Chapter 6: Meeting Carlisle
In the early morning the phone in the Swan household rang. Charlie had already left for work leaving Bella to have to get up to answer the phone.
"Hello?" She mumbled sleep still heavy on her voice.
"Hey Bella… It's… Me." The voice on the other side of the line was quiet. Pained even.
"Noa? Are you ok?" Bella was suddenly wide awake. She had been worried about Noa since she had left for her hearing to get a restraining order on her father.
"Y-yeah… I'm fine. I won't be at school today ok?" Her voice was so shaky it was hard to understand her at some points. "Something's come up."
"You sure you ok? You sound like you're hurt." Bella was surprised that Edward wasn't with her this morning. "I can send someone to get you. Or I can get you."
Noa's could be heard in the background pretty much wheezing. "No. No! Don't do that… It really is nothing. Don't… Don't worry about me. Ok? I just called you cause I told you I would when all of this stuff was done."
Edward came in through the window and Bella looked up at him still talking on the phone. "How can I not worry about you when you sound like that?"
"Who's that on the phone?" Edward questioned taking a seat behind Bella on the bed. He hadn't heard any of the conversation.
Covering the mouthpiece Bella said simply. "Noa."
"Is someone there with you Bella?" The girls voice came back through the phone again. "And I just sound this way cause me and my mom had a few touching moments."
Bella brought a hand to Edward's arm. "Yeah Edward's here. He's going to take me to school this morning I guess. It was a total surprise." Bella wasn't that great at lying but she sounded pretty convincing.
"Well tell him I say. 'hi' and don't send him after me Bella. His sister and I don't get along if you remember the other day…" The girl's words cut off and a sharp gasp could be heard.
"Where are you? I don't care what you say it definitely sounds like you need help. Is that rain I hear in the background are you OUTSIDE?!"
Edward suddenly took the phone from Bella and held it to his own ear. "Hey Noa it's not fair to make Bella worry like this." His voice didn't show any concern.
"I'm sorry Edward… Something happened after you left last night…" Her voice dropped in volume so that she could be sure Bella couldn't hear.
"That's interesting. Could you at least tell me what happened so that Bella doesn't stress about it all day." His brow was knitting some. He could hear the pain in Noa's voice and it bothered him. What could've happened?
Noa took a few breaths before speaking again. "I'm not going to be able to return to school probably… I was attacked by Rosalie… I'm… I am pretty spent… Edward I can't talk anymore… It's getting too hard."
"Wait a second Noa. I agree with Bella where are you? You need help" Edward actually showed concern in his voice surprising both Bella and Noa.
"I'm out… Don't look for me…" Her voice was getting weaker at each word now. "Give the phone back to Bella." She added loudly.
Bella took the phone from Edward. "Noa you won't even tell him? Come on don't make me call Charlie. You know he is the Chief of Police and all."
"I haven't been missing for forty eight hours he wouldn't be able to do anything…" Noa's voice sounded better only because she was trying to make it that way. "I already told Edward that I'm fine too. I have to go Bella. My phone's being killed by this rain…" With that the call cut off completely.
Before Bella could say anything about it Edward had pulled out his cell phone and had started dialing Carlisle.
"Do you think she's ok Edward?"
"Hold on Bella." The phone rang only once before Carlisle picked up. "Carlisle we have a problem."
"Problem? It must be serious for you to call me this early." Carlisle's voice was loud enough that Bella could hear.
"Yeah. Bella's new friend. We think she might be in trouble. On the phone she sounded hurt and I could hear the rain." His voice sped up and lost volume enough that Bella couldn't understand.
"The werewolf?" Carlisle's voice stayed calm on his end of the line. "What happened?"
Edward turned himself away from Bella still speaking in a manner Bella wouldn't be able to hear. "Yeah the werewolf. I was with her last night. She was fine when I left I swear."
"A believe you Edward. What did she say happened to her?"
"Rosalie attacked her is all she said." Edward ran his hand though his hair. "That shouldn't be a problem right? I mean she's immortal and heals pretty well."
Carlisle didn't answer for a few moments that were long enough that it'd be awkward even for a human. "That's a serious problem… If she got bitten…"
"If she got bitten what?!" Edward did his best to hide his feelings from Bella as he spoke. "What would happen to her?"
"She would probably die within forty eight hours. Just like the wolves down in La Push our venom won't change them. It's a poison." Carlisle's voice was somber. "I'll go and look for her I have a day off today Edward. Tell me where you last saw her. I'll find her."
"The old cabin at the edge of town towards La Push that's where she lives." Edward said so that Bella could here. "We would really appreciate if you could find her Carlisle." With that he closed the cell phone.
"Thank you Edward." Bella pushed her hair from her face and stood up giving him a kiss. "I'm going to take a few moments to be human and eat too. Then we can go to school."
Meanwhile Carlisle was talking off from the Cullen Manor. He knew that if the werewolf girl had gotten bitten by his blond daughter there wasn't any time to waste. The rain was beginning to pick up again and that too was a problem. Soon he found the cottage.
The cottage obviously hadn't been walked near today. Meaning only one thing. Noa hadn't been home since the full moon the night before again the rain started to pick up more.
"I need to find that girl fast…" Carlisle muttered to himself taking of in the direction he smelled Noa's scent and took off but he had to stop when he finally did find the girl.
Noa was in a clearing her eyes silver and full of pain. She was muttering nonsense basically Her chest rose and fell quickly and Carlisle could hear her heart racing. She was trying so hard to bring everything back down but she couldn't. Her veins burned. She was afraid.
"Noa…" Carlisle finally spoke up. "Noa I'm here to help."
Her eyes didn't go to Carlisle they just stayed staring at the sky. "I'm spent…. I'm done…" She could've been crying but with the rain one would never know.
"No. You're not spent. You're not done." Carlisle knelt next to the girl he could see the crescent bit on her arm. It seemed she had tried to suck some of the venom out herself but hadn't been successful. The kind doctor touched her arm and was surprised at how cold it was.
"Leave me… I-I'm going to… Only cause problems…" She had to stop talking because her voice failed her.
Carlisle smiled. "You're a creature of self sacrifice aren't you?" He brought the girl's would to his mouth and sucked out as much of the venom as he could spitting after every turn. It didn't seem to help for a few moments but then Noa's heart rate slowed
"…I'm a monster…" The girl's eyes slowly began to fade from silver to gray. "Just ask… That girl Rosalie Hale."
"I know "that girl Rosalie" she's not so bad once you get to know her and she was wrong about you. It's Noa isn't it?"
"…Yes… My name is Noa." She tried to sat up but found the effect of the venom and the blood loss from Carlisle helping her wouldn't let her.
"Well then Noa… My name is Carlisle. We're going to make a ploy that'll allow you to stay here and explain why you're missing from school." He picked Noa up and carried her back to her cabin putting her in the back of her car.
"What are you doing?" Noa was fading more it seemed as time passed.
"Where are your keys?"
"In the house on the kitchen table…" Noa couldn't figure out where Carlisle was taken this until he got into the drivers seat and started speeding towards Port Angeles. "Oh no… You're not…"
"We're crashing your car." Carlisle didn't say anything else until he turned around. "And then I'm calling an ambulance."
Noa's eyes widened. "B-But I'm as weak. Weaker then a human right now even… I'll actually get hurt… I won't heal like I normally would." She sat up in the back seat looking to her wrist the wound was gone and there was only a scar.
"That's the point…" He pulled the car over and waited until there weren't any cars nearing them. "I'll trust you're strong enough to handle yourself for me to run and get my car and 'come across' the wreck. It'll be ok I promise." unbuckled himself and moved to the passenger seat pulling Noa from the back and putting her in the drivers seat. "You accelerate I steer."
Noa didn't know what to think or what to do. Trust this vampire man? He hadn't killed her yet he even sucked out the poison. After awhile she nodded and closed her eyes shifting the car in drive and pressing her foot on the gas flooring it actually. She felt every turn Carlisle made. She felt her car slide out and roll. She lost consciousness before it came to stop upside-down just outside of where human eyes could see the wreck.
Carlisle got out of the wreck completely unaffected by it. He took off to his home and got his car speeding back to the wreck. He quickly went through the motions and took Noa out of the car relieved to see she was still breathing. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.
"911 dispatch what is your emergency?" A woman's voice came from the other end of the line. A trained emotionless to it.
"Yes. There has been a wreck about twenty miles out of Forks Washington involving a '94 BMW 7 series I think. It's off the right side of the road coming into town. The driver's injured."
Silence followed. "Ok an ambulance has been dispatched. What is the condition of the driver?"
Carlisle frowned. "Stable."
"Sir. I need to know more specifics so that we can alert the paramedics to prevent any surprises."
"I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I work in the hospital in Forks if anything comes up I'll be able to tell them or even assist them."
"Very good sir. The ambulance will be there shortly."
Carlisle sat on the ground next to Noa. She had been right she wasn't healing like she should. She wasn't healing at all. There was probably some venom still in her system. It would help in the plan. She could spend a few days in the hospital and be released to him. The plan had to work if Noa wanted to stay in Forks.
The ambulance's sirens reached Carlisle's ears soon enough. They're high pitched tones bothering the unconscious Noa as well. Her eyes twitched some at the noise but beyond that she didn't stir.
"Over here!" Carlisle stood up waving when the ambulance pulled over. "She's over here!" He backed up to let the two men do their jobs. Letting them check the girl's vitals and putting her in the ambulance. He got into the vehicle with her. He could always get his car another time.
Later Edward's cell rang while he and Bella were headed out to his silver Volvo. "Hello?"
"It's Carlisle. Put Bella on please I need to talk to her about some things." Carlisle's voice was unreadable and it bothered Edward for once that he couldn't hear his thoughts.
"Alright." Edward handed the phone to Bella.
"Hello?" Bella didn't know who had called. Edward never told her.
"Bella it's Carlisle. I just called to tell you Noa's just fine… She must've tried to get home after she talked to you on the phone this morning and she got in a wreck. I found her shortly after it She'll be fine and you can visit her in the hospital tomorrow."
Bella nodded. "Ok that's great. Thank you so much Carlisle… Thank you." Bella actually felt like crying she was so relieved. She hung up the phone and handed it back to Edward.
"I'm glad you're friend's ok Bella dear." He smiled glad to see her relieve. He wanted so to know what her thoughts were right now. If she was joyful or in need of comfort. It was so hard not being able to tell in these complicated emotional times. "Come on I'll take you home."
"Edward… Tomorrow will you come with me when I visit Noa?" Bella bit her lip. "Please?"
"Of course." Edward opened the passenger door of his Volvo to let her in. "Of course."
~Chapter End~
(A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long I've been super duper distracted! But I did indeed finish this chapter!)