I could hear muffled voices and I flickered my eyes open, my vision going from hazy to sharp after a few seconds.

Charlie and Carlisle were by the door, talking.

Jasper was actually lying on the bed with me.

Charlie was right here, and he was in the bed with me!

He must have felt my shock because he sat up suddenly, his eyes snapping to my face. "Bella, you're awake?"

I smiled weakly at him.

Charlie rushed over to us. "Bella! How are you feeling?"

I could feel a dull throb in my leg, but it wasn't anything unbearable. Maybe I had been given some pain medication recently.

I answered honestly, "Not too horrible, dad."

He visibly relaxed and patted my shoulder, laughing a bit. "Only you could fall over the stairs!"

I smiled and shrugged, "I have two left feet can you blame me?"

He frowned a bit, "You're going to have to stay a while, Bells."

I complained, "Why? Can't I go home?"

Carlisle had materialized on my other side, "Not for some time, I'm afraid. I can't send you home until you get into a cast, but I can't replace the brace with a cast until we remove the stitches."

I frowned, "Cast? Stitches?"

Carlisle smiled, and I found myself automatically reassured by his compelling voice. "You took quite the fall, Bella." Yeah, forty feet. That's like a five-story house, or the third story of this hospital. My leg took all of the impact. I shuttered when I thought of what could have happened if it had not.

Carlisle continued, "Your bone was completely shattered, and we had to cut open the leg to drain some building blood. We did a surgery to reconstruct your tibia."

I grimaced, not wanting details.

I asked, "How long before I'll be better?"

He sighed, "This is a guess estimate, but I would say three weeks before I can remove the stitches, and then two months, maybe three, before the cast can come off."

I must have made a face, because Carlisle laughed softly. "Alright, I'll see if we can get you back in a brace in a month and a half or so, but that's the best I can do."

I sighed gratefully, "Thanks, Carlisle."

There's no way I am going to be in a cast until the middle of August! Three months? Hah!

Carlisle left, and Charlie pet my hair, "I really have to go to work, Bella. I'll come visit you later, okay?"

I nodded and he squeezed my shoulder before leaving the room.

I let my head roll to the side, looking at Jasper. "Hey."

His eyes were black and he was frowning.

I asked, "What's wrong?"

He took my hand and whimpered, "This is my fault."

I scooted closer to him, snuggling against him, and ignoring the shiver my body gave as his cold flesh connected with mine.

I knew better then to try to deter him when he was on a guilt trip. I could only talk him into feeling better.

So I asked, "Why is that?"

His chin rested on the top of my head, "If you weren't in that tree, you couldn't have fallen."

I reminded him, "You asked if I wanted to go down, I said no."

He stubbornly fought back, "You said you would stay because you trusted me. You were confident that I would keep you safe, and I let you fall."

I huffed, irritation sparkling in me. "Don't be ridiculous. A horse-sized wolf was pinning you down! What were you supposed to do? Besides, you didn't ask me to try to climb down."

He whimpered, "But I shou-"

I snapped my head up, "Jasper, shut up!"

His eyes widened and he pouted.

I was surprised, too. I've never been so short with him before.

I kissed his jutting lower lip before continuing, in a softer tone this time, "Just stop, Jasper. Knock it off. This was an accident. Why do you think someone has to take responsibility? Accidents happen, especially with me!"

He gazed into my eyes for a while before sighing, "Sorry. I just can't stand seeing you get hurt. I don't like to feel that you're in pain."

His nose brushed my cheek and he whispered, "Bella I had to watch you fall. I could have gotten away from the wolf, but I couldn't. I was too horrified, frozen with terror as you plummeted towards the earth. You could have died, you know."

I swallowed hard, "Yes, I know. But I didn't. I'm right here, Jasper. That's what's important."

He was quiet for a while, and I was happy just staring at him stare at me.

He suddenly announced, "We should avoid your house for a while, Bella. If you want to be with me or Alice, you'll have to come over to our house."

I didn't mind that, but I was suspicious. "What for?"

He frowned, "Emmett and Edward are extremely displeased with what's happened. They're roaring for a war, they want us to go destroy the werewolves. We would have every right to, technically, they broke the treaty, which is the only thing keeping peace between us."

I blinked at him, "What now?"

Jasper chuckled, "I'll tell you later, okay? You need some more rest, you've been unconscious but you've barely gotten any real sleep in two days."

Two days!

I demanded, "What's the date?"

Jasper pet my hair, "The 16th. They had to keep you under for the surgery, and it took almost eight hours. There's a lot of bone to fix in a shattered leg."

I closed my eyes and sighed, "Fine, sleep first. Then you'll explain everything?"

He kissed me gently, "I promise."

A heavy blanket was set on me and I glanced over my shoulder. Alice smiled at me, but she didn't say anything as she floated out of the room.

I just cuddled up against Jasper and breathed in his scent as I drifted into dreams.