**Please read the author's note after the chapter! Important posting information!**
Edward
"So, what's the prognosis? Is the fucker gonna live?" I ask the doctor. It's Sunday evening, and I find myself standing outside Jasper's room, tucked away in an old, less traveled wing of the hospital.
"Well, he's got a broken arm and a fractured tibia, both of which will heal. He may have a limp, due to the leg injury, simply because he's not in very good health to begin with. His muscle mass is far less than someone his age should have. His recreational drug use has already made its impact."
"So, he's fine?" My arms are crossed, irritation in my words.
"Not exactly. His heart actually stopped twice during the emergency surgery to repair the internal bleeding."
"Is that from the drugs too?"
"More than likely. We'll keep him for another day or two then move him to another facility if he's not stable enough to return home. I know the family wants this to be kept private."
"Thanks, Doc." With a nod, I dismiss him and turn toward my brother's room. Pushing the door open, I'm met with the sight of Alice at Jasper's bedside. She's sleeping in a chair, but she's here. Stepping closer, I can see he's still attached to several machines and monitors, the beeping and whirring of all the equipment filling the silence.
"Alice!" I bark out.
Startling and wiping the drool from her mouth, she finally notices me. "What do you want?"
"What? I'm not allowed to come see my brother?"
"Took you damn long enough."
"I had other obligations I couldn't step away from," I say, thinking of the girl curled up in her bed at home. She's still feeling sick from the drugs my piece of shit brother gave her a day and a half ago.
After making sure she was settled for the evening, I slipped out of the house, leaving Emmett to watch over her. He was expecting Rose at some point tonight, so I took advantage of the opportunity.
"Obligations?" she scoffs. "What could be more important than your own brother?"
"Has he woken up at all?" I ask, ignoring her question.
"Only a few times. He's still in a lot of pain. For some reason, they keep sedating him when it gets to be too much. I guess the pain medication isn't doing much for him. He's got a pretty high tolerance for meds."
Glancing at the bags of liquid hanging on his IV pole, I know they're all just basic fluids, save one; an antibiotic. When the doctor was told not to give him anything more than what you could buy over the counter, we meant it. I'll have to ask him about the sedation, though. Seems our trusted doctor has found a loophole to our instructions.
"Well, why don't you go on down to the cafeteria and get yourself something to eat or whatever. I'll sit with him for a while."
"Really?" She looks almost hopeful as if sitting here with her own husband is the last thing she wants to be doing.
"Yeah, go on."
Quickly gathering her bag and slipping on her shoes, she scurries out of the room, leaving me alone with the asshole. Taking inventory of his appearance, I can see what the doctor was talking about. Past the swelling and bruising, his skin is sallow, sickly looking. His arms and legs appear scrawny under the blankets. Even if he were awake, alert, he'd look like he was knocking on death's door.
"So, why'd you do it, ya dumb fuck? You just had to go after her." Shaking my head, I realize talking to my unconscious brother is pointless, but I need to ask the questions, say it out loud, even if only for myself. "I just don't get it. You're a married man, ya arsehole. And even if that shrew of a wife isn't doing it for ya anymore, you coulda went and found a ride somewhere else. Why the hell did you have to go after that little girl?"
The slow rise and fall of his chest doesn't change, and I know he's still out of it; the anesthesia must still be running through his system. Hoping to get something from him, I sit in the chair Alice vacated, and I wait. The same nurse comes in and out of the room several times, checking, adjusting, charting, all while Jasper lies there motionless. An hour passes before I come to the realization that Alice may not be coming back anytime soon.
As the nurse tries to reposition him, his eyes fly open, panicked.
"Hello, Mr. Cullen. Let me just adjust your medications, and you'll be feeling better soon." I jump in to stop the woman from knocking him out again.
"Uh, maybe you could hold off on that for a while."
"I'll have to check with Doctor Wright. He's got a standing order for sedation," she says stepping closer.
"And Doctor Wright has standing orders from me, so I suggest you follow mine. In a roundabout way, I'm the one that signs your paycheck."
Seeming to think it over, she glances at Jasper before looking back at me. "I'll have to check with the doctor."
"Of course."
"Mr. Cullen," she says to my now wide-eyed brother. "I need to speak to the Doctor before we can give you anything more for pain. I'll be back soon." With that, she makes her way toward the door; off to tattle to the good doc if I'm right. When she's finally left the room, I rise from my chair and step closer to the bed.
His eyes widen when he sees me, undoubtedly remembering I'm the one that gave him the injuries that landed him here in the first place.
"How ya feeling brother?" My sardonic smile must be frightening, because he visibly recoils. "What? Not happy to see me?" His breathing picks up, the monitor displaying his heart rate beeping away. "Aw now, calm yourself, brother. I'm not gonna hurt ya." Leaning in close, I whisper, "Too many witnesses." Plopping my ass on his bed, I don't bother to mind his broken leg and bump it out of the way. "So, here's what's gonna happen, Jasper. Ma and Da are due home tomorrow, and well, let's just say that I wouldn't want to be in your shoes."
His eyes widen, realizing he has to face our father, who happens to be well aware of what he's done. "Already?" His voice is raspy and broken.
"Already," I say, nodding. "And well, let's just say that he wasn't very happy the last time we spoke." Leaning in again, I lower my voice. "I'd say he's never been so angry, hearing about what you did to Bella. She's like his daughter, and you..." I trail off, shaking my head and chuckling darkly. "Jasper, you touched her, a girl he sees as his family. You have no idea... Well, you're gonna wish you were going another round with me on the stairs when he gets his hands on you."
The monitor's beeps are still fast, his heart rate not slowing. Even in the haze of his pain-laden state, I can see the sheer terror in his eyes. Anyone that's seen Carlisle Cullen angry knows they don't want to be on the receiving end of it.
"So, if I were you, I'd pray to God that the old man can find it in his heart to show some mercy. And don't get me started on Ma. I'm pretty sure this will shatter to bits whatever spot in her heart she's got for you." Getting to my feet, I take a step back, my hands finding their way into the pockets of my jeans. "You really fucked up, Jasper. I'm not sure what Da is gonna do to ya, but it isn't gonna be pretty. So, ya better enjoy your peace and quiet now."
As I finish my little speech, Alice chooses that moment to return to the room. "Oh," she says, surprised. "I didn't think you'd still be here." As she passes me to crawl back into her perch on the chair, I can smell the fumes rolling off her.
"Well, I had to make sure Big Brother here knew what kind of homecoming he'd be having. Seems he'll have something special waiting for him."
"Really?" It's almost fuckin' funny to see her eyes light up at the mention of any kind of attention for Jasper. She's probably envisioning some kind of feckin' party to welcome him home.
"Oh yeah, real special."
Jasper's eyes fall closed, his head heavy on his pillow. He's seen Da in all his angry glory before, so hopefully, he's thinking of all the ways he knows our father could make him suffer. "Well, I'm gonna head back to the house to finish up some business. I'll be in touch when he's released. We'll want to make sure he has a nice, private recovery."
As I pull into the driveway, I can't see any new vehicles, so I doubt Rose has made her way back just yet. Emmett knows better than to leave Bella alone, even to make the quick trip to pick up his girl. The house is mostly dark; lamps light up only a few windows. I cut the engine, and blow out a breath, my head hitting the back of my seat.
The last, roughly, thirty-six hours have been really bad. Bella refuses to talk about what happened. It became so bad, that at one point she screamed at me that if she couldn't remember anything, then nothing happened. I can only hope that Rose or Ma can get her to open up because she isn't talking to me.
Making my way inside, it's quiet; only the hum of a television is heard as I make my way through the hallways. I'm not surprised to find the den empty; Bella won't step foot in it, which I find strange. You'd think she would want to avoid her room, because that's where everything happened, but no. She told me what she does remember took place in the den, and she won't go back in there.
When I get up to Bella's room, she and Emmett are curled up in separate corners of the small sofa, each under blankets. They're so engrossed in the cartoon playing on the screen they don't hear me come into the room. Watching Bella like this, I can see how childlike she still is in many ways, how young she really is. She's wearing some kind of flannel pajamas with ice cream cones all over them, despite it being August. Her hair is pulled into a ponytail, and she's absentmindedly chewing on her nails as she watches the screen. She must finally see me in her periphery, because her wide, brown eyes meet mine.
"Hey," I say softly.
"Hi, Edward."
"Yo, bro!" Emmett interjects. "Didn't hear you get back. Hey, we were thinking of ordering a pizza or something. Sound good?"
"Whatever you guys want to do is fine. Is that what you want, Bella?"
"That's fine." And that's about all we've been able to get from her since she woke up yesterday; two, three-word sentences at best. Other than her outburst, that's been it.
"Well, I'm gonna go shower. Let me know when the food gets here."
"Will do, brother," Emmett says, turning his attention back to the television.
The next day is spent waiting anxiously by the phone; waiting for word from our parents or from Rose. As I start preparing something that will hopefully pass for lunch, the sound of a car door gets my attention. When the front door flies open, hitting the side table beside it, I expect to hear my father call out to us. So when it's Rosalie, I'm a little surprised. She's never just walked into our home without ringing the bell or a knock.
"Where is she?" she asks from the doorway of the kitchen, her determined eyes shining.
"Hey, Rose. She's up in her room," I answer, washing my hands at the sink.
"Did she ever let you take her to see a doctor?" The care and concern I hear are at odds with the forceful tone of her voice. I'm incredibly thankful that Emmett filled her in on the details of what happened. I'm not sure I could have done it.
"No," I say shaking my head. "She's still refusing. I couldn't force her Rose, they would have examined her," I say with a motion of my hands to my middle. "And I couldn't put her through that if she didn't want it."
"So did you go get her the morning after pill?"
"The what?" I am completely clueless about what she's asking.
"The morning after pill, Plan B. It's a pill you take after unprotected sex, so you don't get pregnant," she says, her voice low.
"Oh God." I can feel the color drain from my face. "Rose, I didn't even think about that. You don't think she could be..." I can't even bring myself to say it.
With a few deep breaths, she seems to calm, if only a little. "Okay, look, it's too late now; it's only effective for like a day or two after. And there are only a few days a month you can even get pregnant, so let's hope we were lucky and it won't be an issue."
"I knew I should have sent for Ma sooner," I say, rubbing my temples.
She barks out a humorless laugh. "Your mother wouldn't have given it to her, Edward. Your mother is one of the strictest Catholics I know around here. The pope doesn't exactly have his stamp of approval on that medication."
"Well, like you said, it's too late to do anything about it now."
"Is it all right if I go up and see her?"
"Yeah, sure. Emmett might be up there keeping her company. They've been having a cartoon marathon the last couple days." I turn back to our lunch, trying to keep my hands busy.
"Hey, Ed?"
"Yeah?" I ask, turning back to look at her.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner."
"No reason to be sorry. You did what you had to do. Family always comes first."
"It does, and it killed me to not be here. Bella's like family to me now."
"She's lucky to have you, Rose."
"Thanks. I'm just gonna..." she says, pointing behind her.
"Yeah, sure."
After she disappears, it's only a few minutes before Emmett finds his way to the kitchen.
"So, what's good?"
"I swear, you've got a nose like a fuckin' bloodhound." I shove a full plate into his hands. "Here, I just made some sandwiches."
"Thanks."
After we've eaten, and made sure the girls had something for lunch, not an hour passes and the phone rings; our father finally calling to let us know he's landed.
"I want you and Emmett both to be ready to go and deal with your brother. I'm dropping your mother at the house, and we'll leave from there," Da orders.
"Have you had him moved yet?" I ask.
"He should be at the house in Quincy by the time we get there. Just be ready. We should be there in less than thirty minutes."
"Yes, Sir." Disconnecting the call, I fill in Emmett on Da's instructions.
"What do you think he's gonna do?"
"Fuck if I know, Em. Da's never had to deal with anything like this. Maybe he'll take him down to the cellar, hack him up and toss him over the dock out there," I joke.
"Naw, Eddie. We both know he wouldn't do that. I know Jas messed up, but..."
"Yeah, I know, Em. I know."
"Where is she?" Ma comes bursting through the front door, her hair and clothes a mess, her eyes and nose red. Da walks in behind her, his face serious.
"She's up in her room, Ma," Emmett answers her.
She flies up the stairs, and we all watch her go.
"I waited until we landed to tell her," Da says.
"How the hell did you manage to keep it from her that long?" I ask my voice probably way too loud.
He's still staring up the stairs, watching where our mother disappears from sight. "Well, I didn't think it was fair to tell her when there wasn't anything she could do for Bella. It would've been cruel on my part, and a miserable flight to boot. And as much as I love your mother, I couldn't deal with an emotional Esme today." Turning back to us, I see Carlisle Cullen has replaced the caring father; the Boss now in his place. "Are you two ready? I'd like to see the damage you managed to inflict on your brother... And then see if I can add to it."
The ride to the house in Quincy isn't long, but it's quiet. Emmett and I have no idea what the fuck Da's gonna do to Jasper when he sees him.
"Are you both carrying?" Da asks us.
"Yep."
"Yeah," Emmett and I both answer.
"Good."
"Why good, Da? We ain't gonna shoot him, are we?" Emmett sounds genuinely afraid right now.
"Just thought it might do him some good to have the fear of God put in him if he saw you were armed. But no, you're not gonna shoot him. But me? I haven't decided yet." Da puts the car in park after we've pulled into the garage at the house. He exits from the driver's seat and heads to the back door.
Emmett fumbles with his seatbelt then the door, hurrying to catch up. "What do you mean, you ain't decided? Da, you can't kill him."
Spinning on his heel, there's a fire raging in his eyes. "I can do whatever the fuck I need to do. Your brother made a terrible decision, and he needs to be taught a lesson. Are you going to stop me?" His eyes flit from Em's to mine, daring us to defy him.
We don't break eye contact, but we know better than to go against him, so we stay silent.
"That's what I thought. Come on, let's go deal with this."
The good doctor did, in fact, set Jasper up in the cellar. We happen to have some crude medical equipment down there already, so I guess it made sense. His bed is in the center of the cold room, his IV bag hanging from a bedside hook. Basic supplies are stocked here; IV fluids, bandages, suture kits, a few monitors, and various medications, among other things. The doctor looks up from what I guess is Jasper's paperwork when he hears us walk in.
"Mr. Cullen," he says in greeting. "He's all settled, and his last dose of sedation should be wearing off momentarily, just as you asked when we last spoke."
"Good," Da says with a slight nod. "And you've still not given him any narcotic painkillers?"
"No, sir. Though, I must say the pain could just as easily cause him enough stress to damage his heart. I still think it's best if we-"
"That will be all, Doc. There's a room that's been prepared for you, and we'll call you back down when you're needed." Da steps to Jasper's bedside, looking him over before turning back to the doctor. "And you've made arrangements to stay for the next few days?"
"I have."
"Good," he says with a nod of his head. "His wife can't care for a houseplant, so he'll need some supervision for a few more days before he can be sent home to be with her."
"And where is she? I haven't seen her at the hospital since last evening."
"She's otherwise...indisposed." What the doctor doesn't know is that we've managed to convince Alice that Jasper has been sent to a rehab facility outside the city, getting the best care money can buy. She has no idea he's really being kept in a dingy, cold, damp basement, with only the most basic of care being provided.
"Of course. Well, if that's all..."
"Yes, I'll let you know when we leave."
With a nod, Doctor Wright turns to head upstairs, all while Da makes himself comfortable on Jasper's bed. It's eerily quiet in the room, only the sound of the beeping monitor and Jasper's breathing fill the silence. So we can all hear the moment the small groan vibrates up from his chest, consciousness returning bit by bit.
Leaning against the wall, I have my arms crossed, focused on the scene in front of me. My brother, the man that's supposed to be a strong role model to Emmett and me, has been reduced to a pathetic, broken heap, disgraced in the eyes of his family for what he did to Bella.
As his clouded eyes open, confusion is slowly replaced with fear. In a silent standoff between them, my father and brother stare at one another until Jasper seems resigned to his fate.
"Just do it," his raspy voice pushes out.
"And what do you think I'm going to do Jasper?" my father asks.
"I fucked up. Just do whatever it is you think I deserve so I can get back to my life."
My father's barking laugh is dark, humorless. "And you think Bella is going to just get back to her life after what you did?"
"She never told me no."
"You son of a-" I storm toward his bed, just to be halted by my father's raised hand.
"No, Edward."
"What the fuck, Da! He drugged her!" I scream, my arms widened.
"No, we need to get the whole story before we pass any judgment."
I'm not sure if it's the haze of pain or the lingering sedation that's causing Jasper to miss the sarcasm in Da's voice, but it's there, just under the surface. Maybe he just wants to hear his son's sorry excuses before he decides what to do with him.
"Look, she was all down and depressed, watching those feckin' videos. We talked, and she was looking to feel better. I gave her something to loosen her up, and she asked me to make her forget. So I-"
The satisfying sound of crunching bone followed by the cries of pain from Jasper are heard before I realize Da landed a punch to his nose. Once the howls have died down, Da leans in close, whispering, but the room is so quiet, we all hear him.
"You drugged a sixteen-year-old girl, Jasper. Sixteen," he says through gritted teeth. "I don't care if she said she wanted to forget. I don't care if she begged you to make her feel better. I trusted you with her. You can't be trusted with my business, and I guess you can't even be trusted to fuckin' babysit. What good are you to me? Huh?"
"I wasn't thinking," he mumbles from behind his hands clutching at his nose, now dripping with blood. "I took a hit, and it seemed like a good idea at the-"
The gun pressed to the middle of his forehead silences him. In all my twenty-two years, I've never seen a man so afraid. I've even been the one holding the gun with more than a few men on the other side of it. I've watched them beg for their lives, make excuses, all in the hope of changing my mind. Jasper does none of this; he knows it will do no good. Da holds his fate in his hands, and my brother is terrified.
"Give me one, just one fucking reason not to pull the trigger."
My heart is about to beat out of my chest. I've never seen Da aim his gun and not pull the trigger. Emmett and I meet eyes, knowing now how fucking serious this is.
Seconds pass before Jasper's strained whisper is heard. "I'm your son."
The click of the trigger firing the phantom bullet in its empty chamber echoes throughout the room; deafeningly loud in the silence, its meaning clear.
Carlisle Cullen has given a final warning.
"Then start acting like it."
A/N: Still with me? I'm pretty sure there's a line forming to kick Jasper's ass, so take a number.
Next Monday, on 9/25, I'm going to be posting my new story, A Rainbow After the Storm. It will post daily for eight days. It's a story near and dear to my heart that I'm anxious to share with you all. Because of this, I have decided to wait to post chapter 6 of Duplicity. It will update in two weeks, on 10/3.
Big thanks to Fyrebyrd, Gabby1017, Life and Death's Lullabies, and TheMetroDad for pre-reading, and to my beta, SunflowerFran, but please remember, all mistakes are mine.
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