Chapter 6
Charlie and I took turns sleeping while Natalie slept. The doctor moved her to a regular room for the night and told us he'd check on her in the morning but that she should be able to go home in the afternoon. He also told us that Heidi's condition was deteriorating. He didn't feel hopeful at all for a recovery in her situation. It was likely that she could wake up but still not be able to function normally again. My heart broke for Natalie.
The social worker came to see Natalie. She agreed with Dr. Walsh so I will get to take Natalie home with me. I was delighted with that news but still needed to find us a place to stay for a day or two. I wasn't sure how Natalie felt about going back to the building but I intended to give her a few days before she had to deal with it. I had to fill out a bunch of papers and the social worker would have to run some background checks but for now I was Natalie's temporary guardian.
"Hey sweetie, I need to go back home and pick up some clothes for us. My dad, Charlie, will stay with you. Then when I get back we will be ready to leave together," I say. I had told her we were going to a hotel and that once she got to feeling better we'd talk about going home.
"Okay. Will you get my doll and my new purple dress?" she says, sounding like nothing had even happened. Then her face fell, "Bella, can I see my mom before we go?"
"Oh, honey. I don't know but I will ask. They have her in a special room."
"I know. I just don't want to leave her here without even saying good bye."
My heart was crushed. She was too smart and intuitive for a normal nine year old.
"Ok sweetie, I'll see what I can do. I'll be back as soon as I can." I kissed her head and patted Charlie on the shoulder.
When I got out of the room I could feel the tears pour over my cheeks. I went to the nurse's station and asked to speak to someone in I.C.U. They called up to the floor and I spoke to one of the nurses. She asked me to come up so they could prepare me for what Natalie would see.
When I got to the I.C.U., I was ushered back to a tiny consulting room. The doctor handling Heidi's care came in to talk to me. "Hello Miss Swan, I am Dr. Cullen, I understand that Ms. Larks' daughter would like to see her," he says.
"Yes, she wants to say good bye to her before we leave the hospital. I think she is afraid she won't get to see her again."
"Well, unfortunately that is quite likely. Ms. Larks is not doing well at all. The swelling on her brain is quite severe. She also has a rather significant fracture in her cervical spine. The next forty-eight hours are critical. We are going to put in a shunt to help alleviate some of the swelling. There is a good chance she will not recover from these injuries. If she does wake up, she will have significant brain damage and will likely be paralyzed."
"What happens if she doesn't wake up? I'm not family and Natalie is only nine. Will she just stay on the ventilator?"
"Yes ma'am. If she is still unable to be weaned from the vent in ninety days the state will require that she be moved to a long term care facility. Unfortunately without a living will she could be left on the vent until her family can make the decision to remove her."
"So if we can't find any family, she could be on life support for at least the next nine years? That's terrible."
"Yes, it is but that's how Medicaid works. There is also the possibility that if her situation is such that she will never regain consciousness or breathe on her own, her physician could make the decision to remove life support but that is a very difficult thing to accomplish with the state."
"Okay. I'll bring Natalie up here in a few hours. Will you be available if she has questions?"
"Yes, I'll be here. The nurses can answer her questions quite well but I'll be around if she wants to talk to me," he says with a smile. When he smiles I realize that I know that smile.
"Dr. Cullen? Do you have a son on the Seattle PD?"
"Yes, I do. Do you know Edward?"
"He was first on the scene last night. He stayed with me until the therapist left," I say remembering how sweet he was.
"He's a great police officer. I'm glad he was able to be of some comfort to you."
I blush at his words. "He was. Anyway, I must be going. I'll be back in a few hours. Thank you for your help."
I rush home and try very hard not to look into Natalie's apartment on the way to mine. There are still people from the crime scene unit in the apartment. Once inside my own, I hurry to pack a week's worth of clothes and toiletries. I pack a big bag of snacks and movies.
I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly bracing myself to enter Heidi and Natalie's apartment.
I clear my throat in the door way trying to gain the attention of one of the CSU's.
"Oh, ma'am you can't come in here, this is a crime scene," says a tall thin man with blonde hair.
"Um, I know. I'm the guardian of the child who was injured here and I need to pack some of her clothes for the next few days."
"Oh, you must be the neighbor, Miss Swan. I'm CSU Whitlock. If you give me just a second I can escort you to her room."
"Ok, thank you," I say taking in all that was left behind in the apartment. There are blood drops on the floor and little yellow number stands next to them.
"Ok, Miss Swan, are you ready?"
"Yes. When will this be cleaned up? I don't want to bring Natalie back to my apartment until this," I gesture to the floor, "is gone."
"Oh well we should be done with it today and then the clean-up can begin after twenty-four hours."
"Good, that's good." As we walk past Heidi's bedroom I nearly become ill. Her bed is covered in blood and there are streaks of it on the floor and a dried puddle where she must have lain while he went after Natalie. "Oh my God!" I cry. I can't stop the tears and I keep repeating the words over and over.
"Ma'am? Miss Swan, are you okay?" Whitlock asks and if I weren't hysterical I would laugh at him. Of course I'm not alright.
"He is a sick, sick man. How can someone do this to another person?"
"I really don't know but I do know that you saved that little girl from the same fate, from what I can tell. I think you already know why he did it, he's sick. There really isn't another explanation."
"Yeah, I know. It's just, seeing it, like this," I say but stop because I can't even finish the sentence.
"Hey, let's get that little girl some clothes so you can get back to her. We'll get this all cleaned up and you won't have to see it anymore," he says trying to reassure me but I know that I will never be able to forget what I have seen and it kills me because Natalie saw it while it was happening and her mother was lying in that puddle.
"Okay, thank you."
We head into Natalie's room and I pack her requested items as well as some of her newest clothes and a bag full of toys and art supplies. Maybe I can get her to keep busy with drawing or something.
Once I have more than I can easily carry I head back to the hallway where Mr. Whitlock is waiting to walk me out. As we enter the living room my breath catches because Edward is standing there in jeans and a short sleeve gray "v" neck t-shirt.
"Edward, what are you doing here?" Mr. Whitlock asks before I can.
"I heard that Bella was here and decided to try and catch her," he says, ducking his head and running his hand over his shorn hair. The action makes me smile.
"Oh, well you caught me, now what?" I ask, forgetting all about where I am and who is here.
"Can I help with your bags?" he asks, gesturing to the load in my arms.
"Yes, I may have gotten a little carried away."
I hand over half of the load and hear Mr. Whitlock clear his throat.
"Oh, I'm sorry Jasper, this is Bella. We met last night and I am trying to find an appropriate time to ask her out," Edward says with a laugh.
"We've met. Well it looks like you may already have your answer if her smile is any indication."
"Yeah, she pretty much already said yes but now's not a good time to be going out. Anyway, Bella, this is my best friend and brother-in-law Jasper Whitlock." Edward says in introduction.
"Nice to meet you, again. May I call you Jasper?"
"Yes, of course. It is lovely to meet you, I wish it could have been under better circumstances."
"I do to. Now I really must be getting back to the hospital and Natalie. She wants to visit her mother before we leave. I think I have put it off long enough," I say.
Edward and Jasper say their good-bye and he walks me out to the car. After all the bags have been placed in the trunk of my car I linger on the curb, not wanting to say good-bye.
"So where are you going tonight? If you don't mind me asking," he asks.
"We are staying at the Extended Stay since I wasn't sure how long we'd be in a hotel."
"Yeah that's probably for the best then. Well I'll let you get back to her. Will you call me tonight?"
"I had planned on it. Do you work tonight? It may be late before I get a chance. I don't know how well she'll sleep."
"No I'm off tonight so call whenever you get a chance. I'll be up," he says smiling.
"Ok. I will."
I walk around my car and get in the driver's seat. When I begin to pull away I see him standing there, still smiling at me and it makes me smile too.