Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Shadows
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Prompt: Crunch, hunch, munch

I was aware of time passing, using my heartbeats to keep track as Carlisle all but flew down the road. I didn't look at the speedometer, the trees going by gave a good indication of how fast we were going. Three times Edward whispered something quickly to Carlisle, resulting in him slowing down to match the rest of traffic. It was the first time this happened that I noticed that the speedometer topped out at one hundred fifty miles-per-hour. I never looked, but I knew when he sped back up again that the needle was pinned over.

Edward tried to talk to me, sharing the visions he could see in Alice's mind, but I couldn't find it in myself to respond. All I could think about were the things my father would never enjoy, my graduation from Dartmouth, the house we had remodeled, or even growing old with Sue. It didn't matter that Alice warned me this was coming. It didn't matter that it would keep him safe from the vampires circling around me. I just wanted him to live.

The crunch of tires on gravel startled me from my daze. I was only vaguely aware of the looming buildings of the University of Washington Medical Center until that sound reached my ears. Suddenly I couldn't get out of the car fast enough.

Strong, cold arms wrapped around me. "Let Carlisle park," Edward whispered into my ear as I struggled against him. I let him hold me still until Carlisle swung into a space, but then I was grabbing the door. Once again Edward held me tight. "Let Carlisle speak to them first. He'll be able to understand what's going on." He glanced over to Seth who had circled around the car and was holding the car door open for me. "Sue needs you both. Take care of her and let Carlisle take care of Charlie."

I hate it when he makes sense.

Seth made a beeline for his mother, picking her out from the crowd with ease. Edward pulled me along behind, so it wasn't until we were right next to her, and Seth's arms were around her, that I realized her arm was in a sling. "Oh, no, Sue! What happened?" I asked, letting go of Edward so I could hug her as well.

"I'm not really sure," she told me. "We were on our way home. Your dad was driving. I was having so much trouble staying awake, so he suggested I take a nap. The next thing I knew the car was swerving and we hit the concrete median." She raised her free hand to her head, rubbing a spot. That was when I noticed the bruise that blackened the right side of her face from just below her eye all the way into her hair. "I remember screaming and reaching for the wheel, but it looked like Charlie was steering so I sat back. Only, we crossed all lanes and ended up going off the shoulder. The car rolled…" Her voice trailed off and I could tell she was having trouble remembering any more.

"It's okay, mom," Seth said, directing her to sit down. "Take your time."

With a shake of her head and a sigh of frustration she looked at me again. "The next thing I remember was being taken out of an ambulance, and looking for your father." Tears formed in her eyes, making my heart clench in fear. "They took him by helicopter." Her shoulders shook as she took a shuddering breath. "Oh, Bella, what will I do if I lose him now? Just after I got him?"

I collapsed in the chair next to her, opposite of Seth, and put my arms around her. "I don't know Sue, but I'll always be here for you."

Edward sat next to me as Sue, Seth and I hugged, sharing our grief. Alice sat next to Edward as we waited for the rest of the Cullen clan to arrive and for Carlisle to return with news of Charlie.

It was another two hours before Esme, Jasper, Emmett and Rose joined us. They brought with them bags of food. Although neither Sue nor I had any appetite, Seth was very grateful, giving a loud sigh of contentment as soon as he started to munch on some chips.

Edward was able to keep tabs on Carlisle, but he usually reported that they were still figuring things out. It was over three hours later that Edward sat up and looked at Alice. "Carlisle has a hunch," he said. "Can you see anything?"

She grimaced and looked at Seth. "I'll step outside and look." It only took a few minutes for her to return, and she didn't look happy. "Carlisle's right," she said, first looking at Edward, who appeared devastated, then over to Sue, Seth and me. "I'm sorry."

"What?" I asked, sitting up too fast and swaying as the blood tried to catch up. Neither one answered. Instead they looked over to a pair of doors. We all knew we would see Carlisle come through them soon.

Within minutes he appeared, running a tired hand over his face. I'd never seen a vampire looked physically drained before, but Carlisle did. He spoke some with another doctor, pointing to us. When the other doctor left he looked into our expectant faces and shook his head sadly.

Sue gasped next to me as my eyes filled with tears. "He's not going to die, yet," Edward said, reaching over to us, compassion on his face.

"What do you mean, yet?" Sue asked.

Carlisle was next to us then. "We think he had a seizure," he said, pulling up a chair to sit across from us. "That's why you had an accident."

"What caused the seizure?" Sue asked, one of her hands squeezing mine, the other holding Seth's.

Carlisle's face fell. He looked first at me, then at Sue. "I'm sorry, but there seems to be a tumor in his brain. We're fairly certain it's benign…"

"But isn't that good? It being benign?" Sue asked. My heart was already sinking. I looked at Alice and saw her shake her head.

"Normally, yes," Carlisle answered Sue. "However, it seems to be growing."

"So take it out!" Sue shouted, her expression a mixture of hope and fear.

Carlisle shook his head. "We can't Sue. It would kill him. It's grown in such a way that it's wrapping around and through his brain." Carlisle looked like he would cry if he could. "It will kill him eventually. Performing surgery will kill him now."

Sue sucked in a breath and sat up straight. "How long?"

"A year, maybe two. The worst part will be the headaches, but it appears that after a while those might go away." Carlisle reached out his hand to touch Sue. At first she shied away, knowing what he is, but then she let go of my hand to take his. "I'm sorry Sue. When the headaches go away the end will be near."

"Then we'll just have to make the most of the time we have left. Can I see him now?" she asked, standing up, pulling the rest of us with her.

"He's being moved to his room. You can meet him there," Carlisle said, adding his room number. Sue turned and marched off like a soldier going to war.

And now I'm off to herd cats! Nothing like leaving you all hanging...