What if Edward wasn't in Port Angeles that night? What if he was far away, hunting? What if he had no idea how badly Bella got hurt until later? (Trigger warning: Rape)
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Bella took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She glanced one more time over her shoulder. The two men were slightly further back than the last time she looked. Maybe they realized they were scaring her and slowed down, feeling bad. Bella tried to calm her racing heart with this thought. She rounded the corner and spotted the two other men positioned between her and her route out. Oh, no, Bella thought with panic. I wasn't being followed, I was being herded.
Bella tried to recall the few self-defense moves she was taught years ago at that class she went to with her mom. Heel of the wrist up the nose, fingers to the eyes, knee to the groin, yell. Bella swallowed dryly, pretty sure she would have no volume in her voice to yell for help, not that there was anyone nearby to hear her.
"Stay away from me." Bella's wobbly, quiet voice confirmed that screaming for help wasn't an option. Running was a dangerous prospect as she was prone to fall down. Fight it is, Bella decided, heart racing.
The men snickered and surrounded her on all sides. Bella kept turning, stepping back from one man only to realize how close another man was on that side.
One man lunged for her and Bella instinctively thrust out the heel of her palm, making contact with his nose with a sickening crunch. He yelled and backed up, covering his nose with his hand. His hand came away with blood. "You bitch!" he screamed at her, "You're going to pay for that!" To his comrades, he ordered, "grab her!"
The other men rushed forward once and secured her struggling form easily, restraining each arm. The man with he bloodied nose came forward and grabbed her right wrist, pulling it down low to the ground so that she had to bend forward awkwardly. "This'll teach you," he said as he stomped down with his foot, resulting in a horrifying cracking sound and white hot pain shooting through Bella's arm. A strange, guttural cry escaped her mouth involuntarily.
The men relaxed their hold on her while she cradled her broken arm to her chest. Distracted by the blinding pain, she didn't brace against the man's hands on her chest, shoving her backward. Bella stumbled, and still cradling her broken arm to her body, had no way of slowing down her fall. Falling fast, Bella's head made contact with the asphalt of the road with a loud thud. Pain radiated from the back of her head. Bella lifted her head slightly to feel the back of her head with her good hand. Her vision swam as her fingers came back with blood on them. This was not good.
Bella looked up at her attackers and gulped seeing the hungry look in their eyes. Bile rose in her throat as the man with the bloodied nose started to unbutton his pants. With pain radiating from her broken arm and her head pounding from the impact, all fight had officially left Bella's body. She could only hope that someone might come this way and save her.
Bella's vision started to darken around the edges as the man lowered to the ground and started to unbutton her jeans. Bella tried uselessly to brush him off with her good hand, which ended quickly when one of the other men grabbed it and held it above her head. Bella felt her jeans be tugged down her hips and felt the cold road seep a deep chill into her skin. Bella welcomed the creaming unconsciousness as her head injury started to overcome her. But unconsciousness didn't come quick enough for her to escape the foreign and painful penetration of him entering her with a deep groan. A gurgled moan escaped her as tears slid down her face freely. After a few minutes of him raping her, Bella's vision blackened and she slid blissfully into unconsciousness.
Bella was in and out of consciousness. Each time she came back into consciousness, there was another man raping her. She welcomed back the darkness as unconsciousness would come back to take her away from her experience.
Finally, Bella came back into consciousness and found herself alone. The men had gone. Her pants immodestly around her thighs. Bella reached down with her good hand and tried to tug up her jeans. Her head screamed at her at the movement. She managed to get them almost all the way back up her hips before she felt the darkness come over her again.
"Oh my god, Bella!" Bella's head throbbed against the shrill sound pulling her back from the darkness. Suddenly there were hands on her. She flinched away from the touch.
"Bella, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes? It's Angela." Bella was able to match the soft feminine voice with the face in her head. Her friend had found her, she was safe. Bella tried to comply with the request and open her eyes, but immediately closed them against the bright lights. Bella was confused and disoriented. Where was she? Why was it so bright? Angela turned away and said, "Jessica, turn off the headlights, you're blinding her." Bella heard a mumbled response and the lights blissfully went off and she was able to open her eyes again after a moment.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Angela's voice came soothing but insistent.
"My head…." Bella moaned. "My arm…" Bella felt Angela's fingers probe the back of her head. She winced as they made contact with the sensitive spot.
Angela's voice hitched with anxiety when her fingers came back bloody. "Jessica, call 911."
Bella started to slip back into unconsciousness as she heard her friends call 911.
Bella was jarred back into the land of the living by intrusive sounds. Bella belatedly realized that it was sirens when she saw the flashing lights. Bella vaguely tracked Angela's voice interacting with the new arrivals asking what happened.
"Bella," said a gentle, but authoritative voice that Bella didn't recognize. "My name is Donna. I'm a paramedic. Can you tell me where it hurts."
"Head… arm… and down… there…" Bella slurred, struggling against the darkness fighting at the edges of her vision.
Bella felt probing fingers at the back of her head. "Gabriel, I need a neck brace and a back board." Bella wanted to protest but couldn't muster the energy. Bella drifted back into the darkness.
When Bella woke next, there were bright lights once again that she shut her eyes against. An intrusive, steady beeping sounded to her right.
"Paging Dr. Michaels, paging Dr. Michaels." Bella heard in the distance.
Confused, Bella forced herself to open her eyes against the bright light. She blinked a few times before taking in her new surroundings. Everything was bright white. The fluorescent overhead lights, the hanging curtain to her side, the scratchy blanket coving her lap, the white cast around her broken arm. Hospital, she concluded. She tried turning her head, but felt something restricting her neck movement. Bella's anxiety started to rise and heard a corresponding increase in the beeping machine to her right.
"Bella!" Bella heard a mix of anxiety and relief in the familiar voice. Charlie. Bella saw her father rush into her field of vision. "You're awake!" Bella let out a strangled sob seeing her father. Charlie, who was never good with emotions, grabbed her good hand and gave it a slight squeeze. "You're okay, you're safe now, you're in the hospital," he patted the back of her hand. "I should go get the doctor now that you're awake." Charlie gave her hand one more squeeze before releasing it and getting up.
A moment later a woman came in a white doctor's coat. "Hi Bella, my name is Dr. Evans. How are you feeling?"
Bella took a moment to take stock of her body. She wasn't in pain anymore, but the light felt too bright and made her head hurt. She conveyed that to the doctor. The doctor nodded and jotted down a note in her chart. "The meds we gave you should be helping with the pain. You did bang your head pretty bad, you could have a concussion. Here, let me lower the lights a bit, is that better?" The lights dimmed and Bella let out a sigh of relief.
"Yes, much."
The doctor ran through questions about her symptoms and confirmed that she did in fact have a concussion.
"Bella, I'd like to keep you here for a few more hours to keep an eye on that concussion. We will be keeping you awake for the next few hours to ensure that no long-term damage occurs." Bella groaned at this, feeling so tired and desperately craving the relief that unconsciousness offered. "You have a broken arm that we set and placed in a cast. You are on I.V. pain meds, if your pain returns, you can push this button right here and you should feel better." The doctor indicated the button on the side of her hospital bed. "Bella, I have some personal matters to discuss with you. Would you like your father to step out or stay?"
Bella looked at her father and swallowed. She suspected that she knew what these questions were about. "Ummmm…" Bella hesitated, trying to find the words that wouldn't hurt Charlie's feelings.
Charlie seemed to understand. "I'll be right outside, if you need me." Bella smiled appreciatively at her father.
The door clicked closed softly and she saw Charlie run his hands over his face and hair through the window.
"Bella," Dr. Evan's gentle voice brought Bella's attention back to her. "The paramedics who brought you in indicated signs of sexual assault. Were you raped?"
Bella looked down and fingered her cast, suddenly fascinated with the texture of it. "Bella?" Dr. Evan's voice was even more soft and gentle, as if she was talking with a scared and injured animal.
Bella nodded, not looking up at her. Tears pooled in her eyes and a big lump settled in her throat.
"I'm sorry that happened to you, honey," Dr. Evan's voice swelled with maternal sympathy and Bella suddenly wished her mom was there. "Do you consent to me performing a rape kit to collect evidence?" A wave of nausea came over Bella as she thought of there being evidence on, or in, her body. Dr. Evans listed off the benefits of having a rape kit if it ever went to trial. She detailed what would happen, which made Bella blanch at the prospect of being further poked and prodded.
Bella gulped and looked down. "Do I have to do it right now?"
Dr. Evans smiled softly. "No, but the sooner, the better. Within 72 hours and definitely before you take a shower."
Bella fingered a loose strand on the bed. "Can I wait until my mom gets here?" Hoping and assuming that Charlie had called her and she was rushing toward her as they spoke.
Dr. Evans softened. "Sure sweetheart."
"There is an officer here, who would like to get your statement. Can I send her in?" With a sense of dread, Bella nodded, not imagining that she can get out of this one. "Would you like me to send your father in?" Bella shook her head.
The doctor rose and left the room. A few minutes later a gentle nock sounded at the door and a woman in a police uniform entered. "Hi Bella, my name is Detective Spence, is it okay if I come in and ask you a few questions?"
Bella nodded tensely. Through her tears, not daring to look directly at Detective Spence, Bella answered the detective's questions until Bella had told her everything she could remember. Detective Spence closed her notebook at the end of her questioning and thanked her for her time. She handed Bella a business card with the instructions to call her if she remembered anything else.
Then the sketch artist came in, and a gruesome two more hours were spent detailing the faces etched into Bella's brain.
Finally, Bella was overcome with exhaustion.
There was a gentle knock and Charlie poked his head in. "Hey kiddo. How are you feeling?"
Bella sighed, "I'm so tired, I just want to sleep."
Charlie smiled at her sympathetically. "I know, but the doctor needs you to be awake until you're in the clear with his whole concussion thing."
Bella sighed again. "Is Mom on her way?"
Charlie let out his own sigh this time. "I called your mom and she's so worried about you, but she can't get here for a few days. Apparently, Phil has a big game tomorrow, or something." Charlie failed to conceal his anger from his voice.
Bella drooped with disappointment. She needed her mom, and her mom chose Phil over her. She couldn't say that she was surprised, but it did sting. Bella tried to convince herself that it was for the best. If her mom was here right now, she would be an absolute mess, and Bella just did not need that right now.
Charlie took up the chair by her bed and they sat in silence together. Bella was suddenly grateful for Charlie's presence. He might struggle with the emotional support part, but he was at least here. Charlie called out Bella's name whenever he caught her start to nod off. Bella could see Charlie rub his hands over his face against his own exhaustion, but he never once complained.
After a bit, Dr. Evans came back in to check on Bella. Charlie stepped out to give them some privacy. Dr. Evans shone a light into Bella's eyes and asked about her headache.
"Is your mom on her way?" Dr. Evans asked kindly.
Bella dropped her eyes, embarrassed for some reason. "No. She's not coming."
Dr. Evans pursed her lips. "I'm sorry, sweetie." Bella nodded. "Do you want to have someone else join you for your rape kit? Your dad? Maybe a friend? Or I could have a nurse come in to hold your hand."
Bella shook her head. "I changed my mind. I don't want to do it anymore."
Dr. Evans gave her a soft smile. "Okay. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do." Bella didn't know why, but hearing that made her start to sob.
Charlie came in suddenly, having heard Bella's sobs. "Bella?! What's wrong?" Bella didn't answer him and he looked to the doctor in concern.
Dr. Evans gave Charlie a kind smile and left the room.
Charlie came up and put an awkward hand on Bella's trembling shoulder. Surprising them both, Bella turned into Charlie and buried her face in his chest and sobbed harder. Charlie didn't know what to say, but he just rubbed her back soothingly until Bella's sobs subsided and she pulled away self-consciously.
Bella sniffed and wiped at her face with her good hand. Charlie cleared his throat awkwardly and handed her a tissue from the bedside table.
Charlie sat down, studying his daughter. No one had told him what happened, but he'd been a cop long enough to put the pieces together. Dread was mounting in his chest. "Bella," he started tensely. "Can you tell me what happened?" Bella looked down, fingering the thread in the blanket. "Is it… is it as bad as I think it is?" he asked. Bella wasn't sure how bad Charlie thought it was, so she didn't say anything. "Were you… oh God, Bella, were you raped?" Bella could tell how hard it was for Charlie to say those words out loud, but she was grateful that he was the one to say it and not her.
Bella didn't say anything, but tears pooled in her eyes in confirmation. She gave a miniscule nod and closed her eyes in shame. "Oh God," she heard Charlie moan.
They sat in heavy silence, feeling the weight of the shared knowledge of what Bella had endured.