AN: Another chapter with grown up Bella (two more to come after this before teenaged Bella in back again). This will introduce some new characters and a subplot.

Why a subplot, you might ask? I'm gonna answer that with a quote from Shelley Young. "My definition of a subplot is quite simple. It is a secondary path in your storyline that, when the secondary path connects to the main plot's path, will have the effects of fireworks on the 4th of July."

I have some fireworks planned out for later chapters ;) Also, keep in mind Bella's opinion on coincidences - they don't exist.

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-=[ Isabelle Higginbotham, 22 y.o, the present ]=-

(ASL is the abbreviation for American Sign Language).

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12.

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Two days passed with no change. Bella ate, slept and sat by Charlie's bedside. The days were long, and the nights even longer.

And then, when change came, it was nothing like she expected it to be.

She was in her rental car, heading back to her hotel room after a food run, when she got a call from her boss - Dr. David Banner, the Chief therapist at the East Meadow. The Meadow was a residential treatment facility for young female offenders and at-risk teenage girls.

Dr. Banner had been contacted by an old friend; Carmen Dolores, a Seattle based Psychologist, specialized in the assessment, treatment and management of child and adolescent concerns such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD... which was just a fancy title for someone working with troubled teens. The two knew each other from years back, when they used to be in the same study group during college.

Dr. Dolores had, in turn, been contacted by the police regarding a rather delicate matter involving an uncommunicative and withdrawn teenage girl stuck in the middle of a highly complex situation.

"She told me to tell you 'hi', by the way. You do remember Dr. Dolores, don't you, Isabelle?" Dr Banner asked without pausing for an answer. "Anyway, she contacted me, because this situation reminded her of another time, another patient. Years ago, we worked together to help provide a much needed change of scenery for another Washington based teenage girl that had gotten herself into a bad and VERY complex situation… A supremely talented young woman, by the way, who since then has taken steps to deal with her issues and is showing great potential to turn her life around. I believe you know who I'm talking about, don't you? "

Bella felt a strange sense of emptiness descending over her. "I do," she answered simply. He was talking about five years ago, when Bella, herself, had been the teenager stuck in a bad situation. Dr. Dolores had been the expert witness testifying in court on her behalf.

When she didn't say anything else, Dr. Banner continued, "Carmen says the police think they are dealing with a sexual assault case, possibly rape, possibly incest even." He pasued for a s ecoond to let his words sink in, then he went on explaining, "The victim isn't talking and therefore they don't know what, exactly, happened to her, or who's responsible for it."

"You mentioned she is deaf, so I take it she communicates through sign language? I assume that's why you're calling me, right?" Bella asked. She knew a bit of sign language, she even had a few Advanced ASL classes on her resume, a fact her boss, of course, was well aware of.

"Yes, deaf since birth," Banner answered. "I've been told she uses a mixture of lip-reading and sign language to communicate. She can even use her voice to some extent, but prefers not to. Right now however, she isn't communicating at all."

"And you think I can help… how? " She had a feeling she knew the answer already. He wanted her to go to Seattle and meet the girl in question to see if there was anything they could do to help. Perhaps he wanted her to evaluate if his treatment facility could be a good fit for this girl, or perhaps he wanted Bella to assist Carmen when speaking to the girl, or something like that. She knew sign language and was currently in the area, it made sense. "I mean, I'm not a therapist. I'm a student, working on getting my license."

"You're a sponsor and a trusted and important team member here at the 'Meadow'. I know you take your responsibilities seriously. I wouldn't have phoned you, if I didn't think you could be useful in this situation." Dr Banner said calmly.

"Please, hear me out, okay? They can only keep the child in hospital for another four, or five days, before they'll have to let her return to her family. They need someone that can get the girl to talk. Your specialty, Isabelle. You're a good sponsor, a good listener. You make hers feel comfortable and at ease around you."

"Surely, if they get an interpreter-…"

"They have already tried that approach," he interrupted her. "They even tried bringing in her favorite teacher from school to talk to her, but the girl just doesn't want to open up. She's answered a handful of basic, yes and no questions, but other than that she isn't talking, or signing…. at all."

"What about social services? Since she's a minor, can't they do something to protect her? Like temporarily remove her from her family, until her home situation has been thoroughly investigated?"

"One would think so, yes. Apparently, they have had their eyes on this family for a while, but have nothing solid worked out as of yet. I don't have all the details, but there are special circumstances that makes this particularly complicated. With this recent development, a new caseworker has been appointed to look into the situation. He's going to need some time review the case, though. They've indicated that it will take longer than a few days for him to get on top of things and as I've told you, they can't hold her at the hospital for much longer… If social services don't act and if the girl doesn't speak up… it could all end in tragedy."

The line went silent for a beat. "You want me to go see her?" she asked.

"Yes. I would not have bothered you with this, if I didn't think you could make a difference for this girl. She's only fourteen years old, she's just a child and-…."

"Listen, I'm not sure this is such a good idea. My father is… his condition is not going to improve. He is dying. In fact, if it wasn't for the machine breathing for him, he'd already be gone. There are things I need to take care of, decisions to make and papers to sign…" she trailed off.

"I'm sorry to hear about your father."Dr. Banner said, softening his voice. "Obviously, family comes before everything else and nothing is as important as your own well-being. Isabelle, if you need someone to talk to... If you feel yourself slipping back into old patterns of thoughts, then-… "

"No, I'm fine" she interrupted him, somewhat brusquely. "I mean, thanks, but that's not the issue here. We were not that close; my father and I, not in recent years anyway. It's just hard to be back here, so close to my old stomping grounds after all this time, that's all."

"Okay, and you're sure that's all there is to it?" he sounded hesitant.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

The line went silent for a bit before he spoke again.

"I really do think this can be beneficial for you too, as a learning experience, but also as a mean to tackle any excess stress that might arise from being back on your old -what were the words you used?- stomping grounds," he pointed out calmly. "Also, it gives you something else to focus on for a while. Last time we spoke, when you called me to extend your leave of absence, you said to call you if any of our girls needed you. You even offered to participate in group-sessions through Skype calls. I got the impression that you wouldn't mind some distraction... that you perhaps needed it, even."

"That's not the same as-… Okay, you do have a point there. Doing nothing is slowly driving me insane," she admitted. "I'd forgotten how slowly time moves up here. It just rains all the time and there is nothing to do except think about the past and things…However, that doesn't mean I'm open to-…"

"Isabelle, this girl needs you. I know the situation is not ideal, but you know sign language and you're already in the area. If you agree to meet her, I'll make sure it counts toward your supervised field hours for your certification."

"She's a straight A student," he continued when Bella didn't speak up. "She goes to a 'normal' school with hearing kids. No drugs in her system. No signs of any underlying mental, or emotional disorders."

"Yeah?"

"She's a smart kid, that got into a bad situation and now, for some reason, she won't accept any outside help. If what they suspect happened is true, then this poor girl is dealing with the aftermath of a truly horrific experience. She needs someone to step in and protect her interests. I think, with your background, you'll be just what she needs."

He had a point. Of course he had a point, he was not only her boss, but a trained observer, a skilled therapist, a trusted colleague and friend of everyone, patients and staff, at the East Meadow. He always knew what he was talking about. Also, Bella felt she owed a debt to him and his staff who had helped her towards self-knowledge and inner peace. Perhaps now was the time to pay it forward.

"Alright, fine," she sighed. "I'm listening... What else do you know?" She pulled the car off the main road. A car horn blared behind her, but she ignored it.

"Not much… They found her walking along an empty road in the middle of the night, practically naked. When approached she ran towards the cliffs overlooking the ocean and perched herself on a ledge. She was in quite a state, both physically and mentally. It had been drizzling the whole night and the winds were ice cold. It took nearly two hours to coax her into a car and get her to the hospital. "

"I assume they had a rape kit exam done?"

"I assume so too. You'll have to ask the police chief to confirm that, though." There was a rustle of papers. "His name is Jason Jenks. I'll give you his number. Talk to him and he'll fill you in on the details. He'll be very accommodating. He'll need all the help he can get. "

"Have you already talked to him about me? I mean, have you told him about my background? Does he know I have a 'connection' to the Seattle area?"

"I didn't have to, he already seemed to know…"

"What do you mean? What exactly did he say?"

"Uhm… Apparently, Jenks worked alongside your father before his retirement. They are old colleagues."

"What… so he's from around here?"

"Err… did I not mention that Chief Jenks' district is actually that of your old hometown, Forks? My bad. I meant to make that clear from the beginning."

"No, you very deliberately left that tiny little detail out!' She wanted to call him out on it, but her mind was busy freaking out over this latest piece of information.

"Don't worry, the girl isn't in Forks right now. I know you do not want to go there. I wouldn't ask that of you," he quickly added as if he knew what I was thinking.

"Say something Isabelle, are you still there?"

"I'm here," she managed to force out through clenched teeth.

"According to Chief Jenks you have been spotted in, or around, the hospital … what's the name of the hospital your father's admitted to? Olympic-.. something?"

"It's the Olympic Memorial Hospital in Port Angeles," she filled in, mind reeling with conflicting thoughts. "Port Angeles is the neighboring town of Forks. I ran into an old high school acquaintance the other day. I guess the word is out about me being back, visiting my father. "

"Is this a problem? I only told Jenks your name, and that you are currently visiting a relative living in the area, that is all. He asked if you were related to the a Renee Higginbotham. When I could not, or rather choose not, to answer that question, he told me about how he knew your father. That is the extent of our conversation."

"Oh… okay."

"So will you give him a call, if I leave you his number? He really needs help with this. He really needs an outsider's perspective."

"He knows who I am and he still thinks this is a good idea?"

"Yes. All that matters here is that you are fluent in sign language and that you're in the right field of work and come with good recommendations. Just talk to him."

"Fine, I will," she gave in, surprising absolutely no one.

Who was she kidding? Of course, she couldn't just turn her back on that fourteen year old girl. She knew it and Dr. Banner knew it.

"I'll give him a call. I'm not promising anything beyond that, though."

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