Doctors and Patients Chapter 9

A/N: I own nothing, Stephenie Meyer does.

Bella POV

With that devilish smile and unearthly good looks, Edward looked like he belonged on a different planet from everyone else in the room, myself naturally included. Mr. Weber spoke directly to me.

"Come on and join us Bella." He said. "Dr. Cullen was just telling us a very funny story."

So that's what all the laughing was about. Well, he sure knew how to fit in. He smiled at me again, perfect teeth shining in the dim light of my living room.

Edward noticed that I needed a seat, and scooted over. "You can sit here Bella. There is certainly enough room." How could I turn down an invitation like that? I couldn't. I limped over to the tiny couch.

"Oh, do you need help?" He asked in a polite voice. Before I could answer, he was already up and on his way to help me. My blush deepened significantly.

His arm grasped my waist, but not in a way that would make Charlie worry. It was in a very gentlemanly fashion. Another thing I noticed, his arm was still extremely cold. I thought that was just an effect of the hospital. I was soon situated in between Edward and the arm of the couch. I could think of worse places to be.

"So," Mr. Weber prompted, "Finish the story Dr. Cullen."

Edward smiled, perfectly at ease. "Remember guys, call me Edward." The 'guys' all laughed. "And there is a lady present."

I noticed, that when Edward talked, he sounded like he was from a different time period, a different century maybe. Or, it was my imagination running wild. There were many things about him that made me curious, after all.

"Aw, she won't mind." Charlie said. There was a chorus of 'yeahs'. Edward patted my knee, in a manner that was supposed to be subtle, but ended up making my heart speed up noticeably.

"If you hear anything you don't want to, feel free to stop me." His eyes bored into mine, and I drowned in them. I remembered that I was supposed to answer him, and that there was a room full of men waiting for my answer.

"Okay." I agreed breathlessly.

I didn't listen to a word of Edward's story, his voice was too soothing. Like a lullaby. The sounds of laughter soon snapped me out of my reverie. Next thing I knew, Dr. Cullen was receiving high fives, and Charlie was cackling like a maniac.

My leg was beginning to hurt pretty badly, so I shifted from one side to another, trying to find comfort.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Edward asked in his intoxicating voice.

"I'm fine. I just want to head upstairs."

"Why?" So I can stop thinking about you.

"I just need some time-to, um- call my mom." I quickly lied. He skeptically raised an eyebrow.

"Okay." He turned to Charlie. "I'm going to help Bella upstairs, if that's okay?"

"Of course it is, Edward." Charlie was still laughing. He didn't seem worried about his one and only daughter.

Edward helped me off the couch and to the stairs. Once we arrived at the stairs, and out of eyesight of the rest of the guests, he scooped me into his arms as if I weighed only ten pounds. I gave him a skeptical look.

"What?" He smiled a glamorous crooked smile. "I treat all my patients this way."

"I'm sure that's true."

"It is."

He sat me down on my bed, and I landed with a thump.

"Is there anything I can get you?" He asked gently. I decided to see what he was really up to.

"Yes, you can bring me a telephone so I can call my boyfriend." His smile immediately stiffened.

"He's sick, is he not? Why not let him rest?"

"I need to see how he's doing." He lost his smile completely now, gaze becoming intense.

"I really think it would be best for you if you stayed away from Jacob for a while."

"I really think that's none of your business." I said truthfully, narrowing my eyes. I mean, he was starting to irk me. Sure, he was gorgeous and incredibly nice, but I needed to talk to Jacob. Maybe Billy would be a little nicer this time.

"Fine." He said, tossing me the phone. "I warned you."

"What are you talking about? You act like you know some kind of big secret, or something." He obviously knew something that I didn't. How? He'd met Jacob, what, once?

"There's lots of things you don't know, Bella." Edward said soothingly. My face flamed.

"Well, why don't you enlighten me."

"I can't." His face was pained.

"That's what I thought. You're trying to warn me about something stupid, but you won't tell me what it is. Thank you, Dr. Cullen." I sneered. "You're free to leave now."

"Trust me, Bella. I would tell you if I could." Edward left the room then, to give me privacy I supposed. I was glad. He pretended like he knew what was going with Jacob, and that wasn't the case. I dialed Jacob's number, drumming my fingers on the bed. Billy answered.

"What, Bella?" He asked, irate.

"Can I please know what's going on, Billy?" I pleaded. "I'm so worried about Jacob."

"I can't really tell you, Bella."

"Why not?" My voice was desperate. There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"Jacob would like to have a word with you." My heart felt an immediate sway of relief.

"Great." I said, truthfully.

"Bella, we need to talk." Those words had never been a good thing to hear. I'd seen enough movies to know what was going to happen next.

"About what? You okay?" I wished the desperation in my voice would go away.

"Bella," He sounded awful. "I can't see you anymore." My vision blurred.

"W-what?" I choked on my own spit.

"I'm sorry. I really am, but I have to go. Bye, Bella." And he hung up.

Was I dreaming? Was this all some nightmare I was about to wake up from? Once I decided that everything was a reality, I let the phone limply drop from my hands, buried my face in my favorite pillow, and cried.

Edward POV

I hated to hear Bella cry, I discovered, more than anything else in the world. It made my nonexistent heart ache. But I couldn't just come out and say, 'Bella, you're boyfriend is a werewolf, and it's against werewolf law for you to know.'. That would have gotten me sent to the nut house.

I could hear Jacob's voice on the other end of the line, holding back tears. He loved her, there was no doubt about that in my mind. But Billy had explained that he couldn't tell her, no matter what. It was against the "law" for her to know. Like it was against the "law" for Bella to know that I was a vampire. I considered punching a wall. Why did Bella get herself into such dangerous situations?

Jacob had pleaded with Billy, it was obvious by the devastated tone in his husky voice. He tried to hide it, to show that he could be a 'man' about it. He couldn't be.

Bella's tears were getting quieter after a minute, and I decided to leave her in peace. Let her think about what I had told her about.

Charlie's friends were all still downstairs, having more beers. They had been insulted when I'd turned them down. Beer had to be the most disgusting thing, even when I had been human, I'd never had a taste for it.

"There's our Eddie Boy!" One of the men yelled. There was actually applause. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. These men needed to get home, before they tried to drive…

Jacob POV

"Don't touch me." I told Billy in my most threatening voice. He had just told me I was a werewolf, forced me to break up with the love of my life, and told me he was sorry. He had no idea what this was like.

"I told you I was sorry, Jake. You'll just have to get used to it." Billy had the nerve to say.

"GET USED TO IT?!" I bellowed. My whole body began to shake. Shit. "GET USED TO BEING WITHOUT BELLA? GET USED TO BEING A CRAPPIN' WOLF?! I DON'T THINK-" My sentence was cut off abruptly, because I no longer could talk. I was walking on all fours now, no longer human. I darted out the door of my house as quickly as I could, I was bigger than most things now. I needed to be alone. Now.