Chapter 17:
Title: No Place Like Home
POV: Renesmee
I felt their cold hands around me. Every few moments. Or what felt like moments. I felt a kiss on my forehead. I felt a damp cotton cloth brush the sweat that was building on my face. I could feel the medicine being pumped through my IV into the rest of my body. With every drop the cold liquid would chase through causing me to feel like I was floating.
My body would betray that I was getting cold by letting out a shiver. When this happened I felt the hands that held me change. I am not sure the hands themselves were making me cold. It could have been a reaction to the numbness I felt from the medicine. Either way the hands holding me to the earth would slip away. This was terrifying floating with nothing holding me to the earth. Hot burning hands would snatch me from the air pulling me down. It felt like I was being absorbed into the sun. For a while this would feel great. My body liked being held by this warm one. The one that smelled of earth, trees and safety. The longer I was held by these arms though the more the smell reminded me of another. One that did not remind me of safety.
I heard myself whimper. Feeling the tears roll down my cheeks. The cold hands would return. Replacing the hands that smelled of hurt and fear. My forehead would be kissed by cold lips. Tears wiped away by frozen fingers. Choked breaths taken by ones that did not need to breathe.
Unconsciousness would take me. Trying to sooth me during this time that my eyes could not find the muscles to open. My dreams would show me the one person I wanted to see. Jake's face would flash through my mind. His kind eyes. The touch of his lips. Feeling his arms around me. This would make me feel safe.
Then my leg would burn again. Reminding me that I could never see Jake again. I will not be inviting him into this world. How could I be the one to sentence him to secrecy or death. I could tell the second I met him that he was not a part of my world. He acted so strong but if the fight actually came would he be able to fight. Could he stand the possibility of death by staying with me. He was trying to just be human. I know my mother was a human when she married my father. That is different. Mom was changed into a vampire after I was born. If Jake was changed into a vampire he would be stronger than me. He could kill me. My family trained for years not to hunt humans. He would be a newborn. I could not ask him to do that for me.
I felt my body being moved. I do not know what was happening. Again I tried to find my eyelids to open them. Again they would not open. I heard voices talking about how I will be moved back to the main house. What house was I in? I tried to listen harder and heard distinctive heart beats. Wolf heart beats. I must be in La Push still. Taking a deep inhale of breath I smelled the wolves mixing in with my vampire family's scent. Then I smelled my grandfather Charlie and my Grandmother Sue. Oh that's what house I was in.
I felt the cold air touch my face. The rest of my body did not feel it. I must have been wrapped in a blanket. No doubt in my mind that my father did that. I heard the purr of an engine start up. Again I was transferred between arms. This time I could tell who was holding me instantly. Uncle Emmett. His arms are bigger than anyone else. He held me close and I felt safe.
I lost track of time again.
Someone was crying. "Edward. Carlisle said she would be awake by now. Why is she not awake?" That was my mom's voice. She was crying.
I felt the bed under me. Soft and luxurious. I smelled the flowers someone must have placed in this room with me. I wanted to see them.
"Bella she will wake when she is ready" I heard my father say.
"Can you hear what she is thinking?" my mom whispered.
"No" Dad sounded frustrated. It had been a while since dad could read my thoughts. I could project my thoughts into anyone's mind but I could also shut anyone out of my mind. Grandpa Carlisle had a theory that I could read minds if I really tried. That has not occurred yet.
I was lost in my own mind again. Time seemed to skip past in bounds. It could have been seconds or days, either way I could not track it. My body began to feel like it was floating less and less. I could easily move my toes now. At least it felt like my toes were moving. No one verbally commented on it so it truly could have been all in my mind.
Thirst burned my throat. I was expecting this. Any time I had lost any amount of blood as a child I would be thirsty soon after. What I needed to do was go hunting. My stomach turned. I was afraid to hunt. I did not want to get hurt again. I do not want to be hunted again. This was not the game we would play when I was little. The game in which if I lost the attacker would kiss me and show me how to win. This was my life. My only life. I had almost lost that game.
I could hear my heart speeding up with fear. Hands touched all over my body. Most cold but one hot hand on my wrist. The shock of the sudden sensation of hands on my body shocked my eyes open.
I saw them. My entire family is standing around me. The second I locked eyes with my father he picked me up. In a similar way as he did when I was a child and had a nightmare. My dad held me as I cried.