EPOV

I had the most horrible, but wonderful, dream.

It was that the murderers were transporting me out of town, but I got sighted, and Bella found me. Then she did this whole car race from an action movie while I tried to jump into her car, but I lost my balance and nearly killed myself by falling to the cement from a car going 200 miles an hour. I nearly bled to death, but Bella found me again, and just looking at an angel like her just took my breath away and gave me something to live for. And then we both ended up going unconscious from lack of blood and the bad shock and tremendous pain.

Oh well, it was actually nice while it lasted. That was never going to happen. I was going to be tortured to death by murderers trying to find out my secret. But I had tons of secrets, and I wasn't very keen on telling the murderers all of them just to figure out which one they wanted, so I just kept me mouth shut and didn't say a word.

Not one sound in four months.

All to keep a secret.

I had a pretty good idea of what secret they wanted, but I didn't want to confirm my suspicion. That could mean Bella's and Jasper's deaths.

My eyes flickered open, finishing their preparation for more pain. Maybe today would be the day they finally killed me. Maybe I was in Heaven right now, for not letting Mrs. Swan down. Then again, Hell was a equal, if not more probable, possibility…

I was blinded by fierce white lights. Maybe they were trying to cut my eyes out, or wanted me to have the best view of them carving my ribs like bloodthirsty cannibals. Not that they were anything else. They had already drank my blood for the pleasure of it, dressing up as vampires with the reasoning of a convincing Halloween costume. It hadn't been that long, had it? I was pretty sure it was still September… but then again, I could easily be wrong. A mental calendar isn't the most reliable thing.

After a minutes, I gained my eyesight back and looked around. I was in a hospital room, or what looked like a hospital room. To my left, there was a window looking out onto a forest, and on my right…

Was that Bella? Whoever it was had long, wavy brown hair spread out across the bed she was on. She had pale skin, like milk but with a rosy tint, and she was still sleeping like an angel. It was definitely Bella.

Wow. Maybe I was in a hospital. But, that would mean that…

Bella actually did find me. But…

Oh god, I tried to jump cars? I was an idiot, wasn't I?

I looked down at me body, which was so wrapped in bandages on my right side and casts on my left that I looked like very unbalanced mummy. Well, at least the casts were just white, and not… gulp… pink.

I looked to Bella again, who I just realized had a rather bulky bandage on her left side. The middle was a bit bloody, telling me that the wound there had refused to stop bleeding, and depending on the time, never did. The blood had turned brown, so it must have been recently that they were changed or put on.

Just then, I head yelling coming from down the hallway and running footsteps coming towards our room. A few seconds of the crescendo beat led to a very angry and agitated-looking Jasper opening the door before groaning.

"Charlie, get out." He snarled and began to slam the door before a police officer stopped it with his hand and foot.

"Why?" The police officer spat, obviously just as angry with Jasper as Jasper was with him.

"Only family is allowed at this time." Jasper hissed murderously.

"She's as much my daughter as you are Renée's son!" The police officer spat back, raising his voice.

"Well, then, it's a good thing you're in a hospital." I couldn't see Jasper's face, but I knew his expression was something very close to an evil smile with that tone.

"And why would that be?" The police officer crossed his arms, unbelieving or doubting Jasper's intentions.

"Because I might just have to do this." And with that simple statement, Jasper slammed the door, hitting the officer right in the face and blowing him back several feet before the door crashed shut. Jasper chuckled darkly, locked the door, and took a seat on an armchair between Bella's and my beds with his head in his hands.

"What was that all about?" I asked quietly, but Jasper still jumped, startled.

"Oh, god, did we wake you, Edward?" He asked apologetically.

I shook my head. "No, I was up before your little scene. Who was that man?"

Jasper's face grew grave, and his eyes raged. "That man is my ex-step-dad. Bella's father. He left my mom when I was three, a few months after Bella was born, and only a year after they had married. He is no father of Bella's, and will never be."

Jasper's voice got increasingly venomous as he continued his explanation, so I dropped the subject. "Where am I?"

"Forks Hospital." Jasper said, all hate disappearing from his features. "You guys really gave us a scare, having two people black out at the same time, both of which I know, freaked me out. You better not do that to me again."

Jasper and I had been… friends, sort of, four months back before I got abducted. He had helped me cut down a few unwelcome bushes and trees that his mother hadn't liked, and helped me with other stuff. He knew of my crush on his half-sister, and teased me about it, but upon my request he hadn't told her anything.

"I'll try." I said dutifully, and tried to salute to seal the deal, but my bandaged arm stung with pain the second I tried to move my elbow.

Jasper bit his lip. "Does it hurt?"

I gave him a look that said 'duh!'

"Sorry." He looked away, to Bella. "Her car door smashed into her side when the Mercedes bashed up against her car."

"I never really took Bella for a Volvo driver. What happened to that ancient lump of a truck she adored and protected against everything?" I asked, amused at her choice of car. I had personally liked Volvos myself, and thought it was the perfect car for Bella. The perfect car for the perfect woman…

"It was her birthday yesterday." Jasper whispered sadly. I gasped softly. "That car was my present to her. And now it's ruined."

"No kidding. I knew she wouldn't have bought that on her own." This caused both of us to laugh. "But this just means your going to have to get her a new one."

"This time I'm getting her a Guardian." Jasper mused, almost to himself. "With her luck, next time she gets into trouble it will be a nuclear warhead." He shook his head. "I swear, a murderer, then a car chase, then what? These things just keep getting worse and worse."

I laughed quietly, but then turned serious. "So, why hasn't she waken up yet? Her injuries weren't as bad as mine, were they? Just a little dent on the side…"

JPOV

Tears welled up in my eyes, but blinked them back as best I could. Edward looked at me with sympathy and curiosity because of my action, but I didn't care. This news wasn't in my favor at all, and deserved some tears, right?

I looked at Bella's heart monitor, which was beating like a drum beat on the other side of the room, and then back to Edward. "Edward, she's in a coma."

Edward instantly tensed, his eyes wide and scared for Bella. For not really knowing her, he really cared about Bella. I never realized how big of a crush he had on my half-sister before… whoa.

"When that car dented her door, one of her ribs actually broke, and punctured the skin on her side and almost poked into her stomach. Two very vital birds with one stone…" I trailed off, tears creeping out of my eyes slowly now. "And then there was a piece of metal that got right between her heart and shoulder blade, and sobbing didn't do her any good because it forced the scrap more toward her heart. Bella's body decided enough was enough and completely shut down, except for what she needs to stay alive."

Edward looked heartbroken. "How long will she be out?" He asked quietly in a watery voice.

"Anywhere from one week to a few months." Even though it killed me to say it, it was true. My little sister could lose her memory, her skills, her personality—everything. There was a possibility she wouldn't be my little sister when she came out of it. "It all depends on how her body reacts to the surgeries. If it accepts that she's almost completely healed, she'll be out sooner. But it not…

"If not she could lose her memory, and possibly forget how to wake up." My voice broke and tears flowed freely. "And even if she did, there's a very high probability she wouldn't remember any of us, or anything."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Edward insisted. I shook my head and put my head in my hands again. "We just have to wait it out, then?" I nodded. "Oh, god, this is all my fault! If I hadn't been spotted, she wouldn't have found me, and she wouldn't be like this! She'd be more than a breathing corpse!"

"Edward, it's not your fault." I mumbled. "I saw the traffic cameras' records of the race. She got on the freeway to test out the car and slowed when she saw yours. She wasn't expecting that."

"But still!"

"Edward, they were moving you today. Your sighting did nothing to Bella. She wasn't immediately set on finding you to her dying breath." I tried to calm Edward, but he just shook his head and turned away from me.

Just then, someone tried to open the door I had conveniently locked, and then they banged on it. "Mr. Swan, open this door right now!"

I relaxed when it was Charlie. I got up and opened the door to reveal a very disheveled doctor. "Carlisle? I thought you were still in Maine."

EPOV

"Uncle?" I asked at the mention of Carlisle. I turned my head to the door.

"Edward!" A familiar blonde man exclaimed and pushed past Jasper to get to me. "You're here! We've been so worried! You have no idea what this has been doing to Esme! She's in the waiting room right now! I'm going to go get her!"

"Carlisle, wait—" I was cut off by clicks of a camera and news reporters beginning to yell at me. Carlisle disappeared into the crowd, and Jasper closed the door right after him

"Carlisle's your uncle?" Jasper asked, sitting down in the armchair again.

"His wife, Esme, is my mother's sister." I explained. Jasper nodded thoughtfully and turned back to Bella, a sad look taking over her face. "Carlisle might be able to help her. He's a very good doctor."

"But I can't help but wonder what she must be going through." Jasper whispered in a watery voice. I could envision the tears running down his face. "I can't help but wonder if she's in pain, or if she's still going to be my little sister after this. I'm scared for her, Edward." Jasper looked back at me with red-rimmed eyes. "I'm scared for me. I'm not sure I'll be able to take losing her."

Jasper broke down sobbing, unable to say anymore. All his troubles were more prominent by each of his gasping breaths.

And it was all my fault.

BPOV

Is this what it was like to die? I might be mistaken, but I was quite alive just moments ago, and now my world was black. An endless void to go on past the outer reaches of the universe and taunt me forever?

But this didn't make any sense. I knew I was alive. I just… was sleeping. But I knew, nor could deny the fact that this wasn't any normal sleeping. Normally, I would be dreaming of incoherent things, all passing in seconds before I woke up, all seeming so short yet so long. They wouldn't let me take control; dreams would just take their course.

But this wasn't a normal dream. I knew I had all control… but had none. I imagine this must be what it's like for a leader losing a war. Feeling the maddening sensation of having so much power, but being so helpless.

I tried to keep some of my sanity. I tried to record how much time I spent in this empty oblivion.

One… two… three…

Three billion, one hundred twenty-five million, seven hundred eighteen thousand, nine hundred ninety-eight…

There goes my sanity. A long time of counting the seconds, only to end up feeling as if merely milliseconds had passed. If I could, I would be screaming in horror. This was not normal. Deep down, I knew nobody should even have the opportunity, their choice or not, to experience this madness.

But what could I do?

I felt weightless, like I was floating through space, but I couldn't see or move my limbs, feel anything except my own terror. I couldn't feel the tears that would be streaming down my face. I couldn't hear my anguished sobs. I couldn't see the slightest change of color, shade or light. I couldn't smell even the stalest of air. I couldn't taste my saliva in my non-existent mouth.

I was just nothing. An inanimation, sentenced to a non-life of nothing.

Nothing…

NOTHING

A/N: So... Bella's in a coma!! dramatic/suspenseful orchestra sound effect Edward was too good to kill, and I didn't want Jasper to commit suicide, but I wanted something bad to happen. Please don't hate. This is NOT going to turn into a Bella-recovery story, because personally, I think that those types of things are boring and draw on too much. No, this is still a murder-type story. Nothing's going happy-go-lucky. Yeah, that stopped in everybody's life when Alice died.

Hope this wasn't too cryptic, but just enough!
Kylie M.