"Carlisle, I don't know…"
"Bella, I know you can do this. It's great practice. Just relax, and stitch her head up."
The voices didn't sound like my mom and Grandfather's. I wonder what they gave me. I felt no pain at all. I don't think I could find my fingers or my toes if I really wanted to.
"Jacob, stop pacing like that! You're making me nervous!" I think it was my mom yelling. At Jacob? Jacob was here?
"Jacob." I heard my dad, I think.
I let my mind wonder trying to figure out where I was. Who was around me, and how long I was like this. I slowly began to feel my body. "Mommy." My voice was still crackly.
"Right here." Again her voice sounded like she'd be crying if she could.
"I'm so sorry." I blinked a few times before I could focus on her face.
"Shh… rest now. We'll talk later. The important thing is that you're ok." She swiped her hand across my clammy forehead and then across my neck. Her cold touch felt good.
"Hey beautiful." Jacob said softly as he came into my line of sight.
"Watch it." My dad warned.
Jacob ignored him and knelt by my bed. "What happened?"
"I…I…" I looked around the room. The only one I avoided looking at was my father. " I don't remember."
"What were you doing on the other side of the Island? You know we don't like you swimming over there alone." My dad reminded me.
"I know, but the shells over there are prettier. I guess I wondered too far into the water, and the waves claimed me. I'm sorry. It wont happen again. I'll stay on the northern beach."
"You're not going on any beach for a while. Not until those stitches come out." My mom told me. I sat up quickly, immediately regretting it. My mom and Grandpa were the first to push me back down.
"Please! I want to go back to the beach!" I began to cry, which made my head hurt.
"I'm sorry, but I don't want you down there right now. You need to relax for a few days." My mom insisted.
I gave up arguing with her. No one could win an argument with my mom. I don't think she'd win if she argued against herself.
"I'm tired." I rolled away from my mom to look at Jacob. "Stay until I fall asleep." I asked as I reached out to place my hand in his.
"I'll be here as long as you want." He leaned over to whisper into my ear. I closed my eyes and moved closer to him, hugging his arm close to me.
"Good." I mumbled, already half asleep.
When I woke up the sun looked like it was setting. Jacob was snoring next to me. He was in the chair with his head on the bed. "Hi." I turned towards the voice and saw my mom in the rocking chair by my window. "How are you feeling?" She asked.
I got up slowly and walked over to her. She reached behind her to grab the blanket, but I pulled it out of her hands. I didn't want to be wrapped up in a stupid blanket. I wanted just my mom. She seemed to know exactly what I wanted. Her arms opened up and I climbed onto her lap. I curled into her, and she wrapped her arms around me. She started rocking and I relaxed. "How long have I been out?" I mumbled against her shirt.
"13 hours." She whispered against the top of my head.
"Why am I still so tired?" I asked as I nuzzled closer to her.
"You have a lot of pain medication in you right now. Plus your body is trying to heal itself, and the best way to do that is to sleep. It's fine. Close your eyes." Her voice was smooth, and comforting. She continued rocking and her cold hands felt good against my skin. I was soon fast asleep in the comfort and safety of my mothers arms.
The next time I opened my eyes the sun was bright in the sky. It shone through my window. I was still wrapped in my mom's arms. "Good morning sunshine." My mom smiled down at me. "You've been sleeping on and off for almost 3 days."
I moved my hands to try and rub the sleep from my eyes, but my right hand was attached to something. I remembered this from when I fell off the cliff with my mom. It was an IV. "It's in because we can't keep you awake long enough to feed you." My mom said when she saw me looking at my hand. That explained why I wasn't hungry.
"I feel a lot better. Can I go down to the beach?" I asked as I sat up on her lap.
"No." She shook her head. As if I wouldn't understand the word. "Not for a few more days."
We were silent for a few seconds and my door opened. My dad smiled when he saw I was awake. "There's my brown eyed girl." He knelt in front of my mom and I. "I missed seeing those big beautiful eyes."
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but smile. I want to go back to the beach, please tell mom to let me go. I thought to my dad. He glanced up at my mom quickly before looking back at me.
"I don't think so sweetheart." My dad whispered. "Speaking of the beach, you mind telling us what happened?" My dad narrowed his eyes at me. "What really happened."
"I already told you, I was searching for shells and I was swept away by one of the waves." I stared directly into his eyes.
My dad was silent for a few moments as he stared back at me. I made sure to think only of me seashell hunting.
"But that doesn't explain why you were over on the one part of the island that you know we don't like you going to alone. 3 years we've been here and you've listened to us. Why the sudden change?" He asked.
"It was just a stupid mistake, and believe me it wont happen again." I clenched my teeth together.
"Good." My dad took my face in his hands and kissed both of my cheeks.
Later on that day after the IV was taken out and I ate a full meal on my own, my mom finally let me go outside. I couldn't go down to the beach yet, but I was able to sit outside on the patio. Everyone was inside talking, so I decided to get up and wonder around the backyard. I inched my way further towards the trees, and held my breath when I reached them. Without thinking I turned, sprinting towards the beach. I glanced over my shoulder for either a angry father, or a huge werewolf chasing after me. There was nothing.
"Cassandra, Gavin?" I whispered as I walked quickly down the beach.
"We were wondering when you'd come back. I didn't think you were ever going to talk to us again." Gavin walked quickly towards me. My hands balled up into fists and I growled. I picked up my pace and when I reached him I shoved hard against his bare chest. He stumbled backwards and fell onto the sand.
"How dare you leave me like that!" I spit out. "I should go back to my house and tell my dad exactly what you did. This way I can watch him kill you!" I was screaming at this point.
"Calm down. I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you. My dad made us leave. He said your parents were good at finding you."
"Yeah, when I leave a trail! You're nothing but a coward, Gavin! You left me there, alone, bleeding, coughing up water, and did I mention you left me?!" I shoved him again, but this time he grabbed onto my arms to stop me.
"I'm so sorry. Every day I have been waiting here to see if you were ok. I would have come to your house myself, but I know your parent's kind has very good hearing." I sat down on the sand and he followed. His arm draped across my shoulders. "I am truly sorry. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I was hoping you were ok. I'm pleased you came down here to let me know you were doing well. Even if your real reason for coming here was to yell and scream at me. I still take pleasure in knowing that you're ok."
"Don't ever do that to me again." I looked at him through the corner of my eyes.
I sucked in a sharp breath when he leaned in to kiss my cheek. "I will never." He whispered to me.
"I have to go. My parents are going to come looking for me soon. Tell Cassandra I'm not mad at her. I'll try and come back tomorrow." I stood up and started to walk away.
"We'll be here waiting." He said, and I turned to smile at him.
I reached the backyard to see Jacob pacing around. He turned towards my direction, and I froze. "Nessie." he sighed, and ran over to me. "Where the hell have you been? Bella told me to come check on you and you weren't here. I know you're out doing something that they don't know about. Trust me when it comes to sneaking around no one knows that better than your mother, and apparently the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I covered for you, now you need to start talking. What's been going on with you?" Jacob said as he pulled me out of hearing range of my parents.
"Promise you wont say anything?" I asked him.
"You have my word munchkin."
"For the past few days I have been hanging out with this girl named Cassandra, only she's not a normal girl. She's a mermaid! Her dad's the one that I told you about. Her and her brother Gavin are so cool. We've been hanging out on the beach, and Gavin was teaching me how to body surf! Only I'm not as good as they are." I pointed to my head.
"something did all this to you? A fish is responsible for hurting you? I'll kill him! Where is he?" Jacob crouched in front of me looking around the woods.
"No! Leave him alone. I like him, and I think he likes me too. Well he kissed me so I-"
"what?" Jacob hissed at me.
"Just on the cheek. I'm only 11." I rolled my eyes.
"I have to tell Edward." Jacob picked me up and tucked me under his arm.
"No! Jakey stop! You said you wouldn't say anything! Do you want them to kill me too? They will!" Jacob stopped and put me down. "Please." I begged.
He looked down at me, and I could only see hurt and disappointment in his eyes. I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He sighed heavily. "Fine, but you sneak off again like that and I'm going to say something."
"Fine by me." I smiled and we walked back to the house.
"How was your walk?" My mom said as soon as I walked into the house.
"Fine." I smiled and played along with Jacob's story he must have told her. "Mom, do you think I could go to the beach tomorrow? I wont go into the water. I just want to sit and do some thinking by myself." I glanced behind my mom towards Jacob. He was glaring at me.
"Jacob?" My dad walked up to him. I held my breath.
"Nothing, Edward. Just thinking of stupid stuff." I let my breath out when my dad patted him on the back and walked away.
"So, can I?" I asked my mom again when she didn't answer me.
"I'll have to talk to your father about it, but I don't see a problem with it. Right now I want to get you showered and into bed."
"Bella, when you're finished I would like to go over what you've learned so far." My grandpa said on our way passed the living room.
"Sure, Carlisle. That would be great actually." My mom said, and led me towards the bathroom.
When we were done she tucked me into bed and everyone came in to say goodnight. I fell asleep smiling.