33

Carlisle walked out of a patient's room and over the nurses' desk, tossing the chart on top before walking down the hallway to the break room and pouring himself another cup of coffee. He'd lost count of how many he'd choked down since his shift started six hours ago. Four? Five? Six maybe? Normally, he wouldn't drink that much caffeine, but if he were honest, and he was usually was, he was struggling not to abandon his shift and go home. All he could think about was Bella Swan, and whether he'd made a mistake by bringing the fragile, delicate girl into his home.

Well, that's not entirely true. He didn't worry that she would hurt his family. He worried that she would need him, and he wouldn't be there. That they would need him, and he wouldn't be there. The young, fragile girl had looked terrified when he left for work, and it had taken everything he had not to take another personal day, but he'd already taken two. He couldn't really afford another. Or so he told himself.

With a sigh, he turned and walked out of the break room and down to the elevator, riding it up to the fifth floor. As he stepped out, he saw Tia standing in the hallway outside of James Swan's room. She looked over at him, smiling and laughing at the same time, before she turned and folded her arms in front of her.

"Dr. Cullen," she said with a raised eyebrow. "Do I need to remind you that Mr. Swan is my patient?"

Carlisle grinned. "No, ma'am. Just checking on a member of my family."

"Hmm," she hummed. "If you say so." She sighed. "Mr. Swan is doing remarkably well, considering he's healing from a stab wound. Iron levels are still a bit low, and he's bruised and battered, but he should be able to go home after a couple more days."

Carlisle nodded.

"How's the girl?" Tia asked.

He felt his shoulders tense. She hadn't been the first person inside the hospital to ask about Bella. Almost dozen of the ER nurses had checked in on her, most of them on the floor the night she was brought into the hospital.

"Sorry, she's been all over the news, Carlisle," Tia added with a shrug.

"Oh, I know," he deadpanned. "She's . . . I don't know, Tia. I just . . ." Carlisle turned and leaned against the wall. "I don't know how to help her. She's been through so much . . . bullshit, you know? I mean, I'm not naïve, I'm not, but hearing the Hell she went through, makes me sick, and I know she's holding a lot back, too. There's so much more she hasn't told us, and I don't know that I want to know, either."

"Well, I'm not a trauma expect, Carlisle, but I think you keep doing what you've been doing," Tia said, softly. "From the way I hear it, she was practically savage when she was brought here, yet just a few days ago, she smiled."

He nodded, because she certainly wasn't the same girl who he had almost hit with his car just a handful of days ago.

"But," she continued, "And I know you know this, Carlisle, but she's going to need more than just your love and friendship."

"But how do I get her the help she needs, without pushing her too hard?" he asked, stepping away from the wall. "She's important, Tia, and not to just me, but to my entire family. Losing her . . . well, losing her isn't an option, not at this point."

Carlisle placed his hand on her shoulder before he stepped past her and into James' room, finding the man sitting in a chair next to the bed. What color that could be seen through the bruises and black eyes was better than it was a few days ago, but his eyes were dark, forbidding as he looked at Carlisle.

"Hey," James said, wincing as he started to stand.

"Don't hurt yourself," Carlisle said, putting his hand up. He walked over and sat on the side of the bed. "Sorry we haven't been by in a few days. It's been . . . insane."

"Rosie's kept me up to date. I can't believe those assholes put her out there like that," James replied. "How's Bella?"

"She's okay, I guess. Been really quiet, but she's okay."

"Liar," he scoffed. "Had a nice chat with the DA handling the case against Sam Uley yesterday. Kate doesn't seem to have much confidence that they'll be able to put that bastard down for what's he done."

Carlisle nodded. "Yeah, she, um, pretty much pinning her entire case on him on your assault, and the hope of finding Bella's baby. Says it's the only real proof that links him to Bella."

"I can't believe she had a baby with that monster," James whimpered, looking away from Carlisle. "I should have put him down for good."

"You held him until help could come, James. He's sitting in a jail cell, he can't hurt her again because you fought for her."

James shook his head, tears sliding down his cheeks. "I should have kept him away from him in the first place. Charlie knew there was something wrong with that son-of-a-bitch. He said boys like that shouldn't be looking at little girls like he did. Said there was an evil inside him that scared him, and Charlie didn't scare easy. Why didn't we do more to keep her safe, Carlisle? She was a fucking baby, for Christ sake, and we just left her vulnerable to him."

"No, no, you didn't," Carlisle disagreed. "Charlie and Renee told him to not to come over anymore, didn't they? They told him he wasn't welcome at their house anymore, right?"

James nodded.

"And Charlie tried to talk to Billy Black about him, too, right? Told him that Sam was sick? That he was acting inappropriately, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but —"

"No," Carlisle argued, putting his hand up. "There's a list of people who are to blame for what happened to Bella, but you, Charlie, Renee? You are nowhere on that list, James. Charlie and Renee, they died trying to save her from him, and you almost did. Sam Uley, the Tribal Council, the fucking Forks police department who apparently can't find their asses with both hands, they failed Bella. They put her in his hands when they decided to overlook what he did to Leah and Emily, James."

Sighing, he frowned. "You know, I was never blessed with children of my own. After Charlie and Renee were murdered, and Bella was taken, I focused all of my time and attention on Rosie. She was so angry and bitter, and I tried to be there for her. It wasn't always easy, and there were times when I can admit to being a little resentful that I had to give up my life for her. Don't get me wrong," he quickly added, putting his hand up. "I love Rosie and she's definitely mine, but Bella? She doesn't see me as her family, and I don't know how to get her to see how much I love her, too."

Carlisle reached over and placed his hand on James shoulder. "You did that when you fought for her, James, and you'll do it again and again, and again, because she's going to need all of us every single day to prove to her that she's not a nobody, a nothing. That she's Bella Swan, that she's important and beautiful, but mostly, loved. She's going to need you, James."

His lips trembled as he reached up, covering Carlisle's hand. "And I'll be there for her. For as long as I'm still alive."

Carlisle nodded. "I'd better get back down to the ER, but if you need anything, James, just give us a holler, okay? You're family, too, just like Bella and Rosalie are."

"Thank you, Carlisle," he responded with a smile. "That means a lot, to me and to my girls."

Carlisle gave his shoulder another gentle squeeze before he stood up and headed back to the ER. He grabbed himself another cup of coffee before heading to grab another chart, but before he could, he spotted Jasper, Garrett, and a tall, thin blond lady sitting in the waiting room.

Blowing out a heavy breath, he hurried out to them. Jasper and Garrett were quick to their feet, while the blond almost looked annoyed that she had to stand.

"What's wrong?" Carlisle asked.

"Nothing," Jasper scoffed. "But, we need to talk, you know, privately."

Carlisle felt his shoulders tense, but nodded and motioned for them to follow him, ignoring the glare from the triage nurse for ignoring the dozen patient charts waiting to be grabbed. Ironically, he led them into room eight, and closed the door behind them.

"So, what's going on?" he asked, folding his arms in front of him.

Jasper cleared his throat. "We found her."

"Her?" he asked, his eyes widening. "You found Hope?"

He nodded. "We have DNA confirmation."

Carlisle inhaled a sharp breath, before exhaling slowly. "Oh, shit, man, I didn't think . . . I mean, we hoped but, we didn't think . . . The odds, right?"

"Yeah, it's kind of a miracle, but it's . . . Carlisle, it's going to get messy. You understand that, right? Hope was adopted about a year ago. Her name is Vanessa now, and her parents — adoptive parents are good people."

"So what are you saying? That she can't meet her? Can't see her?"

Jasper put his hand up. "Of course not, but legally, it's a bit of . . . disaster."

The blond snorted and when they turned to her, she rolled her eye. "Sorry, but I have other things to do, like build my case against Sam Uley."

"I'm sorry, but who the hell are you?" Carlisle asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Kate Denali, district attorney," she said with a fake smile. "I need to speak to the girl."

"I'm sorry?" he asked, looking from her to Jasper. "The girl?"

"Yes," she replied slowly. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Well, you could use her name," he snarled.

Kate took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I need to speak to Bella. Better?"

"Not really, no," he quipped.

"Look —"

"No, you look," Carlisle interrupted her, holding his hand up to stop her. "Bella Swan has been through Hell. Worse than Hell, and if you think I am going to stand here and allow you to disrespect her by not even using her name, you can fuck off. She's not just a case number, and you better fucking understand that."

Kate's mouth flopped open and when she looked to Jasper or Garrett for backup, they simply stared her down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking back at Carlisle, and saying, "I'm sorry. I don't mean any disrespect, Dr. Cullen."

"Could have fooled me," he jibbed.

"I didn't," she insisted. "Bella Swan isn't just another case to me, okay? I filed official charges against Sam Uley not only for the assault on James Swan, but for the kidnapping and rape of Bella Swan, and for the murders of her parents. But I need to talk to her myself, to know that before I put that girl . . . I'm sorry, Bella," she changed, when Carlisle started to speak, "through a trial, that she's strong enough to face him, because unless he pleads guilty, she'll have to testify. Especially, if we want to nail for him murder. She was the only witness to the murders of her parents."

"While Kate might be a bit abrasive," Garrett added, giving Carlisle a look that clearly said she was being a crazy bitch, "she's right. Putting Bella through a trial might be too much. Any decent defense attorney, and I can assure you Sam Uley will have attorneys clamoring to take his case just for the notoriety it will bring, will call into question her credibility."

Carlisle pressed his lips together and looked at Jasper.

"They're right," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't like it any more than you do, Carlisle, trust me."

"Okay," he murmured, nodding. "But we do it at the house. We're not taking her back to the police station. She doesn't need to be paraded in front of people like that again."

"I can agree to that," Kate said. "When would be a good time?"

Carlisle looked at his watch. "I can get out a little early. Let's say five."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen." Kate offered him her hand, which he reluctantly shook.

"Call me Carlisle," he said. "And I'm sorry if I was rude. She's just important to me, to all of us."

"No, I deserved it." Kate released his hand and looked at Garrett and Jasper. "I'll see you at five."

Garrett followed Kate out of the room, leaving just Carlisle and Jasper standing there.

"Be honest with me, Jay," Carlisle said, thickly. "Did we promise Bella that we'd bring Hope back to her when there no chance that she'd ever get her back?"

Jasper opened his mouth several times before he simply shrugged his shoulders, and said, "I don't know. I just don't know."

And neither did Carlisle. One day, he'd learn not to make promises he wasn't sure he could keep. Taking Hope from Bella again . . . Well, she wouldn't survive losing her daughter again.

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