Life's Little Scratches

As Told by Carlisle Cullen

It took me exactly one week to discover that Isabella Swan would be a regular in my ER.

In that one week, my first week of Forks, the police chief's daughter came in with a concussion, three broken fingers, and needing seven stitches. At first I was worried that there might be some abuse. Chief Swan seemed like a nice man, but I'm sure many people said that about Ted Bundy as well.

My worries were quickly soothed when I discovered that Miss Swan really was just as accident prone as she claimed.

"Hello Dr. Cull- oof!" By now I was used to Bella tripping over the threshold of the rooms, so I was there to catch her before she fell.

"And what can I do for you today, Miss Swan?" I asked, smiling slightly at the girl as I helped her up onto the check-up table.

"I tripped and had a bit of a fall," she motioned with one hand at her opposite wrist, which she held into her stomach. "I think it's just a sprain, but Edward wouldn't let me go until I promised I'd come see you."

"Edward?" I looked at her in surprise. "Are the two of you friends?"

Edward hadn't mentioned a closeness towards Isabella, and I'm sure that if they were friends, that Chief Swan would soon be in with an apoplexy. Edward seemed to be falling into some of the behaviours he showed early on in his adoption, and it pained me to watch him take up that downward spiral once more after he'd been doing so well.

"Oh, not really," Bella replied. "He was just being nice, I think. He can be nice, no matter what people say."

This last sentence seemed to be meant more for herself than for me, so I chose not to acknowledge it.

"Well, I believe you're right about this being a sprain, but I'll send you for an x-ray anyways. Better safe than sorry," I pulled out a pad and wrote on it. "Take this to the lab and they'll get you set up."

"I'm sure they'll have my regular table waiting," Bella replied dryly. "They know to expect me at least twice a month. You'll see me more often."

"I've concluded that myself," I responded with a laugh.

Once Bella was gone, I made my way to my office. It was my little haven in the craziness of the hospital.

Edward waited for me inside.

"Anyone interesting in today?" he asked, his voice sounding casual. I paused inside the doorway and stared at him, pieces slowly falling into place. He was always here, waiting for me after Isabella had been into the ER. She was in so often that it seemed like it could easily be a coincidence, but I was no longer so sure about that.

"Now Edward, you know I can't tell you that. Confidentiality," I responded lightly, trying to get him to say why he was really here.

Edward slumped back in his chair.

"Well, that's no fun. I wanted all the latest Forks gossip."

"Go stand by the nurse's station. That's where you'll hear the gossip," I responded, moving to sit behind my desk.

"Now that's just prejudiced against nurses. I'm sure they don't all gossip like old women," Edward smirked at me.

"They do, but so do the doctors. The nurse's station is just the easiest place for us all to converge. We can gossip while still looking like we're doing something."

Edward laughed.

"So… Miss Swan said you were the one who sent her to me," I began slowly.

"Yeah. She had a pretty nasty fall," I faint flush rose onto his cheeks. "Is she… uh… okay?"

"Perfectly fine. I believe it's just a sprain, but I sent her to x-ray, just to be sure," I rested my chin in my palm. "She's a pretty girl."

"Yeah, she is."

"And a sweet girl."

"Yeah… too bad she's with Mike Newton," Edward's eyes had gone distant as he spoke to me, but then he shook his head and stood up. "Well, I'd better be going. Esme will be here soon to pick me up."

"Edward," I said, causing him to pause in the doorway. "What you're doing, it's only going to hurt you, and push her away. I don't think she's the type to fall for the bad boy."

Edward shrugged his shoulders in answer, not giving me any hint as to whether or not he was listening to what I said.

The next week, he lit a stop sign on main street on fire, cementing his place in the eyes of the citizens of Forks.

Isabella never spoke his name again in one of her ER visits.