A/N: Sorry this is so short. I planned to write more and then suddenly got really tired.
All characters property of Stephenie Meyer.
I woke to the sounds of beeping machinery and a bright light above me. My throat felt like liquid fire, my limbs ached and my hands stung. I'm alive. I groaned at the thought. I couldn't even manage to kill myself without screwing it up.
"Bells? Bells can you hear me?" I heard my Father's voice to my right and I groaned even louder. Everyone would know. Heck by now everyone did know. Maybe if I keep my eyes closed I can stay here until the town of Forks forgets about me and latches on to some other gossip worthy event. But of course fate couldn't be that kind.
"Get a nurse!" cried my Father in a frantic voice.
"No!" I shot up only to be pulled back down by an IV and an oxygen tube. I squinted at the lights above me and slowly focused on Charlie's face. It was worn. Tired and worn and a wave of guilt washed over me but I couldn't think of anything to say. I simply looked at him willing him to understand the apology in my eyes.
He ran his hand across my brow. "Why Bella? Why?" The hurt in his voice was heartbreaking but the reminder of why made me look away. "You know why." I whispered, my throat hoarse.
"If he ever steps foot in this town again he'll be sorry." Charlie spat out.
"He won't." I spoke in that same quiet voice defeated. I had no tears left. I had always believed in fate and for some reason this is what fate had in store for me.
"Bella it's not worth it. There'll be…" but before he could finish I cut him off. "Don't!" I practically yelled looking at him sharply. If there were others for me there would be others for him and I hadn't even considered that until it spewed out of Charlie's mouth.
"Sorry Bells." He looked contrite.
I noticed some water on the table behind him and pointed at it. After taking a few sips and temporarily cooling the fire in my throat I asked him how I ended up in the hospital. Apparently I got caught up on the rocks and one of the tribesmen who had gone to the beach to work on netting spotted me and pulled me out of the water. The doctor said I was lucky, that had I stayed under water any longer and I would have suffered brain damage. As it was I had multiple scrapes and cuts on my hands and face and several large spots that were sure to blossom into deep blue and purple bruises. My mind swirled back to the last time I'd been in the hospital and fresh tears brimmed behind my eyes but somehow I kept them at bay.
The rest of the night was uneventful. They kept me for observation. Charlie finally went home and got some rest and I stared at the ceiling processing what I had just been through. I was still heartbroken. I knew that. I could feel the hole in my chest. But my skin wasn't crawling with the pain anymore. I still felt empty. How could I not? Half of me had been ripped away by the man I love and he did it with the ease of slipping off a coat.
Things would never be the way he wanted. I could never be happy without him. But I can do what I'm good at, taking care of people. I'll stay here with my Dad. I'll finish school. And I'll visit my Mom when I can. I was alone when I came to Forks. I just needed to bring myself back to those days of burying myself in books or doing housework. I could exist.