A/N: I own nothing but Bella.
Question: Would you rather have shorter chapters and faster updates, or longer chapters and slower updates?
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Bella was dreaming about her grandfather. It was one of her favorite memories; Gramps had stormed into the Social Worker's office like a vengeful god after she'd been found shivering in the backseat of her father's car by a patrolling State Policeman while he was playing cards one cold winter's night.
Finally warm again, Bella had been dozing in a corner chair when he arrived. She could remember the ensuing argument like it was yesterday; the Social Worker had planned to place Bella in foster care because she didn't believe that her 100-plus-year-old grandfather was capable of properly caring for the rambunctious four-year-old child.
They had argued back and forth for what seemed like ages to young Bella when finally Gramps stood up, grabbed the woman's face in his hands, and said simply, "you are placing Bella into my custody NOW."
And she had without further ado. When Bella asked her grandfather what he'd done to change her mind he had laughed. "Old Indian trick; you can convince anyone to do anything if you know how. I'll show you when you're older."
He had taken her out for pizza after that so Bella had promptly forgotten.
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Once again she could almost smell her grandfather; it was so similar and yet so different that Bella couldn't help but take a deep sniff as she awoke from her slumber. How can I still smell him when he's dead? Bella wondered as she slowly opened her eyes.
Bella wasn't lucky enough to be at home in her bed. Noo, she was still stuck in the strangely quiet hospital with Doctor Brown Suit dozing in a nearby chair. It looked as if he had fallen asleep while reading; a book was cracked open upon his lap and a pair of glasses were askew on his face.
Bella took the opportunity to study him. He was old, really old; Bella had never seen someone that old. The oldest person she had ever encountered had been her grandfather yet she suspected that Brown Suit was even older than him. She didn't know how that could be possible but, then again, nothing about this entire situation made sense.
Something is definitely rotten in Denmark. She had fought that dude for all she was worth, kicking and screaming and fighting yet not a single orderly or nurse had shown up to help him subdue her.
Where was everyone? If no one had shown up to help him hold her down, then chances were that no one was available to help. If no one was available to help, then chances were that the hospital she was trapped in was empty except for her and Brownie Dude.
Now why would a hospital be empty? Bella considered the possibilities with growing trepidation. Hospitals were empty after they were abandoned; could this dude be squatting there after the place had been closed for business?
The scarier question was: What did he want with her?
Bella decided that she really didn't want to stick around long enough to find out. Ever so slowly Bella reached across her body and carefully removed the IV still stuck in her arm, biting her tongue to keep from making a sound. That accomplished, inch by inch she shifted the blanket spread over her and carefully slid her feet out from under it, watching Brown Suit like a hawk the whole time for signs of awakening. Moving at an incremental pace Bella finally managed to achieve a standing position without disturbing the stranger. With a devilish grin upon her face, she then proceeded to tiptoe barefoot out the open door.
