A/N: Thanks to my beta, who was a complete ninja and got this chapter back amazingly fast. Thanks also to everyone who reviewed and to those who were concerned about Bella. :)
Chapter 10 -
Bella's POV
"Bella!" Distantly, as though from the other side of a wall, I heard my name.
I considered looking up, knowing I should probably respond, but the warmth dragged me under. Nothing could be worth leaving this darkness, I was happy here. It had been so long since I could just be, without concern for anything or anyone else.
"Bells..." Something brushed my hand, but I refused to disrupt this peace. Where had I been?
In the car. I remembered it was bright and cold beyond this. No, I wanted to stay here.
"Hey, gorgeous, open your eyes..." He spoke calmly, but his hand shook in mine. I heard speaking beyond, in the distance.
"Phone... Car..." someone said. "Ambulance, now!" It was disjointed, incomprehensible.
"For God's sake! Someone go get their phone!" Another voice called above the crowd.
Jacob's hand was soft against my cheek and I couldn't deny that he had already disrupted my rest any longer, but when I tried to sigh pain shot through me and I couldn't find air. My eyes shot open and locked with warm, chocolate brown.
"Shh, just stay still. You'll be okay. Where's your phone?" His voice was soothing, but I still started to panic when I couldn't talk. Or draw enough breath.
"Just squeeze my hand when I guess right," Jacob said, rubbing his thumb in circles on my hand. "Is it in your bag?" He paused, searching my face, "The car?" I frowned, trying to remember and pulled my hand out of his, pointing at his pocket. "In your pocket?" I squeezed his hand as tightly as I could.
He frowned but didn't move to get it. "I can't get to it, the car is..." He trailed off and looked behind him, listening.
I let my eyes close, desperate to go back to the warm, painless black.
"Stay with me, Bells. Come on, look at me. You're going to be okay. They've called an ambulance and the other driver is fine. Though your insurance bill is going to be huge. I guess that doesn't matter for you, since you're dating a billionaire. I'm sorry, Bella, I shouldn't have let you go like that. I didn't think..." He rambled on, intensely staring at me.
I listened, blocking out everything else: the cold rain, the chaotic discussion of the pack and the unbearable pain that seized my whole body. My hand felt weak in his hot grip. I was so cold.
"Ed- Edward," I gasped out.
"Bells, it's the ambulance, not him. When they get you out I'll call him, okay? Charlie's already on his way." Jacob continued stroking my hand, anchoring me to consciousness. Billy's face loomed over his shoulder, concerned, and then disappeared again.
"Internal... yes..." I heard him say to someone behind him, his voice fading away.
"Embry said that we can upgrade his car a little, you want to come over and help? It should be pretty easy stuff, unlike those bikes. You know, I think your pretty new clothes might be ruined." Vaguely, I imagined how mad Alice would be about this, and Jacob continued talking, saying whatever came to mind. If I'd had more energy I would have been more worried about his sanity.
Jacob was still ruminating on the benefits of going to college on pack land, despite the small facilities and lack of future ambition that the brochure boasted of as the ambulance crew checked me out, deciding to unhinge the car door to get me out safely.
"This is a good sign; really, it means your spine is fine." Jacob reassured me as they went to work.
Panic set in as I glanced down and saw there was blood on my shirt and splattered over my jeans and I gasped, frantically trying to get oxygen. "Please..." I choked out, desperate.
"You're going to be okay, I promise." Jacob repeated, over and over until he was pulled away and replaced by a forty-something man in a blue uniform who chatted about how he'd gone to high school with Charlie while he checked my vitals again, looking unconcerned. I bit my lip, trying to hold my alarm at bay. When Charlie arrived the seat belt was being cut off me by a woman in the same blue uniform who was kind and efficient.
"Charlie..." I whispered, barely audible, but he seemed to hear. He took in my appearance and started firing questions rapidly.
"What happened? Why haven't you got her out yet? Is she going to be okay?"
"You'll have to ask the witnesses, sir. We've only been here about ten minutes, and we had to remove the car door and steering wheel, so we were delayed. At the moment it's hard to say, she has a possible concussion, some external injuries and the extent of her internal injuries is unknown, but I'd say there were a few broken ribs at least. At this stage, we're hoping she doesn't have a collapsed lung. If you'll wait off to the other side we can get your daughter out." The woman replied politely, brushing glass off my lap and out of the car.
The other man walked over and I recognized his voice as he explained further. "Bella's going to be just fine. Billy's over there with his boy and some of his friends now, they can tell you what happened. The other driver wasn't injured, though she's a bit shaken up. We're focusing on Bella right now..." Charlie turned to follow the other man as I choked, trying to speak, and finally forced out, "Call... Edward... please," patting my pocket now that my arms were free.
Charlie turned and nodded, asking the woman if it would be safe to get my phone. She hesitated, then carefully extracted my new phone – which was surprisingly undamaged.
Charlie took it and left, presumably to go speak to Jacob. The woman smiled softly, "Alright, Bella, this might be painful so we're going to give you some medication before we move you."
Edward's POV
"Bella," I picked up my phone, getting a text from Alice at the same time as the call.
"Uh, no, it's Charlie Swan." He replied in a rough voice.
"Is something wrong, Chief Swan?" Instantly, dread set in. Those wolves would pay if they'd harmed a hair on her head. "What's wrong with Bella?"
"I'm sorry to call you like this, but Bella asked me to. She's been in a car accident, I just got –"
I cut him off abruptly, "Where?"
He gave me the location as I climbed into the Volvo, hanging up and breaking multiple road laws to get to the road leading to the reservation in a matter of minutes. Bella's truck was illuminated by flashing blue and red lights, another car smashed up next to it, well past our meeting spot. She must have been heading home. I parked off to the side, rushing to the ambulance as they closed the doors. I just glimpsed Bella, covered in blood and barely breathing, inside. Tempting as it was to bang on the back doors, I instead turned to Charlie and the others gathered around him.
"What happened?" I demanded, taking in that those around him were sneering werewolves and pack elders.
"Bella was driving home in the rain and collided with another car that was turning around. We don't know much more than that right now. The other driver said Bella was parked on the side of the road and suddenly pulled out and her car spun on the wet road. Legally, Bella's responsible." Charlie explained, frowning.
"How is she hurt?"
"We don't know, just that she's hit her head pretty badly and it's likely there's some internal damage. I'm going to head to the hospital after I get the witnesses' details." Charlie didn't sound optimistic.
I turned to the rest of them, "What was she doing driving home at this time?" I narrowed my eyes, reading their minds. Jacob, the one standing in the centre of the group, had the least aggressive posture, guilt tainting every thought. "What did you do to her?"
"Calm down, son, it was an accident. It's nobody's fault." Charlie interjected, though he looked mad as well. Seeming to think my anger was deserved, he gave Jacob a look that said they'd be talking later and left.
"What was she doing?" I asked again, clenching my hands into fists.
"She left early. She was going home." Jacob responded, teeth grinding together. I saw in his mind Bella, walking away from him into the trees, heard the distant sound of colliding vehicles disrupt their party, then finally, Bella with blood matting her hair, passed out on the steering wheel. Somehow, he had caused this. I looked to the others, who were looking at the ground, varying degrees of rage and distress on their faces.
Shouldn't have made her leave, one thought.
Bloody vamps, are they even allowed this close to our land? Think they rule the world, a female glared defiantly back at me.
I should have gone after her, the youngest in the group had his head down, standing at the back of the group, maybe she'd be okay.
"You let her just leave, upset, and now she's injured. This is your fault." I stared down Jacob Black, mentally going through a list of how to severely injure but not kill a werewolf. Knowing Bella, she'd hate it if I killed him, even now.
"It's not like that, she drives home all the time from here –" Jacob started, clearly frustrated. His father cut him off with a hand on his shoulder and a look.
I shook my head, "I won't kill you, for Bella's sake, but if you hurt her again, screw the treaty." I growled; letting loose a string of curse words under my breath as I turning and getting back in my car. I took a moment to regain my sense of calm and then sped to the hospital, arriving just after the ambulance had.
As I waited impatiently for a nurse to finish talking to the person in front of me I sent a text to Carlisle, knowing the others would find out within a minute of the text arriving:
Bella was in a car accident, she's in hospital.
A second later my phone quietly chimed and I picked up.
"Was she badly injured?" Carlisle asked calmly.
"Yes," I quickly relayed what I'd found out from Charlie. "What do I do?" Hopefully he couldn't detect the desperation in my voice that refused to abate.
"You need to find out more information - who her doctors are and what they plan on doing. Get her moved to a private room as soon as possible, which will ensure she gets the best treatment. I will get on a flight now, text me who the doctors are and I will make sure she is getting looked after."
"Carlisle, it was the wolves fault. How can I ignore that?" I sighed, struggling to keep calm.
"You can ignore it because Bella needs you with her, not out attacking her friends; and because we cannot afford to break the treaty. Go help Bella, I'll be there soon."
I hung up just as the nurse turned to me, "Yes?"
"Isabella Swan was just brought in, where can I get more information on her?"
Bella's POV
"They had to sedate her, to give her time to heal. She should be conscious soon..." Charlie said.
"It looks like everything went well, but I should talk to her doctors. She'll be fine." Carlisle replied, voice fading.
I struggled to remember what was going on, deciding I should give in to the spinning darkness of unconsciousness once again.
"Oh," Renee's soft cry broke into my consciousness, "she's so pale. Are you sure?" I could tell she was crying from the way her voice trembled.
Mom, I thought, trying to understand why she was sad and deciding it was unimportant. Nothing could matter more than staying in this peaceful darkness. I should... well, I should do something. I wasn't quite sure what and finding out would surely pull me out of this happy, dazed state.
"Yes, she's resting so she can heal, she'll wake up soon. She's always pale, so I can't promise that will change." Edward reassured her with a quiet confidence that brokered no argument.
"It's just noticeable because she's not blushing." Alice added.
Renee laughed slightly through her sobs.
"She will be fine, Renee, the internal damage is healing well. The bruises and cuts will take a little longer, but she'll be all right. She'll sleep a little longer, you should stay with her." Edward's voice was warm and kind, losing some of its twentieth century formalities. "Would you like some coffee? I should go find Carlisle."
"That would be great, thanks. I'll call you if she wakes up."
My head was heavy and I happily let sleep take me, seeing no reason to open my eyes if Edward wasn't going to be there.
Minutes later, or so it seemed, I felt a cool hand on my forehead. Cold and hard... Edward. I tried to sigh and felt pain shoot through my chest. Struggling to open my eyes, I moved my hand to my face and found tubes and tape. Trying not to panic I opened my eyes and found my eyelids heavy, my vision cloudy. I winced at the overwhelming brightness.
"Careful there, Bella. You're in the hospital." Carlisle's smooth voice loomed from just above me and when my vision finally cleared I met his golden eyes.
I tried to talk and found my throat dry, my lips unwilling. Carlisle leaned back and I realized it was his hand on my head. I looked around the room and found Charlie and Renee standing against the opposite wall, looking concerned.
Where was Edward? And hadn't Alice been here...? My mind was a jumble of nonsensical thoughts and trying to think rationally felt like walking through the ocean during a storm – waves dragging you under and back, never being able to reach your destination; or even see it through the violent winds.
Carlisle held a cup of water to my lips and I sipped gratefully, embarrassed that I couldn't do it myself. "How are you feeling?" He asked kindly.
"Hurts... to breathe. And move." I replied roughly, gasping a little.
"Yes, you broke some ribs, and cuts and bruises covering at least half your body. They had to repair one of your lungs, too, so breathing will be slightly difficult until that heals." He explained slowly, giving me time to process.
"What happened?" I bit my lip, remembering the other car and flashes of faces after that, but nothing concrete.
"Do you remember the accident at all?"
I tried to nod and stopped myself immediately with a silent ouch. "Yes... I braked but it wasn't soon enough, the other car skidded and ended up stopped in my path. The rest is blurry."
"Jacob found you and they called an ambulance, which brought you here." Charlie said; both him and Renee walking forward to stand around the bed.
"I thought I dreamed that. Jacob was really there?" I asked, confused. Hadn't we had a fight?
"Yes, honey. He looked after you until the ambulance came."Renee replied as she smoothed my hair away from my face.
"How long ago was that?" I asked dubiously.
"Well... It's Friday now. Three and a half days ago." She smiled slightly, still concerned.
"And you both flew in for me?" I asked, looking between Carlisle and Renee.
"Yes, of course. Charlie called me and I came straight away. Phil was at an away game, but when he gets back home he said he'd come down to Forks, too." Renee replied.
I looked over at Carlisle and he explained, "Esme and Alice are here too. Edward was concerned about you. The others wanted to come, but I didn't want you to be overwhelmed. Jasper is actually on a flight over at the moment, he's using the ticket Alice already had booked."
I frowned at that. Was I forgetting more than I thought? I wasn't expecting Alice for a month.
"Surprise visit." Carlisle smiled.
"Oh, right." I hesitated, "Where is Edward?"
Carlisle continued to smile. "The others are outside, waiting patiently. So you had time to readjust to being awake. Trust me, getting Edward and Alice out of here was quite a feat."
I smiled a little, imagining their frustration. Suddenly, I remembered something. "Is the other driver... alright?" Please don't be dead, I silently begged.
"Yes," Charlie spoke up, "She's fine. She said she won't be pressing charges and she left her insurance details. I talked to your insurance company and they're looking into it."
Edward's POV
I listened intently, relieved to hear her voice and anxious to see her.
Her memory of the crash is a sign that no lasting damage was done to her head, Carlisle thought. He'd been giving me progress reports, though it was unnecessary with my medical training.
"There's been some confusion over who's liable." Renee added. She'd spend her time since she'd been here reminiscing all the times Bella had been in hospital. I'd been surprised by the number of times, and her more recent injuries. Charlie had emailed Renee updates when Bella had been in injured – motorbike accidents, hiking injuries and varies other cuts and sprains resulting from her extreme hobbies. Since I'd returned she hadn't shown any interest in doing anything injury-inducing, unless you counted going into wolf territory.
Whatever those mutts had done to her, they would regret it.
I was shaken up by the car crash, something I'd been keeping to myself since my family arrived. I had been minutes away, I had told her she should go and I hadn't saved her. That bothered me the most: the crash had been on my side of the treaty line, Bella had been driving back to me, it was my job to look after her. This proved how absolutely fallible she was and my inability to protect her.
Alice was being careful with her thoughts, but I knew she also blamed herself for not predicting the accident. It was the werewolves fault, yet she couldn't let it go.
"You should go in," Esme urged, "She's awake and coherent. She must want to see you."
I frowned at her and made eye contact with Alice briefly, her thoughts mirroring mine. How can I look at her, unable to even breathe easily, when I could have done something?
"We should give her time to wake up." I replied, distracted my Bella's voice.
She was worried about the other driver and the insurance, not herself. Oh, my Bella. I couldn't live in a world without her soul. I could only hope that some twist of fate would allow us to be together in the next life, though it was unlikely. She was so very good and I killed small, furry things on a daily basis.
Selfishly, I wanted to change her right then. She could never be hurt, never be torn away from me.
Alice's eyes flickered to mine in surprise and then darted away, concentrating on predicting the world's weather for the next month.
"What is it?" I asked in a low voice.
"Nothing, I suppose. I just saw Bella... Well, the future is subjective." She declared. Her thoughts, however, were more hopeful. So beautiful, how could it be? Visiting her human friends, holding Angela's baby, could her future be...? No vampire had that self control, nor that masochistic inclination. Well, maybe Edward. But so soon after... even if she was changed today, that would be in three years.
I narrowed my eyes at her but didn't comment. She would eventually share her vision, even with her idealist belief that if she didn't interfere fate would make everything right.
"Could I see the others?" Bella asked softly.
Carlisle paused, "Of course. I'll go find them."
Charlie's voice overlapped his footsteps, "Alice and Edward have barely left the room since they arrived."
"Yes," Renee agreed, "they're so sweet, Bella. Both of them were so worried, but they managed everything for you. Especially Edward, he's a good man."
"Shh!" Bella winced and Renee rushed forward.
"She wants to see you." Carlisle said, now in the corridor we were in. Esme gave him a half smile and glided into the room.
Alice and I weren't so enthusiastic.
"She does not blame either of you, so don't make her wait. I am not going back in there to say you refused to see her. She loves you both, so go support her. Now." Carlisle said in a stern voice, his eyes sympathetic.
Alice sighed, fixing her hair and then walked in. Grudgingly, I followed. I wanted to see Bella, didn't care what she looked like, but I didn't want to see her look at me with her big brown eyes and think I'd failed her.
Bella's POV
I waited so long for him to return, had thought he'd forgotten me – somehow, fallen out of love or never loved me to begin with. If it had been the former, I would have sold my soul to know how you could manage to fall out of love with someone so easily. His reluctance as he entered the room reminded me of all the unpleasant thoughts I'd had while he was gone.
This didn't stop me from taking in his incomparable beauty, his gorgeously rumpled hair. Alice's steps were less bouncy than usually as she came to sit on the edge of the bed, staying out of Charlie's way but giving him a bright smile.
"Bella! It's so good to see you awake... watching you sleeping without knowing when you'd wake up was killing me." She gave me a small smile and sighed.
"Thank you for travelling here – all of you." I bit my lip under their scrutiny, "sorry to cause so much trouble. I should have been paying more attention to my surroundings."
"It wasn't your fault." Edward declared quietly.
I looked up, meeting his eyes. They burned with some unidentifiable, intense emotion. Sometimes, I longed to read his thoughts.
"Well, I was the one who collided with the other car... they weren't doing anything wrong." I said hesitantly, not wanting to argue with him.
He frowned, "No, not the other driver. I meant... never mind. It wasn't your fault."
Conscious of the others in the room I gave in. Turning to Carlisle I asked what I could and couldn't do.
"Well, you need to rest for a week, after that just be careful. Avoid anything too strenuous. You won't be able to drive while you're on this medication." At my pained look he smiled slightly, "I'm sure Edward would be happy to drive you around until you're better. You'll probably be discharged tomorrow if everything stays stable, but you'll need a few check-ups."
"That sounds fine. Can I, um, eat?"
He chuckled, "Yes. I'll go find you something decent and get a nurse. If you feel light-headed, dizzy, nauseous, or any severe pain...buzz a nurse." He indicated the button, then added, "Or call me."
Alice was already taking my phone out of the small bedside cupboard and putting it beside me.
"Thanks." I smiled at them both.
Esme stepped forward, taking the hand Renee wasn't holding and squeezing it gently, "I'm so glad you're alright, Bella. You gave us all a fright." She smiled softly and inclined her head ever-so-slightly towards Edward. I smiled back, understanding. She and Alice both decided to go with Carlisle in an obvious attempt to give Edward and I a chance to talk.
As soon as the nurse walked in Charlie decided to go find some coffee and check in with work, and Renee smiled at his departure.
"He's just squeamish." She laughed a little, shaking her head. "But I should give you some privacy too. I'll come back in an hour or so, alright, hon?" She brushed my hair back, looking concerned again.
"Yes, go, I'll be fine."
She kissed my forehead and turned to Edward, "Call me if anything happens."
Once she was gone the nurse introduced herself, going through a long process of checking machine and then manually making sure she found the same results, quizzing me on what hurt and finally giving me some pills to take. I was embarrassed by Edward's intense gaze the entire time, though the nurse seemed unaware of his presence as she checked on my bandages.
"Everything looks fine for now, someone will be in with your next dose tonight and they'll change your bandaging and help you shower. Dinner is at 6. Just press this button if you need anything." She smiled politely and left, giving Edward a curious look as she passed him.
After a moment of silence I decided that I had to be the one to break it. I couldn't let him retreat into his own mind again, after last time made him leave me.
"Edward... I'm fine, if that's what you're worried about. You couldn't have known, sometimes things happen that are out of our control, even to you." I paused, waiting for his reaction. When nothing came I continued. "Just don't leave, okay? I can't..." I shook my head, unable to comprehend surviving the pain of losing him again.
He sighed and came to stand beside the bed, "Bella... I'm tired of missing you; I just want you right by my side."
"Promise?"
His eyes were troubled, but he nodded. "Forever. I love you, I won't leave again... of course, you can leave me if you –"
I cut him off with a sharp "No" and leaned up, trying to kiss him. Unfortunately, my body protested the movement and I fell back with a ragged inhale, almost as fast as Edward's hand shot out to gently, yet forcefully, push me back against the pillows.
"You need to be cautious; you have a large number of very new injuries." He explained, watching with concern and pain as I struggled to get comfortable and even out my breathing.
"I'm never going to leave you, understand that, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. You left and I had a lot of time to think about us. I. Am. Not. Leaving. You. You're it for me. I will love you, always. So I don't care if you spend a hundred years thinking that you were fated to be alone and miserable, or that I'm just a human, or that you have the innate urge to kill me. None of that matters because I love you and you cannot doubt that. Ever." I told him sternly, my outrage increasing. How dare he doubt me?
Edward looked surprised at my outburst and stayed thoughtful for a moment. "I apologize if it seems like I was questioning your feelings, Bella." The corners of his mouth quirked up in amusement, "I love you too, you know."
I gave him a small smile, refusing to laugh. My beautiful, sweet, illogical Edward.
He leaned down and gave a light, soft kiss that was barely a minute long but took what little oxygen I had and left me light-headed. Wow, I though incoherently, unable to utter even that.
"Get some sleep, love, you need to recuperate." He said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed.
I didn't know whether he meant from the crash or the kiss, but I was so exhausted, so, so tired, that I closed my eyes and let his humming calm my mind into the quietest, gentlest sleep.
A/N: This chapter was more so about Bella and Edward's relationship, so don't worry if you're missing Jacob, he'll be back next chapter!