A/N Hellooo! So sorry this chapter took so long to update. I know it's been over 2 weeks. In my defense, there were a lot of changes going on at work and I wanted to give you a proper update not just some random blubber to fill the time. Can I just say I am floored at the amount of people that have this story to their favorites and put it on their alerts? I'm speechless.. okay not really, but THANK YOU! Huge thanks to my beta c. anna cullen for writing comma over 50 times and a big welcome to my second beta Pyejammies! No music for this chapter, it just is.
Without further delay, take a deep breath and enjoy!
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Dr Andrews, you're wanted in ICU. Dr. Andrews, you're wanted in ICU."
The hospital ward was unusually busy for a Monday morning. Nurses scurried through the hallways wheeling carts with bedding and clean linen for the various rooms in the emergency ward. The overhead speakers announced doctors being paged from the ER to the ICU every 10 minutes.
The waiting room was full of strangers waiting for their loved ones. There were couples, families and friends; others were patients waiting to be admitted for tests and easy fix stitches. The one group that stood out in sharp contrast was the young twenty-somethings that were seated at the corner of the room. The spiky, shorthaired girl sat motionless, staring at the wall. The only movement coming from her was the constant wringing of her hands. The boy sitting next to her would rub her back from time to time or lean into her ear to whisper soothing words. At the other end of the couch sat a 20-year-old young woman who could easily be mistaken for a model. Her beautiful blond hair cascaded down her back as she twirled a strand between her fingers. The constant shaking of her leg gave away the fact that she was not as calm and closed off as she seemed. Her boyfriend, the tall brooding, teddy-bear presence in the room, shifted awkwardly from foot to foot not knowing how to bring her comfort.
They were all here for the same reason. One event had brought them together at the late hour of the previous night. That reason was currently in the second floor of the hospital, in the Intensive Care Unit. They hadn't gotten much information from the doctors or nurses because they were not blood relatives of the patient. They had only been able to glean small pieces of information from doctors as they discussed the case in passing.
"Too much blood lost..."
"Bruising in every inch of her body…"
"…the ambulance got her to the hospital in time to treat her."
"It's a miracle she made it through the night…"
"In her state, she may not make it another week…"
A nurse walked towards the group just then, and Alice was the first to speak.
"Any news? How is she? Can we see her?"
"She is still unconscious, but her breathing has evened out. That's all I can tell you at the moment. She's been placed in a smaller room in the ICU ward, and, at the request of her next of kin, you have all been allowed to visit. Only two people can be in the room at a time, so please take turns in going to see her. When you reach the second floor, the attending nurse can direct you to the room." The nurse then gave each one a visitor's pass before retreating through the double doors.
"I should go first. I'm Bella's best friend and I should be there with her right now." Alice quickly gathered her purse and headed towards the elevator as Rose spoke behind her.
"If we're going in order of friends, then I should be the one going. I've known Bella a lot longer, no offense, and this isn't the first time I've come to see her at a hospital. I think I know how to handle the situation a little better than you." Rose stood from her place in the couch and walked purposely towards the smaller girl.
"Maybe you've known her longer, but I've been here for her this past year. I think I know what I'm dealing with."
The two girls stared at each other willing the other to back down.
"Girls, why don't you both go up? The nurse said two people could visit at a time. There's not need to get into a fight over who is a better friend. Right now, I think Bella would just be happy knowing you are both here for her."
Alice glared at her boyfriend before relenting. "Fine."
Jasper walked to her and bringing her into his arms for a hug, whispered into her ear, "Alice, I know you mean well, but right now you need to think of Bella. Put her first. Place your competitive nature aside, and just be the sweet girl I fell in love with. She needs peace and quiet, not two girls fighting over her like a rag doll."
The pixie pursed her lips before letting out a breath and nodding in understanding. She extracted herself from his embrace and went to wait for the elevator.
"Sorry, Rose. I guess we're both worried about her right now." She smiled apologetically.
Rose nodded in reply and stepped into the elevator with Alice trailing behind her.
Half an hour later, Rosalie reappeared at the waiting room of the emergency floor.
"So, I talked the on duty nurse into letting us move up to the waiting area of the ICU ward. I promised her we'd be quiet so as not to disturb the other visitors and patients. You guys coming?"
"Rose, you're amazing!" Emmett hugged his girlfriend tight before scooping up his discarded jacket and going to the elevator with Jasper trailing behind.
The ICU ward was quiet except for the beeping of machines in every room and the group made its way to the waiting room in the corner of the small ward. Rose returned to the private room to alert Alice of their arrival while Jasper and Emmett sat in uncomfortable silence.
Alice soon appeared and broke the silence.
"She looks so frail and broken just laying there. It's like there's no life left in her." She sniffled and Jasper pulled her to sit on his lap, rubbing her back in a circular motion to try and soothe her.
"Bella…she's so… so pale…I've never seen her like that. Jacob hasn't left her side the whole time since he got here. He just sits there next to her, holding her to him, talking to her, but she's not responding to anything."
Alice wiped away the tears that now streamed down her face before continuing.
"He told us the doctor doesn't think she's got much time left. Even if she wakes up from the coma she's in, she needs a liver transplant and the odds of her getting one are very slim."
"Emmett, do you want to go in and see her?" Rose spoke from the doorway.
"No, I don't know what I would say. If Jacob is in there with her, I think that's good. Maybe later." He spoke in a low tone while scratching his head in frustration. Emmett wasn't used to sharing his feelings with anyone. He was usually seen as the happy-go-lucky guy without a care in the world, but at times like these, his caring nature would emerge. He cared about Bella like a little sister even though she was only 3 years younger. He'd met her through Rosalie a few years back when she was still in high school. Despite the age difference and that Bella was a sophomore while Rosalie was a senior, they were close friends, almost inseparable.
~OOO~
"You'd better behave yourself. I really want you two to meet. It's only fitting that my best friend meets my boyfriend. We'll see if she approves, otherwise I'll have to dump you and start my search again."
"Don't worry, baby. No one can resist my charm and good looks," he said while wiggling his eyebrows at the 18-year-old blond beauty sitting on the opposite side of the booth.
"Besides, have you seen these dimples?" He flashed a toothy smile that displayed a dimple on each cheek.
Rosalie snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Trust me; she's immune to dimples and goofy smiles. I think you'll have your work cut out for you, Emmett."
"Rosalie Hale, I accept that challenge. By the end of the day, Bella will be putty in my hands. No one can resist 'The Emminator'." He flexed his muscles ostentatiously.
"The what? I cannot believe I'm dating someone who calls himself 'The Emminator'." Rose shook her head in disbelief. "I'm going to use the ladies room, if Bella arrives while I'm gone, you'd better be on your best behavior, understand?"
Emmett's only reply was a salute.
"The Emminator," Rose walked away grumbling to herself.
At that moment, the door to the diner opened and in walked a bronze haired 18-year-old boy. Suddenly, every single female in the room turned to stare. Noticing what was happening, he smirked and winked at a few of them as he made his way to the counter.
"Picking up an order for Cullen."
The waitress behind the counter stared for a second before scurrying off to retrieve the order from the kitchen. Meanwhile, the boy scanned the small dinner for signs of familiar faces and spotted one of his surfing buddies sitting at a nearby booth.
"Hey Emmett, how's it going?"
"What's up, bro! Long time no see. What have you been up to? You still hitting the surf?"
"I haven't done any competitions recently. I just moved out of my parent's house and got my own place downtown. So, I've been mostly teaching lessons to pay the bills. I've been saving up though, so you'll probably see me around the surfing circuits next year. Watch your back, Emmett; I've gotten better since last time we competed against each other. What are you doing here? Eating alone or waiting on someone?"
"I'm here with my girlfriend, but we're waiting for her best friend to join us. I'm going to be put through the best friend test, see if I pass." He pretended to shudder and laughed.
"Order for Cullen."
"Well it was nice seeing you, man. Give me call, maybe we can head up to Huntington and catch some waves soon. I hear the swells are going to be ridiculous next week." The two friends shook hands, and the bronze haired boy turned back to the counter.
He paid for his food and when the waitress gave him his change and receipt, he noticed she'd written her phone number on the bottom. He smirked and stuffed it into his back jeans pocked before heading to the door.
Just then, a small brunette girl of about 16 walked into the dinner looking for her friend. She spotted her walking out of the restroom and raised her hand to wave in greeting. Unfortunately, a strange guy walked by her just then and she ended up slapping him in the chest.
"Oops, sorry," she mumbled and looked down to her feet to hide her reddening cheeks.
"Don't worry about it" he replied and walked out the door without a backwards glance at her.
"You okay, Bella? That guy should watch where he's going. Did he hurt you?"
"No, I'm okay, Rose. I didn't see him and bumped into him, that's all."
Rose huffed in annoyance at her friend's quick dismissal and was about to speak when she was interrupted.
"So, Rose, where's this guy I keep hearing so much about. He does exist, right? You didn't just make him up? Oh, wait! Let me see if I can figure out who it is from your description. Hmm." Bella then made a show of looking over the male customers one by one. All the while mumbling "too tall, too skinny, too buff, too dorky." Her eyes settled on a guy sitting alone at a booth who looked to be about 19 years old. He was tanned, had a lean body and short-cropped hair. He was stuffing his face with fries while nodding his head to the background music.
"That one, right there!" She pointed triumphantly. "Am I right?"
Rose looked in the direction where she was pointing and was dismayed to see she was wrong. Bella Swan had selected Demetri as her boyfriend. Rose couldn't stand Demetri. She loathed him. It all went back to their freshmen year in high school when he'd tried to cop a feel, and she'd punched him in the face.
"No, Bella, that's not him. Emmett is the one sitting by the window playing with his phone." Rose then proceeded to walk to the booth and sat herself beside him.
Bella followed suit and sat across from the couple.
"Emmett, this is Bella. Bella, this is Emmett." She pointed from one to the other.
"Nice to finally meet you Bella. Rose won't stop talking about you. She's always yapping away about Bella this and Bella that." He smiled.
Belle studied him for a beat, and he fell silent. He wasn't used to being scrutinized, let alone be studied by a girl 3 years his junior. He fidgeted and turned to look at Rose then turned back to Bella.
"Are you sure, Rose? Cause I think that guy over there suits you more. I mean, no offense Emmett, but Rosalie usually goes for the strong silent type and you're neither."
Emmett's jaw dropped while Rose stifled a laugh. Bella was toying with him, gauging his reaction.
"Hmm, well are you sure you're THE Bella I hear so much about? I was expecting someone more, what's the word I'm looking for,? Adult. Maybe she has another friend named Bella. You must be the kid she baby-sits. That's it, isn't it?" he countered.
Bella pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows before turning to Rose and nodding. Rose raised her eyebrows in response then furrowed them at her friend. Emmett watched the silent exchange before he started to make faces art them, pretending to be part of the non-verbal conversation.
Bella turned to look at him and narrowed her eyes. He met her gaze and the two sat in a stare off for a minute before Rose interrupted.
"Okay, okay children! Break it up. I swear I'm hanging out with 5 year olds."
Bella and Emmett turned to mock glare at her before bursting into laughter.
"Rose, I approve. He didn't get offended and go all girly on me like most guys would. He's got a good sense of humor, which is something you need in your life. You take things too seriously; I think Emmett is just the person to help you out with that." She nodded in mock contemplation. "Yes, you may continue to date him."
"Gee, thanks, oh wise one."
"I don't know baby, she sounds pretty smart to me, I think you should seek her council more often," replied Emmett.
"Hmm, maybe you should just date each other then."
"Nah, big burly teddy bears aren't my type. I prefer someone tall dark and handsome." Bella sighed in a dreamy tone.
"Yeah, baby, and I like my women with some meat on them, frail little brunettes don't really do it for me." He grinned.
The three of them bantered and chatted for the remainder of the day and by the time they left, Emmett had taken to the small, frail girl as his younger sister, a bond that would last for years to come.
~OOO~
"Has anyone contacted Edward?"
"I tried calling him earlier, but there was no answer. I'd go to his apartment but I don't want to be gone when Bella wakes up." Alice looked up from her lap where she'd been shredding a piece of paper absentmindedly.
"Try him again; maybe he hasn't checked his phone." Jasper encouraged her.
Alice nodded and began dialing Edward's number.
"What I don't understand is where the hell was Edward when this happened? From what Jacob told us, he wasn't even with her! How irresponsible can he be to leave her alone at a time like this? Especially after what happened on her birthday!" Rosalie paced back and forth, clenching and unclenching her fists.
"Jacob was the one who got her to the hospital. Jacob's the one who's been here, by her side, the entire night. Where's Edward? How could he not notice her absence the entire night? He's supposed to be taking care of her and he's nowhere in sight."
"Rose, calm down, you don't know what happened between them. You don't know if he's even aware of her being here."
Rosalie turned to glare at her boyfriend. "They are living together now, Emmett. How can he not know she's missing? Tell me that." She hissed. "I told her he wasn't good enough for her. I told her he wasn't the right guy for her. I wish she would have listened to me." She sat on the couch defeated, placing her head in her hands.
Alice rejoined the group moments later, missing the exchange regarding her brother.
"Edward's on his way. His battery had died and he was just checking his messages when I called him. Apparently they had a fight last night and when he came home everything was dark so he didn't notice Bella's absence."
"What about this morning, he didn't notice it then?" Rosalie asked sharply.
"No, he thought she'd left for work already. He's a mess, it took me a while to calm him down and explain to him what happened. He'll be here in a few minutes. Please, can we all just be civil? Things are bad enough as it is; Bella needs peace and quiet right now. It would kill her to see us bickering like this."
"Fine, but he'd better keep his distance from me unless you want me to tell him a few choice things."
"Maybe someone should go tell Jacob," added Jasper.
"I'll go."
"I'll go with you Alice, I haven't seen Bella yet."
Jasper and Alice exited the waiting room in the ICU floor and Emmett took the opportunity to talk to Rosalie before Edward arrived.
"Rose, babe, I know you and Bella go back a while and well, she's like a kid sister to me, but I was hoping you could explain something to me." He took her hand in his as he sat next to her on the couch.
"What?"
"What's the deal with Jacob and Bella? I know she's never been interested in him as more than a friend, but does he reciprocate the feeling or does he want more?"
"Emmett, it's not like that between them. Jacob is an old friend of the family's. They practically grew up together and when her parents got divorced, she spend a lot of time at his house. There was a lot of fighting and yelling between Renee and Charlie before they finally decided to separate. Things at home weren't great so she stayed away as much as she could."
"I get that, I do, but the way he is always around her, always there, is sort of freaky. I mean, the moment anything goes wrong, he rushes to be at her side. That's not normal. No matter how close of a friend a guy is, the only reason to rush to her side is if he feels something else for her."
"Oh, like Edward, right. He loves her so much he's right there besides her this very moment," Rose replied sarcastically.
"That's not fair, Rose. He didn't know she was here. Hell, we didn't know until Jacob called you. How was he the first to know? Shouldn't Edward have been the first notified? That makes no sense Rose. I can understand why Edward is so leery of Jacob. He's always there; Bella always relies on him more than anyone. Why is that Rose? Why?"
Rosalie hesitated a moment before turning to look at Emmett. She spoke slowly and in a hushed tone.
"Okay, Emmett. I can't say exactly what it is between them but you're right, they do share a deep bond. I'm Bella's best friend and she has told me some things in confidence, things that I cannot say to anyone. It's not up to me to share her story. She's not ready yet. I'm not sure she'll ever really be ready to share that story with anyone, not even Edward. If she does, I hope he's man enough to stand by her. If he doesn't, he doesn't deserve her."
"But she's shared it with Jacob, right?" Emmett asked disgusted.
"Don't be too quick to judge her, Emmett, you don't know what she's been through. Like I said, Jacob and Bella have known each other for a long time and he's always been there for her when she's needed him the most. He's been her rock, her friend, and her shoulder to cry on. Whether Edward likes it or not, they'll always have that between them; Jacob will always be the one that saved her and brought her back to life."
"Saved her? How? What are you talking about, Rose?" Emmett looked bewildered, he tried but failed to remember a time when Bella had been in life threatening danger but turned up blank. For all the time he'd known her, Bella had never been in any accidents, other than the ones caused by her mother.
Rosalie took a deep breath before continuing.
"Emmett, this has to stay between us. I'm only telling you so you can understand what is going on between Jacob and Bella and why he is the one in that room with her right now. Why he is always there when something bad happens to her and why he'll probably always be there until the day she dies. About two years ago, something happened to her. Renee had one of her parties and everyone had been drinking. As usual, Renee passed out drunk not caring about what type of people were in her home. Not caring about what men where in her house with her sixteen-year-old daughter. Do you remember how Bella was gone for a while a few months after you met her?"
Emmett nodded an assent.
"Well, something happened at that party. I don't know what exactly, only Jacob and Bella know for certain. One of Phil's friends got into Bella's room while she was alone."
"Did he attack her while she slept?" Emmett shot up from the couch, his body shaking in anger, his hands fisting at his side.
"Emmett, calm down."
Rose waited until he sat down next to her and continued.
"Bella was awake when he entered her room. I don't know what happened after. The only thing I know was that the next morning, Jacob went to visit her to see how things where. He always checked on her after her mother's parties to make sure nothing got out of hand. Well, he went to her room and when he opened it, that guy was still there with Bella. She was passed out on the bed and he was trying…he was trying to wake her up."
Silent tears began to spill down her cheeks and Emmett pulled her into a hug.
"Emmett, if it hadn't been for Jacob who knows what would have happened? Bella won't tell me if anything happened that night. Jacob is the only one who knows, he holds her secret. I have a feeling it must have been awful because she moved in with him and Billy that afternoon. She didn't go to school for two weeks. She barely called me during that time. All I know, all Jacob would tell me, is that she was having nightmares and would wake up screaming. It took her some time to readjust and didn't return back home until Renee broke things off with Phil. I think she didn't feel safe being there while he had access to her home. That's why Jake is always there now. He's her protector. He feels guilty for not being there for her that night. For a while he kept saying it was all his fault, I think he still feels somewhat responsible to this day."
Rose wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked earnestly at her boyfriend.
"You see, Bella needs him, and he won't leave her until he knows she's safe. Not until he's convinced that Edward can really take care of her. Right now, he's proving Jacob right."
"Who's proving Jacob right? Where's Bella?" Edward stood in the waiting room entrance running his hands through his hair.
"How is she? I need to see her. I need to tell her I'm sorry. I should have been there. I should have been the one there for her." He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes tightly as he tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat.
"Please, someone tell me where she is," he pleaded.
"Alice and Jasper are with her right now. The nurse said we're only allowed two more people at a time. Since Jacob is already in there, we'll have to wait until Alice or Jasper comes out so you can go in."
"Jacob's here? Of course he would be." He clenched his jaw trying to prevent the sudden surge of jealousy and anger from overtaking him.
"Edward! You're here, thank God!" Alice rushed into the room and enveloped her older brother into a tight hug.
"Alice, how is she?"
"Still asleep. Do…do you want to go see her? Come, I'll take you to the room." Alice clasped his hand in hers and dragged him towards the private room.
Walking into the small room in the ICU ward, Edward was not prepared for what greeted him. In a small cot in the corner of the room, Bella lay sleeping. She looked pale, the red rims around her eyes providing a sharp contrast with her fair skin. Jacob Black lay besides her, holding her tightly to his chest with one arm while running his free hand trough her hair. Her head lay over his chest as her small hand gripped his shirt. Jacobs's head rested on top of hers as he whispered words that could only be heard by the sleeping girl next to him.
"What the fuck is going on here?" Edward spoke through clenched teeth, his hands forming into fists at his sides.
A/N I know, I'm evil. It will all make sense in the next chapter, maybe. Quick note. I am looking for someone to make me an avatar for my profile, preferably one that goes along with this story. I'm thinking Surfward…PM me your ideas or pics! Also, I'm going to try and start tweeting pics of the places mentioned in here, yes, they are real places. So, if you have a twitter my username is EternaAlba. As always, please review!