A/N Hi everyone! Welcome Back. We are getting closer to the end, only a few chapters left now. Three I think... hmm.

Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews. And special Thanks to Sunflower Fran and Storypainter for the ability to figure out what I wanted to say and helping me make it happen.


Focal Point

Chapter 29

Whirlwind

The day was a whirlwind of emotions and activity. After leaving the courtroom drama unsettled, Dad and I rushed through the emergency room door looking for Dr. Pantra who was faced with a crisis and had paged us.

"I'm so glad you could make it, Dr. Cullen. I already have two surgical teams in place, so if you're both ready to scrub in we're ready whenever you are," Dr. Pantra said to Carlisle as he pushed his way through doors marked Staff Only.

"I'm ready, Dr. Cullen. Are you?" I asked Dad, following quickly behind Dr. Pantra.

"I've been ready for weeks. The question is, are you ready to learn something new from your old man?"

"Let's do this," I replied, egging my father on.

Dr. Pantra narrated a brief summary of the newest set of labs and scans while I finish scrubbing in. Once we moved into the surgical unit, I tried to concentrate on the actual surgery.

"BP is one-twenty over seventy-two, pulse ox is ninety-six percent, pulse is eighty four," the nurse said as Dad moved into position. Once their expertise was put into practice, the tranquil conversation my father and Dr. Pantra were having as they worked helped me to relax. It sounded like they were sharing a cup of coffee, not performing brain surgery.

"So, how was court today, Dr. Cullen?" Dr. Pantra asked as Dad made another incision.

"Bizarre," Dad and I answered in unison. Making eye contact we all started laughing. As inappropriate as the situation seemed, talking about the case during a complicated surgery, our light-hearted conversation created a detached atmosphere that really allowed us to focus on what we were doing. I wasn't sure if it really made sense, but it must have, as I watched Dad and the magic his hands performed.

"Okay, just to reduce any confusion while we are working, you are Dr. C and you are Dr. E...and I can already see that's going to be almost as confusing." We all laughed a little as Dr. Pantra started exposing the patient's skull, and Dad looked back over the X-rays and brain scans.

Hypothetically, Dad and I had worked these plans out weeks prior, but I never thought it would come to doing them in the midst of an emergency, let alone under false pretenses.

From the conversation on the drive over, I dissected that the DA had ordered Dad not to touch this patient until after the trial was concluded. On the way to the hospital, he had told me, "The DA can shove it up his, you know what. My wife is the only one that can tell me what to do."

"The scans and X-rays have changed some, but I believe the same plan with a few minor adjustments is still the best course of action," Dad said, returning to the table. "We need to drill here, and here," he instructed, pointing to just above and below where the bullet was lodged. "The tricky part is going to be in our ability to not displace or set off the bullet."

"Okay... tell me why court was "bizarre" as you two put it?" Dr. Pantra asked as he turned on the drill and slowly created two openings.

"Well, it seems that the star witness was the same nurse I had when I was in rehab. Nurse Bella."

"As in Isabella Swan?" Dr Pantra asked, looking at us after finishing the second incision.

"She also seems to be related to our patient, Charles Swan," Dad continued.

"Okay, I now understand the term bizarre," Dr. Pantra said, looking a little pale. "Is that child ever going to get a break?" Dr. Pantra mumbled. It was a statement I wasn't sure we were supposed to hear but we did. I looked at Dr. Pantra waiting for more information or details and watched him swallow nervously.

"She was one of my student resident who saved her own father before dropping off the face of the planet three years ago," he said, relenting to my silent request.

"How could she have been a resident three years ago? She has to be younger than me." God, I hoped she was younger than me.

"She wasn't an intern, Edward. She was still in school. She was also the youngest student resident I ever had. Everyone hated her because of it, too. It drove me insane because she was damn good at what she did. I've never seen someone so driven and compassionate. I was afraid she'd break and one night she did," he explained.

"Is...That's why you got weird, making sure I was okay when my dad got shot, isn't it?" I asked as the pieces started falling into place.

"Yes. I don't think I could lose another intern like that." Silence filled the room as the surgery progressed.

"She's the one that took the photos at the park, and the one that saved your life, Dad," I stated. The picture was becoming clearer and clearer. She seemed sort of indifferent at the park but compassionate at the same time.

"I already figured that out, son. I figured out a lot of things today."

But what was the rest of it? Why did the defense summons me to court?

"Be prepared for bleeding, Edward," Dad warned, bringing me back to the moment. I watched as he settled in behind the robotic equipment, magnifying the incision area.

It was starting to come together. There was no room for error because Police Chief Charles Swan had a life outside of this room, and a daughter who needed him just as much I needed my father. I refused to imagine what would happen if we didn't succeed.

"Are you sure you never thought about going into neurology, Dr. Pantra?" Dad asked, breaking the tension that had been building.

"I did once, but I like what I do now. You ever think about teaching?"

Dad continued in silence, completely focused on what he was doing when he suddenly stopped. Alarms started sounding and Dad moved his hands slowly away from the table, as we watched the patient's body twitch momentarily.

"Nurse, I need a complete blood work up done immediately, and I want a CT scan and an MRI done as soon as we finish up here. Edward, step up here and tell me what you see, if anything."

Slowly, I made minor adjustments on the surgical microscope, focusing on the nerves below. There had to be something there if Dad was asking for a second opinion.

"I see some bruising that's probably a few months old but it looks like it's healing on its own. It could be caused by irritation as the bullet moved. There's also some minimal bleeding. Do you think he just had a mini-stroke?" I asked. "The twitching could be associated with the surgery and anesthesia,"

"Good," Dad said, as he took a deep breath, relaxing then moving back into place. "I agree. It's more probable the episode has to do with the surgery than a stroke, but I still want those tests just to be on the safe side. The bruising proves the patient has been through a lot recently. There's no reason to take chances when we don't have to. Are you sure you don't want to go into neurology like your father?" he asked, laughing and pushing me aside. I gave him a wide grin, because I had thought about it, once.

"Well, I guess we're going to have to figure out how to get her back into rotation somehow, Dr. Pantra. You have any thoughts on that?" Dad questioned, once again eyeball deep in the surgical microscope.

"It's a long shot but not impossible, if that's what she wants. But it's going to be an uphill battle to convince the board of trustees. She'll have to prove she can cut it. bThree years is a long time," Dr. Pantra trailed off.

"She saved my life. I think she can still cut it, but I don't really know her," Dad emphasized as a nurse entered the operating room.

"Thank you, Jill," Dr. Pantra said as the nurse drew blood from our patient.

"After I get these to the lab, do you want me to give the family an update, Dr. Pantra?" Jill asked.

"The surgery is going well, but slow, Jill. If you could communicate that, I'd appreciate it," he answered.

"Yes, Sir." Once the nurse had completed her task she left quietly.

The conversation ran in circles between Isabella Swan, the courtroom, and the surgery. Then, almost seven hours later, my legs hurt, my hands hurt, and my head hurt along with my eyes. The surgery was over and Charles Swan was in a drug-induced coma for the next seventy-two hours as a precaution.

It wasn't until we were all washing up that I looked at my dad and realized how strong he was. He stretched his back and washed his hands. I felt like I needed a shower to wash the sweat away,and he looked like he was ready to start another surgery. Dr. Pantra on the other hand, looked tired and much older than he did just hours prior.

"Dr. E, after we take a break, I want you to keep an eye on Mr. Swan. I'm going to have a shower, a stiff drink, and a nap. Would you like to join me, Carlisle?" Dr. Pantra asked, but Dad declined.

Dr. Pantra headed in one direction while Dad and I headed to the cafeteria to grab something to eat and meet with the family.


Read, Review, Retell/share