Edward POV
At first I couldn't believe what I was seeing as Bella bit down hard on Jacob's arm. Before I could even spring into action, they were in a face-off grappling for the gun. Distantly, I heard Jasper scream at Charlie desperately to take the shot. I wanted to tell him not to, Bella was not quite out of the way but I couldn't make my voice function in my fear.
Two gunshots went off nearly simultaneously then and the sound jolted me as if I was the one that had been shot. Jacob's body jerked backwards as the bullets slammed into him. It all seemed to happen in fast forward and slow motion at the same time as I watched helplessly as Bella was pulled over the edge with Jacob.
"Noooo!" I screamed running forward, stopping myself at the rim. I couldn't bring myself to look…didn't want to see Bella's broken and bloodied body lying on the ground way below me. Grief bubbled over and spilled forth as I sunk to my knees, curling my fingers in the snow, sobs ripping through me violently. I was too far gone; suffocating…drowning in my anguish that I barely noticed Charlie on his knees beside me.
"Thank God, Oh thank God." Charlie's breaking voice breached through my wall of sorrow. Why would he be thanking God…unless?
Taking a deep breath, trying not to let my hopes get too high for fear they would plummet, I peered over the chasm, bracing myself for what I would see. Bella and Jacob lay on another ledge about 10 feet below the one we were on. It looked like she had landed on top of him thus breaking her fall. As I examined more closely, I noticed the shallow rise and fall of her chest. She was alive! I rejoiced as I heard the distinct sound of her heartbeat, the only heartbeat. It was labored and weak but it was there.
Controlled chaos ensued quickly after that with Carlisle barking out frenzied orders.
"Jasper, I need you to run back to the tent and get the sleeping bag. Charlie, radio in for a MedEvac. The storm has quieted. They should be able to get one up here. Emmett, give me the harness and some rope. Edward, I need you to go down there and put Bella in the harness to so we can lift her up." Gently, son. I do not know how badly she has been hurt.
With harness in hand and not a care to what Charlie would think, I jumped onto the lower ledge, landing next to Bella. She was lying face down, on top of Jacob. Most of the blood on her was his. He had been shot straight through the heart; a fitting end I supposed. I slowly turned her over, careful not to jar her any more than necessary before carefully placing her onto the harness. She was unconscious, her pallor nearly gray and translucent and I had nothing but the sound of her heart to give me solace. I felt the familiar burn of venom rise through my throat when I smelled the blood but it was nothing but a mere annoyance. My whole being shied away from anything that could cause her harm.
"Edward." She whispered in the barest of breath, her eyes remaining closed. "So c…c…c…cold"
"Shh, my love. Save your strength." I calmed, smoothing the hair from her face. It had dried tackily to her head by blood from her head wound. She went still once more fading back into oblivion as her heart stuttered and regained it's slow, unhealthy rhythm. It took every ounce of restraint I had not to change here right then and there and be damned with the consequences. Hell, I was already damned. What was one more make against my blackened soul. If it meant my love would live, it would be worth it. It was only until Carlisle's voice broke into my consciousness that I could tear away from the thought.
"Is she ready?" He asked.
"Take her up." I replied and with a tender kiss to her brow, I followed the harness back up the side of the cliff, keeping it steady in my grasp.
Jasper was already there waiting with the sleeping bag. Carlisle gave her a cursory exam before she was covered up. As he catalogued her injuries in his head, I felt myself tremble and shake in my helplessness.
Concussion, Scalp lacerations, wrist lacerations, Contusions around the neck and wrists, re-torn knee ligament, two cracked ribs, possible ankle sprain, need tests to confirm internal bleeding…
"Carlisle" I groaned pleadingly when I couldn't take anymore.
"Her injuries are severe." He said with a sigh "but I don't believe life threatening. What worries me most is the hypothermia. If her body temperature falls below 82.4 degrees , she could suffer coma or cardiac arrest. She's perilously close to that now."
He wrapped her up tightly in the sleeping bag and shook his head in concern. This wont do. The blanket is too cold from sitting out to do any good. I wonder…"Sam, can you sit with Bella. You have the highest natural body temperature. It will help tremendously."
"Sure." He said already taking a position beside Bella. I couldn't help but be jealous that it was him providing warmth and not me. I was too afraid to even hold her hand for fear that my chilling temperature would send her spiraling into the cardiac arrest that Carlisle feared was nearly eminent. Sam's thought were chaotic, flitting from deep sorrow at the loss of a friend to unrelenting anger at Jacob and even himself for the events that occurred. He was resolved to do anything that could help. I began to respect him in those few moments.
"Is she going to be okay, doc?" Charlie asked swallowing past the lump in his throat at the sight of his daughter looking so pale and lifeless.
"As long as we get her medical attention soon, she should be fine. I've brought my medical bag but what's in there will only help with the superficial wounds. My main concern at the moment is keeping her warm."
Charlie had the forethought to call for two helicopters; one the MedEvac to take Bella to the hospital and one to take the rest of us off the mountain. It was decided that I would ride along with Bella, Carlisle and Charlie while the other took Emmett, Jasper and Sam. Sam decided he would be the one to tell Billy about Jacob so Charlie could concentrate on Bella. Jacob's body would have to unfortunately ride with us so he could be delivered to the coroner's office in the morgue of the hospital. Even in death, I didn't want him anywhere near my Bella.
It wasn't any surprise that Esme, Alice and Rosalie were waiting for us at the hospital when we arrived. All of them turned to me with concerned looks in their eyes when they noticed my slow approach. Most of my mind was down the hall where Bella had been rushed to be examined more carefully.
"Edward. What happened? I could only see you coming here." Alice said jumping up from her seat.
"Jacob's dead." I said, my voice flat; disguising the turbulent emotions that lie underneath. "Bella killed him."
"Oh, dear." Esme gasped. Poor Bella. "Where is Bella, Edward?" Worry for her new daughter clear by the telltale tremble of her chin.
"Carlisle is examining her now. I won't lie to you all…she's hurt…very badly." I just barely managed to get the words out, my voice breaking.
"She'll be fine, Edward. I promise." Alice tried to comfort me.
I was only marginally relieved. My main concern wasn't what would be but what was. And right now, Bella was suffering.
"Did he…you know…?" He didn't rape her did he? Rosalie's horrified words and thoughts slammed into me hard, nearly staggering me. It was something I never allowed myself to think for I knew if it ever entered my mind, my sanity would be completely lost. Now that Rosalie posed the question, I had to force myself to reflect back to when I first saw Bella struggling under Jacob on the snow.
I shook my head. "I think…I mean… he tried…but I…" I couldn't finish. If that were the case, I'd want to bring him back to life just so I could have the pleasure of killing him all over again…and it wouldn't be quick like the first time around.
"I'm sure Carlisle would be able to tell us more." Esme said placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Try not to dwell on what you don't know for sure."
"Esme's right, Edward. It will only tear you apart." Rosalie agreed. You need to be strong for her…she will need that more than anything and I can help to…if she'll let me. I truly did not expect Rosalie's kindness or compassion for Bella but I was grateful for it. Her own suffering at the hands of her old fiancé and his friends obviously gave her a common bond with Bella now. As a consolation, it was weak.
Alice was looking into the distance, hey eyes glazed over not looking at anything in particular then she turned to me and smiled. "No, Edward. I don't believe he did. I would have seen evidence of that when I looked into her future just now." The future she just hid from me…just in case.
Charlie, after filling out the necessary admittance paperwork came to join us to wait for Carlisle's news. Emmett and Jasper arrived soon after as well as Sam and Billy who arrived separately.
My eye was on the old Indian in the wheel chair. His face seemed to have aged drastically since I last saw him, the lines in his weathered face deeper. His black eyes stared at me, not in anger or censure but in remorse and sorrow. We have all paid greatly this day with our blindness and still have much to atone for.
Emmett and Jasper on the other hand looked as restless as caged animals as soon as they spotted Billy Black. They did not know his thoughts as I did.
He better not be here to cause trouble…dead mutt or not. Emmett's thoughts as well as his tension fused body language stating he was itching for a fight as well as any words could have. But there would be no fight, not now and maybe not ever if I was reading the older man correctly.
It was Charlie, pale and haggard, that approached Billy Black. How do you apologize to your best friend for shooting his son? Charlie grappled with the words in his brain but none of them seemed to convey what he felt. Charlie, on fact did not deal the death blow to Jacob Black; only succeeding in hitting him in the arm. It was Bella that shot him through the heart with his own gun; an act that I still felt the terror from. It could have all gone so wrong, I thought. It could have been Bella.
Charlie sighed deeply and wiped his face with his hand. We were all curious to see how this played out.
"Sam told me what happened." Billy said with regret in his voice.
"Billy, I…" Charlie started, guilt and shame evident in his voice and body language but Billy quickly interrupted him.
"Don't Charlie." He held up his hand. "You are not only my best friend but you are also a good man, an honest man and I owe you honesty in return. You did what you had to do to save your daughter. My biggest regret is that I didn't do what I should have done to save my son." At Charlie's confused expression, he explained. "We…I…" he glanced at Sam. "didn't see how deep and dark Jacob's obsession had gone with Bella." He paused and sighed. "Maybe I did see it…I don't know… but I chose to deny it…and that is my albatross to wear, not yours and not Bella's. She made a choice" – he shuddered – "and instead of accepting that choice, no matter how much he disagreed with it…Jacob chose as well. He chose to spiral deeper into madness."
Charlie looked at the floor, his face reddening. "If that is the case, Billy than part of the blame rests on me as well. I encouraged Jacob in his pursuit of Bella…even after Edward returned." He looked at me apologetically, fearing what I would have to say to his admission. I remained silent, however. I already knew he did that and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't fault him for it…not 100% anyway. He had thought I was no good for Bella. It was the bitterest of ironies that I had left her because I thought the exact same only for her to seek refuge in a friendship with a monster that proved to be more dangerous than I.
"No, Charlie." Billy denied. "You had no way of knowing. No fault lies with you."
While I understood where both parties were coming from I couldn't accept the fact that no one was putting the blame where it really belonged; on the shoulders of that mongrel that lay dead on a cold slab in the morgue. I kept my opinions to myself; it would serve no good to voice them here.
An hour later the ER was filled to capacity with people all asking about Bella's condition. Most of them felt they were entitled to it, as if they had some personal stake in Bella's life because they had helped search for her. I couldn't afford to be ungracious, however. No matter what the cost was to me, I answered their questions as politely and patiently as I could before it all became too much. I needed to get out of there; away from their thoughts and most especially their mindless chattering gossip. Of course they had no idea that I could hear even their most discreet whisperings.
I stalked down the hall in search of Carlisle in the hopes that he would have some news to tell. Carlisle exited one of the doors, closing it quietly behind him.
"I heard you coming." He explained.
I didn't engage in any preliminaries. "How is she?" I asked.
He sighed. "She's still unconscious and perhaps that is for the best right now. I gave her a CT scan to check for any internal hemorrhaging and thankfully there was none. Believe it or not, by her landing on Jacob and not the ground, it probably saved her life. We are working on getting her body temperature up and so far our methods are proving slow but successful. Her heart rate is being monitored closely as her heart is not functioning as well as I'd like it to at this point. Hopefully will be back to normal soon. She is currently being cleaned and readied to be transported to a private room. Once she is there she will be allowed visitors."
Most of the information was good news but there was still one question I had to ask. "Carlisle, I need to know…was Bella…was she raped?" The venom burned in my throat and I tried to swallow past it as I asked the question physically bracing myself for the answer.
Carlisle's look was sympathetic. He knew how hard it was for me to ask. "No, son. She wasn't. "
Some of the tension left my muscles and I released the breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Thank God." I buried my face in my hands briefly before scrubbing them up my face to push back my hair.
"Edward. I am very proud of you son. Once again you astound me with your remarkable restraint where Bella's blood is concerned." The comment came out of nowhere and surprised me at first.
"It's not restraint, Carlisle." I told him in all seriousness. "It's love."
He smiled warmly. "Yes…yes I suppose it is." He patted me on the back, a gesture he hadn't done in a very long time. "Now do me a favor and bring Charlie back here. I need to give him the update on Bella's condition."
Bella POV
Beep…beep…beep. Stupid alarm clock, I thought as I blindly reached over to slam down on it. A cold hand grasped my wrist, stopping me. I slowly opened my eyes to stare into Edward's near black ones. He had purple smudges under his eyes and his bronze hair looked like he had run his fingers through it many times. I looked down at myself to see the all too familiar site of hospital attire at the same time I became aware of an IV needle in my arm and oxygen tubes in my nose.
"That's not my alarm clock, is it?" I asked still hoping I was hallucinating.
"No."
'It's heart monitor, isn't it?" At my disgruntled tone he nodded his head, a hint of smile ghosting his lips. "I was afraid you were going to say that." I closed my eyes again trying to recall exactly what happened to me to be in here again. I should be paying rent at this point. My breath hitched until I was nearly panting and I heard the monitor speed up as the events came back in vivid color. Jacob…Oh God…Did I kill him? He attacked me and I shot him…there was a cliff…a fall…I thought I was dead.
"Bella?" Edward asked frantic already moving. "Should I call Carlisle?"
"No. Please stay. It's…well…I just remembered. That's all."
He sat back down again absently stroking patterns on my arm, soothing me. The monitor went back to sounding off a steady rhythm.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
I took a slow inventory, noting my bandaged wrists and braced knee, the various bruises on my arms, I felt the bandage on my head. "Hmm, not as bad as I thought I would."
"It must be the morphine drip." He supplied.
"Remind me to thank Carlisle for that."
As conversations between the two of us usually went, this one seemed strained and awkward…too superficial considering what preceded it. There was much more underneath that wasn't being said, which was fine by me. I wasn't ready to launch into a narrative about what happened. My brain was still foggy…from the head injury or the drugs I didn't know.
"Where's Charlie?" I asked looking around the room.
"Carlisle convinced him to get some dinner. It's 6pm…you've been unconscious for nearly 15 hours." And Edward had been here for all of them, I thought.
"And Ja…" I couldn't finish his name but I had to know what I did."
"He's dead." Edward said,his eyes and voice flat.
I could feel my eyes widen as I gripped Edward's sleeve in desperation. "Please say it was me that killed him and not Charlie." The heart monitors went crazy again sending a nurse rushing into the room to check.
"Ms. Swan. It's good to see you're awake. Are you alright? Are you in any pain?"
"She's fine." Edward answered for me. "She just remembered what happened. Can you page my father? I am sure he would like to examine Bella himself."
"Right away Mr. Cullen." She said and walked out of the room.
"You need to calm down, love. It's not healthy to get so worked up." His fingers continued their soothing caress.
"You didn't answer my question, Edward."
He sighed. "Yes, Bella. It was you." He stiffened then and a his eyes suddenly looked haunted. "Of all the stupid…idiotic…why Bella? Why would you risk yourself like that?" – He started to speak quickly as he usually did when he was agitated and I had to focus hard to keep up. "When I saw your intent…what you did and I could do nothing…nothing but standby and watch helplessly. You nearly gave me a heart attack…not an easy thing to do, that. And when I saw you fall off the cliff. I never experienced such gut wrenching pain. Why would you do that Bella…why?" His hands trembling hand clenched into fists as he brought them to cover his face.
I couldn't stop myself from wincing. If he was trying to make me feel guilty he was doing a commendable job. It killed me to see him so anguished but there had been no other way at the time.
"I had no other choice." I whispered.
His head came up swiftly, dark torment turning to confusion. "Explain that, please."
I never got the chance because that was the moment that Carlisle came into the room, his smile fading as he saw the expressions on our faces.