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Chapter 83

Diagnoses

Jake

"Jake!" a man's voice seemed to shake me roughly.

Something slipped off of my back neck.

I was instantly awake and knew immediately where I was. And also why.

My gaze therefore immediately went to Becky, but she was asleep and even looked quite relaxed. I took a deep breath. Only then did I turn my head to the other side.

Becky's father looked rather the opposite. His head was glowing with anger and he gave me a devastating look.

What had I done wrong?

"Would you be so kind as to take your hands off my daughter immediately!" he commanded me in an endeavored quiet voice that still quivered angrily.

I looked at my hands myself.

They were both under the covers, and under one of them I felt Becky's silky soft skin - without the fabric of her pajamas - and the little cooler ring in her belly button. And what had slipped from the back of my neck had been Becky's hand, now lying on my arm.

"Henry!" her mother cautioned against him, looking at me apologetically as I withdrew my hands. "That's Jake!" she continued to insist, also concerned not to wake Becky.

"I will keep out everyone's hands from my daughter!" her father stated unforgivingly. "So ... Jake. Get out!"

Becky's mother again wanted to contradict her husband, but I shook my head.

I didn't want to provoke him. Not today! I would probably do that often enough in the next few days, because I would in no way leave Becky alone. I left them now very reluctantly, but in the presence of her parents hardly anything would happen. And they were her parents, after all. They had every right on their side and could determine Becky's company. They were just afraid and her father wanted to protect his little girl. At the moment, just from any male beings! How could I resent him for that?

Her mother apologized for her husband's harsh behavior as she put a hand on my shoulder on the way out the door.

I smoothed over that it was a completely understandable reaction however. I took another gaze at the clock above the door.

It was shortly after one o'clock. I had slept for almost two hours in a semi-sitting position, which certainly explained why everything was hurting me right now. I had to move and stretch a bit, pee, and I was thirsty.

One room over, I then leaned against the wall to Becky's room, having taken note of Edward still being there in surprise. He handed me an ice-cold small bottle of Coke.

"Where else would I be?" he asked meekly.

The cold caffeine paired with tons of sugar invigorated me. I almost smiled.

We had been really lucky to get such a Dad. But he could also have shown up earlier, I teased him mentally. Maybe a few years ago, when I really needed a father.

"Better late than never!" he followed up.

"Also, true again!", I admitted and thanked him for getting some things for Becky. In particular, the little wolf.

I glanced at my phone.

Leah apparently knew what had happened, which Dad then explained to me. She sent a video from the lunch break.

Brandon had wanted to show off something with the lunch meatballs, but before it could happen, police entered the cafeteria in the background. The officers - the same ones who had been here - had a little chase with Mike, but Jasper and Emmett had 'accidentally' cut Mike off.

Dad said that Alice had seen his escape route. While Leah was recording this little video, Rose had already been on the phone with Dad.

"What are they talking about?" I then asked.

Indeed, I had an unbelievable wolfish hearing, but because Becky's parents whispered, in order not to wake Becky, I understood nothing.

"Henry is considering ways to kill you right now!" he said.

I paused while Edward smirked.

"Why me?"

"Elizabeth is just enlightening him that you two don't spend your time together holding hands or playing Monopoly. He's forbidden himself such thoughts about his little girl until now, and has not only avoided them consequently, but also exceedingly successfully."

I was shocked, in a way. For the past three weekends, Becky had stayed overnight with me with her parents' permission. What had he thought we were going to do all night?

"I think she told him more that Becky was with Leah and not with you."

I grinned to myself as Carlisle just entered his office. He asked in surprise what I was doing here and why I wasn't with Becky.

"Her father kicked me out," was all I said.

Carlisle nodded.

"Cindy just gave me her report ..." Carlisle began to say as all three of us lifted our heads in shock and took notice.

The devices next door beeped and made noise as if they were announcing the end of the world.

Immediately we ran over.

I stood in front of Becky's bed for a moment, terrified and helpless.

Becky flailed wildly, tears streaming down her cheeks, and she cursed over and over, "No!"

What had happened that Becky was so beside herself? She had slept completely calmly and had looked so peaceful that it had relaxed me unbelievably!

Becky's mother had made room for Carlisle immediately and her father tried to calm her, restrain her hands, spoke to her, but Becky's reaction was only more alienated.

Carlisle frantically shouted something to a nurse who had just entered, and she immediately went on her way again.

Without really thinking about it, I sidled past Carlisle, who immediately took a step back. I sat down on the edge of the bed before gently putting a hand to her cheek and holding up one of her hands with mine, interlacing my fingers with hers.

"Becky. I'm here," I whispered and only moments later the devices fell silent while Becky became completely still again.

She was actually still asleep.

Gently I continued to stroke her face, wiped away the tears, pushed a few strands out of her forehead, let my thumb run over the back of her hand and kissed her fingers.

A relaxed smile settled over her mouth.

I looked up at Carlisle questioningly.

What did that mean?

"Thank you, nurse, but Miss Young seems to have her own tranquilizer," Carlisle said turning toward the door, putting a hand on my shoulder.

The nurse left again and Carlisle asked what had happened.

Her parents had sat with her and talked in whispers, whereby her mother had held her hand. Her father saw the necklace that seemed to be about to tangle with her long hair and wanted to push her hair aside a bit. Then, out of nowhere, she had started lashing out and it got more violent the more her father tried to calm her down.

I already looked against him almost apologetically.

What a feeling it must be for a father, when he himself was not capable of doing anything for his own daughter, but the boyfriend only had to show up, from whom he had also learned that he did more with his daughter than just hold her hand.

"A slap in the face!" muttered Edward inhumanly softly behind us.

I suppressed a slight smirk, as did Becky, but there was no way she could have heard him and besides, she was still asleep. I paused.

"She seems to perceive and reflect your mood," Dad added softly.

"I intermediately received Dr. Bennett's report," Carlisle then said.

I turned my head tensely in his direction.

He made a little pause.

He seemed to be waiting to see if Becky's parents would say anything to my presence or Edward's, or perhaps follow him outside without being asked. Nothing of the sort happened, except that Becky's mother clung a little to her husband.

I held my breath as Carlisle immediately began to speak.

He recited some medical vocabulary that meant absolutely nothing to me and sounded dangerous and complicated.

"Can you make yourself clearer!" I demanded impatiently at one point, giving him a nasty look.

He smiled indulgently.

"Show some respect, boy!" her father reprimanded me.

Well. He didn't know that Carlisle was sort of my grandfather.

"Becky will make a fully recovery. Most of the external injuries are frightening only by their multitude. Quite superficial, which just need a little time. Only here will remain perhaps a small scar ..." he said, pointing to the bandage on the hand where Becky was stitched. "Her genitals are badly strained and also show abrasions ... That's where the blood came from this morning ..." he said in my direction.

I swallowed dryly.

That had to hurt!

"... but that, too, will heal completely with proper treatment," he added further.

"Treatment?" her father asked awkwardly, but I was actually asking myself the same question.

"An ointment for internal and external use," Carlisle said matter-of-factly, handing ME a tube.

I felt myself blush quite a bit right now, so I took the ointment from him and stubbornly looked at Becky's hand so that I could definitely not see her father's gaze.

Behind me, though, I heard a soft chuckle. I threw Dad a biting gaze over my shoulder, which was turned away from her parents.

Didn't help. I rolled my eyes and looked at Becky again. She seemed to be laughing at me too? No! I was just imagining that now!

"Fully? That is ..." her mother then asked cautiously.

"Becky will physically recover from this day and will no doubt be able to have children!" said Carlisle clearly now, and her mother breathed a sigh of relief.

So, did I. But one little word echoed in my head.

"Physically?" I questioned, looking up at him.

"Yes, physically I can't find anything that would stand in the way of her full recovery with the proper amount of time. But the soul is not so easy to treat. The psyche reacts mostly emotionally and sometimes does not follow any logic. It was a traumatic experience whereby no one can really imagine how it appears on Becky and what it causes in Becky in the long run ... She has refused mental health care. So, I guess it's going to be your job, Jake, to make sure Becky doesn't let that discourage her. She mustn't withdraw into herself, and she must in no way lose her faith in the world," Carlisle looked at me seriously.

I nodded.

Her father seemed to want to say something, but apparently swallowed it.

Carlisle then soon left, he had other patients after all, as then Mom came through the door.

She must have gotten off work early if she was already here now.

Very quietly, she had knocked and virtually slipped into the room. She greeted Edward in a forced casual manner - Becky's father knew nothing about the two of them - reached out her hand to her father, gave her mother a sympathetic hug, then came to my side and gave me a kiss on the forehead while she gently stroked Becky's hand. She looked at me questioningly.

Sometimes we didn't have to talk to understand each other. I nodded. I was fine.

All parents realized by themselves that they were actually superfluous here right now and the silence became more and more oppressive.

No one wanted to leave Becky alone, but no one knew anything to say either. It was an uncomfortable silence in which no one wanted to disturb Becky's peace either.

So, Mom suggested they go to the cafeteria together.

Not five minutes had passed when Leah and Bran showed up.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" I asked, amazed but happy to see them both.

They had the last two classes together and if my gaze on the clock didn't deceive me, they probably just skipped them.

I went to meet them to greet them.

"We were off our game," Brandon explained to me.

"Bran talked so long on me after the break until I told him what happened," Leah apologized to me and gave me a hug.

I was not angry. Rather the opposite. It distracted me. Despite Carlisle's actually good news my thoughts had become more and more doubtful.

"Holy shit!" muttered Bran as he then saw Becky more closely.

"That probably puts the thing in a nutshell!" I admitted and sat back down with Becky.

"How is she?" asked Leah uncertainly as she stood still next to me leaving one arm resting around me.

"It's hard to say. Once everything was over, she fell asleep. Carlisle says she needs rest, but also that everything will heal ... Hard to believe, seeing her like this now," I explained.

The bruise next to the eye was dark purple by now and also swollen. The scratches, on the other hand, already looked better than this morning, but the split lip was just as visible as the marks on her neck and wrists.

"And you?" asked Bran.

"Don't know exactly. Angry. Worried. Helpless ..." I enumerated.

Bran nodded in trepidation, not knowing himself how he would handle this if it happened to Jenny.

They talked about school, some trivial stuff, but it distracted me.

Brandon then said goodbye again, which surprised me at first.

He was always the one who was with me when anything happened. Except for Leah and Mom, of course. It was also the other way around. When he lay once in the hospital because of his tonsils, we both put on such a hoopla, until I got the bed next to him. The nurses regretted it afterwards. We were seven, I think.

But this time, he said, Becky might not like it if he was here. If anyone even knew about it. I guess I had to agree with him. But he had brought some licorice sticks for Becky - which she would even almost kill for in normal circumstances - and put them on the nightstand.

"If there's anything I can do, if you need anything, or you just want to talk, call!" he said before disappearing.

The power of licorice or coincidence?

Becky stirred.

I still held her hand, now the gentle pressure was returned. Her eyelids squinted together a bit, started to flutter, she blinked and finally looked at me.

"Jake," she stated, smiling slightly, but seemingly puzzled.

"I told you I wouldn't leave you alone, " I smiled at her.

She wanted to straighten up a bit.

Leah adjusted the headboard of the bed, and I carefully slid a pillow into her back.

I asked if she needed anything.

Food, drink, painkillers, a kiss?

The last was answered in the affirmative.

Gently I touched her lips with mine, endeavored not to touch the injured area.

She then asked Leah to accompany her to the bathroom. She felt weak and wasn't sure she could make the walk alone.

I was not surprised. She had not eaten since this morning, but was at the mercy of considerable physical and mental efforts. Also, that she asked Leah for help and not me, did not surprise me particularly. Becky and I usually had no inhibitions in front of each other, but to show me her battered body, she must be quite uncomfortable.

So, while they were both busy in the bathroom, I wanted to send a message to Carlisle that Becky had woken up.

The hospital was big and I had no clue where he would be walking around.

It was unnecessary. He just came through the door and explained that Dad had already informed him.

'Ever heard of privacy?', I accused him in thoughts.

Yes, but then kindly turn your thoughts down!

beeped my cell phone, which I was already holding in my hand.

Well, if I knew how to do that, I would. Other fathers complained about too loud music, mine about too loud thoughts. With us, however, nothing could be normal either.

"How is she?" Carlisle asked me at the exact moment when a suppressed whimper was heard from the bathroom.

Tensely, I looked in that direction.

Carlisle sat down with me and explained that he hadn't expected anything else. He already had pain medication with him.

It took a moment for Leah and Becky to get back to the room.

Becky had visibly gone pale in the few minutes and was holding onto Leah to keep her balance. Leah turned again to push the door shut behind them, holding Becky with only one arm as Becky searched for the missing arm of hers and toppled over.

I had seen it coming, jumped up, but Leah had already noticed it too and was faster than me or Carlisle.

Becky shook her head and now held it a little.

She had to be dizzy.

"Is this normal?" I asked inhumanly quiet Carlisle, who was already squatting next to me by Becky.

He shook his head anxiously.

"Not necessarily," he whispered.

Leah lifted Becky fully into her arms and carried her back to the bed.

With ease. I liked to forget that Leah was a lot stronger than she looked.

Leah had just dropped her off, Becky was leaning against me when the door opened and all the parents were back.

"Please wait outside for a moment," Carlisle commanded them, something Mom and Dad had apparently already counted on.

They hadn't really come in at all. Leah then went out as well.

He then turned to Becky, felt her pulse, gently grasped her forehead, pulled out a small flashlight and checked for pupillary response, and asked about any unusual pain.

"Pretty much everything hurts me, actually!" muttered Becky.

"Anything particularly bad or maybe feels strange?"

"My hand," she said after a moment, holding out the bandaged hand to him.

Carlisle loosened the bandage and looked at it closely. He carefully felt over the two sprained fingers.

Becky didn't even flinch, that's how careful he was. Then he moved on to the wound that was being stitched. He only got close to it with his fingers when Becky was already screaming "Ouch!".

Seemingly startled by this, Becky's father came rushing into the room. He saw her hand, his face changed from pink to white to slightly green, and he left again.

Becky chuckled a little.

Then Carlisle, who had also smirked a bit, turned back to the hand. He felt around carefully, cut the seam again and looked at it closely.

"There still seems to be something in the wound that doesn't belong there. I can't see anything, so it's definitely too deep for me to find and remove now. Maybe an abscess has already formed underneath ... I would have to see that in the operating room. It would only be a minor procedure," he considered and looked at Becky for a long time, but she again only looked at me. "You haven't eaten anything yet, aren't you ... Becky?" he spoke directly to her now and she turned her head to him.

She didn't like the prospect of surgery at all. She even took a quick gaze at Bran's licorice sticks to save herself from it.

"What do you meant, Becky? Should we take you to the operating room right away? ... Then you'll be back for dinner at the latest!" he asked encouragingly, as if it were a picnic or something.

We had to do some persuasion while Becky kept trying to hide in my arms, a few frightened tears running down her cheeks.

I didn't like the thought of surgery either, but if it took away some of the pain, she should give in. I really felt sorry for her and I could think what was bothering her about it. Under anesthesia, she was at the mercy of strangers who could do God knows what to her. No one would notice. Nobody would help her. No one would protect her from this.

Eventually, she agreed after Carlisle promised to operate on her himself and let me stay by her side as long as I could.

He bandaged the hand again provisionally so that it would not be contaminated until then and initiated everything for the operation. The anesthesiologist had to be notified and the operating room prepared, the parents had to give their consent beforehand and things like that.

Becky's parents, of course, first wanted to see their daughter, whom they had not yet seen in an awake state. After some time, the Youngs disappeared into Carlisle's office, where they were briefed about the operation.

A nurse came at some point and brought a pill for Becky, which she dutifully swallowed.

Dad explained again to Becky the necessity of the surgery, which she had intermediately doubted again.

Carlisle had waived the need for Becky to change.

Some time passed and I heard a rather heated dispute next door, the content of which I did not understand, however, as we were here trying with combined forces to distract Becky from the upcoming procedure.

And then it was already time that Becky was picked up.

"Princess has ordered a chauffeur?" peeked Emmett through the door.

Becky immediately started chuckling when she saw her 'male nurses'.

Emmett and Jasper. Of course, in appropriate clothes.

Seeing Becky laugh let my heart do a little jump.

They chauffeured both of us.

Becky had lain down and I was still sitting on the edge of the bed as before. The two of them were making all sorts of little jokes about the 'vehicle' - unfortunately the model didn't come in red, poor suspension, the equipment left a lot to be desired, no radio and so on - which distracted Becky from the goal of the speedy ride. She laughed all the way.

I looked at Jasper and he nodded affirmatively. He was responsible for this exuberance, but he affirmed that he would only reinforce what was already there.

Together the four of us waited.

Jazz and Em were still making all kinds of fun trying not to let Becky think about the surgery, meanwhile I was thinking to myself that no one was really allowed in the last waiting room except the patient.

Carlisle soon came through a wide door in sterile blue clothes.

Her little wolf was not allowed to come, so he would wait with me.

"When you open your eyes again, I'll be there!" I promised and gave Becky a soft kiss on the lips.

"If not, I'll sic my male nurses on you!" she threatened.

According to Carlisle, the surgery went without any complications. As he suspected, a small abscess had already formed under the wound, but he has now removed it completely. He would also have done something on her belly button, but that was a trifle. I should not be surprised about the band-aid and he handed me the piercing that she usually wore. In one or two days she could put it back on.

In the recovery room - I was surprised that I was already allowed to join Becky there - I sat again on the edge of her bed. I had put the wolf in her arm again and her head was leaning sideways against it.

Becky opened her eyes just once briefly and realized with a sweet befuddled smile that I wasn't lying before she fell back asleep.

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