So let's hear from Edward! Most chapters from now on will be his POV… unless I can work something out. Anyhoo, please review!
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EPOV
The searing coffee burned the shit out of my tongue as I nearly spit it out. Smooth, Cullen. I fanned my mouth helplessly when my cell phone rang. Sweet home Alabama. I snickered—Jasper.
I pulled it out and hit Answer. "Hey, what's up?" His voice was drowned out by ear-piercing screams. I held the phone away from my ear and yelled, "Jasper, dude! Is that you?" Half the patrons at the Starbucks were now staring, but I ignored them.
The screams faded slightly. I heard rustling on the other end. "Edward? Sorry, man. I have a little situation here."
"So I hear. Where the fuck are you?"
"I'm at the hospital. I need your help."
"Why? Shit, what happened? Are my parents okay? Alice? Emmett? Rose? Dude, talk to me!" My voice went higher with panic. Hospitals and 'situations' were never good.
"Calm down, Edward. The family's fine. And thanks for asking about me, by the way. I'm fine."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. So, what can I do for you?"
Jazz sighed. "Guess I'd better fill you in from the beginning. I was in a session with a patient. She was regressing, and everything was going normally. She'd been under for maybe ten minutes when she suddenly woke up screaming. I can't explain it at all. It was bone-chilling. I tried to calm her down, but she looked at me and I swear, she just got louder. She wouldn't let me touch her."
"Out of the blue like that? She just freaked?" I took my cup of coffee and headed out of the Starbucks. I climbed into my silver Volvo and jammed the key into the ignition.
"Yeah, I cannot explain it. I called Kate in, told her to prep a syringe with lorazepam and call an ambulance. The girl went down—the tranq hit her hard. She stopped resisting, but her eyes were terrified." Jasper sounded both worried and exhausted.
I drove out of the lot and made my way through the evening traffic. The hospital was just off the highway, and given the hour, probably fucking gridlocked.
"And why do you need my help? Did you call her emergency contact?"
"Yes, and her friend is on her way too. But I need you as a translator."
Huh. Weird. "Translator? Dude, I'm an artist, not a fucking language professor."
He snorted. "Yeah, an artist who doesn't actually paint, but that's not really the issue here. You speak Spanish, right?"
"Uh, no, I took French in college. Why Spanish? Your patient's foreign? How come you took her on?"
"No, she's not foreign. I really don't know how to explain this. You know how I told you he was screaming? Well, the few words she managed to speak were in Spanish. Edward, it's like she doesn't even remember who she is. Her English is completely gone."
"Think she's faking?" I was stuck behind this huge semi. Shit. I honked, as though that would get me there any faster.
"I know. I'd probably think that, but man, you didn't see her eyes when she woke up. Something went horribly wrong and I don't know what or how to fix it, for now."
"Carlisle?"
"I called, left a message at the hotel for him to call me. I could really use his help, but I don't want him to cut his trip short." My adoptive parents were enjoying a second honeymoon in Europe. Carlisle had been Jasper's mentor and even though I hadn't followed in his footsteps as a doctor, he had been more than happy to take his son-in-law under his wing.
"I'm on my way, but traffic's shit. I won't be able to help much, but call Alice. She's the one who speaks Spanish."
"Alice? Seriously? I never knew that." Jasper sounded very surprised.
"I thought for sure your wife would have mentioned it. She became pretty fluent one summer when she went down to Can—" I cut myself off abruptly.
"Cancún?" His voice fell flat.
"This was way before she met you. I think it was that summer before college." I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me. He could be very possessive and jealous where my sister was concerned. "Call Alice. I'm almost there."
"Okay, thanks. Ask for me when you get here. I'll come get you. I managed to get her a room. The tranqs wore off, and she panicked again. I don't want to dope her up before we get some answers. I signed on as her attending."
"Yeah, I'll see you. Bye." I hung up and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. I didn't know if I'd be able to help for shit, but Alice probably would. The girl's case sounded completely fucked up, but in the realm of the mind, anything was possible.
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Next chapter, they'll meet. R&R please!
