Chapter 25
It took forty-five minutes to reach the medical center in Vail. I'm sure it probably would have taken longer if a normal human was driving. Carlisle parked close enough to the doors that I wasn't out in the cold for too long. I can tell that the cold was already seeping into my body and causing me to shiver.
On the way over I call mom. Josiah, the oldest of the kids answers.
"Hey, Snot. What's been keeping you?" he asked cheerfully.
"Um. Been busy." I mumbled.
Tanya and Alice look at me and mouth the word 'Snot,' wondering how I got the nickname. I only shake my head as they both chuckle.
"Where are you at anyways? Mom went to Jamie's and said no one was there."
"We are in the mountains visiting some friends." I answered. It wasn't a complete lie
"Did you guys get snowed in?"
"You can say that."
I look out the window and see that we're moving at a pretty good pace. Snow is blowing and I can barely see anything other than white and gray streak by.
"You know, it's hardly doing anything here. Just a couple of inches, but the weatherwoman said we could get hit with more tonight."
After talking to him for a couple more minutes, he puts mom on. She fussed for a bit on why I didn't call earlier. I made some lame excuse about playing out in the snow. I knew she wouldn't believe it because she knows I hate cold weather.
Of course, she asked what I wanted for my birthday meal and I told her the usual s'getti. She laughed and said she had to go, Lil' Jer hurt his head when he decided to play on the ice and hit his head when he fell. That kid is a walking talking accident waiting to happen. A daredevil too, which doesn't make it any easier for my brother and his wife.
Once we walked into the medical center, we follow Carlisle down the corridors and stopped when he talked to a couple of techs. They nodded and left us alone. We walked into the room where the CAT scanner was. The whole time, I'm trying to distract myself by humming various songs and pulling on my fingers. I know they know how nervous I am being here. My heart rate is racing and I'm practically panting from the fear.
The only reason I can think of where this fear of the hospital is that I know three important people in my life have died in a hospital or on the way. Both were turning points in my life too. When my dad died and when Cody died. The third, I don't really want to think about.
Then there were the trips when I couldn't convince my aunt and uncle that Mary Alice was real and not imaginary. Look who has the last laugh on that one. They would have doctors examine me and wonder if I had cancer, seizures or bigger words that suggested I was crazy. Nothing came back abnormal. I doubt this test would see anything too.
"You never know." Alice whispered.
"Can't you see into your crystal ball and see what the results are?" I asked.
"Because, Carlisle wants to see the images himself and that's the only way he'll be satisfied." Alice answered.
"Alright. I think we're ready." He said.
Walking up to the huge contraption, Alice pats the table and waits for me to climb on. I slowly get on the table and lie down. Alice lifts it up enough to go through the hole of the CAT scanner. I can hear it warming up and I take three huge breaths to try and calm myself down. Tanya is holding my hand and if she was human, I'm sure her hand would be hurting with how hard I'm squeezing it.
The test took about fifteen minutes. When Carlisle said I could get up, I couldn't move fast enough. We walked to the room with the monitors and wait for his results. I didn't have to wait long either.
"Well, everything seems to be normal." Carlisle stated still looking at the monitor.
"See. Told you guys. It was a waste of time." I fumed.
Without waiting for them, I walked out and made my way to the medical center's exit. Tanya caught up to me and tried to stop but I batted her hands away. We reached a corner and turned when I stopped.
I turn around and see a guy I used to go to school with. Chris. Chris Anderson. He stood a few feet away watching Tanya and I argue. He hadn't changed a bit. Even though, we've been out of school for almost twelve years, he still looks like he just graduated from school. I thought he was…
"Abby." He called and walked over to us.
He's shorter than I expected.
"Chris. It's been a while." I said as conversationally as I could. Something was off.
"Yeah. It has. How are ya?" He said holding out his hand.
I just look at it.
"That's right. You're not the touchy feely kind are you? Still that way I see." He smiled.
"Yeah. Still that way." I muttered.
"Who's this?" He asked looking Tanya up and down.
When he turned back to me I see his eyes flash and do something weird. It made the hairs stand up on my neck. This wasn't Chris Anderson.
"I'm Tanya." She smiled.
"Nice meeting you. What brings you to ski country Abby? I didn't think you were the skiing type."
"Just getting away for a few days." I said shrugging.
"Looks like you picked a pretty crappy time."
"Yeah. I did."
I looked outside and can tell he's still staring at me. How do I tell Tanya and Alice that this isn't my classmate? I turn and see Tanya stare at Chris too. I think she knows something isn't right. Alice and Carlisle are down the hall a ways watching us talk. Alice has her phone out and talking to someone. Hope it's back up.
Thinking of a way to throw him off I come up with a brilliant, I hope its brilliant idea. I've seen it happen a lot on television and hope it works in real life.
"Hey, Chris. I forgot. Wasn't our school fight song, Fight On? For some reason I can't really remember it and it's driving me crazy." I said as conversationally as I could.
"Yeah. It was." He said, "It's a great song."
Wrong!
I stood there and looked at him. He closed his eyes and nodded.
"That isn't the name is it?" he asked.
"No. It isn't." I spoke.
Tanya placed herself in front of me, protectively. I think I hear her growl a little.
"What gave me away?" He asked, not the bit scared by Tanya's actions.
"A number of things. Chris was taller than me by two inches and he was slightly heavier too. Not to mention, he had a lazy eye that bugged him. Everyone always stared at it." I said listing off the things I saw.
"But, you missed the biggest difference." I stated.
"What's that?"
"He hung himself a year after graduation." I replied.
"He was a bit of a loser if you ask me." he said.
"What do you want, shifter?" Tanya growled.
"I came to see how the young one is dealing with her new status. From the looks of it, she's not dealing at all. I see the doubt in her eyes. She's not ready for what Dear Ol' Mom has set before her. But, if she does start down that path, know this." he said and walked up to us.
Tanya held up her hand and stopped him.
"If you do follow mom's advice and find the journals and free her, you and everyone will suffer and that includes your little immortal whore too." He spat out giving Tanya a disgusted look.
Turning back to me he said, "Do you want to be the one responsible for more death and destruction, Young one? If you stop now and carry on as you have been, then we'll leave you alone. No one will know any different."
"And, if I don't?" I hissed.
"Then be prepared for a shit storm to come your way and everyone, and I mean everyone you know will suffer." He snapped.
"I have to admit, they've been working on you for years and messed with your head so much that it's gonna be fun to see you fail. I'm personally looking forward to see you lose your mind completely." He smirked.
The automatic door behind me opened, sending a blast of air in. Chris' smile fades as he looks behind me.
"Well, have to go Abby. Look forward to seeing you unravel."
He turns and runs knocking people over in his rush to leave. Emmett and Jasper, along with Kate, Garrett and Jacob run past us. Tanya picks me up and runs out the door. Carlisle and Alice are already in the Jeep waiting for us.
Once I'm in, Carlisle wastes no time leaving. He doesn't peel out of the parking lot due to all the snow and icy roads, but he isn't taking it easy. Alice twists in her seat and takes my head in her hand examining my face and then checks my neck, shoulders and arms. I swat her away.
"He didn't touch me. God!"
She looks like she's about to launch over the seat and hug me but I hold my hand up.
"What the hell was that thing?" I asked, still trying to get my breathing under control.
"It was a shifter." Tanya said through clenched teeth.
"What the hell is a shifter?"
"They're creatures that can shift into any human they want. They take on their appearance, scent and even memories." Carlisle said.
"How come no one has ever heard of them?" I asked.
"Because these things are that good at hiding what they truly are. Even vampires have a hard time finding one. How did you figure it out?" Tanya asked.
"His eyes went all wonky or something. It was like he couldn't figure out how they worked. That and the fact that I know he hung himself." I answered.
"Good job with outing him." Alice said.
"Yeah." I said. "What was he talking about?"
I get no answers and that unnerves me. They know something about this.
"Wait till we get you back to the house. We want you safe. Then, we'll explain what we know." Alice said.
Tanya squeezes my hand. I look at her and see a sad smile.
"It doesn't change what I feel about you, Abigail. If anything, it makes the bond stronger. Remember that." She said quietly.
We get back to the house and Rosalie is there, practically ripping the door off, trying to get to me. She carries me to the house and once inside does what Alice was doing in the car. She looks me over from head to toe and when she gets done, she hugs me and squeezes a little too hard. When she lets go Esme is there for her hug.
Everyone is on high alert. Those who weren't at the medical center are on the deck looking around to see if any more shifters are around. I hear someone say that Seth shifted and is running the perimeter of the property to see if he smells anything. I doubt it with the amount of snow.
No one is taking the news lightly either. Even Jamie is more reserved and uptight. He's at the kitchen island leaning over it reading something. He looks up as I walk in and lets out a deep breath.
"Geez, Chief. You can't even go to the hospital without causing trouble, can you?"
"What can I say? Trouble knows where I am, all the time." I answered.
I sit down next to him and look at what he's reading. It's a binder filled with college ruled paper. Pretty thick too.
"What are you reading?" I asked.
"Jasper and Edward went through the journal last night and translated the whole thing. It's pretty impressive too," he said.
Impressive! That was a thick journal and for them to translate it in one night. That's down right impossible.
"We don't sleep Abby. It was easy enough." Edward explained from the hallway. He looked upset and anxious.
"We're all worried for you." He said.
I turn my attention back to the binder and slide over to me. I turn the pages over until I'm on the first page. Jamie was right it is impressive. Every line in the journal is written out on one line in Russian. Underneath that line is the translation. Then, there's a blank space followed by the next line in Russian. This goes on and on as I flip through them. They even drew the pictures out exactly and translated them.
I go back to the first page and read the first line and jump when I see it. The first line is my full name and birth date. It even has the time and place I was born. I wasn't born in the hospital but at home. The next few lines describe my mother and father there at my birth and the man who helped with my birth.
Carlisle Cullen.
I stop there. What. The. Hell!
I look up and see him standing on the other side of the island, his hand around Esme's waist.
"There's a lot to explain to you Abby." He said quietly.