Chapter 6. Medical Center

Bright city lights were shining in the darkness, inviting to drive closer. Seattle. The city of grunge and heaven for coffee lovers. Homeland of business companies famous around the globe. The city surrounded by mountains and wonderful parks which always stay green. You can find it out even if you've never been here.

I remembered something else now. There were numerous hospitals and medical centers located in Seattle, and I hoped they would be as good as they promised to be.

Driving closer to the city, I realized that I had no idea where to go next. I phoned Carlisle four times, but he didn't pick up. To be frank, I wasn't very upset about that. It would be better for Carlisle to keep saving Bella's life, then speaking to me.

When I decided to find the way by my own, Alice assisted me. Relieved, I answered the phone after the first call. It was great we had reconciled with each other before I left.

'I'm within the city limits,' I muttered.

'I know', Alice's voice was empty. 'I saw your confusion. Drive to First Hill, to the public hospital. They've got the best trauma center. I'm not quite sure, but Bella must be there.'

I hesitated. On the one hand, I was eager to ask million questions. Do we still have time? Is Bella alive? What visions is Alice seeing? On the other hand, I was afraid to hear bad news.

Alice guessed why I was hesitating. We both were freaks, and learned to understand each other without any word.

'Don't worry, Edward. Seattle is a good city for Bella. Everything will be alright. Moreover, Carlisle stays with her. You shouldn't worry about it so much.'

'This uncertainty drives me crazy', I confessed. I got out of the habit being so busy.

'I know. You have to pull yourself together. Your future is very complicated.'

It wasn't too difficult to find the right hospital. The medical center tuned out to be a huge building that was impossible to miss. I parked my car and went in the direction of the main entry, inhaling fresh air and trying to notice familiar smells. I worried so much that forgot how dangerous it could be. I haven't felt Bella's scent for a very long time. An anxious thought crushed me. What if I loose control when I smell it?

I shook my head. I can't focus on that. Alice said everything would be okay. She would see something bad, right? Of course, I was lying to myself. But what else could I do?

I reached the hall and looked around. Visitors went directly to the reception desk, trying to get information about their beloved. That variant didn't work for me. I kept standing near the entry, catching smells. Nothing. I sighed. There was an ambulance entrance from another side of the building. Bella must have been transported to the center through those doors. Dad's scent was absent too.

There came a time to listen. I made a deep breath and relaxed, letting different voices enter into my head. A range of bright images and emotions surrounded me, replacing each other.

His condition is very bad! Pulse is thready…

I hope it's just a sprain…

Why does it hurt so much?!

God, help me, I can't tell his parents this news…

Thoughts were playing inside of my head, so colorful and loud. I was forced to feel human emotions, emphasize with people who stuck here, suffering from pain; I became a part of their stories. I could feel all what they felt. I could see all what they saw. I could read sorrow, and fear, and pain inside of every head. My visions were so clear that even death seemed to be visible to be.

Too many emotions! I concentrated again, filtering unnecessary feelings. My compassion didn't last for too long. A quiet roar came out of my mouth. Nothing worked! Too many people were here, distracting me from my aim. I was angry.

I noticed elevator's doors behind the reception desk. Good news, finally. I could move from one floor to another, trying to catch father's thoughts. The idea wasn't perfect, but it could help me shorten thought acceptance radius. I was able to catch short waves only.

I rushed to that side without paying attention to other visitors. Distracted, I haven't noticed when someone called me.

'Excuse me!' somebody cried. 'Where are you going?'

The sound came from the reception desk. A nurse, the woman with bright ginger hair, was staring at me. Weird, but she managed to notice me somehow. I moved too fast for a normal human, but the nurse wasn't afraid of calling me. Enjoying my grief, I must have missed something. Humans seemed changed a lot in these seven years when I was too sad to notice anything.

I had to come back and come closer to the nurse, moving in a slow turtle-like speed. Jasper's unhappy face emerged inside of my head. I must remember about the established rules we have to follow. Look normal, look normal…

'I'm sorry', I said in a mild tone, getting closer to the reception desk. I stood very close to the nurse and heard her heartbeat which was so loud that it was rebounding inside of my head.

'I wasn't going to break any rules. But my father is here, he's a doctor, and…'

Oh, another one! the nurse suddenly thought. She was examining me with an open mouth. Her heartbeat, calm before, quickened. Her cheeks blushed crimson. The woman smoothed her shirt.

Humans haven't change. The good impression of them was wrong, I was quite sure of that now. Humans continued being our meal. Too naive. Too simple. Too predictable.

But they were still useful. I noticed a flash Carlisle's image inside of nurse's head. She saw him while leaving the reception desk. The memory was short like a spark and didn't give me too much to see. The woman noticed a beautiful doctor who was following the gurney. He looks like a movie star! she thought, watching him. The nurse didn't care about his patient at all.

'You must be searching for… for…' she was stammering.

Oh, he's gorgeous!

I sighed, irritated by her thoughts.

'Dr. Cullen', I answered, wishing to finish the conversation as fast as possible. 'I'm his son. He phoned me some time ago and asked to come here.'

I wasn't sure that the nurse has heard anything. She was too distracted.

Can anyone be so handsome? No one will believe me! And he is so young!

I sighed again and grimaced hoping it would add some severity to my face. It seemed working. Suddenly disappointed, the nurse shut her mouth and looked down.

'Yes', she finally answered, pulling herself together. 'Few our doctors are absent now. Your father must have volunteered to replace them.'

'Do you know what happened?' I asked, calming down. I needed to remind myself that conversations with humans have never been simple. 'I don't really know what's going on…'

The woman shook her head.

'I'm sorry. That's all what I know', she answered, blushing again.

Behave yourself! The nurse thought, realizing she had said too much. Stop behaving like a teenage girl!

'But you can wait for your father, if you want', she added. 'We've got a very comfortable waiting room'.

I wasn't listening. Frowning, I continued searching for Dad's mental voice. I was lucky this time, recognizing father's thoughts among the diversity of loud and clear voices. Carlisle was in the other side of the building, in Emergency room. His thoughts stayed calm – Dad was thinking about his job only. Carlisle was almost enjoying it.

I hoped I could count it as a good sign.

What should I do? I stared at the nurse, considering what to do next. She blushed again and hid her eyes, considering my glance in a different way.

Too handsome…

I could get closer to the ER. But what's next? I remembered about Bella's scent again. What if I won't be able to resist that sin?

I had no choice.

'I'll stay in the waiting room. Thank you for your help.'

'You're welcome. Do you know where to go?'

I nodded. I've already seen the right path in humans' thoughts.

Waiting seemed to be endless. I was afraid to look into Carlisle's head, I felt like I was interfering in his work. I just checked that Bella was still alive, and blocked father's thoughts. That's all what I could do. Dad will help her. He's the best.

Alice's vision appeared to be too swift. I came to Seattle prior Bella's family members. There was no one among Forks citizens in the waiting room when I went there. I was wearing a hoodie and covered my face, using it as my shield from others. Minutes passed while I was pretending to examine the opposite wall.

Time almost stopped before the door opened, and Carlisle went it. Dark circles under Dad's eyes were noticeable on his pale face. In spite of this, his gait was easy, almost flying. That nurse was right. Carlisle was dizzily good-looking.

Dad wasn't surprised to notice me here, but he was a bit confused after examining the waiting room and realizing that no one else has reached the hospital yet.

'You outran everyone, he thought, almost laughing. Carlisle was able to see irony everywhere.

I got up and came closer to father, trying to keep human speed.

'I came here, just like you've asked', I pronounced loudly, in the case if someone was listening. We were too noticeable here, in the waiting room, where everyone could fix his eyes on us.

I got it, answered Carlisle in his mind. He showed me a smile.

'Follow me', he said aloud, playing the game. Somebody still casted a glance in our direction.

Two gods in one room, someone thought. I nearly chuckled. I wasn't sure we deserved such kind of comparison. We were on side of the demons.

Carlisle was leading me along the corridors. He used to work here when we lived in Seattle, but it was years ago. In spite of that, Dad remembered the place with vampire accuracy. He kept walking without any stop until we appeared at an empty corridor.

It's safe here.

We stood, leaning against the wall.

'How's she?' I asked.

'Much better. She needs some rest now.'

I saw confidence in Carlisle's thoughts. It gladdened me.

'What happened to Bella?'

I felt blame. What if I was responsible for Bella's pain? I didn't prevent the accident. That thought has been haunting me since the moment when Alice saw the vision.

'She got into car accident not far from Forks', said Carlisle telling me all what he knew. 'When she was found, it was decided to drive her to Seattle. Forks Hospital is too small; Seattle was a perfect variant. Doctors must have thought about transporting Bella by helicopter, but the weather was too unstable. Luckily, the staff worked on a very high level. Thanks to them, Bella's alive now.'

He didn't mention his part of work at all.

'Do you think she will recover?'

Carlisle shrugged.

'Bella's got numerous injuries, quite typical for the car accident. Brain concussion, broken ribs, clavicle fracture. Her leg is broken again…'

It was impossible to explain everything, so Dad showed me the moment of their meeting. I sighed with gratitude. I needed to know what had happened.

The memory started from the moment when father arrived at the hospital.

'It's great you decided to help us', said Carlisle's colleague without hiding his joy. 'Few important specialists are absent today. We thought there was nothing to worry about, but… Life likes changing our plans, you know.'

They were hurrying, moving fast along the corridor.

'It's all right, Robert', answered father in a mild calm voice. I've noticed he'd already changed his clothes. 'I understand. You can't predict such kind of things.'

He laughed at this joke inside of his head. Alice was the real gift…

They were in a long narrow corridor I had seen in Alice's visions. Carlisle noticed few ambulance doctors working with a patient. Dad hurried to their side. He took new air in, examining different scents. Carlisle was able to find out the problem by smell only; it became a very useful skill.

What a familiar smell, he thought, troubled. Understanding came to his mind. Carlisle frowned. It can't be…

He stepped closer, noticing the patient.

'A young woman, 25 years old', said the resuscitation specialist from his right. 'The car accident. Huge blood loss…'

Father looked at the broken figure. Bella's face was covered with coagulated blood, her long dark hair flowing. Small fragments of broken glass were inside of them, glittering on the bright artificial light.

He recognized her, of course. By smell, first of all. It's quite problematic to recognize anyone when he looked so bad.

'Bella…' he murmured. Nobody asked how Carlisle could know the patient's name.

'She's unconscious. She might have got an intracranial injury,' said someone from the left.

Carlisle squeezed Bella's hand and looked hard. He noticed much more that any doctor could see. A familiar image flashed inside his head. Another event, another memory, very old one, but still very clear. Carlisle recalled dying Esme.

'Bella', Dad stooped, getting closer to the girl's face. 'Bella!'

One of the doctors shook his head.

'She can't hear you', he said skeptically.

'She will', answered father. There was no offence heard in his tone. He knew what he was doing. Dad had already seen something like that. Esme managed to hear his voice when she was dying from horrible wounds she had got. Mom could hear him even through the veil of death. Carlisle knew he was right.

'Bella! Bella! Can you hear me?' he repeated.

Her eyes opened. Alice's vision became true.

'It's all right, Bella. Don't worry. Everything's gonna be okay,' answered Carlisle without hiding his smile. It was a good sign, in his opinion.

Bella nodded slightly.

I breathed out, relieved.

'Will she recover?'

'Everything's complicated', father wasn't going to lie to me. 'Bella's very strong, but her injuries will bring a lot of trouble. Moreover…'

Dad didn't say it aloud, but I've read all he wanted to say.

Moreover, there's a risk that the brain trauma is more complicated that it looks like.

'In short, the battle is not over,' he finished after a pause.

I nodded. Bella was alive, but she was still fighting. I wish I could take all her pain away...

'Can I stay with her?' I asked.

Dad shook his head. He was a doctor, not my father now.

'No. All what I can allow you is to see her. I asked the staff to give Bella a special room, a remote one. Let's go…'

We ran along the corridor.

Remember, you need to be careful, Carlisle thought. Her smell is weaker now, but the effect is going to be the same. Be careful, he warned me and blocked his thoughts.

That silence looked a bit strange. I had an impression that he was hiding something, something he didn't want me to see. I was surprised, but didn't say anything. We'll have time to discuss it later. Nobody was able to keep secrets from me. Nobody, except for Bella.

All what mattered now was to see her face.

We appeared at the crowded place and forced to slow down. I caught Bella's easy smell and moved as confident as Dad. Few minutes later we stopped in front of Bella's room. We haven't met anyone here yet. The corridor was empty.

Carlisle stepped closer and touched my shoulder.

'You've got five minutes. The nurse will be here quite soon. You shouldn't be noticed here, at least, now. I'll wait for you downstairs.'

I nodded. Dad left, still hiding his thoughts from me. Only later I realized he did it on purpose. I needed some privacy, and Carlisle gave it to me, letting me have rest from his thoughts.

I noticed a fragile figure surrounded by numerous tubes. Bella seemed to be small, almost invisible. I looked harder, examining her. Someone cleaned Bella's face from blood; cuts were standing out on her pale skin. The glass was taken out from her hair. Bella's breath was deep, her eyes closed. I listened carefully and counted her pulse. Bella's heart was still strong, beating confidently and loudly. It sounded great, almost like music. I enjoyed listening to that melody.

'Don't leave me, Bella', I whispered. She didn't hear me, of course, but at that moment I wished I could be heard. I touched the glass that separated me from her, touched it carefully, just like I was touching Bella's fragile skin.

'I'll do everything, I'll do all what you want, but, please, don't give up. Keep fighting for your life. You promised to fight…'

My voice broke. I continued staying near the room, examining Bella's face.