No I still own nothing: All characters are property of Stephenie Meyer.
Oh, and this will probably be the last I post for this story till after Christmas, so... MERRY CHRISTMAS!, HAPPY HANUKKAH, HAPPY KWANZA, AND HAVE A WONDERFUL SOLSTICE!!! If I forgot anyone sorry, HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!
Blood
With Bella's warm body cradled in my arms I run through the forest, dodging trees and avoiding branches effortlessly. In mere minutes our large, white house appears through the dense trees as a welcoming beacon.
"Carlisle!" I yell as I break through the trees. Silence answers my pleas.
I leap over the stairs and through the front door not pausing even the split second to shut it behind me. No noises can be heard in the house, not a whisper of breath or movement. Where has everyone gone?
Bella moans as I carry her up the stairs to my bedroom. She looks so fragile, so broken; my heart rips each time I see the bruises darkening under her pale skin. Dark red blood stains the collar of her shirt, spreading along her neckline.
Thirst rages, spreading fire through my throat and lungs while venom churns like acid and scalds my insides. My instincts battle against my will, urging me to take what is so easily available. Amazingly, even though my body screams for Bella's blood that flows so freely from the wound on her neck I am able to ignore its demands. The small gasps being pulled in and out from between parted lips and the steady beat of my love's heart keeps me grounded, keeps me human. The monster will not rage today.
Soft blue cotton sheets ripple around Bella's sleeping form. Quickly, I work as gently as possible to rid her body of her potent spilled blood. I carefully tear her shirt away from her body, making sure not to pull too hard and bruise her more. Dark purple bruises are visible on both sides of her torso and collarbone. Swelling distorts her wrist and hand from where Edward slammed it into the rock and applied far too much force to restrain her.
I rush to Carlisle's office after covering Bella with the top sheet and duvet to retrieve his medical bag. Back in my room I clean the wound on her neck with antiseptic and cover it with gauze pads making sure not to get her hair stuck in the adhesive strips.
Thank goodness Edward only grazed her neck, scraping away layers of skin and leaving behind a nasty wound, but he did not bite her or break the surface of any veins. Had his venom found its way into her bloodstream there would have been no hope of stopping her transformation now. She will forever bear the scar from his attack, but she will bear it alive and human.
I sit beside Bella, taking her warm, soft, unresponsive hand into my own. The familiarity of this motion haunts me. Memories of the promise I made just days ago while Bella lay unconscious, suffering from wounds that still are not healed, torment me. "Never again, Bella, you will never get hurt again because of me. I promise." The words of my empty promise taunt me painfully.
With every breath Bella breathes the whispered words of my vow to her mock me, reminding me that once again I have failed her. Had I run when I first saw the vision of Edward attacking her, would I have been there in time to keep my promise? Had I not collapsed in my own misery, would she be laughing and smiling at me while she held my hand instead of laying there still and quiet in the deep sleep of one who has been through severe trauma?
Clouds of vapor distort my vision as familiar buzzing rings through my mind, pulling me away from my contemplations of Bella. I attempt to fight the coming vision. I want to see Bella; I want to focus solely on her. The pull of my vision is too strong; I cannot resist. I close my eyes, relaxing my mind and body and allow the premonition to pull me away from the one I love for only a minute. "No longer," I promise myself.
Bella lies in bed covered by the same light blue sheets and duvet I have just tucked her under. Her body convulses and pain distorts her features. A scowl of agony creases her brow and squeezes her eyes shut tightly. A loud screeching scream fills the room. I lay holding Bella's quaking body tightly in my arms as quiet sobs shake my own frame adding to the violent motion.
The light filtering through the open curtains changes from the orange glow of dusk to the blackish ink of night. No moon lights the room and all is silent and perfectly dark. Bella's body still shakes as if trying to rid itself of biting insects. I attempt to soothe Bella's discomfort by stroking her bare skin with my chilled hands as her limbs flail under invisible attack. Her body relaxes temporarily with each touch and whispered word of encouragement, but her pained expression never falters.
Deep amaranthine hues spread through the room, lighting the room in bloody light as the sun rises through the thick cloud covered sky. Light spreads slowly across the bed, illuminating Bella's now still form. I lie prone beside her, unable to move, lost in my own remorse and the knowledge of Bella's suffering. The once steady rhythm of her heart falters, skips, and stalls never to be heard again.
A deep, mournful howl rips through the morning air. The harsh, painful sound echoes through the silent house.
Opening my eyes I find myself on the floor, my arms curled tightly around my body. What have I done?
I can wait for their return no longer. Carlisle's cell phone rings once before his calming voice comes on the line.
"Carlisle, Bella is hurt. I don't know what exactly is wrong, but I have just had a very bad vision and I need to know what to do," I tell him, rushing my words, making them unintelligible to mortals.
"Okay, Alice, I need you to do me a favor," Carlisle instructs smoothly, easing my tension with his confidence. "What I need you to do is not going to be easy, but I know you can do it. Are you in the room with Bella now?"
"Yes," I whisper, my nervousness and fear rising again as I look down upon Bella's overly pale face. Yellow circles form under her eyes as if she has not slept in days.
"First, I need you to give me a detailed description of how she was injured and every injury you can see." Carlisle instructed in a voice reserved for teaching med students during observation days.
I pull the covers down, layering them below Bella's feet so I could easily pull them back up when I finish inspecting her for possible injuries. The list of new injuries to report is fairly few. I tell Carlisle of her swollen, bruised wrists and the likelihood of a stress fracture of her right radius. I count out and give him the location of multiple bruises including the dark purple bruising on both sides of her torso.
Silence hangs over the phone for a second. "Alice, I need you to roll Bella over for me. I want you to look for any bruising, and also you need to feel for any areas that are unusually feverish." Whispered words I can't quite make out fill the void as I turn my attention back to Bella.
Her soft flesh molds to my stone arms as I lift Bella and very smoothly lay her on her stomach. I gasp as my eyes rake over her body. "Oh my God, Bella," a sob wracks my shoulders as I gingerly run my hand along the huge black and red bruise stretching the entire width of her back just below her ribs. Her skin molds under my fingers easier and deeper than normally possible. Heat radiates from the severe bruise, far too intensely.
"I need you to tell me what you see, Alice. I can't help you or Bella if I do not know what we are dealing with," Carlisle demands, bringing me out of my horrified stupor.
I explain the horrible bruise that covers half of her back and reaches up like grasping fingers on both of her sides. I describe the strange sensation of her skin swallowing my fingers when I apply even the lightest of pressure and the heat radiating from the surface. As I speak, my hands continue to rub lightly over the horrid bruise, as if by my simple touch I could make it disappear. I lay my hands flat on her injured area, trying to sooth the heat of her wound with my chilled skin.
"When did you last hunt?" Carlisle asks, his worry clear in his slightly hitched breath.
"What," I mindlessly reply. What does when I last hunted have to do with Bella's injury? "Um, night before last, I'm not thirsty right now, Carlisle; I would never endanger her."
"I know," he answers, his voice pained and laced with indecision. "I need you to trust me right now. What I am going to ask you to do is going to be very difficult. If you cannot handle it, I need to know you will leave her. If you can't do what I ask leave Bella where she is and go hunt immediately, do you understand? I can't tell you what to do next until I have your word."
"I promise, what do I need to do?" Whatever I have to do, I will. My hands begin shaking slightly as I remove them from Bella's overheated skin. I breathe deeply, awaiting further direction as I silently plead for strength. I can't let my vision come to fruition.
"Okay, I know you can do this, Alice. It sounds like Bella has some internal bleeding. I need to know where it is coming from. I've done this many times to locate internal injuries, but it's not easy." A silent pause breaks his speech as if to brace me for what is to come. An ominous doubt consumes me as his words sink in.
I know what he is going to ask of me; he's shared stories of how our heightened senses have helped him save lives in the past that no human doctor could have saved. By releasing our fragile hold on humanity and letting our predatory instincts take over we are able to find the places inside a human body where blood flows in an irregular manner, thus diagnosing the source of internal bleeding. The risk of course is great, once we release ourselves there is no conscious mind controlling our impulses. Only the strongest of vampires could resist in such a situation.
I run my fingers through my tangled hair trying to calm my mind. Endless possibilities of failure race one after another painting multiple scenes of destruction and death. I let each small vision play itself out watching how ever small change I can think of effects the future. None of my visions end well.
"I can't do it," I whisper in despair.
"You can do this, Alice. Bella needs you to do this for her," Carlisle encourages, but I know it is not the truth. If I try this, Bella will die. I will not allow that.
"No, Carlisle, I can't." More whispered conversation too quiet for me to hear clearly passes on the other end of the line.
"I'm on my way back," Carlisle replies. I release a long held breath knowing that soon he will be here. He will know how to help Bella. He'll be able to help prevent my vision from happening. "We're on the far side of La Push; I'll be home in ten minutes."
"Thank you, Carlisle." I exhale, relief flooding me.
"Don't thank me yet, Alice. Watch her closely." His final words before hanging up are not encouraging. The silent statement in those two sentences rings loudly in my heart.
I roll Bella back over onto her back and watch her slow, labored breathing. A hollow rattling sound now accompanies each breath. The yellow circles under her eyes have darkened; the skin on her cheeks has begun to turn sallow, matching the unhealthy bags under her eyes. Star-like miniature blood bursts darken the skin of her lips and brow. Her heart's tempo has dropped. What once beat out a strong, vivacious pulse has dropped to a dilapidated largo waltz.
I reach forward brushing wayward locks of hair off of Bella's face, caressing her closed eyes and allowing my finger to trail down the soft contours of her face before resting my open hand over her slowly beating heart.
"I've failed you again, Bella," I whisper, my throat choking on my words as my muscles involuntarily contract, conspiring to stop any further speech.
A violent spasm rocks Bella's body. Her breathing halts and her eyes fly open unseeing. I count the seconds waiting for her seizing muscles to release her from their torment. Seventy two seconds after her muscles first seized, sending her body into powerful convulsions, Bella's eyes roll back, her lids closing as if in sleep. The muscles in her arms and legs relax sinking into the soft mattress. I hold her face lightly in my hands, kissing her brow as I sob.
A breeze ruffles through Bella's long hair splayed out on the pillow. The ends float up on the wind like a soft halo. Carlisle leans down over Bella's still frame. His fingers gently pry open her eyelids to examine her bloodshot eyes. His eyes darken as he breathes in deeply, leaning closer into Bella, his hands softly running over her abdomen, pressing lightly into her flesh.
A glazed, nearly violent expression twists his features as he rolls Bella over onto her stomach. Loud growls issue forth from deep within his chest, the rumbling filling the air with a palpable vibration. Black, bottomless depths glare up at me seconds before turning back to further examine the atramentaceous bruising.
"Her spleen is ruptured and there's a large tear in her right kidney." Carlisle pauses looking to me with a question in his gaze. "How did she get injured, Alice? I haven't seen injuries like this except after serious collisions."
Anger boiled the venom coursing through my granite veins. One word, one name is all I can force in reply. "Edward."
"That explains a lot," Carlisle states sadly, turning back toward Bella. "We need to release the pressure building in her kidney; the pooling blood is increasing the pressure on her functioning organs. If we don't reduce it her body will go into complete systemic failure."
Carlisle reaches into his black leather doctor's bag I had deposited on the bed side table and withdraws a scalpel, the sharp blade glinting in the dim sunlight streaming in through the open curtains. "After I make the incision I need you to hold gauze over the wound with light pressure to moderate the flow of blood. If we don't moderate it, we will throw her body into shock."
I watch as the blade slices through the thin, taut layer of Bella's delicate skin. The air becomes thick with the heady, narcotic aroma of Bella's blood as a puddle of the crimson liquid saturates the thick pad of gauze clasped tightly in my hand. I press the bandage over the small incision, stunting the flow of blood but not stopping it.
Bella's life blood seeps between my fingers dying, my hand a gruesome red. The beast in all of our kind battles for dominion in both Carlisle and me. Our love for Bella overpowers any threat of nature, pressing us onward to do everything possible to help her.
Bella's body seizes harshly. Every muscle contracts and releases, causing her limbs to thrash furiously and blood to pulse out of the small cut with each contraction.
"She's loosing blood too quickly, you need to press harder," Carlisle commands while trying to hold Bella's arms at her sides to prevent her from causing more damage.
A large puddle of blood soaks into the sheets, changing them from a calming blue to a horrid macabre rose. The scent is almost overwhelming. My hands shake as I use the fingers of both hands to press directly against the cut in her flesh. The saturated cloth bandage lies discarded next to the pillow on which Bella rests her head, unaware of the battle to save her life.
Blood continues to pulse heavily although slowly through my fingers, the pressure applied doing nothing to stem the flow. The black plum coloring of her back has faded to a frightening red as the clotted blood flows through the incision only to be quickly replaced by fresh blood hemorrhaging from her kidney and spleen.
"She's losing too much blood. She needs surgery immediately," Carlisle informs me, sounding nearly frantic for the first time in memory.
A shadow of the vision I had earlier plays in my mind, showing me the futile effort of getting her to the hospital. "There's not enough time for that." My voice sounds hollow, devoid of life.
"Then we have a choice to make. You are her best friend; do you believe she would want our life if she could answer for herself?"
"Yes." I hope I'm right. We have not spoken of the possibility of eternity since our brief conversation while she was in the hospital, but my pride and my heart yell at me that it is true. I cannot go on without her by my side.
Carlisle nods, his eyes laden with sorrow as he leans toward Bella placing his lips at her neck. "Wait!" I yell grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back. He gives me a questioning glance before moving back toward Bella. "No, please, I think she would want me to be the one to... I think she would want it to be me who bit her."
"Okay." Worry shines in his eyes as he appraises the thirst blackened state of my own eyes. "With the amount of blood she's already lost you need to make sure not to take more than necessary for your venom to be exchanged. More than two bites is too risky, you will need to bite on the carotid artery just above the clavicle and the femoral artery on the inside of her thigh. The higher you place the bite on her thigh the quicker your venom will spread."
A million doubts start to race through my head, shouting my own insecurities at me, convincing me of my imminent failure. One lone thought stands silent amongst the rest a tribute to the possibility of success. This memory of a past vision pulls me forward, urging me on. I gaze at Bella's paling yellow tinted face and compare it to the fire eyed beauty in my mind. We will be together, I can do this.
The last vestiges of doubt flee me as I press my teeth through the thin barrier of Bella's skin. Her blood flows hot down my throat as I draw three long draughts of the heavenly nectar allowing my venom to flow through the emptied canal of her artery. I pull away, knowing I need to move on to the second bite before the flames marking the toxic march of my venom through her body begin to make her writhe in agony.
I crawl onto the bed lying myself across one of Bella's legs. Carlisle holds Bella's arms which are twitching with the first flames of change. My body quakes at the warm silken touch of Bella's skin against my lips. Closing my eyes I bite deeply making sure to hit the buried femoral artery in the first attempt. Drawing deeply I swallow and allow the venom to pool in my mouth. I force the venom into circulation in Bella's body with three quick tugs of suction, not allowing anymore of her blood escape. Every drop is precious and indispensable now.
The puncture wound on her back is already healing, her blood loss has lessened drastically in the minute it took for my venom to begin its work in her body. Her arteries and veins are hardening, stifling her internal hemorrhaging.
Carlisle stands over me, a proud smile lighting his demeanor. "Now we wait."
Bella rests in my arms, her limbs occasionally striking out at an invisible menace while Carlisle changes the mattress and wipes away the evidence of Bella's injuries from her quickly cooling skin. I lay Bella down and crawl in bed beside her, wrapping her firmly in my arms and humming quietly in her ear as the setting sun sends rays of yellow and orange through the open window. It lights the room with color, an illustration of my renewed hope.
AN: For anyone scratching their heads still over last weeks "double update". Go back and check out chapter nine, I posted it at the same time as ten. *wink* I have gotten lots of questions about that.
Hope you all enjoyed the update. If you did please be so kind as to tell me so, it makes the time I spend writing sooooo worth it! Oh and Roonie, thanks for making me try something new the other week, I'm totally over it now. *SMILES*