DISCLAMER: NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGMENT INTENDED. ALL CHARACTERS ARE PROPERTY OF STEPHENIE MEYER.
Now that that's out of the way.
Summary: When Edward doesn't show, what will Bella think?
References/Notes: I just don't have the time to sit down and write anymore. I'm going to try for once a month, but my GPA comes first.
IE. This section covers Wednesday night thru Thursday afternoon in the story.
From Bella's Point of View
I couldn't help but cry.
"6.96." I choked out, in sobs.
The customer passed me some some bills and I quickly sorted them in the tray, tossed over four pennies, and slammed the cash register drawer.
"Have a nice evening." I tried to smile. The young man who had stopped in for a couple magazines practically ran out the door.
I walked to the front of the store and locked the door. As I passed through the shelves, I threw a glance back at the clock. It was 6:35 and getting very late. After locking up for the night, I dashed to the back room. In doing so, my foot caught on a box of stationary, and I went down.
"Owwww." I moaned as my knee connected with the industrial concrete. I got up slowly and finished my sprint, limping to the "Employee Only" bathroom. Searching around the small room I found the eyeliner pencil behind the faucet knobs, where I'd thrown it after shoving it directly into my eye. I grabbed a scrap of toilet paper off the roll and wiped the earlier attempt off my face. My eyes were puffy and smeared. "You will not beat me." I mumbled as I lined the tip up and tried again. After makeup was finished I slipped out of my jeans and thew them into the corner and tossed my shirt on top before wiggling into my only dress. I sighed as I zipped the zipper up. It was nice, but simple and plain back. Earlier when balancing the business checkbook and my own personal one, a new dress had not been in the budget if I wanted to eat next week or have electricity in the store.
I shut off the lights and made my way to sit behind the counter to wait. It was just pass 7:00.
I started to opened today's mail while I waited. By the time I finished it was 7:15.
I read a new release. After a few chapters I glanced at the clock, 7:52.
"How could you be so stupid, Bella? You should have known, Bella." I scolded myself as I started to unzip the dress once I had made my way back to the bathroom so I could drive home in my jeans. "And now you've been stood up. You went through all this for nothing. He's probably out right now laughing his ass off with some skinny blonde."
I heard pounding on the locked front door and started to walk out of the back room, but stopped and remembered to zip up my dress. Maybe I hadn't been stood up after all. Alice was still pounding on the door when I grabbed the key off the counter to unlock it.
"We're closed, Alice. There's no way you went through all those books already anyway." By this point my temper was short.
"You weren't stood up!" She almost screamed at me.
"I know this isn't my normal attire," I said with a sweeping motion, gesturing towards the dress, "but how do you know I had a date tonight?"
At this suggestion, she turned pink. "I may have meddled a little bit."
"You what? You. . ." I was outraged.
Alice thew her hands up in front of her. "Let me explain. I told you to call Edward right?"
I nodded.
"I told Edward when you called to ask you to dinner. If it didn't wok there was no harm done, but give it a shot."
"Okay." I paused, mentally trying to put the pieces into the puzzle Alice had created. "Why are you here? How do you know Edward? What happened if I didn't call? Is matchmaker and wedding planner the same business to you?"
"Edward's my brother. I would have come by earlier if I'd remembered. We were eating dinner when you called, so I knew when you two had plans. Edward didn't stand you up, he's in the hospital."
"Oh." I was speechless, and still outraged. "Wow."
"Edward was on duty last night until this morning, but sometime after midnight he had to roll to investigate a robbery. He got shot." She said quietly.
"I'm sorry." I said, unsure of what to say.
"It's fine." Alice had grabbed a pad of post-its and a pen off the counter, pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket, and carefully started to copy down two sets of numbers. "This is the room number and the phone number. You don't have to go see him, but there it is if you feel impulsive. I have to get going. Bye, Bella."
I stood there until Alice had ducked back into her Porsche and drove away. I'll never know how she knew, but I was feeling rather impulsive.
From Edward's Point of View
The next day, Thursday afternoon.
"The incision is sloppy. Those are close to being the worst stitches I've ever seen in my life." Carlisle had finished his shift and gotten here as soon as he could. He had already manged to persuade a nurse into getting my chart and started to check my condition for himself.
"Dad, they're fine." I groaned. "What are you going to do about them anyway? Rip them out and do them yourself?"
"If I would have been the one to remove the bullet your shoulder would have a much cleaner incision." He sighed. "I'm going to go talk with someone about these doses of pain medication, it's higher than what I want you on."
"How soon can I be discharged?" I fiddled with the pulse oximeter.
"Your going to have to stay over night for observation, but I'm sure I can convince them to discharge you early tomorrow morning." He smiled and left to consult.
I was relieved. He meant well, but it was close to being overprotected. I shut my eyes and laid back, knowing I wouldn't sleep. The door creaked back open and I waited for the nurse to say what she would be injecting in or drawing out. I heard the footsteps stop and I opened my eyes.
"Um, hi." The girl mumbled. It took a minute to put a name with the face, and then everything clicked.
"Bella. I'm so sorry. We had plans last night didn't we." I racked my brain trying to remember what and when.
"It's understandable." She smiled a shy smile that seemed to light up the room. She took a few small steps forward and I noticed that she was carrying three to-go boxes. "Alice came by too and explained everything."
I made a mental note to call and thank her.
"I'm sorry for ruining you evening. Ideally I should have had someone call. . ." I trailed off.
"It's fine." A blush appeared instantly. We were both silent.
"Have you ever been in here for Thursday lunch?" Bella asked suddenly.
"I can't say I have." I answered, unsure of what that had to do with anything.
"It's meatloaf." She informed me.
"Okay. . ." Either I was on too high of a dosage or she was utterly random.
"I have. Thursday's lunch is memorable, but not in a good way. I thought I'd bring some real food by. I wasn't sure what to get, but it's all fresh from Bella Italia. There's some pasta that's half marinara and half afredo in bottom one, mushroom ravioli in the middle box, and some bread in the top." She dug around in the tote bag on her shoulder and pulled out a disposable cup and a bottle of Coke to set on the tray. A forks and knife in shrink rap came next followed by napkins.
Her generosity took me by surprise. "Thank you." was all I managed to get out.
She blushed again. "It was no problem. I'll let you rest." Her hand started to shrug off the table next to the boxes and turn away.
"You can stay if you like, I won't be able to eat all of this." I offered.
"I'd love to." Bella smiled and pulled up a chair next to my bed. "If you want to know the truth this is my second first date in a hospital." She reached back into the tote bag for a second set of silverware, another disposable cup, and a bottle of Coke.
"Really?" I asked, and her voice started to flow through the story.
