A/N: "I've got a story and I'm trying to tell it right." The Fray, Heartbeat

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and lets us reshape her characters. I'm sort of putting them through the meat grinder.

CHAPTER 10

E.R.

On the way to the hospital that night, I intended to stop by Charlie's and throw out all the stuff from the green box. I really wanted to, but then I got curious about Alice's vision. I decided I could give it a week. What was the rush? I've got loads of time. If nothing else, living forever gave new meaning to being able to procrastinate.

As the door opened to the hospital, it hit me. No, it OVERPOWERED me! I could hear it. Well page me Dr. Ross because I think Alice was right about tonight! He was here. Four-circle car guy was here, at my fucking hospital! I suddenly felt giddy. More than giddy, singing in the fucking rain euphoria!

I was going to see him. Again. After all this time. Then I panicked. I wasn't ready for this, was I? And what was he doing here?

I stepped back outside and smoked a quick cigarette. I held my lighter, lightly rubbing it-the nostalgia was heavy in the air, the memories fresh. This lighter was my little good luck charm and the key to unlocking my past and future all together. Alice was actually right! I could feel it-my old life was about to collide with my new life. It was him. It had to be.

As I put out my cigarette, I ignored a part of me that questioned why I was so excited to see him.

I took a deep breath and entered the hospital, stopping in to wash my hands in the employee bathroom before heading up to Carlisle's office. I didn't even bother with the elevator. I knew I could take the stairwell at my speed and no one would see.

"Carlisle, he's here," I whispered with excitement upon entering his room, planting my palms on his desk like I needed to brace myself for the news. I didn't need to, but maybe I needed to brace Carlisle for it.

"Who?" he asked.

"The heartbeat guy, ya know, from the mall. Can't you hear a strong irregular heartbeat?"

"Not one in particular. Are you sure?"

"Carlisle? Yes."

"Are you okay? Why are we whispering? I don't think anyone can hear us."

"OH! I didn't realize. I think I'm fine. I'm just so anxious. I think it's someone I know," I confessed biting my lip in anticipation of Carlisle's response.

"Really? Well that is an interesting turn of events. I'll let you lead the way. Where to first?" I followed him out of the office after slipping on my white coat and throwing my stethoscope around my neck. I listened intently.

"First floor B wing," I announced proudly.

"ER?"

I nodded and we headed off to the ER, where I only sensed a few other patients tonight. Carlisle retrieved the patient charts and led the way pausing outside the curtain. He went in letting me know he thought it was best he go in first. I conceded and hung back.

I followed slowly behind him, my eyes lit by internal bulbs.

"Hello. How do you do?" Carlisle said using his impeccably polished bedside manner.

"Well, I've been worse," a voice chimed with a hint of humor.

"That's always good to hear out of an ER patient," Carlisle chuckled. "I'm Dr. Cullen and if you don't mind I have a med student training under me. She would like to observe if that is okay with you." That was my cue. As I rounded the curtain he spoke simultaneous to my thoughts.

"Sure, I don't mind," the voice said.

Justin, Justin, Justin. I chanted in my head, trying to brace myself to see him again. Finally, it all made sense to me now—the heartbeat, the lighter, the memories. They were more than just feelings of nostalgia. My past really was coming full circle.

"I'm Ed Masen," he said in greeting.

I heard his words, but it didn't register.

He flashed a full-blown smile at me, seemingly in recognition?

"I really don't mind!" he snickered under his breath.

What? Did he just say his name was…Ed? I stared at him as he smiled at me without shame, a normal reaction to the camouflage.

Carlisle proceeded. "Good. This is Ms. Swan. So Mr. Masen, your chart says you experienced heart fluctuations today? Is there any particular event that may have caused this?"

I could hear his heart pick up, and the monitor he was attached to alerted us to it loud and clear. Carlisle glanced over to me.

The patient cleared his throat. "Well I have a bit of a cardiac history and did something today I guess I wasn't supposed to do."

Carlisle asked what it was that he did.

"In a word? Stupid," he chuckled.

Ed Something? This was his name?

As I took in his face I could only see Justin, only older, smirking at me...but his name was Ed Something or another? Not Justin? I put my head down to avoid looking at him and shook my head, trying to shake the thought of Justin out. I looked back over at him and took in his features—chiseled jaw, blue eyes, faint stubble, firmly built chest peeking out from where his shirt was left open to leave room for the electrodes that were hooked up to his chest and connected to the heart monitor.

The patient was still looking back at me, and perhaps taking in whatever expression I had on my face, though I couldn't tell what my face said at this moment. Could it have showed utter confusion? It would have if I hadn't assumed the vampire mask I had been taught to use in public. Carlisle asked Mr. Masen to proceed with his story.

"Oh right, yeah I was at the park today and took a ride on a roller coaster that the workers had put at maximum speed." He chuckled as he said the last part as if he was admitting how he snuck out of his room as a teenager.

"The park?" Carlisle asked.

"Ski and Skies Adventureland over in Port Angeles. I was there today on business and…"

The park? THE park was SSA?

I brought my hand to my forehead with a loud whack.

With that he stopped because I was hysterically laughing as I stood behind Carlisle. Both of them looked at me in obvious inquiry. How in the world did I never consider it could have been that park? The park I had just visited in my mind not hours earlier. Then I thought back to me running through the Port Angeles recreational park, which just made me laugh even harder. You are an idiot, Daph!

"Ms. Swan, are you okay?" Carlisle glared at me.

I did my best to compose myself. "Yes, sorry Carlisle," I said covering my mouth and muffling two more laughs.

"If you will excuse Ms. Swan, I believe she has her own memories of that particular amusement park that your story may have reminded her of, is that the case Ms. Swan?"

"It truly is," I giggled more, nearly having to put my hand on Carlisle's shoulder to brace myself, then straightening up and gesturing how I was zipping my lips.

Carlisle began his examination of Mr. Masen and continued to converse with him while I stood in the background. Thump thump da dum thump thump da dum

"I see that Dr. Gomez already examined you earlier and started you on meds. You seem to be stable at this time. If you were in Port Angeles, what led you to the Forks ER today?"

"I'm here on business and I phoned my physician at home after I had the chest palpitations. He directed me to this hospital. Apparently he knows someone on staff here. "

Ed Masen looked directly over at me and smiled, "I'm going to have to be sure to thank him."

"And where is home, Mr. Masen?"

"Chicago," he answered right away.

"You are quite a ways from home then. Go Cubs." Carlisle offered gently in solidarity as he continued his examination. Why is it that no matter where men go they always match their original location or current location to a sports team?

"Take a deep breath for me," Carlisle instructed. I watched as his chest would rise and fall.

"All the way this year hopefully, though I'm more of a hockey fan," he replied with a smile. "I love a good puck off."

I coughed. My ears did not hear 'puck' the first time. Oh yippie, did the conversation find its way to include more sports? Yeah Team!

I tried to think of something that Alice would say, your know, all pop culture-like.

"Go Oprah!" I said throwing my fist in the air, only to be met with looks by both Carlisle and Ed Masen. Crap Daph! That sucked. Only Alice could have pulled that off.

"Well you seem to be stable now, but we'll have to monitor you here overnight as is standard protocol in this type of case. And I'll need to consult with your doctor in Chicago. The chart here says it is a Dr. March?"

"Yep, that's him."

"Dr. Francis March?" Carlisle asked.

"You mean you know him?" the patient replied with surprise, mimicking my own.

"I guess I'm your staff link. We met years back at a conference. We keep in touch on interesting cases periodically. He is quite a compassionate and groundbreaking physician."

"I suspected I would have to stay. Unfortunately this is not a new occurrence for me, not that it has ever been brought on by riding a roller coaster." He snickered again. "I was wondering though if I can get something to eat. I missed dinner with all the excitement."

Hmmm. Why did he treat this so lightly?

"Sure, Ms. Swan, why don't you see if you can find him a tray." Carlisle asked me if I was going to be okay coming back by myself in a voice too low for Ed Masen's ears. When I told him I was fine he said I could meet up with him in rounds or back in the office. He asked again if I was in control and asked that I meet up with him in no more than fifteen minutes.

"Any requests?" I asked Mr. Masen.

"No red meat. And milk, if it isn't too much trouble?"

I smiled warmly. "Can't make any promises, it is a hospital, after all, and it's after 8 pm."

I heard Carlisle begin his dictation into his handheld recorder, "Patient Edward Masen is a 24-year-old male who presents to the emergency room today with…"

I turned on my heel and walked away completely baffled by what just happened. I shook my head to one side like I was trying to drain water from my ear. I've met him. The four-car circle heartbeat guy. His name is Ed Masen-not Justin-but when I looked at him there was recognition in his face and I swore it felt like that first time I saw Justin.

I smiled. My God he is certainly as beautiful as Justin….more so. If I had never thought that possible, I do now. Where was Alice to help me make any sense of this?

The cafeteria was still serving roasted turkey and mashed potatoes—that would have to do. I grabbed a carton of milk for him and, not knowing if he would like them or not, I picked up a package of white chocolate chip cookies. Then I hurried back to the ER and set up the tray for him on the bedside table.

"Thank you." He smiled politely.

"Don't thank me yet, like I said, it's only hospital food." I smiled. Despite my confusion, I felt oddly at ease with him.

"Trust me; I'm sure I've had worse. And I was mostly thanking you for the white chocolate chip cookies. They're my favorite actually," he replied softly, smiling so tenderly that I helplessly smiled back at him enchanted by the curve of his lips. He laughed, "I guess I'm kind of a kid that way."

The spell of enchantment was brief, and I realized I needed to regain my professional façade.

"I'm going out to the desk to check about getting you transferred out of the ER and into your own room and then…." Carlisle had asked me to attend to this when I returned.

"And you'll come back…. and let me know?" His eyes met mine with a potency I didn't understand at all. His eyes were inviting windows, deep and rich, but why would they be so inviting for me?

"But wouldn't you rather be left alone…"

"No," he said softly interrupting me. "Of course, if you have other patients to see, I understand," he continued, this time keeping his eyes down focusing on opening up the package of plastic utensils.

Sure, he was my patient and I was going to continue to provide a courteous bedside manner as was expected of me by Carlisle.

"Sure, I'll just be uhhh…a few minutes," I replied pointing toward a nurse's station he couldn't see before I closed the curtain and headed down there. Once I got things sorted out for his transport I looked back down the hall at the curtain that I knew he was sitting behind and listened to his heartbeat.

Thump da dum, thump da dum. It was slow again. The drugs he had been given today had taken effect. I headed back.

"Knock, knock," I declared as I pulled the curtain back. "Your room is all prepared. Transport has been the holdup, so as soon as they are available they will come move you."

"Men in white suits coming to take me away?" he grinned.

"They wear burgundy scrubs, actually."

"Is asking for a private suite in this town asking for a lot?" he inquired humorously.

"Well asking for a hospital in a town this small is kind of a lot, but since the hospital isn't overcrowded I did make sure you would have a room to yourself, at least for now," I smiled. He laughed in response and nodded his head, acknowledging I had matched his answer.

"Thanks. Do you have time to sit?"

To say I hesitated was an understatement, and he must have realized it. My fifteen minutes were already dwindling, but I felt very in control.

"Sorry, it's just that I've been living out of a hotel for a few days now and I hate eating dinner alone."

I laughed to myself that in a pathetic way he reminded me of Charlie.

"You're laughing at me again, aren't you?"

I stilled myself and tried to seem quietly sincere.

"It's just what you said reminded me of something. Sure, I can sit. Do you mind me asking you if Ed Masen is your real name," I said as I sat down in a chair but staying toward the end of his bed. I couldn't help still feeling like I had recognized Justin in his eyes when I first saw him.

He chuckled in between bites of turkey, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is."

"Do you know me by some chance?" I asked.

He put his fork down and gulped down some milk then looked up at me.

"Does seeing you at the Port Angeles Mall two days in a row this week count?"

"In the mall? Oh! Oh!" I was in close enough proximity for him to have seen me. I hadn't realized that.

"Can I ask you something?" He countered, and I assumed he was going to ask me why someone goes to the mall two days in a row. I nodded in agreement.

"Are you and Dr. Cullen…." he trailed off suggestively, expanding his eyes and arching his eyebrows.

"Are we what?" I asked roughly. I wasn't sure what he meant.

"Related…in some way?"

I laughed. This is what he was asking me?

"No. Nope. He is just my mentor, well except, I endearingly do refer to him as my father-in-law sometimes," I said with a light chuckle.

With that I saw Ed Masen's eyes flash to my left hand ring finger and then up to my face.

"Ohhhh, so the big guy I saw you with at the mall is your husband?" he mused.

Whoa! How did we get so off track here? And he saw me with Emmett? How had I not heard his heartbeat or seen him?

"Ummm, no. It's complicated."

His eyes were soft but curious, "Well as dinnertime conversation goes this is the best I've had all week, so I'll try to keep up," he replied.

I had yet to have to explain this to anyone. And yes, it really is complicated. I contemplated which angle would make the most sense.

"Ummmm, my best friend is Alice and this past year I moved in with her family. Her adopted father is Dr. Cullen, even though I know he looks young." I was trying to sound very matter of fact about all of this and hoped he wasn't keeping up. "Her brother is Emmett. That is who was at the mall with me."

"So not married, but the in-laws bit…is that because you and Emmett are together?"

I chuckled. "Definitely not! We are most definitely just friends, one hundred percent." I laughed thinking back to the talk Emmett and I had while heading to the mall.

"So, then it is you and this Alice?" He was hopefully joking.

"Oh, way off!" I giggled. "In fact, the day we were at the mall she got engaged."

"Well congratulations Alice." He said as he raised his carton of milk. I laughed at his gesture, not sure if I had really explained anything but hoping he would move on from the subject.

"Okay, you are right. It is complicated. Sorry for the twenty questions, I just thought you and the doctor might be related. You have similar colored eyes, like I have never seen before."

He noticed? How was I going to explain this? A contacts craze here in Forks that the rest of the US hasn't caught on to?

"Really? I never noticed." I said shrugging it off. "So milk with your meals? Your mom must be proud of you." I tried teasing as a distraction.

"What? It does a body good," he smirked.

I let my eyes roam down his chest. Yep it certainly does. Oh crap, I think he caught me looking. Why didn't I remember to use my vampiric speed? He chuckled. I noticed how his ears went pink from the blood traveling there in his amusement. And though I was acutely aware of it, my thirst wasn't seduced by it.

"So one more question?" I proposed.

"Sure," he agreed adding, "this is really the best hospital dinner I think I've ever had. It's almost like Thanksgiving."

How did he do that? Laugh at circumstances of being in the hospital like it was no big deal? My question changed.

"Why do you do that?"

"What?" he asked.

"Joke around about being in the hospital for a heart condition? And why would you even risk going on a roller coaster at warp speed if you knew you had an increased risk? Not to mention the Starbucks coffee. That stuff is way too strong for you…"

"I'm sorry, the what?" he asked.

Oops! Crap!

Two hospital personnel from transport showed up to move him to his private room. I stepped out of the way and watched while they unplugged the gathering of electrodes from the heart monitor. In doing so, the two electrodes directly over Mr. Masen's heart were tugged off his chest.

"Once you get to the room the nurses are probably going to force you into a hospital gown and take you for testing," I explained.

"Well if you can tell them that when I get dressed up for these red carpet type events I like to be in Gucci." He interrupted me using his humor again this time chuckling and looking into my eyes for my response. I rolled my eyes and shook my head in disapproval.

"Dr. Cullen will probably do rounds in another couple of hours, so if I don't see you, be sure to lay off the roller coasters. I'll just reattach these for you."

"You won't be accompanying him? Later?" he asked, keeping his eyes down.

"No, I only do first rounds of the night with him and then I help with research in his office for the rest of the night. I'm not a resident, just a lowly student." Finally something I could explain in all honesty.

I leaned down over his chest, breathing in his scent. He smelled sweet like powdered sugar, natural with a hint of orange rind, and as rugged as the smoke coming from a woodburning stove in the night air. His heartbeat was too slow, and irregular but not without rhythm, almost playing a sweet melodic lullaby to me but like a record on a record player there were occasional skips. I pulled back his open shirt a bit further to expose his chest and gasped at the large scar across his heart. I was suddenly aware that Ed Masen was holding his breath.

"Take a deep breath for me, Mr. Masen," I coddled him trying to remind myself of my new natural predatory subconscious invitations I was sending to him. It was so much easier with humans than wildlife.

I picked up one electrode, now disconnected from the monitor, and placed it on his chest—my fingertips connecting with his skin lightly.

Both Mr. Masen and his heart reacted to my touch.

As if I had just placed a paddle to a nonbeating heart, a small electric current passed between us and I heard his heartbeat steady to a seemingly normal pace. He jumped in reaction and looked at me with confusion. I immediately pulled my hand away and listened as his heartbeat went back to its irregularity. Would he have felt a difference?

I picked up the second electrode, testing to see if it would happen again, and carefully placed it into position grazing his chest with my fingertips.

A jolt again.

I looked at him, and he was looking at me in surprise and disgust. I could hear a normal repetition to his heartbeat. As I casually began to pull my hand away, he grabbed it forcing it back onto his chest.

"Jesus Fucking Christ, next time yell ALL CLEAR first. How the hell are you doing that?" he blurted out, yelling it even. He still looked at me incredulously.

"Doing what?" I asked, faking ignorance over what had just happened and slightly scared by his response.

I slid my hand away and immediately heard the shift downward in his heartbeat.

"That! Are you serious?"

"Sorry, my hands never seem to warm up," I said rubbing them together and trying to shake off what just happened. I realized Carlisle was going to kill me over this!

With that I stepped back and let the transport personnel take over, watching as they rolled him down the hall on the stretcher. What had just happened? This little meeting had gone terribly wrong. I stood there upset with myself that I had obviously ended things with him getting so mad at me. I listened as I heard his heartbeat travel further away.

I looked around the small now vacant area. It was colder without his warm body here. On a small chair in the corner sat his black coat. I picked it up and boldly brought it up to my nose to breathe him in. It was a mix of powdered sugar, orange rind, and wood burning—it was Ed Masen. On the chair lay a thick manila envelope, it had been hidden under his coat.

-oOo-

When I returned to Carlisle's office I sat there staring at the coat and envelope. Should I give them to Carlisle to take to him with next rounds or would I use them as an excuse to see Ed Masen one more time before he left this hospital and conceivably finished whatever business he was attending to in town and return to Chicago, never to be seen again?

What was it about his heartbeat that spoke so clearly to me? And what was it that had happened when my fingers grazed his chest?

Carlisle returned to the office asking me if I was okay. Again, I didn't know what my face revealed. I explained what had happened and, big surprise to no vamps like us, Carlisle told me to document it.

"So this turned out to be someone you knew?" he asked.

"No, actually it wasn't who I thought it would be at all," I responded bewildered.

"And the laughing?" he probed.

"Carlisle, I'm really quite sorry about that." I further explained what led to the laughing regarding the park. He smiled at my misunderstanding but was firm about instructing me to work on improving my overall demeanor when it came to patients, regardless of any personal relatable issues. He expounded that as a vampire I needed to show even more restraint and composure so as not to bring unnecessary attention to myself in the hospital. I agreed but then explained what happened when I touched Mr. Masen.

Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes, and hung his head down.

"I know, I know, Carlisle, you are disappointed in me, and I can't tell you how sorry I am," I pleaded.

"No Bella, I'm not disappointed. It's just that we keep unveiling these little mysteries with you. We never know what is going to happen next, do we?"

I bit my lip, worried that Carlisle might tell me I'm not allowed back to work with him. I truly was still a research project, but I didn't want to be time bomb on his hands.

"Maybe Alice is right. Maybe I am still Danger-prone Daphne." He smirked. Yeah the whole family knew her nickname for me. I wanted that to be enough of a way to downplay it. I wasn't ready to have to walk away from medicine.

"Alright, well we will figure this out. How about the element of nostalgia? How does that fit?"

"I don't know!" I threw up my hands in the air. "I mean, that's why I thought it was someone else—I thought it was someone I knew when I was younger and worked at the SSA."

"Hmmmm…have you spoken with Esme about any of this yet?"

"No, I haven't. Why?"

"I think she might be able to help." He paused and sniffed the air. "Bella, I'm wondering why you have his coat here in my office."

"Oh, ummm, they forgot to take that to his room, so I thought I would drop it off to him once he got settled."

Carlisle glared at me disapprovingly. "I don't think that is wise at this point. You may have scared him. I'll bring it to him when I do rounds in an hour."

"I was going to wait until he was asleep," I pouted and crossed my arms with a huff. Carlisle was a respectable mentor, but I felt like he just grounded me. He looked at me disapprovingly still.

"Fine, this is his too," I said pointing to the manila folder.

I turned away from Carlisle and in silence began my documentation. As I sat there, I practiced training my ears to hear the heartbeat and avoided eye contact with Carlisle. I hadn't even gotten around to asking Carlisle what his assessment of Mr. Masen's condition was or about the scar, but I decided I would just review his chart tomorrow without Carlisle around.

Once he left for rounds I snuck down to the second floor and peeked in on Ed Masen. He lay sleeping in the hospital bed, now in a pale grey gown with the electrode wires sticking out. I stood one step in from the doorway taking him in—he was tall, broad, and had messy, almost sun-kissed, bronzed hair. I took a few steps closer and smiled at his beauty then shook my head to myself laughing again at my misunderstanding of "the park." I started to wonder what kind of business he had at the SSA and how long he would be here on business. He was an awfully long way from home.

I realized that Carlisle would be coming soon and didn't want to be caught, though I assumed he would pick up on my scent.

Stupid vampiric heightened sense of scent.

I took one final look at Mr. Masen. He looked peaceful enough as he slept. How fascinating it was to see the movement of his eyes fluttering under closed eyelids, adorned by long lashes. I stood there wrestling between what would be deemed right and wrong according to Carlisle, but my curiosity prevailed. I approached his bed and again lightly placed two fingers on his chest, over his heart, tracing his scar. The irregularity was gone until I pulled my hand away. I gasped at my own surprise, even though this had already been confirmed twice today.

Ooooooh dreamweaver

I stood there dreamweaving for two minutes. Then I overstepped my boundaries—every boundary I had on me at that exact moment. In saying goodbye, I leaned over him to breathe in his heady scent again. It was intoxicating and superseded the normal hospital smell. It drew me in…closer and closer to him. I leaned down slowly, inching along further and further until my icy lips were pressing down lightly onto his smooth, lips. I pulled back, covering my mouth in surprise because I had only meant to peck his cheek. "Feel better," I whispered as I backed away from his bed slowly toward the door.

His heartbeat was slow and I realized, like the older woman who sat next to me on the bench at the park in Port Angeles, my thirst was not piqued by him, but my curiosity certainly was.

Then it hit me.

Despite my change, I could still dreamweave.

A/N: And we've got ourselves an Edward! *quick wink* He was there all along!