I remained beside Bella while she slept. My knee ached dully, but if I stayed still I could avoid deeper pain. I hated that I couldn't be of more assistance to either her or Carlisle. The best I could do for the moment was to monitor her.

I studied Bella's face in slumber. She had graceful, prettily arched eyebrows and long eyelashes. Her injuries had left her wan, but I could tell that her complexion was very fair in the best of circumstances. Her skin was creamy and smooth, aside from the bruises marring her cheek and forehead. Her hair was long—it was matted now—but I imagined that it would be soft and glossy when washed and brushed.

I was still contemplating her features when Bella's brow furrowed deeply and her lips parted. Her eyes remained closed, but she began whimpering.

"Carlisle!" I said urgently.

He turned toward Bella. "What is it?"

"I think she's in distress."

He pressed his fingers gently against her neck. Her head jerked, and she cried out, "No! Please… don't!"

Her eyes were still shut tightly. I realized she was having a nightmare.

"She's dreaming," I said quickly, then I leaned closer to her, trying to calm her with soothing words. "Sshh, Bella, it's all right. You're safe."

She lifted her hand. She had felt Carlisle's touch at her throat and was attempting to push him away. "No, no," she repeated. She was beginning to breathe heavily.

"We need to wake her," Carlisle said.

"Bella." I spoke her name firmly. "Wake up, Bella. It's okay. It's only a dream."

She blinked rapidly then gasped. A tiny exhalation of "Oh!" left her as her eyes searched the dim interior of the tent. For a few moments it seemed that she didn't recognize Carlisle and me, but then her features relaxed a little.

"You're with Carlisle and me. We're still in the tent," I said, stroking her cheek lightly, then I repeated, "You're safe."

She gave a small nod, beginning to calm. However, her breathing remained somewhat labored. Carlisle had noticed, of course, and had reached for the stethoscope.

"I need to listen to your lungs, sweetheart," he told her in a gentle voice. "Is that all right?"

She nodded again, and I took her hand, remembering that she had seemed to find some comfort in that the last time he examined her. He unfastened several of the buttons on her shirt then slipped the stethoscope inside. I kept my eyes on her face, but I knew he was listening to the apices and middle and lower lung fields and would check laterally and anteriorly. I helped her shift slightly onto her side so that he could listen posteriorly, as well.

When he was finished, he offered her a thin smile, saying, "Breath sounds are good, but it's important for you to do some breathing exercises every couple of hours. They'll help prevent any issues with your lungs."

The thought of her developing pneumonia, or worse yet, a pneumothorax, terrified me. I added, "We'll show you what to do."

"Okay," she replied.

"How's your pain?" Carlisle asked her, retrieving the juice pouch she'd begun earlier.

"It's a little better?" she answered hesitantly.

He patted her hand. "I know that moving didn't help. Let's wait a bit before we try anything else. Have some more juice."

She drank slowly but finished the pouch. After she rested for a few minutes, we both assisted her in sitting up. Carlisle rolled the top part of the sleeping bag into a soft cylinder then placed it over the injured ribs.

"Hold this here," he instructed her. "It will make things a little easier."

She moved her arm to the make-shift pillow. I took her free hand in mine while Carlisle demonstrated the type of breaths she needed to take. I knew it would be painful for her to complete the deep inhalations, but it was a necessary evil. Bella managed several breaths before her eyes filled with tears.

"Okay, that was very good," Carlisle complimented. "Now I want you to cough, just a little, not too hard."

She complied, blinking at the tears. She gripped my hand tightly. My own chest ached, watching her as she struggled against the discomfort. But she didn't complain. Her expression, although clearly pained, was determined.

"Good, Bella, very good," Carlisle repeated. "That's all for now. Let's put a cold pack over your ribs for a little while. It'll help with the pain."

I saw the small shudder that ran through her, but she didn't offer any protest. Instead, she thanked him for all he was doing.

"Is it all right if I move a little closer to you?" I asked. "Shared body heat, you know," I added by way of explanation.

"Oh yes," she said, "that would be nice… if you don't mind?"

"Not at all," I replied quite sincerely.

Carlisle set the cold pack over her injured ribs then tucked the sleeping bags snugly around her and me. Bella's hand found mine again, and I felt her cool fingers slip through mine.

I knew she was chilled, and tentatively I touched her leg with mine. She didn't flinch, so I pressed my skin to hers. She gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"Would you tell me about yourselves?" she asked in her soft voice.

I understood that she needed a distraction. Her eyes sought Carlisle first. With a warm smile, he said, "My name is Carlisle Cullen. I've lived in the Seattle area for about ten years. I'm married. My wife is named Esme…" He continued, his voice light and calm.

After he had given her the basics about himself, she looked at me.

"I'm Edward Masen," I said. "I graduated from medical school—" I paused and pretended to glance at my watch, "about five minutes ago."

"Worst graduation ceremony ever," she said with a little, ironic grin.

Delighted by her humor, even in such unpleasant circumstances, I continued, "Carlisle was—is—my mentor. He's taught me so much about medicine, and not just the technical parts." I gave him a grateful look then returned my attention to Bella. "I hope that someday I can be half as good a physician as he is."

"You will be," she said softly, and in my peripheral vision I saw Carlisle nod.

"Thank you. I've been fortunate enough to be matched with his program for my residency."

"Mmm," she murmured, "double trouble."

"What?" I asked, unsure what she meant.

For the first time since I'd found her, I saw a hint of color in her cheeks. "The two of you," she explained, and I suddenly realized that she was blushing. "You're both gorgeous." She pressed her lips together. "Oh God… I said that out loud!" she squeaked.

Carlisle chuckled, while I was slightly agape. It probably wasn't the best thing to say, but I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head: "You thought Carlisle was an angel when you first woke."

She shook her head, her cheeks still beautifully pink. "Not just Carlisle; you, too."

Now I was the one who was blushing. At least my heated skin would bring some more warmth to Bella.

Carlisle was still smiling in amusement when he told Bella that he wanted to check her leg. He had chosen a good time; she was much more relaxed and in less pain than she had been earlier. He was very gentle as he removed the bandage, inspected, cleaned, and re-dressed the wound.

"It looks good," he reported.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything." She yawned, flushing slightly again.

"Why don't you try to sleep," Carlisle said. "You might be more comfortable on your left side. I know that sounds a little strange, but you'll actually be able to breathe with less pain. We'll make the nicest mattress we can." He winked and gave her his most charming smile.

I could see that she was at ease now. He had such a marvelous bedside manner, even in the middle of the wilderness. He had already gathered up our softest items of clothing, including the sweatshirt he had been wearing. He folded the items and tucked them into the sleeping bag, then he helped her to roll over. She gasped quietly at first, but after a minute she seemed more comfortable.

"Oh, that is better," she began. "Th—"

"You're very welcome," Carlisle said quickly, knowing precisely what she was about to say.

"Edward," she said in a tentative tone. "Can you… um, would you mind… staying here with me… for a little while longer?"

"I'm not going anywhere," I assured her, then added, "and there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Bella fell asleep fairly quickly. The interior of the tent was very dim now; night was falling. The rain continued, but it wasn't quite as heavy. Lying beside Bella, still and quiet, torpor began creeping through me. I was tired, and sleep was tugging at me. I permitted my eyes to close for a few moments of rest.

When I opened them again, it was pitch dark. I felt disoriented. I was lying on my side, my injured knee slightly elevated on something soft. I was cozy, covered with my sleeping bag. I could still hear rain pattering steadily on the tent, and there was something warm resting against the length of my body and beneath my arm.

With a slight start, I realized that I was turned toward Bella, cuddled up to her with my arm wrapped around her. Was I hurting her? No, she remained on her left side, and when I shifted my arm I felt the softness of her breasts. Quickly I started to move my arm away, but as I lifted it, she began to stir.

I didn't want to wake her, so I stilled. She settled back into deep slumber quickly. However, I was wide awake now. I rested my hand softly over Bella's heart, counting the beats and noting her respirations. Thankfully, I found nothing worrisome in my little evaluation.

I wondered what time it was. Although I couldn't see anything, I felt certain that Carlisle must be sleeping, too. If he were awake, he would surely have the lantern on, even if it were only on the dimmest setting.

Curious to find out the time, I shifted my arm so that it was still touching Bella but I could see my watch. It was 3:10 in the morning. Bella would need to do her breathing exercises again, but I supposed that could wait a little longer. She was sleeping soundly, and that was important, too. She deserved a few hours of peace.

For just a moment I felt a twinge of fear. I needed to be certain the tent was secure and safe. I touched the little button on my watch that illuminated the face. It provided just enough light for me to see the interior of the tent. The supplies remained where we had left them, and the door was securely zipped. Lifting my head, I saw that Carlisle was stretched out on Bella's other side, facing away from her. All three of us were covered by my open sleeping bag. Carlisle had taken care of all of us before he finally allowed himself to sleep.

Not for the first time, I was extremely grateful for his presence. I lowered my head, realizing that it had been resting on a rolled up tee shirt. A small smile of gratitude tugged at my lips.

I lay awake for a long time. My knee ached, but the pain was bearable. After a time, I found myself counting Bella's inhalations and exhalations, but it was not in a clinical sense. Her soft breathing comforted me. Eventually I drifted off to sleep once more.

When I woke, gray light was seeping into the tent. I glanced at my watch to find that it was just after six o'clock. Bella remained beside me, but she was lying on her back. My arm was no longer around her. For some reason I was disappointed that I hadn't felt her move.

I couldn't see her face; she had her head turned the other way. I pushed up onto my elbows, surprised to see that Carlisle had moved. He was nowhere in sight. Glancing down at Bella, I saw that her eyes were open and she was watching the entrance of the tent.

"Bella," I said softly, not wanting to startle her.

She jerked slightly and turned her head to me. Her expression was apprehensive.

"Where's Carlisle?" I asked.

"He went to try the phone… and get a couple of things," she replied. Her voice was a little husky.

I nodded. "How long has he been gone?"

"Maybe twenty minutes?"

"I'm sure he'll be back soon," I reassured her. But I felt a twinge of worry, too.

I sat up, moving my leg gingerly so that I could assess my knee. It was painful, and when I pulled back the sleeping bag I saw that it remained quite swollen. I knew it was unreasonable to expect that it would have improved drastically overnight, but I had harbored a shred of hope that the injury was less serious than Carlisle had thought. A bottle of water and packet of ibuprofen were easily within reach. I swallowed two tablets quickly.

"How are you feeling?" I asked Bella. The little hints of color I had seen in her face last night had vanished; she was extremely pale now.

"About the same," she said.

"Did Carlisle check your breathing?"

She nodded. "He said I'm doing all right."

I tried to smile, but it felt rather wooden. "That's good."

We were both quiet for a minute. I focused my senses on the sounds outside the tent, listening intently. I could hear the water rushing in the stream, and leaves rustled in the nearby trees. The previous morning, birds had been singing as soon as the sun rose, but I heard no birdsong now. Had something frightened them away?

I shifted around, pulling myself up on my good knee, and moved toward the entrance. I needed to see what was outside, and hopefully find out where Carlisle was.

"I'm just going to step out for a minute," I told Bella, unzipping the flap.

"Edward," she importuned, "be careful."

"I will."

I crawled through the opening, my eyes scanning the area quickly then more systematically. The stream had risen considerably; Carlisle had been wise to set up camp on higher ground. I stood, keeping my weight on my left leg. I looked all around but did not see Carlisle.

Now that I was standing, my bladder decided to announce its fullness. With a muttered curse, I searched for something to use as a cane. Propriety dictated that I go at least a short distance from the tent to heed the call of nature.

A fairly thick stick lay a few yards away. I managed to limp over to it, frustrated and disappointed that basic movement proved such a challenge. I'd never envied patients who used crutches, but at the moment I would have been very glad for a pair.

"Bella," I called out softly, "I'm still out here. I'm going to go just a few yards so that I can… get a better view."

If she replied, I couldn't hear her. At least she wouldn't be concerned that I hadn't returned immediately. I hobbled toward a nearby bush and completed my little task as quickly as I could.

I had just finished when I heard something moving above me. A shower of pebbles rained down a few yards away. I stilled, looking up at the edge of the ravine. From my position, however, I couldn't see the beyond the ledge.

"Carlisle?" I called out softly. "Is that you?"

There was heavy shuffling on the ledge, and I heard a distinctly angry grunt. That was not a sound Carlisle would make. And if it were another hiker, surely he or she would offer a friendly greeting. The noise above was anything but friendly.

My hand gripped the stick. It wasn't much, but it was the only weapon I had at the moment. Heart hammering, I backed up a few paces, craning my neck in an attempt to see who stood above me.

"Hello?" I tried to speak in a firm voice. "Who's there?"

A few more pebbles fell, and there was a squish of mud as feet trod closer to the ledge. Another fractious huff accompanied the movements. Whoever was up there was not pleased. My first thought was of that bastard, James. Bella feared his determination. Was it possible he had succeeded in tracking her?

To be continued…