Crash Into Me: Chapter 33

Bella was positioned between Carlisle and Jasper as they waited for the elevator to arrive. Neither man knew how much more stress she could take. Her body had been pushed to its limit and well beyond. She leaned into Jasper resting her head against his shoulder tiny beads of sweat forming on her brow. Jasper caught Carlisle's attention each eyed the other knowing that she was getting worse by the minute.

"Excuse me," Carlisle began as he tapped a man from behind, "Are you the doctor in charge of Edward Masen's case?"

"Yes I am. Are you his father?"

"No but I am the closest thing he has to one." Carlisle went on to explain his relationship with Edward to the doctor who seemed satisfied with the clarification. The man in the white coat couldn't help but eye Bella from head to toe. His eyes quizzed Carlisle.

"Jasper, why don't you take Bella in to see Edward while I talk to his doctor?"

"NO!" Bella forced with all the strength her tired body could put forth. "Please, I have to know what's wrong with Edward. You have to tell me please," Bella was again sobbing as Jasper enveloped her in his strong arms

"If you want to see him, I might suggest that you go in before we take him to surgery," the doctor stated.

"SURGERY?" panic filled her voice.

"Go in and see him Bella," Carlisle squeezed her hand. Jasper nodded helping her inside.

"That girl," Edward's doctor stated, "she doesn't look all that well. Was she in this accident too?" he asked.

"No."

"She should really be seen by a doctor."

"I know," Carlisle sighed, "I was just about to get her to when Edward's friends came down to tell us that something was wrong. She's Edward's girlfriend – a stubborn girlfriend at that. She's not going anywhere until she knows that he's going to be all right."

"That's really not in her best interest. If could be awhile before we know anything about his condition. The surgery itself will take quite some time."

Carlisle hung his head low as the doctor continued his explanation of what lay ahead for Edward.

Jasper pushed open the heavy wooden door to Edward's room for a second time that day. The room was eerie, dark and deathly quiet. The hollow sound of the ventilator echoed off the stark white walls. Jasper pulled a chair closer to the bed and gently sat Bella down. She stared at Edward intently. His hair fell shaggy against his face and no amount of her pushing it back kept it in its appropriate place. She longed for his eyes to open. She wanted to see those intense green eyes that had the ability to see deep into her soul. She missed his mischievous grin and the soft way his fingers grazed her skin.

He was so still, so pale. Bella didn't have a clue how to reach him. She stood up causing the chair beneath her to crash against the hard tile floor. Jasper stood watching and waiting as she put her face within inches of Edwards. He was amazed that she was still upright as her breathing was labored exiting her body in short hard bursts. Jasper took note that against Edward she looked even paler than he did.

"Hey Masen you can't leave me, not now!" she choked on the words catching in her throat, "I need you! I love you Edward."

Since this whole ordeal began, Jasper saw a completely composed and in control Bella as she leaned forward kissing Edward's frigid cheek. "I'm sure that's the best medicine for him," Carlisle said entering the room.

"What's going on? What did the doctor say?" Carlisle motioned for Jasper to help her back into the chair. He didn't know what sort of reaction his news would bring but whatever it was it wouldn't be good. "Carlisle?" Bella's voice quivered as she reached for his arm willing him to speak, "Please, please tell me."

"Bella, they just don't know," he returned hesitantly.

"What? What do you mean they just don't know?"

Carlisle sighed bringing his gaze to rest on Jasper. What he had to say was going to hurt him as well. What his words would do to Bella however, well there was just not telling. He didn't think she could mentally or physically handle it. "They are unsure if he will regain consciousness."

Bella suddenly felt as if a thousand needles were simultaneously being pushed through every part of her body. The stabbing pain in her chest left her breathless. "He's got to be okay! He has to be. I can't – can't live without him. Did you hear that Edward? I won't be without you!" Jasper and Carlisle rushed to steady her. The room spun around her as all the dreams she had for them tumbled to the ground like some sand castle destroyed by high tide. Jasper encased her body in his embrace. "I CAN'T LOSE HIM TOO! I CAN'T LOSE HIM!""

"Bella, we have to go. They need to prep Edward for surgery."

Bella heard the words but their sounds took on a warped version of what she had heard. It sounded almost to her like a record being played at the wrong speed the sounds moving in and out of her eardrums.

She felt Jasper mover her body over the threshold of the door. She was numb so numb in fact that her body no longer carried any noticeable pain. Before they were able to fully exit Edward's room Bella came face to face with Riley Biers. She collapsed in Jasper's arms.

Jasper could hear his own heartbeat in his ears as he called out to Carlisle who had yet to leave Edward's room. "CARLISLE!" he yelled again, "Bella, Bella," he said tenderly shaking her to no avail. "Sweetie, please – come on Bella wake up," Jasper heard his own panic which only served to frighten him more.

"What" What is it?" Carlisle's question was answered the minute his eyes scanned the floor to see Jasper cradling Bella's limp body in his arms.

"I can't get her to come around this time. Something's really wrong – she won't wake up," hysteria rose in his voice.

"Take it easy," Carlisle assumed the take charge position all the while trying to reign in his own panic. "Bella, honey – it's Carlisle and Jasper – sweetie, wake up." He too was shaking her yet still no response. He looked up and noticed Edward's doctor heading for them. Without a moment's hesitation he went to him. "We need your help. Edward's girlfriend – she just passed out and we can't get her to come around." Carlisle, a man who thought he could control most things around him, suddenly heard the voice of a man completely out of control. His fear for Edward and now Bella was getting the better of him.

"Go get a gurney," the doctor barked instructions to the nurse who had been walking along side of him. "Could you please tell me what I'm dealing with here?" he asked. Carlisle pulled him aside and began relaying the story that Bella had only recently told him.

Riley stood to the sidelines watching the chaos ensue around him. He watched as Jasper gently placed Bella on the gurney the nurse brought to him. Bella hadn't made an attempt at coming around. The stark reality of what he had done; how badly he had truly beaten her slapped him in the face at that moment.

He shuddered thinking back the previous night's events still unable to fathom how things had spiraled completely out of control. First there had been Bella than his altercation with Masen, Riley felt as though he was losing his grasp on just about everything.

Jasper's frantic voice forced Riley back into the hospital corridor. "I want to go with her. I promised him that I would look after her," Jasper's tone pleaded with anyone to listen to him.

Carlisle's strong hands came to rest on his shoulders. "Let them get her settled first. I spoke with the doctor and told him what happened to her or what we think did." Carlisle raised his brow. "They are going to run a few tests, do a head CT and some x-rays. You can see her as soon as they are done with that."

"What if she comes to and there isn't anyone around her she knows? She's gonna freak!"

"Jasper," Carlisle squared his shoulders looking the young man straight in the eyes, "It's out of our hands right now. She's with the best possible team. They will take good care of her. Edward will understand you letting her go." Carlisle sensed the thoughts that were running a sprint through Jasper's tired mind. His promise to Edward loomed large inside of him.

"Let's go get some coffee and I'll make a call to Bella's father. I'm sure he would like to be here."

It wasn't until then that Jasper finally saw Riley lurking in the distance – instantly knowing who he was. He was the blonde he had seen Edward fighting with; he was the same person who had run Edward down without a single thought; he was the guy who had tried to rape Bella and beat her half to death. Jasper's blood boiled over igniting a wild fire in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't imagine what he was doing there.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU HAD THE NERVE TO SHOW UP HERE!" Jasper spit in Riley's face. "WHAT DID YOU COME TO FINISH OFF WHAT YOU STARTED?"

"Jasper, Jasper what's going on here? Who is this?" Carlisle inquired as to the stranger's identity. This young man looked like he had survived his own accident. Edward's fists had taken their toll on Riley before he had managed his escape.

"GO ON – GO ON TELL HIM YOU ARE!" Jasper bellowed.

Riley hesitated wondering what reaction his name would have from this man. "Riley Biers." This revelation brought perspective to Carlisle for Jasper's fury. "I came to see Edward."

"WHAT?" Jasper roared again. "HAVEN'T YOU WREAKED ENOUGH HAVOC ALREADY?"

"Hey man, I'm sorry. I never wanted any of this. I didn't mean to hurt him. I just had to get away from him. I didn't think he would try something as stupid as making an attempt to stop the damn car….," Riley's voice trailed off into the distance as the thud Edward's body made hitting the hood of his car rang like a bell in his ears.

"Too little too late don't you think?" Jasper stood his ground doing his damnedest not to finish what Edward started.

"If you never wanted any of this then why did you attack Bella?" Carlisle asked calmly.

"It wasn't supposed to be like that. She was supposed to be over him. We went out. I thought we could get back our old magic." Riley spoke as if he were saying lines of a script.

"Don't you think it's time to be honest?" Carlisle countered, "This wasn't the first time you have hurt Bella was it Riley? You know it wasn't and I know it wasn't. You know damn well this had nothing to do with getting her back as your girlfriend but everything to do with revenge – payback for some fictionalized crime you felt she committed against you. Riley, she told me – told me everything." Carlisle looked directly into Riley's eyes as he spoke yet the only think that looked back at him were a pair of ice blue eyes. "I have made the doctor well aware of what we suspect to have happened to Bella tonight. I can only imagine the amount of explaining that this will require to the police not only for what you did to Edward but what you attempted to do to Bella as well."

Those words brought a cold rush over Riley's body. It was his turn to have the room spin beneath his feet. It was all so unbelievable but yet there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it. "I really would like to see him. I just need a minute to talk to him," Riley said.

"YOU ARE FUCKING KIDDING RIGHT?" Jasper retorted.

"They are getting him ready for surgery now," Carlisle offered.

"It's that bad?" Riley's words were but a whisper.

"I'm afraid so."

"I didn't know that I hit him that hard. Oh god forgive me …," This was the first time yet so far that Carlisle had seen any sort of remorse from this boy.

"I have to see him," Riley forced the issue.

Carlisle nodded.

"NO – NO FUCKING WAY!" Jasper literally screamed, "You know that Bella wouldn't want this and neither would Edward."

The counselor in Carlisle came front and center. The odds for Edward at the moment weren't all that good. He imagined that Riley needed to make peace with him. "Jasper, relax. I'll go in with him. You go find Alice and the others. Let them know what's going on with Bella so they don't worry."

Jasper followed Carlisle's instructions yet didn't like it one bit.

Riley sat in the chair that had been Bella's earlier. The tears welled in his eyes without any control over them. Crying was something that Riley hadn't done since he was a small child. He had been taught a long time ago that crying wasn't for a man's man but for the spineless. This according to Howard Biers would be never be his son. All those teachings were suddenly null and void as Riley sat staring at Edward's lifeless body. The sight was more than he thought he could bear yet maybe it was the fact that he had been the cause of it all was what had truly been too much for him.

"Hey Masen," Riley struggled for the words. "I know that I'm sorry isn't enough but I don't know what else to say. Bella loves you man. I was an ass. I had no right to mess with her or you either. I can't take back the things that I did – god I wish I could. I really never wanted to hurt either of you. I just wanted Bella to see," Riley stooped know that this wasn't what he wanted to say. There was no way to apologize for the things that he had done. A simple I'm sorry wasn't going to fix any of this. Edward was fighting for his life and Bella, lord only knew what she was facing. "Please forgive me." Riley placed his hand over Edward's as if to shake it.

"Thank you," Riley addressed Carlisle as he walked by.

How hard that had been for Riley was abundantly clear to Carlisle. There was no denying a man like Riley lived by ego alone. Saying he was sorry and asking for forgiveness wasn't something that came easily to him. Carlisle didn't envy the road that lay ahead of that young man.

Carlisle walked into the waiting room joining the others from Hampton House. Mike was now sitting alongside of Alice making what he saw as a futile attempt at comforting her. The faces in the room all appeared a bit shell shocked at the happenings. It was then that Carlisle saw Victoria standing alone in the corner. "I didn't expect to see you here," he said approaching her.

"I know I made no bones about what I thought you were doing with the two of them was wrong, but I surely didn't want anything like this to happen," she returned.

"I'm glad you're here. It looks like we are in for a long night. I need to get in touch with Bella's family. They should know what's going on. Will you stay here with everyone?"

"Yes, of course. You go ahead and handle things."

Carlisle walked to the hall to find Jasper wearing a groove in the floor with his pacing. "Why don't we go get that coffee now?" he asked putting his arm around Jasper's shoulder. He was doing his best to stay strong for his best friend and his best friend's girlfriend but Carlisle could see he had just about reached his breaking point. Jasper sat down at a table while Carlisle went to call Charlie Swan.

"Hello," he started, "I would like to speak with Mr. Swan."

"He's out at the moment," a voice informed him.

"Well this is about his daughter. I think he should get over to Forks Hospital….,"

"What's wrong with Bella?" Maria's voice filled with the worst possible scenarios.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen. I am with Hampton House. She came here to see about Edward Masen. He was in an accident. I don't know if you know much about what happened to her…."

"I know everything!" Maria spat eager to know if the young girl was all right. "Is she okay?"

"She's hurt pretty badly. She's passed out on us a couple of times. The doctor's thought it would be best if she was admitted for some tests. I think that it would be wise for her father to be here."

"I'll get in touch with him right away. Thank you for calling." Maria placed the receiver in its cradle praying that Charlie would be able to handle what she was about to tell him. The idea that Bella's being in danger from her affiliation with Hampton House would have nothing on the idea that she could meet the same fate as her mother.

Carlisle positioned himself in front of Jasper who was staring intently into his cup of coffee. "Hey how's the coffee?" he asked.

Jasper shrugged not even bothering to take a drink of it. His mind was fixated on Edward and Bella. Edward had already been in surgery for a little over three hours now and there hadn't been any word on Bella either. He was going stir crazy. "What's taking so long?" he barked impatience getting the better of him.

"It's okay, these things take time. The doctor said that we were looking at least six hours if not more for the surgery." This wasn't the answer that Jasper had been looking for and Carlisle knew that but it was the best he was able to muster while his own worries plagued him.

"What about Bella though? I thought for sure we would have heard something by now. All this waiting – it's driving me nuts!"

"Why don't we go see if we can find out what's happening with her then?" The pair stopped at the nurses' station to inquire about Bella. They were informed that Dr. Lathem had been assigned as her physician. He was due to be finished with his rounds any time now if they wished to stay and speak with him. The expression on Jasper's face told Carlisle they would be waiting.

"Dr. Lathem?" Carlisle questioned the man coming towards them.

"Yes," he returned.

"We were wondering if you had any news on Bella Swan's condition."

"Yes, we are just getting her settled into a room now. The tests have been completed…..,"

"So what did you find out?" Jasper broke in unable to wait as the hospital formalities ran their course.

"Easy," Carlisle turned to him, "Let the man finish."

"The x-rays showed that she has at least five broken ribs and a number of hairline fractures as well. The head CT showed a serve concussion, which obviously explains the lightheadedness and fainting she was experiencing. There are still a few tests at the lab that have yet to come back but that's the bulk of her condition."

"What about…..," Jasper began while Carlisle finished.

"We have reason to believe that Bella may have been raped. Is that the case?"

"We found no evidence of any sexual assault."

Both men breathed a sigh of relief as one of the many weights weighing them down had been easily removed.

"Can we see her?" Jasper was anxious to see with his own eyes that she was okay.

"We gave her a sedative. She was pretty scared and obviously worried about her boyfriend. The sedative will help her get the rest she so desperately needs right now."

"Please can I see her? I promise not to disturb her," Jasper's pleading sounded like a small child in search of an elusive prize.

"All right but just for a few minutes, she really does need to recuperate. She's in room 517."

"Thank you," Jasper turned to Carlisle.

"Go…go I'll catch up."