Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to
spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?
Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.
Enemy Mine
Chapter 20: "Stay With Me"
Bella closed her eyes and nestled into his bare chest again. She felt as Edward's arms locked around her even more tightly, cocooning her within his warmth. Her nose drew across his skin as she was comforted by his familiar scent and the sound of his voice as he whispered to her.
"I'll never leave you, Bella. Never."
Hmmm… that sounded so nice, Bella thought to herself as she struggled to remember where she was. Her face felt warm pressed against Edward's strong chest, but her body was freezing cold. That didn't seem right. Why didn't Edward pull the covers over them? She was trying to remember if she had asked him to do so when she felt her mind drifting off again.
She awoke to what felt like a minor earthquake. At first she thought she was dreaming about summer vacations in Phoenix when they would occasionally feel tremors, but then she realized it was the bed that was shaking. Except she wasn't in a bed and Edward's body felt so cold against hers. Why was Edward trembling beneath her like that?
Edward raised his head when he felt Bella stirring. She had been asleep for awhile and he hoped that his chattering teeth hadn't awakened her. The rain had stopped completely some time ago and the wind had grown so still it was eerie. The clouds were gone and the sky seemed clean and bright, but that only made the air colder. As Edward tried desperately to keep his bare body from shaking, he wondered how close it would come to dropping below freezing by the time the sun came up.
"I'm sorry, baby," he said, his breath rising like smoke in the cold air. "I wish I could make you warmer. Just hold on a little longer. They'll come for us soon…"
Edward's shoulders convulsed as a strong chill ran through him and he had to pause a moment because it hurt to breath. He didn't think that Bella was really listening to him, but his voice seemed to calm her so he kept talking.
"Just imagine how hot and humid it will be when summer gets here," he said through his clenched teeth. "In July and August we'll probably only wish we could be cold. Your dad still refuses to get air conditioning, right? Think about how warm you are going to be trying to sleep on those nights."
Bella whimpered slightly and pressed her face against him so tightly that Edward feared she would suffocate. He adjusted the damp sweatshirt around her to be sure she was covered and tried to rub some of the chill out her legs with his stiff hand.
"Of course, you can always stay over at my house when it gets too warm at yours," he suggested, trying to smile. "My room stays pretty cool. In fact, you should probably just stay the whole summer in my room. What do you say?"
Edward ended his teasing with a quick kiss to the top of her head, but her hair was sharp and hard beneath his numbing lips.
"Oh shit," Edward cursed as he moved his lips again and felt the ice that had formed her in rain soaked hair.
The temperature had dropped even more than he realized. Considering how much of his body had gone numb he probably shouldn't have been surprised. But, the thought of any part of Bella actually freezing, even just her hair, sent him back into a panic.
"We have to get you warmer. We have to get you warmer," Edward repeated as he tried to pull her closer and frantically rubbed her arms and legs.
In his haste he forgot to be careful of her arm until Bella screamed in pain. He must have moved it harder than he realized or it had gotten worse because she was clearly in agony. Her scream sounded like a tortured animal and the sound echoed loudly in the quiet night.
Edward was horrified at what he had done and how badly she was hurt. "I'm sorry! Oh, fuck! Sweetheart, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Bella cried in her sleep now, which made Edward fear that it wasn't a natural sleep at all. He knew a person should not sleep for long periods if they had a concussion, but Bella had been drifting in and out of sleep regularly without reason for concern. Why wouldn't she wake up now?
"Come on, baby, wake up for a minute," Edward said as he gently tried to shake her. "Just a little bit so I know you're OK. Please? Just open your eyes for me." She was still crying and moaning in her sleep, but she wouldn't respond to his pleading. "Bella! Bella, please! Come on, wake up. Baby, wake up!"
Her only reaction was to grow still as her whimpers ceased and she started to become heavier in his arms. Edward pulled her against him, tucking her face into his neck. He even considered hurting her arm again just to see if she would react, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt her on purpose. Instead he began to rock as he held her, too cold to even have tears in his eyes.
No…. NO!... She couldn't slip away from him. Not now. Not ever! Just… no!
"Don't leave me, Bella," Edward whispered into her ear, wishing even his breath could be a little warmer against her. "Stay with me, please! Stay with me! Stay with me!"
Bella's body was limp against his. He couldn't even be certain he still felt her breath on his neck. She was completely still and quiet. But, then, Edward swore he could hear his name.
"Edward!"
"Edward!"
"Edward! Bella! Can you hear me?"
It was Emmett's voice, faint and echoing, but definitely not too far away.
Edward felt his heart start to pound as new adrenaline hit him. He tried to take a breath to yell back, but the cold hit his lungs and sent him into a coughing fit.
"Hey!" he finally managed to choke out too weakly to be heard. "Hey! Hey!" he tried again, his voice gaining strength each time. "Emmett! We're down here! Emmett! Emmett!"
Edward's lungs seemed to give out on him and he prayed his brother had heard him. A moment later Emmett's answering cry came and he felt almost sick with relief.
"Edward! Dude, I hear you! Keep yelling!"
"Em, we're down here. Over the side by the river. Down here! Emmett! Down here! Emmett, hurry! Bella's hurt we have to get her out of here. Hurry, Emmett! We're down here!"
Several agonizing minutes later Edward saw the broad face of his older brother peek over the edge of the landing above.
"Fucking hell, dude! You scared the shit out of me!" Emmett yelled excitedly. "What the fuck are you doing down there? Wait. What the hell, bro? Are you naked?
Edward knew then that the cold must have messed up his brain because he actually laughed.
"I'm so happy to see you, Emmett. I didn't think anyone would show up until morning."
"Charlie and some of us stayed at the cabin after you took off. We started searching again as soon as the rain stopped." Emmett shined a flashlight down on them as he spoke and sucked in his breath when saw Bella's limp form in Edward's arm. "Fuck! Oh no! Shit, is she all right?"
"She's alive," Edward told him as much to hear the words for himself as to assure his brother. "But we need to get her to the hospital. She's hurt and freezing."
"Fuck, Edward. You're freezing yourself. Why the hell did you take your shirt off?" Emmett pulled his own coat off as he asked the questioned and dropped it over the side to him.
"She needed it," Edward said simply as he caught his brother's coat. Even though he knew Emmett meant it for him, he wrapped it around Bella instead and carefully stood with her in his arms. "Do you think you can reach to grab her if I lift her up to you?"
Emmett was laying flat on his stomach again hanging over the side of the ledge. "Yeah, give her to me. We'll get you both out of here."
Edward hesitated. "Her arm is broken, Em. You have to be careful or you'll hurt her more. And she's dead weight right now so don't try to pull her up if you don't think you can hold her."
"Edward," Emmett stopped him. "It's going to be OK, dude. Just let me have her and I'll give her back to you in a few minutes."
"Right," he said in agreement, holding Bella's limp form against his cold chest for just a second more. "Right, OK. See if you can grab her waist."
Edward repositioned Bella to drape over his shoulder and grabbed her around the middle to hold her up for Emmett. Emmett's long arms were able to reach her waist and his strong hands gripped her with ease, pulling her gently up to the ground beside him. After lying her down on her side carefully, he reached over again to grasp his brother's hands and help him climb to the top of the ledge as well.
As soon as Edward reached his knees her hurried to Bella's side. Emmett's coat was still around her loosely and he immediately pulled her against his chest, adjusting the coat to cover her as much as possible.
"Edward, your fingers are turning blue and you're fucking shaking. Put the coat on, dude."
"No," Edward insisted, trying to stand again with Bella in his arms. "She could be going into shock, Emmett. I can't get her to even wake up any more. We have to keep her warm!"
"OK. OK. Just take it easy." Emmett stopped Edward when he tried again to stand. "Dude, you're about to pass out yourself. Just let me take her and we'll get you both to the hospital faster." When Edward stubbornly shook his head, Emmett took off his own sweat shirt. "I've got more body heat than you right now. I'll keep her warmer."
"Yeah. Yeah, that's right," Edward agreed, gently moving Bella into Emmett's arm. "Here, try to warm her up. Hurry."
"I've got her, Edward," Emmett said patiently as his shivering brother staggered to his own feet. "Now, you put that fucking sweat shirt on and warm up yourself. I'm not going to deal with a pissed off Bella giving me hell for letting her hero of a boyfriend freeze to death."
"OK," Edward nodded as he pulled the shirt over his head.
It helped instantly to have some sort of cover over his bare skin, but he was already so cold there wasn't much heat for the shirt to hold in. Edward continued to shiver as he walked beside Emmett, keeping his hand gently on Bella's arm as they moved. She still showed no signs of opening her eyes but her body began to shake again and she cried out softly.
"Shh, baby. It won't be much longer," Edward soothed, stroking her head.
"An ambulance should be on the way up the mountain by now," Emmett added.
"An ambulance? How?"
"I let Charlie know as soon as I heard Bella's scream. They should be waiting."
"But cell phones don't work up here."
Emmett nodded towards that small radio at his belt. "We've been able to communicate short distances with these. Charlie had his deputy bring them up."
"Who else is up here?"
"The two cops that drove up before left, but two more took their place. Jasper drove Rosalie and Alice back down the mountain. They didn't want to go but I told them that someone needed to be with mom and Rene to keep on an eye on both our house and the Swan's house."
"Why?"
"In case Bella called or showed up there." When Edward gave a disbelieving look, Emmett tried to explain. "Think about it, dude. We didn't know for certain she was still up here. She could have walked to the highway, or Jacob may have been lying. Charlie was making sure that all bases were covered in case we were looking in the wrong place."
"I guess that makes sense," Edward agreed reluctantly. "But I told you she was out here."
"Yeah, I know. And I kind of figured you had it right," Emmett confessed. "I knew if anyone could find her it was gonna be you."
Edward nodded and stroked Bella's face again. His fingers were so cold that they trembled when he tried to move them against her cheek.
"Fuck, Edward. You're gonna need that ambulance for hypothermia more than Bella if we don't get you out of this cold soon."
"No. No, she needs it more." Edward insisted, but his brother didn't seem completely convinced.
Emmett tried to hurry as much as he could, but Edward's numb feet slowed them down and the cold was taking its toll on Emmett's strength as well. He'd given Edward his sweatshirt and Bella his coat, leaving him in only a T-shirt. A couple of times he got confused on the route to take, but Edward quickly corrected him and led the way. Not for the first time Emmett was grateful for his brother's uncanny sense of direction. They were both more than relieved when a dim light came into view and illuminated the edge of the woods.
"What is that?" Edward asked. "Is the sun coming up already?"
"No, it's too early," Emmett said as he hustled them towards it. "I think its emergency lights. We're almost there."
"Do you hear that, sweetheart?" Edward leaned over Bella's face where it lay against Emmett's arm. "We made it. You're going to be warm very soon. You're going to be OK."
"You both are," Emmett put in with a smile.
As soon as the three of them exited the trees they were surrounded. Charlie was the first to reach them and he quickly snatched Bella out of Emmett's arms.
"Careful!" Edward shouted at him. "You'll hurt her arm!"
Charlie didn't seem to hear what anyone around him was saying though, as he cradled his daughter against him and buried his face in her neck. "Thank you, God… Thank you, God…" he muttered under his breath as he held her close.
Bella muttered weakly under her breath and began to whimper. She didn't understand where all the noise was coming from and she couldn't hear Edward's voice any longer. Her arm hurt and she was getting scared as she found it difficult to move.
Charlie pulled back to look at Bella's distressed face and tried to calm her. "It's OK, honey," he insisted, but she continued to whine and struggled in his arms.
The crowd around them grew as several paramedics joined the group of searchers. Edward recognized a couple of the police officers from around town, as well as several men from the reservation. The last group was surprising to see and they seemed to hold back. Edward wanted to ask what the hell they were doing there and what had happened to that bastard, Jacob. Were they there for his sake or did they give a shit about Bella?
Before Edward had the chance to voice his thoughts, though, one of the paramedics swept down on him and started encasing him in blankets. Charlie started hurrying Bella towards the ambulance with two more paramedics at his side. Edward tried to follow, but was held back.
"I'm going with her," he insisted, trying to throw off the blankets.
"Kid, you need to keep this on!" the paramedic insisted as he pulled the blanket around him again. He was an older guy with graying hair but judging by the vice grip in which he kept Edward's arms trapped he wasn't used to taking shit from anyone.
"Fine, damn it! But let go of me!" Edward snapped as he watched Charlie lie Bella's shivering body on a gurney just outside the ambulance doors. "I'm riding to the hospital with her!"
Bella was covered with blankets as the gurney was lifted into the vehicle and Charlie jumped in behind her.
"Hey! What the fuck? My brother needs an ambulance too!" Emmett shouted.
"Your brother needs to get warm," the paramedic countered. "And standing out here arguing isn't going to do that."
"I'm going with Bella!" Edward yelled again trying to rush forward just before the ambulance doors closed.
"Thanks a lot, bastards!" Emmett snapped, angry on his brother's behalf. "And you're very welcome too, Charlie! You mother-fucker!"
"That's enough," the old guy snapped, standing up to his full height and suddenly not looking like such an old man after all. "Don't blame the chief. People don't act like themselves in these situations so just focus on what's important. Keeping everyone safe and alive."
"That's bullshit! My brother…."
"Emmett, it's fine," Edward said wearily as he watched the ambulance take Bella away. "Please, just get me to the hospital so I can know she's OK."
"She'll be fine, son. You did real good," the paramedic told him. "We can ride with one of the police officers to get their faster. But you need to be checked out at the hospital too."
Edward looked at Emmett who nodded. "Go ahead. I'll meet you there after I let mom and Alice know what's going on."
Keeping the blanket clutched around himself, Edward stumbled towards the cruiser and slid in the backseat. He barely listened to the forceful paramedic giving demanding orders to the officers to get in the car and drive like their mother's house was on fire. There was something about this guy that made even the cops jump. The old guy sat in the backseat with Edward just as the car took off like a bat out of hell.
"Let me see those fingers," he said as he grabbed Edward's hands and began probing in a surprisingly gentle way. "You are damn lucky you aren't losing a few of these, son. Can you feel when I poke the tips like this?"
Edward nodded weakly, although he admitted the feeling was sort of tingling and half numb. The look of concern on the paramedic's face didn't escape his notice, but he couldn't make himself care. All he could think about was Bella riding in the ambulance and wondering if she had woken up yet. If she hadn't, that was not a good sign. But, if she had, did she wonder where he was? Was she scared? How did she feel about finding her dad with her? Was she still angry with Charlie? Did she even remember what had happened? Damn! He should be with her!
The heater started to warm up the car and Edward's skin felt on fire from the sudden change in temperature. Inside his body, though, an intense chill seemed to linger making him shake all over. His arms and legs nearly convulsed and he clamped his jaw shut to keep his teeth from chattering out of his mouth. Fucking Hell! It felt like he was having a seizure.
"It won't last long," the old guy told him quietly. "Just try to ride it out and you're body will calm down soon. But I want to get your fingers looked at more closely as soon as we get to Forks General. And I imagine you're toes need to be looked at too."
"I want to see Bella as soon as we get there," Edward insisted through trembling limps.
"She has a head injury and who knows what else. They won't be ready to let anyone see her for quite a while. Just be patient."
Edward wanted to argue some more but it was too hard to talk, so he gave up and watched the trees fly passed the window. True to his word, the old guy ushered him strait to the ER as soon as they reached the hospital. He had two nurses and an intern set him up in an exam room before Edward could even think of slipping away. At least he had warmed up enough to stop shaking and he was grateful to replace his wet jeans with dry scrubs.
It felt like an eternity passed as people came in and out of the exam room. Edward counted two interns, at least three nurses, and even a guy with a mop who didn't seem to object to cleaning the floor around an occupied bed. The interns seemed to be especially concerned with his level of dehydration, so he shouldn't have been surprised when a nurse approached him with a long needle.
"Hey, what the hell?" Edward asked as he snatched his arm away from her.
"We need to start an IV," she explained.
"No you don't. I'm fine, and I need to get out of here," Edward told her, moving to get off the bed where they'd forced him to lay.
"You're not going anywhere until we get some fluids in you."
Fuck! Were all medical personal in Forks this bossy?
"Can't it wait?" he pleaded, trying to turn on a little charm. "I need to check on someone first."
The nurse chuckled. "You think I don't know? Half the town is out in the waiting room wanting to check on the Police Chief's daughter."
"What?" Edward looked at her in shock. "How?"
"Alice, that's how." Emmett explained as he stepped into the room carrying a duffle bag. "Damn, you look like hell, bro! How is it you look worse than you looked up on the mountain."
"Hospitals," Edward muttered as an explanation. "Can't you get dad to tell them to let me go?"
"Dad is watching over Bella's care. He was at the hospital already when they brought her in."
"Why was dad at the hospital?"
"He's been here all night," Emmett said. "He wanted to be here in case Bella was brought in. He thought he could do more good here than by joining the search. Everyone's been so worried about her."
"Everyone?"
"Alice got on the phone as soon as she got back into town. She didn't give a shit that it was the middle of the night either. I think she just started with the school rooster and called strait down the list. Then she hit the phone book."
"What the hell was she doing?"
"Getting everyone to join the search. She was going to have the entire county on that mountain looking for Bella by the time the sun came up. When they got word that Charlie had brought her into the hospital, though, half of them just showed up here instead."
"Holy shit!"
"You've no idea," Emmett laughed. "It looks like a pep rally out there."
"Ouch!" Edward yelled as the thick needle was suddenly pushed into his arm.
"Nice sucker punch," Emmett complimented the nurse. "Get him while he is distracted."
"I thought you were supposed to be on my side," Edward scowled as the IV was taped down in the bend of his elbow.
"I am, bro. That's why I brought you some real clothes to change into when they spring you from that bed." Emmett held up the duffle bag and smirked. "Unless, of course, you think Bella has a thing for scrubs. Some girls like the doctor look."
"I'll just be happy when she looks at me at all," Edward said in a subdued tone. "Do you even know is she's awake yet? What are they doing for her?"
"I'll make you a deal," Emmett walked over to the side of the bed so he could place his hand on his brother's shoulder. "You sit there like a good boy and let these nice people take care of you for now, and I'll go find out some news on Bella." When Edward didn't look comforted, he added. "I promise to use ever trick I have from badgering to my irresistible charm until someone tells me something. And I'm not even taking bribery or blackmail off the table. OK?"
Edward smiled at that and nodded his head gratefully as he was left alone. At least he knew Bella was safely in the hospital and his dad was looking after her. He tried to think positively but his worry just wouldn't stop. What if she didn't wake up? What if she asked for him and no one came to let him know? What if they didn't let him see her at all?
He'd been so fucking scared holding her on that ledge. He knew he'd never been that scared in his life, and he hoped like hell he never was again. She's been so damn still and cold, like she was already slipping away. He couldn't stand that shit! He couldn't even think about it without feeling sick. Fuck!
Edward heard a sympathetic sigh from across the room and his eyes flashed up to see the same nurse standing there. He hadn't even heard her pull the curtain when she came back. He wondered how long she'd been watching him. It felt like he'd been alone for hours.
"Maybe I can find out some news for you," she generously offered. "I swear you look like you are about to cry."
Well, shit! Just when he was starting to think she wasn't so bad she had to call him out on being a cry baby? Edward wiped at his eyes and cleared his throat. Fucking hell, he was a mess.
"Thanks," he managed to choke out.
The nurse gave him a knowing look. She was thinking he was pretty cute and sweet, even with the attitude. If she was twenty years younger, that is.
"Sit tight, kido," she told him. "I'm sure it can't be too much longer."
Walking out of the room the nurse asked where Dr. Cullen was and hoped he wouldn't mind her intruding to give him an update on his son.
"Doctor Cullen?" she called out quietly when she found him examining a chart near the surgical suites. "Can I have a word with you? It's about your son."
"My son?" Carlisle looked up. "Emmett or Edward? I thought they were both back down the mountain and waiting for word on Bella. Is everything all right?"
"Yes, doctor. Everything is fine. But …"
"Dr. Cullen! She's awake!"
Carlisle nearly dropped the chart when he heard the call from Bella's room.
"I'm sorry, excuse me," he told the nurse as he darted passed her.
Bella had not regained consciousness since she was admitted. Carlisle had spoken to Charlie briefly and learned that she was crying out some during the ambulance ride, but she had never opened her eyes. That wasn't a good sign considering the large wound he'd found on her head and the amount of time she'd spent in the cold. She had clearly been going into shock in addition to having a concussion. Neither of which had to be dire as long as she woke up soon.
"She's awake?" Carlisle repeated as he stepped into the room and approached the bed. "Bella?" he spoke softly as he leaned over her. "Can you hear me?"
Fluttering her eyes opened, Bella tried to focus on the voice she was hearing. There was too much light and sounds buzzing in her ears. But she knew this voice and she wanted to respond.
"Carlisle?" she whispered, barely moving her lips.
"Yes, Bella. It's me," Carlisle beamed with relief. "Do you know where you are?"
Bella managed to get her eyes to open wide enough to see the shine of that golden hair she'd known for years. She tried to think about his question. She felt so confused. She couldn't quite remember what he had asked, but she was pretty sure she didn't know the answer.
"Carlisle?" she repeated again. "I.. I.."
"It's all right, Bella. It's understandable that you'd be confused. You've been through a lot."
"Cold," Bella mumbled as the memories started flooding back. "So cold…"
"Yes, I know," Carlisle soothed. "I know, but you're all right now. We are going to take care of you."
"My arm… My arm hurts."
"You shoulder was dislocated but, thankfully, not broken. Bella, do you know where you are now?"
Bella lifted her head with some effort and looked around herself. "I'm in the hospital? How did I get here?"
"Your father brought you here in an ambulance after you were found. I guess you probably don't remember any of that."
Bella shook her head and continued to look around the room until her strength gave out. She lay back against the pillows with a frustrated groan. She felt like she was about to cry and she didn't know exactly why. Everything just hurt and she was still so confused.
"A lot of people have been very worried about you, young lady. Including me," Carlisle told her gently, placing his hand on her forehead. "Your mother and father have been pacing the floor waiting to see you. Would you like me to go get them?"
"No," Bella shook her head. "I don't want to see them."
"What?" Carlisle asked as he straightened up. "What do you mean?"
"I want Edward," Bella looked up so he could see the pleading in her eyes. "I just want to see Edward. Please."
"You want to see Edward?"
"Please!"
Carlisle continued to stare at her in complete surprise. "Bella, I don't understand."
"I want Edward. Where is he? Is he here?"
"Yes, he's here. Somewhere… But, Bella, your parents really need to see you right now. I'm sure Edward and Alice and Emmett will all want to see that you are all right eventually. Esme is anxious to see you too. Right now, though, let's just keep it to your parents. OK?"
"No!" Bella wasn't very loud but she was insistent. "I want to see Edward. Now! Please!"
"OK, Bella," Carlisle tried to placate her. "After you've seen your parents we can ask if…"
"I just want to see Edward! No one else, just Edward!"
Carlisle was shocked to see Bella burst into tears. She'd gone from barely awake to nearly hysterical in a matter of minutes. She needed to relax and rest, not become upset like this.
"Bella, it's all right," Carlisle looked up at the nurse who returned his concerned expression. "It's all right."
"I want Edward," Bella gasped through her sobs, feeling desperate and afraid.
"OK. OK. I'll get Edward for you." Carlisle touched her head. "Shhh… try to calm yourself, Bella. This isn't good for you right now. Just take a deep breath and I'll bring Edward in to see you. OK?"
Bella nodded but didn't stop crying. Carlisle was baffled by her behavior, but more concerned about keeping her calm than figuring out what had upset her so badly. He motioned for the nurse to stay with her and left quickly to go to the waiting room.
Emmett and Edward had arrived there just a brief moment before. After the nurse returned to Edward's room with news that Bella was awake, not even his older brother could keep Edward in that bed any longer. He nearly yanked the IV out himself and took two seconds to change out of the scrubs.
The crowd had thinned a bit, although Emmett hadn't exaggerated about the number of faces from school. As the two of them slipped in the back of the room, Edward quickly spotted Angela, Ben, Jessica, Mike, Eric… hell, even Lauren was there! Rosalie and Jasper were sitting with Alice, and Esme was standing beside Rene and Charlie. It was pretty obvious that Rene had been crying a lot.
The moment Carlisle arrived the whole room rose to their feet. Charlie put his arm around his wife as Carlisle came to stand directly in front of them.
"She's wake," Carlisle spoke loud enough for the whole room to hear. "She was pretty disorientated at first and she's still very emotional, but her thoughts seem to be clear. She knows where she is. She knew who I was right away. And she seems to remember some of what happened to her." He paused to let this information settle in. "She does have a pretty severe concussion that we are monitoring closely. Her arm is not broken, but her shoulder was dislocated. It's almost a blessing that she wasn't awake when we put it back in because at least she didn't have to feel the pain of that. We have it in a sling for now so she isn't tempted to move it too much."
Both Charlie and Rene were nodding as they listened intently.
"She's going to be all right?" Rene asked.
"We'll want to keep her here at least a day or two just for observation." Carlisle told them, but when he saw their expressions fall he added, "This is routine. We do want to monitor her but we also want to be sure she is getting plenty of rest and not being over-stressed. She's been through a lot."
"Of course. We understand," Charlie said. "Can we see her now?"
Carlisle hesitated and glanced up at the rest of the room before looking back at them.
"Please," Rene added. "We know she needs to rest, but we can still see her, right?"
"Actually," Carlisle began slowly, wondering how best to phrase this. "She's asking for Edward."
A pin dropping would have echoed through the silence that followed.
"What?" Charlie snapped.
"She wants to see Edward right now," Carlisle repeated.
Edward began to move forward, but Emmett grabbed his shoulder to hold him back a moment.
"Well," Charlie swallowed, trying to remain calm. "That may be, but we are her parents and we want to see our daughter right now."
"Charlie," Carlisle sighed and spoke gently. "She doesn't want to see you. Either of you."
"She said that?" Rene gasped.
Carlisle nodded. "I'm sorry. I really am. I told you she is very emotional and we need to keep her calm."
"You cannot tell us that we can't see our own daughter!" Charlie hissed. "She needs us!"
"No," Carlisle said with a bit more strength. "She needs to be kept calm and relaxed. Right now she is neither of these things. She is very upset."
"Why?" Rene asked in concern.
"Because she wants Edward," Carlisle tried to explain, shrugging his shoulders to show his own confusion. "She just keeps asking for him and she won't calm down."
That was as much as Edward could take and he charged towards his dad with Emmett close on his heels. Carlisle raised a curios eyebrow at his son. It seemed to say there would be more questions later but Edward only nodded to him.
"Take me to her," he demanded. When Charlie opened his mouth to protest, Edward whirled on him. "You still can't put her first, can you?"
"Edward!" Carlisle chastised.
"Damn it, dad! Just take me to her!"
"It's still up to her parents. Bella is a minor."
"That's not fair!" Alice piped up, suddenly stepping in and glaring daggers at Charlie. "Bella needs Edward right now! How can you be so mean and still try to keep them apart?"
Carlisle's mouth dropped a little as he stared at his daughter like she had gone crazy.
"Alice," Emmett poked her in the side as a warning to shut up.
"What?" she asked, throwing up her hands. "Isn't the cat already out of the bag? Or close enough."
"Alice, what are you talking about?" Carlisle finally asked.
"Hasn't she been through enough?" Edward demanded, looking at Bella's parents.
"Yes she has," Rene whispered, tears falling from her eyes again. She looked up at her husband with a sorrowful shake of her head before turning her stare directly on Edward. "Go," she choked out, nodding to him. "Just go, Edward. She needs you."
Edward didn't wait for Charlie to agree or disagree. He brushed passed his dad to hurry down the hallway, determined to find her room himself if he needed to. Carlisle caught up with him and motioned to a door just around the corner. Edward charged ahead of him and pushed his way into the room.
The nurse jumped at the sudden sound of the door and stepped away from the bed. Bella was sitting up slightly on three large pillows, her arm hanging in a loose sling. Her drenched clothes had been replaced with a white, cotton hospital gown dotted all over with tiny blue flowers, and a small bandage had been placed on one of her cheeks. Her long hair fell limply over her shoulders and tear stains streaked her pale face.
Bella gave small cry when she saw Edward walk in the room. He rushed to her bed in three long strides and gently took her face in his hands.
"You were gone," Bella stuttered out between trembling lips. "I didn't know where you were."
"I'm sorry, baby," Edward told her as he placed tender kisses on her face. "I'm here now. I'm here."
"Stay with me."
"I will," Edward pulled back an inch to stare deeply into her eyes. "I swear I won't leave you again."
"I knew you were with me," Bella continued to choke out weakly as she reached with her good hand to put her fingers in his soft, copper hair. "I was so scared and confused… and so cold. But I knew you were there. I didn't know where we were but I knew you were there and then… and then... you were gone. I didn't know where you were." She started to cry again. "I didn't know where you were…."
"Shhh…. Shhh….It's OK. I'm here now, sweetheart," Edward soothed as he ran his hands over her hair and down her neck. He kissed both of her eyelids and trailed his mouth along her temple. "You don't have to be scared. I'm not going anywhere."
"Stay with me," Bella clutched his hair tighter and tried to pull him closer. "Stay with me, please."
Edward reached his arms under her back and gathered her against him. Being careful of her sling, he slipped in part-way behind her so he could hold her to his chest. His arm wrapped around her waist, his hand resting on her stomach. His other hand gently stroked her face and tilted her head to look back at him.
"I've got you, Bella. I'm not letting go. OK?" he kissed forehead as she nodded. "You need to try to stay calm now. Can you do that for me? Can you just relax and let me hold you?"
"You'll stay with me, right?" Bella's voice quivered.
"Yes. I promise I'll stay right here. But my dad said it is important for you to rest and not get upset. I just want you to try to do that, OK?"
"I think I can do that if you're here."
"I'm not going anywhere, baby," Edward repeated, kissing her cheek again.
Bella relaxed against him and started stroking her fingers along his forearm at her waist. She seemed to have completely forgotten that they weren't alone in the room, and Edward simply didn't care. After a minute Carlisle cleared his throat and nodded to the nurse to follow him.
"We'll just let her rest for a bit," he told his son. "Press the button if she needs anything."
Edward didn't even look up as the two of them left the room, but he knew his father didn't really expect a reply. His entire focus was on Bella as he reminded himself again and again that she really was safe now and he wasn't going to lose her. He could feel Bella shutter in his arms and he tried to sooth her. He knew her mind was racing as it all started coming back to her in pieces. No wonder she was having trouble relaxing. Her hand would occasionally grip his arm, even digging in weakly with her nails, before she would take a deep breath and force herself to let go. Almost ten minutes went by before she finally spoke again.
"What happened to Jacob?" she asked hesitantly.
"You don't have to worry about him," Edward told her. "He can't hide the truth anymore. It's out in the open now and he isn't getting away with anything this time."
"And Leah?" Bella whispered, afraid of the answer she might get. "Please tell me they found her and she's OK."
"Leah's fine, Bella. You're hurt worse than she is right now, so don't worry about anything." Edward held her head down on his shoulder a little tighter, wanting to feel her as close to him as he could. "How much do you remember about what happened in the cabin," he asked cautiously.
"Everything," she replied without pause. She knew what he was worried about. "I got away, Edward. I got away from him." She felt his relieved breath as it rushed out over the top of her head. "He hit me and held me down," she continued, feeling his arms tighten even more around her. "He… He grabbed at me and pulled at my clothes and tried to kiss me… but I fought him. I fought him hard, Edward."
"I know you did, baby," he spoke into her hair. "I'm so proud of you."
Hearing his words, Bella squeezed his arm relentlessly and began to cry again. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'm so, so sorry!"
"What are you talking about?" Edward asked in alarm. "You have nothing to be sorry for."
"Yes I do," Bella cried. "I put you through Hell. I was so stupid and you could have died!"
"Shhhh…. Baby, don't." Edward tried to rock her in his arms soothingly but she only cried harder.
"You found me. I know you did. I remember some of it even after I fell," she continued to babble through her tears. "It was freezing. You were freezing! Because you wouldn't leave me. You stayed with me and you could have died… and it's all my fault because I didn't think about any of that or what could have happened because I was just so mad at Jacob… and I was so selfish and stupid and I'm so sorry…"
"Stop it, Bella. Stop," Edward said gently as he eased himself away from her.
She tried to do as he asked, knowing he wanted her to calm down. She tried to take deep breaths but it only made her hiccup on her sobs. It was all too much. Just too much to hold in.
Edward turned to sit facing Bella on the bed. He tried to ease her back down on her pillows, but she grabbed his arm frantically.
"No! Stay with me, please!" she suddenly gasped. "I'll stop crying. I'll calm down. Just stay with me!"
"Bella, I'm not leaving you!" Edward pulled her into his arms again. "I'll never fucking leave you! I'll stay in this damn room every second until you are discharged if you want me to."
"Yes!" Bella wailed into his chest, not caring how irrational it sounded. "Stay with me! Don't leave!"
Edward just held her close, murmuring promises that he would stay no matter what and pleading with her to calm down.
"I'm sorry," Bella sighed after she had caught her breath. "I don't know what I'm saying. I know I'm not making any sense. I'm just so tired."
"I know you are, baby," Edward told her. "You need to rest. Nothing else right now, just rest."
"OK. You rest too," Bella sniffed, making Edward chuckle.
"Bossy," he teased, kissing the top of her head.
Bella laughed at that even though she was still trying to stop crying. "Only you can do that," she gasped, trying to decide if her amusement or tears were going to win out. "Only you can make me laugh and smile when I bawling my eyes out." A shutter went through her body as she pulled back from his arms and lowered her gaze. "I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you, Edward. I can't even imagine losing you."
"You won't ever lose me." Edward promised, as he titled her chin up. "Look at me, Bella. I want to tell you something. Do you remember what you said earlier in our meadow? You told me it had always been me. Remember?"
Bella gave him a shy smile as he trailed his fingers down her cheek. "I remember."
"Up on the mountain when you were lost and I couldn't find you… And when I was holding you in the dark and it was so cold and you were so still…." Edward stopped to take a shuttering breath. "I remembered what you had said and it was so ridiculously clear to me. I knew exactly what you meant. And it is the same for me. Nothing matters to me more than you. Nothing ever will. It's always been you. It's like you are a part of me. And there is nothing I wouldn't do for you. I'd die for you, Bella."
"Edward…"she breathed, reaching up to touch his cheek.
"It's true, Bella," Edward held her face in his hands. "We may have been enemies a week ago… But I have loved you all of my life."
A/N:
I probably shouldn't say it, but this chapter is very close to my heart. It just got to me and I really hope it got to some of you too :)
Thanks for reading!
~Alexanya