As Emmett had announced, I was allowed to go home the next day. I had a whole bag of pain killers with me, and Carlisle promised he would make sure that I would get enough rest. With six overprotective vampires hovering over me, I had no doubt that every single order would be followed to the letter.
I wouldn't be allowed back to school at least before the end of the next week. My shoulder had been immobilized and my right arm was in a sling. My whole right side was a single, spectacular bruise and movement wasn't something I was too keen on because it friggin' hurt. My headache now came in waves, with the time span between each attack getting longer all the time. Whenever I left my bed I became dizzy and walking in a straight line was something that took way more effort than it should. At least the nausea had luckily subsided and my appetite had returned with a vengeance.
The night before I came home, the others had made sure that our house showed nothing that would indicate that six out of the seven people living there were anything other than normal happy people. The biggest issue had been that Rosalie and Emmett, and Alice and Jasper both shared a room. As we pretended that they were all siblings not two insanely in love vampire pairs, two of the unused rooms had been converted into living quarters for Jasper and Emmett. Though it was more than unlikely that Bella would ever step into one of their rooms, my family had the habit to be overly cautious, and so they prepared. Some of the more unusual items that used to adore our living room, like a huge wooden cross that Carlisle's father had made in the 17th century, disappeared into our basement, a place so protected, that even I normally couldn't go in.
Rosalie and Emmett picked me up at the hospital. My father had far too much fun pushing the blasted wheelchair out to the exit, where he had parked the Mercedes. As I moved slowly from the chair to the front seat, I felt like eighty years old.
Though I had done practically nothing but sleep for the last forty-eight hours, I still somehow managed to fall asleep again while we were driving home. I only woke when Emmett picked me out of the car and proceeded to carry me into the house.
"Lemme down," I protested. "I can walk on my own."
He chuckled and simply ignored me. I crossed my arms in front of me and sulked. He walked through our living room and then up the stairs to my room. There he placed me gingerly on my bed.
My mom handed me a pill and a glass of water.
"Take that," she commanded, not allowing for any protest.
I glared at her, but still I took the two pills and swallowed them down. I knew that there was no sense in fighting her.
"What now?" I asked, crossing my arms again, glowering at the two of them.
"Now you sleep," she said sternly.
"You got to be kiddin'. I've done nothing but sleep for the last two days. I'm not tired."
The last statement was followed by a wide yarn, and too late I slapped my hand over my mouth. My eye lids drooped. I decided the next time I wouldn't simply swallow whatever they handed me.
* * *
When I woke the next time, the room was dark and quiet. Even though I didn't hear a thing, I knew I wouldn't be alone. The only question was who would be the one guarding my sleep.
I loved my family, I really did. But sometimes they drove me sheer crazy with their over-protectiveness, though normally they did hide it much better than currently. I could understand them in a way. They loved me and they didn't want to loose me and it was a fact that I was far more breakable than any of them.
Still.
"I don't need a babysitter," I said into the darkness.
A soft chuckle told me all I needed to know.
"Jasper," I said, pleased.
My uncle was one of the most laid back people I knew. He held the wisdom of 170 years of life. My aunt Alice was the polar opposite, energetic to the point of obnoxiousness, and I thought this was one of the reasons the two of them fitted so well together.
Of course, there was also a dark side to him – darker than most other members of my family. Until he had met Alice fifty or so years ago, he had lived like most other vampires in the world - that was he had drunk human blood. He had had a hard time to adapt to my family's life style and I knew, in the beginning he had only followed their ways because of his love for Alice.
As I grew up, once in a while he had disappeared for weeks on end, and as a kid I hadn't been able to understand why my uncle had left us alone so often. Only later I had realized that it had been because he had been afraid to loose control around me, especially when I had come home with a scraped knee or a bloody nose. But in the last six or seven years he had always stayed and he had gotten much better in controlling his instincts.
"Are you going to send me back to sleep?" I asked, knowing that he didn't need any drugs to do that to me.
"You want me to?"
"God no," I protested. "I think I had slept enough to last me a lifetime."
"You're still healing, Edward. A concussion is nothing to joke around with."
"Tell me about it," I muttered, as I pushed myself into a sitting position. "But no matter what, I need to go to the bathroom and I need to do so now."
Like a flash he was at my side and helped me up. He supported me, but at least he didn't insist on carrying me. And he left me alone once I was in the bathroom.
I really loved my uncle!
Once I was done, I returned into my bedroom. Jasper had switched the light on for me, and I eyed my bed with apprehension. I really didn't want to go back in there.
"I think I've slept enough for now. Where are the others?"
"Your parents decided they needed to hunt after you invited Bella to visit us tomorrow. Carlisle is still at work, though he should be home in half an hour. Esme is in the kitchen making a cake and Alice is helping her."
For a moment I was distracted by the happy reminder that Bella would be coming here, but then Jasper mentioned food and I, or rather my stomach, knew what I wanted to do.
"You think they'll have something for me to bite?" I asked, already making for the stairs.
I felt stiff and when I reached the ground floor I was strongly reminded of every single bruise I had. But at least I hadn't fallen down the stairs, though I had to hang on the banister for the full trip. The moment I got into the kitchen a sandwich and a full glass appeared in front of me.
"Thanks, Esme," I said as I sat down. Considering that she didn't eat normal food, she was a fantastic cook and I would be the last to let the good food go to waste.
"How do you feel?" She wrapped her arms around me from behind and hugged me gently to herself.
"I'm fine," I said, having the feeling that I would use that phrase plenty of times over the next couple of days.
I sensed her turning towards Jasper who had joined his wife at the kitchen counter. My uncle held up his hands.
"Leave me out of this. When Edward says he's fine I will not tell you otherwise."
"Esme!" I protested. I turned in my chair and looked at her accusingly. Using Jasper's ability to check if I was telling the truth was not fair.
She had the decency to look chagrined. "I'm sorry, Edward, I just worry, and I know you'll want to downplay your injuries."
"I'm fine, really. I'm fine." I hoped that by repeating that statement she would finally accept it.
"All right," she sighed, stepping away from me.
I exhaled and then nodded. "I know you guys worry. And I understand. But I'm really, really fine. Or will be soon."
Luckily the timer on the oven chose that moment to go off. For the next couple of minutes Esme and Alice were busy with the cake, so I took the opportunity to sneak out and find myself a place in the living room. Jasper followed me, bringing my food with him.
"Thanks," I said as took the plate from his hand, meaning more than just him bringing me my sandwich.
He sat down next to me, watching me eat.
"They can be a bit much," he said, as I quietly chewed on my sandwich.
I shrugged my left shoulder – using the right wouldn't have worked – and nodded.
"What nobody is telling you, though, is how proud you've made everybody here. We may be a little bit mad at you for risking your life like that, but at the same time we know that you've done the right thing in saving Bella's life."
My eyes flew up from my food and for a moment I could only look at him with my mouth hanging open. I somehow had thought that my family was angry at me because I got myself injured and that I caused them worry.
I made them proud?
Jasper grinned as he took my chin and gently closed my mouth.
"Finish your sandwich. I believe you'll want a piece of that cake later."
