Bella's POV:
I was standing near the back corner of my truck, struggling to control the urge to hold my chest when the Cullen's were so near. The more I thought about the more I realized, I wanted to stand beside them. I always dismissed this thought from the very beginning but I was swiftly becoming used to the idea that I wanted to be near people that I hardly knew. And it hurt, physically.
Suddenly, I heard an odd sound. It was a high-pitched screeching sound, and it was becoming painfully loud. I looked up, startled.
I saw several things simultaneously. Nothing was moving in slow motion, like it does in the movies. Instead, the adrenaline rush seemed to make my brain work faster, and I was able to to absorb in clear detail several things at once.
The Cullens were standing 4 cars down from me, staring at me in horror. Their faces stood out from the sea of faces, in the same mask of shock. But of more immediate importance was the blue van that was skidding, tires locked and squealing against the brakes, spinning wildly across the ice of the parking lot. I t was going to hit the back of my truck and I was standing in between them. I didn't even have time to close my before I heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around the truck bed, something hit me, hard, but not from the direction I was expecting. My head cracked against the icy blacktop, and I felt something cold pinning me to the ground. I was lying on the pavement behind the tan car I'd parked next to. But I didn't have the chance of noticing anything else because the van was still coming. It had curled gratingly around the end of the truck and, still spinning and sliding, was about to collide with me again. A low oath made me aware that someone was with me, and the voice was impossible not to recognize. 2 long white hands shot out protectively in front of me, the van shuddered a foot from my face, the large hands fitting providentially into a deep dent in the side of the vans his hands were so fast they blurred. One was suddenly gripping under the body of the van and something held me protectively against his chest, my legs swinging like a rag doll's.A groaning metallic thud hurt my ears and the van settled, glass plopping, onto the asphalt – exactly where, a second ago, my legs had just been. It was absolutely silent for one long moment before the screaming began. In the abrupt bedlam, I could hear more than one person screaming my name. But more clearly than all the yelling, I could hear Edward Cullen's frantic voice in my ear.
"Bella, are you okay?"
****************************************
My heart thumped and fluttered abnormally in the ER. I was wondering whether the shock was kicking now. I was startled as the doors opened. A young blond man entered the room. My heart stopped for a few confusing moments. My nose was filled with a comfortable scent that was like sitting in a deep lounge with a book beside a crackling fire. My mouth had dropped and – that was good – because I could taste the delicious scent of warm comfort drizzled also with a fresh forestry scent.
There was a fluttering excitement in my stomach and an odd beeping sound, ruining the moment with all this sensual stimulus. The movie star ran to the monitor "Bella". He was a chalky pale with lilac bags under his eyes – although, he still looked perfect.
Something was wrong, the feeling in my stomach worsened and the blood was pulsing through every part of me. I looked at the monitor and realized I wasn't breathing, I took in a shaky breath.
"Bella!" Charlie yelled, eyes wide, " Are you OK?" Charlie urged. I nodded. I regained relatively normal breathing as I examined the blond man standing over me with an oddly sad face, his stance was strong and solemn. His amber eyes were pregnant with pity and deep concern. He seemed to realize he was staring as much as I was, He shook his head, slightly. "Isabella, I am doctor Carlisle Cullen".
My mouth fell. "you!" I said in a loud whisper. I shook my head. Charlie was looking between me and Carlisle and double-backed several times as stared into my eyes without noticing. I was suddenly angry. Charlie coughed. Carlisle looked at charlie. "Chief Swan" Carlisle nodded at him. Charlie eyed him suspiciously. Carlisle took absolutely no notice of that... He stared back at me. He looked at a file he had attached to a clipboard, quickly.
"Miss Swan. How are you feeling?" said in an amazingly appealing voice. I stuttered, opening and closing my mouth.... Not thinking of what I was meant to say. "I – I'm fine" I said blinking several times... trying to shake away the stupor and scents fogging my mind. He took in every feature of my face now, I could feel a cold burn where his eyes probed my face. He stumbled over to the light board above my head and turned it on, glancing at me several times as I settled into the pillow. I closed my eyes and tried to rid myself of the stupor and fuzzy feeling in my stomach. He was so beautiful. I took me a while to realize that he was still there, in my eyelids... I thought that I had failed to shut my eyes. I opened them, he was staring at me with compassion. He shook his head for the second time. "your x-rays look good. Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard" gave me the full force of his caring eyes, I made a slow audible gasp.
"It's fine " I said weakly. His slender chalky fingers probed my head softly, I gasped. My skin burned where he had just touched. A cold burn. It was like his fingers had left a swollen mark on my skin. My skin felt like a ripe plum where he had touched my skin and the burn hurt for a couple of seconds, It was like a poisonous drug. I wanted him to touch me again, instantly. My skin ached with the lust of Dr. Cullen's skin.
I closed my eyes for a second and reopened them after gaining a hold on a natural teens thinking. I don't want to make anybody suspicious.
"Tender?" Dr Cullen asked. I was about to nod, my skin still having a weird reaction. I realized.
"not really" There was nothing I had ever wanted more than that doctors touch.
"Bella, you can go home now, but if you have any trouble seeing or get dizzy, please come back" Dr. Cullen said. "Can't I go back to school?" I asked, imagining the attempt to concentrate with the Cullens mocking me.
"actually, most of the school seems to be in the waiting room" Dr Cullen said in a relieved tone.
"Oh no" I moaned. Dr Cullen stared wincing.
"do you want to stay?"
"No, No!" I insisted as I threw my legs over the side of the bed and hopped down quickly. Too quickly, my legs buckled and I fell. Dr Cullen caught me, his strong, hard, burning arms held me around my stomach and the other twisted around and held my legs. I saw the absolution in his eyes, he was going to suggest keeping me hospitalized overnight. "I'm fine" I assured the doctor. I had a hunch that my general clumsiness could land me an accusation session with Dr Cullen easily.
"take some Tylenol for the pain" the doctor suggested, amber eyes blazing with compassion.
"It doesn't hurt that bad" I was more worried about the puffy full flesh that felt arisen.
"It sounds like you were extremely lucky" Dr Cullen said, smiling. I shook my head, shaking the irrational sexy doctor thoughts out of my head. "lucky Edward happened to be standing next to me" I said giving a pointedly hard glance at Dr Cullen. "oh, well, yes" Dr Cullen agreed suddenly being occupied with the paperwork in front of him. Then he looked over at Tyler and proceeded to investigate his wounds. This proved it, Edward's father was in on the cruel joke. I walked over to Dr Cullen, ignoring Charlie for one risky moment. Dr Cullen noticed me and looked wearily over at my determined set face. He acquired a sad puppy dog face, my jaw fell, I snapped it shut. "could I talk to you for a minute?"
"your father is waiting for you" - He wasn't getting away from this.
"OK" he said reluctantly.
Dr Cullen had walked me to a small hallway. He turned to face me and gripped my shoulders softly, in an attempt to soften my defiant glare. "What is it Bella?" he asked, his appealing voice soft.
"Your family owe me an explanation"
The doctor stared, he rubbed my shoulders gently, clearly over-concerned.
"Edward was no where near me, not even Tyler saw Edward, he saved me"
"Bella, you hit your head - "
"The van would have crushed me and Edward. Edward's not hurt at all. He left dents in the side of the cars".
"you think Edward stopped the van from hitting you?"
"I'm not going to tell anybody" I stuttered, "if you tell me what your family were laughing at."
"why does it matter how Edward saved you?"
"It matters to me...Tell me why I'm lying for you and your family?"
"I can't"
I stared at his glorious excessively concerned puppy dog face. Dr Cullen still rubbed my shoulder in that attentative manner. As I stared it became apparent to me that I was with a Cullen and I didn't feel so alone, I felt complete. A part of me was long gone now – I was apart of the Cullens. I knew from the moment I had met them that I had would never be the same again. But I didn't feel the part I was missing now. It was long gone.
The hole I had from seeing the Cullens disappeared like it had never been there at all. I don't feel lonely, desperate. "Carlisle" I whispered, "please tell me". Dr Cullen stared back at me with a tortured expression. He shook his head. "I have to go" he said softly. He walked back to help Tyler. Dr Cullen left me there aching to touch him again and aching for the inclusion of their secret.
*******************************************
That was the first time I'd ever felt relieved to get in the land cruiser. We drove in silence. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts about the Cullens secret that I had forgotten Charlie was there. I thought over and over about the caring way Carlisle acted in the hall. I wasn't sure if it could count it as a connection to the way I felt when Carlisle wasn't with me, or what the Cullen's were always laughing about. I was consumed by the mysteries the Cullens presented. And more than a little obsessed over Carlisle and his actions.
That was the first night I dreamt of Dr Carlisle Cullen.
