward….Edward can you hear me? Look me in the eye," Edward from a distance could hear a voice calling him and when he realized it was Bella his eyes focused on her worried eyes.
"Bella?"
"There you are, you worried me for a second. Where did you-"
"What was that thing back at the car?" He asked her just now realizing that at no point in time was she freaking out. He figured she would have had a better vantage point than any of them.
His conclusion was proven correct when her face grew serious and quickly looked away. She resumed her work of filling up two smaller syringes and this time with needles on the end.
"Are you allergic to any medications? Also I need to know what you're currently taking?" She ignored his question.
"I want to know what that thing was?" Edward asked once more his voice raised an octave.
"What do you want me to tell you, it was a wild animal. The snow was coming down really good, plus you were just in an accident, and in shock," Bella shot back.
"Don't give me that. The truth. I want the truth," Edward rushed out.
"The truth was there were too many things going on for you to know what the hell you saw. Plus you had a massive adrenaline rush causing the neurons in your brain to fire off-"
"Enough!" Edward shouted angrily. Bella flinched startled by his anger and stopped what she was doing for a minute. Gone was their relaxed banter.
"You're not going to let this go are you?" Bella asked as she saw the look of sheer determination in his eyes.
"Nope," was Edward's stubborn reply.
"Well then I hope you enjoy disappointment then," and with that Bella not so gently pricked Edward in the head with the syringe. He let out a hiss as he looked at Bella's unremorseful eyes.
"Now tell me what you're allergic to and what medication you're on?" she replied curtly. Edward resigned himself for now but knew it was far from over.
"I'm not allergic to anything," He huffed as he looked away from her.
"Medications?" she probed. That was a subject Edward wasn't interested in sharing with her but the not so stubborn part of him knew she needed it.
Bella let out a sigh and stopped what she was doing and looked him seriously in the eye's, of course she had to gently pull his chin toward her so he'd look her in the eyes.
"Look, I won't judge and I won't tell anyone. This is important. If I give you something that will counteract with the drugs you may be taking it could mean nasty side effects or death. So please," she said with sincerity again all traces of anger gone.
Edward was so ashamed of himself in that moment because for the longest time he'd lied to everyone even his three doctors but for some reason, with her he didn't want to lie. Not this time.
"OxyContin, Vicodin, Valium, Xanax, Restoril and Unisom," he replied with a monotone voice. Bella's heart sank at the look of shame in his eyes. He may have tried to seem disconnected but his eyes told all. And in that moment he may not have known but she understood him.
"Thank you. Milligrams?" she asked as she went back to pricking him with the syringe. He mumbled off the dosages.
"Thank you. Sorry about the pain, in order to numb the area around the cuts unfortunately I need to stab you a dozen times," she replied trying to lighten the mood again. The corner of Edward's lips twitched slightly.
"I'm using Lidocaine to numb you and then I'll stitch up the cuts that need it. As for the cuts around your temple and eye, I think the best way to close them up is with super glue. They won't leave scars. As for your leg you have two deep gashes but the bleeding stopped and so it should be no problem stitching them up."
She finished numbing him up and soon began stitching up his wounds. He could feel her hot breath over his skin. It gave him goose bumps.
"Bella…" Edward said hoarsely. He quickly cleared his throat in embarrassment.
"Yes Edward?" she asked him as she tilted his head a little more for a better angle.
"By chance were you at the Lodge last night, uh singing?" he asked as he waited on her response.
"How did…yes," she replied as she looked at him.
"I was there last night, I couldn't make out your face it was so dark but your voice. I recognized it," he said.
"I'm sorry I didn't see you. It was really dark in there but that's how I like it," she replied with a soft smile.
Edward smiled at the sight of her eye's crinkling.
"You were good, really good. I enjoyed it."
"Thank you," she replied shyly, Edward saw her skin slightly flush up which was a first. He found he liked it.
"Edward, when I'm done I will give you ice because of the Hematoma you have on your right temple…"
"A what?"
"Sorry, it means a bruise. Even after all this time the doctor speak still lingers. Anyway, ice it for 20 minutes every 2 to 4 hours for the rest of the day to help the swelling. Also I'd stick to non-solids today just in case you get a bout of dizziness and end up puking. Also I want you to rest but I will have someone wake you ever half hour to an hour for the rest of the day. It sucks I know I just, we're out here alone so at the first sign that something's not right I need to know. Another thing…. I can give you a higher milligram of some pain meds because anything mild probably won't do the job. Now be honest with me, how often do you take these pills and do you take them all at once?" Bella asked quietly as she began stitching up his leg.
"To be honest I've been weaning off of them but I'm having hard time with the Oxy and the Vicodin and one of the sleeping pills. I only drink it if I'm at my wits end with the insomnia."
"Where you on anything last night when you were drinking?"
"No… typically if I want to drink I won't use the pills," Edward replied honestly for some reason. He still couldn't understand it. It was always such a sensitive topic. He was well aware that the dangerous cocktail prescribed to him was in all essence the same cocktail that had been killing off some of the most beloved actors and musicians in Hollywood.
"You seem like a smart guy and I'm sure you've heard it before but just be careful. The pills you're taking are deadly together at the right dosage. The combo of pain meds, sleeping pills, and anti-anxiety pills all have similar side effects and together work to suppress the central nervous system and cause respiratory depression essentially killing you. As your doctor right now I'm obligated to warn you," she said with no judgment in her eye's which was a first for Edward.
"Much appreciated but trust me, I'm well aware."
"Take this for now and please don't take any of your medication tonight, especially sleeping pills. Just let me know if you need another for any reason, I'll give you some more."
And with that the topic was closed as Bella finished stitching Edward up. They stayed silent both going over everything that had happened. The music really was relaxing and helped ease a bit of the tension in the room.
Edward was going to break the silence when he was interrupted.
"Hey, how you feeling?" Edward turned to see Bree coming down the large set of stairs.
"Fine actually better than fine," Edward mumbled as his eyes began to grow heavy. He was just now beginning to feel the effects of the pills.
Man those are strong… need me to get some.
He felt like he was flying. He moaned when he felt fingers run through his hair on the opposite side of his wounds. When he opened his eyes he saw a smiling Bree.
What the? Where did Bella go…
"Okay all done. Don't take a bath until these stitches come out which will be 7 to 14 days just depends. When you shower please try to avoid getting the stitches on your leg from getting wet. The ones in your scalp can't be helped but just don't hold your head under the spray for any long period…. He'll….every….can't remember…" Bella's voice began to drift off as the high was really beginning to set into Edward's system.
Before long Edward could feel movement and when he opened his eye's Emmett was smiling down at him.
"Man he's high as a kite," Emmett mumbled as he helped Edward upstairs and into bed.
"Mmmm…" was Edward's response he felt as though he was in a dream. And then before long a thick blanket was placed over him as he drifted away.
Edward woke with a headache and a funky taste in his mouth. The room was dark except for a glow in the corner. His eyes focused on the weak looking fire. The room was growing chilly. He looked over at the clock on the nightstand. It read 4:11 a.m.
Where the hell am I?
He thought to himself, his mind was a bit foggy. Eventually it hurt more to think about it as he could no longer ignore the pressure in his bladder. He climbed out of bed and groaned as pain shot up his leg.
Everything began to come back in flashes. He realized that his loss of time was from some kind of medically induced high. Flashes of dreams and memories trickled together in a euphoric haze. First he'd be in the snow with the boys drinking beers, next he'd be in a strange bed while Bella or Emmett asked him questions, then he'd be back to seeing dark creatures in the woods, and then back to hearing a hauntingly soulful voice singing. None of it made sense.
As he made his way to the bathroom that was luckily in the bedroom he suddenly heard a snore coming from the bed. When he looked back he saw Bree sleeping with her sleeping mask and some freakishly green stuff on her face. He couldn't help but shiver.
Hmmm, this is going to be a problem.
Edward wasn't one to share a bed with a woman regardless of whether or not he was sleeping with her. It sent the wrong message so he'd always make it clear not only verbally but also physically by not indulging in relationship type situations like falling asleep together after sex. Plus he was a light sleeper.
Once he was done in the bathroom. His stomach released a deep rumble indicating he was starving. He tossed another few logs into the fire so the room would heat up again and then made his way into the dark hallway.
He looked down one way and then down another. He couldn't remember how the hell he even got to the bedroom let alone his way back to the kitchen. Eventually he chose to go right and immediately stubbed his town on small table.
"Fuck," he hissed as he thankfully didn't knock anything down. He could make out a lamp and quickly switched it on illuminating the area in a dim light.
After getting his bearings he proceeded down the hallway until he finally found the stairs. The area actually opened up so as he looked over the rail he saw the huge living room and kitchen down below. He switched on the dimmer on the wall which then gave him some more light along the staircase.
He made his way gently down the stairs to avoid pulling the stitches on his leg. After what felt like ten minutes he was down the stairs and making his way to the kitchen. The fire in the fireplace had gone out leaving the area very cold.
As he open the stainless still refrigerator he saw a Tupperware bowl with his name on it so he grabbed it. Inside was chicken soup and not the kind that came from a can. As he waited for the microwave to heat it up he heard something approaching him. Without thinking he grabbed a big chef knife that sat with five others along the wall. He couldn't see anything but could hear it getting closer.
He slowly walked around the island and almost jumped when he saw it was a dog. He'd never seen him before and then remembered hearing Bella say something about having a few dogs.
The dog was a red lab and as he approached him his tail began to wag. Before Edward knew it the dog was licking his fingers.
"Hey there fella' what's your name?" he said as he bent forward to scratch his head. The dog sat right on his feet and continued to wag his tail. Edward reached for his collar and read the name.
"Otis… Well ain't you just the friendliest dog," he said to the dog who responded to his name. He was pulled back when he heard the microwave ding. And then went to hunt down a spoon.
He couldn't help the moan that passed his lips as he took the first sip. It was so delicious he knew Bella made it because no else knew how to cook except for him and that was only because he was such a mama's boy growing up he never missed the chance to help his mom in the kitchen.
This chicken soup was different from anything he'd ever had. It had chunky pieces of some kind of squash, carrots, zucchini, small little corn on the cob pieces, chicken and hominy. He continued to devour his hot soup.
What is that oregano?
Edward looked down as he felt a nudge on his leg. He saw Otis watching him with his soft wanting eyes and then lick his lips. For some reason he looked around and then looked back down to the dog.
"Okay buddy, I'll give you some. Not too sure if your mom wants me too but who can say no to those eyes," Edward said as he gave the dog a piece of chicken minus the bones. Edward couldn't help reminisce about his old pal Max. He was a boxer and had him for five years until one day he was hit by a car. The neighbors told him Max must have got out of the back yard, either way it broke his heart. A year later and he still couldn't bring himself to get another dog.
After they finished up his soup Otis began to walk off.
"Where you off to buddy?" he asked as he followed the dog down a dark hallway. As he continued to follow the dog he could hear music playing. Eventually he reached a door that was opened just a crack a soft glowing light poured out. He watched as Otis made his way in and so he followed him knowing full well he probably shouldn't.
A library?
Edward took in the spacious room as he saw shelves of books that ran all the way up to the ceiling. As he made his way deeper into the room he eventually saw a huge fireplace and a couple of comfy tan looking couches. On the table sat a glass with only a splash of golden liquid in it, an empty bottle of malt whisky, an ashtray with many cigarette buds, and an Ipod softly playing Leah Siegel's "Human".
As he made his way around the couch he saw Bella curled up in a ball. Her beautiful long locks washed over the pillow as she snuggled deeper into a thick blanket. She looked peaceful despite the evidence that showed she'd been crying. He couldn't help but smile at how beautiful she looked as the orange glow from the fire illuminated her face. Without thinking he reached out his hand but stopped when he heard a deep growl.
His head jerked toward the fireplace where Jake and another dog lay on a huge pillow staring at him. The other dog was completely white and looked like a wolf as well. Jake released another low growl as in warning not to harm his master.
Otis who had somehow climbed up onto the couch with Bella got up and made his way over to Edward. He sat at his feet again and licked his fingers. Eventually causing the other two dogs to go back to sleep.
"Thanks Otis," Edward said as he scratched his ear. He knew he totally just vouched for him.
Edward looked back over at the mysterious brunette who saved his life and who showed no inkling of recognition of who he was. He didn't want to come off as creepy so he decided to just throw in a few logs into the fire for Bella mindful of Jake's complete awareness of him even though his eyes were closed. He then turned off the music and gave a silent goodnight and went off to his own bed.
Music:
Debussy "Clair De Lune"
Chopin "Nocturne No. 20 in C sharp Minor"
Leah Siegel's "Human"