Disclaimer:
I own no part of the 'Twilight Universe'. Only the idea to this story. This is strictly for fun.
Author's note: PLEASE READ! IMPORTANT!
Hi you all!
So sorry for the humongous wait. I hate myself for it, but I couldn't find the esprit to write. For the past months I battled depression and I am only now recovering from it with professional help, so please bear with me.
Thank you all! For reviewing, adding me to your lists and such. You were small specks of light in my worst time. I apologize for not answering to all reviews, I simply found no words.
Please know I cherished every single one!
Special thanks to SharonD03. She enlisted me for the sunflowers award. In the end I didn't win, but the gesture itself still has me close to tears. Thank you for believing so much in me, sug!
More thanks go to 4meJasper. You gave me so much strength! Thank you!
And last but not least a huge hug and lots of thanks to madietta, who is my beta. She brings my story alive.
This chapter is not yet betaed! I recommend you to reread it once the corrected version is up.
Now: Enjoy!
Previously:
Never in all my years had I thought it possible, that a mating bond could be formed between one of our kind and a human. When I had first seen the potential in the bond between Gianna and Felix, I had simply deemed it a caprice of nature. But now, I couldn't deny it's possibility.
Inevitably, thoughts of how many intended mates had been killed at the hands of one of our kind reached my conscience. I would attend to this matter later, when all this drama had ended and my mate was well. For now I was simply grateful that I had my mate with me. I would be for her what ever she needed me to be.
We entered her room swiftly once Cia had called for our presence. I tried to follow the doctor's explanations, but my eyes were on Bella- locked on the horrific sight before me.
Chapter 32 (Marcus' pov) :
My mate lay in her bed, her upper half slightly raised by some pillows. She was as pale as a sheet and had dark circles underneath her closed eyes. Her long, dark lashes rested softly against the prominent cheekbones, her lips were rosier then before, but still chapped. Her mouth was slightly parted and the see-through plastic mask, that had been placed over her mouth and nose, fogged up with every breath. Via a tube it connected to a container filled with clear liquid, that walloped with every breath, before it ended in an iron flask, that contained oxygen.
Her hair was splayed out around her head; a dark halo.
A different tube went from her left jugular vein to three bags dangling from a pole to the left. One obviously contained blood, the other two were filled with clear liquids. The steady dripping rang loud in the room.
Furthermore, there was a strange device with a red shine attached to her right middle- finger, and a cuff on her left upper arm.
A whole bunch of cables, that seemed to be attached to her chest, emerged from under her blanket. All these things were yet again connected to a computer- like unit, that displayed numbers and a moving line in green. It emitted a steady beeping sound in synch with her heart beat.
The air smelled of pure alcohol, plastic and different types of blood. Bella's unique scent was hardly recognizable in the mess of odours. It was too weak to offer comfort.
Slowly I made my way over to her bed. She looked so weak, so fragile.
In a far back corner of my mind, I heard the words that were spoken, but didn't make sense of them.
I took her small hand in mine, but let go of it quickly, when it felt almost as cold as mine.
The monotone beeping and humming and dripping of all the equipment rang loud in the otherwise silent room. For a long time I stood motionlessly by Isabella's side; a witness to every breath, to every rise and fall of her chest.
The humans had long since left the room and night had slowly crept up on us, when I first found my voice again. My brother was still at my side.
"What can I do?" the words came out as a broken whisper, the hopeless situation nearly overwhelmed me.
"There must be something I can do to help her?" I plead with my brother.
I thought I'd go mad from all the waiting.
"Rest, Marcus. You and Isabella both need rest. Everything has been taken care of. All she will have to wish for, when she wakes up, will be your company. We ordered the items Heidi mentioned and the guards are well satiated and in their place," he informed me.
He sank into the chair next to her bed and, too, watched her breathing.
"Cia has gone to join the others in the early meal. I chose to stay with you both. We will have to wait to satiate our thirst at a later time," he explained further. He leant back into the cushion.
"We have had no news on the red head yet, but I am certain she will come here, and soon. We are prepared for her arrival."
There was a brief lull in words before he went on.
"In approximately two hours time the nurse will come in to check on Isabella. Santiago will escort her here. Bella should awake soon after, when the effects of the sleep-inducing drug wears off."
At these words I perked up and for the first time in hours I averted my eyes from her to look at Aro.
"Yes, yes, Marcus. Why so surprised? Didn't you hear the doctor?" he questioned in mock seriousness.
"He added something to one of these bags to grant her a healthy dose of sleep, after I had told him of her nightmares," he went on.
"Why, didn't you listen? Were you too distracted?" He asked impishly and crossed his legs.
"Indeed I was, " I sighed. This woman was the centre of my focus, nothing mattered but her. She held all of my attention without even trying.
May the gods above have mercy on me and make that my mate recovers wholly, for I know not what I should do if she didn't.
A deep sigh escaped me.
"Come, come, Marcus, spit it out. Talking about your worries might help find a solution or offer some respite for your mind and soul, brother.
Whether he had slipped back to his native tongue purposefully or by accident was not clear, but I gladly took up on it, for the weakness I was about to admit was not meant for all ears.
"To be absolutely honest, Aro, I am lost. After all these years during which I simply existed, during which one day bled into the next, with nothing to spark or hold my interest, I find myself in this time and suddenly realize how much the world has changed. You know I longed for my final death many times, as I saw no sense in this existence any more, after my Didyme had been taken from me, -forgive me- , from us. And had it not been for my bonds to you and the others of our family, I would have found a way to leave this world behind," I told him frankly. He knew all off this already, had seen it in my mind many times before, but it was somewhat freeing to say it out loud, to talk about it.
"Here I sit, a witness to hundreds of years and know nothing about the time that has passed. All these modern things, that Gianna has spoken of, hot flowing water, a wheelchair, all the machines, that help Isabella, they confuse me. I am overwhelmed by the sheer amount of emotions I experience now. They are alien to me. But that is not enough, there is Isabella and the new world with all its innovations. I feel like a silly young boy and I don't like it. I want to know what all these machines, that surround Isabella, are for, I want to- no -, I need to understand the ailments, that plague her body and mind, I need to know the world as it is today. I don't only want to know about it, but comprehend it! I need to be erudite in all these things, if I want to be of any help to Isabella."
When I had finished my little speech, during which I had gathered volume and passion, my decision was made: Aro would teach me, and he would teach me now. I had always been a man of action.
"Teach me. Now. Tell me all you can and then list some books, where I can read about it some more." I told him with new found conviction.
For just a moment, Aro looked perplexed, before he rearranged his features and a manic glint entered his dark milky eyes. I had provided him with an interesting task. I knew this look, I now was his new project.
He started right away, instructed me in historic events, politics, innovations in science, medicine and -of course- the arts.
I had created a monster, an endlessly speaking indoctrinator. On and on it went until we heard two pairs of feet coming closer to our quarters.
End note:
The chapter is short, I know. After such a long time I find it hard to write. Please give me a little time to get into it again.