Bella:
And felled in the night
By the ones you think you love
They will come for you
I wake up early the next morning, the smell of hospital breakfast tempting me awake. I slowly open my eyes and spy a tray of food at the end of the bed, my stomach begging me to eat it.
Pausing momentarily, I finally give into what my stomach wants, crawling along the bed over to the food. I pick up the toast and begin nibbling on it, jumping in shock when I hear the door shutting.
My eyes snap up and see Nurse Lake entering the room, smiling when she sees me eating.
"How are you feeling?" she asks carefully, approaching slowly.
"Like shit," I reply truthfully, finishing off the toast.
"We've called your school explaining why you're absent," Nurse Lake informs me, moving further into the room. "The police are also here."
My eyes widen and fear takes over. I forget about the food and move to the end of the bed, glancing over at the door.
"Why? Why are they here?" I ask quickly.
"Don't worry. They're here because you're only 16 and you left home unannounced. Maybe you should tell them why that is," Nurse Lake says.
"As if my parents give a shit that I'm not at home," I snort, rolling my eyes.
"You still need somewhere to live. Like what I suggested yesterday," Nurse Lake says.
After more arguing, I finally allow Nurse Lake to let the police officers into the room. Before she leaves to get them she tells me they're both female, as she thought I'd be more comfortable with female officers.
"Hello, I'm Natalie and this is Penelope," the police officer introduces them.
I don't say anything in response.
"How are you feeling?" Natalie asks.
"Brilliant," I reply sarcastically. Nurse Lake gives me a look of warning. "Better than yesterday, anyway," I add, hoping to appease Nurse Lake. I don't know why I'm trying to appease her, though.
"We understand you've run away from home," Penelope pushes, trying to get me to talk.
"I didn't get on with my parents," I tell them. It's the truth, just not the complete truth.
"Could you expand on that?" Natalie asks hopefully.
Initially I don't say anything, looking to Nurse Lake for comfort. If I tell them and they don't believe me, my life will be made ten times worse. Dad will force me to move back home, probably force me into an abortion, and beat me much worse.
But what if they do believe me…
I could move away to the place Nurse Lake suggested, raise my baby happily and be away from all the negativity.
I have to do something!
"My father, Charlie Swan, he, um, he used to hit me," I admit quietly.
"How often would this happen?" Natalie asks, writing down everything I'm saying.
"Around once a day. If I did something to upset him, or did something bad at school. He'd hit me and shout at me, calling me 'plain, boring and useless'," I tell them both.
"What about your mother?" Penelope asks.
I sigh heavily, not liking all the memories I have to recall. "She never did anything. She'd never touch me – not to comfort me or to hit me. And she'd never try and stop him, either."
I start crying at this point. I think it was my mother who hurt me the most. The fact she didn't care about me so much she'd let my father abuse me and not even look at me.
"How long has this been going on?" Natalie asks.
"Around 6 years. Ever since Dad lost his job as a police officer and started drinking," I tell them, wiping away the tears with a tissue Nurse Lake handed to me.
Over the next hour I recall all my memories, every word Dad called me and everything he did to me. They also take pictures of the bruising on my rib cage, stating that they need it for evidence.
When they finally leave I feel emotionally drained, so Nurse Lake advises I take a nap. I do as she suggests, only waking when I hear the door opening.
Presuming it's Nurse Lake, I sit up and yawn, about to thank her for her suggestion.
"D-Dad?" I stutter, seeing my father looming in the doorway.
I shouldn't have said anything. He knows. I don't know how but he knows!
"Isabella Swan, what a big mouth you have," he begins, walking over to my bedside. "When that nurse comes back in, you're going to tell her everything you said was a lie. Then, you're going to come back home and forget anything ever happened."
I nod shakily in agreement with his request, watching as the door opens once again. Nurse Lake enters the room, gasping in shock, and my father plasters a fake grin on his face.
"I heard Isabella was in hospital, her mother and I have been so worried!" Dad lies easily, wrapping an arm around me.
I resist the urge to shudder.
"You have no right to be here," Nurse Lake tells him firmly. My eyes widen at her going against my father.
I'm such an idiot. A stupid, pathetic, idiot.
"No right? I'm her father!" Dad says, trying to hold in his temper.
Which, later, he'll take out on me.
"I understand she ran away, clearly she doesn't want to be near you," Nurse Lake tells him.
I feel like screaming for Nurse Lake to shut up. Every word she says is just making things worse for me later.
"That's just a misunderstanding, wasn't it, Isabella?" Dad says, looking down menacingly at me.
"Y-Yes. A mistake," I tell her, hoping she'll believe me.
"Mr Swan, I'd appreciate if you left the room, otherwise I'll have to call security," Nurse Lake threatens.
"Call security? For what, I'm just visiting my daughter," Dad says, acting innocent yet at the same time walking slowly over to where Nurse Lake is standing.
"Secu-" Just as she's shouting for security Dad places his hand over her mouth, silencing her.
I slowly creep out of bed while Dad is occupied shouting at her and run from the room. Once out on the ward I scream and shout for security to go to that room, and then run away, through the hospital.
I have no idea where I'm going; I just need somewhere to hide. Somewhere away from Dad, from everyone. I shouldn't have said anything; I shouldn't have said anything…
Finally I find a store cupboard, which I quickly jump into. I shut the door and peer through the blinds, hoping no one was following me.
Nurse Lake. I hope she's ok. I hope security listened and went in to help her.
What a coward, I am, running away and not trying to help her. How could I do that do her, when she's been nothing but kind and nice to me?
I sit down in the far end of the store cupboard, wondering how long I'll be able to hide in here. I look around and see only bedding items, so I guess that's why the door was unlocked.
When I hear someone on the other side of the door, I hide behind a tower of sheets. I breathe slowly, hoping no one hears me. I press myself closer into the sheet when I hear footsteps moving around.
"Hello?" a voice calls out. "Is there anyone in here?"
I stay silent, hoping they give up on their search.
"Isabella Swan?" A man says as he discovers my rather pathetic hiding place.
"Um, no?" I try feebly, noticing he's wearing a security guard's uniform.
"It's ok, you don't have to hide. The police are taking your father away," the man reassures me.
"Is…is Nurse Lake ok?" I feel so bad for leaving her alone, and I pray she's ok.
"She's fine. A little shaken up," the security man tells me. "Come on, we need to get you back to your room."
I shake my head and back further into the wall.
"No. I can't. I have to…go," I tell him, trying to push past him.
"They told me you were stubborn," the security guard jokes. "I've been told I have to get you back to your room."
Reluctantly, I allow him to lead me back to my room, since I have no idea where I'm going. Once back in the room I see Nurse Lake being looked over by another nurse, causing the guilt I'm feeling to treble.
"I'm so sorry," I tell her as I walk back into the room.
She rushes over to me and I prepare myself to get hit or something but, instead, she wraps her arms around me and hugs me tightly. I'm tense at first, but then I relax into her arms, trying to remember the last time someone hugged me.
"I'm so relieved you're ok! I should have called security as soon as I saw your father," she tells me, taking a step back.
I notice she's crying. I want to ask her why she cares for me so much, why she's so concerned for me.
"They don't even need your testimony any more, your father will be going to prison for what he did to me, and several other of his ex-colleagues have come forward to complain about him," Nurse Lake tells me, smiling victoriously.
"Are you sure?" I ask before I fully relax.
"Positive," Nurse Lake smiles at me.
"About the, um, home you talked about…is that still on offer?" I ask nervously.
I really hope it is. I need somewhere safe for my baby and me.
"Definitely."
A/N: Thoughts on Bella's father now? :O
Oh, and next chapter is the one you've all been waiting for...the introduction of Edward!
Review please? :D
Lyrics: Daniel in the Den by Bastille