Chapter Three

Purgatory. Hell. Bottomless Pit. Endless Pain. Whatever you want to call it, that's where I am. Just past the realization of what happened. I'm not sure how long it's really been. I just know that I've been aware for a few hours now, or so it seems like it's been. I've yet to open my eyes, afraid of the questions that I know Charlie will ask. So instead, I lay here, lost in my thoughts. Not a smart idea either. I can feel my wounded chest burn at the edges, raw and sore. I was aware enough to know what was going on. Like, where I was at. Unfortunately, where I was at, was a hospital. The smell alone, gave away that fact. That and the uncomfortable thing that they try to pass off as bed. I could also tell, mostly from the pounding headache that was streaking through-out my head, that I had hit my head. I remember falling, or well slipping, I suppose is the correct term. That, however, was the last thing I remember.

"Come on Bells. Wake up for me."

That's the fifth time in, what I seem to want to think, is an hour's time that he's asked me that. I'm starting to get annoyed. I still, however, am not really to answer the millions of questions I know he's going to ask. Hell, I'm not even sure if I can answer them. Sighing, I give up and open my eyes.

"Oh thank god. Bella, the doctor said that you have a serious head concussion. What happened?" he asked, I knew that would be the first question. Even I don't really know what happened.

"I fell?" My tone was a little too sarcastic for him, as his 'happy-I'm-awake-smile,' quickly vanished and was replaced with the 'why-do-you-have-to-act-like-that-frown.'

"I know that Bella, but why were you out of bed?" he asked, as I tried to forgot the dream that woke me from my less than peaceful sleep.

"Nightmare. School." I said pointedly.

"You do understand, that it was a Sunday Bella," he said quickly, and I could see the assumptions on his face, as I knew that mine held a look of shock.

"No! It was Monday. I had school." my voice was much louder than it needed to be, as I tried to make him realize something that I suddenly realized wasn't' true.

"Bella, I think---you should go to Jacksonville. You should go live with your mom," he said quickly.

I shook my head furiously back and forth. My heart started to race, and one of the many machines I was hooked to, started to beep loudly along with my heart.

"Okay—calm down, Bella, calm down," his voice raising, as I realized that I couldn't breathe properly anymore.

"Excuse me, Chief Swan, but we need to sedate her. Her heart rate is far too high," a young looking nurse, said as she walked into my room, and knelt over me. I watched, my eyes wide as she pulled out a large syringe, and poked the long needle into my I.V. I felt my eyelids drooping almost immediately. "She needs her rest. The doctor will come check on her in a few hours, she should be awake by then," was the last thing I heard.

The Next Morning

I woke up, feeling as if I had slept for days. Quite frankly, as far as I knew, that could very well be the truth. I looked around my surroundings and realized I was no longer in the hospital. I was no longer hooked up to a bunch of different machines. I was in the comfortable confides of my house, my room. Sighing, I realized that I wasn't alone in my room. Almost hoping that it was the one person, the only person, that I wanted to see. I realized quickly that it wasn't.

"Hey Bells, how you feeling?" Jacob asked, as he came to set on the edge of my bed.

"Like I fell and busted my head," my voice was slightly sarcastic, the light shining through my window was causing the pain in my head to grow steadily worse.

"Can I get you something?" he asked me, and I sighed. I wasn't angry with Jacob. I wasn't even angry with Charlie. No, there was only one person I was angry with, but he wasn't here for me to yell at.

"Some aspirin would be fantastic," I sighed, as I turned on my side, facing away from the light shining through my open window.

"Okay, I'll run downstairs and grab some, just let me," his voice trailed off, as he rushed over to the window, closing the blinds that I hadn't had a need to use since I had arrived in Forks. With that he disappeared out of my room.

Alone, finally. That, however, was apparently a recipe for disaster, as the tears started to fall almost automatically. I shook violently as the tears slid down my cheeks, leaving a hot wet path in their wake. I felt like my life was falling apart all over again. Life couldn't really be this hard could it? It couldn't be that hard to get over another person could it? I could get past this, I had my dad, and I had Jacob, I'd be fine.

"Hey," his almost cheery voice called from the hallway. "Wait, why are you crying?" his voice taking on a worried tone.

"Life-----sucks," I mumbled in between sobs.

"Look, you fell and hit your head. It's not the most fun in the world, but it's that bad," he said, and I knew he was trying to cheer me up. That however, was the opposite of what he was doing.

"You know why I'm a miserable mess. You know what's wrong with me. Why I am so beyond broken that I'm lucky if the pieces can be glued back together. It's all his fault," my voice held such an acidic tone to it, that Jacob actually flinched at my words. "But then again, here I am, blubbering over him. I know that if he ever comes back, I'd take him back, just like that. How horrible is that? How pathetic does that make me Jake?"

He didn't do anything but stare at me for the longest time. Suddenly, he sat two advils on my nightstand, before jumping to his feet.

"I've gotta go," was all he said, as he all but ran to my bedroom door.

"Where are you going!? Jake!" I yelled after him, but he was already gone.

I flung my head back against the pillow, grimacing slightly, and cursing under my breath. I reached blindly toward my nightstand. Finally finding the only thing that stood between me and ending my head pain. I tighten my fist around the two small pills, sat up only slightly and slipped the two pills into my mouth, before grabbing the small glass of water. Pushing it to my chapped and dry lips, and felt as the liquid and pills burn my dry, sore throat all the way down.

"Damn life!" I yelled, as I laid my head back down, turning on my side, and tried to shut my eyes, willing the nightmares to stay at bay, just one more night.

Special Shout-out Thanks to:

Relees

Amanda

For the kind reviews.