Lillian entered the private room her daughter's friends were currently waiting in. She dried her eyes with the back of her hands as the door closed behind her. Each teenager slowly rose from their seats, as Alice moved towards her best friend's mother, "What's wrong? Is Rose okay?"
"As okay as she can be," Lillian shrugged as Emmett rose to offer her his seat, "Oh, no sweetheart. I won't be in here long, I've just come to say that there's a lot of hospital paperwork that me and Aro have to fill out. James is running to the house to drop off his belongings, and I really don't want her to be alone…at least," she wiped away her falling tears once again, "not right now just in case she wakes up. To get to the point, I just came to let you all know that you can go back there now if you want."
Alice stood, "Of course."
"Thank you Alice, you were always a good friend to her," She gave her daughter's closest friend a hug.
"Don't mention it Lillian. She's the Thelma to my Louise."
Lillian gave the teenager a brief smile, "Aro's waiting for me at the reception desk. She's in room 142."

As Alice stared at the inconsolable mother, her heart started to ache for her. She knew Lillian's emotions and thoughts were probably all over the place. Lillian wanted to be here for her daughter, but at the same time she wanted to be helping the police. She wanted to grieve and cry, but she also needed to be strong for her family. It was a no-win situation, and Alice wanted to do something…anything to help.

Alice studied Lillian's face, and the sad look of the older woman tugged at her core. She exasperatedly grabbed her boyfriend's hand, and pulled him forward, "Tell her what you told us." Lillian pushed strands of hair behind her ear, as Jasper nodded before speaking, "I was the last to see Rose before she was attacked."
This sparked Lillian's curiosity as she pushed him to continue, "So you saw who did this? Why didn't you tell your father? I need to get Aro! We need to call your father so he-"
"I didn't see who attacked her," he interrupted, taking a hold of her upper arms to keep her tranquil, "She wasn't picked up, at least not from in front of your house. Rose decided to walk to the store."
"But…I thought the person who did this picked her up from our house. This…this changes everything."
Alice stepped forward, "How?"
"That could possibly mean that anyone could have done this." Lillian's chin trembled as tears started to stream out of her eyes, "Anyone could have driven pass her. Anyone could have grabbed her and attacked her. If they picked her up from my house that at least means the person knew where she lived…but now it just seems like she was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Edward looked back and forth between Alice and Lillian, "Are you saying what if someone was driving through our town and attacked her?" Mrs. King nodded at his question, before he continued, "She wouldn't have gotten in their car."
"Who says she wasn't forced?" The troubled mother retorted.
"I doubt that," Emmett shook his head, as he interjected himself into the conversation, "Whoever attacked her had something against her."
"Great, now we're right back where we started."

Alice felt horrible. She thought the information Jasper had would give Lillian a little hope. Hope that they were one step closer to finding the culprit, however it didn't work. Lillian didn't want to entertain the subject anymore. She gave the small group a simple wave before heading out.
"I screwed up."
Bella rolled her eyes, "Nice going Alice."
"Let's go," Edward extended his hand towards his girlfriend.
"I don't think I can go in there," Bella shook her head and pushed his hand away from her.
Alice's arms crossed over her chest, "And why not?"
"I can't see her like that!"

Alice looked over her shoulder to see if anyone else wanted to respond. As each person avoided eye contact with her, she chose to continue. "Sometimes you have to make sacrifices Bella!" She leaned forward and grabbed the girl's wrist, "You're coming!" The petite Brandon pulled Bella to her feet.
"Do you think I want to be here?!" Bella screamed, ripping her wrist out of Alice's hold.
Jasper rose, "Do you think any of us want to be here, including Rosalie?"
"That isn't fair! Don't do that?"
"What isn't fair is the fact that you're willing to ditch a friend in her time of need!" Alice hollered from the top of her lungs, "What isn't fair is that this happened to Rose! What isn't fair is the fact that we're having this conversation!" She shoved the tip of Bella's shoulder, "I've always known you were selfish, but if you don't go back there, it just proves it!"
"You have no-"
"QUIET!"

Bella and Alice turned to face the doorway and spotted James fuming under the threshold of the door. He gently closed the door behind him, before turning to face his sister's friends, "Really? Rose falls into a coma, and this is how her friends act. She doesn't need this, so if you can't get your act together, maybe you all don't need to see her."
"James, I'm sorry."
"Alice, don't worry about it," he gave her a modest smile, "but if you all are going back there, go back there. Don't waste time and argue when someone could be sitting at her bedside. Aro and my mom are doing paperwork, and it won't take all night. Once it's over, they'll be back in her room. I suggest you all go and get as much time with her as possible." His sister's closest friend nodded her head and took a hold of her boyfriend's hand, "And if you're all going in there to continue this argument, save it. Just go home and spare my sister the extra stress." James didn't say another word; he turned on his heel and exited the private room. He had just gotten back from running to his mother's house to find Rosalie's 'closest' friends arguing over whether or not they wanted to see her. To say it pissed him off would be an understatement.

During the quest down the hallway, Emmett scanned each room number. In his search for room 142, he ignored the nervous breathing of Bella. She held her stomach in uneasiness, "I feel nauseous. I'm not good in hospitals."
"Suck it up," Alice growled, taking a lead as she sped up her walk down the hallway.

The assembly of friends abruptly stopped in front of room 142. Nurse Elizabeth departed from Rosalie's room, protectively holding a kit in her hand, "Oh, kids. Hey, how are you doing?"
"Considering…" Emmett drifted off, gazing off towards his girlfriend's room.
Elizabeth pouted sadly, "Oh right. Sorry!"
"What's that?" Alice pointed towards the kit Elizabeth held tightly in her arms.
"Rape kit," Elizabeth answered with haste before awkwardly taking off down the hallway.

Each friend silently stared at the engraved numbers of 142. They couldn't see inside, but they somewhat knew what to expect; a catatonic Rosalie. Alice took the lead in front of her friend group, and quickly pushed the door open. A nurse was present at Rosalie's bedside, inserting some sort of tube into the injured teenager's nose.

As soon as Bella's eyes landed on her comatose friend, she couldn't help but turn on her heel and run out of the room. Her feet couldn't get her to a trashcan fast enough, and as a result she leaned over and hurled her afternoon lunch onto the pristine floor. She felt a hand rub against her back, "Are you okay?"
"I need to go home," Bella glanced at her boyfriend.
"Okay, you go to the bathroom and clean up. I'll go find the janitor and then get Marcus to see if he can run us home."

Alice shut the door, and grunted angrily, "She's not coming back…and neither is Edward."
"More Rose for us then," Emmett gave a small smile, before approaching his girlfriend, "What exactly are you doing?" He watched the nurse carefully insert a tube into Rosalie's nostrils.
He didn't answer Rosalie's boyfriend right away. As a result, Jasper, Emmett and Alice slowly approached him so they could look at exactly what he was doing to their friend, "That looks like it hurts." Alice craned her neck in order to take a closer look.
"She can't feel it," Nurse Eric responded, his gloved hands continually lowered the tube further down her nostrils, "Almost done."
"Why do you have to do that?"
"Give me a second."

As Eric finished up, he delicately secured it in place, and wrapped the excess tubing behind her ears. The young RN pulled a syringe out of his nurse's scrubs, and carefully injected the liquid into the tube, "Before you ask again, I just inserted a feeding tube in her. Now, I'm feeding her the nutrients that she needs. I'll do this every few hours, and because this tubing isn't permanent, I'll have to change it every few days." Eric pulled off his medical gloves and disposed of them in the trashcan near the door, "If anything changes, press that button," He pointed across the room, "Now, she's all yours." The young nurse exited the hospital room.

The chair Lillian occupied earlier in the day was still positioned next to her bed. Emmett took a hold of the seat, as Jasper pulled up two chairs on the opposite side of Rosalie. He and Alice sat down, and both shared her left hand. "Be careful of the IV," Jasper warned, examining the needle sticking out the back of her hand.

The three friends found a comfort in the beeping sound of the multiple monitors plugged up to the young Hale. Her eyes were closed and her form resembled that of a sleeping girl. She looked gentle and peaceful, and her face was growing with color. The pale complexion that Rosalie once occupied was fading away, and her tone was starting to grow normal and healthy. If it wasn't for the unconscious state, the multiple IVS, the bruising, bandages and the beeping machines, they would have thought she was just in a deep sleep.
"This is weird," Alice ran her fingers along her best friend's opened palm, "Rose is the strongest person I know…and to see her like this," her voice betrayed her as it easily broke, "Her face, her neck, her arms, her legs…even her hands have bruises! And now this…this guy gets to live his life and go about his day, while she's stuck in a coma! How is that fair?!"
Emmett pressed his lips to Rosalie's hand, "It's not. Even though I wasn't there, I keep picturing myself present. It's like I'm watching her get attacked, call out our names, but there's nothing I can do."
"You know," Alice rose to her feet, never once breaking off contact with Rose's hand, "this room is a little dull," she gave it a once over, "but as your best friend, it is my duty to brighten it up!"

The sudden twitch of a hand caused for Alice to quickly glance down at her boyfriend. At the same time, Jasper hastily looked up at her. The two made eye contact, before feeling another twitch, "Was that-"
"No," Jasper shook his head frantically.
"Emmett, her hand moved!"

Alice's words pulled the desperate boyfriend to his feet. He closed in the distance between himself and her hospital bed, "Alice, get your dad!" She released Rosalie's hand as Emmett leaned over his girlfriend, "Babe? Babe, can you hear me? If you can hear me, open up those beautiful eyes." There was no response or movement, but Emmett was determined. He set his hands gently down upon her shoulders, "Or you can just nod your head? Just give me a sign that you're waking up…that you can hear me."

The door opened within seconds after Alice's departure. Her father rushed into the room, with Alice, Lillian, Aro and James following closely behind. Dr. Brandon leaned over an unconscious Rosalie, and pried open her eyes. He shined a low light and inspected her pupils, "Rosalie…Hey, can you hear me?" Jeremy pulled away, and checked the monitors. He applied pressure to various parts of her body, before turning back to the family, "She's still in her coma."
"We felt her squeeze our hand," Alice exclaimed, pacing back and forth, "Both Jasper and I felt it."
Jeremy turned off his flashlight, "Those are just reflexes. Comatose patients may experience hand twitching, eye movement…just reflexes in general. It's normal…but it's also a good sign."
"She's not waking up?" Lillian cried out, looking back and forth between Alice and the doctor.
"…not yet."
Alice stepped towards her best friend's mother, "Lillian I'm so sor-"
"Save it," Lillian growled, allowing the door to slam shut behind her.

Aro said nothing as he followed his ex-wife out of the room. If Alice felt horrible before, now she feels worse. James set a hand upon her shoulder, "She's not mad at you…she's just mad at the situation."
"You have to keep faith." Jeremy wrapped his arms around his daughter, "We've known Rosalie all her life, and she's strong. She'll overcome this." He pecked her forehead, before following James out of the room.

Emmett flopped down into his previously occupied seat. He pulled his hand out of Rosalie's hold, and rested his elbows upon the edge of her bed, "I hate this." His face felt shielded and composed as he laid it into his opened palms, "It's Saturday. It's our junior year." Some of his words were muffled, but it didn't stop him from speaking, "And Rose is stuck here. Then when Monday comes around-"
"This is the plan Rose," All sounds of anguish and grief disappeared from her voice. This wasn't like her, but Rosalie managed to bring that side out. She scooted onto the edge of the bottom of the uncomfortable hospital bed, "After church tomorrow, I'll be back. I'm going to bring pictures, your favorite books and I'll even bring my diary. You can read it if you wake up," Alice happily nudged Rosalie's injured legs, but there was no response. "What if I threaten to bring yours?" No reply. "You know I wouldn't do that," Her voice lowered back to its saddening tone, "I won't be able to visit you on weekdays. I have school and then work, and by the time I get off, visiting hours will be over," Jasper and Emmett nodded to guiltily agree with her statement, "but, you can count on me spending my weekends here!"

Alice pushed herself to her feet and eyed the small opened space in the hospital bed. Her petite form was tempted to crawl in with her best friend, just like they always did, but the sight of the multiple wires and IVs connected to Rose changed her mind. Before the seventeen year old could continue debating on a way to get closer to her best friend, her cell phone started ringing.
"It's my mom," She pressed the phone against her ear, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I meant to…things just got busy. She's in a coma. Yeah," Alice slowly started to walk towards the door, "I know. I'm trying to keep it together. It just isn't fair. Mom, why her?" Her voice faded out as the door closed behind her.

Emmett rose from his seat and saw Jasper's head lying down onto the thin mattress of the hospital bed. Rosalie's boyfriend leaned over, and ran his fingers gently down upon the bandage wrapped around her skull. "Blood," he whispered, as his fingers scratched at the dry blood embedded into her hair, "They didn't take any mercy on you, did they?" Emmett knew she wasn't going to answer, but he continued anyway, "You would be so embarrassed if you saw yourself right now," he snickered to himself before becoming serious once again, "Who could do something like this?"
"A psychopath," Jasper lifted his head to answer, "a coward…an asshole."
"People in this town don't exactly fit that description."
Jasper casually fiddled with the sheet rested underneath his friend, "Besides Royce and his father…"
"Yeah, well," Emmett continued to gently scratch the dried blood out of his girlfriend's hair, "they weren't even born in this town. Remember Royce Sr., his first wife and Royce Jr. moved to town a few years before we were all born." He watched as the trickles of crusted blood fell against her white pillow, "They'll never be natives no matter how long they stay."
"What ever happened to her?" Jasper decided to stand and help Emmett.

While the bandage prevented them from scratching off most of the blood, they decided to at least scratch off the visible stains. Emmett gave his friend a dimpled smirk, "I think she left town. There have been a lot of rumors. Some say that she left Royce for another man. Some say that she just died. I've even heard a rumor about her joining the circus that visited years ago."
"I just got off of the phone with my mom and I filled her in about everything." Alice whispered, slowly closing the door behind her as she ran in, "Apparently, the highway is blocked off. The police sought Kate and Garrett out and wanted them to lead them to where they found Rose."
"It's dark now," Jasper glanced out of the window.
Alice took a seat at the edge of the bed, "I know, but they don't want to take a chance and have tonight's storm wash any evidence away." Before she could continue her statement, the door was gently pushed open, and upon first glance Rosalie's step-brother entered. He was surprised to see Rosalie's closest friends visiting her.

Emmett pulled his hands away from his girlfriend and took a protective stance at the foot of her bed. His arms crossed, as his glare dug deep into Royce's soul, "What are you doing here?"
"I brought flowers," he held up the vase.
"Oh goodie," Alice exclaimed, taking a hold of the red roses, "They'll add some color to the room."
"What are you really doing here?" Jasper asked skeptically, as Alice searched the room for the perfect place to set the flowers, "Everyone knows what you think of her Royce and I wouldn't be surprised if you did this," The accusation pulled Alice to a halt, "I never thought much of it until I saw you around Aro, you could barely look at him."
"He intimidates me!" Royce retorted in defense.
Jasper argued back, "You were surprised to see us. You were planning to sneak in here."
"She's my step-sister! I have every right to see her!"
"We both know that if Rosalie wasn't in this coma, you wouldn't be here! You both hate each other's guts!"

Emmett listened carefully as the conversation between Jasper and Royce progressed. Every local of the small town knew about the quarrels, rivalries and hatred between certain residents. And from the moment Lillian and Royce Sr. got married, the animosity that formed between Royce Jr. and Rose only festered and grew with each passing day. Even though Royce Jr. was nine years older than his step-sister, it played no part in their mutual dislike for one another.
Royce smirked inappropriately, "I spoke to Lillian before I came in. She assumed you left and was held up at the receptionist desk," he wrapped his fingers around the railing at the end of her bed, "She granted me permission to spend time with my sister."
"Step," Emmett corrected.
He shrugged in response, "I hate to have to ask you all to leave, but," he released the railing and approached the side of her bed, "I really want to spend some quality time with her."
"She's in a coma!" Alice reminded, slamming the vase down onto the windowsill, "And why would you want to see her? You two despise each other."
"Call it atonement."
"Atonement for what?!" Alice argued. She hated the fact that she had to leave Rosalie with someone she knew her best friend wouldn't be comfortable with.
Royce guiltily set his hand upon her bruised forehead and smiled, "That's none of your business. Now please get out."

Jasper wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and escorted her out of the room. Following closely behind was Emmett, who couldn't help but to continually look over his shoulder. Royce stood, staring down at Rosalie's sleeping face, "Get out," he growled, sensing the three still in the room, "This is my time. You've had yours."
"We're going." Emmett seethed, pushing the door open for his friends to exit, "Just know Royce, I don't know what you're atoning for, but if it has anything to do with her coma, you need to tell Jasper's father."
"I can't," Royce pressed his eyes closed as he shook his head.
"And why not?"
He peeled open his eyes before answering, "Because I gave Lillian my word that I wouldn't tell a soul."

-Tiffany.