Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
…
A/N: Thank you to all readers who left a review to the last three chapters – I've sent answers to all of them. To everyone leaving a guest review or who has private messaging turned off disallowing a response to your messages (you'll know who you are if you never get a response from me), thank you for your comments and words of encouragement. The response to the last three chapters was fantastic.
Warning: this chapter contains a brief description of a burning body. I will mark the passage with the words ***start*** and ***end*** if you wish to skip it. I realize now, I should have done something similar in the previous chapter. If the content of chapter 28 bothered anyone, I'm sorry – no one has said anything, but anyway, I will go back and add a similar disclaimer, as well as content marks in the chapter.
…
From Chapter 28
I shook my head and chuckled as I jogged over to Bella. Dad stood up to welcome me back. I thought he looked uneasy about what he'd witnessed, but I also knew he'd forgive me. I only hoped I could live with what I'd been reduced to.
I'd tortured and killed a man, and I didn't regret it.
The game wasn't over, not by a long shot. We still had Larry to consider and Vivi was an unknown quantity. Where the fuck was she?
Of another thing, I was absolutely certain – don't ever fuck with the Cullen's.
If you do, you'll regret it.
Just ask Jimmy.
…
Chapter 29 – Unknown
I exchanged fleeting glances with Dad. His eyelids flickered as they darted quickly to the scene of Jimmy's death, and then to his funeral pyre, which Emmett was supervising with quiet reflection. Dad breathed in deeply and blew it out slowly. I knew he found what I'd done – what Emmett had done – disturbing on so many levels. Jimmy's death had been a necessity; our torture of him however, was optional.
Pushing it to the back of my mind, I dropped to my knees on the ground beside Bella, reaching out with my hands to embrace her.
She drew back with a gasp when confronted with my bloody hands.
"Edward!"
I pulled back, hiding my hands behind me. They suddenly began to tremble in reaction.
"Edward, are you injured?" she asked me, her voice frightened.
My eyes widened. She thought the blood was mine?
"No, Bella, I'm fine. I'm more concerned about you," I rasped tearily. Now that the crisis was over, I allowed the firm rein on my emotions to weaken.
She smiled imperceptible, as she tried to reassure me. "Carlisle says I'm gonna be fine," she told me, as she adjusted her seat against Jasper. The pain of moving juddered through her, sending her complexion white with shock. A blood pressure cuff circled her right upper arm, and Dad had started an IV of fluids and painkillers in the back of her left hand. The bag was sitting on her shoulder, dripping its precious contents into her system. I looked down at the blood soaked bandage around her upper thigh and the smaller bandage at her temple.
Was she hit in the head by another bullet – I only heard one shot fired? My anxiety ratcheted higher again as my eyes flashed to my father for answers.
"Dad?" I asked fearfully.
He squatted down beside us. "I think she'll be fine, Edward, but I need to remove the bullet. From the amount of bleeding, I suspect it nicked a vein in her leg – I need to repair it."
"But she'll be okay?" I asked for reassurance.
He nodded. "Yes, but we need to get back to camp as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more blood she loses and the greater the chance of complications or infection."
"What about her head?" I asked worriedly.
Dad began packing up his medical bag. "She hit it on a rock when she fell. She has a mild contusion on her temple and a concussion. It's what kept her unconscious for so long."
I breathed easier that the bullet hadn't caused any major organ damage.
Emmett came running over, a pervading smell of smokey sweetness surrounding him. He squatted down beside Rosalie who'd maintained an unnatural silence; so quiet in fact that I'd failed to notice her. Emmett had rinsed the blood from his hands – probably in the creek – and had removed his bloodstained shirt before returning.
Dammit, I should have thought of that before approaching Bella. Shit, shit, shit!
I acknowledged Rosalie now, thanking her for her care of Bella even while recovering from her own awful ordeal.
"Thank you, Rosalie, for taking care of Bella." She nodded. "Are you okay?" I asked her gently.
She raised teary eyes to my face. "No," she responded honestly, "but I will be." She leaned in against her husbands t-shirt clad chest.
His massive arms embraced her lovingly the way I wanted to comfort Bella. I didn't see any drops of Jimmy's blood, unlike my own digital jacket which was covered. I felt nausea roll through my stomach. Gulping it back, my lips thinned angrily, as I recalled Bella's reckless behavior.
She eyed me warily as she cringed backward from my livid expression. I ignored her reaction – it was important I say this.
"Bella, don't you ever do anything like this again. You could have been killed and so could have Rosalie. I thought I made myself clear when I told you not to interact with the pirates on your own."
"Yes, but-"
"No, buts!" I roared. "You should have gone home for help, not gone off on your own," I berated. "You're both very lucky we were able to figure out what Jimmy was up to," I said as I looked from her to Rosalie.
Bella sniffled as tears dribbled from her eyes.
"I-I'm s-sorry, Edward," she said, wiping her cheeks with quivering fingers. "J-Jimmy said he'd kill Rose and the baby if I d-didn't play his game, or if I c-came with reinforcements. I couldn't let that happen. E-Emmett would never have recovered," she said sadly, "none of us would have."
My eyes softened as I recognized the truth of her statement. I reached down and squeezed the jean-clad ankle of her uninjured leg – I didn't want Jimmy's tainted blood to transfer to her skin.
Despite the empathy I felt for her dilemma, I also knew that her singular intervention and disregard for own safety could have resulted in her death. As it was she was seriously injured.
I lifted implacable eyes to her face and spoke succinctly. "I understand the quandary you were in, Bella, but when I give a direct order," I looked at her sternly, "I expect it to be followed – without question."
Her tears abruptly halted, as she sat up a little straighter and narrowed her eyes, grunting painfully at the movement.
She gasped out, "Edward, don't you dare-"
I cut her off. "Oh, I dare alright, Your Highness."
Her eyes glinted dangerously.
"This is not a democracy when it comes to personal safety, especially against the enemy. When I give an order about military tactics or safety, it's to be followed absolutely – no deviation or second guessing."
My family regarded me silently. Bella looked down at her hands clutched tightly in her lap.
"Am I clear?" I added, staring at her and them.
Silence. Bella nodded tensely.
I exhaled and stood up. "Good."
"Jasper, Emmett, can you retrieve Larry – we'll be taking him back to camp with us."
Rose and Bella darted their startled, fearful eyes to me.
"Why?" asked Rosalie shrilly.
The same question was reflected in Bella's eyes as I answered.
"I want to interrogate him, and it will take longer than the time we have available to us. We need to get both you and Bella back to camp as soon as possible," I explained.
Dad fixed the stethoscope in his ears and pumped the BP cuff to take Bella's pressure. He let the air hiss out slowly. His mouth tightened imperceptibly as he noted the reading.
Removing the buds from his ears he said, "I want you to remain still and calm, Bella, your blood pressure is a little erratic. Stress isn't good for you at the moment," he said pointedly, looking at me, "it's not good for Rose either. Rose, I want to take your pressure, as well," he stated as he removed the cuff and moved around Bella to attend to Rosalie.
I accepted Dad's subtle reprimand, vowing to hold over any further discussion until the girls were both recovered.
Jasper crawled out from behind Bella, laying her head down on his rolled up hiking jacket and handed the IV bag to Dad. He stood up, preparing to retrieve Larry.
"We need to get Mom and Alice as well," Jasper warned me. "I already explained to Dad that I sent them home, and told them to hide in the fern cave until one of us came for them. They're probably worried sick by now," he remarked worriedly. "I won't be happy either, 'til I know they're safe and back in camp. We still don't know where Vivi is."
"She's not here," I informed him. "Jimmy told us."
Jasper looked skeptical. "He actually said that?"
I shook my head. "No, but he said, 'when she gets back', which implies she's not on the island at the moment. Larry will know more about her whereabouts, and why they were here in the first place when we interrogate him."
I checked the time on my watch. It was 1800 hours – 6 pm.
"We'll take Jimmy's Zodiac. It's big enough for all of us, and it will be quicker than walking. We can't take Bella and Rosalie up the cliff stairs in their condition in any case. Dad will you stay here with Rose and Bella. I need to retrieve the weapons." I looked down at my filthy clothes and crimson stained skin. "And, I need to clean up a little," I explained softly.
"Yes of course, Edward, but hurry please, all of you. How long will it take to return to camp in the motor boat?"
"About an hour," Jasper and I answered together.
"Let's get moving," I ordered. Jasper and Emmett left together, jogging past the thick smoke of Jimmy's burning body and into the jungle for Larry.
I turned to Bella, my expression softening as I looked upon her with aching love permeating my entire body. I leaned toward her.
"Bella?" I whispered.
"Yes?" she sniffled as she avoided my eyes. My head followed hers as it rolled to the side so she wouldn't have to look at me.
"Bella, I love you," I told her softly.
She nodded her head imperceptibly. "I love you too," she sniffle. She struggled to sit up, tucking her tangle hair behind one ear. "Edward, help me up – please?" she begged desperately.
Instead, I pushed her down gently, only touching her shoulders through the thin cloth of her t-shirt. I leaned over and gently kissed her.
"Lay down, Bella – please? We can talk later," I promised.
She huffed, but retreated, lying down again. Her eyes closed with pain and exhaustion.
"I'll be back in a few minutes," I told her, as I climbed to my feet.
I took off to retrieve the weapons, reaching up, to pull the Hawaiian sword from the tree I'd thrown it into. I tried to ignore the evidence of Jimmy that remained on the blade as I approached the scene of his death. The skin on my hands had stiffened with Jimmy's blood, as I leaned down to pick up the knuckle-duster, and then the assault rifle. Handling them carefully, I trotted slowly over to his burning body.
***Start***
It was a macabre sight, the image and smell of a burning human body. It was still recognizable as human, even blackened and charred as it was, while the flesh burned slowly. His limbs and torso contorted grotesquely in the heat of the fire as the bodily fluids boiled and the flesh contracted. A sickening, sweet smell saturated the air around him.
***End***
My stomach rolled with nausea. Unable to control the sensation, I staggered away, leaning over as I vomited. Racking sobs released from deep inside me. The revulsion I now felt for what I had done, I would have to find a way to live with. My horror grappled with the relief I felt that Bella was safe, and Jimmy no longer a threat to our existence.
I stiffened when a caring hand touched my shoulder gently.
"Edward?" said Dad softly.
I couldn't speak as I bent over. I tried to shrug away his sympathy, but he wouldn't let me.
"Edward, I won't tell you that I condone what you did, but I understand it," he told me quietly. "Had it been your mother who Jimmy shot or tormented like he did Rosalie … I might have reacted similarly," he confessed, as he squeezed my shoulder.
Reaching down, he gently removed the Hawaiian weapons from my grasp. "I'll take care of these, son. Why don't you remove your shirt and clean up before we go home. You might feel better about touching Bella." I'm not surprised he'd noticed my reluctance to touch her.
I straightened up, lifting my arm so I could wipe my mouth against my shoulder. My forehead furrowed in pain, as my head pounded with a combination of reaction and tension. I stiffened and faced my father, prepared to face the music.
"Do … do I disgust you, Dad? Can you ever look at me again without remembering the way I tort...?" I trailed off, dreading his answer.
Dad looked into my eyes without flinching. "No, Edward, you don't disgust you. None of us will ever forget what took place here today. Jimmy had to die – you should not regret that," he absolved.
I shifted my feet nervously. "I wasn't talking about that," I said meekly.
Dad nodded. "I know, Edward. All we can do is acknowledge all of our roles and learn to live with it"
I blinked at my father. "What role did you play, Dad, other than as protector and doctor? You have nothing to feel guilty about," I argued.
"I didn't stop you," he admitted quietly.
I stared at him. I don't know if he could have.
He sighed. "Look, we'll speak later, Edward, you me and your brothers. Emmett will need to talk about what happened as well. He's stoic at the moment, but I know your brother. It's going to hit him when he least expects it."
I wiped my eyes with a part of my sleeve that was relatively free of blood. I sniffed and nodded.
"Go get cleaned up, son, we need to leave and your brothers are returning with Larry," he said, as he gestured with his head in the their direction.
Larry was shuffling along, his hands tied securely behind his back, while Emmett and Jasper directed him. They each had a hand clamped around one of his arms in case he tried to make a run for it. The fishing net that had held him prisoner was once again over Jasper's shoulders.
I'd congratulated Jasper when he told me earlier how he'd restrained Larry. What we'd do with him after the interrogation, I didn't know. After today, I don't think any of us could kill Larry in cold-blood if he didn't threaten us. I rubbed at my pounding forehead. It wasn't a decision that could be made right now, or one I felt I could make on my own, but our options had to be considered – and soon.
Stripping off my filthy shirt, I walked over to the stream to wash up. Dad followed me to clean the weapons. Laying the rifle on the ground, I squatted on the bank to sluice cool, clean water over my skin and Dad crouched beside me to rinse the weapons.
I watched the pink, stained water trickle down toward the ocean. When the rains came, all evidence of what had taken place here would be washed away forever. I looked up and noticed Larry looking toward the fire. His eyes widened when he realized what, and who it was that was burning.
He turned terrified eyes toward me.
"Hey, Mr. Red, you ain't gunna kill me are ya?" he gasped nervously. "I swear, I didn't know what Jimmy was up to. He jus' told me to guard the village. I swear Mr. Red," he babbled desperately, as he passed by between my brothers.
Jasper told him to be quiet. "Just keep moving, Larry," he ordered. "You won't be dying … today," he added pointedly.
Larry quivered, but looked relieved when assured of his continuing survival. He missed the tacked on proviso of 'today'. He really was a stupid bastard I thought, as I wondered what his IQ was. It wasn't anywhere in the triple digits, of that I was certain, but I truly believed he wasn't 'normal' either.
Dad eyed Larry curiously. "He's not right," Dad commented quietly, as he stood up with the clean weapons in his hand.
I stood up beside him, balling up my filthy digital shirt. My under t-shirt, like Emmett's, remained relatively clean and free of bodily fluids.
I sighed. "I know. I don't know how much we can hold him accountable for. He's like a dumb sheep following blindly while someone else makes all the decisions." I reached down and picked up the assault rifle.
"He's a drone," Dad said.
I eyed him with surprise. His observation was very perceptible.
…
I ran down to the rubber Zodiac with the weapons, and placed them in the bottom of the boat. I'd wrapped the Hawaiian ones in my shirt and shoved them in my bag so the teeth wouldn't rip a hole in the rubber. Looking around hurriedly, I didn't see any sign of MORTE or Vivi. Running back to the village, I leaned down to pick up Bella who was dozing. She moaned as I slipped my arm below her injured thigh, but she didn't waken. Dad positioned the IV bag, still delivering vital fluids, over her shoulder.
"The drugs are making her sleep," he told me.
I nodded in understanding. It was probably a good thing. The boat ride home would be rough, despite the calm seas, as we pushed the outboard motor to its limits. Emmett leaned down to help Rose to her feet, picking her up when she swayed tiredly. Jasper herded Larry toward the beach, tied up, but quiet. Dad brought up the rear with his medical bag.
None of us looked back as we departed.
Stepping into the boat with Bella, I sat down and cradled her in my arms protectively. Emmett helped Rose in, then stood back to push the boat the few meters down the sand and into the water. Dad climbed in with Emmett – Dad between the girls so he could treat them – while Emmett sat at the front of the boat where he could guard Larry. He was sitting in the bottom of the boat where Jasper had forced him. Emmett grinned evilly at Larry and cracked his knuckles, simply because he knew he could scare him.
Larry whimpered.
Jasper dropped the outboard motor into the water and fired it. It started on the first depression of the starter button, roaring loudly, then quietening as Jasper adjusted the choke and throttle. Taking hold of the rudder, he sat down and directed the boat away from the beach and out into the shallows.
…
Jasper steered the Zodiac into shore, bringing the boat onto the sand next to Victory and cut the motor. He and Emmett jumped out and pulled the boat up onto the sand. I stepped carefully out with Bella still asleep in my arms and Dad followed me, leaving Emmett to bring up the rear carrying Rosalie, while Jasper lead a strangely cooperative Larry.
When we walked into camp it was dark and devoid of life apart from the animals. They clucked, oinked and bleated in excitement as they begged for their dinner. They wouldn't get fed 'til the morning.
Dad opened the front door and turned on a lamp in the entry. "Take Bella and Rose into my office," he directed urgently, as we followed him in.
I nodded, turning quickly to speak to Jasper who stood on the verandah with Larry.
"Jazz, lock Larry in the old sleeping hut and barricade the door and the windows. Leave him tied up for the moment."
"Okay, but then I have to get Mom and Alice," he replied, turning around to lead Larry away.
Dad countermanded my instruction. "Actually, Jasper, I need you to help me with Bella's surgery. Edward can go and get them."
"I can help you, Dad," I said. I wanted to be with Bella.
"No, Edward, it'll be better if Jasper helps me."
I hesitated, torn between Bella and my mother. It seemed to be my lesson for today – making difficult choices.
"Go on, go get your Mom and Alice," Dad encouraged. "Bring them home and then get cleaned up. You can see Bella when the surgery is over. It's going to be a long night," he added tiredly.
I agreed reluctantly and walked into Dad's office with my precious cargo. I knew why Dad didn't want me to assist with the surgery – I was too close – I'd be a hindrance if something went wrong. I didn't like it, but I understood it.
I laid Bella onto the table, hooking her nearly empty IV bag on the stand at the head of the bed. Emmett eased Rosalie into a seat beside Dad's desk and waited. Kissing Bella, I left the room to find my mother.
…
Carlisle's POV
Washing my hands, I prepared to quickly examine Rosalie so I could concentrate on Bella without worry. Pulling on a pair of gloves, I took Rose's pulse, blood pressure and temperature. Her BP was a little high, but that was to be expected. A good night's sleep would hopefully take care of it.
"Rose, do you have any cramping or bleeding?" I asked her.
She shook her head. "No. I'm a little hungry, sore and tired, but I think my baby's okay," she sniffled. "He threatened to hurt him, but he didn't," she told us.
Emmett cracked his knuckles at Rose's mention of Jimmy. I really had to convince him to stop that, I thought distractedly. It might not cause arthritis, but it did lead to soft tissue damage, swelling and reduced hand strength in later life.
He did it again. I sighed.
"Alright. Rose, I want you to take a warm shower – not a hot one," I instructed, "and drink another liter of water."
She nodded docilely. "Yes, Carlisle."
"Emmett, when she's cleaned up, rub this salve on her rope burns and the bruise on her leg where Jimmy kicked her."
He took the tube from me. "Anything else, Dad?"
"Yes, after that, I want Rose to eat something light and then go to bed. Try to sleep," I told her, as I stripped the gloves from my hands, and prepared to remove the bullet from Bella.
Jasper came in from locking Larry up, as Emmett carried Rose from the room.
"Help me undress Bella," I said, as I handed him a pair of scissors to cut the clothes from her body. I removed the bandage and tourniquet from her leg. The blood in the wound had clotted since the shooting. I watched and waited a few seconds to see if it would hold.
It did.
Throwing the destroyed clothes into a basket, we left Bella clad only in her bra and panties. Shaking out a sheet, I laid it over her, leaving her thigh exposed to the cool night air. I handed Jasper a gown and a cap, identical to my own set.
"Change out of those soiled clothes and scrub in, Jasper, we need to get started."
…
The surgery took two hours. As I suspected, the bullet had nicked a vein in her leg, but it hadn't severed it. I removed the bullet and repaired the damage to the blood vessel, and the surrounding tissue.
She was very lucky – another inch or so and it would have struck the femoral artery – an injury she would not have survived no matter how gifted my skill, or how compelling my devotion. She'd lost a lot of blood, but nothing life threatening. With proper rest and nutrition, she would recover fully by Christmas.
I removed my cap and gown and threw them in the basket with Bella's outer clothes. Jasper did the same. We stood around in our shorts, socks and t-shirts.
"Is your brother back with Esme and Alice?" I asked Jasper, as I adjusted Bella's IV and checked her vital signs. She was breathing easily and would wake up within the hour. I was overwhelmingly relieved.
"Yes. Dad, watching you with the surgery – helping you – that was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced," he told me. He wore an expression of sheer awe and adulation.
I smiled at my second-eldest son. "Thank you, Jasper. It's not for everyone, but I love it – it's very rewarding when I can save a life."
Jasper raked has hands through his hair. "I couldn't do it, Dad."
"You just did, Jasper," I corrected him.
He blinked, looking shocked when he acknowledged the accuracy of my statement.
"Send Esme and Edward in, will you?" I asked him, as he opened the door.
…
Esme's POV
It got cold in the fern cave as darkness fell. Alice and I had returned from the west just after 5 pm, bypassing the camp as Jasper told us. We huddled together in the cave, whispering quietly for two hours, worrying and wondering as the hours passed without any news.
"What time is it?" whispered Alice as she shivered.
I felt for the tiny button on my watch that would light up the face of my timepiece and pushed it. We'd been turning the flashlight on and off intermittently to preserve the batteries.
"It's about twenty past seven," I whispered back, pulling Alice into me and rubbing her thin arms, as I tried to create some warming friction.
"Do you think they're okay?" she asked a few minutes later. I'd lost count of the number of times she'd asked me.
"I don't know, Alice." Her endless questions for the last two hours were getting on my nerves. She knew as much as I did. Nothing.
"We should never have left," Alice stated shrilly. "We should have turned around and followed Jasper!"
"Shssh," I admonished her. "Alice, Jasper will come for us or he'll send one of the others. And we left, because it was too dangerous to stay – you know that!"
She pouted and shrugged. "Yeah, maybe, but at least we'd know what was going on instead of squatting here wondering," she complained. "Can we have the light on, Esme?"
I sighed and rubbed my eyes tiredly, switching the flashlight on. I wondered when her next dose of kava was due. I thought it might calm her down a little. We sat silently for five minutes in the dim glow of the flashlight, when I heard the sounds of a distant, low hum.
"Can you hear that?" I asked Alice.
She looked around. "Hear what?"
"Listen. That low hum, can you hear that?"
She listened, cocking her head to one side. "It sounds like a motor boat," she whispered. "Do you think it's the pirates?" she shrieked, clearly frightened.
She shuddered, sinking back against the wall of the fern cave, trying to disappear. She sat with the flashlight clamped between her raised knees, allowing the light to shine over her pale face. Her eyes were wide and terrified.
"I'm going to check, Alice. Stay here," I told her. I needed to get her out of this cave before she went bat-shit crazy – no pun intended – and took me with her.
She barely reacted to my words. She simply sat there, rocking and humming.
Creeping along the narrow tunnel, I emerged into the darkness of night lit by a bright full moon. The sound was louder now that I was outside and definitely a motor. I waffled with indecision. Do I go in the direction of camp and perhaps get captured by the pirates, or do I head through the jungle to the far side of the beach for a little spying?
I decided on the jungle. Bella and I had come through this way on previous occasions when we'd foraged for food along the beach. We treated it as a shortcut taking us around in a circle rather than always backtracking. We'd worn a kind of path with our frequent wanderings, allowing me to run quickly and noiselessly to the beach.
The sound of the motor was louder now – it was definitely heading into the beach. I was equal parts terrified and excited as I crept from the bushes and onto the sand. I could see a dark boat with six, no seven (seven!) people sitting in it.
I couldn't see their faces, but I knew there was only three pirates, so I figured it had to be my family and maybe one of them. Or, it could be three pirates and four of my family. I chewed on my lip worriedly. I prayed it was the former and not the latter theory.
The boat passed directly through the glow of the large moon as it shone brightly on the water. I tingled with excitement, then bounced happily when the light reflected off a bright blonde head.
It was Carlisle, I was sure of it.
I watched as they landed the boat, and two men got out – one large and one smaller. I knew it was my family when I saw a man stand up carrying a body. Her long dark hair trailed over his arm in a tangled curtain.
I gasped as tears flooded my eyes. Oh, my god! Is that Bella?
The larger man leaned into the boat, emerging holding another body – this one with long blonde hair. My hands flew up to my mouth as I gasped in horror. Oh, no. Not Rosalie!
I began to run toward them, when I remembered Alice in the fern cave of the lava tube. I changed directions running as fast as I could back to the cave, my legs and arms pumping frantically. All I wanted to do was go home and see to my husband and children.
Scrambling through the cave, I began calling for Alice. "Alice! Alice! It's them, it's the family."
There was no response, but I could see the glow of the flashlight ahead, so I knew she was still in here. She wouldn't have left without it, not as scared as she was at the moment.
Emerging into the cave, I stood up. Alice was curled up on the floor in the fetal position as silent as a sleeping baby – except her eyes were open.
Oh, for fucks sake!
I groaned. Alice was better since she'd started taking the kava, but she was no where near as normal as she used to be while on medication. I needed to get her home and dose her up with kava before she fell apart completely.
Reaching down, I shook her shoulder. "Alice!" I called loudly. She blinked. "Alice!" I tried again, shaking her harder. "Alice, they're back. We can go home, okay? Jasper's home!"
"They're home?" she whispered disbelievingly.
"Yes. Get up, we're going to meet them."
I took the flashlight from her and took hold of her hands to pull her to her feet. I kept one of her small cold hands in mine as I tugged her to the opening.
"Come on," I said, "Out you go. I'm right behind you with the flashlight," I told her reassuringly.
She nodded. "Okay. Um, okay, home. Let's go home."
...
We ran along the pathway toward camp, the flashlight and the moon glow guiding us. I heard the sound of pounding feet coming toward us. I assumed it was one of my children or my husband. I was right. I exhaled sharply, as I saw Edward's bright, bronze colored head appear from around a bend in the pathway. But, Alice hadn't been paying attention. She startled uncontrollably, as Edward skidded to a stop in front of us, and screamed like a manic banshee.
Edward's hand flew to his ears. "Jesus Christ, woman!" he roared. "Take it down a note, will you?"
"Alice!" I shook her. "Alice, it's Edward. For gods sake, stop screaming!" I yelled at her, exhausting my last nerve.
She stopped and started crying, garbling out an apology. "Oh, I',m s-sorry, Edward. My nerves are shot to pieces," she said.
Her nerves are shot. I scoffed inwardly as I rolled my eyes at Edward.
"It's okay," he said impatiently, as he led us hurriedly home. "Why are you out here?" he asked, with a set mouth. "Jasper told me that he told you to stay at the fern cave until someone came for you."
"We heard the boat," I explained. I didn't fail to notice his irritation, I just chose to ignore it.
"I ran down to the beach along the shortcut. When I was sure it was you, I went back for Alice."
"We'll talk about it later," he responded in a short tone.
My brow arched, though he didn't see it.
"Edward, tell us, are Bella and Rose okay? Are they alive? And what news do you have of the pirates?"
He turned his head to eye me cautiously as we trotted along.
"Tell me, Edward!" I insisted.
He sighed. "Rose and Bella are alive. Rose was tormented by Jimmy, but she's okay, just tired and frightened. But, Jimmy shot Bella," he intoned quietly.
I gasped and stopped dead on the pathway. Alice ran into the back of me – not unexpected seeing as I still had hold of her hand.
"Oh, my god! Is she (I gulped) is she okay?"
He huffed and pinched the bridge of his nose as though he had a headache. "Yeah, Mom, Dad says she'll be okay. He's operating at the moment to remove the bullet from her leg. Jasper's helping him."
Alice looked up at the mention of her husband.
"Is … is he okay?" she asked timidly.
"Yes."
"Oh, thank god," she cried.
Edward gestured to us to keep moving. "I'll explain more as we walk."
He stepped to the other side of Alice and took her free hand in his. The added security seemed to help her relax, and she listened attentively as Edward spoke.
"Jimmy is dead. I killed him," he explained distantly.
I glanced at his face across Alice. It was aloof and unemotional as he talked about the pirates.
"We brought Larry back with us."
Alice gasped.
"We need information," he continued, ignoring Alice's reaction.
"Where is Larry now?" I inquired breathlessly. I hoped he wasn't in the house with my family.
"He's locked up in the old sleeping hut. His hands are tied and the doors and windows are barricaded. He's not going anywhere unless we let him," Edward stated coldly.
I still didn't like it.
The house came into view and I pushed aside my misgivings.
I'd think about them later.
…
Edward's POV
I paced outside Dad's office and makeshift operating room for nearly two hours, waiting and worrying about Bella.
After I'd intercepted Mom and Alice returning home alone (against orders, I might add), Mom sent Alice upstairs for a warming shower and then went to check on Rosalie. I went with her, because I wanted to speak with Emmett.
Rose had been asleep, but Mom sat with her on the side of Rose and Emmett's bed and stroked her hand and face lovingly. I gestured for Emmett to follow me into the hallway. We walked away to the upstairs open lounge area to talk quietly.
"How's the surgery going?" I asked Emmett, as we sat opposite each other on two bamboo armchairs.
He leaned forward, hanging his arms between his knees and bobbed his head soothingly.
"It's going good, I think. Jasper popped his head out about ten minutes ago and said it was going well. Dad had removed the bullet and he was repairing the damaging."
I breathed a sigh of relief, mirroring his posture. "And, Rose?"
Emmett tensed imperceptibly. "She'll be okay. She's not losing the baby or anything."
I grinned and thumped his knee in a congratulatory gesture. "That's great, Emmett."
"She had a nightmare," he told me quietly.
"Oh, well that's to be expected," I replied ineptly.
Emmett clutched his lengthening curls in his fists. He needed a haircut, I thought incongruously. Sometimes the strangest things occur in my mind, completely out of context to the current topic or situation.
"Yeah, I know," he huffed out. "But she shouldn't be having nightmares, Edward, she should be enjoying her pregnancy. If that prick had just left us alone, none of this would have happened. And Rose, she'd be busy bossing me around as usual. Instead, she's all timid and meek and scared of her own shadow. It's not normal," he spoke softly. "It's not right."
I didn't know how to respond to him. Anything I might say would be useless and trite. I tried anyway.
"It will get better, Emmett, for all of us. Alice is spaced out as well, and I dread how Bella will react when this hits her."
Emmett breathed deeply, and leaned back in the armchair. He rested his head against the top of the cushion. I let him discharge his feelings in silence for a moment. He spoke quietly at last, and inquired about Mom.
"She seems fine," I told him. "Worried about Rose and Bella of course, and Alice is adding to her worries."
"Alice? What's wrong with her?"
"She's just a bit loopy at the moment. Mom sent her for a shower while she sits with Rose, but I think she needs a dose of kava."
"It'll have to wait. Dad keeps it in his office," Emmett said.
"Yeah, I know. In the meantime, we'll pour moringa tea down her and give her something to eat. Low blood sugar probably isn't helping her erratic behavior," I said dryly.
Emmett snorted.
After a long moment, I broached what I wanted to talk about. "Ahm, Emmett, we need to discuss what happened; talk about what we both did." I said quietly.
He reared to his feet and began to pace furiously. "What's there to talk about, Edward? The bastard deserved everything we dished out, and more!"
I didn't dispute his words, even as I wanted to.
Emmett stopped his paced to glare at me.
"I don't regret it, Edward, none of it. Don't ask me to!" he stated vehemently.
He stalked from the lounge without a backward glance. I heard the door of his bedroom, close decisively behind him.
I didn't follow.
…
When the door to Dad's office opened, Jasper was standing before me in his shorts, socks and t-shirt. I peeked around him. Dad was dressed similarly as he adjusted Bella's IV. She was draped in a sheet and two thick blankets. Her face was pale as she slept off the anesthetic.
"She's fine, Edward," Jasper told me. "Go on in. I was just coming to get you."
I shook my brothers hand. "Thanks Jazz. Alice is in the living room with Mom waiting for news. Emmett is upstairs with Rosalie."
"Okay, thanks. What about Larry?"
"Not a peep out of him since I locked him up. He told me that he doesn't know where Vivi is. Jimmy sent her to Hawaii in MORTE with the ships crew, but that's all he knows."
"They have a crew?"
I nodded. "Yeah, another three men, but they always stay on board with the ship. He doesn't know much about them. They weren't allowed to talk to him."
"How'd you get all that out of him?" Jasper asked me in astonishment.
"I threw him a bone," I said, smirking.
Huh, said Jasper's expression.
"I gave him a cold turkey wing and some of the stale bread rolls. He was so grateful, I couldn't shut him up, once I started asking him questions. I checked on him earlier. He's sitting in a corner of the hut, sleeping."
Jasper quirked a brow. "That's a bit strange, isn't it?"
"He is strange," I retorted. "Dad thinks he's not right and I agree with him. His intelligence is … stunted," I said at last.
"Yeah, I know," Jasper said, scratching at his chest. "He's not the brightest bulb in the box."
I scoffed. That was an understatement.
"Go see Alice and get cleaned up," I suggested. "We still need to interrogate Larry, but it can wait until morning."
He left and I stood in the open doorway gazing at my sleeping Bella, my beautiful Princess Manulani. I'd almost lost her. The breath hitched in my chest as it hit me.
"Come on in, Edward," welcomed Dad. "The surgery went well and she'll be waking up soon, though she'll be fairly out of it for a while. I've got her doped up with morphine in the drip."
Pulling up a seat, I sat down beside the bed and reached out to gently hold the hand with the IV line in it. I traced the blue veins I could see below her translucent skin, then bent down to kiss her hand tenderly.
"Is she really okay, Dad?" I rasped tearfully.
He squeezed my shoulder. "Yes, she'll be fine. She'll need a lot of rest for a few weeks and a deal of tender loving from you," he told me with a crooked smile.
"Thanks, Dad."
"It's what I do, son." He hesitated, then reached over to a tray for a small kidney shaped dish. He handed it to me.
It contained the bullet.
Son of a bitch!
"She was very lucky, Edward. A little more in either direction and it would have hit the femoral artery."
I paled as I looked at the misshapen bullet. She'd be dead now instead of recovering.
"I thought you might want to know that, before you beat yourself up internally about what happened after he shot her."
I swallowed and nodded. I couldn't articulate now if my life depended on it.
"Mmmm," Bella moaned from the bed. Her head rolled to the side and I reached up to stroke her face.
"Bella?" I whispered. "It's me, Edward."
"Mmmm, Edward," she moaned. She smiled a little and fell silent.
I looked at Dad desperately. Had something happened?
"She's asleep," confirmed Dad.
I exhaled sharply in relief.
Dad walked to the open door. "I'm going to see your mother, and then Emmett. I want the two of you to carry Bella upstairs. I wouldn't normally move her this soon after surgery, but I think she'll be more comfortable in her own bed, and closer for me to check on during the night."
"Alright," I whispered.
I sat there for what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes, as I waited for Bella to wake up. I stroked her face and whispered words of love to her.
"Bella, wake up, baby. Open those beautiful brown eyes and look at me," I cajoled her.
Her eyelids flickered. They didn't open.
"I love you, sweetheart. Rose is okay. She's upstairs sleeping," I told her. "Dad says she and the baby are fine."
Her eyelids flickered again.
"Mom and Alice are here. I found them on the trail coming back from the fern cave. Jasper had sent them there, you see, to keep them safe in case Vivi was around."
Her hand squeezed mine reflexively when I mentioned Vivi.
"She's not around, by the way. There's no sign of Vivi."
She seemed to calm, as I continued to talk to her.
"Emmett and I are gonna move you up to our room in a moment. You'll sleep better there. I'm going to hold you in my arms all night, my darling."
Her hand squeezed mine again, as her mouth curved up in a semblance of a smile.
Tears overflowed from my eyes. I gasped and released a racking sob, as I reached up with my free hand to rub at my tearing eyes.
"Did I tell you that I love you, Bella?" I cried.
Her eyes flickered and they slowly opened.
"Edward," she whispered hoarsely, "why are you crying? I'm fine," she croaked.
I couldn't stop as I leaned over to kiss her mouth, her eyes, her nose – all over. Her face was wet with my tears when I pulled back.
"I'm just so relieved that you're okay, darling. The bullet, it was so close to an artery ..." I trailed off.
She blinked at me sleepily. "It's okay, Edward," she slurred.
"No, it's not, Bella, I failed you again. I'm supposed to keep you safe from harm, and despite all my efforts, Jimmy found a way to get to you anyway," I rasped. "He shot you! I'm the one who told you to run, and he shot you ... with my own gun!" I sobbed.
She snuffled, as she struggled to stay awake. "No, no, Edward, you were right before. I didn't listen. My fault, not yours," she mumbled, and then she drifted away to sleep.
…
I hardly slept that night, as I laid in our bed with Bella in my arms. Dad had slipped a pillow under her leg to keep it elevated and more comfortable. The IV bag was attached to a hook, which Emmett had attached to the wall above the bed. It was the last IV bag – there was no more left after this one.
She'd woken a few times during the night. Twice when Dad came to check her vital signs, and once more, to vomit violently in post operative reaction to the anesthetic. Luckily, I had a bucket ready, courtesy of Dad when we'd brought her up to bed. She fell back exhausted after that and slept the rest of the night through without waking.
I however, stayed awake until the sun rose, thinking through my strategy for dealing with Larry. It seemed food worked as a reward for information – like training a dog – I decided it might be best to exploit it.
You catch more flies with honey – I think that's the adage. Well, we'd soon find out.
I climbed from the bed at 0700 – 7 am, pulling the covers over a still sleeping Bella.
It was time to prepare for an interrogation.
…
A/N: Photos for the chapter (nothing explicit) are on my blog and the link is: jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com
I'm going to lighten up over the next chapters, at least until we get past Christmas and New Year in the story. I think the Cullen's, me and you as readers, all deserve a break from the stress of the pirates.
In the Twilight movie (but not the book) Carlisle diagnosed Bella as having a severed femoral artery from the broken glass in her leg, which she stupidly removed hastening the bleeding. My research tells me that had that been true, Bella would likely have bled out within five minutes, and Edward taking blood from her to remove the venom would have hastened her death. In fact, even if they'd let the change continue, she probably would have bled out before the venom had a chance to work – her heart would have stopped from the tremendous blood loss.
Severing a major artery of the body such as the carotid or jugular (both in the neck) femoral (main artery in each leg) or the aorta (primary artery of the body connecting to the heart) is pretty much a death sentence unless you sustain the injury in a hospital or can get there within minutes of the injury occurring. Even then, a ruptured aorta is pretty much unrecoverable, and surviving other arterial ruptures is 50/50. If my information is wrong, please feel free to correct me.
