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Chapter 11 – Diagnosis

BPOV –

I wasn't quite sure where the voices were coming from or who they were directed too. I wasn't even sure if they were really outside my head. It felt as if my ears were stuffed with cotton. The tunnel vision that was now my eye sight wouldn't focus on the important details. The cold skin touching mine was just a distant tingling numb. Something, an instinctual self shield maybe, was clouding every one of my senses, making everything around me dull. Everything that is, but the red.

Red, bright and excruciating seeped through the white gauze that bandaged Charlie's body. Whenever I blinked, the red brightened behind my lids blinding me further. Charlie's lay limp, broken and unconscious on the hospital bed in front of me. He didn't just look broken, he looked torn. I couldn't see details or make out specific injuries. The red kept getting brighter.

Beep...beep……beep……la…beep… ella… beep…Bella…"Bella."

My neck moved my head to the sound of my name without my permission.

"Bella, Carlisle needs to speak with you." Someone said. I think it was Edward. I only saw his mouth and it moved too slowly. I felt pressure on my elbow as I was towed to the far corner of the room.

Cold hand gripped either side of my face roughly and brought it close to Carlisle's blazing eyes. Carlisle's hands?

"Bella, I need you to listen to me. Do something…" he hesitated, his eyes frantically roaming the room. I'd never seen Carlisle so panicked and that wasn't helping. "Blink if you can hear me, if you understand what I'm saying," he finished.

I don't know how long I stared unmoving into his eyes but eventually I forced my lids to close, once.

I heard sighs of minute relief but Carlisle didn't release my face while he spoke again. "Bella, Charlie is going to be alright. He's going to recover, okay? Blink again if you understand what I just said."

I blinked and warm salty moisture spilled from my eyes.

"We're going to keep your father sedated. We want him in as little pain as possible. He'll wake up on his own eventually, but don't let that frighten you, okay? Blink again."

I obeyed.

Carlisle assessed my expression then removed his hands from my cheeks. The tunnel vision shrank and everything went instantly black. I collapsed.

EPOV –

I tightly closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose with my left hand. My other hand was rubbing Bella's sleeping head. I caught her as she fainted and placed her on the sofa in Charlie's room. I don't know how much more of this I, let alone she can handle.

It might be better for her to sleep now Edward. I can't imagine her shock seeing Charlie like that. We tried to clean him as much as possible before you arrived but…

I released my nose and help up my hand to stop Carlisle's thought. "How bad is it?" I asked without opening my eyes.

He hesitated, never a good sign. "It was hard to tell, when he was first brought in..."

"How bad?" I growled. My eyes snapped open and narrowed on him. I was tired of Carlisle hiding his thoughts and my expression showed it.

Calm yourself down now Edward! Carlisle's return expression was just as fierce. Your temper will not do anyone any good do you understand me?

With some effort, I worked to soften my expressions and I nodded.

Charlie's skull is fractured. Paul's teeth ripped through his torso tearing several inches in.. Somehow, he missed his vital organs. His right foot is also broken. He has deep slices from head to toe. "But as I told Bella," he spoke slowly and deliberately now, "he will recover."

"How long will it take? Will there be permanent…" something choked the air from my throat and I couldn't finish.

"There will be extensive scarring, as you can imagine but he'll make a full recovery. He'll be here for a few weeks." I won't take my eyes off of him Edward. He's not only Bella's father but he's also our family. He will be in the best care I can provide. Carlisle's thoughts comforted me slightly.

"What about Paul? Billy didn't say anything else about him. Where is he?"

Carlisle heard the dangerous note in my voice but to my surprise, didn't hinder his response.

"I only know what I've been told." Did he say that to suggest he doubted Billy? Were they going to try to protect him? "He shifted back into human form and ran. The pack mind can't reach him. They don't know where he is Edward but they are trying to find him." Carlisle's voice was unusually flat. I couldn't imagine that my father and mentor, as humane as he was, would allow me to hunt Paul the way I wanted but maybe he was surprising me again. Bella is stirring.

I looked down at her as her eyes flitted open.

Carlisle left my side and quickly checked Charlie's vitals. They'll both be okay Edward. Tell Bella what I told you and give her time to process it. I'm going to go speak with Billy Black in the waiting room. Then Carlisle was gone.

I gently lifted Bella from the sofa and placed her on my lap. I gently maneuvered her legs around my torso so that I could hold her close. "Bella, he's going to be okay. I promise you, he'll be okay."

Bella started sobbing into my chest. The sobs were silent at first but grew more violent. Her hands covered her face but then wrapped tightly around my neck. She nuzzled her face between my jaw and collarbone. I could feel her hot tears sliding down my chest. I rubbed her back and felt myself joining in her sorrow.

"What… did Carlisle… say?" Bella asked between body shaking sobs. Her breath was hot and moist on my throat.

I took a deep unnecessary breath and related to her what Carlisle told me.

"It's all my fault," she cried.

I gripped her shoulders and pushed her slightly back so that I could look at her face. Her eyes were the brightest pink I'd even seen and they were starting to swell. "What?" I hissed. How can she think that? Of all the stupid, asinine, ridiculous…

"If I hadn't been so stupid, so selfish and reckless with Jacob," she started.

I had already heard enough and I cupped my hand over her mouth.

"Isabella!" I was trying to keep my voice low so that every room in the hospital didn't hear. It was difficult, I was infuriated. "You will not say or think that again. Paul did this, not you. Paul lost control, not you. Paul is to blame, not you!" I unconsciously shook Bella's shoulders and her eyes opened wide.

"But," she started under my hand but I cut her off again.

"No. You will not shoulder an ounce of guilt over this. That wretched excuse for a life will pay for this." I felt a determination in the pit of my stomach that raged. I wanted to cause him pain. I tried to soften my voice as not to frighten her and I pulled her back into my arms. "Bella, Charlie will be okay, I promise you. I won't allow you to feel any guilt for this. I won't hear of it."

Bella didn't respond immediately and I tried to focus on the rhythm of her heart beats. It's song always comforted me.

"I can't leave him Edward. I can't leave until… until I know he's okay. I'm sorry, but we can't leave." She was shaking her head against my chin.

"Of course we're staying Bella. We'll stay as long as it takes, forever if you want. We never have to leave."

She was quiet again and as the seconds ticked by her body grew more and more still. I heard Carlisle approach the room. He entered with his head down, again hiding his thoughts me. I met his gaze slightly irritated.

His face was somber. They've found Paul.

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