I woke up before the sky was light, for what felt like the fifth time over the whole night. Instead of continuing to toss and turn, I took advantage of the morning by taking the snow chains Jacob had given me for the truck, and I installed them for Bella before she got up for school. After that, I tossed my uniform on and got to work. I tried to remain more quiet than I was yesterday, considering my strange mood yesterday.

Little did I know that it wasn't a good day to keep to myself. Since Bella moved in, I always had a nagging voice telling me that every phone call that came in was going to be about her. My common sense knew that was highly unlikely. Then, the caller ID on my office phone was Forks High School.

My heart dropped before I picked up the phone, but I tried to remain professional. "Chief Swan," I answered as firmly as I could.

"Chief, I just want you to know that Bella is alright. But-" the principal started to say.

"But what?" I cut him off.

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. "There was an accident in the parking lot, her truck was hit. An ambulance is arriving now."

My ears started ringing at the word 'ambulance'. I took a deep breath and stood up, the phone still pressed to my ear. "I'm on my way." I hung up quickly and raced out to the cruiser without stopping to answer any questions. I tried my best not to speed down to the hospital, though my hands were shaking.

When I parked, I hung my head low. The realization hit me that I had to tell Renée, and with another moment to gather myself, I pulled my phone out and called her. The first time, it went to voicemail, so I called her a second time.

"Charlie?" she asked. I don't know why she was surprised that she still had my number saved, but that thought was thwarted when she caught onto the reason for calling immediately. "Where's Bella? Is she alright?"

I pushed my hair back as I stared out the window at the hospital. "Yeah, I'm about to visit her in the ER-"

"Oh, my god! What happened? Do I need to come down there?" Her panic was contagious, unfortunately.

I managed to keep myself together. "She's okay, Renée. I swear," I assured her, "I'll have her call you in a bit. I think some car just slid on the ice, but I was told she's- please don't cry." I sighed as I listened to her burst into tears, pressing my forehead against the glass of the window. "Renée, she's okay. You hear me?"

She sniffled. "Okay, Charlie. You take care of her," she demanded.

"I always do," My voice softened, and the sinking feeling in my chest intensified. She shouldn't have to remind me, but I knew how she got. She only meant well. "She'll talk to you soon. I'm gonna make sure of it."

"Thank you. Go check on her."

"Yeah," I told her, then listened to her hang up first. With another sigh, I rubbed the moisture out of the corner of my eye, and I hurried back into the ER. This time, I actually entered the room and approached the two occupied beds. Bella sat on the bed closest to the window, and beside her was Tyler Crowley, whom I assumed was the one who almost killed my daughter. He seemed more beat up that Bella was, though, and I hated to admit I was relieved for it.

Bella's cheeks flushed red when she saw me come forward. "I'm completely fine, Char — Dad. There's nothing wrong with me."

"I'm really sorry, Bella!" Tyler spoke up, trying to hold still as a bandage was plastered to his forehead. "I tried to stop-"

"It's really okay," Bella tried to dismiss him.

I couldn't believe she'd said that. "It sure as hell is not okay!" I chided back at her.

Bella couldn't look me in the eye. "Dad," she mumbled, "it's not his fault."

"We nearly lost you..." I moved an inch closer, and I wanted to take her in my arms to make sure that she really was present. I understood that the kids at school were all hanging around, and she was embarrassed enough. That being said, I didn't have to care about Tyler's reputation. "You can kiss your license goodbye." I stared him down. It definitely relieved some of the panic.

The doors opened again, and the air of the room seemed lighter with the arrival of Dr. Cullen. He walked up to Bella first, and I stepped back to give him his space. He seemed a little more stiff when he worked. "So, Miss Swan." He glanced over her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." It was apparent she was tired of telling people that.

Dr. Cullen was gentle as he pressed in precise spots around her skull, only stopping when she winced. "Tender?" he asked.

"Not really." She glowered as she turned her gaze away.

Tyler leaned forward. "I'm so sorry, Bella, I'm really-"

I yanked the curtain between their beds to shut him up. Dr. Cullen seemed silently amused with me.

"It would have been a lot worse if Edward hadn't knocked me out of the way." Bella finally seemed to soften up, yet her timidness remained.

I shifted my weight. "Edward? Your boy?" I asked.

Dr. Cullen avoided saying anything at first, looking back down at Bella's chart.

Bella's eyes lit up more. "It was amazing how he got to me so fast. He was nowhere near me."

When she tried to get back on her feet, both Dr. Cullen any myself stopped her.

"We still have a few tests to run before we release you from here." Dr. Cullen picked up his clipboard from the edge of her bed to look over her chart. "We'll run a cranial nerve exam just to make extra sure nothing's damaged, but if all goes well, you could be out of here by tonight."

Bella sighed, her posture slagging as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "When can I go back to school?"

"I'd personally suggest you give yourself two days to rest," he told her with concern.

I made sure that Bella wasn't overwhelmed and I rubbed her back, though it was good to see she had so much support. I could tell that her gaze fixated, though, and I spotted Edward in the distance.

"Can you give me a minute?" she asked the small crowd, including myself.

I stepped into the hall so she could have a private chat with her rescuer, assuming she wanted to thank him. Upon contemplation, the moment I saw Dr. Cullen follow behind me a short distance, I pulled him aside.

He seemed shocked at first, but met me with his usual smile. "I'm relieved Bella didn't come to much harm. She'll probably be right as rain in a day or two. Just keep some ice on the back of her head."

I smiled back, with my head lowered. "I owe Edward a lot, and you," I told him quietly, and found myself stammering for a moment. "Could I...could I offer you a beer or something? I owe you. Really."

Dr. Cullen's posture relaxed. "That's very kind of you, Chief, but I'm afraid I don't drink."

I bit my tongue. "Is there any way I could thank you?"

"I'm afraid I don't want to steal my son's credit, but I'm very grateful for your offer. Just make sure Bella gets the rest and home care she needs." He pat me on the shoulder, only his hand stayed there for a few extra seconds. I could still feel the pressure there when he pulled away. "There's some paperwork for you at the front desk. I'll see you around, Chief Swan."

I almost felt like I was dismissed, but I shut my thoughts up before they got out of control. Before I left, I wanted to talk to Bella again. There was still the matter about her mother, after all.

I passed by Edward on my way back to her bed, and only caught a glimpse of his contemplative expression. She seemed frustrated when I approached her again, though I couldn't blame her. I wondered if she was going to voice her thoughts, but she just huffed with a shake of her head.

I pulled my cellphone from my pocket. Best to break the news to her up front. "You have to call Renée," I told her timidly, holding the phone out to her. I wasn't sure where hers was, assuming that a nurse was holding it until her discharge.

Bella gawped. "You told her?!" As if she expected me to keep secrets.

I shrugged, then watched as she sighed heavily and took my phone. I knew I had to get back to work, and it was clear she didn't want to be around me as she talked to her mother. She was a teenager, this was normal behavior. "She's safe and alive," I reminded myself aloud after I finally made my way to the front desk for that paperwork.

After my shift, I picked her up from the hospital. Everything turned out better than expected, and she was calmer than the state I'd left her in. The ride home was still almost too quiet, but that wasn't unusual. I made her canned chicken noodle soup that night, and I could tell she was irritated that I was checking on her almost every hour. Her feelings were forgivable, but it was still too difficult to get a good night's sleep.