Chapter 18

Title: Injured Deer Diet

POV: Renesmee

The tears finally slowed. I heard my family moving around the house. No one is able to stay in one spot for long. The scent of food wafted up to the room I was in. Grandma Esme always cooked when something traumatic had happened. I was more thirsty than hungry.

"Dad." I said my face still pressed hard against his shirt.

"Yes my darling?" He asked. I could hear relief in his voice.

"Can we go hunting? I am really thirsty." I asked.

"No." Dad said. His voice sounded like he was expecting the question. "We have some blood ready for you downstairs. We need you to get your strength up, before we all go hunting together."

I pulled away from him. Mom brought a cloth over and washed the remnants of tears off my face. I hugged her. I started to try to get up off my father's lap. His strong arms around my waist. Why? I felt fine. Placing my feet on the ground I felt numbness in my leg.

"Why does my leg feel numb?" I asked dad.

"I was worried it would still be like that. It is just because of the location of the bite. It cut off some nerve points." Dad told me. Not letting go of my waist. "The fact that it is numb is a good sign. It means that the feeling will be returning to the location shortly"

"Oh okay." I told him.

I looked at the outfit I was wearing. "Aunty Alice let you dress me in a hospital gown?" I asked gobsmacked.

Mom laughed "she did put up a bit of a fight." Mom brought over a pair of PJ's. "You can change into these if you do not like the gown."

I opted for the PJ's. They are super comfortable. The pants are a light pink and the shirt had the phrase 'you should have seen the other guy' on it. I laughed.

"Uncle Emmett picked those out. Seemed fitting" Dad commented on the shirt.

Walking down the stairs was tricky. Because my leg was numb I actually could not feel the steps. A few times I would have fallen if it wasn't for my dad's arms around me. Seth, Leah, Embry and Quil are all sitting around the kitchen table eating the breakfast Grandma Esme made. I giggled.

This was a normal sight for me growing up. Especially when I was younger and would go on a hunger strike because the rest of the vampires did not need to eat. The only way my family could get me to eat was by having these four over for meals to convince me that I needed food to survive. Seth would make a game out of it see who could eat the fastest or the most. I smiled thinking of those meals we shared.

"She lives!" Embry raised his glass of orange juice in my direction.

"How are you feeling?" Leah asked

"I am alright. Awake. My leg is numb" I told her.

She smiled at me. Dad helped me into a seat next to Seth. Seth dished me up pancakes, bacon, and sausages. "Thanks" I mumbled to him. I was not hungry, I was so thirsty.

"You look thirsty." Seth said.

"I am. But you saw how successful I was at walking down the stairs just now. I think I would not be able to catch anything, including the slowest deer you could find." I told him. Disappointment laced my words. I wanted to be strong and fit and be able to do everything I wanted to do. I did not want to be weak and need help.

"Soon enough you will." Seth told me. "If not I will go out and injure the deer for you."

"Yay. I will live off a food and crippled animal diet." I cheered. Everyone around the table laughed. I probably would not be as competitive as I am if it was not for the influence these wolves had on me growing up.

Dad placed an opaque cup in front of me. The smell hit me instantly. Blood. Not just any blood. It was human blood. I looked at him wide eyed. I had not had human blood since I was a baby and could not hunt. We talked about the possibility of me becoming addicted to human blood if I stayed on it throughout my childhood that is why I stopped drinking it. What if this caused me to fall off the vegetarian wagon. I was not that thirsty. I could wait another day for my leg to heal before I desperately needed blood. With my leg in this condition it is not like I could start rampaging anyway. The only people who could not run away from me would also be injured. I watched my family fight daily to remain vegetarian. I did not want to tempt fate by having human blood now.

"Please drink it. It will help you gain your strength back faster." Dad said.

The desire to pick up the cup warred my against choice to be a vegetarian. What did it mean if I picked up that cup. It would mean that I would know the benefits of human blood in my system. Dad already mentioned one. I would be stronger. I would also be less thirsty. Less likely to hurt others around me right now. I am so thirsty.

Dad picked up my hand and wrapped it around the cup. "Please drink," he said. I could not fight it anymore. I was so thirsty. I drained the cup without a second thought.

It made me feel way better and more in control of myself. Now that my thirst was gone my hunger was front and centre. I did not look up until everything Seth put on my plate was gone. When I did look around everyone's faces looked relieved. I felt just as relieved.

Dad re-filled my cup of blood handing it to me. "Please do not argue with me. I would just like you to get back to your healthy self as fast as you can." Dad told me. I did not argue taking sips from the straw every once in a while.

"How long was I out for?" I asked. Everyone seemed hesitant to tell me. My mom looked to be on the verge of tears. If vampires could cry I would place money down that she would be crying right now. This hurt my heart, I never intended for her to be in this much pain.

"17 hours give or take" Seth said. His face looked just as twisted into a mask of horror as the other faces around the table. I shivered, that is a long time to be out.

Everyone started clearing the dishes from the table. Quill and Embry kissed my cheek as they headed out on patrol. I felt the numbness in my leg burn a bit as I thought of the damage they could cause in their wolf forms. Shaking my head to clear the thought. These are my friends I was thinking about not some random stranger.

"Want to watch some tv?" Seth asked me. I nodded. He pulled my chair back from the table holding his arms out for me to hold onto as I stood up. Laughing I held him getting to my feet.

Hot shooting pain sprung through my leg causing water to spring to my eyes. I blinked fast trying to keep the others in the room from seeing this reaction. Seth noticed it. Picking me up completely from the ground. He carried me to the couch, setting me down gently. Grandpa Carlisle came over and elevated my leg on a stack of pillows.

"It will probably hurt for a little bit longer. Your nerves are rebuilding the pathways." Grandpa Carlisle said.

"Okay." I told him. Not wanting to admit how much pain my leg was actually in. The last thing I needed was my family to overreact and cause me to be knocked out until my leg was fully healed.

Leaning back on the couch I yawned. Gosh this entire healing thing was taking up so much more energy than my body was used to. Seth covered me in a blanket and handed me my phone.

The rest of the family are all in the other room talking about me. I pretended I could not hear them.

Looking at my phone the screen was filled with notifications from Jake. Though I had not put his name in my phone. 36 missed calls.

'Good morning Carlie'

'Are you okay'

'Where are you'

'Carlie'

'Jesus Christ answer me'

'Just let me know you are okay'

'Carlie'

'What happened?'

'Your car is gone'

'Carlie'

'You did not come to school today'

'Are you at the hospital?'

'Carlie'

'You are not at the hospital I called them'

'Answer me'

'Carlie'

'If you would just let me know you are alive I will never text you again if you do not want me too'

'Text me'

'Carlie'

'Call me'

'You are making me a little freaked out here'

'Carlie'

'I just need to know'

'Please tell me'

'Carlie'

'Did you lose your phone and forget how to get home?'

'I am racking my brain trying to find you'

'Carlie'

'Please please please answer me'

'I know we just met but please do not ghost me'

'Carlie'

'If you are scared let me protect you'

'I understand that weird stuff occurs around me'

'Carlie'

'I just need to know that you are alive'

'Please for craps sake let me know'

'Carlie'

'This is the hardest thing that has ever happened to me'

'I just need to know that you are okay'

'Carlie'

'Please be okay'

'I do not know what I would do if you are not okay right now'

'Carlie'

'I realize that I seem crazy mass texting you'

'Please text me back'

'Carlie'

'Text me anything'

'Send a fucking emoji'

'Carlie'

'I just need to know that you are not hurt'

'Please tell me'

'Carlie'

'I know I have a lot of explaining to do about yesterday'

'Please text me back so I can explain'

'Carlie'

"Your friend is freaking that you are not at school today" Seth smiled.

"Yeah seems like it," I said.

"I would text them back if I was you. They must really like you to be that concerned. Especially after less than a week of classes" Seth wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"This is the boy that I have a crush on," I told him.

"Well you best be texting them back. They are very concerned about you" Seth winked.

"I can not text them back" Just saying these words hurt my heart

"What why?" Seth leaned closer to me.

"Because Seth I can not bring a human into this world." I gestured around the room.

"Sure, you can. The pack does it all the time." Seth told me.

"I am not a wolf. I do not get the imprint that you guys get. At the end of the day the risks to this boy are way more costly than what he would gain." I whispered.

"You are worth getting involved in this craziness" Seth brushed away a tear that had fallen from my eye.

"I do not think I am worth more than the cost of their life. It was a beautiful three days. Now I have to grow up and live my life without putting them at risk." My voice grew more determined as I finished.

"I do not agree." Seth said.

I did not comment back. Instead I looked at the text message that just came in from Jake.

'Please do not give up on us'