Edward POV

"I had no other choice." She whispered.

No other choice, no other choice, no other choice…the words reverberated through my head like an echo across an endless sea of space. But she did have a choice. As soon as the mongrel had let her go after she bit him, she could have run away…let Charlie take the shot. She didn't. No other choice…I felt disjointed...confused by her words. No other choice…Why?

I raised my head to look at her. "Explain that, please."

The answer never came. Carlisle chose that inopportune time to come into the room, his eyes as well as his mind full of censure…all of it aimed at me.

Edward! I understand why you're upset but now is not the time. "Bella, how is my favorite patient?" he asked her with a smile.

"I've felt better." She admitted disgruntled as she nervously plucked her bed sheets with her fingers, casting a sideways glance at me.

I felt instantly remorseful for my tirade. After expecting to her something entirely different…something that perhaps would make some sort of sense even if it was tinged with Bella's convoluted logic, her actual answer took threw me off balance. No other choice. The words taunted me.

"Edward, why don't you tell your brothers and sisters that Bella is awake? I am sure they'll be happy to hear the good news." I would like to examine Bella now.

I nodded but what I really wanted to do was stay. This would be the first time I left her side since she had been given a room and I wasn't sure if I could bear the separation again. Logically, I knew she would be fine in my father's capable hands but emotionally, even the smallest of distances caused anxiety. Could vampires suffer panic attacks? Apparently they could.

I squeezed Bella's hand and kissed her brow. "I'll be back soon." I assured her.

But I didn't go to my family. Knowing Alice, she would be aware of the moment Bella awakened down to the second now that the wolves were no longer hanging around. No, I was compelled elsewhere. Cautiously, I made my way down the stairs to the basement entering the morgue area. There was no one around, thankfully to stop my entrance.

The unpleasant smell of formaldehyde and antiseptic permeated the air. A few bodies covered in blue sheets were lined up inside the room, not yet placed into the metal drawers inside the wall. I knew Jacob's body was among them, waiting to be autopsied. Quickly, I checked the toe tags finally stopping at the one that was marked "Black, Jacob". I flipped down the sheet so that his face was revealed to me. His eyes were closed and his mouth not yet sewn up, nor was his body exsanguinated and replaced with embalming fluid. I could still smell his tainted blood. Instead of it being any temptation, I was sickened by the odor; of both his blood and the wolf stench he retained even in death.

"You lose, Jacob Black." I spoke harshly to the silent corpse. "You tried to take away from me the sole meaning of my existence, the one thing that keeps me tethered to this earth and you failed. But make no mistake" – my teeth clenched together as I felt the rage rising in me again – "Had you succeeded, nothing would stop me from reaping my vengeance. Even in death, I would find you."

My breath came in rasps as I tried to calm the monster in me. He was dead, I repeated to myself. He couldn't hurt Bella anymore. I didn't bother to place the sheet back over his head before I walked away. It felt like too reverent an act to me and he wasn't deserving of that type of respect from anyone, least of all me.

Alice met me outside of the stairwell doors on the floor Bella was on. Her sympathetic look conveyed to me more than words could that she knew where I just came from.

"Did it help?" she asked, her eyes looking at me sorrowfully. For some reason, I couldn't bear her compassion, not when the monster was still so close to the surface, not when the monster in me felt cheated out of killing the dog and…the man (if I could apply that term to myself) felt everything to the point that he was near numb. It was a good thing Jasper was not near, the emotions I was feeling would break him.

"No" I said flatly, shouldering past her. But Alice wasn't letting me go that easily. She kept pace with me as I walked back towards Bella's room.

"Carlisle is still examining her." You weren't gone that long, Edward. I could almost hear her eyes rolling.

"It doesn't matter." I told her as I continued my progression down the hall. Nothing mattered but me being with Bella.

"Edward!...Edward stop." It was the pleading in Alice's tone that caused me to halt and turn to face her. "You can't see her…not when you're like this."

"Why? Have your visions told you something?" I asked feeling less than polite.

"No. Call it plain old fashioned women's intuition. I don't need Jasper to tell me your emotions are all over the place and the last thing you want to do is to let the wrong one out…especially in front of Bella. She may get the wrong idea."

"So what are you suggesting then, Alice?"

"Come…sit with the family for awhile. Calm down…then go to Bella. I know it's hard for you to be separated from her right now…but trust me on this…please."

I sighed, shoving my hands through my hair. Alice was right. Bella would take one look at me and assume that whatever I was feeling was her fault. On top of everything, I couldn't add to her already significant burden.

"Everyone's still here?" I asked her surprised, not expecting they would endure the wait for Bella to wake with me.

"Well…we did go home at one point…for appearance's sake more than anything else but when I knew when Bella was going to regain consciousness, we came back. You're not the only one that loves her, ya know…even Rosalie does in her own way."

"I know, Alice, I know."

Yes, I did know that. I had realized as much when I had ignorantly made the decision for the whole family to leave Forks all those months ago and they rallied against me even as they complied with my wishes…all except for Rose. It was one of the reasons I couldn't stay with them after we left; hearing the accusations in their minds, enduring the pitying looks, listening to the pleading to go back. It was too maddening to endure. So I had taken the easy way out and I left them behind as well, only to wallow alone in my own self pity and dark torment.

Bella POV

"I'd like to apologize for Edward's behavior." Carlisle said as he began to check me over. "He hasn't been handling this well."

"I know." The truth was I didn't even know how I was handling it either. But then again I really had just woken up so maybe the full effect didn't hit me yet or the painkillers were numbing my brain as well as my body.

"Everything looks good so far." He said as he marked my chart. "Your body temperature has increased to a normal 98.6 degrees but I am going to recommend keeping you here for a few days to monitor you for any symptoms of pneumonia."

"Pneumonia?" I parroted.

"With the onset of hypothermia, your immune system was compromised and unfortunately the chances of pneumonia increased drastically. So, I want you let me know immediately if you feel any tightness in your chest or if you get the slightest cough…I don't care of you think it's just a tickle in the throat. I want to know about it. I'm also going to let the nurses know to check you at regular intervals for any increase in body temperature although I am sure Edward would be more than happy to handle that job."

Great, I thought. From one extreme to another. And yet another thing for Edward to worry about. "And the oxygen, do I still need it?" I asked with a grimace, pointing at the uncomfortable tubing in my nose.

"It's actually not oxygen but heated air to go direct into your system to bring your temperature up. The IV has re-warming fluids as well. I believe we can take these out now."

At least I'd feel less like a science experiment and more like myself with only the morphine drip going into me. I squeezed my eyes shut as Carlisle took some of the tubing from my arms. Going in or coming out, I hated needles.

I heard Carlisle's amused chuckle. "Go ahead say it" I joked, opening my eyes when he was done. He was shaking his head bewilderedly. "You can't believe after everything that I am still afraid of needles."

"That pretty much sums it up." He said with a quirk of his lips. He turned his head towards the door. "Ahh, I can hear Esme and your mother coming down the hall. She is quite anxious to see you."

Knowing Renee's propensity to over-react, I wasn't sure "anxious" was the proper term to use.

"I'll let you and your mother have some privacy." He paused, an uncomfortable expression passing over his features and he gave me sympathetic look that had me very nervous.

"Carlisle?" I questioned. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head and gave me a small smile. "Sorry, I forgot how perceptive you are. It's nothing terrible, really. It's just that now you are awake and coherent, I am sure the police will want to talk to you about what happened. I can hold them off if you like…tell them you're not up to it yet."

The offer was tempting, I couldn't deny it. But did I really want to delay the inevitable? "It's fine. I'd rather get it over with so I can get on with my life." A terrifying thought occurred to me that made my heart nearly stop. "You don't think I'll be arrested for murder?"

Carlisle looked shocked that I would even think that. "No, of course not, Bella. Why would you even say that?"

"I shot him…I killed Jacob." My hands fisted in the bed sheets as I tried to control my ragged breathing. The effects hadn't hit me before but they were certainly doing a number on me now.

"Bella. Calm down. No one is arresting you…not for self defense. There were six people including your father there when it happened. We all gave our statements attesting to the fact that his intent was clear to kill you and you were defending yourself. Plus, your father's colleagues are the ones conducting the investigation. No one is putting you in jail, Bella."

I relaxed visibly at that just as Renee entered the room with Esme. Judging by the initial look of shock my mother gave me, I was glad I hadn't thought to ask for a mirror. I must look a lot worse than I thought.

"Mom." I didn't know how happy I'd be to see Renee until that exact moment. She ran to the bed and stopped abruptly.

"Oh, Bella." She said, her chin trembling. "I want to snatch you up in a big hug but I'm terrified to hurt you."

"I look that bad, huh?"

"No, baby you're beautiful." She said opting to grasp my hand instead while her other hand smoothed my cheek.

"We'll come by later." Esme said quietly with a wink at me as she and Carlisle left the room.

Renee sat down on the side of the bed, careful not to jostle it too much. "Now, tell Momma all about it." She said. I almost laughed at the ordinary statement used for such an extraordinary circumstance. It was the same phrase she always used whenever something happened, whether I had a skinned knee; which happened quite often or a bad day in school or any type of problem any normal teenage girl would have. The funny thing was with a vampire as a fiancé and an attacker that was a werewolf, I was not a normal teenager.

Renee, it seemed was in full maternal mode and for the first time in a long time I was grateful for it. She always tried to be my friend and more often than not, I actually felt like the parent but in times like this, when it really counted, she was just my mom.

I gave Renee the Readers Digest version of what happened, knowing full well she was too fragile to be able to handle the gory details. I couldn't leave out the fact that I killed Jacob. She would find out about it anyway from someone else.

"If I had just come here for your graduation, this would have never happened." Renee lamented, her feelings of guilt clearly showing in her eyes.

"No, mom." I tried to assuage her. "It may not have happened yesterday but it still would have happened. It seems he was planning this for some time." That much I had gotten from Jacob, himself.

"I'm just so glad he won't be bothering you anymore." Renee said smoothing the sheets around me.

"So, what do you think of Esme?" I asked wanting to change the subject. I knew at any moment the police would show up to question me and I needed to take a break from thinking about Jacob just for a little while before launching into it again.

Judging by the expression on Renee's face, I could tell she was momentarily stunned by the question before her face relaxed into a smile. "She's just lovely. I couldn't have asked for a nicer mother-in-law for you" – she shook her head. – "Listen to me…mother-in-law?…it makes me feel so old."

"You're not old mom." I reassured her. "She is great though, isn't she?"

"She was so worried about you. Just like she would be if you were her own daughter. It made me a little jealous actually…but I feel better about this whole marriage thing knowing you're going to be well cared for by Edward's family. And Edward…"she chuckled briefly. "He obviously thinks the world of you. Esme told me he hasn't left hospital since they took you in. Just like last time." She finished with a sad smile.

I cringed a little knowing she was talking about the time in Phoenix last spring when I was attacked by James.

Over Renee's shoulder I could see two policemen hovering in the doorway of my room. I knew it was time to give my statement. Swallowing past the sudden lump in my throat, I beckoned them in.

"Sorry for interrupting, Ms. Swan but we'd like to get your report on the incident so we can wrap up our investigation." One of them said apologetically as he walked in the room. I recognized them both from my brief visits at the police station. My dad, I knew wouldn't be allowed to take my statement for a variable of reasons, not the least of which being that I was his daughter and he was personally involved.

I slowly moved into a sitting position. "No. It's okay." I told them as I grimaced from the sudden twinge of pain throughout my body.

"Would you like me to get Edward?" Renee asked me. "I'm sure he'd like to be here."

I nodded. Selfishly, I wanted him with me though I could imagine what cost it would be to his self control for him to hear what happened prior to him showing up.

Renee didn't have to move far. Edward strode purposefully in the room taking the seat beside my bed, automatically taking my hand in his and bringing it to his lips. The two officers glanced at each other uncomfortably.

"I trust my being here won't be a problem." Edward looked at them with a steel glint in his butterscotch eyes almost daring them to argue with him.

"Uh, no…Mr. Cullen…that's…that's fine." One of them stammered out.

He nodded resolutely and turned to me. "I needed to be here." He explained. I didn't question him because as much as I hated to admit it to myself, I needed him here too.