Chapter Three

BPOV

Finding the keys to the truck wasn't hard; they were exactly where they always were. I pulled my jacket on, holding it close to my body as I walked carefully down the driveway to the truck, opening the door quickly before getting in. I didn't move for a bit, just kept my hands on the wheel as I sat there, smelling the familiar scent, and looking around the cab. Emmet had left it exactly the same, deep down I was slightly worried that he would have fiddled with the engine, changed the radio, but no, it was exactly as I left it. The key was in the ignition a few moments later and the loud engine purred like a mountain lion about to attack. I was finally ready to face everything that I had left such a mess head on.

Just like Charlie's house, Forks had not changed a bit. Well, that might have been an exaggeration, the buildings had been painted, something that they assumed would make it look more appealing. Still, I suppose somehow the fact that some things that never changed might have been a little bit comforting. The drive to the hospital didn't take long and before I knew it, I was pulling into the parking lot, quickly finding a parking spot not too far from Emmet's Jeep. Stepping out I surveyed the parking lot, taking in the surroundings and the cars that filled it, not surprised to not see the luxury cars that so often drove down the streets of San Francisco, no the most expensive car in this parking lot was a gleaming silver Volvo. How it managed to shine in the rain, I still had no idea.

The mist still filled the air and as I walked through the doors I brushed a little of the water that had clung to my face off before pulling off my jacket. I knew this hospital like the back of my hand, Emmet use to tease me that they would make me their official mascot with the amount of visits I made each year while living there. If not their mascot, then I could have given them tours, both Charlie and Emmet had the doctors and nurses on their speed dial, just in case, at least, that's what they always told me.

"Bella Swan!" I heard a voice call out, causing me to turn, startled that someone had already seen me, I had what, been in town for three hours now? As I turned, I saw a woman standing there, her hair dark and curly, and had I not known the voice, I probably wouldn't have recognized her. Shit, Angela is going to be pissed that I didn't tell her I was here, and now that Jessica knows, it's going to be all over town. I put on the best smile that I could as I watched her approach.

"Jessica Stanley." I felt her arms around me as she pulled me into a hug causing my whole body to stiffen momentarily before I too put my arms around her lightly to reciprocate the action.

"I was expecting you, actually. Dr. Cullen had mentioned that your dad said something about you coming back to visit." She said, pulling away and standing there, her eyes giving me the once over like she had all those years ago when I had only just started at Forks High School.

"Dr. Cullen? Carlisle Cullen is still the doctor here?" I had only met Carlisle Cullen a few times, he moved here just before I had moved to Palo Alto to attend Stanford and the city had been so excited, with him he brought his youngest daughter, about a year younger than I was, and I could only faintly remember seeing her around town. She stood out like a sore thumb with her short, pixie haircut. There had been word that he had an older son, adopted who had been off at college studying medicine as well though I had never seen him before.

"No, well yes. He's the chief here now, but his son is the one who has been looking after Charlie, the one who scrubbed in for his surgery." She shrugged, before straightening out her pink scrubs and lowering her voice just a little. "To be honest, if I wasn't with Mike I'd be all over Edward, though he doesn't seem to notice any one around here… But he is gorgeous!" I smiled politely at her, in my head thinking of ways to get out of the conversation and hoping that she couldn't see the discomfort that I was sure was plastered across my face.

"It was really good to see you again Jess but I should go find Emmet and my dad…" I said, interrupting her rant about the 'hot' doctor that was now doing his residency here. I figured I'd meet him soon enough and truth be told, if Jess thought he was hot, I would probably be repulsed by him, considering she was still dating Mike Newton. I shuddered at the thought of his name. True he had been a friend but there had been a short time in high school, well no, for the two years that I had been in high school at Forks, Mike had his infatuation with me, even when he was seeing Jessica.

"Well I'm a nurse here so I'm sure I'll be seeing you around. I see Emmet pretty much every day. At least when I work." She responded and I couldn't help but notice the irritation in her voice, likely caused by my interruption.

I smiled at her words but began to walk away turning the corner, leaving her standing there alone. My feet were probably walking faster than I should have let them because before I knew it I had tripped once again over my own feet, my chin hitting the ground hard. Leave it to me to injure myself at a hospital. I could faintly hear people scurrying around me as I stood up, waving my hand dismissively as though to tell them to leave but it wasn't until I felt the warm liquid and smelt the scent of rust and salt that I noticed my chin was bleeding and everything went blank.

EPOV

As I was walking down the hall on my way to Charlie Swan's room to speak with Emmet, to meet his sister, I could hear Jessica Stanley, causing me to stop dead in my tracks and scan my surroundings, looking for an alternate route. The last thing I wanted was to run into her and have to listen to her annoying voice, to feel her hand on my arm as she tried to flirt with me, to feel her eyes on my body. What made it even worse was it was common knowledge around Forks that she had been in a relationship with Mike Newton for four years off and on now, had she no self-respect? It was because of girls like her that I hated how easily I could read people, the look on her face always gave away what she was thinking, and granted I realize how self absorbed this sounds, she was usually thinking about her and I, naked. Not that I would ever let that happen, even the thought brought a scowl to my face, my nose cringing in repugnance.

When I heard the hall go silence and the movement of footsteps I peeked around the corner, noticing that Jessica was nowhere to be seen, she had probable made her way to the cafeteria for her lunch break. Still, not wanting to chance it, I quickened my pace, turning just in time to see a young woman on the floor, a small pool of blood beneath her chin, and an audience just watching her as she told them all to back off, that she was fine. Obviously, she had yet to realize that she was losing blood at a more rapid rate than she thought. I moved closer to her, pushing a few nurses out of the way. As she gained her footing I was a few feet away from her and I watched as she pulled her hand away from her chin, her eyes taking in the sight of the blood that was on them.

"Miss are you okay?" I questioned, however, she was falling down before she even had the time to respond. I was just thankful that I was right behind her. I reached my arm out and caught her under her arms before leaning down and picking up her legs so that I was carrying her. As I caught sight of her face I felt weak and after realizing that I had forgotten to breathe I walked quickly to an empty room, propping her on the chair so I could get a better look.

"I need a #2 non absorbent thread, needle, and bandages." I said, turning briefly from the young woman's hypnotizing face to look at the nurse that had followed me into the room. Without a word she disappeared leaving me alone with the girl as I began to clean her chin, the antibacterial liquid opening the wound to my eyes. It wasn't too deep but it was deep enough that it would be best to close it with sutures. I heard her wince, and I almost breathed a sigh of relief but I stopped myself realizing that it wouldn't be professional. As it was, I had to do something fast to get the images that were circulating through my mind out before I began to close the wound, the last thing I needed were distractions and this girl, she was a major distraction.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice weak.

"I didn't see the whole thing, you must have fallen and busted your chin open. When you stood up you fainted, I'm assuming from losing your equilibrium, but I was able to catch you before you fell again." I responded, my eyes looking up to meet her own, only to find that her eyes were still shut tightly. "I just need to suture it up."

I heard her groan, "Great… They are going to have a field day with this one."

The nurse returned a few moments later, the supplies I needed resting on a metal tray that she held for me as I thread the string through the needle and began to very carefully stitch the skin, doing all I could to minimize the scar so to not disturb her perfect skin. Ten minutes later and fifteen very tight stitches I was covering the skin with a white bandage before pushing away from her and standing back up. "I'm sorry but I do have to make up a chart and do your paperwork." That was a lie, and the nurse looked at me curiously, it really would have been her job after all.

"I know… Listen they have a huge file here on me though it's been a few years…" She stood up, her eyes finally opening allowing me to see their deep chocolate pools. "I just really have to get to another room. Whomever it is that needs my information can take it there."

"I'll just need your name."

"Isabella Swan" She responded, my mouth falling open just slightly. "I need to get to Charlie Swan's room. Emmet will be worried that I haven't shown up yet." I was rendered speechless for the first time in many years and I nodded my head, it must have been enough for her because she was out the door and flying down the hall once again, and all I could think about was that I hoped she didn't trip again. Emmet was right, she was a walking disaster and for the first time in my life, I felt a pull to protect her, to make sure that she never hurt herself again.

A/N: Thanks for reading and I wanted to thank Lady Persephone and Edward Mason Cullen for their reviews (chapter 2 and chapter 1, respectively). I'd also like to thank those who have added this story to their alerts/favorites. I'd love to know what people think. I'm new to writing for Twilight and I could use all the help I could get... I'm curious to know if you think I'm capturing the voices and mannerisms well enough or if you have any suggestions as to how I might improve. I also hope that you enjoyed the new chapter! Thank you again!