Ok, here's the deal. I'm getting bored with writing pointless fluff (not romantic fluff, just stupid fluff that hardly moved the plot along) like the last chapter. It just takes up space so I'm going to get to the good stuff. :P Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight Series.
Carlisle's POV
Bella had been in the ICU for the past week. We had kept her under with many pain medications and she hadn't opened her eyes the entire time. It was better that way.
While in her drug-induced sleep, I was able to take the first step in healing Bella physically. Her emotional health was another matter. That was one of the reasons we decided to sedate her. Bella couldn't get better if she was scarred.
So, under my watchful eyes, her broken bones were set and her cuts were treated for infection. Nutrients had been pumping through her system. She was malnourished and terribly underweight. Not much improvement had been made but I could see the subtle difference.
I even contacted her father, against my better judgement, but it was a procedure that couldn't be avoided. He had acted angry on the phone as I explained to him that Bella had fallen down a flight of stairs. I said that we had received a 911 call from a neighbor saying that they had heard a scream. (All the records had been carefully foraged, courtesy of Alice). When he calmed down enough, he asked to see her.
From what Alice had told me about the relationship between Bella and Charlie Swan, I knew that I was not letting that man anywhere near her. I said that her condition was too severe to allow any visitors. Had it not been for my acute hearing, I would have missed his low curse. But I pretended to wish him a good day, being careful to keep the acid from my voice.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Alice's POV
For all of that week I spent my time flitting between the hospital and our home. Edward spent the entire time locked up in his room. We never spoke to each other. I could sense that he didn't want me to bother him.
I tried to make the house livable once more to save Esme some work. They we due to arrive the next day and I couldn't wait for our family to be complete again. And I missed Jasper. No words could describe how much I needed him.
I also made sure to keep a close eye on our futures. Bella was safe at the hospital with Carlisle for now but her father was anxious to get her back. The things he planned on doing to her when she returned home were too horrible to watch.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Edward's POV
Everyone was waiting on pins and needles for something to change. Bella was healing according to Carlisle, but barely. We had spoken a few times when he had returned home to "sleep". She was still in a critical condition but at least Carlisle could keep her safe while she was at the hospital.
I felt terrible the whole time that I remained locked in my bedroom. I was the one who actually kept Bella from killing herself. Yet, here I was, distant from my family, doing my best to appear unconcerned about the tiny human.
But the truth was that all I could think about was Bella. Everything about her was different. I was frustrated by the fact that I couldn't read her mind. Her scent was enough to make me go mad. The man she called a father abused her and she had recently attempted suicide.
I knew that the best thing would be to keep my distance from her. But I had to see for myself that she was getting better.
So, I slipped into fresh jeans and pulled a comfortable sweater over my head. Then I sprinted down the stairs and left the house for the first time in seven days. It was dark outside and I vaguely wondered what time it was. Ignoring Alice's shouts, I hopped into my Vanquish and backed out of the garage in one swift motion.
The twisting roads of this small town were still familiar to me even after so many years. It was nice to know that I could still do something correctly. It was easy to navigate the sporty little car around darkened street corners.
Finally, I turned sharply into the hospital parking lot and skidded to an abrupt halt. I jumped out, slamming my door behind me. I had to remind myself to walk at a human pace to the entrance where I was greeted by an overly-helpful receptionist. Paying no attention to her, I brushed by and headed down the hall, with no idea of where to go.
I picked through the worried thoughts of doctors, relatives, and patients, searching for Carlisle. Eventually, I found the calm 'voice' of my father. He was tending to another man who had a fractured wrist. Is that you I heard driving like a maniac, Edward? I could detect the note of poorly concealed joy. He was happy that I had finally left my self-induced solitude.
At a pace that felt much too slow, I strolled upstairs. Outside the door, I paused, listening to Carlisle talking to the man.
"Yes, it is fractured," he spoke in a soothing tone. I'll be finished in one second. "But it's nothing serious. I'm going to send you over to Dr. O'Brien. She's the orthopedic surgeon and she will set the bone in a cast."
A stout man in his late forties waddled out of the room. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw me standing there wearing an impatient expression. I slid past him without any acknowledgment.
Carlisle was washing his hands in the porcelain sink and he didn't look up when I entered.
"How is she?" I questioned him in a rush.
"She is the same as she was yesterday when I came home." But his thoughts all centered around the Rosetta Stone, translating the passage from hieroglyphs to ancient Greek.
"What happened?" I snarled.
My father put his finger to his lips. "Quiet," he warned. Then he sighed. "We discovered that she had some internal bleeding but she's better now. It wasn't terrible but it was very frightening for a while. We managed to stop it and she's been doing fine."
"But . . ." I said impatiently. I could sense that there was something else he wanted to say.
"I'm just worried about what is going to happen to Bella once she's released." He explained. I nodded, I knew exactly how he felt. "I've been able to keep her father away for now. But he does have a right to see her."
"Where is she?" I asked softly. I needed proof that she really was okay.
"You're sure you can handle it?" He was genuinely concerned but that didn't stop me from letting out a low growl. I would prove to him that I was strong enough to be around Bella. I wasn't a killer.
Carlisle held up his hands as if he was surrendering. Follow me, he thought.
We walked through corridors that smelled of sweat, blood, and death. After what seemed like hours, Carlisle stopped and pointed towards room 713. The sweet scent of Bella floated around me, filling my mind. But I refused to let the monster take me over.
She probably won't wake up. Just be careful, please.
I took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
EEP!! GO EDWARD!!
Warning: Major bragging coming up — This story has been nominated for an award!! The Denali Coven website is having a competition to find the BEST fanfics on the internet. And this is nominated for Darkest Fic. Link to the site is going on my profile.
