Carlisle
Even as he spoke to Charlie, Carlisle could hear the gossip spreading through the rest of the hospital. So, it was no surprise to him when the superintendent of the hospital knocked at his door.
As one, Carlisle and Charlie turned towards the old man entering the room. For a man of almost seventy, Dr. Stewart kept himself surprisingly well maintained. His features had helped explain away Carlisle's apparent youth as well. Some people just don't age, the popular saying went when it came to Dr. Stewart, Dr. Cullen and Nurse Mary, the sprite sexagenarian in the L&D department of their hospital.
"Chief. Cullen," he greeted both before fixing Carlisle under a firm glare. "I heard you refused treatment Cullen. May I know why is that?"
Carlisle looked at Charlie for a fraction of a second, wondering if the man would cover for him if he lied through his teeth right now. "I don't think anything is broken or bleeding," Carlisle said, and quickly continued when he saw Dr. Stewart about to retort. "Also, I would feel a lot better if I was home. The man could be armed, I don't wish for him to follow me into the hospital."
"And you'd feel safer in your house in the middle of nowhere, instead of here, in a hospital with security and about half a dozen police officers around currently?" Dr. Stewart looked at him incredulously. For someone unaware of why his house was probably the safest place in town right now, the man did have a valid point.
"Actually, I was planning on skipping town for a little while," Carlisle continued smoothly. "My kids were all going away for a vacation anyway, and I would not be comfortable with my wife staying at home alone while I am at the hospital for work. So, perhaps Esme and I will join them on the trip. That would give this person time to come to terms with his loss."
"You know the man?" Dr. Stewart asked and Carlisle repeated the same story he had told Charlie.
"That's what we were discussing," Charlie stepped in once Carlisle was done explaining his fictitious history with the man. "I think it would be safer for Dr. Cullen to be out of town for a few days. Meanwhile, the Forks PD will look for the man, perhaps bring him in for a talk and have him assessed to see if it's safe to let him off or not."
Carlisle shot the man a grateful look and received an exasperated scowl in return.
Dr. Stewart once again asked Carlisle to get examined, but after Charlie's assurance, it was considerably easier for the vampire to talk his way out of that. Charlie's radio came alive with static before a mechanical voice alerted him of an accident just a couple of miles away from the hospital.
"I'll be right there," he barked into the radio and took his leave. On his way out, Charlie conveyed the story Carlisle had come up with to his fellow officers and the group of enraptured listeners.
Dr. Stewart nodded too, huffing as he looked out the window towards the parking where a group of six people were putting out the fire from the black Mercedes.
"I'll find a way to thank them," he sighed.
"I'm sure you will," Dr. Stewart gave a single chuckle before he turned away from the window. "Take care, Cullen. This might turn out to be nothing, but it won't hurt anyone to be careful. Enjoy with your family. I'm sure the chief will have the man rounded up by the time you're back."
"Of course," Carlisle agreed. "I will send in an application for lea-"
The older man waved him off. "Don't worry about those things. It'll be taken care of."
Carlisle smiled at his boss. He had worked under a lot of human seniors and had seldom met one who was as concerned about his patients and his staff as Dr. Stewart. His presence and ethics made Forks General Hospital one of the most pleasant and wholesome work environments he had ever come across.
Dr. Stewart's eyes widened and Carlisle's head snapped back just in time to see the glass on his window shatter. A large, metal parking divider hurled itself across the room, its trajectory ending right where Dr. Stewart stood. Carlisle had a split second debate. He could move the old man out of the way, but that would certainly raise a few questions. From the horrified expression on his face, the doctor had gleaned there was no way he would be able to escape a few broken bones. The path of the object was far too obvious to even move it out of the way without the old man questioning things.
If the object changed direction now, there had to be a reason for it.
Carlisle took one step to his side, stepping in the path of the metal just enough that it crashed against his shoulder, with a far louder resounding bang than was humanly acceptable and bounced off away, smashing into a small shelf on the wall. Glass pieces showered both of them.
"Cullen!" Dr. Stewart's startled and worried voice called out at the exact time that a different voice thundered out.
Carlisle turned, focusing on the raging vampire standing outside his window instead of the perplexed human behind him. He stepped closer to the window.
This strange vampire certainly had his attention.
"Cullen! Come out and face me, you religious zealot!" he yelled out, his heavy voice shaking with barely controlled rage. "Come out or I will come in and-"
That was it for Carlisle. He didn't need to hear anything else. There was absolutely no chance he would let the other vampire enter the hospital building. Carlisle turned and bolted.
Or rather, he wished to.
He restrained himself to running just as fast as humanly possible and not even a little more. He already had far too much to explain to his colleagues.
Carlisle was at the entrance of the hospital in no time. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the police cruisers had driven off. Charlie and the other policemen weren't there. His hospital staff were cowering away from the large and loud presence in their midst, their instinct saving their life. But he wasn't sure if the policemen would be cautious enough. Charlie, the brave, loving man would have certainly charged at the vampire after this particular stunt.
"Are you out of your mind Cullen!" One of his colleagues yelled out at him. "Get back inside!"
Call 911.
Call the chief.
Where's the security?
Carlisle heard several phones being pulled out of pockets and his dead heart lurched. He had to get this over with before the cops came. He took two tentative steps out of the building, towards the vampire standing about twenty or so feet away from him. Every fiber in Carlisle' being screamed at him to turn and bolt. He hadn't felt the presence of his self-preservation instinct this strongly since the late 1800s when he had made the mistake of traveling too far down south, edging close to the warring southern covens.
"Who are you?" Carlisle said, his voice low enough that the human onlookers won't hear him.
"Come here and I will tell you who I am," the vampire sneered.
Carlisle took another step towards the man, fighting his own gut. He was terrified, Carlisle was far too humble a man to deny that. But his fear for his own well-being was superseded by that for his colleagues. There was only so long a vampire could stay sane and not give in to bloodlust this close to a hospital building.
The man crouched down, just a little and a pit formed in Carlisle's stomach.
In that moment, it was not the cloudy, morning sky of his workplace that he saw, nor the group of terrified and worried humans. Rather, it was the caramel locks and loving smile of his wife. Esme. Her laughter filled his ear, her fervent and whispered I love yous, and the happy glow in her eyes right before she descended down the stairs to break another good-natured fight between her children.
If her face was the last thing he saw before he was killed…he was ready to take it. He could only pray that the presence of her children, and perhaps Jasper's gift could bring her contentment after he was gone.
Carlisle whispered a prayer in silence and closed his eyes, accepting whatever fate held for him. He knew he still had a few moments. The vampire did not seem suicidal enough to kill him on the spot. He would probably drag Carlisle out of sight of the humans before doing away with him.
The very next second, Carlisle's eyes snapped open and the other vampire straightened out of his crouch, both wide eyed looking at the silver Volvo charging towards them. Emmett and Edward were out of the car before it had come to a screeching halt between him and the other vampire.
"Careful," Carlisle hissed out at his sons, warning them of the group of terrified but extremely interested witnesses.
Both his sons halted, standing far too close to the man who still towered over them but now looked a little wary. Rosalie got out of the Volvo, taking her place beside Carlise on the other side of the car. From the corner of his eyes, he saw an orderly recoil away from the rage on her face.
Not even one of them moved. The other vampire was outnumbered; he wouldn't attack, not with three furious vampires standing between him and his target. And Carlisle's children would not attack either, far too conscious about the onlookers.
"Who are you?" Carlisle whispered again. "What do you want?"
Under Emmett and Edward's deadly glare, the man smiled.
"I am your creator." He looked straight at Carlisle. "And I want you dead."