~*~

It was drizzling lightly when Meredith and Derek finally breeched the outskirts of SGH. Slowly crouching to allow Derek to climb off her back, Meredith tilted her face towards the rain, eyes locked on the dreary dark and churning sky.

"Sometime's bad's going to happen…..I hope Edward doesn't find out about this…" Meredith murmured, finally glancing backwards towards Derek. He opened his mouth to speak, stepping back as an ambulance sloshed through the driving rain. The couple could see the hospital doors flying open with Bailey, Carlisle, and Alex scurrying out as the truck came to a complete stop. Although dressed in their street clothes, Meredith and Derek jogged towards the waiting truck.

" W- what's the situation Dr. Bailey?" Meredith asked, peering over the woman's shoulder as the medic began lowering the stretcher onto the slick ground.

"Female about eighteen years old, a Bella Swan. Lower abdominal pain, concussion, broken arm and other injuries we've yet to discover apparently…. A police officer found her in the truck… apparently hydroplaned…. And….. oh dear lord…."

It took a moment, but soon Meredith was overcome with the powerful stench of blood. It tore into her acute senses, ripping and tormenting the animal that dwelt deep within her. Sharing a frantic look up at Carlisle and Alex as she did so.

It'd bad…. Shit its bad! Does Edward know? Where is Edward? Alex communicated sharply with his eyes, placing an oxygen mask over Bella's pale face and watching Carlisle began to help wheel her inside the building at a rapt pace.

As soon as the stretcher wheeling Bella came fully out of the ambulance they could see the true extent of the damage.

A good portion of the steering wheel had snapped off and firmly lodged itself inside of her.

Derek broke out into a run, already shedding his coat and scrambling towards the OR to begin scrubbing in and he had only moments to shoot Meredith a troubled look.

It didn't look good at all.

~*~

"Wow….. that bad! Oh man… Edward is gonna freak!"

"Really? Like seriously? His girlfriend gets itno another scrape without him around…. She's got half of her car stuck in her chest… I suppose that'd warrant a good meltdown."

"Shut it Yang."

Izzie, Christina, George and Alex hovered in the balcony watching the entire procedure far down below. Bella was strapped down to the table while doctors fussed and were scrambling to stabilize her. Meredith was down in the pit as well, assisting as best she could. George closed his eyes, resting his head against the back of his seat.

"Its… Bella you know? She's been through so much… if Edward loses her…. That'll break him."

" She'd better not die… I mean… Edward went to the Volturi once…. And I heard they barely got out alive… some sort of a deal was made…" Christina said in a hushed whisper.

"Wait…. Edward went willingly to Volterra? Did he want to die?" Izzie asked in a shocked voice.

The other three gave her wordless glances.

"Oh." Izzie said after a moment, slouching in her seat. "I think… I think I understand."

"They're soulmates." George argued intensely. "You can't lose your soul mate."

"Well, O'Malley… she's only human." Alex cut in somewhat indifferently. "She's not like us…."

"Bella would rock as a vampire though…." Izzie put in conversationally. "I mean… think about it."

The door opened and Carlisle walked in, standing off to the side. The other three looked up at him expectantly, like children revering their father figure—and to a lesser extent, their sire.

"Carlisle…." Izzie said after a moment. "How bad… do you really think it is?" her face was a mask of worry.

"I… I managed to find Edward." Carlisle said slowly. "He's with Emmett, they'll be arriving shortly. Poor Alice is distraught she didn't see this coming, and even Rosalie's worried. Even Jasper and Esme can do little to help him."

"I suppose… he's extra worried after the thing in Italy… right?" Alex asked weakly.

Carlisle nodded. "Doubly so."

The room remained quiet. An alarm went off down below in the pit. Derek swore and began barking out indistinct orders. Meredith's calm and practiced hands did not quiver at the pressure. She had seen far too much death in her life to allow something like this to occur. A nurse flipped a switch on a machine, and after a few moments, they stabilized Bella once again.

"If… if worse comes to worse….." Christina pressed quietly. Carlisle slid into the empty seat beside the much younger vampires.

"If… when.. Bella pulls out of this… besides permanent nerve damage, or brain damage.. there could be internal bleeding….. she could… be paralyzed…. Neck down… waist down…. Right now… its too early to tell… she's fighting though….." His lips were pressed tight with worry.

"I should go check the OR waiting room to see if… if… Edward's here yet." George said weakly, getting to his feet.

"That'd be nice… it'd be best.. if you try to break the news to him as gently as possible." Carlisle said kindly. "You know I"d go myself… but I want to make sure she's alright…. Or… if she's not….how I can lessen the shock of the blow."

"You're like a father figure to us all Carlisle…." George said. "You'll know exactly what to say."

"I know that, George… but its my poor Edward I'm worried about."

George said nothing, but quietly and calmly slipped out of the room. As soon as he stepped into the hallway, a soft hand reached for his own.

"That girl… she's your friend right? The other human that knows… about you guys?" Callie asked softly, looking at George with worried eyes.

"Yeah… that's Bella… she knows about Us… and the Cullen's and all of that." George said, walking instep with her. "I'm going to find Carlisle's son Edward and… try to break the news as best I can."

"Will…. Will he take it… alright?" Callie asked quietly.

"Well… he almost lost her a while back….. something with our kind… its… not important.. .but… Bella's strong… and Edward has to be stronger still for her…." George said, pushing open the doors leading into the waiting room.

"I suppose… you didn't get a chance.. to tell them about well.. you and me?"

Callie fiddled with the wedding band on her hand. George smiled tenderly, grasping her hand tighter and giving it an affectionate squeeze.

"I'll tell the others about us soon….. I promise."

"Oh, I wonder how'll they'll take it that they know that I know." Callie joked. George chuckled lightly to himself.

"You'd be surprised. When you finally meet all the Cullen's they won't mind… we're all like each other's families… just be careful of Alice… she'll want to play dress up with you… she doesn't remember anything about her human life."

"Nothing at all?"

"Zip zero nada as far as any of us know."

"Ah, I see."

The two doctors stood in the waiting room, watching the faces of the distraught aching for any news of their loved ones. From the far corner of the room, Edward rose slowly making his way towards them, eyes glossy with unshed tears.

"I…. I wasn't there George! I- I wasn't there!" Edward murmured thickly. Callie was slightly shocked at how young and vulnerable he seemed.

He's aching… like something inside him has already died. She thought. Knowing of their vampire status, he heart went out to George.

He could be like this if I'm hurt…

She looked over, seeing the stronger brother. Emmett, her mind duly noted. He looked Just as worried as Edward, but put on a cheery smile.

"So, you're Callie O'Malley eh? Nice name. Heard you two tied the knot in Vegas the other night. Congrats." he fought back a snicker, glancing childishly at Edward, who couldn't help but grin also.

"C- Callie… O'Malley…?" Edward said with a short snort. Callie's face flushed, while George looked angered.

"You read my thoughts?" he hissed in a low tone. Edward sighed, looking like a boy caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

"I was bored… and… well, I tuned out when it got really mushy."

"Yeah… poor Jazz… he really had a time with that…." Emmett muttered more so to himself. Edward looked at George tersely.

"How bad is it George?" he asked in a frightfully calm voice. "Will she live or die?"

George swallowed the ham sized fist in his throat, answering truthfully; "I don't know. Derek and Mer are working on her right now…."

Suddenly Edward's face contorted into a look of pure horror. He stepped back for George, screamed, and dropped to his knees.

"No… NO…. No! NO!"

"W- what's wrong? Can he hear her thoughts?" Callie asked, dropping to his side. Edward went out a whimper, rocking back and forth slowly. Emmett knelt next to his brother, shaking him gently, calling his name over and over.

"No… Edward has telepathic powers… but…. Bella's the one person he can't read….for some odd reason… he can read other people's… thoughts…"

They all looked up, seeing Carlisle's face… it looked bleak.

"Edward… my boy… my son…. Derek and Meredith did all they could… but…."

His pained face said it all.

Bella was dead.