Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong solely to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thank you to my fabulous beta, KJ. She makes my words pretty like Rob. (Well, maybe as pretty as Rob's character in The Rover. She can only do so much. LOL) All mistakes are mine, however, because I don't leave stuff alone.

Chapter Five

With a loud shriek of distress, I tumbled down the staircase. Landing with a resounding thud, I groaned. As I struggled to right myself, I saw a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye.

"Holy shit! Are you okay?"

A guy knelt beside me as I lay humiliated on the floor. Blinking several times, a throbbing ache radiated in my right temple. I pressed my fingers against the side of my face; it felt wet and sticky. I was so dizzy. When I attempted to sit, I couldn't and wailed brokenly as white-hot pain shot through my leg. It hurt so badly that I momentarily forgot about the pounding inside my head.

The guy placed his hand against my shoulder, keeping me still. "You probably shouldn't move. It looks as if your leg is broken." He turned toward the small crowd that had surrounded me. "Quick! Somebody grab a towel. She's bleeding."

A few seconds later, a girl hurried over and handed him a rag. "Here, Liam. It's clean." She stared at the lower half of my body and grimaced. "Oh, my God! Her leg. Do you need some ice?"

Liam gently pressed the cloth against my forehead. Looking at the girl, he replied, "Kim, ice isn't going to help anything. She needs to go to the hospital. We better call 911."

"Are you nuts? We can't call them. They'll contact the police. Can you imagine the trouble I will get into with my parents? Do you want to get kicked off the football team?"

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "You're right. Let's find out who she came with. They can drive her to the hospital." He carefully nudged my arm. "Who brought you to the party?"

I opened my mouth and tried to form the words to answer his question, but moaned instead when a sharp ache flared inside my brain. My head was pounding. It felt as if someone was using a jackhammer inside it.

"She came with us." A male voice chimed in response. I peered up through half-slit eyes to see who was talking. Eric leaned against the banister, watching.

"Great. Go get Mike, and I'll help him carry her to his car," Liam said as he dabbed my temple with the towel all the way down to my chin.

Eric shook his head and chuckled. "Yeah, that's not happening."

Confused by his laughter, I frowned. Why was he laughing? Did he find my suffering amusing? Closing my eyes, I thought about Mike and his friends. They were all assholes. Suddenly. I remembered Leah. I still needed to help her. Gripping Liam's shirt to get his attention, I mumbled, "Leah. Get Leah."

"Mike's fucked up, dude," Eric said.

"Of course he is." Liam's gaze met my distressed expression. "What about Leah?"

He shrugged. "She's in worse condition than Mike is."

"Then you take her," Liam said. "Go grab Mike's keys."

"No way. I might not look drunk, but trust me, I am." Eric's cocky smile spanned his entire face. I was surprised he didn't thump his chest like a showboating gorilla.

Kim groaned as she searched around the room. "Dammit! Is anyone sober?"

Liam shrugged. "Babe, you're probably the closest. You've only had one beer tonight."

"Fine. I'll drive, but you're coming with me." She huffed and pointed at Eric. "We'll take Mike's car and drop her off at the entrance of the emergency room."

-GGB-

"We're here, but I don't think I should park in front of the doors in case they have cameras. Eric, you carry her to the entrance since she's your friend. I've helped enough...I'm not getting in trouble for someone I don't even know."

"Hey, I just met this bitch, but fine, I'll do it. I just want to get this over with and get the hell out of here." Eric slid out of the car. He walked to the rear of the vehicle and opened the back door where I lay along the seat, silently weeping.

The drive had been excruciating—I couldn't remember ever experiencing such intense physical pain in my life. My gut clenched into a burning knot of misery. He curled his arms underneath my armpits and yanked me from the car. I cried out as my leg banged against the metal surface of the vehicle's exterior.

"Try to be quiet. I know it hurts, but we're almost there." He picked me up like a sack of potatoes, throwing me over his shoulder as he headed toward the hospital. Before I knew what happened, he dropped me to the ground and ran back in the direction of the car.

Lying on the cold, hard concrete, I sobbed, waiting for someone to come to my rescue. It seemed like an eternity before I was finally spotted by two passing paramedics who rushed outside with a gurney. They wheeled me down a hallway into a brightly lit room. A nurse with fire engine red hair took my vitals and asked a series of questions, but I couldn't concentrate. The agony of my injuries was taking its toll on me. I kept drifting in and out of consciousness. Her words mingled together incoherently—a muffled whooshing. My surroundings blurred into a mixture of shapes and colors as I drifted into a dark, murky haze.

-GGB-

I awoke with a jolt to the sound of a woman and man arguing. My brain felt fuzzy—my body heavy. Where was I? My eyes landed on the IV attached to my hand.

"Shit, she's awake," a woman said in a half-whisper. "We need to leave now. Is Waylon ready?"

"He's parked near the back exit. Five hundred dollars, Vicky—not one cent less."

"I know. You'll get your money as soon as we arrive at our destination, but we need to get moving. The doctor begins her rounds within the next hour."

Doctor? Where was I? "H-hello," I mumbled. My mouth was dry, and I had difficulty speaking.

The woman rushed to my side. "Shhh. Relax." I watched as she pulled a syringe of clear liquid out of her lab coat pocket and injected it directly into my IV. "Go back to sleep. This will all be over soon."

I tried once again to ask what was going on, but I no longer had control over my lips or tongue. My eyelids drooped as a feeling of warmth spread throughout my veins.

AN:

Poor Bella can't catch a break. (Sorry for the pun.) I know this chapter is on the shorter side, but this is what needed to happen next.

Coming up in Chapter Six, a new POV, and we find out more about Bella's past and the secret behind the Golden Blood.

Thanks as always to my lovely pre-readers: K, Kay, Mandy, and Gail. I seriously couldn't do it without their feedback.

And to my readers, I love and appreciate you all so much. Your reviews always bring a smile to my face. You're seriously what makes this fandom the best.

Finally, to everyone on the West Coast...you are in my thoughts and prayers. Stay safe!

Until next time,

HE