A/N:

Hello dear readers! I'm finally done with my finals and they went okay, so I'm back with a new chapter as promised!

It's EPOV again with a little surprise at the end, DON'T PEAK!

I'm going on vacation to Indonesia on the thirteenth of July but I promise one more update before I leave for 18 days.

Okay, that's pretty much it.

This chapter is unbeta'ed so every mistake is mine. I hope I haven't made too many.

Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer, I'm just playing on the playground she created.

Have fun!

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Previously on Stay:

I wondered why it had taken them so long to get here, but I now remembered that Bella's parents' jobs were both situated in Port Angeles, which was an hour drive when you floored it. Also, I recalled Bella telling me that Rose and Emmett went shopping for some talent show appropriate clothes for tomorrow night, which I assume no one would go to now.

Bella had been worried for breaking her arm by falling from the board, but no one could've prepared either of us for what actually happened. In a matter of minutes, my girl, my love, my heart, crashed my entire life into those trees, and her life was hanging by a thread right now.

Please Bella, don't do this, I can't live without you.

Chapter 11

EPOV

I threw the empty cup of coffee in the direction of the trash can but it bounced against it and fell to the floor. I crossed my legs at the ankles and I slumped in the uncomfortable hospital chair. I crossed my arms and leaned my head on my sternum and closed my eyes.

I had no idea how many times I had sought for comfort in this position, but I'd never seemed to find it.

I bounced my head a little to the soft sound of the radio playing in the background. I knew by now that a little radio was situated in the nurse's office because they wanted to break the hospitalic silence, as they called it. They tried to engage me in conversations several times, but after trying a handful of times without even a twitch of my fingers as a reaction they gave up. Thank god for the existence of denial.

I uncrossed my arms and legs, and my right leg began to bounce up and down immediately. My eyes found a little thread at the pocket of my jeans so I pulled it a little. It was the most exciting thing that happened in the past 2 days. When the threat came loose, another thing of my life was gone and I felt alone again. As if that little piece of cotton was my friend that nearly died in an accident. Oh yeah, that's the other one. The girlfriend.

I raised my head a little at the sound of 'Say Something' being played on the radio. I covered my ears with my hands and held my head between my thighs, trying to keep the memories from flooding my brain.

I remembered how the emotions got to her whenever she sang that song; how the lyrics had their own meaning to her and how she related to them. I saw how she would hug me after we successfully finished the song and how she would peck my lips after the hug. I saw the gratitude and love in her eyes, and sometimes, sometimes her love for me would spill over and down her perfect cheeks with the beautiful red blush she hated but I loved so much.

A hand on my shoulder startled me and I shook it off immediately. After Bella crashed, I repelled from any physical contact. I wouldn't even allow my mom to hold my hand for comfort. Barely anyone was allowed in Bella's room because of her open wounds and that they had to miss her was my fault. The doctors were afraid she'd get in touch with bacteria which could have affected her healing process and make it even worse by infecting her wounds. She was currently in quarantine and isolated in a room. She couldn't get out, and barely anyone could enter. Not that she could've gotten out of a room had she not been in quarantine, but you know what I mean.

The hospital was keeping a schedule. Every day, one person could enter but only for ten minutes. You'd had to be prepped for at least half an hour before you could go and see her. There was this little hallway before Bella's room with sinks and lockers. Your clothes had to be left there and you had to wear scrubs. Your mouth, hands and nose would be covered at all times and touching was prohibited. There was a disinfectant soap you had to wash your head, arms and legs with. Four times. Yeah.

Today wasn't my day with her, but I was here anyways. Like I had been for the past two weeks. Tuesdays were mine. At least, from 2 to 2.10 pm. Charlie had been trying to take that away from me, but my parents protested. I didn't. It was only fair for Charlie to be mad at me. Hell, if it was my kid in this situation I would've killed her boyfriend in his sleep right then and there. Maybe not even in his sleep.

Today Emmett was coming. He didn't hate me as much as I would've hated me in his position, but he wasn't really fond of me right then.

I was facing an unappetizing fending machine again. I seemed to get back to this spot around 5 times a day, if not more. It was not the same one from the first day, but the disgusting past the expiration date sandwiches were all the same. I've bought them all, have eaten some, and have tasted none. My taste buds didn't even get excited by a bucket of KFC or a double cheeseburger anymore.

I didn't get hungry or thirsty or tired anymore. Not that I had any energy, but the level I did have neither increased nor decreased.

I had been a ghost for the past 14 days, 4 hours, 23 minutes and 3, 4, 5 seconds. My mom made sure I had fresh clothes every other day, and made the nurses confirm I changed, like the small child I were according to her. I had gotten a pro at washing myself at a small ass hospital sink with the perfume less soap.

I stood from the plastic chair and I applied the 'one foot in front of the other' method to get to the window. Instead of being greeted by green scenery with high reaching trees and moss draped over every dead tree branch, I saw a fragile and thin girl lying in a too large bed; she was almost swallowed whole by it. Her normally shiny brown hair was greasy and dull and wrapped in a bun on top of her head. The skin I used to love because it looked so healthy and almost transparent, had turned slightly gray and looked the exact opposite. Had I been acting like a ghost, she was looking like one. Not that I wasn't but yeah, you know. You could see more tubes than skin. Her arms had about four each; I didn't even know what all of them were for. Not to mention the one in her nose, that fed her with liquid nutrition. But the most scaring one was the huge one going into her mouth to help her breathe. I remember the first time I went in there; the steady rhythm of her heart, for which I was grateful but also the clicking noise of the respiration machine. I wanted to run away screaming, but instead I swallowed down some bile and manned up. She manned up before, so I needed to now.

I winced as I put a lot of weight on my left foot. The wounds on my side were far from healed, just because I neglected them and didn't take care of them enough. The stitches had to be re-done twice because I kept making movements I shouldn't have been doing. Did I give a shit? No. Didn't I mind it hurt? No. It was nothing compared to what Bella was feeling. If she was even feeling anything.

I didn't want to be like this; this guy who blamed himself so much he began to turn into a completely different person. But I simply couldn't help it. I pushed her, and she took the blame for it by crashing into that group of trees and going into cardiac arrest even. Twice.

Yeah.

We were sitting in that waiting room with the first vending machine when several doctors wearing scrubs were running into the direction of the ER and screaming things about preparing the AED. Our biology teacher taught us something about that particular system so I knew it was the heart defibrillator they were talking about.

Renee only started crying harder and Rosalie's sniffs became more evident. Emmett had been rubbing Rosalie's back and I saw his Adam's apple bob several times, his eyes teary.

I just closed myself off from the world. I did notice Bree sitting down next to me and the occasional rub on the arm by her, but I shook her off. Perhaps I shouldn't have done that, seeing as she had already been so wary about physical contact with me. I could only hope she would understand I wasn't in my right mind then.

After 4 disturbingly long hours, my dad exited the ER. His scrubs were clean and I knew he had put new ones on, considering they were still a bit stiff around his body.

He immediately stepped forward to greet Charlie and Renee and told them the news quietly. Renee's sobbing turned for the worse and Charlie looked at her with an annoyed expression and a pinched eye, probably having trouble hearing the exact words my dad was uttering because of Renee's relentless sobs.

"Hey, older brother here. Care to tell us what's going on?" He turned his upper body towards me in his chair, his mouth pressed into a thin line and his eyes flaming. He stared at me, glared even, before turning back and pressing a kiss into Rose's hair.

With a permissioned nod from Charlie, Carlisle began to explain everything they had done and were still busy doing. Apparently he had needed a break so went to tell the involved families; including his own one.

"Her body went through a lot; the severe crash with the trees and not to mention that we almost lost her twice on the operation table. We successfully got her heart started again.

Due to the impact with the trees, several ribs were broken but luckily they were still in place and not threatening to damage any internal organs. As for her backbone," he took a deep breath before continuing. "The medics told us her back was bent on a weird angle when they found her at the scene, so we were cautious about that because a lot of nerves are attached to it. Until she wakes up, there is no possibility to know how great the nerve damage is.

"Her breastbone is broken as well, but this was inflicted in the ER after several minutes of heart massaging. Her leg is broken as well and we will have to place three metal pins to attach the broken bone because only a cast won't do the job. The broken ribs, breastbone and leg should heal just fine overtime but there is another matter I'd like to address.

"She hit her head against a tree trunk and we have no idea how great that damage might be. We will make an MRI first thing tomorrow but since they're still busy on the care for her leg and she'll need rest after, we will have to wait. Brain damage could have been inflicted and this is where it gets rough. We don't know much about the human brain yet, so if it appears that she does have an abnormality its very likely she'll have to live with it for the rest of her life.

"She also has some major wounds on her thighs and across the waist, which we will stitch up. Unfortunately, we have to take prevention measures which will refrain that she will be in an isolated room with only mere visits from the family. If she gets an infection now, it might be the last push over the edge and we don't want that of course."

Carlisle nodded and I could see him blink away tears; it was practically his daughter too. I was so happy he was close to her, and knew everything about her situation just so I knew a doctor wasn't making it like rainbows and unicorns while she was actually fighting for her life in there.

The waiting room was silent; no sounds but the permanent purr of the light in the vending machine. Renee was slumped against Charlie, her mouth open in agony but no sound coming out of it. Everything was an eerie quiet and I loathed it. The smell of hospital entered my senses and only managed to make matters worse. I crossed my legs at the ankles and stretched a little which made my stitches pull. I winced and Bree grabbed my hand to keep me from touching them. I was grateful but at the same time I just wanted to be alone. I pulled my hand from hers and walked away. I couldn't bear seeing anymore sad people. I wanted to have fun, to forget anything happened today. But I simply couldn't; I couldn't have fun without my Bella, and definitely not now she was lying in that bed; looking like the ghost she was of her previous self.

I could feel the stares of seven pairs of eyes bore into my back, but instead of turning back, I looked at the floor and pushed my hands deep into my jeans pockets. A lone tear rolled down my cheek and fell onto the sock peeking out of my shoe. I guessed everything was like that in life; the occasional fuck up would be noticed by the smallest thing that you wouldn't see at the first hand.

I had no idea where I was going but I went anyways. I took the stairs, two at the time, which in turn pulled on the stitches which were burning in my flesh again. I pushed open the door, which I hadn't expected it to be able to do. The roof was deserted but the gravel on the ground. Several chimneys with white smoke coming out of them were visible but I was alone; the thing I was looking for.

I had no idea how long I kept holed up in that place, but eventually my tears and memories ran out so I returned downstairs to find the waiting room empty. I threw some change I found in my pocket into the machine and opted for the turkey and coleslaw sandwich. The triangle shaped sandwiches fell down into the black hole and I opened the heavy lid to get the appetizing looking meal out. I tore the plastic off after I had taken a seat and took a whiff; no aroma at all.

Bon appetit to me.

I took a bite and began to chew when everything I ate the previous day came up my esophagus again. I threw the sandwich away from me and reached for a nearby trashcan, emptying my stomach in three heaves. I had no idea what to do anymore; I felt hopeless. The heaving made my stitches pull again and my heart seared with pain. My head hurt with all the events of the day, and my eyes were burning. I just wanted to crawl into some hole and not return until everything was back to normal. But of course, that wasn't possible.

Those two weeks after that were horrible. I didn't go to school; hell I barely even went home. My mom brought me those clothes and sometimes they were accompanied by a homemade meal, which I tried to devour but couldn't.

I didn't know why I was at the hospital at all times; it wasn't as if the doctors predicted her to get out of her coma at any second. They kept her in it, to make sure she could heal the best as possible. The MRI showed no signs of any brain damage luckily, but that didn't confirm everything. She did have a concussion and they don't know what result that had on her brains. Pray, is what they said. Pray that everything will be okay.

They never explained the proper way to pray. We didn't go to church, how would I know? But then I thought back to a ritual I used to do with my gran when she was still alive. She'd tuck me in at night and tell me to clasp my hands and close my eyes before thanking god and asking him to help the people who needed it most. Sometimes, she said, I could ask for things myself. After the first time I did this up on the roof on that awful day, I proceeded to do it every day. Every day I would thank him for something else, I would ask him to take care of different people of the population, but every single day I would ask him the same thing; please make sure Bella gets better. Maybe it was because I hadn't prayed in years that he hadn't listened yet, or maybe I needed to repeat it at least fifty times before he even noticed me like a one hundred thousand follower account on Instagram getting asked to do shout out for shout out in their comments box. Not to mention that they got at least a hundred comments and ten thousand likes on every picture and only 70 of those notifications make it into the notification box of the owner. Maybe they could've given me feedback, something like 'God's currently busy with making the wishes of other people come true, please return after asking him 56 times'.

But it didn't stop me. I vowed to do anything that might help my Bella heal faster.

"Hey, son," Lydia, a nurse asked. Lydia had been Bella's nurse for the entire two weeks she had been here, but only for the night shifts.

I faced her and tried to smile a genuine smile, but failed. I hadn't in so long that the dry skin of my lips tore and I could taste the coppery flavor of the blood on my tongue.

"Hey, Lydia," I replied, rubbing my lower lip with my fingers to get rid of the blood.

I turned back to the window, seeing a doctor check Bella's pupils with a little flashlight. I reckoned the man couldn't be taller than 5'4" and the blue scrubs made his legs look even shorter than they already were.

"They're going to make some new x-rays of her leg and back today," Lydia informed me. Not that I didn't already know. I might've entered the nurse's office to check Bella's file when all of the nurses were either with the patients or at break.

"Thanks for telling me. Is it just a normal checkup or are they worried something might be wrong?" I was proud at myself for forming a coherent sentence. I hadn't been able to do so for a while now and I was starting to think I might've injured my own brain as well.

Not funny, Edward.

"It's just a routine checkup. They want to make sure the pins were placed right and that the bone is healing well. The same goes for her ribs and breastbone," she said.

"Thank you." That was my subtle – not very subtle – way of dismissing her. She got the hint luckily and walked away to prep herself for entering the isolation room.

"Edward," a voice called out. Looks like it's socialize with Edward day today, huh.

I recognized the voice but I just didn't feel like answering. I knew what I was doing was wrong; my mom hadn't done anything but defend me but I was still annoyed by everyone.

"Hey," I turned towards my mom and faked a little smile, not large enough to tear my lip open again.

"I heard Bella will be getting some x-rays done today." She skidded to a stop next to me and faced the glass, watching how the nurses began to move around my Bella.

I explained what they were planning on doing before my mom started to convince me to come home for a little while.

"No, I'm staying here in case Bella needs me. End of discussion." I proceeded to walk away but my mom grabbed me by the arm.

"You listen to me right now! Bella's condition isn't your fault and I can't stand anymore of this. You don't have to blame yourself. If you want to be here for her that's totally understandable and I would never object to that but what you're doing now is unhealthy. You're practically starving yourself of both food and sleep. A few more weeks of this and she won't be able to see you if she wakes up because you died of starvation and I won't let that happen to my son. You can't see her now anyways so you're coming home with me where I'll make you a nice meal, give you some clean clothes and you can sleep in a proper bed for once. Understood?" This Esme didn't come out to play often, but when she did I almost felt it necessary to grab my balls to protect them. I swallowed and just nodded stupidly, not knowing what to say.

She made sure I followed her to the car and she drove home. I actually found the purr of the engine and the little bumps in the road comforting, and fell asleep during the short ride home.

"Sweetie," my mom shook my shoulder a little. I knew my dad was still at work and my tiny ass mom wouldn't be able to carry me inside. Damn, how I wish I was just a little dependent baby.

I groaned at the feeling of my left side, having been in an uncomfortable position.

I made it into the house where my mom heated up a plate of her homemade lasagna. I devoured it, practically without chewing. I hadn't realized how hungry I was. She gave me a cold glass of milk to drown which I did gratefully. She ruffled my hair and kissed my cheek before clearing the dishes away and she shooed me away.

The stairs were a serious obstacle I had to overcome. I opened the door, but didn't even bother closing it before stripping down to my boxer briefs and collapsing face first on my bed. She was right though; my bed is way more comfortable than the makeshift bed of five hospital chairs.

That was my last thought before I fell into a deep and dreamless slumber.

~Stay~

BPOV

I felt so heavy. The water was pressing me down like I was just a little feather but I still felt like a huge block of concrete. There was water everywhere; making it harder for me to breathe. I tried to find the power to swim to the surface, the need to inhale huge amounts of oxygen big.

I kept moving my arms and legs, but I only went deeper and deeper. It was as if my leg was attached to a chain which in turn was attached to the bottom of the ocean, pond, or river, whatever it might've been.

And then everything went black. The water was gone and I couldn't move my limbs anymore. My eyes closed on their own accords and it felt like I was fighting a losing battle. My leg and back hurt, probably because of the huge amount of effort I had put into trying to reach the surface. My head felt as if I had hit it against the ground or against a boulder or something.

I tried to think about what happened; how I ended up in this blackness. About how it was possible that the water was suddenly gone, and about how I ended up in the water in the first place.

I wanted to think, I wanted to know. But all I could think about was a name. A name I didn't know who it belonged to. A boy's name.

Edward.

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A/N:

Thanks for reading! Please review because it encourages me to write faster ;)

I hope it was worth the wait!

X~ Nathalie