Edward stopped at the house before going back to the hospital. He walked in the door just after Alice went upstairs to change her clothes. Jasper was waiting for her in the living room.
"Jasper, where's Alice?"
"Upstairs changing. She didn't bother to pack anything before we left for Forks."
"You went to Forks?"
"Alice thought we might be able to get some insight on what happened with Bella. We brought Charlie back with us. He's at the hotel near the hospital."
Edward paused for a moment going over everything that Charlie had said. Jasper just kept going over it and blaming himself for the family having to pick up and move the way they did. "It wasn't your fault. She doesn't blame you. She told Alice that the night it happened."
Alice came running down the stairs. "Edward!" she cried as she flung herself at her brother. "She looks so much more fragile laying in that bed! She was always breakable but she's so much paler. I saw the ice bath. Just as Esme called us I saw it. I heard her." The heart-rending tone in Alice's voice made Jasper get up and pull his wife into his arms. Edward put a comforting hand on his sister's head.
"Alice, we'll make this better. I promise. I won't let her slip away from us." Edward left the house to drive back to the hospital.
****
Edward walked back into the room where Bella was sleeping in the bed. Carlisle was sitting next to her still. The anguish in Edward's eyes told his father figure that he knew what had happened with the ice bath.
"I'm sorry, Edward. It had to be done."
"I know. I don't blame you, Carlisle. What can I do to help?"
"I need to go talk to some colleagues of mine. See if they have any ideas as to what could be causing this."
"Talk to Alice. She and Jasper went to talk to Charlie and he gave them some information that could help. They brought him back with them."
"Where is he now?"
"Jasper said that they'd dropped him off at the hotel closest to here. I was almost expecting him to already be here." Just then, Charlie Swan walked into his daughter's room.
"YOU!!! You caused this! You made my little girl into a basket case for four months! All she ever did was love you and you turned her into a puzzle!"
Edward bowed his head. "Yes I did. I wish I could take it all back. Charlie, I honestly thought she'd be better off without me around."
"Don't you talk to me! I don't care what you have to say. Carlisle, how's my daughter?"
"Charlie, I wish I knew what to say. I have to talk to a couple of my colleagues here in the psychiatry department. I think this was brought on psychologically as a result of her blocking the memories of Edward and the rest of the family."
"That's what the psychologist I talked to said could happen when this all started. After four months, she started acting as if your family had never been part of our lives. I was careful not to force her into facing the facts at the time. I thought it was all for the best."
Charlie walked over to Bella and brushed his hand over her forehead. "I thought I was protecting my baby girl."
Carlisle walked over to the man. "Our children are the most important things in our lives, chief. All we ever want to do is protect them. There's nothing there to be ashamed of. I still feel the same way about all of my children. Even though they're all old enough to take care of themselves."
"Don't let her leave me, Carlisle. Please don't let her leave me." Charlie's shoulders started shaking with his sobs as he stared down at his daughter.
Edward walked away, leaving a father to care for his daughter.
