STRUGGLES
Disclaimer: The Cullen's, the Swans, and most of the characters mentioned in the story that are known from Stephanie Meyer's beloved Twilight Saga, are all hers and hers alone. I neither have nor wish to pass them off as mine. I do appreciate the fact that she did bring them to life and allows us to play with them in our imaginations. The only thing I will claim is the current storyline.
The awesome and talented dowlingnana searched out my errors and corrected them. She also makes the banners for each of my stories.
"Dr. Cullen, I would appreciate if you'd give me a call when you do decide to start bringing Mrs. Harrison out of her coma." And with that he left as the others were dreading what was going to be happening next.
CHAPTER 15: THE NIGHTMARES BECOME REAL
Bella was still frustrated with the fact that no matter how hard she tried to understand what was being said around her and with trying to identify the speaker it was beyond her capabilities in her current state. And to Bella she wasn't able to remember what her current set of circumstances were. All she knew was that she was locked in a world that seemed to exist with her being the sole individual and everyone else was locked out or away from her for the moment. She kept trying to understand, but, that was beyond her reach. It was utter frustration with a capital 'F'.
However, from time to time she would catch what she thought was a quick glimpse of a shadowy figure from the corner of her eye, but, it moved so quickly that she wasn't able to be sure that what she thought she was seeing was for real. And, if it was real then the only person it could be would be Frank, but, why was he playing this game of hide and seek? And, it was this question that gave her pause as she was having a hard time understanding why Frank would be playing games; that just wasn't like him. He always came straight on when it was something that he wanted, no matter what it was; that's just the way he was. No one could influence his opinions on any topic, especially, if that person was a woman, as he truly believed that a man was superior intelligence. Old fashion, true, and he was grounded in the belief that a man had a right to punish his wife or any women of the family if they got out of line.
Bella had wondered from time to time what Frank's family life had been like. After all, he rarely discussed anything about his childhood or referred to any memories of his growing up years. But, when he did it was enough to let her know that his father had been involved in some way with some heavy criminal elements and as Frank got old enough he introduced him to the same lifestyle. This is how Bella came to realize that Frank's father was of the same mind and opinions as he was, so, Frank's mother and his sister, Norma, were ruled under the same set of circumstances as Frank did with Bella.
Frank never told her how his mother or father had died, or, why he let Norma get by with doing more, up to a point, than he did his wife, but, the biggest puzzle was why he had wanted to marry Bella in the first place. He had been all charming in the beginning and she truly thought that their love was the forever type. Boy, did that turn out to be the biggest lie of the century. Almost as soon as they had said "I do" the change in his attitude began, but, it was enough to be apparent to her, but, he hid it well from her family and friends. He was good at covering up his true nature around others and expected her to endure and to do the same without uttering a single word against him or his treatment of her.
He, for some reason, treated Norma like a princess as long as she did as she was told, but, Bella, was treated as if she was a bondservant of yesteryear. And, with the success of ISABELLA he thought that he could have complete control over that as well, and that was when the abuse really began. It had gotten so bad that she had threatened to leave him and he told her how it would be if she did leave. Then just to make point his point, he picked up the phone, made a call and had her mother run down while out shopping. That was all it took for Bella to realize that he meant what he said about her ever leaving him or revealing the true conditions of her treatment at home. His threat was that her parents and friends would face harm if she didn't do as she was told.
Things in private fell into a certain pattern that Bella had learnt to accept except in one particular area and that is what truly brought about the biggest problems she faced each time she encountered Frank at home; she refused to allow him any say in regards to the running of ISABELLA, or, the investments that Jasper made on her behalf with her share of the profits from the restaurant. Frank continually harped about the fact that he as her husband knew better how her money should be handled. Of course, she would remind him that Jasper, her cousin, was her partner and that he, being a man, knew best how to handle the business end of the restaurant and that she dealt with the kitchen and the serving crews.
It was at those times that Frank would remind her that Jasper Whitlock wasn't in any position to make decisions for her the same as her father wasn't in any way able to make those decisions any longer: that only he, her husband, was able to do that legally. But, his reminders were never with just words, they were reinforced by physical punishment, as he called it, which that took place with each word he spoke.
True at times he would cause enough damage that Bella would have to seek medical assistance, but, only when she had no other options and when Carlisle Cullen would be at the free clinic and she could see him. Bella knew that, although, Carlisle would ask questions, he would maintain a strict doctor/patient attitude. And, she had become quite adapt at hiding the bruises from others, but, there were times when her friends or associates would ask her what had happened. Bella would blow the bruises and the soreness off with some offhanded excuse which no one believed, however, after seeing how the continual questioning would stress Bella out everyone would drop the subject and allowed Bella to think they accepted her explanations as the truth; that is everyone except for her friends and family.
Even, though, they would ask questions Bella maintained her standard answers and refused to say anything more. That didn't stop Rose, Emmett, Jasper, or, Dr. Cullen from expressing their opinion or offering advice concerning what they believed was happening. But, Bella was wise enough to stay away from her father during the worse of the abuse, even though, he would question her about the abuse that he suspected was happening from time to time due to some of the bruising he did see. The truth was he didn't know how bad it was and Bella was very careful to try to keep that information from him.
All of these memories were busily running around in her mind as she was trying to think of what she could have done that would have Frank acting as he was doing with playing this hide and seek game that he was doing. She was fairly sure that it was Frank since no one else was present in her existing world. She was curious as to why Frank hasn't managed to confront her as yet and begin his attack as he usually would do.
These questions kept going around and around in her head and they were starting to prey upon her mind as she lay fully unaware in her world that she was unconscious in a coma of sorts. She was aware from time to time of the hospital smells and did question if that might be where she was and that, perhaps, she might be drifting between a conscious and an unconscious state, but, her mind never allowed her to face the reality of the true reason of why she might be in a hospital. But, as her thought began to stray towards that particular incident that had been responsible for her presence of being in a hospital, her mind would quickly shy away from it. In her world she was becoming anxious and aggravated, that is until the quietly spoken voice that she had begun to associate with the feeling of love and safety reached out to her. It was a voice belonging to someone that wasn't known to her, but, it still evoked feelings she hadn't known for a very long time except from her parents.
The voice spoke with tenderness, with love, with confidence of a better tomorrow and of things to come. Bella wanted to believe all that this voice was trying to convey, but, it was hard to trust anything or anyone after the way her instincts had betrayed her one too many times in the past. But, each time she heard it speak to her, even though the words were unclear in her current state, the gentleness of that voice kept reaching her on a level that had never happened before. No one had given her such a feeling of being safe, loved, cherished and infused her with a sense of self-worth and confidence.
True her parents and friends had managed to do this during her growing up years and before Frank had entered her life, but, since Frank's presence had been the ruling force and his treatment of her had begun almost from the beginning during the honeymoon when he would tell her that some of the clothes she wore made her look like a slut and to wear something a bit less revealing to erode away at how she felt and thought of herself. Now, she was only a shell of her former self and in her mind she didn't believe that any of her family or friends could see that big of a chance in her, even though, they spoke to her of the treatment they believed she was receiving from the hands of her husband.
All of the incidents and encounters that had happened between Frank and Bella kept playing over and over in her mind and each time that happened her mind got closer and closer as to the reason why she was trapped in the place she seemed to be with no one else, but, Frank.
The loop of incidents kept repeating as if on a loop until finally….
XXXXXX
"Dad, how much longer? She seems not to be responding to waking up." Edward worriedly asked of his father. He was becoming quite upset because Bella didn't seem to be responding yet to the fact that she was being brought out of her medically induced coma.
It had been hours since Carlisle had decided that Bella was stable enough to start reducing her medication and to bring her out of her induced coma. And, as up to this moment no one, but, Carlisle and Edward were aware of what was being done. Edward had quietly explained to his father that he really was going to need the time to talk with his client before the police could get to her and begin their rounds of interrogation. So, as of this moment no one knew that Mrs. Harrison was slowly being woken up.
The hours ticked away and passed into a day, then two, before slight signs were being noticed of Sleeping Beauty starting to awaken, but, was no one was prepared for was the violent awakening that came.
The same pattern had been followed as what had been established when Bella was in the Intensive Care Unit and that was that she was never left alone except on the occasions when the staff had to examine her wounds and change the dressing, or, to take care of any other more private needs that might be required. So, it wasn't surprising that during all of this time that she was slowing being brought around that Edward would sit and talk quietly to her in a voice that was low enough that no one could hear what he was saying to her.
However, Renee was sitting and talking with Bella while everyone else was away taking care of some business or getting a bite to eat when the urge to go to the bathroom hit and that was where Renee was sitting when a loud, piercing scream of sheer terror and pain suddenly broke the silence of the room.
A/N: Bella's awake, but, why did she wake up in such fear? What is going to be the course of action now by everyone? What is Bella about to face and how will it affect her?
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