Chapter 7
Edward should be waking up soon, I thought….he'd tell me what to do….I hoped….if he was coherent this time….his body moved a little, as if rolling over, or trying to, while sleeping….
"EDWARD", I called, not bothering to keep my voice down….they were listening anyway…I didn't care…."Edward"
He stretched….his eyes blinking a little….oh GOD YES
"Wake up", I said sweetly, then his eyes slowly opened…searching around….seeing me a few feet away….sitting in this damn chair.
"Bella ?", he asked, squinting at me…
"Hi Edward", I couldn't help it but I started crying….he was himself now…I could
tell….
"What's going on ?", he looked down at himself…seeing the straps….frowning….he went to sit up, and couldn't….and this bothered him a great deal…."HEY" he jerked his arms and legs….but didn't cause any damage….
"Edward, Edward", I called as he struggled, "Don't – Ted weakened you….somehow…."
"Who is TED ?", he asked, outraged…still jerking his arms to no use.
"A scientist…", I said, guessing, "He's the one who did this to you…remember at my house when you fell and had all that pain ?"
"A little", he tried to recall it….his eyes darted over to me…
"That was him…." I said, "Somehow, he poisoned you….and he brought us here….some screwed up laboratory hospital….he--he--wants to--"
"What ?", Edward asked, frustrated.
"He wants to drain your blood", I wept, not able to move my legs a tiny bit….
"It's my fault", I begged for forgiveness, "When I thought you were dieing, I needed help and he was there….he seemed so GOOD – he was taking care of you….and I - "
"Bella", Edward closed his eyes, "Calm down"
"CALM DOWN ?!", I screamed, "Do you have any idea what I've been going through these last few hours ?!"
"Hours ?", his eyes took on a furious glare.
"We've been here since around 11 – now it's almost 3 in the morning", I filled him in.
"Well don't get out of your SEAT or anything", Edward struggled with his arms now….getting nowhere…"Come here and unstrap this "
"I CAN'T", I screamed, but then thought it's not his fault, he didn't know.
"What do you mean, you can't ?", he looked angry.
"He paralyzed my legs…", I cried, "I can't feel anything from my waist down."
"He paralyzed you ?", Edward's eyes were pure hate now…not for me….for the one who did this to me.
"Well, he calls it temporary hobbling…..", I sniffed, wiping my eyes.
"Where is he ?", Edward asked.
I had to be careful now….if I did anything bad, they'd take me away from Edward and he'd die alone….
"Probably on the other side of that wall", I thumbed towards it, "It's two way…he's observing us…for his research. He drains vampires and saves their human girlfriends from an eternity of evil. " I said sarcastically.
"TED", Edward hollered over my last few words….his eyes blinking a little, as if they stung him….
"TED", I joined in, "Edward wants to talk to you…"
The door unlocked after a minute, Ted entered as if nothing were wrong at all…no fear in the slightest.
"Awake, Edward ?", Ted asked pleasantly, carrying a pillow and sheets…
"I told your girl, here, that this would be unpleasant for you but she insisted…and you probably know how difficult she can be."
"I've heard", Edward cracked, raising a brow, trying to get a sense of this man's mind… "Who are you exactly ?"
"Dr. Ted Winston", he came up to Edward, lifting one of his lids again, shining the light into one….Edward winced, jerking a little away, growling, "RRRRR"
"Sorry", Ted smiled, touching Edward's forehead, "Good, you're cooling down…"
"I doubt it", Edward looked truly pissed off now, being treated like some guinea pig.
"What are you doing here ?", he yanked on the wrist cuffs uselessly, "What did you do to BELLA ?"
"I'm helping her", Ted informed, "Surely you shouldn't have a problem with that….if you care for her like I hear you do."
"You help her by hobbling her legs…", Edward gritted his teeth….enraged, trying to keep his voice dangerously low and calm.
"I don't want her to run off and get chased by the soldiers here…she'd get hurt.", Ted said, his hands in his pockets.
"Let her go NOW", Edward roared….jerking his hands and legs in their bonds.
"I can't", Ted said, "I'm not finished with her yet"
"Neither am I !", Edward struggled, his teeth all exposed as he gritted his jaw harder…his breathing getting ragged and troubled.
"Oh I think you are", Ted said tenderly, touching Edward's hair. Edward flinched his hand off with a jerk of the head….
"You want her to die, then ?", Ted asked, not moving from Edward's side.
Edward stared up at Ted in disbelief….who WAS this guy ? Edward's eyes kept asking.
"NO", Edward shouted.
"Don't you want her to have a life ?", Ted asked, crouching down upon him a little, "Children, grandchildren ? The ability to take a swim outside in the summer with her husband ?"
At first Edward struggled some more….but then he stopped….losing what little strength he had fast…listening…
"I know you care….even love Bella", Ted started, "As I explained to her myself…but you have to admit….now at the end….truly….she deserves something better than you…."
"You son of a bitch", I cried….seeing the look in Edward's eyes at this….he looked crushed….like he knew it was true….like he always told me….
"I intend her no harm, Edward", Ted said softly, "I will take care of her, for as long as it takes, to help her get on with her life….as for you, I wanted to keep you in that nice dream state you were just in for the last few hours…but Bella convinced me to let you out for a few minutes….so you could talk."
Finally, Edward said after a horrid long pause…."Thank you….for that."
"Thank you ?", I gasped…this was not going the way I wanted it to.
"Bella", Edward closed his eyes.
"She really loves you", Ted said to Edward, "I've never seen such a stronghold before…."
"It's not that", Edward frowned now, "She truly loves me….I can't do anything to her mind…."
"See ?", I said to Ted, then to Edward I informed, "He keeps calling it vampire GLAMOUR"
Edward drew a gasped breath….his eyes squinted…"You told her about that ? "
"If you care about someone, you tell them the truth…", Ted said, "You've been very unfair to her in that regard. She knows nothing…."
"HEY", I yelped.
"I wanted to shield her….", Edward gritted his teeth….he wasn't struggling anymore….and that scared me.
"I wanted her to stay innocent.", Edward's voice broke a little….."It was stupid of me, I guess."
"No Edward", I said but I was cut off –
"I won't fight you, Ted", Edward said, staring up into his face…."You can have me…but you must promise to take Bella home NOW – give her to her father, Charlie Swann, the sheriff."
"NO", I shouted, feeling so betrayed by them both.
"And", Edward added.
"And ?", Ted asked, listening.
Edward swallowed, saying, "Stay away from my family"
"I can't promise that", Ted said quietly, pushing his glasses up, "They may come here to get some kind of twisted revenge…"
"Oh they WILL", I yelled, Edward shooting a glare my way.
"They'll tear this place to the ground", I threatened, trying that.
"I hope not", Ted scratched his cheek, the stubble making a harsh sound, "We have trained guards who know how to bring them down just like Edward is down right now. Only their demise won't be so pain free as Edward's is going to be….it's best to wish they stay away. "
"They're not a threat to you", Edward said, trying to remain calm, "Bella will tell them not to reciprocate on you, no matter what's happened to me.
Right, Bella ?"
"In hell", I squeaked….Edward giving me that annoyed glare again.
"Oh no, Bella's not going near vampires again", Ted informed, "I plan on cleaning her of that sickness after you are gone."
"What ?", Edward looked concerned for me.
"Yes, it's a long process", Ted said, "But in time, Bella won't even want to watch vampire MOVIES. Let me do that for her, Edward, I can't just take her home like this….she'll never get over you and her life will come to a screeching halt…I've seen some girls take their own lives instead of living without their vampire counterpart….it's ugly"
"I don't want her trapped here", Edward said, his voice sounded so frail…so small. Edward PLEASE I mentally groveled, FIGHT BACK !
"You want her to slice her wrists open ?", Ted asked, Edward's face cringing from the thought of it…."Maybe jump off a building ? Oh, maybe a nice overdose…."
"Okay okay", Edward gave in, not knowing what to say or do next….his breathing was fast and sharp….surely he could read Ted's mind….and understand what his intentions were….
"Edward", I grabbed the arms of my chair again, saying to Ted, "I cant even TOUCH him – please !"
"Be careful", Ted moved my chair close to Edward's bedside….I grabbed his hand….cold but softer now…no longer like marble….
Ted didn't leave the room, too risky for me to be close to Edward like this unsupervised.
"Edward", I cried, getting a better look into his pain filled eyes.
"Bella", his voice croaked, "I'm sorry"
"Don't be sorry,", I said, "It's not your fault….you can hardly move…"
Ted watched every move….Edward looked at him but he wouldn't stop staring at us.
"This is not your fault, any of it.", Edward forgave me for everything, "This has been going on for awhile now….these scientists who think they can rid the world of vampires….one at a time. Usually, I'd applaud them….but…now they're hurting you. – because of me."
"You didn't do this", I touched his face, "THEY did – I won't let them hurt you, I swear to GOD"
"Get yourself out of here…", Edward said, not caring if Ted was there or not, "Do whatever you have to do get out of here…."
"Okay, that's the end of that conversation….", Ted walked over to the cloth and bottle….
"Tell my family to stay away from here….tell them to move as far away as they can", Edward hurried talking, knowing the doctor was coming to sedate him now.
"Edward, ", I tried to tell him I loved him….but it was too late….Ted grabbed Edward by his hair and firmly pressed the wet cloth over his mouth and nose…
"LEAVE HIM ALONE", I screamed.
"RRRRRRRRRRRR", Edward's voice tried to speak but was muffled under the cloth….I made out the words, "GET OUT" – to me, I figured. A slight struggle between Edward's head and Ted's cloth ensued…but Ted was stronger….damn.
"Behave Edward, behave…", Ted said as if talking to a friend, "Breathe in…."
He kept fighting…this was killing me….I was screaming at Ted, "You're hurting him !!"
"Either breathe in or suffocate Edward….come on….", Ted kept coaching Edward…."He IS stubborn…." Ted commented to me….smirking.
Edward's legs kicked furiously….his fists yanking hard….his muffled groans were strangled under the cloth….
"He is a fighter….", Ted shoved down hard with the cloth over Edward's face….Edward's eyes that were tightly clenched in struggle before….now fell open….staring at Ted….
"There you go….come on….you wanna breathe…." Ted soothed Edward like he was a little kid, "Good…..in and out….that's it….Good man."
Edward's eyes drifted over to me….seeing my crying face….my hand in his….his hold on my fingers tight….they began to loosen….softening their hold…
"No Edward…hold on", I begged, "Don't leave me here alone….please…."
His voice whimpered….weakly under the cloth….finally his eyes drooped closed again….
"Good boy", Ted patted Edward's bare shoulder….taking the cloth away.
"You are evil", I told Ted, "You didn't even let him say goodbye to me…."
"I would've", Ted said, disposing of the cloth, "If he wasn't teaching you how to overthrow us with his last few breaths…."
"I can't overthrow anything…", I said, motioning down to my legs.
"Thanks to me", Ted smiled a little, cleaning up his area…taking his rubber gloves off, tossing them into the WASTE bin. "If you did get away, even for a minute, they'd have to kill you, don't you know that ?"
"I'd rather get killed.", I said truthfully.
"Edward wouldn't want that", Ted said caringly, "I do like him, though, you're right, he IS different. Very human-like. Some vampires really over do it with their creepy behavior."
"Please just let him go….", I begged again…."He's never hurt anyone in his life "
I knew this was a lie….but I didn't care…
"That's not true Bella", Ted said, as if he knew already, "We've already done calculations from these monitors… "Do you know Edward has killed 78 men…..and 34 women in his time ?"
He read off a chart….like he was announcing a baseball score. 34 women…that can't be true….I didn't believe it….
"No", I said as he grabbed my chair from behind…dragging me away from Edward again….I was too late to grab onto him….I clutched at the air.
"Edward killed only bad people", I said.
"I'm sure he told you that", Ted said, shaking his head, taking notes in his chart…
He took a little camera out of his locked drawer, going in front of Edward and taking a picture….
"I'm going to kill you Ted", I let him know in a serial killer low grunt.
See next chapter – hope you're liking it so far…..
WinndSinger
