A/N Alright, I'm really hoping that the reason I'm not getting many reviews lately is because of Fan Fiction and now my writing. For the last chapter, I only received 3 reviews and again, I'm a little bummed. I know people are at least looking at my story because I'm still getting the same number of hits as before, so I'm asking you to please take a second to review if you read the chapter. Even if it's just two or three words telling me good job or it sucks, I'd appreciate the feedback.
This chapter is nearly the size of two of my other chapters, but I felt it all needed to go into this one. I hope you don't mind the length. We're getting closer to the wedding too! We've got a few more chapters before then, but it's definitely coming up. Are you as excited to read about it as I am to write it? Let me know your thoughts.
Anyway, that's enough chatter from me. I'll let you get to reading. Again, please take a second to send me your thoughts! XOXOX
Chapter 62 – Discharged
Bella was exhausted after the events of the morning. So much had happened in the last few hours, and coupled with the fact that she only got a few hours of sleep the night before, she could barely keep her eyes open.
She found herself sitting on the couch in Carlisle's office, just like Edward had suggested before he went off for his tests, leaning her head back against the cushions and resting her eyes.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the next thing she knew, she felt fingers running softly through her hair. Disoriented, she blinked her eyes a few times before discovering that she had her head resting in Edward's lap instead of against the back of the couch. When their eyes met, she saw his love for her burning deeply and couldn't help but smile at him.
"Sorry. I must have fallen asleep." She was overcome with a huge yawn for a second before she was able to continue. "How long have you been back, Handsome?" she asked him.
His fingers moved from her hair to brush lightly against her cheek before he answered her. "Don't you dare apologize to me Beautiful! It's been a rough day for both of us and you have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Come here," he whispered before he helped Bella sit up and slide onto his lap. "Bella, you're the reason James is lying in a hospital bed right now instead hurting someone else. You're the reason he may never be able to hurt anyone again. I love you, Bella, more than life itself."
"I love you too, Edward; so, so much." He pressed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss; after all, they were in his father's office in the middle of the hospital waiting for him to come in with their test results. Thinking about the tests, Bella realized that she hadn't asked Edward how his MRI went. "Baby?" she pulled back from the kiss to look into his eyes. "How did your test go?"
One corner of his mouth pulled up into her favorite crooked grin as he gazed at her lovingly. "You are incredible, do you realize that?" he asked. Before she even had a chance to answer him, he continued. "You have four broken ribs and are bruised from head to toe, but you're worried about me? Amazing." He shook his head incredulously before he answered her question. "My test went fine. Dad should be here in a minute or two with the results."
Just as he was finishing his sentence, the door to Carlisle's office was opened revealing his father in the doorway. When he saw them both sitting together on the couch, a warm smile appeared on his face. "Hey, you two. Bella, how are you feeling?" he asked as he approached his desk and set down a few boxes.
Bella smiled at Carlisle, grateful for everything he had done for her today. "I'm okay, thank you. My chest feels really sore still and it hurts to breathe, but other than that, I don't really have any pain."
"Alright," he said as he took some x-rays over to the light board that was hanging on one of the walls in his office. Edward gently helped her off his lap before standing and joining his father as he switched the light to the board on.
Bella didn't even bother to move, knowing that she wouldn't understand what they were looking at, even if she tried. Carlisle brought his finger up and pointed something out to Edward. "See the breaks here, Edward? They're clean." Edward nodded his head so his father continued. "That means there's very little chance of a splinter breaking off and causing issues later."
A look of relief crossed Edward's face as both he and his dad turned to face her. "Bella? I'm going to be releasing you today because everything is okay with the x-ray, but I want to tape up your ribs first. I know you and Edward are planning to do some running around today, and it will help minimize the pain if they're wrapped up nice and tight."
Bella looked over at Edward, slightly unsure and definitely not wanting to go back out to a room in the hospital, but Carlisle quickly calmed her worries. "We can do it right here in my office so you don't have to worry about dealing with anyone else. Plus, Edward will be right here the whole time, okay?"
Bella smiled and nodded at Carlisle before her eyes found Edward. He made his way over to help her up from the couch. "Alright, Beautiful, I'm going to help you take your shirt off again. Dad? Does Bella need to remove her bra too?" His eyes never left hers as he waited for his father to answer him.
"Yes, Son; that would be helpful. I won't be able to tape them up completely otherwise," Carlisle answered.
Edward brought his lips to hers and kissed her sweetly before kissing his way across her cheek and to her ear. "Are you okay with this, Love? I don't want you to be in pain today, but it's okay if you'd rather leave it on," he whispered in her ear so that only she heard him.
"You are so wonderful to me, Baby," she whispered back to him. "I'm okay with doing anything that will make this afternoon easier for us. We have a lot to do today and I don't want the pain to slow me down." She slowly turned her face into him and traced his ear with her tongue, making him shiver. "Besides, it'll make things much easier for tonight if I'm not in pain," she whispered seductively before grazing his earlobe with her teeth.
Edward groaned quietly and spoke through his teeth as he tried to subtly adjust his pants. "Fuck me!"
Bella pulled away with a wide smirk on her face. "Oh, you can definitely count on that, Mr. Cullen," she said with a wink. "Okay, Carlisle, I'm ready to be taped up so we can get the heck out of here," she said.
He smiled kindly before explaining, "Okay, sweetheart, I'm going to turn my back so Edward can help you undress. Once you're ready, let me know and we'll get you taken care of." Without another word, he turned his back to them and waited beside his desk.
Edward reached for the hem of her shirt and carefully pulled it up. Has he did, Bella lifted her arms over her head so that he could remove it completely. He quickly folded it and laid it on the couch before reaching back up to help her remove her bra. Once unclasped, he gently guided the straps down her shoulders and off her arms. As he looked at her, his eyes filled with desire and he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You take my breath away, Love."
He kissed her just under her ear before turning to his father. "Okay, Dad. We're ready for you."
…..
When his dad showed him Bella's x-rays, he was so relieved. Over the last few years, Edward had spent a lot of time in the hospital with Carlisle, learning the ropes. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be a doctor or not, but it didn't hurt to learn what he could when he could.
He had seen several x-rays over the years and knew the difference between a clean break and a not-so-clean break. All four breaks on Bella's ribs were clean; which was a total relief. He knew she must still be in a large amount of pain, however. He had never had a broken rib himself, but had heard they were quite painful.
Carlisle confirmed that when he told Bella he wanted to tape her up so she wasn't in too much pain while they were running around later that afternoon. He sighed to himself with relief when his dad told Bella he'd tape her up right there in his office so she didn't have to go back out to the floor. He assumed that was so he didn't have to worry about privacy policies and getting it cleared so that Edward could be there with her. It just seemed easier this way for everyone.
Edward walked over to his beautiful fiancé and helped her up from the couch where she was sitting. "Alright, Beautiful, I'm going to help you take your shirt off again," he told her reassuringly. "Dad? Does Bella need to remove her bra too?" He held her gaze while he waited for Carlisle to answer him.
He received his answer almost immediately. "Yes, Son; that would be helpful. I won't be able to tape them up completely otherwise." The explanation made perfect sense to Edward.
He bent down kiss her chastely on the lips and then slowly made his way across her cheek to whisper in her ear. "Are you okay with this, Love? I don't want you to be in pain today, but it's okay if you'd rather leave it on."
Bella turned her head slightly so she could whisper back to him. "You are so wonderful to me, Baby. I'm okay with doing anything that will make this afternoon easier for us. We have a lot to do today and I don't want the pain to slow me down." He shivered when she slowly ran her tongue over the shell of his ear. "Besides, it'll make things much easier for tonight if I'm not in pain," she whispered just before running her teeth across his ear lobe.
That action traveled from his ear straight to his groin and he shifted as his prominent erection tightened his pants. Through his teeth he breathed out two words, quiet enough that his dad wouldn't hear them. "Fuck me!'
When Bella pulled back, she had a big smile on her face. With a wink, she said, "Oh, you can definitely count on that, Mr. Cullen." Without giving him a chance to respond, she turned to his dad. "Okay, Carlisle, I'm ready to be taped up so we can get the heck out of here," she said.
"Okay, sweetheart," his dad started, smiling kindly. "I'm going to turn my back so Edward can help you undress. Once you're ready, let me know and we'll get you taken care of." He turned back to his desk without another word.
Knowing that his father probably had other things he had to take care of, Edward didn't waste any time. He reached for the hem of her shirt and very carefully, he pulled it up and over her head. After folding it and setting it on the couch beside them, he moved to unclasp her bra and gently slid it free from her body as well. As he drank in the sight of her, he felt his body react and knew his eyes were filled with lust. Leaning in, he whispered, "You take my breath away, Love."
This time he didn't give her a chance to respond before he turned to his dad. "Okay, Dad. We're ready for you," he told him.
When Carlisle turned from his desk, he had a six-inch wide ace bandage in his hands. Like the professional he was, he kept his eyes averted as much as possible from Bella's naked breasts as he set to work wrapping her torso tightly. After he made a few passes around her, Bella spoke.
"Carlisle, did everything look okay with Edward's scan?" She sounded so worried about him even though she was the one with the broken bones. Honestly, Edward didn't even really have a headache anymore. Subconsciously, he raised his hand to the back of his head and felt the large goose egg where James had hit him with the bat. The skin was sensitive to the touch, but didn't really permeate the pain anywhere else.
His father smiled down at Bella and then up at him. "Edward's MRI came back fine. If there is ever any doubt, Bella, I've got the images to prove that he does have a brain underneath that thick skull of his."
"Hey! I'm right here!" Edward protested. He knew that Carlisle was teasing to lighten the mood in the room, but he also didn't really think it was necessary that his own father was using him as the brunt of his joke.
Carlisle looked at him a little sheepishly and then looked at Bella. When they made eye contact, they both started laughing. Bella quickly gasped and wrapped her arms around her torso before scolding Carlisle.
"Ow! Carlisle, don't make me laugh. That hurts dammit!" she said through her giggles.
Carlisle kept laughing. "Sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to make you hurt yourself. You've got to admit though, it was pretty damn funny!"
Bella was nodding her head in agreement and was about to speak when Edward jumped in. "Are you done, Dad? I'd really like to take my fiancé and get the hell out of here. There's a doctor here that I really can't stand at the moment." He looked up at his father and winked as Bella's jaw fell open.
It had been a while since he and Carlisle were able to joke openly like they were doing, but it felt good to be back in that place. He had so much to be thankful for, but the main reason he felt whole again was standing in front of him, wrapped securely in an ace bandage. He would never be able to thank Bella enough for everything she had done for him, but he would never stop trying, regardless. He planned to live every day of the rest of his life, showing her just how much he loved her and worshipped her.
Carlisle smiled at the two of them with nothing but happiness shining in his eyes. "How does that feel, Bella?" he asked her. "Is it easier for you to move?"
Bella moved around more freely than she had since she had arrived at the hospital. "Wow! That's so much better. Carlisle, you're amazing. Thank you so much for everything you've done today!" She reached her hands up and pulled him into a tight embrace, kissing his cheek before releasing him.
"Oh, Bella, there's no need to thank me; it's my job to help you. You'll be an official Cullen in a little over a day and I already consider you a daughter. I love you, sweetheart." He smiled at her and then took a deep breath. "While I'm thinking about it though, I want to prescribe you a pain killer in case your ribs start to bother you at all today or tonight when you're trying to sleep."
He walked back to his desk and grabbed a prescription pad and scribbled on it. When he was done writing whatever it was he needed to, he tore the piece of paper off and handed it to her. "Ok, it's important to remember a few things if you take one of these today. Do not drive. I know that won't be an issue, but it would still be irresponsible of me if I didn't mention it. It might make you sleepy, so I would recommend using it as a last resort. Try Tylenol first; if that doesn't work after a few hours, then take one of these. Make sure you eat something when you take it, too, otherwise you might get nauseous." As he told her the warnings, he ticked them off on his hand. "One more thing," he added. "Make sure you drink plenty of water if you do take one, whether it's today or tonight sometime. It will help it get into your system faster and that's something you'll definitely appreciate. Any questions?"
Bella shook her head and then looked at Edward. He hadn't seen what his father prescribed, but he figured it was either vicodin or percocet. One quick glance at the paper in Bella's hand and his suspicions were confirmed. Percocet. "No, Dad. I think we're good." He was really starting to be thankful for all the days he had spent with his dad at the hospital learning the ins and outs of being a doctor. He had picked up a wealth of knowledge that was now coming in very handy.
Carlisle walked back to his desk again and grabbed a few pieces of paper. "Alright, then. Bella, this is your discharge paperwork. I just need you to sign by the "X". It says that you need to come back in if your pain changes in any way or gets worse. It also has care instructions for your broken ribs, but Edward probably knows what do to better than what's on that sheet."
Bella grabbed the pen from Carlisle and knelt down beside the little table that held the lamp. She signed her name and then handed both pen and paper back to him. His father then turned to him and handed him the second sheet of paper. "You know the drill, Edward. Be careful driving. If you get dizzy or your headache gets worse, you need to come back right away. Don't sleep for the next six to eight hours without someone there to keep an eye on you."
Edward nodded and signed the discharge paperwork. Once he handed it back to his father, he grabbed Bella's shirt and helped her slip it back on. The ace bandage was wrapped around her torso so tight, that he didn't think she would mind if he didn't help her put her bra back on. He took it and folded it before sliding it into his front pocket as Bella simply smiled at him.
"Dad, can I use the phone in here to call Em? We're going to need a ride back to the church to get my car." He hadn't thought about the fact that his car had been left behind in the church parking lot until just now.
Carlisle laughed. "He should already be in the waiting room. My car is there too. I'm going to head over there with you guys and grab it. I called him while I was reading the results of your MRI."
Edward smiled at his dad's thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Dad." He held his hand out to Bella, who quickly grabbed onto it. With their fingers interlocked, he led Bella out of the office and into the hospital's waiting room; Carlisle trailed closely behind.
…..
Charlie pulled into the parking lot at the station and braced himself for what he knew he was walking into. If it were Bella who had been assaulted, he knew he would want to beat the living shit out of the person who did it. He didn't expect Lauren's parents to react any different.
He took the three steps up to the front door and walked in quietly. Lauren and her parents were sitting down in front of Heidi's desk and she was talking to them calmly. As soon as the bell above the door rang, all eyes shot to where he was standing.
Plastering a smile of reassurance on his face, Charlie walked in and straight up to the Mallory's. "Mr. and Mrs. Mallory, Lauren; would you please join me in my office so we can speak freely?" From the look on their faces, the conversation that was coming was definitely one to have behind closed doors.
All three rose to their feet immediately, so Charlie gestured toward his office, silently asking them to lead the way. As soon as the door was closed, Greg Mallory began his tirade.
"Chief, please tell me you caught the son of a bitch who did this to my baby."
Charlie knew that he needed to get everyone to remain calm, so he gestured to the couch in the corner. "Please, take a seat. We have a lot that we need to discuss." Once the three of them were sitting on the sofa, Charlie began. "Greg, Susan, to answer your question: yes, we have James Ellsworth in custody. After he attacked Lauren this morning, he went after two other Forks High School Seniors. He knocked one unconscious by hitting him over the head with a baseball bat and then proceeded to kidnap the second one."
He had to take a deep breath before he continued, knowing he was talking about Bella. It was easier not to mention her name, but it still hurt like hell to think about. "The young lady he took was smart enough to run the car head on into a tree. She walked away with some bruises and four broken ribs, but James sustained serious injuries. They think he'll be okay, but there is a chance he'll be paralyzed."
The three other faces in the room all froze at the news Charlie had just shared. It was almost as if they couldn't completely understand what he had said. Charlie remained silent allowing his words the chance to sink in. He didn't want any of the Mallory's to question the fact that James was taken care of for the time being; he didn't want them to change their minds about pressing charges after hearing the havoc he caused in one day in their small town. It would be an easier decision to make if they knew James was safely in custody and could in no way retaliate against them.
Lauren was the first to break the silence. "Chief," she whispered. His attention immediately snapped to her. "Um, who… who…um," she struggled. He knew what she was trying to ask, but part of him was still pissed off enough at her to make her spit out her question.
"Who…?" Charlie asked when it didn't seem like she was going to finish her sentence.
Lauren took a deep breath to calm down and then tried again. "You said it was two high school seniors that James attacked this morning, Chief. Who were they?"
Charlie's careful professional façade crumbled when Lauren finally asked the question aloud. His eyes welled up with tears as it finally hit him with just how close he had come to losing Bella again. After a moment, he was able to look her directly in the eye and answer her question. "Edward Cullen and Bella Swan."
Her head immediately dropped and she started sobbing again. "I'm… so… sorry… Chief," she managed between sobs. "So… s…s…sorry… for… everything."
As far as he was aware, it was the first time Lauren had apologized for anything. He felt like she should really be apologizing to Bella instead of him, but he walked up to her and gently patted her on the back anyway. "It's alright, Lauren. This wasn't your fault." He paused for a moment before adding "James was a twisted young man and would have done the same thing to anyone. I'm sorry this happened to you."
He looked from Lauren to her parents. When their eyes met, he spoke again. "I understand you would like to press formal charges against James for the assault on Lauren?" Susan Mallory grabbed her husband's hand and held it tightly as both fervently nodded their heads. "Okay, then I'm going to need Lauren to write down exactly what happened in her own words." He turned to look at Lauren again before addressing her directly. "Lauren, I know we went over this earlier, but I'm going to need you to write it all down. Your mom and dad will be right outside filling out some paperwork if you need them."
When she nodded her head, Charlie handed her a notebook opened to a clean page and a pen. She stood and walked to the chair directly in front of his desk before sitting down again. Once she was ready, he gestured for her parents to join him and led the way back into the main area of the station and over to Heidi's desk. "Heidi, can you help the Mallory's file all the necessary paperwork to press charges against James? Lauren is writing her statement in my office now. I need to check in with Jake and Sam and then I need to call Bella and have her and Edward drop by to make their statements."
"Sure thing, Chief," Heidi responded as she started rifling through the filing cabinet beside her desk looking for the proper forms.
Charlie smiled at the three of them and then walked toward the front door of the station, pulling out his cell phone as he went. Once outside, he started to make his calls. His first call was to Sam to make sure that he had finished up the report for the accident. After confirming that it was done and that he would be in shortly to file it, Charlie asked him to do something else. "Sam, I know that they said there is a good chance that James is paralyzed, but I want someone sitting on him 24/7. If that bastard is able to walk when he wakes up, I don't want him walking out right under our noses."
Sam laughed quietly. "Sure thing, Chief. I'll have Seth take the first shift and then have Paul take over. Need anything else?"
"That's it for now, Sam, thanks," he said genuinely. After saying their goodbyes, Charlie ended the call and dialed Jake's cell.
"Hey Jake, how's the scene coming?" he asked as soon as the line was picked up.
"Oh, hey Chief. It's going just fine. Everything at the scene is very straightforward. It lines up exactly with what Bella told you. Looks like instead following the curve of the road she kept going straight and ran the car right into the old oak in front of the bank. There were no skid marks on the pavement, so it's obvious she didn't hit the brakes at all. Perfectly clear cut."
As Jake was talking about the scene, Charlie's thoughts drifted to something he had completely forgotten about with everything that happened this morning. When Carlisle had called from the church parking lot, he had said that there was a baseball bat lying on the pavement beside Edward. He began to wonder if Carlisle had thought to grab the bat so that they could dust it for prints and made a mental note to call his friend to ask as soon as he got off the phone with Jake.
"Thanks Jake. Sounds like you've got everything under control. Is there anything you need, son?" he asked the young forensic technician.
"Nope," Jake responded, popping the 'p'. "I'm good here."
Charlie smiled at the sound of the innocence that Jake possessed. "Alright then. Make sure you check in with me later and let me know if you get any hits on the gun. We may need to run it up to Seattle and use their forensic computers to find anything, but lets see what we come up with first, okay?"
"Alrighty, Chief. I'll let you know as soon as I have any results."
Just as Jake was about to say goodbye and disconnect the call, Charlie spoke up again. "Oh, and Jake? One thing I overlooked this morning in my panic to track down Bella was the fact that the bat James used to knock Edward out was lying beside him in the church parking lot when Dr. Cullen pulled up. I'm not sure what happened to it." He shook his head in complete disbelief of his lack of protocol this morning, but continued anyway. "As soon as we get off the phone, I'll call him to see if he had the wits to pick it up so we can dust it for prints. Why not add another nail to James' coffin, right? Anyway, if he has it, I'll need you to swing by the hospital to collect it from him, okay?"
"Sure thing," came Jake's immediate reply. "Just give me a call and let me know. I'm wrapping things up here now so I'll be heading back to the station in about ten minutes."
Once they ended their conversation, Charlie dialed Carlisle's cell phone number and was slightly surprised when he picked up after the second ring. "Hey Charlie!"
He sounded even happier than he did earlier, so Charlie took that as good news. "Hey Carlisle. How did Edward's MRI go? Is everything okay with him?"
There was no hesitation at all in Carlisle's response. "Everything is great. We're actually all with Emmett right now on the way back to the church to get our cars. Edward and Bella have been discharged and are ready to get back to their day of wedding errands. I need to grab my car and head back to the hospital to check on a patient."
Carlisle didn't need to explain any further. Charlie knew exactly whom he was talking about just by the way his friend said the word 'patient.' He was going to see what he could do about James. Charlie figured now was as good a time as any to ask about the bat, especially since they were heading to the church. "I have a question for you, Carlisle. Did you happen to grab the bat James used on Edward when he knocked him out? I want to have it dusted for prints so that we can use it against him later."
"Actually, Charlie, I did grab it. I knew you'd need it if there was going to be any type of investigation, so I've got it wrapped in a blanket in my trunk. I was careful not to handle it directly, so the prints should be intact. I don't know if you'll be able to use it because of the chain of evidence and all that, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try."
Charlie sighed with relief. "Carlisle, what the hell would I do without you? I know I don't tell you enough, but thank you for everything you do. You're an incredible friend and I couldn't find a better one if I tried."
Running true to form, Carlisle told him there were no thanks necessary. They had been friends for a long time and soon would become family, so he did it out of true camaraderie. "You are so much more than my friend, Charlie. You are my brother, my family. I know you would do the same for me."
Charlie smiled at the words. Carlisle was right; what they shared was so much more than friendship. The bond they shared had developed in high school and grown stronger as each day of the last twenty-five years passed.
Before he ended the call, he asked to speak to Bella. When she got on the phone, she sounded perfectly fine, which made him smile to himself. "Hey Bells! How are you?"
"I'm good now, Daddy. Quit worrying so much," she admonished him. "You're going to give yourself a stroke from all the stress."
"Isabella Marie Swan soon-to-be Cullen: you are everything to me. You are my baby, my flesh and blood, and my life. No matter how many times you yell at me for worrying about you, I'm never going to stop. I love you, sweetheart. Always have, always will."
Bella sniffled a few times before she was able to answer him. He could hear the emotion strong in her voice when she spoke. "I love you, too, Daddy. Just because I'm marrying Edward, it doesn't mean that that'll ever change."
Charlie sighed at the same time he smiled. He knew that they had a long road ahead of them with all the James bullshit, but he was glad Bella had Edward to lean on. If anyone would be able to get her through this, it would be him. "I know that will never change, sweetheart, but it's nice to hear you say it regardless. Anyway, the reason I called was to ask you and Edward to stop by the station to give your statements before you left to run your errands. Is that okay?"
"Sure, Daddy. We'll stop by as soon as we pick up Edward's car. How long do you think it will take?" she asked him.
"I can't imagine it would take more than an hour. I'll see you both in a little while. I love you, Bells." With that, Charlie closed his phone and headed back inside the station. It looked like Heidi was finishing up with the Mallory's, so he decided to check on Lauren, knowing that she should be just about done with her statement. With a heavy sigh, he walked to his office and opened the door.