Chapter 33: Rescue
It only took Archie minutes to reach the bank of Cayuga Island; he pulled himself up deftly onto the shore, standing and ringing out his drenched clothes as he scanned the area. He immediately could recognize her heartbeat, finally able to distinguish it from the other similar pulses of the deer around her. It was distinctly human, though it was beating slower than normal. This only increased Archie's worry as he made toward the sound, eventually picking up her scent, though it was heavily diluted with lake water.
He was only a few steps from the shore when he saw her, huddled on top of one of the picnic benches in the nearby clearing that overlooked the lake. A second later, he was standing in front of her; he reached out but hesitated, not wanting to touch her more than would be necessary.
Edythe was so pale her skin was as white as his, and her fingernails and lips were tinged blue. Despite that, she was not shivering, and she did not respond to his sudden presence. Her eyes kept staring forward, unseeing and blank. Carefully, Archie knelt down, so he look into her face.
"Edy, it's me," he murmured quietly, "Come on, we need to go home."
As he feared, she did not respond to his words, did not even shift her eyes to meet his gaze. He took another moment to look her over and he caught the concentration of her scent in her lap. His brow furrowed, Archie reached and lifted her hands; despite the blackness of the night, his eyes could easily see the deep jagged cut in her palm, as well as the smooth lines running diagonally across her wrist, the wounds covered by dried streams of blood running toward her elbow where she had pushed the sleeve of her jacket up.
It was only when Archie registered the blood underneath the nails of her opposite hand did he have to accept the horrifying truth. Guilt and fear seemed to overtake him for a moment, his entire body locking down as he realized what Edythe had done, what she had been driven to do. It only lasted a moment though, as he shook himself out of the state. He needed to get Edythe out of here, and get her better. And the first step was getting her home and to Carine, and maybe to a hospital full of other healthcare professionals. Tentatively, he reached up to brush his hand against her uninjured hand, his thumb tracing circles on the back of her bloody palm.
"Look at me, Edythe," he whispered, knowing she wouldn't respond but saying the words anyway, "We're going home now. You're going to be okay."
As he moved to lift her from her sitting position, she did not fight him. Though he had to wrap her arms around his neck—taking care to pull her jacket back down over her injured hand and placing her thumb in the sleeve loop to secure it—he felt slight pressure as she linked her fingers together to hold them there. She dropped her head to his shoulder, seeming to not react to the cold. Forcing all the negative emotions and fears to the back of his mind, Archie lifted Edythe and turned, making his way back toward the water.
"Archie found her," The first words out of Jessamine's mouth seemed to blow the air back into Carine's lungs, despite her lack of required oxygen. She exhaled slowly, her body sagging, and she felt Earnest's arms steady her at her hand and at her waist. She squeezed his fingers tightly, nodding slightly to him as she listened.
"Thank God. Oh, thank God," Carine breathed in relief, her eyes closing as she leaned into her husband. Beau was standing up, gazing at them, face drawn and stressed. Earnest relayed Jessamine's words to him as Carine continued to listen.
"We're meeting them on the east side of the river, off Cayuga Island," Jess continued; Carine could hear the wind from her running in the background, no doubt Royal and Eleanor on her heels.
"She was on the island. Archie says she swam there, somehow."
Carine's mind didn't stop to ponder the how or why of the situation, just weak with relief. Beau's eyes turned from confused to hopeful and relieved, though the anxiety did not diminish, only shifting in origin.
"She's been out in this weather," Jessamine noted, "And Archie said he had no choice but swim back with her…" Carine understood the implied meaning behind it.
"We'll be ready," she assured her daughter, "Just get her here as fast as you possibly can."
Jessamine assented and then hung up. Carine was already moving, headed toward her office to check whether she had the supplies she would need. She was thankful she had taken the liberty of bringing some extra inventory home with her since moving to Ithaca. The extra pain medications and fluid lines would prove useful; she suspected Edythe would be hypothermic at the very least, and she chose to plan for both the best and worst case scenario.
"Beau, is the heated mattress set up in your and Edythe's room?" she asked.
Beau nodded. "We did it the other day." The mattress had been an upgrade; considering the two humans lived on the highest story in the house and the mansion, though renovated, did not retain heat. This, of course, had never been a problem for the Cullens, but Edythe and Beau appreciated the idea of extra warmth.
"Good. Turn it on its middle setting. Then grab some of her things—clothing, toiletries—and pack them in the car. Earnest, make sure the Mercedes is running and warm, just in case we need to take her to the hospital." As Earnest disappeared and Beau followed Carine upstairs, he spoke.
"What if she doesn't want to go to the hospital?" he asked hesitantly. Edythe had been as objected to the idea of going to the hospital since the accident as Beau always was, insisting she was never in such a state to warrant a stay there again. Beau was torn, knowing she would be best treated in a hospital, but also knowing that her mental and emotional turmoil—the cause of this whole situation—would not bode well by being forced to go back there. Carine understood the implication behind his question.
"I will do what I can to avoid it; she doesn't need to be any more worked up than she already has been. But if it becomes serious, I will not be giving her a choice," she said simply. Beau nodded, then went to get the mattress turned on.
The current was stronger on the trip back, affected by the storm that was forming overhead once more. Archie swam as fast as he was able while carrying Edythe, listening to her heartbeat gradually get slower. His panic was nearly insurmountable as he reached land, unsurprised to find Jessamine, Eleanor, and Royal standing precariously on the bank. Royal held out a hand to help pull them out.
The other Cullen children were not given more than half a second to take in the state of their human sister before Archie was running again. They followed after a moment, heading directly toward the house. It was late enough at night that they did not fear they would be seen, allowing them to take the most unobtrusive route, hidden in the darkness.
"Holy hell," Eleanor breathed, taking in Edythe's form, hearing her quiet, labored breathing and her barely there heart rate. She said what the rest of them were thinking, but were unable to say anymore as they pushed their legs as fast as they were able, headed toward home.
Carine and Earnest recognized the approach of their children and they hurried quickly around the back of the house to the mud room just as Royal pushed the door open ahead of Archie. Archie stepped quickly into the warm house, his eyes automatically locking with Carine for a moment before her gaze went down to Edythe.
Carine heard her breath catch and she froze, shocked as she laid eyes on her human daughter. Edythe's small body was curled in Archie's arms, her head against his shoulder limply. Her clothes were soaked through with freezing water, sticking to her frail, frigid body. The vampire doctor could smell immediately all the troubling physiological changes, the most concerning of which being the slow thud of Edythe's heart and the tinge of blood.
After a half second of shock though, Carine recovered, her mind immediately going into physician mode. She stepped forward, her hands running quickly over Edythe's skin, taking note of her vitals and compiling a list of problems, determining how severe her condition was. It only took her three seconds to evaluate and decide.
"Eleanor, take her," Carine ordered, stepping back. Eleanor immediately stepped to gingerly take Edythe's limp body from Archie's arms.
"Has she been conscious?" Carine asked quickly, one hand against Edythe's cheek, feeling the weak pulse beneath the thin membrane of skin.
"She was when I found her," Archie said quickly, taking the towels that Jessamine offered, moving to remove his drenched shirt in the entryway as he spoke. "But during the swim back, I think it was too much for her." Carine nodded in acknowledgement than turned to Beau.
"Take a set of her clothes, and a hoodie and blankets," Carine continued as she ushered Eleanor and Jessamine upstairs, "Throw them in the dryer. Help Earnest prepare warm water bottles, just in case." Beau nodded and got to work, moving toward the laundry room and grabbing fresh clothes from the basket; he selected a long sleeve shirt and soft plush pajama pants, as well as ankle socks and a hoodie, throwing them into the dryer and flipping the machine on. As he turned, Earnest was there, his hands full of several throw blankets they had in the house, opening the door of the dryer and adding them.
Upstairs, Carine and Jessamine moved ahead of Eleanor, who held Edythe out from her body, making sure to not touch her wet clothes and minimizing how much of her chilly touch was in contact with Edythe's skin. Jessamine moved to the bathroom as Carine turned to Eleanor.
"Set her down," Carine said softly, kneeling besides Eleanor as she sank to the ground besides the bed.
"Carine. Her arm," Archie told her from the first floor, staying in the entrance to the kitchen to dry himself off. The pain in his voice was almost tangible and Carine's fear spiked at how shaken her psychic son was. Carine's fingers moved to the zipper as she began to unzip Edythe's jacket, peeling the thin fabric away from the clammy, pale skin. Eleanor held Edythe steady with one hand, helping Carine with the other to strip Edythe down. As they gently pulled the polyester sleeve away, Carine saw what Archie had meant, and her own eyes widened.
The wound in Edythe's palm was deep but not big, only about a centimeter in diameter and with only a small hint of blood around the edges. But three inches down, the doctor took in the diagonal marks across the inside of Edythe's wrist and forearm, at least half a dozen of them, crisscrossing over her pale flesh, the lines so clean that there was no mistaking them for what they were. There were dried blood tracks from where the wounds had opened, the coagulation showing them to be at least a couple of hours old.
"She didn't," Eleanor gaped, so stunned that a curse passed through her lips. Carine was too thrown to reprimand her, but she noticed when Jessamine returned from the bathroom, placing a set of towels down. Her golden eyes went to her, unsure how Jessamine would react to the relatively fresh blood. But Jessamine did not even blink, only gasping as she took in the wounds, her honey eyes turning forlorn and pained at the evidence of Edythe's suffering. There was a beat of silence as they all worked to process it, before Jessamine broke it.
"This is my fault," she murmured, "I should have paid more attention, should have seen, felt what she was going through."
"This is not your fault," Carine disagreed, seeming to be roused from her momentarily frozen state. "You didn't know; she knows your gift well enough to hide it. This is no one's fault, not even Edythe's." She added firmly, working to help Eleanor continued to remove Edythe's clothing.
"Then don't blame yourself either, Carine," Jessamine murmured quietly. The coven leader glanced up at her for a moment, but did not have it in her to respond. Instead, she turned back to the task at hand.
"Get some more dry towels, please," Carine instructed and, a half second later, several dry towels were placed besides her. Carine worked to gently remove the articles of clothing, her eyes never leaving Edythe's face, watching for any signs of consciousness. When Edythe was finally free of the lake water-sodden fabrics, Carine, Jessamine, and Eleanor worked to dry her off, pressing the dry towels over her skin and into her hair. They didn't rub, merely patting her down gently to get the cold water off her, Jessamine working over her legs and feet while Eleanor and Carine did her arms and torso, carefully working around the wounds on her arm.
"We can't warm her too quickly," Carine told them quietly, "It will shock her. We need to increase her body temperature gradually."
Once she was satisfied, Carine moved to the closet, returning a half second later with undergarments and a thin tank top. Jessamine and Eleanor carefully dressed Edythe while Carine kept her fingers pressed to the inside of Edythe's wrist, feeling the weak pulsing of her heart, coupled with her reduced heart rate.
"Get me a thermometer," she said to no one in particular, though she took the little device offered to her a moment later, placing it gently under Edythe's tongue. Thirty seconds later when it beeped, Carine glanced at it, and her worry increased further.
"It's too low to get a reading," she answered Eleanor's almost inaudible question. "That means it's lower than ninety." Eleanor didn't respond, her body tensed with anxiety as she continued to hold Edythe.
"Turn the thermostat up to seventy eight," Carine said, "And tell Beau he can bring up the clothing; it should only need a few minutes in the dryer anyway."
Beau was there a few moments later, and he immediately knelt beside them. His blue eyes were locked on Edythe's unconscious face, the worry surmounting as, despite what they were doing, she showed no signs of responding. He and Eleanor gently helped dress her, pulling her arms through the long sleeves—carefully pulling it over her cuts— and pulling on the pants and socks. Archie and Earnest entered the room at once, Royal falling in behind them.
"Why isn't she waking up?" Eleanor asked worriedly.
"It happens when hypothermia sets in, especially if it's prolonged. She doesn't feel cold enough now to be in severe hypothermia, but it may have happened while Archie was swimming with her," Carine explained, "The loss of unconsciousness is a good indicator. As we increase her temperature slowly, she'll start to wake up. But we don't want to shock her."
"Alright, let's get her on the bed," Carine added, "Eleanor, give her to Beau, now that she's dry." Beau sat on the bed immediately, taking Edythe's weight as Eleanor carefully transferred her into his arms. He pulled his mate against him, her head against his shoulder and his long arms wrapped around her. Beau took one of the blankets Earnest offered him, wrapping Edythe in it securely. Carine sat besides him, her cool fingers brushing along Edythe's arms and face, checking her pupil dilation and pulse. Archie had already placed her medical bag besides her. Once finished, Carine pulled another blanket over her, positioning them around Edythe's chest and head.
"Eleanor, get a blow dryer; dry her hair out," Carine murmured. Eleanor climbed across the large bed, taking the offered blow dryer from Archie and began to work through Edythe's tangled hair, combing it out with her fingers then with a hair brush. As she worked, all the Cullens stood silently, tensely listening to the slow heart rate and equally reduced, shallow breathing.
Keeping her hands on her, though definitely not helping Edythe's hypothermia, allowed Carine to feel the minute changes as the human's internal body temperature slowly increased, listening to heart rate gradually creep toward a more normal rhythm. After about twenty minutes of silence, Carine asked for the thermometer once more, taking it from Earnest to place it under Edythe's tongue. The device was the only sound in the room.
"Ninety point two," Carine announced softly. "It's working. Bring more blankets, if possible." Royal immediately left the room, in search of more blankets to warm up in the dryer. Eleanor finished with Edythe's hair, pulling it up gently in a loose bun. As she secured it, they all noticed the almost imperceptible change. Carine's eyes narrowed at the slightly flicker of Edythe's eyelids; accompanied by the low rush of air through Edythe's lips—indiscernible to human ears but definitely a conscious motion—brought all the Cullens staring hard at Edythe, waiting.
After a few incredibly long seconds, Edythe's eyelids squeezed tighter before opening halfway. The green behind them was dull, and far away, but the low sound issuing from her throat made it clear she was conscious. Carine leaned forward, her hand coming to Edythe's cheek, a finger brushing underneath her eyelids.
"Edythe?" she whispered. "Can you hear me?"
The green eyes were blank for a long moment, before seeming to focus on Carine's face. With that focus, another moment or two passed before the recognition seemed to cross her face. Carine took that as a good sign, knowing confusion and memory problems were common signs for hypothermia.
"Edythe," she breathed, her tone automatically taking on the soothing mothering tone she adopted so frequently since Edythe's change. "You're home, sweetheart. You're safe." Edythe just looked at her for a second before her senses gradually seemed to come back to her. Her body started to shiver, and she let out a low exhale as the numbness from her fingers seemed to turn to pain as the warmth was returning to them. Carine worked to calm her as Edythe's body cringed in Beau's arms.
"Shhh, darling, you're okay," she assured her. Unthinkingly, Edythe pushed part of the blankets off, pulling her arms free. Carine stopped her, her free fingers caressing gently down Edythe's exposed sides as Edythe squirmed. Edythe was groggy, unsure and wary as her senses returned, but the pounding and swimming in her head, along with aching in every facet of her body, came to the forefront of her mind. She let out another pained gasp, her breathing turning to pants.
"Shhh, baby, it's okay," Carine murmured soothingly, "I'm here. We're all here. We need to get you warmed up; you were out there for a long time." Edythe didn't seem to hear or understand, and Carine's heart clenched as she was forced to hold her down; Beau tightened his arms around Edythe, his lips at her ear.
"Edythe," he whispered to her, "You're okay. Don't fight us; you need to stay still, let your body warm up. Please." The sound of his voice, along with his arms around her, running over her skin, seemed to register in Edythe's mind. She paused then, as she absorbed what he said, she forced herself to calm, though she was still uncomfortable.
"H'rts…," she rasped.
"I know, sweetheart, I know it hurts," Carine said, knowing what Edythe meant. "Just hold on; it'll get better soon." The matriarch sighed in relief as Edythe worked to obey, pressing herself closer to Beau's chest, her hands pressing into the soft warm blankets she was wrapped in. Beau pulled one of his hands from underneath to twine it with hers, pressing his warm lips tenderly there and rubbing his thumb over the back of it. Edythe's body still shivered, and Carine worked to rub gently between her shoulder blades, hoping the friction and tactile touch would at least comfort her. As time went on, Edythe gradually relaxed; the pain in her hands eventually receded as she was able to feel them again, though the pounding in her head wouldn't subside. Tears began to leak from her eyes, and her lips parted.
"Mom…" she whispered, her voice cracking.
"I'm here, Edythe," Carine assured her. "You're okay." The tears seemed to come faster and, despite Edythe's consciousness, Carine's worry spiked.
"Edythe, talk to me," she pleaded. Edythe took a couple deep breaths, trying to build up the strength, which seemed to be leaving her.
"It hurts," she managed, her eyes finding her mother's. The expression in Edythe's eyes made it clear that it wasn't the same kind of pain that she had complained of before; this was the emotional pain, the hurt Edythe had been suffering for a long time. Carine understood.
"I know, sweetheart, I know," she soothed her sadly, her fingers brushing a piece of loose hair back from over Edythe's face, "It's going to be alright, I promise. You're home, you're safe. We have you." The assurance seemed to placate Edythe now.
"I…" she tried to start but Carine hushed her.
"Shhh, later," Carine whispered, her voice dropping lower as Edythe's eyelids struggled to stay open. "You're exhausted. Rest, sweetheart."
Edythe didn't need to be told twice; nodding slightly, she slumped against Beau's chest, immediately succumbing to unconsciousness as Carine and Beau kept their hands on her. Carine let out a sigh as her human daughter finally drifted to sleep, and glanced around at her coven. All of them were still tense, anxious despite knowing Edythe was there. She knew their unease was rightly put; just because Edythe was home, does not mean it was over.
Carine could not specifically discern what had caused this, and had no idea the degree of hand Edythe mentally had in the panic-stricken search, but she knew she would need to find out. But she couldn't bare to forced Edythe to face it at the moment; whether her idea or not, the physical toll of her disappearance was significant, and Carine wanted her physically healthy first, knowing the emotional turmoil would be just as, if not, more demanding of her youngest child.
And so, she leaned back slightly, eyes turning to Beau.
"It's late," she told him, "Get ready for bed. We'll stay with her." Beau's eyes were unwilling at first; he could bare the thought of letting go of Edythe at the moment, let alone leave the room. But Carine's eyes made it clear she was asking this of him knowing these things, and asking him to do it anyway. Much like the rest of the Cullens, he trusted her judgement, and nodded. Gingerly, Beau laid Edythe down on her side of the bed, kissing the hand that held his before gently prying free; Carine took it while pulling the comforter and blankets back over her, cocooning Edythe in the warmth. Beau moved haphazardly to the dresser, grabbing pajamas and ducking into the bathroom.
While Beau showered as quickly as he could, Carine spoke quickly to the others; though none of them were willing to leave Edythe either, she convinced them to allow her and Beau privacy for the night, knowing they all could very well hear both humans from anywhere in the house. Reluctantly, they left, making to tidy us the house after the chaos of Edythe's arrival home.
Royal left to retrieve the Volvo, pausing to turn off the Mercedes n the garage on his way out. Eleanor returned the bag Beau had packed, replacing Edythe's belongings to their proper place. Archie made his way to the shower, making to remove the lake water and grime from him. Jessamine stayed close beside him, needing the proximity for support as she tried to sift through and rationalize everyone's emotions. The minor leak of calm made it to all members of the family, soothing at least the very superficial unease.
Even when Beau returned, his hair wet and his complexion fresh from the shower, he looked slightly less panicked as he settled besides Edythe. Without speaking, Carine moved off the bed, allowing her newest son to take his mate in his arms, providing both of them comfort and allow Beua to relax enough to sleep. One glance at her watch showed it was well after one in the morning, and she knew Beau was nearly as spent as Edythe was, having been in such a terrified state and searching for so many hours.
Leaving the bedroom cracked open, she pulled her phone out and dialed Amanda Thompson's number. Earnest was besides her and he copied her, as the parents began to make the calls to call off the search and assuage all those who had been helping in the search for their daughter.
A/N: Hello again! I hope everyone enjoyed! Yes, this may seem like it is dragging, but often the cuts I make for chapters are because I do not want to just throw together something. The week in-between allows me to really dwell on the events that I want to happen, so I can make the story as flowing and natural as possible. I'm thinking next week's will be a little longer than usual, though (but don't quote me on that ;)
Of course, reviews and thoughts are always appreciated. I would love to know what you guys think of how I am taking this story and anything you think should be included! See you next week!