QUICKIE: Come on, keep the reviews coming! I only got six last chapter. If I don't get more reviews for this one I'll...I'll...go on a writing hiatus! HAHA, threats!
P.S. - Thank you to the people who comment every chapter, you rock :)
-Bella's POV-
I felt myself slipping away again, like a pull from deep inside me. My senses started to go numb to where I couldn't feel Alice's hand on mine anymore. My hearing became muffled so I couldn't understand what else Dr. Cullen was saying. The pull grew stronger and stronger until I felt and heard nothing. Silence. Numbness. Blackness. Irritation. Anger. Sadness. Heartbreak. Then I was gone.
I don't know how long I was out, but when I came to, I realized that I could move again. I opened my eyes...and I was back in the meadow. What? How? No! I thought I had escaped this Godforsaken place. Once again, I fell to the ground, feeling defeated. I was trapped in my own mind...
-Alice's POV-
The next few days I was forced to go to school. Charlie was with Bella, which made me feel better, but I still worried all day. Worried that something might happen to her, and I wouldn't be there. The days went by so slow, it was like my own personal torture. Angela, being the nice girl she is, comforted me at lunch that first day. She had been to see Bella once but couldn't stay very long. She was the only one that even cared to stop by, the rest just asked me how she was doing. Each day, as soon as the last bell of the day rang, I was out of there and to the hospital in no time.
"Hey, Chief." I said as I walked in Bella's room, setting my bag down on the floor in the corner.
"Hi, Alice. Here..." He said, removing himself from the chair next to Bella's bed.
Like yesterday, he took the cozy chair in the corner of the room, closing his eyes."
He needed to go home and get a proper night's sleep, but he was like me...wanting to be here with her.
"Thanks." I said, leaning over and kissing her on the forehead.
It was only when I pulled away, I noticed out of the corner of my eyes, Charlie' was watching me.
"You really loved her, huh?" I asked softly.
"Very much so." I said, smiling as I rubbed the spot where my lips had touched. "Anything new today?"
"Well, her finger twitched a few times. But the doc says there could be many reasons for that."
And I'm guessing Carlisle didn't tell him that one possibility was that she could actually be conscious. I sighed to myself, taking her hand in mine, bringing it up to my lips and kissing her knuckles lightly. I wished there was some way that I could help her.
/-/
I sat there, holding her hand, occasionally kissing it. This went on for hours, and the passage of every minute, made my heart break even more. Charlie had fallen asleep not long after I got here, and I talked with Carlisle for a few minutes every hour or so before he had to tend to other patients. Bella had made no change in her condition since she got here, and I feared for the worst.
Like Charlie had experienced, I felt Bella's finger twitch a few times, but nothing ever came of it. Every once in a while I would talk to her, whisper something in hear ear...though I didn't know if she could even hear me. But talking to her did make me feel a little bit better.
Everything changed around nine o'clock. All of a sudden her heart started beating faster than normal and it scared me.
"Carlisle..." I whispered, knowing he would hear it.
Within ten seconds he was standing next to me, looking at the machines, then opening a laptop.
"I can't believe it, I'm getting a reading. Her brain activity went from zero to off the charts in a second." He whispered back.
"Well...that's good right?" I asked, feeling stupid.
"Yes. We know she's still in there now, for sure. I'm just wondering what triggered it."
Then her heart started really pounding. I saw the alarm on Carlisle's face as called a few nurse in to help him, waking up Charlie in the process. This wasn't good. Not at all. One nurse escorted Charlie and I outside so they would have more room to work on her. Charlie was freaking out, same as I was. I heard Bella's heart rate rapidly increase. It reminded me of the rabbit, Thumper, from Bambi.
She couldn't die now. Not now, where I couldn't help her. Though now that I think about it, I'm not sure if she would want me to. The only way I could if she was dying, was to bite her, and she had never expressed to me that she wanted to become a vampire. It wouldn't be my decision to make. I know what it's like to no have a choice, and even though I have fun in life, I wouldn't choose this for anyone.
The silence is what brought me back to reality. Her heart had stopped and Carlise and the nurses brought out the defibrillator. They tore her nightgown, reviling her naked chest. I looked away, as did Charlie.
"Charge to two-hundred." Said Carlisle.
The machine made a high pitch sound as it quickly charged.
"Clear!"
I couldn't watch as her lifeless body lifted up off the table and slammed back down. Nothing. Asking for more, it charging again.
"Clear!"
Nothing.
"Come on, Bella! Clear!"
-Bella's POV-
I wanted to cry and give up. But if I did, I may be stuck in here forever, and not get to be with my Alice again. I started to get mad. Mad at the fucking truck that hit me, mad at myself for not being strong enough to stay conscious. The more I thought about everything, the more seethed with anger. Taking deep breath to try and calm down so I could attempt to think rationally, but hat wasn't going to happen though, I was too far gone. I needed to get my emotions out.
"Fuck!" I screamed, my heart pounding hard in my chest.
I gasped to catch my breath, then I screamed again. This time when I went for a breath, the ground began to shake. First a little vibration that alarmed me a little, but not enough to take me out of my angered state. In fact, it made me more mad. I wanted to get the fuck out of here so bad it felt like my blood was boiling, causing my fists to shake at my sides. All of a sudden the vibration turned into a tremor that made me fall over. I tried to recover, but then another one hit, knocking me back down. Instead of anger now, I was scared. If I disappeared from this place, would I get back to reality, or further into unconsciousness?
One more tremor, and the meadow split in half, making dirt to fly everywhere. The ground breaking into more pieces, finally caused the glass dome around the meadow to shatter. Pieces flying everywhere, barely missing me as I tried to get out of the meadow and into the now normal looking forest. Tired, but not giving up, I sprinted as fast as I could, reaching the edge. I tripped on a tree root, going down in slow motion. As I hit the ground, I saw part of the meadow fly up in the air, and on its way down it was headed straight for me. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the impact, but it never came.
I opened my eyes to find Alice looking at me with a worried expression, but still looking like an angel.
"Hi there..." She said softly, as her hand caresses my cheek.
"Am I dead?" I asked with a dry voice.
She gave me a strange look, like she didn't want to tell me something, but then decided to.
"You gave us all quite a scare, but you aren't dead."
I blinked and looked around. I was in a private hospital room. I looked down at my body, my left arm and leg in casts...crap. A kiss on my forehead brought my attention back to Alice, oh, how I missed her.
"I missed you so much." She whispered.
"You took the words right out of my mouth." I giggled as I raised my hand to her face. "Come here." I said, putting my hand behind her neck, pulling her closer.
I was in heaven with her cold lips met mine. It had been way too long. She pulled back after a few seconds, but pulled her back in, capturing her lips once again.
"Bella..." She said distracted.
"What?"
"Bella!" He gasped as I heard him approach.
"Hey, dad." I said as I reluctantly let Alice go to give Charlie a one-armed hug.
I saw Alice over his shoulder backing away towards the door.
"Are you leaving?" I asked her.
"Yeah. School tomorrow."
"Um, Dad?"
"I'll give you a few minutes." He said, smoothing back my hair before he walked out of the room and took a seat in the hallway.
"Didn't think I'd let you leave me so soon, did you?"
"I don't want to leave you, but I have to keep up appearances. Can't be out too late on a school night. But trust me, there's nothing more I want then to stay with you."
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, right?"
"As soon as the bell rings, I'll be here."
-Alice's POV-
Ten long days. That's how long Bella was in the hospital. Every day I had to go to school without her, and every night I had to leave her at the hospital. Carlisle finally assessed that she was well enough to go home, but was put on bed rest for a while. I would get her homework each day and bring it to her. During the time I was allowed to stay with her, I would be her servant...I liked to joke. Anything she needed I got, I even helped her when she had to go to the bathroom. Now that's nine o'clock would roll around, I would leave to drive my car home, and then run back to spend the night with her. This plan actually went smoothly. If Charlie came, I would just hide in her closet until he left. And we had fun, making up for lost time. Sharing funny stories, embarrassing moments, and so many other things.
When Charlie had finally told her what all happened before she was conscious, and she was pretty shocked to say the least. Then she told me about that night, and what asshole Mike said to her. Which made me want to rip his head off. But Bella was over it, she just didn't want to talk to him, or see him anytime soon. That's the only thing we agreed on with him. She told me about how she was stuck in the meadow part of the time and was fairly conscious at one point.
Renee was on vacation in another country with Phil during Bella's hospital stay, but religiously called her twice a day, since she couldn't get up to Forks. I even talked to her a few times, and she was very nice. Esme and Carlisle actually got Bella two plane tickets, so when she was better, we could go visit Renee. Bella was thrilled, and couldn't wait to introduce me to her "erratic, hair-brained, mother", and Renee was ecstatic and couldn't wait to see her daughter. Charlie actually really liked the idea of me going with Bella, which I was happy about. He was quietly supportive of us besides that.
Now, as I lay here beside my girl, I really don't know what I would have done if I had lost her that night. I can't imagine my life without her...she is my life. I love the way she absently plays with my fingers when we are just enjoying the silence together. The way she curls up at my side when she is sleeping. The way she looks at me with her beautiful chocolate eyes when she wants to kiss me. I am indebted to Carlisle for saving her precious life, and I will be eternally grateful.
/-/
"Bella..." I said trying to pull away, but she wouldn't let me.
Giving in, I lean back down, her lips meeting mine with force. Her purple-casted arm circling my neck, while her other arm snaked around my waste pulling my body down on hers. I could feel the throbbing between her legs against my thigh, turning me on even more. I had to resist. This wasn't the time nor place to get hot and heavy.
"God, Ali. I want you." She whispered as she left her hips to me.
"I want you too, but we can't. Not now."
"Why?" She asked as I removed myself from her.
"Because. I want it to be special. Not rushed because Charlie is downstairs. Plus half you limbs are cover in casts, and I don't want to hurt you further. I want to be alone with you, when I have unlimited time to make love to you." I said as I kissed her lightly.
She signed, running her hand through her messy hair.
"Jesus. I would take a cold shower at a time like this, but now it's a fucking pain in the ass."
I laughed at her, smiling. I knew what she meant. My body was aching for hers just as much as hers was for mine.
"Just calm down and think unsexy thoughts."
A pillow smacked me in the head, which made me giggle more.
"It's all your fault." She said, crossing her arms, trying to look mad at me.
"But you'll forgive me." I said, crawling back up to her.
"Always."