It took hours before Suckler's mind started making a little more sense. His thoughts were mostly still a jumbled mess without rhyme or reason as I finished up with my staff meeting, which I was thankful for. The meeting had run a little late and I was starting to worry I wouldn't make it upstairs in time, but I kept a close eye on everything going on in his room. Greyson and Bella were both there, so at least she wouldn't have been alone if he had woken up. He was still restrained so I wasn't sure why I was so concerned, but I couldn't help it.

The man was an absolute vile creature and he'd already hurt enough people. I couldn't let him hurt someone else.

As I made my way to the elevator, I heard Greyson start to think about dinner, but he also didn't want to leave Bella alone when Suckler woke up. His reasons were less about safety and more about keeping Bella from hurting the man if he said something disgusting—which he was sure to, it sounded like. When he heard me knock on the door he realized I'd probably be here for a while and decided to take his chance, asking Bella what she wanted. I didn't mind the man or his thoughts, but I did prefer to be alone with Bella if I were being honest.

Well, as alone as we could be with a murderer between us.

"Hey, Doc," Greyson said, standing up as I walked into the room. "I'm going to head downstairs and grab us something to eat. Do you think I have some time?"

I nodded, but I wasn't sure. Suckler's mind was becoming more coherent by the moment and it was likely he'd regain consciousness sooner rather than later. "More than likely," I lied.

He stepped closer to me, leaning his head in before he stepped out of the door. Under his breath he said, "Don't let him rile her up too much if I'm not here when he wakes up. He's a massive shithead and I just don't want her to regret doing anything stupid like knocking his lights out or threatening to cut his dick off."

I suppressed a dry chuckle when Bella's brow rose as she watched us. "I'll do my best."

I could imagine threatening a man under arrest was frowned upon behavior, but I wouldn't blame her if she did. As he left I went to examine Suckler, greeting Bella briefly as she moved her eyes from me and back to him. She glared intently at him as she sat on edge, perched on the end of her seat with her muscles tense and ready to spring. She kept her hands clasped between her knees, wringing them every few seconds.

I heard it suddenly then—the high pitched scream nearly made me flinch. But then I saw it and the rage it produced made me want to forget who I was. I'd never wanted to tear apart a creature more in my entire life. What he did to that girl . . .

Caroline, he thought as his images continued to batter my mind.

It took a second to realize none of his victims' names were Caroline. None that had been reported, at least. "Bella," I nearly growled without moving my eyes off of him. "Has he ever hurt anyone named Caroline?"

"No," she said. "Not that we can link to him. Why?"

I watched his mind form a scene.

He walked through the woods. His foot kicked at leaves on the forest floor and then he bent down, using his hand to brush away the dirt. There was wood in the earth. He found a handle and pulled. A hole in the ground and inside, the face of a terrified girl. The girl he called Caroline.

"Jesus Christ," I softly cursed, watching a horrifying scene play out in his mind. He paused on some of the worst moments, making me sure I would have been sick if it were possible. But then I heard sirens.

He hurried out of the hole, quickly covering the wooden door back up so it was nearly invisible before running down a hill and into a cabin before the police cars screeched to a halt out front. He grabbed a rifle off the wall.

"Caroline's still alive," I gasped. He was with her right before they found him and served the warrant. I would have heard if anyone had found that hole in the ground, so she could still be there—she could still be alive.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bella asked, looking at me incredulously once I tore my eyes off Suckler.

It took all of my strength not to run as fast as I could out to Suckler's tiny cabin in the woods. Caroline had been without food or water for at least three days if he'd given her any before he was captured. She looked injured, but I couldn't tell how badly. I didn't want to see him hurt her by letting myself look closer into his head. I could drown him out some with a lot of effort, but pieces got through. Pieces that made me want to rip his head off his shoulders as he laid in bed.

I shook my head, stepping back toward the door. "I can explain, but we need to go now," I ordered, formulating a plan—a rather awful one, to be honest. "Call Greyson—get him back up here on Suckler."

I got to the door, but she hadn't moved.

"Isabella! He's got a victim alive out there. We have to go," I implored, walking back in to pull her if needed.

I already planned to tell her he'd whispered the name and I just put the pieces together. She probably wouldn't believe me right away, but I would be able to convince her. The area in the woods he had her wasn't that far from the cabin, so it was feasible I could say I found tracks, but I needed her to go with me. I couldn't very well run an injured girl back here and I needed to avert as much suspicion as possible. If I found the girl alone, that would raise questions. Bella was my best chance. She would more than likely care more about finding a live victim than questioning everything. At least that was my hope.

She finally snapped out of it, pulling her phone from her hip as she followed me quickly from the room. She sent a text to Greyson before we took the stairs and I led her straight to my Jeep, nearly shoving her into it and slamming the passenger side door.

"Tell me exactly where Suckler's cabin is," I said, throwing the Jeep into reverse the moment it roared to life.

"You know where Tipton bridge is?" she asked and I nodded, heading west. "About seven miles over you'll make a left on an old service road. He's four miles down off a dirt road. We checked the cabin and surrounding woods. We didn't find a person or body."

I pushed my foot to the floor, watching the speedometer tick past seventy. Now I wished I had brought the Vantage because the poor girl had already waited so long for help—probably even heard the police, but couldn't call for help. "Trust me; she's out there. There's a hole in the ground he's covered well. Did you have dogs out there?"

"Yeah, and they didn't pick up on anything. How do you know about the hole?"

Damn, that was a stupid mistake.

"He muttered something about it," I lied. Only a fool would believe me. "Just . . . you have to trust me that she's out there, all right? I'll explain everything."

I had no plans on that, already realizing I would probably have to leave if she didn't just go along with the fact that we—hopefully—saved the girl and nothing else mattered. That was rather unlikely, of course. She didn't seem like the type to let anything go easily.

"You're going to get pulled over," she said, gripping the handle on the ceiling with one hand and the dash with the other as the speedometer ticked past eighty.

I laughed humorlessly. "No, I won't. And you know that's the worst place to put your hand, right? If we crash, the airbag will snap it in two."

She took it down, gripping her seat instead. "Just don't fucking crash."

I pushed the jeep as hard as I could, speeding up to ninety as we went over the bridge. "Haven't yet."

It could already be too late. The girl could have died days ago from dehydration or an injury and this could be for nothing, but I had to have some hope she was still hanging on. We would be there in minutes and if she had hung on this long, she could make it a few more minutes. I would save her.

"Service road on the left," Bella called out, pointing as I let off the gas and slowed enough to make the turn safely. "Jesus fuck!"

Safe enough.

"There is a medical kit in my trunk," I told her. "When we get there I need you to grab it for me. And keep the Jeep running."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I'll call an ambulance."

I shook my head as a small clearing in the woods up ahead came into view. "It might not make it in time, but call one just in case. Now."

She did as I asked as I slammed on the brakes and quickly flung open my door. I tried to listen and it took a few seconds, but it was as if a faint signal finally came up. I ran in the direction and looked for the picture Suckler had in his mind.

"Caroline!" I called out, hoping she'd recognize her name.

Not possible.

She thought it was just her imagination, that she was delusional, but it meant she was at least somewhat conscious. She wasn't in great shape, but she'd made it this long. I'd make sure she survived. I found the hatch door with relative ease and flung it open, finding a terrified teenager staring up at me weakly.

"I'm here to help you," I told her, holding my hands up cautiously as I climbed down. "It's okay, Caroline. I'm a doctor."

She held a dirty, tattered blanket close to her bare body and I quickly pulled off my white coat, draping it over her as well.

"I need to get you out of here, all right?" I asked and it took a moment before she nodded frantically.

"H-Help . . ." she mumbled, tears rolling down her cheeks.

I nodded. "You'll be safe now; I swear, sweetheart. Now, is your neck or back hurt?"

She shook her head and I quickly scooped her up, taking care to keep her as covered as I possibly could. She was nothing but a wisp of a girl, entirely too young to ever know the pain she endured. I didn't like the sound of her heart; it was working much too hard, and her breathing came in labored gasps. I could tell she was incredibly dehydrated and I hoped I could reverse the damage. I ran with her at a human pace, finding Bella making her way up the hill as I came down.

"Holy shit!" she gasped, running quickly to close the distance between us. "Please tell me she's alive!"

I nodded. "Yeah, but I need to get an IV in her now and push fluids. God knows how long she's been without food and water. She weighs nothing."

We got to the Jeep and I laid the girl in the backseat, trying to gage if we had enough time to wait for an ambulance. Without water her organs would be failing and depending on how much damage had already been done and what kind of injuries she'd sustained, it might have already been too late.

"How long until the ambulance gets here?" I asked Bella, tearing open my medical kit to grab supplies out. I glanced across the back at her and she shook her head.

"At least ten to fifteen minutes. How bad is she? What should we do?"

Her pulse was weak and blood pressure nearly nonexistent. Nearly a half hour would pass before we'd have her in my hospital by ambulance, which wasn't fast enough for me. "I need you to drive us back."

She nodded without hesitation and I climbed into the back, cradling the young girl's head in my lap as she jumped in the front. She threw the Jeep into drive and took off, turning abruptly back the way we came. I quickly put an IV into Caroline and pushed fluids as her eyes remained closed and her mind concocted a dream of being found. I hoped like hell I could keep her alive and make that dream a reality.

I was thankful Bella remained silent on the drive, but I could see the burning questions in her eyes each time she looked back at us. I knew full well that I'd exposed too much of my true self to her, but I'd made a decision and I didn't regret it. If I hadn't brought her with me, more people would be suspicious of how I found the girl. It was easier to convince one person they were losing their mind than an entire community. I would tell Bella that Suckler spoke and when she denied hearing anything, I would try to convince her that she was mistaken. Even if I couldn't convince her it would be enough. I would leave, she would hopefully move on because there was no other logical excuse, and that would be it.

I detested the idea of leaving, but if I saved Caroline, it made it worth it. I could find another small town to do this in, but Caroline only had one life and that was more important than anything else to me right now.

I couldn't bring myself to describe the poor girl as lucky, but her injuries weren't quite as severe as I'd anticipated. She had a few fractures throughout her body, mostly her ribs, a concussion, and some internal bleeding from a minor tear in her spleen, but everything would heal with time. The most concerning thing was her kidneys, which had suffered greatly from the lack of water. I was hopeful the damage could be reversed, but we couldn't know for sure yet. I decided not to keep her in Jackson and instead called for a medivac to Dartmouth-Hitchcock. She didn't necessarily need their expertise at the world-renowned hospital, but it was away from Suckler and I trusted their pediatrics department—both for her physical and mental needs.

"I'm going to go speak with Det. Black," I told Maggie as she tended to Caroline, tucking warm blankets around her unconscious form. "If you wouldn't mind, could you stay in here with her? I don't think she's going to wake up anytime soon, but I don't want her alone if she does."

She nodded, smiling gently. "Of course, Dr. Cullen. She's mine until the medivac gets here. Hopefully they've figured out who she is and contacted her family."

"Me too," I sighed, tucking the tablet into my pocket before leaving the trauma room.

Bella was just outside the room and stood ramrod straight with her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the nurses' station. She dropped her arms the moment she saw me, closing the few steps between us in a rush. How I wished I could read her mind.

"How is she?" she asked. "She is . . .?"

"She's going to be all right," I said, easing her greatest fear. "We got to her just in time, I think. Her kidneys aren't looking great, but I'm hoping the damage can be reversed. I'm transferring her so that she's not in the same hospital as Suckler, so I don't know if you'll get a chance to speak to her before she goes since she's asleep right now."

"I can talk to her when she's up to it. We can't do a rape kit without her permission and I don't need it to keep Suckler behind bars, so whenever she is up to it, we'll handle that then. Obviously her medical needs come first."

"Have you been able to contact any family?"

"Yes, she's a missing person in Pennsylvania. I called the locals handling her case and they're telling the family. Where is she going so I can tell them to head there instead?"

"Dartmouth in Lebanon," I said as she pulled out her phone. I quickly pulled a notepad from the pocket, jotting down my cell number and handing it to her. "Tell the family to call me."

She nodded, putting the phone to her ear. "Thanks, Doc."

I watched her walk around the corner and duck into an empty room to make the call. I listened in easily, finding that the police officer she spoke to had Caroline's parents with him. I smiled to myself, hearing them cry with joy and thanking Bella over and over. I could feel their thankfulness in their words. The poor girl had been missing for more than three weeks, but of course her parents hadn't given up hope of finding her alive—though it was less likely with each day that passed. They refused to even consider the thought that she was gone for good. Bella assured Caroline's father that the man responsible was under arrest, but didn't tell him the entire story. She promised to meet them in Lebanon, telling them she wanted to go over it all in person instead.

I didn't blame her there. I knew what it was like to have to deliver terrible news, but it was better to do it in person. The times I'd had to tell someone their loved one passed over the phone were awful, and while Caroline would physically be okay, her mental state was something no one could know yet. She'd endured one of the worst traumas a person could experience and I knew for certain—even without being a parent—that hearing that your child went through such an experience would be devastating.

Bella ended the call by giving them my number and I expected her to come out of the room and around the corner, but she didn't make a move. Suddenly a sob escaped her and it sent a moment of panic through me. I found myself incredibly worried, wondering for a brief moment if she'd gotten hurt, but logically I knew that wasn't the case. She was crying, not out of pain, but sorrow. She didn't seem like the type to show her emotions to the world and I wouldn't invade her privacy, but I felt a strange urge to go and comfort her. That was a line that wasn't wise to cross, though. I tried not to listen as she covered her mouth with her hands, muffling the sound of each sob wracking her body, but it seemed to be the only thing I could hear—until my phone rang.

I quickly answered and took it to my office down the hall. Caroline's mother, Mrs. Tina Pryzbylewski, reminded me a little of my own. Her voice was warm, like Esme's, and the way she spoke about her daughter—the pure love in her voice—was exactly how Esme spoke of us. I assured them that she was stable and went over what I knew at the moment. It would take some time for every test I ordered to come back, but her injuries weren't fatal. They would get to hold their daughter again, tell her how much they loved her, and see her overcome this.

"Dr. Cullen, I understand if this is too much to ask," Mrs. Pryzbylewski said. "Really, I do, but I have to ask it. You saved our daughter and I-I . . . trust you. Could we . . . Could you come to Dartmouth at some point? Again, I know it's a lot to—"

"I'll meet you there," I said in an instant. "Once we have her loaded in the helicopter, I'll drive there myself. I'm not sure what time you'll be in, but I'll stay with her if you're not there yet."

"I don't want to put you out, but . . . that would give me so much peace of mind. We're driving because there aren't any flights into Lebanon until morning, so it'll take us about six hours. You and Det. Black have been so kind. I cannot thank you enough."

I smiled to myself, shaking my head. I could hear how much it meant to her, so the words weren't necessary. "You don't need to thank me. It'll take me about two hours to get there, so I'll stay with her. She'll most likely sleep for a while because of some of the medications we gave her, but I won't let her be alone if she wakes up. I'll call you with updates as some of the tests come back."

She sniffled. "Thank you so, so much. God, I really don't have words, Dr. Cullen. I've been so scared, so lost, so desperate . . . but now . . . a weight has been lifted. I just want my baby girl back in my arms, but I know in my heart that she's safe with you until I can do that."

Her words hit me incredibly hard. I was in this town for a reason. I was going against my very nature for a reason. Caroline was that reason. People like her and her parents were that reason. I was here to make these humans lives better in whatever way I could. If the only comfort I could offer Mrs. Pryzbylewski was to sit by her daughter's side, I would do it without a second thought.

The fact that I may have exposed too much of my true self to Bella wasn't as much of a concern now. I saved Caroline Pryzbylewski's life because of what I was and as much as I didn't want to leave, saving her was still worth it.

The fact was that I could never atone for my sins; I could only do better now.

I don't own Twilight. Or Midnight Sun. But I do own a pretty rad cat face mask. Also, Pandora's Box is Heavy is pretty much the most awesome person in the world and is being wonderful by prereading. Check out her stuff because she's friggin' great.

Yeah, I friggin' suck. Your words about this story, any of my stories, mean the world to me. I hope I'll be back with the next update quickly. Chapter five is nearly done. Again, thank you for sticking around.