Chapter 9

Bella

Hayden looked at the dishes of food on the table with such desire we all stepped away from the table a little bit.

She inhaled the scents; her eyes rolled back into her head. She sneaked a look at me and I nodded. Then within a second she blurred, then attacked the table.

My family and I watched in… awe? – I had no other word for it – while she swallowed everything she saw. Esme looked so sad at this sight she put a hand over her mouth.

I tiptoed to Edward and laid my head on his chest. "We have some work to do," I mouthed to him.

He raised his eyebrow at me, glancing at Hayden every so often. "If you say so, Miss."

After she inhaled a few dozen chicken legs (no joke) she leaned back and panted. Wiped her mouth with her back of her hand, slowly becoming aware of all of us. When she noticed everybody staring at her, she blushed as hard as I normally would have if I was still human. Her mouth started to form a word, but Carlisle interrupted.

"It's all yours," he encouraged her.

She blushed more and shook her head. "No. I've already made such an impression. Can you just treat my leg, please?" Her expression was so interesting I had to focus on her harder.

She looked so embarrassed, distraught, angry, and pained at the same time. I looked at Edward to see what exactly it was she was thinking.

His eyes were closed, and his nostrils flared somewhat.

I'm not sure what it was, but something was seriously wrong with Hayden.

I followed Carlisle and her into the doctor's room. "What is it you have to do?" I whispered to him.

He whispered back, "I hope an amputation isn't necessary. Besides, I don't even think it's possible." He frowned. "Her skin is so hard that I'm not sure I could cut into it."

"But her leg is half off!" I whispered hoarsely.

"Yes it is. However I have to make a clean, straight cut to do an amputation. So I'm just going to try a lot of stitches and a cast. She might have to walk with crutches for a while."

"How is it possibly all this is happening? Carlisle?"

His eyes were staring somewhere. It was at a picture of Italy, where I know to find the Volturi.

"That's just something we'll have to find out in time, won't we, Bella?" he made a broken attempt to smile.

And I watched as Hayden lowered herself on the chair, struggling to keep her breathing even. She fumbled with her hands in her lap, and pressed hard to her wrists. Her eyes closed, but her mouth opened and she began to pant.

"I think we may have to try a sedative," he said. I left him to do his work.