TRIGGER WARNING - Talk of serial killers.

Topic starts with 'Her mind' in bold, feel free to skip the last bit of the chapter if it makes you uncomfy.

Chapter 28

Well, This Sucks.

Alice's wail seemed to shatter the house as her hand came up to her mouth, eyes caught in the future.

'Alice.' Edward breathed, dread, fear and angst welling up in him. 'Where are they?'

'They?' Jasper barked, straightening immediately at the pronoun used. Willow hadn't texted back yet. It was 11.04, she should've been back by then. 'What happened?'

'Edward.' Rosalie cut in as Emmett came up to Jasper's shoulder, seeing the battle-hardened veteran's eyes lose all colouring and his frame shift a little, standing a little taller. the air was filled with tension so thick, she could almost see it.

Edward swallowed as Alice came out of the vision, blubbering, 'There was a crash. They were going under the speed limit but the lorry caught on a patch of ice and couldn't get it under control in time.'

'Who?'

'Willow and Scott.'

Esme gasped, eyes filling with tears as her hand covered her mouth. 'Are they…'

Jasper felt his whole world narrow, tunnelling on the idea of his Mate being dead.

She couldn't be dead.

He would know.

He would have felt it. Felt her snap from the fledging connection the two had been fostering over the past nine months.

She wasn't dead.

The Bat Phone – otherwise known as the Emergency phone in the ED – rang and Carlisle caught some of the information as he worked on stabilising another patient in front of him. It was like everyone was in crashes tonight.

'Alright,' Carla, the head nurse that night called out, 'we have two patients en route. Male and female, female with compound tib-fib fracture and suspected broken ribs with a severe concussion, male with whiplash and suspected fractured wrist. The car got t-boned by a lumber truck that slid on black ice.'

His patient stabilised, Carlisle handed them off and disposed of his gloves with ease, coming up to her shoulder. 'What else?'

She breathe was shaky. 'It's Crawford's girl and her friend.'

'Their ETA?'

'Ten minutes.'

'I'll phone Richard now even if there's nothing he can do apart from waiting.'

Carla looked up at him, 'What about your boy? Aren't they a thing?'

'I'll let him know.' Though Alice probably already knew at this point.

Slipping into the corridor, Carlisle phoned Richard, who picked up with groggy noise. 'Crawford.'

'Richard. It's Willow. She's been in an accident and is being brought here with Scott, they're on route and will be here in the next ten minutes.'

'What happened?' He sounded much more awake and was seemingly trying to keep composure as he got dressed.

In a human motion, Carlisle ran a hand through his blond hair, 'They were t-boned. The truck slid on a patch of black ice though both were under the speed limit. Take your time getting here, we don't need both Crawfords in our ED tonight. I'll see you as soon as I can.'

'Right, right. Thanks, Carlisle, I'll let Liz and Dan know.'

'No problem.'

With that, he hung up and his phone buzzed with Jasper's phone number. 'They're on route. She's got a compound tib-fib break and broken ribs and Scott's got whiplash and a suspected fractured wrist and are about five minutes from arrival. Richard is on his way now.'

'We'll be there in ten.'

'Do not run, Jasper,' Carlisle lowered his voice, speaking rapidly, 'how will you explain it?'

Jasper hung up, without a word but he could hear the phone squeak in his hand and Carlisle turned his phone back to vibrate, pulling on another pair of gloves as Willow and Scott were wheeled in.

Sweet Mother of God…

Willow was used to uncomfortable pains, what with being able to have her period as rare as that was because her uterus liked to surprise her, really spice up her life, but fuck, did everything burn?

Her eyelids felt like they were weighed down by cinderblocks, her mouth cotton and her mind fuzzy and what was that fucking annoying beeping noise? Could it shut the fuck up, please? Her lids were barely open before she realised that that was a bad fucking idea. Holy hell, why was the light so bright? Ew, yuck.

Reflex had her grunting against the disturbance and nope, won't be doing that again. That hurt. Okay, maybe if she opened her eyes, slowly, this time. But wait, use your ears, moron.

There were a clock ticking, that annoying beeping, and voices but they were further away. 'Willow?'

'ad?'

'Hi, bird.' His relief had her opening her eyes to see the vaguely fuzzy shape of her father by her bed. Where are her glasses? Willow lifted a sluggish hand to her face and frowned when it got caught, pouting down and squinting to see a cannula and a finger pulse oximeter on her index finger. 'Your glasses were cracked from the car, baby.'

Crash?

Wait. 'Scott?'

'Woah, woah, easy, sapling, Scott's fine. He's fine,' Richard's hand cupped her still slightly bloody head, smoothing her hair, 'got a broken right arm but some whiplash and will have a real sore neck in the morning but the driver hit your side. You took the brunt of it.'

Willow watched as the landscape became dotted with warm yellow lights as they neared the town, especially as they came to one of the main crossings. From the west, there was the logger's shit, considering Forks was still sometimes involved with it, mainly to clear areas of trees that were close to causing a landslide or had come down in a storm, it wasn't unusual for a truck to come down the main street late at night. People had complained early in the morning too many times that the council had made it a rule or something that the loggers had to move around at night.

It was kind of stupid. It was cruel for the loggers who probably wanted nothing more than to have proper sleep schedules instead of being perpetual night owls.

She had been watching the lights when it was like it had happened in slow motion.

Scott had just moved the Suzuki barely past the middle of the street before there was the blaring of a horn, the brightness of floodlights and then CRUNCH.

Willow bodily flinched, her body flaring in pain at the movement. Richard took hold of her cannulated hand, smoothing his thumb over the back. 'You're okay, you're okay.'

'What…' she cleared her throat and gratefully took a few sips of the water he held for her, 'what have I got to deal with?'

'Few broken ribs to start, concussion and a lovely eight-week plan of a cast on your left leg after having reconstructive surgery on it tomorrow. You managed to break your tibia and fibula so well that they were poking out and saying hello apparently.'

'Heh.' She did have quite the gallow's humour, 'Nice. Wait, eight weeks. Dad, the wedding.'

It was the 18th of December last time she checked. He grimaced, squeezing her hand. 'Willow, you're barely going to be upright and you're not getting on a damn plane with a new pole in your leg to be barely able to move for various hours. Besides, Ortho would agree, no flying for at least a fortnight after your surgery.'

'But…'

'No, Wilhelmina. I've already spoken to Evie. She's not exactly happy about it but better off than your Mother.' Her hands were sweaty as she clenched them at the thought her Mother showing up, demanding things that Willow couldn't supply. 'Willow, I have it sorted. Your one goal is to heal up and get out of here as soon as you can.' He cupped the back of her head, catching her eye, serious and dark, 'Do you understand?'

The heart monitor had picked up, part of her realised, through the vague veil of panic but she was hit with a wave of tiredness as she sat there. She was just so tired of having to be perfect for New Hampshire. Maybe this was a good thing?

'Well, that sucks.' Her eyes followed the fuzzy line of the cannula where she could vaguely see the fluid bag, 'What have they got me on?'

'Nothing strong right now, the morphine from earlier is probably wearing off so,' he leant and pressed the call button, 'we should get on that. How you feeling?'

'Like I got into a fight with a logger truck?'

A really fuzzy figure came in through the door then, but their voice made her perk up, 'Nice to see you awake. Gave us a bit of a scare when you came in,' it was Carlisle, 'On a scale of one to ten, Willow?'

'Uh…' Willow took a minute to kind of think about it. It wasn't great but she wasn't in tears about it. 'Maybe like a 7 or an 8?' There was a silence in the room but she couldn't see anything clearly so she waggled her hands. Why did they feel sluggish? 'What?'

'Willow,' Richard laughed a little, 'up to about an hour ago, we could see bone and you're at an 8?'

'Wait?' Willow squinted, 'Do you have my x-rays?'

Carlisle laughed. 'Well, she's differently a Crawford.' He checked her medical shit that she knew Richard called 'Obs' but like, she'd never been to medical school, so what the fuck they were, she had no clue. Willow just knew nurses came in every few hours to check them. Like she'd take a nose dive to Hell. Woah, what the fuck had they given her?

'That'll be the fentanyl and then the morphine,' Richard laughed softly, 'it's meant to be slow-releasing so it should tide you over for a few hours.' Looking around her, Willow started to tug on the multiple cords dangling from the bed. 'Stop tugging, here's the bed button machine.'

With her foot in fuzzy view, Willow could see it was elevated slightly, in a lovely blue cast probably to stop it from being like Harry's arm without bones and all gross looking. 'Will I have a pole?' She gasped, and Richard bit back laughter as the painkillers really hit her, pupils blown wide, 'I can't be a Borg. I don't wanna be assimilated.'

'You're not gonna be a Borg.' Carlisle was grinning down at her chart as Richard calmed her down, hand on her cheek, 'You'll have a pole and screws popped in tomorrow.'

'Okay, okay go…' a yawn cut through her, her head becoming heavy, 'that's good.'

The doctors shared a look and Carlisle spoke up, voice soft and low, 'Just sleep, Willow, you'll feel better with rest.'

'Kay.'

Between one beat and the next, Willow was back under.

Voices, soft and quiet, were what greeted her when Willow came to the next time. Everything was still bloody fuzzy, but between one blink and the next, that had her jolting back, cold hands carefully sliding her spare pair onto her face. Oh, look, sight was great, she liked being able to see people. Also, was this cast over her knee? How fucked was her leg?

'Hey…'

Willow grinned when Jasper's face was the first clear face she saw, thumb smoothing over the back of her cannulated hand as he leant against the bar. 'Hi.'

His smile was relieved, and he seemed to lean into the fingers that crept up to cup his face. 'How you feeling?'

'Morphine's great.'

Jasper huffed a laugh, 'Yeah, going by your air, I'd assume so. No pain?'

'More an annoyance.' It was probably like a four or five. 'Where's Dad?'

Esme spoke as she came into the room, a really pretty bouquet in her hands, 'I have managed to get him to go home and grab a few things.'

'Oooh,' Willow cooed over the flowers, apparently, her drugged brain was like a magpie – ooh bright, me touch – 'these are pretty.'

She smiled, setting them on the side table, 'I thought they might spruce the room up a little. How are you feeling?'

'Like…a five. Morphine's great.'

Willow was just enjoying the feeling of Jasper playing with her fingers, kinda off-set the annoying beeping of the machines around her and distracted her from the uncomfy bed under her, along with the fact that she was wearing a stupid paper gown thing. Not to mention she had so much shit to do before Christmas, Willow didn't want to be in the hospital right now.

Jasper's thumb was smoothing on her forehead, 'What's going on?'

'We can't go to the wedding.'

'Weren't you really tied up about that though?'

'Well, yeah, but it's Eve's wedding and even though I'm not in the wedding party, I still wanted to go and support her. I liked my dress too.'

'What one did you go with?' Jasper playing with her hair was nice. Wait, Esme asked her a question.

'The gold one.'

Esme was commenting on it when Richard walked in, a big duffel bag in his hand. 'Brought you some pjs for when you wake up tomorrow, kiddo.'

'Why's it gotta be paper?' Willow squinted as her head throbbed – oh yeah, she had a concussion, heh, fun – 'They're killin' so many trees.'

Richard smiled, seeing the wider pupils – still marginally high then – 'Infection control. Everything gets one use only.'

'Stupid.'

'No, it isn't.'

'Killing trees.'

'I'm not personally, no.'

'Still killin' trees.' Jasper was grinning as the morphine was making her loopy and her emotions were on a rollercoaster ride. Even in a hospital gown, connected to machines and badly bruised and still covered in dried blood, he was just elated that she was okay, that she would make a full recovery. It would be a long road for her, for them both, but Willow would make it.

The door opened to her room and Joanna, one of Richard's favourite nurses came in and with it being a Friday, she had a fun scrub top on. 'How are we feeling?'

'Fuzzy.'

'Gave us a scare when you came in, kiddo.'

'Just keepin' you on your toes.' Jasper had moved out of the way as Jo went to her cannula, and Willow wiggled her fingers as the drugs went it. It felt funny, cold under her skin. Jo smiled at her, warm and slightly worried.

'After tomorrow, you'll be much more comfortable, we have you scheduled early so you'll be out by hopefully by twelve and will be out of here just before Christmas, all going well.'

As Esme smiled at her, Willow couldn't help but ask, 'But flying…'

'Yeah,' Jo shook her head, yellow hair swinging, 'no, sorry babes. Not gonna happen.'

Maybe she could send them a gift basket? A bunch of flowers. 'Hey?' Jasper caught her attention, 'Focus on getting out of the hospital first. Then we can see what to do about your sister.'

Willow didn't think that would go over well with her Mother but it made sense at that moment. She kind of wondered how long it would take for her to find out about her situation. She wouldn't be surprised if Mother would end up storming the place within the week, even with the wedding in less than two weeks. She wondered what the woman would say. Probably try and make it about her.

Richard moved towards her, phone in hand, 'Which reminds me, I will go fill them in and then head home, I'll be here when you wake up after surgery okay?'

'Okay.' She nodded, smiling as he kissed her forehead. 'Love you.'

'Love you too, sapling.'

Jo patting her free foot caught her attention again, 'Linda will be coming around with dinner soon, reckon you could eat?'

Hospital food fucking sucked. 'Not…' a yawn escaped her, 'not really.'

Jo nodded. 'Try to get some sleep.'

'Thanks, Jo.' She left the room with a smile and quiet click, but Willow could still hear murmurs from the corridor. 'Where are the others?'

Esme was fixing the covers around her legs, 'Emmett and Rose are at home, Edward is in the waiting area, Alice is with Scott, she was a little shaken up by everything. She only caught it right before it happened.'

'There wasn't anything she could do, though,' Willow blinked, the morphine making her fuzzy, eyes becoming heavy, 'right?' She looked over to Jasper; he was closer, though his face was tight, eyes darker than they had been a minute or so ago. Willow cupped his face, 'Jasper, it wasn't anyone's fault. It was black ice. We were going under the limit, and the truck was coming downhill slowly too. The wheels couldn't get traction fast enough.'

Jasper turned his head into her palm, holding her wrist gently, thumb brushing over the waterproof covering of her cannula. 'I know.'

Esme stood up them and set a hand on her leg, 'I'll leave you two to talk.'

Sending the woman a smile, Willow focused on Jasper, 'Talk to me.'

Jasper shut his eyes for a minute, and she let him gather his thoughts. He wasn't the most verbal of people when it came to his thoughts, she knew that, but he eventually got what he wanted to say across. He wet his lips. 'When Edward told us, it was like…everything stopped, and I couldn't breathe. I have known how fragile you are for months, and it's always been in my head that you could get hurt by any one of us. It just didn't occur to me that humans could have you killed too.'

'Jasper,' Willow whispered, moving the bed up to hold his face, ignoring the tugging of her ribs, 'you are not a god, you will not be able to stop everything. Listen to me, first, before you interrupt, okay? You can't know what other people are going to do, how they're going to react, what they'll say. One of the reasons I didn't completely blank when you told me was because I've known there've been monsters ever since I was young, they've just always been human.'

Her mind went back to when Gary Ridgway was still on the prowl and how Richard had been near militant in keeping her, Eve and Mother safe. She'd never seen her father that frantic ever. When the…man had been arrested in 2001, Willow had found him crying with relief on the sofa, hunched over, face wet, a half-empty tumbler of the good bourbon he rarely touched.

'Dad?'

His head snapped up, eyes red, cheeks shiny, 'Yes, baby?'

'What's…' Willow froze as she looked at the news playing on mute – Green River Killer Arrested Due to DNA Evidence – 'they got him?'

'Yeah.' Richard sank against the sofa and she climbed onto it beside him, tucking under his arm. It felt like she was a young girl again, never once being let out of his sight any time they had to go out of time. He would even wait outside the women's bathroom for her, 'Yeah, they did, sapling and he's gonna be going away for a long, long, time.'

She looked up at him, his profile seemingly aged back decades. 'I think you can breathe now, Daddy.'

The puff of laughter was thick and Willow pulled him into a hug, tucking her head under his, into his neck and said nothing as the returned grip on her was just as tight.

'I'm not saying that what you are isn't nearly as less dangerous as a human, far from that, I'm just saying that there are nearly as many as two thousand serial killers at large in the US alone.'

'And that's supposed to make me feel better?'

She thought about it and realised that it probably wasn't the best route to go down when it came to reassuring her vampire boyfriend. 'I'm high off pain meds right now.' He began to laugh, shoulders moving under his hoodie, 'What I am saying, hon, is that I know how to be careful. I need you to trust me to know when I'm in over my head.'

He kissed the back of her hand, eyes brighter but it was the shadows under them that caused Willow to pout in concern, her thumb smoothing the sensitive skin. 'I do trust you.'

'You need to hunt.'

'I have bigger priorities.'

'For me. Please. I don't want you uncomfortable when you're visiting me.'

He turned to look out the window, the stark light making him seem all that much more statuesque. An eyebrow arched, 'I've been too worried about you to be feeling anything else.'

Willow looked at the clock, trying to remember visiting hours and shook her head, 'Jasper.' Their eyes connected again, 'I need you to take care of yourself as well, okay? Promise me.'

The blond leant over the bar, pressing their foreheads together, 'I promise.'

There was a knock on the door and Edward poked his head in, 'Visiting hours are almost up. Good to see you're awake.'

'Thanks.' Willow smiled, nodding to him as he went out again. Jasper huffed a frustrated sigh as he got up. 'No, none of that. They're there for a reason, be nice to the nurses. C'mon,' she made grabby hands to him, 'gimme a kiss and then go eat.'

Her free hand cupped his cheek as he kissed her, and Willow felt the relief and love pour from him. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.' She murmured, smiling at him. 'Edward!' the telepath popped his head in again as Jasper took out Dragon from her bag and set him on the bed, along with her favourite pillow and blanket. 'Make sure he eats.'

Jasper looked at her. 'I said I would.'

'I know.' Willow chirped, kissing him again, 'But you'll stress. Fight with Emmett or something.'

'Need me to bring you anything?' he asked as his denim jacket got tugged on.

Willow thought on it. 'My iPod maybe and my art stuff. Gonna be here a few days anyway.'

He nodded. 'Will do. See you after surgery.'

'I'll be one step closer to being Wolverine.'

Her comment had both of them laughing as they walked out, and Esme blew her a kiss from the window and Willow let herself breathe as she tucked her glasses on the table beside her and pulled Dragon close. She couldn't help the guilt that began to bubble in her stomach as sleep began to pull her under again, the errant noise of the hospital was probably going to be a hindrance for the next few days.

She was alive though.

They both were.

That's what she would be focusing on.

I almost put off posting this chapter because I had a shit day and all I wanted to do was go to bed but then I realised how nice it is to get your reviews and decided to get my arse into gear and post it.

Note for you all, I am that author that tries to make it as realistic as possible in terms of human events. So much so that if the Feds saw my internet history when I was writing this chapter, they probably thought I was more than a little weird as, unfortunately, Gary Ridgway was, in fact, active in Seattle and Washington State from 1982-1998 though it could have been as far as 2001.

I wanted to include topics like that, because Willow's story revolves around how sometimes the monsters aren't the ones with the wacky coloured eyes, or glamourous good looks, or the fact that they can erupt into a direwolf, sometimes it's the people you consider family, that humans themselves can cause the most damage. And I guess, after rereading Twilight having discovered about Ridgway, it makes Charlie's 'Be careful in Seattle' spiel all the more serious in his mind because he may have been called down to help locate him when he was at his peak.

Anyway...

Hope you all keep safe,

Enjoy,

K x