Bella's comment elicited a soft chuckle from Carlisle. Perhaps this wasn't the first time he'd been mistaken for an ethereal creature. But Bella's eyes remained on me. I smiled and stroked her hair softly.
"I'm Edward, and this is Carlisle. We found you by the stream. You've been hurt, but we're taking care of you. Carlisle is a doctor."
"So are you," he added with a smile.
"Sort of," I clarified. Bella was still looking at me. "I just graduated from medical school. But Carlisle is one of the best ER physicians in Seattle."
She took a shallow, unsteady breath, finally moving her gaze to him. "Thank you," she whispered.
He took her hand in his. "You're welcome, Bella. How are you feeling?"
She blinked again, her expression one of deep concentration for a few moments. "Um… my ribs are sore." She sounded almost apologetic.
Carlisle nodded. "Two of them are fractured, so it's important that you move as little as possible. We don't want to risk any injury to your lungs."
"Oh… okay," she said weakly.
"You also have a pretty deep cut on your leg," he informed her gently. "You lost quite a bit of blood. You're going to feel weak for some time because of that. I've sutured the wound, and it should be fine, but it's important to keep your leg still."
She gave a tiny nod. "I'm sorry… to have caused you… so much trouble."
"We're just glad we found you and were able to help," I said.
"Where are we?" she asked. Her voice was still hoarse.
"Not far from the stream," Carlisle replied.
"Is it…" She hesitated for a moment, her eyes moving around the tent before finishing, "Safe?"
Carlisle offered her a reassuring smile. "Yes. We're still in the ravine, but we're on higher ground and in a protected area. We'll stay here until the storm clears. Are you warm enough?"
"Yes."
"Aside from your ribs and leg, does anything else hurt?" Carlisle inquired.
She frowned slightly, and when she spoke it sounded like a confession. "I feel… sore."
"Anywhere in particular?" he asked.
She swallowed. "No… just sort of everywhere."
"Do your head or neck hurt?"
"No, not really… no more than anywhere else."
"Okay." He reached for the cuff and stethoscope again. "I'm going to check your blood pressure."
She lay quietly while he wrapped the cuff around her arm. For a few seconds her gaze was fixed on the roof of the tent, but then she looked at me. I smiled, trying to offer her as much moral support as I could. Her eyes lowered, and I realized she was staring at my knee.
"Are you hurt?" she asked quietly.
"I'm okay," I replied.
Her delicate eyebrows drew together; she appeared distressed. "Did… that happen when you… were trying to help… me?"
I shook my head. "I was just careless. It was my own fault."
She blinked again, and I realized that her eyes had filled with tears.
"Hey," I said softly, "it's okay." I took her hand, enveloping it in mine.
"I'm sorry," she whispered with a tiny sniff.
"Bella," Carlisle cautioned gently, "try to stay calm. Edward isn't in any danger."
I gave him a pointed look, silently inquiring about her BP. He replied with a brief nod; he wasn't overly concerned. He checked her pupils with a pen light then listened to her lungs again. She remained quiet while he examined her. I kept her hand in mine, noticing that she curled her slender fingers around my palm as Carlisle performed the necessary tasks.
When he had finished, he told her that she was doing well. As well as can be expected in these circumstances would have been a more apt description, I was sure, but I understood that keeping Bella calm was very important.
"Do you think you can sip a little juice?" he asked her. "I can give you some Advil, too."
"Yes, please," she replied softly.
He took a small pouch of apple juice from his backpack and slid in the straw. He lifted her head while I held the straw to her lips. Carlisle cautioned her to sip slowly, and she complied. He allowed her to have about half of the pouch then gave her the ibuprofen. I watched somewhat anxiously as she took another sip of juice and swallowed the tablet. If she were to choke, she would risk a lung injury. It was important for her to have fluids and find relief from her pain, but caution was critical, too.
As the rain continued to drum against the tent, the air grew colder. I was becoming chilled again. The cold pack on my knee and my bare legs weren't helping. An unwelcome shudder ran through me.
"You're cold," Bella said, her brow furrowing again.
"I'm okay," I assured her quickly, surprised by her perceptiveness. She was in significant physical discomfort, yet she seemed concerned about me.
Carlisle checked his watch then removed the cold pack. As he wrapped my knee with an Ace bandage, I tried not to wince. The cold and the ibuprofen had helped some, but the injury was still painful.
Pulling on pants was not an option at the moment, so I covered my legs with my sleeping bag. Bella was wearing one of my flannel shirts, but fortunately I had brought two. I found the second one in my pack and put it on.
Bella watched me then glanced at the fabric covering her arm. "Is this yours?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied. It occurred to me that she had realized that we had undressed her. I attempted to explain, "Your clothing was wet, and you were hypothermic…"
Before I could finish, she said softly, "Thank you."
Carlisle rested his hand against her cheek. "Do you still feel chilled?"
"Just a little," she answered.
I began to move my sleeping bag to cover her, but she shook her head. "No, I'm fine," she protested weakly.
Without thinking, I said, "We can share… if you don't mind."
Carlisle helped me to adjust the sleeping bag so that my legs remained covered and her torso had an extra layer of warmth. A tiny smile graced her lips, and for what felt like the hundredth time she thanked me again.
"We're just glad we can help you," I responded.
Her eyes moved from my face to Carlisle's before she said, "I am, too." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
I saw that her eyes were filling with tears again. "Everything's going to be all right," I tried to reassure her even as I realized how empty those words could seem. Yet I didn't know what else to say to her. I looked to Carlisle for help.
He was watching Bella, reading her expression in a way that I could not. "Sweetheart," he said kindly, "can you tell us what happened—how you got hurt?"
She took a halting breath. I knew that each inhalation was painful, but this seemed like something more. "My father lives in Forks," she said.
I recalled that Forks was a town I'd seen on the map when I was studying the general area of the Olympic Peninsula.
Her voice was soft as she continued, "I was born there… but my parents got divorced… when I was five. I lived with my mother in Phoenix, and I'd visit Forks during the summers until I was in high school. My dad and I… sort of drifted apart when I was a teenager. But last year he got hurt… he's the chief of police…"
With some surprise, Carlisle interjected, "Your father is Charlie Swan?"
Bella's gazed fixed on him. "Yes… do you… know him?"
Carlisle nodded. "He and I were on a search and rescue team together about three years ago. He's an excellent officer and a good man. Is he all right?"
"Yes. But the incident scared me… and I wanted to spend more time with him. I graduated from college in December… and I accepted a job as a teacher at Forks High School and moved out here… in January." She paused, taking several shallow breaths.
"Bella," Carlisle said, "you don't need to tell us right now. Perhaps you should rest for a little while—"
She shook her head. "No… I do need to tell you." There was a hushed urgency to her tone that told us we should allow her to continue.
"In April," she resumed, " a long-term sub… came to the school. We were friendly… but nothing more. He taught science… and he organized a camping trip… for a few of the faculty members…who were interested in learning more about… the ecosystem in this area." She paused again, closing her eyes for several seconds. "When he picked me up for the trip yesterday morning… he told me that the others couldn't come. It was just… the two of us. I should've suspected…" She took another tremulous breath. "I didn't realize…"
"It's okay, Bella," I tried to soothe. "You can tell us later."
"You need to know," she insisted weakly. "We hiked…to a remote area... and set up camp. Last night… he said he knew how I felt… about him... what I wanted him to do to me. But that's not true… I don't. I didn't want him to…"
"Did he hurt you?" Carlisle asked.
"I told him no… and he was angry… He slapped me and pushed me to the ground. But my dad… taught me how to defend myself… and I got away." Now tears were seeping from her eyes. "I was scared… I knew what he was going to do. I could see it in his eyes… So I ran."
"And that's how you ended up out here," Carlisle finished.
"Yes… I ran for a long time… it was dark, and I didn't know where I was… so when it got light and I saw the stream… I began to follow it. I stumbled and fell…"
She was breathing harder now, and her tears continued to flow.
"Just rest now," Carlisle said.
She shook her head. "No… you don't… understand. He's still out there. As I was running away… James was screaming at me… he was enraged and said…he wouldn't let me go… he would find me."
I was livid. How anyone could hurt this sweet young woman was beyond me. Yes, I had seen victims of abuse; I knew that depravity existed. But I had not expected to encounter it out here in the pristine forest.
"I'm so sorry." I clasped Bella's hand again; her skin was cold now. "You're safe here. We won't let anything happen to you."
Carlisle nodded. I could see the fury in his eyes and knew that Esme's experiences were at the forefront of his mind. However, he kept his expression controlled and his tone calm when he spoke. "It's very unlikely that James would be able to find you. We'll keep a close eye on things, just in case, but please don't worry. We'll get you out of here safely; I promise."
Tears glistened against Bella's pallid cheeks. As I brushed my fingertips over the damp trail, I noticed how dark the bruise beside her mouth appeared. Her lip remained swollen, too. I was filled with loathing for the bastard who had hurt her, both by his cruel hand and with his vile plans. He was responsible for all of her injuries.
I touched her lip very gently. "Is there another cold pack?" I asked Carlisle.
"Yes, there are a couple more," Carlisle replied.
Bella lifted her hand to wrap her fingers around my wrist. "It's all right," she said. "I don't need it."
"Are you sure?" Carlisle asked.
She gave a small nod. "It doesn't hurt that much."
"How are your ribs feeling?" he inquired.
"About the same…"
"The Advil should take effect soon," he told her. "It will help."
A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. "Yes… thank you."
I adjusted the sleeping bag so that it covered her as much as possible. Carlisle rolled up a sweatshirt to make a pillow for her. There weren't many comforts we could offer Bella, but we were both determined to do what we could to ease her distress.
She remained very pale, and after a few minutes her eyelids began to grow heavy. I could see that she was struggling to stay awake. Her body needed rest, but she was fighting it.
"Sleep, Bella," I told her. "We'll be right here when you wake."
Finally she succumbed to slumber. Her expression remained tight, even in sleep, and I knew she was still uncomfortable. There was little else we could do for her.
"How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked me, keeping his voice very low.
"I'm okay. The knee feels a little better."
"Good."
My gaze had not moved from Bella. "How do you think she's doing?"
"She's stable."
"God, what that monster did to her…" I whispered vehemently, my hand hovering over her bruised cheek.
Carlisle nodded somberly. "It's unconscionable."
"What are we going to do?"
"Wait out the storm—"
"No, I mean to keep Bella safe. We have to protect her."
"I agree. But right now our priority is keeping her stable. We need to get some more fluids into her, and I want to check the leg lac again fairly soon. The last thing she needs is an infection. I'd also like to get a cold pack on her ribs to reduce the chance of tissue damage." He ran a hand through his hair. "As far as that bastard James is concerned, the chances of his finding her are slim, at best. My guess is that he's already long gone from the area. He'll probably want to get as far away as possible, especially considering that Bella's father is the chief of police in Forks."
Carlisle's words were very reasonable. It wouldn't make sense for Bella's attacker to come near her again. But Bella's abject fear as she had told us about James and his threat to come after her gnawed at me. James' behavior seemed far from rational.
My gaze moved to her face again. She still appeared slightly distressed, and now I wondered how much of it was due to physical pain and how much stemmed from mental and emotional anguish.
"How long should we let her sleep?" I asked. While she remained in pain, at least she was resting.
"An hour or so, I think. She certainly needs the rest, but she also needs treatment."
I nodded. I watched the movement of Bella's chest, wishing I could hear her breathing. However, the rain drumming on the tent prevented that. Carlisle kept his eyes on her for some time, too, but after a while he moved away to look through his backpack. I realized he was taking out food. He passed a protein bar to me.
"Thanks, but I'm not hungry," I said.
"Eat it, Edward," he enjoined softly.
I acquiesced, taking small, tasteless bites. I knew I needed the carbohydrates to stave off any lingering physical shock from my injury, as well as to maintain my energy levels. Carlisle ate a bar, too, and took several long draughts from his water bottle. Then he spent some time organizing the medical supplies. I realized he wanted to be prepared for any eventuality, but a part of me wondered if it would be enough.
To be continued...