DISCLAIMER: NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. ALL CHARACTERS ARE PROPERTY OF STEPHENIE MEYER.

Now that that's out of the way.

Summary: Bella is released from the hospital.

References/Notes: I don't like to switch point of views in the middle of a chapter, but I felt it was necessary. I've never been in a car accident, so therefore, I don't know anything about car accidents, accident reports, insurance procedures, or police anything. I tried, but if something is horribly wrong, correct me and I'll re-write it.


From Bella's Point of View

After another night in the hospital for observation and another set of x-rays, a nurse was now supposed to be removing my IV. She continued to stare at my arm as I sighed.

She sighed back. "I'm a bit nervous, I blew a vein last week and haven't worked with IVs since. Part of the IV sheared off and everything."

"Oh." I tried to control my facial expressions, but did a poor job of it, and my eyes grew wide. We both sat in silence staring at my arm until a knock on the closed door startled us both. Dr. Cullen came in the room.

"Still having problems, Mary?" He smiled sympathetically.

"Yes Dr. Cullen." She stared down at the floor now, ashamed.

"Would you like me to perform the procedure?"

"Yes Dr. Cullen."

She moved aside to watch, and he took her place at the side of the bed, removing my IV quickly and painlessly.

"That should be everything. Do you have a ride home?" Dr. Cullen asked.

"No I haven't called Charlie yet. I forgot the fact I can't drive home." He took two small steps and picked up the receiver and the base of the room telephone and handed it to me. I was truly up shit creek now. I had no money for another car if mine wouldn't run. The store was losing so much money. Insurance wouldn't pay much. The car wasn't worth much. I'd have to see what was possible with it. Maybe it would still run. Maybe it was fine after all, I hadn't seen it yet. Charlie picked up on the second ring and agreed to give me a ride and pick up a rental car, the truck wouldn't start.

"Your good to go then Bella." Dr. Cullen took the phone from me and put it back on the bedside table. "Personal effects are at the nurse's station, I'm sure you know the drill. Tylenol for the pain, come back if you have any problems. I hope I won't be seeing you again soon."

"Thanks, Dr. Cullen." He left me alone to get dressed, and then I made my way to pick up my personal effects. Mary started to hand my my possessions, still embarrassed from the earlier incident. The only two things that I had were my purse and a jacket, easily recognizable as part of a police uniform.

"I'm sorry, but this isn't mine." I told her. It was too small to be Charlie's.

"We see it all the time, an officer will cover someone up with blankets or jackets if the weather is bad, and they end up with personal items. You can leave it here or take it to the station and they should be able to return it to the officer."

"I have to pick up a copy of the accident report, I can return it." I sighed.

And then the inevitable came, being escorted out in a wheel chair, Charlie was waiting out front, so I wasn't subjected to this kind of torture long.


My rental car was nicer than anything I could ever afforded, and I had to sigh deeply every time I came to a perfectly smooth stop. I would only be able to keep it so long. Charlie had my truck towed to the curb outside his house. I swung around the last bend to my apartment with precision and was soon inside. I fumbled through my purse in search of my key ring and it took me several minutes to find it zipped into the back pocket. When I looked up to put the key in the lock I noticed the paper poorly duct taped to my door. So much for class. The words across the page didn't surprise me, I'd been expecting it. Two months rent due.I quickly crumpled up the threat and shoved it into the bottom of my purse. I had caught other words too. Evicted, last notice, under contract. . . I knew the day would be coming soon. I could live in the back of the store or I could sell to Borders. I fiddled with they key and burst into my apartment, shedding shoes, socks, and my purse and locked the deadbolt. I would have to decide soon, and the best place to mow it over seemed to be a hot shower to remove all the hospital gunk, but it would have to wait. I first grabbed my check book, knowing I'd left it balanced, and saw what I could afford on repairs. I flipped through my address book hoping my old friend Jacob still did a bit of car work , and found the Black's phone number. I started to nervously tap a rhythm with my nails on the kitchen counter while praying he'd be willing to fix my truck for next to nothing.

"Hello?"

"Jacob?" I asked

"Speaking." He yawned.

"It's Bella, Bella Swan."

"Bells!" His voice lit up realization. "Charlie already called. I've already looked at your truck. I'm not an expert at body work, but I think I can get most of the dents out."

"But will it run, Jake?" I could care less about what my car looked like.

"It needs a little engine work between the force of the impact and the force of the deer."

"And your price to fix it would be. . .?"

"I'll do it pro bono, Bella. I know the insurance will take a while to give you any money and it won't be much. It probably be another week. I still work at Dowling's five days a week, and I'm working on some more ASE certifications right now too."

"I understand, and I can't argue with pro bono. Your a lifesaver Jacob."

We talked for another fifteen minutes or so, and I happily skipped to the bathroom, on a mission to wash off the smell of antiseptic. Something had finally went my way.


I walked into the station, after lunch and my shower, almost happy. I would be getting a bit of money from the insurance, enough to pay off the two months unpaid rent, surely. It was almost like Charlie's station but slightly larger, and found myself at the front desk.

"Hi, I'm here to pick up a copy of an accident report." I addressed the receptionist.

"Name?" she asked lazily, and pushed a magazine aside. Slow day, I guess.

"Isabella Swan."

"Ah, we were expecting you. We also need a statement. Through there, last desk, Officer Cullen."

I strolled through the doorway and scanned the open room. Realizing most of the desks were empty, I checked my watch. 12:30. Everybody would be at lunch. I noticed one occupied in the back of the room, and approached that. The officer was oblivious to my presence and continued to read the contents of a manila folder with his feet propped up on the desk and stretched as far back as the standard office chair would allow. What appeared to be a tupperware of his lunch sat on the front of his desk, untouched.

"Excuse me?" I asked tentatively.


From Edward's Point of View

I peered over the top of a manila folder, expecting Shirley the receptionist coming to bother me yet again. Yes, I did like eating my lunch alone. Yes I was off tomorrow. No, I was already busy. Wednesday night wasn't good for me either. Instead I met a pair of coffee colored eyes. I quickly tried to swing my feet down off the desk, realizing how unprofessional it looked. The edge of the heavy standard-issue boot caught the edge of the tupperware of leftovers from last night's dinner, and fell over on the desk. The lid fell off and spilled noodles all over the edge of the desk before tipping over the edge and landing on the tile floor with a splat of Alfredo all over the young woman in front of me. Shit. Shit. Shit.

"I'm so sorry." I cried as I sprang up from behind the desk.

"No, really, it's my fault." She said as she wiped a dot of sauce off her forehead. "I shouldn't have startled you." She seemed to honestly thing this was her fault. I yanked open the bottom drawer and rooted around for a few seconds, finally finding a paper towel roll and ripped a few sheets off to hand to her and a few for my desk. I drug over a garbage can from under the desk and started sweeping noodles into it. We spent the next few minutes cleaning up and bantering about who's fault it was.

"No, I shouldn't have been so unprofessional." That was the truth of the matter.

"It's okay, I understand slow days for small town cops. Bella Swan." She smiled and held out her hand. I could feel my brows knit together, and it took a minute for it to click. Chief Swan's daughter. She was being discharged today and coming by to do a statement and pick up a copy of her accident report to hand over to the insurance company.

"Edward." I replied shaking her outstretched hand. Edward? Did I just say Edward? Professional, be professional. Officer Cullen. I couldn't help but notice the little blob of sauce left on her cheek. "You've got a little. . ." and I motioned to my own cheek. I watched her chase after it, trying to find the spot I'd just motioned too.

"Here." I said and reached out to wipe it off with my thumb. Her skin was so soft, and those damn eyes were such a rich brown. Somewhere between coffee and chocolate. Stop it Edward. "I'm sorry about all of this. Do you still want to do the statement today?"

"It's fine." she assured me. "Might as well get the rest of the paperwork over with."

The statement didn't take long, and a few finishing touches on the accident report. The whole time I couldn't take my eyes off her. Her eyes, how her shade of hair matched her eyes exactly, her thin face, the curve of her lips. I don't know whether it was the pressure of my parents and siblings, or teenage infatuation a few years late, but when handing her a copy, I also stapled one of my cards on top, and wrote down my cell phone number on the bottom, in case she had any problems filing with her insurance company.I'd never found a use for them until now.


Author's Note: Please review!