Chapter Thirteen

Alice

We spent the whole night talking in circles, while Rose went with Esme to hunt, trying to work out how Bella came to be locked in the basement and why. She hadn't been there when I snooped around after she went missing so where had she been then? If her father had brought her back and locked her down there then who had been looking after her? This bothered Emmett in particular,

"Yeah, I mean Charlie was real busy and like all humans she had needs."

"You think it was Charlie don't you Alice?"

I nodded in answer to Emmett's question,

"But why? Hey, do you think she ran away and he brought her back then shut her down there while the crap hit the fan?"

"It would explain why she wasn't there when I explored the house I guess."

I was still convinced there was more to the story but I couldn't put it into words.

When the others got back the following morning the phones were still out of service and the only news we had came through one of the deputies who drove out to tell us they had a fragmented message to say the helicopter had landed safely and Carlisle would get news to us when he could. We thanked him with hot coffee and some cookies from a batch Esme sent him back to the station with.

Once he left Esme sat down with a sigh,

"Poor Carlisle, I know when he left he was very worried about his two burns patients and now he has the mystery of Bell to sort out too. I asked at the clinic, to see if they had any idea how she was but they only knew what the paramedic who attended could tell them, that she was unconscious. I wonder what on earth happened to her? Poor girl."

Jasper glanced at me and I nodded, we might as well tell her of my suspicions.

" Alice thinks...we both think Charlie may have kept her prisoner down there."

He went on to tell her about the visions I had that I hadn't understood at the time and the emotions he had felt. They made perfect sense if Bella had been unconscious and whatever stopped us from seeing and feeling her slipped as a result giving us a glimpse. It upset her to imagine Bella may have been ill-treated by the one person whose duty it was to protect her.

"I find it hard to believe Chief Swan would treat his ow daughter like that Alice. I really hope you're wrong about this."

"Do you know which hospital they took her to, Esme?"

"No, Jazz, Carlisle wasn't sure which one had beds available but I know he'll make sure Bella is well looked after."

I glanced out the window to see the snow falling heavily once more and groaned.

"Looks like Carlisle will be trapped in Seattle with his patients until the weather clears and we won't be hearing much news. I really hope they get the phone lines and power back on for the town soon, it's like living in the dark ages!"

It wasn't until much later while I was gazing out the window watching Emmett finishing the snow beasts we had abandoned such a short time ago that it came to me and jumping up I went to find Jazz. He was as I had expected in his room with his head in a book but he threw it to one side and smiled as I came crashing in, he was used to my sudden appearances by now.

"I knew there was something, it was what Emmett said earlier about humans having needs."

"Alice slow down and rewind to the beginning, what are you talking about?"

"Earlier, Emmett said Bella had needs, and that means eating and using the bathroom and it just hit me, the bucket."

"What bucket?"

I rolled my eyes impatiently,

"The one I found in the basement of the Swan house, I told you at the time it was odd because although the house was spotless the bucket smelled of pee."

He thought about this,

"So you think Bella was locked in the basement before the time she went missing and you broke in to look for her? Hang on, she'd already disappeared by the time you snooped around and she wasn't there then."

"OK, so maybe he moved her somewhere else in the meantime. Maybe he thought it was too dangerous to keep her prisoner in the house for too long."

I stopped realising the flaws in my idea and Jazz nodded,

"So, Alice, where did he hide her instead of the basement and why? Why bring her back to it in a blizzard because of you remember the weather was really bad after she "left" and the Chief was around most of the time? And, of course, the million dollar question that everyone will be asking, why would the Chief of Police imprison his own daughter in the first place?"

He waited for answers, answers I couldn't furnish him with.

"I don't know but I do know she was scared and I know she'd been locked in that basement before."

He continued to look at me and I knew that although I didn't have all the answers he believed me.

Jasper

Something told me Alice was right, there was more to Bella's story than we knew or had so far imagined. I was concerned for her, more concerned than I could explain, and more than could be explained, after all, I hardly knew her. My emotions were mixed, I was angry, worried, and impatient to hear from Carlisle but like the others, all I could do was wait. I could have made my way to Seattle and lord knows I wanted to but it seemed more sensible to find out the score first, after all, what could I do if I went?

Carlisle

When I heard a helicopter was prepared to risk the flight to pick up the burns victims I was relieved, they needed more medical intervention than I could supply. Then I heard about the discovery of Chief Swan's daughter unconscious in the basement of her father's house and decided my idea of accompanying my patients was even more crucial now. The clinic could cope without me for a while, I wanted a chance to follow up on my burns patients and I was keen to find out what had happened to Bella Swan.

We took off quickly, as soon as the ambulance with the young girl in it had arrived, just as the pilot had warned,

"If I don't get off the ground and back to Seattle before the next storm front moves in we'll all be stuck here Doc, and none of us wants that."

I managed to give Bella a quick examination but it wasn't easy given the lack of space, it seemed we were pushing the weight limit as it was with an extra patient.

From what I could see she was dehydrated and it seemed as if she might be suffering from the effects of having been drugged. She was also suffering from hypothermia although the space blanket wrapped around her and saline drip were helping a little. How she came to be in this condition was a complete mystery although Alice's suspicions did begin to echo in my head.

The pilot's voice came through the headset that had been thrust upon me by the co-pilot as we took off.

"Doctor Cullen, that blizzard I told you about is headed our way quicker than expected so you'd better strap in, it could get bumpy up here. It's a good thing we only have another ten minutes flying time or we might have to find somewhere to put down."

"Thank you for taking the chance to fly at all, I understand you've been grounded for a couple of days with this weather. Can you tell me if there will there be ambulances standing by?"

"Yep, I radioed ahead with the situation and we land opposite the hospital anyway. We'll soon have your patients settled and comfortable Doctor Cullen."

The snow had started to fall again quite heavily by the time we landed and by the time I had all my patients safe in the ambulances it was becoming a blizzard once more. The pilot tapped me on the shoulder in goodbye and pointed at the snow which had already begun to settle on my shoulders.

"Told you Doc. Looks like that's an end to our flight window. You were lucky."

"My patients were, and on their behalf, I thank you."

He nodded before running back to the helicopter hunched against the wind and icy snow that stung any exposed flesh.

I rode along with Bella as she was the patient I was most concerned about her, especially as she was still unconscious and therefore couldn't answer any questions about herself, while my other patients had their medical records wrapped in their blankets. Nor was she aware that her father was dead, news she still had to hear. I had no idea if she had any relations either other than the ones her father had mentioned sending her to but hopefully the phones would be fixed soon. Then we could find out the name and address of that person and break the sad news to them too and arrange for them to come to Seattle and make arrangements for her future.

It also meant that Bella would have someone she recognised and who cared about her by her side. I could also let my patient's families know where they were and their conditions but, for now, there would be several families anxiously waiting for news of loved ones.

I spoke first to the emergency room doctor who was only too happy to accept my offer of help and I explained Bella's personal situation as best I could as she was formally admitted to the hospital.

"Well you were right, it looks like she's been taking something pretty strong for some days but there are no track marks so we're talking about pill popping I guess. Any idea what she's into?"

When I told him that she had never presented with any symptoms of drug abuse in the past he frowned. Then I explained that she was supposed to have left Forks some days ago and the frown deepened.

"So what are you saying, Dr Cullen?"

"I have no idea, but Bella Swan was not a drug user, her father was a Police officer and he watched her closely. He would have noticed those type of changes even if I missed them and he never said anything about being worried about his daughter."

"Well, he wouldn't be the first father to miss the signs. Besides, locking herself in a basement with enough meds to keep her high wasn't clever nor would it be cheap. Do you have a drug problem in Forks? Had any stolen recently?"

"No, nothing and as I already said, to my knowledge Bella has never taken drugs in the past. She had a blood test recently after a minor infection and that was clean. It's all rather puzzling."

Her initial blood work came back quickly, Bella's system showed traces of a barbiturate.

"Heavy stuff as we feared but it looks like most has gone from her system. Well, let's get her warmed up and continue with fluids. Maybe we can get some answers once she wakes up."

"I'd like to stay with her a while if that's OK, she doesn't have anyone else right now and with this weather, it seems I'm going to be stuck here myself so I might as well make myself useful."

"Sure, I'll have one of the nurses get you something to eat and drink, the chair pulls out into a cot and she'll bring you a couple of blankets and a pillow, you look bushed yourself."

I didn't bother to try stopping him, it was well meant and all part of the mask of humanity I habitually wore.