Disclaimer: I still own nothing but the original characters that are straight from my warped imagination...

"I don't have a past,

I just have a chance,

Not a family or honest plea remains to say,

Rain rain go away,

Come again another day,

All the world is waiting for the sun."

"Rain" - Breaking Benjamin

Chapter 5 - Evasion

I kept my eyes on my feet, trying to focus my energy on not screaming in pain or tripping because I couldn't see through my tears. Jonathan led me swiftly through the halls of the hospital, only stopping to wait at the elevators. When I glanced up at him he was staring straight ahead with a look of fierce determination. I wasn't sure exactly what was happening as he pulled me onto the elevator. We were the only passengers at the moment.

"They're looking for you already. They plan on locking down the hospital. If they do that we may have to be a bit more creative with our exit," he said quickly. The doors opened and two older ladies stepped on. I kept my head down and we continued our descent to the main lobby.

Once the doors opened on the first floor, the ladies stepped off and headed toward the exit. I couldn't see because my head was down but instead of following them, I noticed Jonathan turned in the opposite direction.

"They are already watching this exit. We have to go out below," he said quietly and led me to a staircase. He opened the door and as soon as we were inside he lifted me and ran down the stairs. Once in the basement he found a service exit for employees and we walked out into the dark night. I was a bit wobbly and the pain in my stomach was nearly blinding but I continued to walk beside him down the street. It wasn't much longer before I began to stumble and gasp for air. I couldn't breathe deep enough because of the broken ribs.

"Just a little farther, Bella," he said reassuringly. I moaned quietly and kept my feet moving as best I could. He kept his arm tight around me until we passed a corner and turned toward the woods. Once in the trees, he stopped and set me gently on the ground.

"Okay, I'm going to give you something for the pain and then we have to keep moving; I will carry you," he said, pulling the backpack off his shoulders. I realized that it was my backpack from before Victoria caught me. I had barely registered this fact when he stuck the needle into my arm and pushed the plunger down. I didn't even have time to wonder if he would be able to handle my blood again before the pain clouded my mind and my vision went black.

When I started to come around, I could feel I was on the ground. I tried to move and groaned as the action pulled at my stitches. I rolled slowly to my side and opened my eyes. The sight in my right eye still had not fully returned and so I was feeling a bit on edge when I couldn't see anything out of my left eye either. I sat up quickly and gasped in pain, trying desperately to stifle the sound.

"Jonathan?" I asked and coughed lightly as I realized how raw my throat was.

I turned my head and saw a light in the distance. I leaned toward it and started to move when my hand encountered something. I slid my hand around and felt the shape of the backpack. I unzipped it and reached inside, feeling around for my flashlight. I pulled it out and flipped it on, covering it with a shirt to lessen the light.

I realized I was in a shed of some sort and I was alone. There was no one else around, not even Jonathan. I felt myself begin to panic as I wondered where he could be. I remembered back to the hospital and I knew someone was after us. I tried to reason what I could do if they caught me now. I needed to run, that's why Jonathan left me with supplies. I grabbed the backpack and put it in place on my shoulders before I scrambled on my hands and knees toward the door.

I paused momentarily trying to come to terms with the fact that I was, once again, on my own. I opened the doors and threw my hand over my mouth to repress the scream. The white figure coming toward me in the distance was moving too fast for me to get away but I had no choice. I jumped to my feet and stumbled automatically. I caught myself before I fully hit the ground and tried again to run.

"Bella, stop," Jonathan's voice came from the distance. I paused and turned back to look at the figure who was closer now. He slowed and raised his hands to me. I ran toward him, sobbing and gasping in pain at the movement, but I didn't care. I was so afraid that he left me.

I felt his arms around me before I stopped running and he was rubbing his hands on my back trying to calm me down. I couldn't think enough to get the words out.

"I… I thought you left me," I whimpered and felt like such a child once I said it. I laughed at myself for being so dependant on someone else. I had become attached to having someone around again; to having a friend.

"No, I went to hunt. I assumed you would be asleep for a while, you were pretty out of it," he said and laughed. "I'm sorry, Bella. I should have waited until you were awake."

"It's fine," I said as I calmed down a bit. "I just panicked and I shouldn't have. You would think I would be used to being alone by now but I guess not."

"I'm still sorry," he said as he helped me back toward the shed. I limped along slowly for a minute before he picked me up and carried me. As he walked back I looked up and noted his eye color for the first time. They were a strange orange color that reminded me oddly of a sunset. I wondered briefly before I realized and gasped.

"What did you hunt?" I asked but it sounded more like an accusation. He glanced at my face and away quickly.

"I… I thought it was worth a try," he said and he sounded self conscious.

"And?" I asked curiously.

"Well, it wasn't great. I'll have to see if I can hold out," he said and we both laughed. I gasped and twisted a bit in his arms trying to find a more comfortable position.

"How long was I out this time?" I asked curiously. He had said I was pretty out of it.

"About sixteen hours," he said cautiously, staring intently at my face. He shook his head as he set me on the ground inside the shed once again. He turned and pulled shut the door. I turned on the flashlight as I got situated by the wall. I sat it on the ground beside me, facing out so I could see Jonathan as we spoke.

"Are we safe?" I asked but I knew the answer before he said it.

"For now," he said honestly. "I'm not sure how I managed, they practically had us surrounded before I realized. It took a while; I'm glad you were out. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. A little nauseous but that's probably all the pain medicine," I answered truthfully. I'd had my fair share of pain medicine through the years and I knew what my normal reactions were.

"Well, I have some crackers and water for you. I know it's not much but they had you on that IV in the hospital so we need to take it slow," he said pulling the items out of the backpack.

"Right," I answered. I was apprehensive suddenly as we discussed food. It made something twist in my stomach and I felt confused. As Jonathan opened the crackers and sat them in front of me I had a sudden flash of the basement that was my prison cell for ten months. I squeezed my eyes shut and trembled momentarily trying to calm myself. I felt my heart racing.

"Bella?" Jonathan asked but I couldn't pull myself back to knowing I was safe just yet. I whimpered as he placed his hand on my shoulder and I pushed myself back further into the wall. I took a few more deep breaths before I opened my eyes and saw Jonathan had moved several feet away to give me the space I needed to work through my memory.

"I'm sorry," I said as my heart beat fell into a more normal rhythm. "I'm not sure why I freaked out like that. I'm okay now."

"Are you sure?" He questioned. I nodded before he moved closer again. I reached out and grabbed the bottle of water from the ground and took a few small drinks. My raw throat objected immediately and I winced.

"I wonder how long that's going to last," I said a little irritated.

"What?" Jonathan asked curiously.

"My throat is still so raw that I can't even drink without it hurting," I snapped at him. I knew it wasn't his fault but I just hated being in pain. He looked at me for a minute before he answered.

"Well, between the tube they had in there during and after the surgery and the swelling from the attack I'm sure it'll be a few more days before that pain is gone completely," he said in a measured voice. I couldn't tell if he was angry with me or just trying to figure something out. He continued to stare at me.

"What?" I finally asked after a few more minutes under his stare.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" He asked cautiously.

"I'm fine," I snapped at him and turned my head back toward the door.

"I'm sorry," he said softly and we sat in silence for several minutes before I spoke again.

"When do we have to move on?" I asked.

"We need to leave by morning. I only picked this shed to keep you in during the night because I needed to hunt," he said honestly.

"So, then what is the plan now? Do we just keep running forever?" I asked.

"No, we need to find some help. I can't take them all on myself," he said and he looked uncomfortable.

"What do you mean help? Do you know someone we can ask?"

"Not exactly. We need someone who is just as invested in this situation as we are," he said and I noticed that he continued to look anywhere but in my eyes.

"What are you saying, Jonathan. I'm too confused for riddles," I said, feeling my irritation rise.

"I think we need to find the Cullens," he answered and he finally met my eyes. I stared at him for a moment letting his words sink in.

"NO!" I screamed and my throat protested the sound. I began coughing and choking trying to get enough air into my lungs. I leaned over and wrapped my arms loosely around my ribs as they ached in protest.

"Stop, Bella. You have to calm down," Jonathan said as he moved to sit beside me. He leaned me to the side as I vomited up the water that hadn't lasted long in my system. It took several minutes before I could get a decent enough amount of oxygen in my lungs that I felt like I could speak.

"We can't… I can't… We would lead Victoria right to them," I said between gasps of air.

"Bella, listen to me. If we don't find someone to help us, we are both dead. Unless you have another suggestion…" he trailed off.

"No," I answered. "I don't know anyone else and I can't put my problems off on them. I shouldn't put them on you either. I should probably just start running again."

"That's not going to help me; not anymore. She's going to come after me either way," Jonathan said.

"I'm sorry," I responded softly. There was nothing else I could say. He was right, of course. It was my fault he was in danger. Now he would be in danger until we could stop Victoria. I wasn't sure what the right thing to do here was. I didn't know. I couldn't think straight. My mind didn't want to focus on the subject anymore.

"Don't be," Jonathan said. "I'm not. I made this decision."

"I can't do this. Not now. I think I need to sleep some more or something," I said and I leaned my head against the wall of the shed. He pulled out a needle from the backpack and gave me another shot of what I assumed was pain medicine. I looked at him to see his reaction.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked me and he looked genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine," I said but I felt my consciousness fading as the words came out.

The next thing I remember was a horrible pain in my head. I heard a grumbling sound but I couldn't place it. I tried to open my eyes and it took several tries but once I did I immediately wished I hadn't. I was lying across the backseat of a vehicle facing up toward a sky light that had trees above flying past at speeds that made me sick. I heaved and held my stomach as I felt the vehicle slow and almost instantly the door by my head was opened.

Jonathan pulled me from the car and moved me where I was sitting upright by the back end.

"Bella," He said and he sounded relieved. He stayed behind me with his hands on my shoulders as I continued to dry heave. I gasped and tried again and again to regain control over my stomach. It took several minutes before my stomach settled enough that I was only gasping for air. He pulled my shoulders back and turned me so I was leaning against the back of the vehicle.

"Where are we?" I asked hoarsely.

"I had to move you. Bella, I need to take you to another hospital. There's something wrong," he said but his words weren't making sense to me. I was having trouble processing what he was saying.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"You are running a fever and showing signs of an infection," he said, looking at me in concern.

"No, I'm fine," I said trying unsuccessfully to convince him.

"Bella, I can smell the infection. I think it may be in your blood and if it is we have to hurry," he replied but again, I couldn't focus my mind to come up with a response.

"Where did you get the car?" I asked as I eyed the small blue SUV I was leaning against.

"I stole it from the diner near the hospital in Flint. I needed a vehicle so they couldn't track our scent," he answered in a flat tone.

He lifted me back into his arms before I could speak again and I closed my eyes. I felt as he arranged me into the backseat again. It was only a few minutes later when his words from earlier made sense in my mind.

"No hospitals. I can't handle it anymore," I practically begged. I didn't want to be back under the care of someone I had to lie to. I was terrified I would make a mistake and lead either the police or Victoria right to us.

"Bella," he said in disapproval but I missed the rest of what he had to say as I lost consciousness yet again.

The pain in my stomach was too much to handle and I knew something was very wrong. I faded in and out several times in the car. I have no idea if the trip took minutes or hours or even days.

I heard voices but they seemed to be some distance away. I wasn't sure who all was around but I assumed we had made it to the hospital finally as I faded out again.

It was the absence of the extreme pain that helped me back to consciousness. I slowly started to distinguish sounds. I heard voices but they seemed to be a little ways away. Closer I could hear the sounds of machinery. The beeping of machines saying I was still alive. The beeping meaning I was back in a hospital.

I fought with my heavy eyelids and finally opened my eyes. My right eye was still blurry but opened without pain this time. I looked around and saw the white walls and sterile atmosphere that told me that I was in a hospital.

I saw the open window and knew that Jonathan must be nearby. I glanced around and my eyes landed on him as he paced near the door. He looked worried. I tried to ask him what happened but realized quickly that I had the same obstruction in my throat as before. I moaned as I thought of the awful sore throat I'd had last time.

"Bella," Jonathan said and the same relief was there in his voice. I scowled at him in irritation and looked pointedly around the room again. He laughed a bit in response. "I told you I had to. You were sick; very sick. I was still almost too late."

I rolled my eyes and felt a small amount of pain in my right eye from the movement. I knew he was exaggerating. I would have been fine. I did feel better, though. There was almost no pain at all this time. I tried to stretch a bit and winced as I felt the slight pull of the stitches in my stomach. I groaned as I realized I felt more of them than before. I wondered if that meant I'd had more surgery.

"Are you in pain?" Jonathan asked and as he did I heard the door to the room open. I glanced away from him toward the door and felt the immediate jolt of shock. My body began to tremble as I processed exactly what Jonathan had done. I turned away from the door and back to Jonathan as the tears rolled down my left cheek. I could feel them trying to pool in my right eye but something must still be wrong on that side.

"Bella, I'm sorry," was all Jonathan said. "I told you I needed help."

I pulled my hands up to cover my face as I sobbed. It was a horrible feeling physically between the pain in my stomach and the obstruction in my throat but I couldn't control the overwhelming emotions surging through me.

"Bella, I'm glad to see you're awake. It seems we have quite a lot to discuss," Carlisle said and I took my hands down as he walked slowly toward the bed. I felt suddenly nervous in a way I never had around him in the past. He walked over, lifted my chart from the end of my bed and took a few notes. He then replaced it and left his hands resting on the foot of my bed. I knew my heartbeat was giving away my nerves because even I could hear it on the monitors.

I closed my eyes again and shook my head. It wasn't so much that I didn't want to talk to Carlisle but my mind was having a difficult time with the emotions still and the tears wouldn't stop. I tried to reason out what it meant that Jonathan had brought me here; wherever here was. If Victoria catches up with me now, she will have exactly what she wanted. I sobbed once again and laid my head back against the pillow feeling completely helpless and defeated.

"Bella, are you ready for me to take out the tube?" Carlisle asked as my sobbing slowed this time. I looked at him and nodded slowly.

He walked slowly to the side of my bed and my heart beat faster with every step he took. It was worse than it was with the human doctor in the last hospital. Carlisle seemed to ignore my reaction but moved with slow, deliberate actions as he unhooked the tube from the machines behind me. He turned to reach for me and I pulled away quickly and began trembling. I couldn't understand my own reactions. I knew I shouldn't be afraid of Carlisle but I couldn't help the way my body responded to the fact that I had a vampire so close to me.

"Bella, you know Carlisle won't hurt you," Jonathan said in concern. He seemed to understand my reactions better than I did. I turned my head toward Jonathan and he reached out his hand and placed it on my arm. He rubbed lightly in a soothing gesture and I couldn't help but notice that I didn't flinch away from him at all. I wondered if that was his way of seeing if I would or if he was honestly trying to comfort me. I sighed and turned my head back toward Carlisle. I laid my head back and nodded to him before closing my eyes.

My heart still jumped when his hand touched my face and I felt my slight flinch but I stayed still and coughed like I was supposed to as he removed the tube. I continued coughing and trying to catch my breath and my hands moved to hold my stomach. The pain was coming back now that I was more awake.

I laid my head back against the pillows once it felt easier to breathe and closed my eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked from his position directly beside the bed. I turned my head and opened my eyes. For some reason, I couldn't find my voice so I looked at him and shrugged.

"Are you in pain?" Jonathan asked and turned my head toward him a bit. I nodded slightly.

"It's almost time for another dose of medication and now that she's awake I'll see to it that we raise the dosage a bit to make her more comfortable," Carlisle said and I noticed that he seemed to be talking to Jonathan. It actually made me feel better that way.

Carlisle left the room then, I assumed to give Jonathan and me a moment to talk. I knew that he could stay close and listen but I didn't care. It was hard to handle with him physically in the room.

"How could you?" I asked as soon as Carlisle was out the door.

"Bella, I told you I needed help and you mentioned Carlisle was a doctor. I had to get you to someone and I knew it would be better if we didn't have to lie to them. You didn't do so great with that last time," Jonathan said with a slight smirk. I glared at him.

"Now all you did was put his entire family in danger. And over what? Over me? This is insane," I said and I felt on the brink of hyperventilating.

"If you don't calm down I will call Carlisle back in here and make him sedate you again. You need to rest. You almost died," he said seriously. I turned and looked him straight in the eyes then and noticed that he didn't seem to be kidding.

"What happened?" I asked seriously.

"You went into septic shock from a blood infection right before we got here. You were completely unresponsive. Carlisle took you into surgery and you were in there for hours. Once he came out he told me you were still in serious condition and there was only a fifty percent chance you would make it through the night. You should be in the ICU but he arranged for a private room so that I could stay with you," Jonathan explained and I felt my eyes widen at each new development. "I don't think any other doctor would have worked so hard for you."

I felt the stinging tears beginning and took several deep breaths while I came to terms with what Jonathan was telling me. I was here, alive, because of Carlisle. I hung my head and tried to keep up the deep breaths before the more important question came to my mind. I gasped and started coughing as I tried to hold my stomach together.

Carlisle walked back into the room as I coughed and walked over to put the oxygen mask over my nose and mouth to help me breathe. I pushed my body away from his hands automatically and toward the other side of the bed. He held out the mask again and I was still coughing and trying to breathe so I nodded and closed my eyes. He placed it quickly and stepped away. After several minutes, my anxiety attack was over and my eyes turned immediately to Carlisle.

"Do the others know I'm here?" I asked cautiously as I pulled the mask down from my mouth.

"No," Carlisle answered immediately and looked away. "Esme and I are the only ones in this town at the moment. She knows you're here because I haven't been home in four days."

I tried to process what he was saying. He and Esme were the only ones here. I wondered where everyone else was but it didn't matter. I felt extremely relieved that Edward wasn't here. At least if Victoria found me here, she wouldn't have her revenge as planned because Edward wouldn't be here to witness. I immediately felt guilty for that thought because without the rest of the family present we were all in more danger. We needed the numbers but I wasn't ready to face any of them. I was confused and there was something else I couldn't understand.

Then I caught what else Carlisle had said.

"You don't have to stay here, Carlisle. You can go home," I said. "You should go home."

"I didn't want to leave while you were unconscious. I will consider heading home for a bit after my shift today but we will just wait and see about your condition first," he responded kindly. He took a step toward me to take the oxygen mask from me and I felt my body stiffen. I leaned away and heard my accelerated heartbeat on the monitor. Carlisle looked unfazed, even as I flinched away when he reached to take the mask from my hand.

"Are you ready for some pain medicine?" Carlisle asked when he had taken a few steps away from the bed again.

"Can I ask a few questions first?" I hedged. I had too many things on my mind now to want to sleep just yet.

"Of course," Carlisle responded.

"How long have I been here?" I began. I was curious about how Jonathan explained things to Carlisle and how much he knew.

"Jonathan brought you in four days ago, as I was leaving for the day. I took you into surgery immediately," He answered.

"What… I… How bad is it?" I asked a bit haltingly. I wasn't sure this was something I wanted to know but I felt as if I needed to know.

"You are doing very well, all things considered. The infection seems to be gone from your system and your ribs are healing nicely. We are watching a few spots on your stomach because I did have to open you up to stop more internal bleeding. There has been severe trauma to your body but some of the wounds are months or years old. I took care of what I could and it looks like you'll be okay," he responded. It was a lot of information but it all sounded good to me. I watched as Carlisle looked over at Jonathan and I wondered what they weren't sharing.

"Anything else?" I asked a bit sharper than I meant to.

"I did have one other thing I needed to speak with you about," Carlisle began and Jonathan reached his hand out to place it on my arm again. "We need to consider how long you can logically stay here. Even without Victoria's interference we have to think about the police. They will be here eventually to take a statement from you because you seem to have had some sort of attack. This may make it obvious after you ran off from the last hospital or they may even find out who you really are on some missing persons list. Regardless, I think it's best if you leave."

I bristled at the fact that Carlisle was telling me to leave.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come in the first place," I said with the same sharpness as before.

"Bella, you don't understand. Carlisle isn't say we should leave town, just leave the hospital," Jonathan tried to placate me but I was in no mood.

"What the hell does that mean?" I asked.

"It means I think you should come to the house until you're healed," Carlisle explained and I huffed in irritation.

"Come and stay at your house?" I said and I gave a short, bitter laugh. "There's a great idea."

"I wouldn't tell anyone you are there unless you wanted me too, Bella. It would just be Esme and I and Jonathan, of course. We could take care of you until you are healed," Carlisle continued with the same compassion I have always seen from him. I felt guilty for snapping at him but I could just see how many ways this could go wrong. I also knew I didn't really have a choice. I wouldn't last long if I didn't have a doctor to watch out for me right now and I couldn't stay here with the police asking questions again.

"So, what's the plan then?" I asked, resigned to the fact I was under the Cullens care yet again.

"I think we need to keep you here at least through the night. I'll make a show of going home and then we'll see how things look tomorrow. If everything looks good then about an hour before my shift ends, you two will run like you did from the last hospital and head to the house. That way even if the police do figure out it was the two of you again, they still won't know who you are and it'll look like you just took off again," Carlisle explained. I sighed and nodded.

"Are you ready for that pain medicine now?" Carlisle asked after another minute of silence. I nodded and he left the room.

"I think this is the best option right now," Jonathan said quietly and I turned and stared but I don't know what expression was on my face. The flow of emotions running through me would be enough to make Jasper ill right now.

Carlisle reentered then with the needle to administer the medicine into the IV that I had barely registered was in my hand again. I stiffened as he approached and my heart rate accelerated once again but I stayed in place. Once the medicine was administered, Carlisle lifted my chart to make another note.

"Promise you won't tell the others?" I asked and the words sounded a bit slurred as my eyelids began to droop.

"I promise," Carlisle responded as I drifted off again.

A/N: So there you have it... at least one of the Cullens is in this story now!! I knew you would all be excited to see Carlisle :) I promise that more Cullens will be in this story!

Also, I am curious about your opinion. I have a few outtakes that I have written to this story from other characters POV... mainly Alice so far... and I wanted to know if you all would like me to post them? If so, how? I'm thinking about doing Misguided Ghost: The outtakes! Let me know what you think and maybe you will get a little sneak preview of the first Alice outtake ;)