Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
A/n: Hello people, welcome to my story, which occurs after my other story Sunset. You should go read that story before reading this one since a lot of stuff is explained there that I might not go fully into detail in this one (such as Characters and places); but I'll try my best to keep in mind that not everyone had read that story. Please enjoy this chapter and review it at the end.
Chapter Preview: Bella wakes up from a three week comma.
Quote of the Chapter: "If I should die tonight and the reason remains unknown, tell not the whole world, but the one I love that I died of a broken heart, not because he loved me too little but because I loved him too much."
Chapter Eleven- The Hospital
Edward sat beside my bed in a medium sized, brown, wooden chair. He looked like a statue of a god and as if he hadn't moved or even blinked in weeks. My head was in blistering pain and I felt like it had sliced open. I reached my hand up and felt the right side of my head and felt a long, somewhat thin, fluffy bandage between the corner of my eye and my ear. Edward was staring at me, looking somewhat speechless as my eyes tried, and failed, to adjust to the bright light in the room.
"Bella." Edward finally whispered, his voice was relieved and weak. I noticed his eyes were an inhumanly black color and he looked much older than he usually did. I noticed then that his cold, pale hands were holding my left, limp hand. "I'll get Carlisle." he told me, then without waiting for me to respond he dropped my hand and rushed out the room at an unnatural speed. I then noticed I was breathing heavily, and was suddenly feeling clammy. I looked around the room; the walls were plain and white as well as the white tile on the floor. There were ceiling lights, which made me have to squint since I couldn't get used to the light. There was a medium-sized window on the left side of the room, behind the wooden chair Edward had just left; outside was overcast, as usual.
The door opened and Carlisle floated in, followed my Edward who looked concerned, but Carlisle looked relieved and smiled happily at me. He walked to the edge of my bed and grabbed a clipboard which was hanging by a hook at the railing of the clean bed.
"How's our sleeping beauty?" asked Carlisle in his mystical voice, looking down at the clipboard flipping through sheets of paper.
I didn't trust my voice to answer. Besides, I didn't know how I felt; I felt nauseous and delusional and as if I wasn't really here- like I was in a dream. Carlisle looked at me for a second than wrote something down on the sheet attached to the clipboard. Edward, I noticed, began staring at me, unblinkingly, as if I might fall back into unconsciousness again.
"Edward dim the lights, please." Carlisle said, without looking up from the clipboard. Edward, obediently, rushed over to the light switch and turned the knob slightly, making the room pleasantly darker. Carlisle then put down the clipboard back on the hook and then walked over to my side. Lifting the stethoscope from around his neck, he gently placed his hand on my back and pushed me forward slightly.
"Take a deep breath." Carlisle told me, slipping his hand under my hospital gown and placing the chestpiece of the stethoscope over my heart. I did as I was told and took a deep breath, it hurt my throat slightly. He moved the chestpiece up, "Another, Bella." he said softly, and I obeyed, coughing slightly. I saw Edward move closer towards the bed. This continued for awhile, he carried on- telling me to breathe every few seconds, moving the chestpiece around my chest, then my back.
"Bella, your father will be here in a few. He was here but he had to take care of something at the police station- but we just called him and he's on his way." Carlisle told me, gently. His voice was very calming and was soothing to my head. I nodded slightly in response than he laid me back, tenderly, on the big, fluffy pillows, making me feel extremely weak and tired suddenly.
"I'll be back in a moment, we're going to take a few tests and I need to get them ready." Carlisle told me, rubbing my hand softly and smiling brightly, then leaving the room a few moments later. As soon as Carlisle left, Edward walked closer to me, carefully as if the slightest sound would make me pass out.
"Edward." I whispered, my voice was hoarse and scratchy. He came right next to the hospital bed and kneeled down for us to be eye-to-eye.
"Yes, Bella?" he asked, grabbing my hand softly in his freezing, insipid hands, rubbing them gently as if he was afraid of breaking me.
"What- What happened?" I asked, snuggling my head deeper into my pillow. Edward continued to stare at me unblinkingly.
"Alice saw it, really. You were going to just go home- but then it changed and she didn't see anything in your future. So I got worried…" he seemed to say this as if he was ashamed of it. I knew what he was thinking, I was the one who told him not to keep overreacting when Alice saw Jacob in my future- well, didn't see… I guess. "So we found you and there were two women and a man walking towards your crashed car. Jasper, Carlisle, Emmet and I were able to send than off running- but we couldn't catch them…I couldn't even catch them. But we got to you just in time and Carlisle and I rushed you to the Hospital while Jasper and Emmet went off to try and track the others." Edward told me, I gulped slightly, making my throat even dryer.
"I'll get you some water." Edward told me, and without waiting for me to respond again he ran out the room. I laid there, not thinking of much, except what Edward had told me how he saved me, once again. A moment later Edward returned with a glass of water with a straw in it. He rushed to my bedside, and pulled up the chair he had sat in when I woke up. I sat up slightly, my head screaming in protest from my movement.
"Here you go." Edward whispered, holding up the straw to my mouth for me to drink. I put the straw between my lips and sipped the water slowly. The cold, icy water slid down my throat and gave me such a relief I moaned loudly in ease.
Edward continued to stare at me, but oddly it didn't make me uncomfortable, just protected. After I gulped down more than half the glass of water I removed the straw from my mouth and Edward placed the glass on the bedside table.
I finally felt like I was able to talk clearly.
"There was a forest." I whispered, still not feeling strong enough to talk louder, but I was glad my voice wasn't croaky anymore. "And the children- the children from the news were there and they need my help." I said, groaning as my head gave a painful yank.
"Bella- what are you talking about? You never went into a forest…" Edward told me, grabbing my hand, again, between his again.
"Yes I did- and there was a little girl…" I struggled to remember, "And that man and those women, they're the first vampires and…" I tried to hold on to what I remembered had happened, but I felt it slipping from my mind. Edward took my momentary silence as a chance to speak.
"Bella- you've been in here for three weeks, unconscious- there's no way you could have-"
"Yes I did- I dunno- I dreamt it- but its real, Edward. I've been dreaming about the same thing for a long time, and-" I insisted, but then coughed. Why didn't he understand what I was talking about? It was making me angry at him for not believing me.
"People don't dream in comas, Bella- your mind is frozen while you're unconscious…there's no way…" Edward told me.
"The little girl- she told me- she told me I was in a coma and there were some vampire elders and a war and newborns." I explained trying to remember, his face turned concerned- and I was glad he was finally listening.
"A war?" Edward asked.
"Yes." I said relieved at his sudden interest, "And something about claiming territory in the north." Edward stared off for what seemed like forever, until he finally looked at me.
"Okay, Bella- I believe you- I should tell the others about this." Edward told me but did not move. I nodded, and laid back on my pillow, snuggling my head into it and taking a deep breath. He continued to stare at me, rubbing his thumb across my palm. Edward began humming softly, I recognized the tune, but did not want admit I loved it. I closed my eyes and listened to my lullaby and feeling his thumb slowly and softly graze my hand.
"How do you feel?" Edward asked, quietly, and I opened my eyes. He was smiling slightly, as he watched me; one of his hands moved up and cupped the bandaged side of my face. Instead of his touch hurting me, like I thought I would, it made the deep cut along the side of my face feel considerably better and I didn't feel the pounding as much anymore.
"I've been better." I answered, leaning closer into his hand. Edward smiled at me softly.
"What can I do to make you feel better?" he asked, moving closer to me, and kissing my hand softly with his cold lips.
I didn't know what I wanted, or needed. To be honest I wanted to just leave this hospital, I didn't want to take any test- I just wanted to see Charlie and Jacob…
"Where's Jacob?" I asked.
Edward paced up and down the hospital hallway, impatiently, just about ready to pull out his hair. He and Carlisle had just rushed Bella's unconscious body to Forks Hospital. As of now Carlisle and the rest of the doctors were doing medical test on her and he couldn't stand the feeling that something would happen to her- something worse than expected.
Carlisle opened the door and exited the room, a moment later the rest of the doctors left too and headed off in different directions leaving the two of them alone; Edward stopped pacing and turned to Carlisle.
"Is she alright?" Edward asked, out loud.
'She hit her head hard against the car window and sliced her head open. We found small pieces of glass pushed pretty deep down inside the cuts- don't worry we've removed all the pieces and did an x-ray of her head…but it doesn't look too good. We gave her stitches and everything should heal in due time but- she's still unconscious and I'm afraid she might be falling into a coma.' Carlisle thought, Edward's expression was blank, yet Carlisle could still see the horrified emotion in his eyes.
"Can I see her?" Edward asked.
"I think that'll be alright- I'm going to go contact Chief Swan." Carlisle said out loud, 'Everyone knows only of the crash, of course, Jasper and Emmet are still tracking the elders- Esme called- their scent, though, that's the problem…' Carlisle thought.
"I'm going to find them- then destroy them for ever trying to hurt her." Edward mumbled, angrily, more to himself, however.
'Calm down, Edward.' Carlisle thought, Edward ran his hands through his beautiful, golden brown, hair.
"I'm going in to see her." Edward said, finally and walked into the room.
Bella laid unconscious, I.V plugs in her arms and the heart beat scanner beeping in the background. He was angry and horrified and every bit of emotion there was out there- human and nonhuman. He walked over to her beside and kneeled down beside her, slowly trailing his figures down her bandaged cut over the right side of her face. Edward bowed his head- if he could cry, he would have. He prayed to god, hoping- however odd it may have seemed- that he would be able to see her lovely eyes again and have her look at him again; He would give up any chance of ever going to heaven for Bella just to wake up.
Edward was forced to leave a few minutes later for the doctors to do tests on her. Edward sat in the front of the room, looking out the window, watching dark night sky as the scattered clouds slowly crossed over the nearly full moon.
"Edward!" someone called suddenly, Edward jumped up looking around to find the voice. Charlie was hurrying towards him, looking tired, nervous, and scared.
"Chief Swan." Edward greeted sadly, Charlie walked over to him.
"Where is she?" he asked hurriedly, Edward pointed towards the door he had been sitting in front of.
"But they're still doing test, so I don't think you'll be able to go in."
Charlie took a deep breath and sat down in the chair closest to the door.
"Damn, it seems like I was just here after Bella feel down those stairs and through that window- now she got into a car crash." he groaned, putting his head in his hands.
"I know what you mean, sir." Edward said, sitting next to him.
"I want to thank you, by the way." Charlie said, awkwardly. "Carlisle told me what happened- you're always there for her, Edward."
"I wished I didn't have to be- but I always will be if she needs me." Edward answered, not looking at Charlie.
"And sorry for acting how I did when you and your family came back…" Charlie said his voice uncomfortable.
"It's nothing Chief Swan…you had every right to act like that." Edward said, still not making eye contact- but it was fine, because Charlie was staring straight ahead as well.
"BELLA- WHERE"S BELLA?!" Edward shot up again, this time the noise was coming from the entrance of the hospital- suddenly an awful stench filled the air. Jacob came running down the hall a minute later, wearing pajama pants and a jacket and no shoes.
Charlie stood up as well as Jacob came running towards them with the same expression Charlie had had etched upon his face when he came.
"Where is she? Where's Bella? What happened?" Jacob demanded facing Edward angrily.
"She's in there- they're running tests on her." Charlie told him and Jacob turned to him instead. Edward sat back down, trying to act human, Charlie soon did as him- Jacob stayed standing, pacing as he had done.
"What happened?" Jacob asked again, trying to see into the room.
"She got into a car crash." Charlie told him. Jacob put his hands deep into his pocket and continued to pace. "She hit a tree."
'People recover from car crashes- Bella's strong- she'll be alright." Edward kept hearing in Jacob's mind- he kept repeating it over and over in his head.
I stayed there waiting for Edward to answer. He seemed to have blanked out, staring into space. And after he finally looked back at me, he still didn't answer.
"You should rest Bella." Edward told me, dropping his hand from my face and resting it over my lap. He bent down and laid his head on the side of my bed, looking up at me. "I'm so glad you awake." he muttered, softly, more to himself. I gave him a small smile and rested my free hand on his cheek. "I was so scared, when I saw you…I didn't know what to think…you were gone for so long…" he said squeezing my hand gently.
"I want to apologize…" I told him, he raised his eyebrow and sat up in his chair again.
"For what? You've done nothing…" Edward told me, but he was wrong.
"I'm sorry for kissing you…I knew I shouldn't have, I didn't know what had gone over me…" I explained.
"It's nothing, Bella- its fine…" Edward told me, not looking me in the eye as he once was.
"No it's not- I feel horrible about it." I said, he looked hurt. "And what makes it worse is that I enjoyed it."
"Bella, if this is about Jacob and how he would feel, I should tell you that-"Edward started but I interrupted.
"No, Edward let me speak- I messed up any chance of just being friends with you by kissing you, and loving that kiss at that, and I don't think it's fair to Jacob."
Jacob couldn't imagine that Bella laid unconscious for so long. It had been nearly a week since he had seen her bright smile and her dazzling eyes. He missed her and all he wanted to do was to hold her again. He walked through the hospital, a bouquet of roses in his hands as he most often came with. He had come here every day since Bella got into the car crash and spent hours just sitting beside her bed, praying to god that she would wake up once more.
Bella's mother, Renee, had come down from Florida to see her, there was much crying and arguing back and forth from Charlie and Renee, who a accused Charlie of not taking good care of her since she had been here not a year ago, of course, butted in and explained what happened and defended Charlie. Renee, although she put up a fight, was in the closest motel waiting by the phone for any news on Bella's condition.
Jacob walked over to the elevator and pressed the up arrow. He waited for the elevator to come down, impatiently. For all he knew Bella could be awake by now and was having a hard time trying to figure out how she even got in this situation. He had seen Bella that morning before it happened, and now- a week later- she laid unconscious in a hospital bed, unable to think or speak. His Bella, the woman he loved, perhaps not waking up. He blamed himself for what happened to her. He had left her to go with his pack that morning and perhaps if he had stayed with her she never would have been like this.
Philip and Charles had come about five days ago. Philip explained to everyone how she left his house nearly at sundown and Edward didn't explain how he and Carlisle found Bella surrounded by three bloodthirsty vampires. Philip had spent a long time at the hospital as well, but not as much as Jacob and Edward.
Edward nearly lived in the hospital now. He hardly left except to hunt (which he did less often then he should have) and to pretend to go eat, which he usually just went home once a day and changed his clothes. Jacob however would usually just sleep in the chair besides Bella's bed for days at a time, hardly ever eating or even moving.
The elevator finally beeped and the doors opened. Jacob went inside, being careful not to hit the roses as the doors began to close.
"Can you hold the elevator please!" someone called, Jacob immediately held out his hands and the sensors allowed the door to open back up. A young girl jogged into the elevator. She had long, wavy blond hair, and was dressed as a nurse, although she couldn't have been much older than him- if she even was. "Third floor please." the girl said, smiling at Jacob. He gulped and pressed the button along with the fifth floor, which he had already pressed before she entered.
Jacob continued to stare at the girl. Her beautiful blond hair tied up in a ponytail, her slender fingers wrapped around a clipboard. Jacob couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Bella…there's something you should know." Edward said, after a moment. I stared at him, waiting him to say something. Perhaps he felt the same and didn't think we should be friends anymore. But his face turned angry, it frightened me to some degree, but I could not look away. His perfect face should never hold that much pain as he opened his mouth about to speak. "Bella…about two weeks ago…" he started but then shut his mouth. I raised my eyebrow.
"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked quietly. He kissed my hand again, as if bidding me a farewell.
"I didn't want to be the one to tell you…but I believe that you will be hurt more if I delay…" Edward said; I was certainly confused now.
Edward charged through the hospital, following the dreadful stench the werewolf had left behind. People he passed looked at him as if he was crazy or if he was about to have a horrific meltdown in the middle of the hospital, but even though he got many stare, no one got in his way and he was glad of that- even if some had fear etched on their faces.
He walked out the hospital after rushing down the stairs, not having the patience for the slow elevator, and out the front, automatic doors. He spotted him walking to his car at first thought he wanted to crumble it into metal shavings- but he decided against it since anyone could walk out of the hospital at any minute and people often get suspicious when someone crushes a car with their bare hand.
"Stop!" Edward shouted, Jacob stopped in his tracks, about to open his car door. He turned around, shocked by Edward's sudden, soundless arrival. He rolled his eyes and turned back around putting the key in the door. "How could you do this to her?" Edward shouted across the lot.
"It was not my choice!" he shouted back.
"You can't just leave her!" Edward told him frustrated and disgusted.
"It was not my choice- but I do not regret it- this is probably the best thing that's happen to Me." he said quietly, more to himself- although Edward could still hear though they were many yards apart.
"You can't leave her- she'll be heartbroken." Edward said, more quietly this time- thinking of his beautiful Bella that lay unconscious for nearly a week already.
"Don't pretend to care for her now-you left her, I had to fix her- she'll be fine." he said harshly, turning around to look at the vampire.
"No she won't- I see how she looks at you…how much she loves you- you can't just throw that all away!" Edward said, angry again. He feared that since he hadn't hunted in a week due to wanting to watch after Bella in the hospital, he would lose control with the wolf- but he didn't care at this moment, all his cares were thrown out the window the minute the wolf told him he didn't love Bella anymore. How is that possible? One minute he's running into the hospital watching Bella lay unconscious, terrified- and the next moment he acts like he hardly cares.
"I'm leaving- tell her I'm sorry- but like I said- she's the best thing that's ever happened to me." Jacob told Edward, he got into his car and immediately started the engine, and he was gone nearly a fourth of a minute later.
Edward just stood there in the parking lot- confused and disgusted. Yes, he too had left Bella- but he never stopped loving her and he came back. But Jacob the way Jacob looked and thought- it was not about Bella- it was about someone else.
"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked again trying to add more force to what I said, although my voice was still low. Edward stared into my eyes, his eyes hurt- but not for himself, for someone else- me, perhaps.
"I don't know how- or why, since you're the most…perfect girl in the world- to me, at least, if that means anything. But…there's someone else, I saw her in his mind…she's all he thinks about. He told me about two weeks ago that he wasn't in love with you anymore and that she was the best thing to ever happen to him…and he hasn't been back here since…" Edward told me.
Something fell inside my stomach, and I felt my throat clog. I wasn't looking at Edward but I didn't see him; I saw Jacob walking away- leaving me, and not even having the decency to tell me himself. This couldn't be happening-not again, and this time it was much worst- he was leaving me for someone else…
A/n: Please review, I know you all have something to say about this. Sorry about how long this chapter took, I had family over and I was unable to write from July 1st to the 6th. Happy 4th of July by the way. Also I hope no one hates me too bad for what you probably know I am doing here. I had decided a long time ago how I wanted this story to go, and yes or no to a third installment? I'll update soon, please review, thank you.
