Charlie POV
I had just gotten home from a day long fishing trip out on the rez with billy and had barely even settled into my recliner to watch some baseball game on the TV when the phone began to ring. "yeah, yeah don't get your panties in a twist" I mumble to myself as I get up and head to the kitchen to answer the phone.
"Hello?" I say in a gruffer tone than I meant to. "Umm, yes..hello. May I please speak to Charlie Swan" A female voice said on the other end. "I am Charlie Swan, who are you and what is this regarding?" "Mr. Swan, I am Patricia Franklin. I am the Patient Administrator for Phoenix Memorial Hospital. You were listed as a contact for Renee Dwyer, I am calling to regretfully tell you that she died this evening in a car accident." Sighing I say "She was my ex, you want to be contacting her new husband. I believe his name is Phil." The woman on the other end paused for a moment then said "Yes, I am aware that Mr. Dwyer is listed as her first emergency contact, unfortunately he was also killed in the crash. Your daughter Isabella; however, did survive. She is currently listed as serious condition but is expected to pull through. You are the only one else listed as next of kin for her, so that is why I am contacting you." Sighing deeply, I think to myself 'great now I'm going to be saddled with a kid I never really wanted with no one to pawn her off to, plus have to pay what ever medial bills she has accrued for the hospital...just great' "Mr. Swan? Are you still there?" The woman asks. "Yes, sorry. I was lost in thought. I will be there are soon as I can."
After hanging up the phone I sink into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and run of my hands over my stubble covered face. "Wonderful, this is the last thing I need" I say to myself. Sitting there I began to wonder what she like now, thinking back I remember her being a stubborn, willful child. She was always getting into things she should not and would never listen to me, only to her mom. 'I bet she is probably a stupid slut just like her mom too' I think to myself.
Not wanting to dwell on it any longer I pick the phone back up and call the station, after two rings someone pick up the other end. "Forks police department, how may I serve you today?" A voice answers that I recognize as Andy Johnson, one of my deputies. "Hey Andy, its Charlie" I say "Oh hey Charlie, whats up?" Andy asks. "I'm going to have to be out of town for a week probably; a family emergency, so I wont be in this week." I say, trying to sound worried. "Oh no what happened?" Andy ask. "My ex and her husband died in a car crash, but my daughter survived. She is in the hospital in Phoenix. I need to go and get her." "Oh wow, I'm sorry to hear about that. If there is anything you need just let me know" Andy says "Thanks Andy" I say and hang up the phone. Heading upstairs I grab a suitcase and pack some clothing, all the time thinking on what I'm going to do with a teenage daughter. I know nothing about kids and even less about teens.
Once I was done packing I got into my police cruiser and headed to Seattle to catch a plane to Phoenix. I have never been one for airports or airplanes for that matter, its just one more thing adding to my slowly building rage over this situation. After getting my ticket and passing through security, I had to wait for only about an hour before the plane started boarding. Once the plane takes off, there is nothing but time to go over what I'm going to do with a teenage daughter what I don't know or even want. I'm thankful for the fact that I still have an old mattress that I decided to store in the spare bedroom after I got a new one a few years ago. At least I don't have to buy her a bed. Maybe it won't be so bad, I can have her do the cooking and cleaning or what ever I wanted her to do. And if she refuses, I'll just punish her like I did her mom when she didn't do as I asked. Plus the day she turns 18 I can just kick her out, she would no longer be my problem then. With a smug grin on my face, I thought about that for the remainder of the flight.
Bella POV
All-in-all my injuries were not that bad. I had a mild concussion, a dislocated shoulder and broken wrist on my left side as well as two fractured ribs. What hurt the most was the fact that I would never see my mom again or Phil. That pain burned deeper than any physical wound I had received, and there was no pain medication in the world to sooth away that hurt. I had been in the hospital for several days now and I started to wonder if Charlie was even coming to get me, not that I cared. I was more than content to just to lay there and be left alone to wallow in my misery and grief.
On the fourth or maybe fifth day I was laying in bed with my eyes shut; some where between awake and asleep, when I heard a gruff sounding voice outside my door 'Is this the room for Isabella Swan?' the voice asks. 'Yes, it is. Are you family?' a female voice responds, I recognize the voice as one of the nurses. 'Yes, I am her father. I am here to get her' the male voice responds. I am now fully awake and terrified of what will happen now that he is here. 'Ok, Mr. Swan. Why don't you go and see your daughter and I will inform her Doctor that you have arrived. There are a few things he wants to discuss with you about Isabella'. I quickly shut my eyes again and pretend to be asleep. Moments later I hear the door open and then shut. Then I hear the sound of heavy boots approach my bed and then the groaning sound of someone sitting down in one of the chairs occupying my hospital room. The silence of the room was almost deafening. I did my best to keep my breathing even and slow to make it look as if I was in a deep slumber.
After what seemed like ages had passed, I heard the door open again as someone else entered the room. I waited and listened. "Mr. Swan?" A voice I remember as my Doctor asked. "Yes" Charlie said. "Hi there, I'm Dr. Franklin. I have been the primary doctor on Isabella's case. I have a few things I would like to discus with you before she is released." Dr. Franklin said "Ok" Charlie said, I guess he is a man of few words from the sound of it. "Her physical injury's were not as bad as you would think, considering how bad the accident was. Other than a dislocated shoulder, a broken wrist and a few fractured ribs, its pretty much just shallow cuts and some bruises. Its her emotional injury's that you need to keep an eye on. With the loss of her mom, her step dad, having to move and leave her life here behind, it might be too much for her young mind to take" Dr. Franklin says.
I mentally cringe when the fact hits me that I would have to move away from Phoenix; the only home I have ever known, and move to ever-cloudy and rainy Forks. "What should I do then, She can't stay her by herself and I can't move here to stay with her. I'm my towns Police Chef, I have my job and responsibility's." Charlie says, almost angrily. "I'm not saying that you need to move here at all, all I'm saying is that you need to keep a close eye on her. Watch out for warning signs of depression like lack of appetite, sleeping all the time, extreme mood swings, self harm, anything like that. It would also help to keep her busy, once she goes back to school suggest that she joins some clubs and makes friends. It will her keep her mind busy. I will also give you the name of a good therapist in Port Angeles and a couple teen support groups that specialize in the loss of a parent." Dr. Franklin says. "Thank you doctor" Charlie says in response. "Not a problem, I hate to see someone so young go through something so traumatic as this. I am going to go file these discharge papers and the nurse should be in here in about 20 minutes to get her up and ready to go" Dr. Franklin says.
I keep listening as the doctor leaves the room and shuts the door behind him. The room is dead silent other than the sound of breathing, the constant beep of my heart monitor and the hum of the medical equipment. The silence lasted several minutes before Charlie said in a stern voice "I know you can hear me and I know that you were listening to my conversation with the doctor." I open my eyes and see my father's face for the first time in 11 years. He is just as gruff and mean looking as I remember him being; his face has a little more wrinkles and a bit of gray to his hair, but still the same for the most part. "Lets get a few things strait. First: I really don't want you living with me, I'm only taking you in because I am legally obligated to. I never wanted a kid, but your mom would not get rid of you. Second: I could not care less about you or what you have been through. I am not going to put my life of hold or help you out in anyway because of your injury's. Third: While under my roof you will do as I say and if you disobey me or not do as you are told the consequences will be sever. Forth: Because I am letting you live with me rent free you will cook, clean and go to school. That is it. None of that bullshit about clubs, friends or support groups that the doctor talked about. And Fifth: The second you turn 18 you are on your own. I don't care if you have a place to go or not." With that said, Charlie turned on his heals and left the room. I just laid there stunned.
A Few minutes later the Nurse came in to unhook me from all the machines and get me ready to leave. As I was wheeled out of the hospital and into Charlie's awaiting rental care I kept in stunned silence. He is worse than I remember him being. When I noticed that we were on the way to the airport I got up the courage to ask "What about my things? All my clothing and belongings? Aren't we going to the house so I can get them?" Charlie looks over at me briefly, sighs and says "You have 10 minutes to gather what you can fit into two suit cases, that's it" Once again I was shocked at his cruelty, but I kept silent. Once we arrived at my house I worked as quick as my injuries would allow me to and gathered what I could jam into 2 lousy suitcases. I made sure to get a few photos of mom, Phil and I as well as the heart locket my mom gave me for my last birthday.
The locket was a family heirloom that had been passed down from mother to daughter in my mom's family for close to 150 years. It was a small silver locket with two small doves on the front surrounding a small yellow rose. On the back it was engraved with the words 'I carry you always in my heart', with a 'J' engraved under that. Inside there was very old and faded photo of my great-great-times a bunch grandmother Sarah Isabella-Marie Whitlock (Apparently I was named after her) on one side and a newer photo of my mom on the other side. Sarah had been the first owner of the locket and there had been several stories and family legends about where it came from, but when my mom gave it to me she told me a story about it being given to Sarah by her brother before he went off to war during the Civil War. Information on him that I was able to get was sparse at best, all I knew was that his name was Jasper Whitlock and he went missing sometime in 1863 after assisting with evacuating a group of woman and children in Houston Texas but never reported back to his command.
After struggling a bit with putting the locket on (really hard with a sore shoulder and broken wrist), I was just cramming the last of what I could fit in the suitcases Charlie yelled out "Are you done Yet? Its been 10 minutes, Lets go". I take one last tearful look at what had been my home for all my life and I do my best to drag my now full suitcases out the door. Once I am outside, I can see Charlie standing next to the car looking very impatient as he waits for me. With tears threatening behind my eyes I ask "Can you please help me with these, I can lift them". Charlie angrily grunts before striding over to me and roughly snatching the suitcases from me and not so gently throwing them into the trunk of the car. I get into the passenger side once again and remain silent all the way to the airport. By now the pain in my shoulder and ribs is coming back, by I am too afraid to say anything. The flight back to Washington and the drive to Forks fly by fast with my mind too clouded with both physical and emotional pain to really pay attention to any of it. Before I now it we are pulling up to a tiny little house that is now to be my home. Charlie is out of the car and taking my suitcases into the house before I can even open the car door. I slowly walk up the path to the front door, taking it all in. Pausing once I get to the door I take a deep breath before entering into my new living hell of a life.
In the middle of The next chapter right now, titled Living Hell.
