A/N: I do not own Twilight. So here is chapter 49 of Static. (If you didn't read chapter 48, go back.) I like this one more than I thought I would.
Enjoy.
XLIX.
you like your girls insane
The words ran out of Bella's mouth as fast as the blood was gushing out of her head. "Dad, I'm sorry, it just happened so fast."
"Don't strain yourself, kid," Charlie said, his voice exhausted and his eyes bloodshot.
Bella sat on a bed in the ER. Her eyes kept flashing over to the doors, waiting for Paul to come through. The last time she'd seen him was just after the accident, as he was being taken away. She'd nearly blacked out after that.
"I'm so, so sorry, Dad," she said to Charlie.
"It's not your fault," he replied. "It's that other guy's fault. Where the hell is he, anyway?"
"Don't be mad at Paul," she said worriedly. "It's not his fault."
The doors swung open, and Bella's gaze shifted so fast. It wasn't Paul. Instead, it was Dr. Carlisle Cullen.
Of all people, she thought to herself. She felt even sicker.
"Dr. Cullen," Charlie said.
"Chief Swan. How are you?"
Carlisle was too polite. Too nice. It was crazy to think that her father was shaking hands with the man who had helped raise a monster. How could a doctor, a healer, have created something so harmful?
Overtaken with anger, Bella bit her tongue so hard that she drew blood. It tasted just like the night that Carlisle's son had raped her. Tasted even more like a couple weeks after that, when Carlisle's son had knocked the lights out of her and left her on the ground. That night had left her poor and cold. Even worse, that night had left her stupid.
"Bella," Carlisle said for the second time.
She blinked. "Oh, sorry."
"It's quite alright. Now, how are you feeling?"
There was already somebody at her side wiping away the blood from her face. The gash stung a bit.
"I'm fine," she said, avoiding eye contact with the doctor.
"Would you like to tell us exactly what happened?"
"Might as well file the report now," Charlie said.
Bella opened her mouth to speak, but she was too focused on the doors.
In the lobby, everybody else waited. Kim just wrung her hands. Quil was quiet for the first time in his life. Jacob's right knee bounced up and down. They had all seen Bella come in. She had looked okay. They'd also seen the pickup truck driver who she'd crashed into. He was in even better condition.
Now they were waiting on just one person.
Leah saw him first, half-unconscious, being pushed in on a gurney.
"Paul!" she called.
He hardly noticed her, but he seemed to be having a tough time.
She suddenly wished he and Bella hadn't made it. She didn't even think she regretted it.
Bella avoided eye contact with Dr. Cullen. Her eyes kept periodically gazing towards the swinging doors. They finally swung open just as she hoped they would.
He was hardly awake.
"Paul!" she called.
"Bella, we've gotta finish this up," Charlie said. "You can talk with him later."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. So we were just coming back from the store with stuff for Jacob and Sue. It's their birthday. I know I shouldn't have been driving Paul's car, but I had to. We had to get back in time for Sue and we were running late. And—and… I'm sorry. I just didn't wanna mess it all up. We were—I was—speeding and ended up skidding because of the ice. I don't remember a lot after that. I'm sorry."
"You crashed sideways into a pickup truck," Charlie confirmed.
"Is the driver okay?"
"He's perfectly fine. It's your friend that's gonna need some work."
Bella's eyes watered up a little, and she turned to where the workers had taken him. They quickly pulled a curtain in front of him.
"Well, you seem to be just fine, Bella," Carlisle said. "We're just going to run a few more tests. I'll be back momentarily."
"Thanks," she said.
"You're very welcome."
Carlisle walked away, and Charlie gave Bella a disappointed look. "God, Bells, what were you thinking?" he asked.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"I know. You've told me that a hundred times now. You should be sorry. I just want to know what in the world possessed you to think that speeding over icy roads in a car with bad brakes was a good idea. You must have a great reason."
"I just wanted to help," she murmured.
"That doesn't mean you can do that!" he said, actually upset. "You know you're gonna have to pay for this, right?"
"I know."
"You're gonna have to pay for whatever the damage is, which sounds like it's gonna be a lot. I'll help pay for your hospital bill, but you're gonna have to help Paul with his since this is your fault. And what is this Paul guy to you, anyway? I thought you were still with Jacob."
"Me and Jacob broke up in November." This part was true. "We're still friends, though." That part was false.
"So now you're seeing this guy..."
"Paul. His name is Paul. And I'm not even with him. We're just friends."
"Alright, Bells," Charlie said.
"We are." Except she didn't really know what they were.
"I believe you." Except he didn't believe her.
Jacob, finally twenty, blew out the candles on his birthday cake at around ten that night, in the Clearwaters' cramped kitchen. It was a new cake, not the one covered in broken glass, smeared somewhere along the highway. He didn't care too much that it wouldn't taste the same. Leah saw the happiness, the sense of finally, finally, finally, radiate all over his face.
And they all cheered for him. Paul, still stiff from the stitches, tried his best. Jake had made it another year. It was a meaningless feat for the outsiders, but in the badlands, it was everything.
It was everything.
Sue had made it, too. She was done with radiation therapy. All that was left to do was recover and pray. Pray and recover. And while she knew she was about to experience post-treatment pain, she was happy. Leah saw the happiness radiate from her as she was adorned with yellow roses and Charlie, her two favorite things. And even better, Charlie adored her.
Leah had always thought of her mother as the type to never change. Sue had lived in La Push almost her entire life. She'd known Harry since she had been fourteen. She'd given birth to Leah at eighteen and the furthest she'd gone was medical school in Forks to become a registered nurse. Leah didn't share the same life ideals, and it would kill her if she did, but the difference between her life and her mother's life was that love played a prominent part in Sue's.
The love lived on, and it allowed Sue to live on, too.
That was what made all the difference.
Bella was getting ready to leave the Clearwaters' house when she saw Paul slip out the front door, attempting to be unnoticed. She quickly slipped on her sneakers and followed him.
He was starting to head down the icy road.
"Hey," she called to him. "Paul."
He paused and then turned.
"My dad can give you a ride home," she said, "if you want." Paul's car was currently towed away, completely totaled.
"I live right down the street," he replied. "I'll be fine."
She could see her breath in the frozen air as she spoke. "Thanks for not letting me kill you so fast," she said.
He continued walking down the road.
"Don't worry about it," he told her.
A/N: Thanks as always. The next couple of chapters features Kim, Emily, a romantic arc involving Leah, and a couple of new characters.
Tell me how you feel,
HS