Chapter 14

PPOV

My head was aching and my throat felt like someone poured lighter fluid down it and struck a match. I could hear talking, it sounded like two different people talking, but I couldn't focus enough to decipher the voices. There was warmth on my hand but as soon as I registered it, it was gone and then back again. 'Fuck I'm losing my mind.' I thought.

Someone was next to me and talking about Bella. Oh God my beautiful Bella, my goddess, my love, my everything. What was he saying about my Bella? She's healing? What's happened to her? Oh God no, please no! Where is Bella, she needed me. Focus Paul, goddamnit!

"...The doctors say that she's healing faster then expected, I think that you're doing that, but she's waiting for you." I finally heard through the fog in my head. "She needs you to wake up so she can wake up too. Paul. You were chosen to protect her and take care of her and love her for the rest of your lives and you're not!"

Bella was hurt and needed me and I couldn't find my way out of this fog. I willed my eyes to open but they wouldn't obey me. I felt warmth next to my face and the voice whispered in my ear. "If you don't wake up I'm going to lay claim on Bella." Anger bubbles up inside of me and I put all my energy into fucking killing the person who dared to imply that they would claim my Bella. " She will have my puppies and she will lay naked in my-"

"Fucking hell she will." I tried to growl, but it only came out as a whispered raspy sound and my throat tightened, threatening to burn right through my skin. I started to move my tongue around my mouth, willing it to produce some sort of lubrication to douse the burning. I felt hard plastic on my lip and my brain registered it as a cup, automatically opening my mouth. Cool refreshing liquid filled my mouth and I gulped down as much as I could until I couldn't drink any more and started to choke. I still couldn't will my eyes to open and I was too tired to try any harder than a feeble attempt.

"Can I see those eyes shoot daggers at me or are you too tired now?" the voice asked. I would bet my life that it was Jacob, but he sounded ragged and too old. I knew no one else would dare to provoke me like that.

"It hurts too much to open my eyes." I said knowing that he was not going to push me.

"Well you're talking, that's something anyways." That's my Jake, always looking on the bright side of things.

I took a deep breath and debated if I had the energy to ask the questions that I wanted to ask, but I didn't think I did. I had to ask one or else I would go crazy. "Bella..."

"She's in the ICU at the Hospital in Forks." He sighed and let go of the hand that I had forgotten he was holding, probably running it through his hair like he did when he was nervous. My hand groped aimlessly and the warmth came back. Yeah, not a very manly thing to do, but when you're flat on your back, unable to open your own fucking eyes, and not having any memory of how you ended up that way...manliness goes out the window fast. Not to mention not even wanting to know how I had been going to the bathroom this whole time... how long had it been?

"How long?" Was the most of a question that I could form, but I knew that he would understand.

"It's been three days. She was not as bad as you, but you obviously have a little more healing power then she does. . ." He trailed off, but I could hear the apprehension in his voice.

"What...happened to us?" I asked, not even caring when I felt the burn of the hot tears in my eyes and on my face. God Bella, I have failed you. I just got you and I have failed you. Please be all right; please be okay so that I can spend the rest of our lives making this up to you.

"You...don't remember?" He said surprised. My eyes snapped open and fire lit in my head making me slam them close again and groan with the pain shooting through me. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Smooth move, Paul.

The gravity of what Jake said hit me hard. Wait... was I supposed to know? Was I with her? Oh my God, did I do this to her? No, I couldn't hurt her; I would kill myself before hurting her. The last thing I can remember is . . . Fuck it hurts to think. Jake. Jake found us in my room together and he found out about the imprint. After he left we made love and fell back to sleep. She even called out of work because she said she couldn't bring herself to leave the bed, to leave me.

"I don't remember..." I whispered. "How...How bad is she?" I opened my eyes again, this time with a little more caution. They were slowly adjusting as I looked around the room. My eyes fell on Jake and if I had the strength, I would comfort him. He looked like hell and I was the one in the goddamn hospital bed. His eyes were sunken and looked almost crimson red with deep bags underneath each one. He looked tired and drained.

He took another breath before meeting my eyes, the pain screamed at me from their depths. "Both her arms were broken, the right one was crushed in four different places," He stopped when he saw me wince, but I nodded for him to continue. It sounded rehearsed to me, as if he had made this speech several times before. He eyed me, I'm guessing to assess my ability to handle any more. Finally, he nodded and continued. "The left one was dislocated at the shoulder and her wrist was pretty crushed. Her right eye was damaged and the doctors called it repeated blunt force trauma. She has had two surgeries, one of which she came out of today to fix some internal stuff, but they say she can still have babies someday." His free hand that I didn't have a death grip on was wiping a stray tear from his cheek.

Just then, a nurse came in to check on me and I almost laughed when her eyes grew round at the sight of my eyes open and me talking. "Oh my, good to see you're awake." She said coming in to check all the beeps and tubes that were coming from me. When I apparently passed whatever inspection that she was doing, she left us alone again, letting us know that the doctor would be called to let him know that I was awake.