Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or its characters.
All mistakes are mine.
Dec 11, 1941…
Bella
President Roosevelt addressed the nation the day after the attack, a day which he said "would live in infamy." Over twenty-four hundred people were killed in the attack, many of which were sailors who were trapped inside the USS Arizona. In the days that followed, Congress declared war on Japan, and thus in return Germany and Italy declared War on the US, and what many people feared became a reality. We were now at war.
Turns out Edward was right. It was only a matter of time.
Many people gathered and volunteered at the hospital, donated blood and supplies as we still tended to the wounded. The days were long and the nights sleepless as I couldn't get those images out of my head. Images of the injured men, the memory of their screams, the sound of the bullets as they flew past me and the bombs as they were dropped near the hospital. It was too hard to be at home as well. We all mourned Angela's loss but Rosalie took it the hardest. They'd been really close friends. Rosalie's crying was too hard to handle. She felt immense guilt for never realizing that Angela had been left behind.
"I don't know what happened," she cried to me after I told her Angela had died. "I remember we were running and then the plane came over us and we ducked for cover. I remember running as fast as I could and I was so sure she was right behind me. I don't know how I never realized she didn't make it to the hospital."
As if suffering Angela's loss wasn't hard enough, learning Ben's fate was another stab in the heart. Emmett knew Ben worked on the Arizona so he'd be there the morning of the attack, but Emmett hoped that he'd somehow made it out and survived. That wasn't the case. Ben never made it out of the USS Arizona.
When it came to Jasper, his left leg was too damaged for it to be salvaged so Dr. Harmon had to amputate it. The good news was that he would still be able to serve as a pilot after he was fit for a prosthetic and medically cleared. Alice barely left his side. If she was working, she was constantly checking on him in his room and when she wasn't, she'd come back to the hospital to be with him.
Not that I blamed her. I wasn't any different when it came to Edward.
For Edward, he'd suffered a gunshot wound on his side during battle. The bullet went through and narrowly missed any vital organ. It was his heavy blood loss that caused him to collapse. After multiple rounds of blood transfusions and a surgery, Edward was finally awake.
When I walked in his room, I stopped cold on my track when I noticed three women in the room with him. I instantly recognized Kate, who was at her brother's bedside almost as much as I was. The other two women I did not recognize. The older woman was very attractive with her long, hazel hair and emerald eyes that were similar to Edward's. There was an elegance to her I'd rarely seen in others, especially in the way she dressed, the way she sat and even how she held his hand with her perfectly manicured one. She was the definition of beauty and I suddenly felt out of place.
"Izzy." Kate approached me and gave me a hug, which I returned, turning away from the woman at Edward's bedside. "I wasn't sure if you were working today."
"I barely leave," I said. "There is so much to do." The room fell silent as both the woman holding Edward's hand stared at me as well as the young woman at the other side of his bed. She looked to be more our age, and if the older woman made me feel out of place with her beauty, the blonde made me want to crawl into a hole and never come out. She was stunning and as elegant as the other woman. Neither of them said a word.
My eyes finally met Edward's and he gave me an apologetic smile before the familiar look of annoyance took over his handsome features as he turned to the older woman.
I cleared my throat, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. "I-I'm so sorry, I'm his nurse. I didn't know there were visitors."
"Well, it's about time you came," the woman said, her voice smooth regardless of the annoyance in her tone. "I've been waiting to speak to someone about my son!"
"Mother," Edward said, sternly.
Mother?
It dawned on me then. Oh, that woman was Edward's mother. She finally made it to Pearl Harbor, and if she was his mother, then…
My eyes drifted to the young woman on the other side of Edward's bed. Was that Tanya?
"Mother, this is Isabella Swan. She's a friend of ours. Izzy, this is our mother, Elizabeth Cullen," Kate introduced us and then pointed to the other woman. It didn't escape me how Kate's smile turned into a scowl as she said, "And that's Tanya Denali, a family friend. They arrived today and wanted to see my brother immediately."
"It's very nice to meet you," I said with a nervous smile. Neither of them smiled back.
"Swan? Your last name is Swan?" Mrs. Cullen asked, her eyebrow arched to the point it almost met her hairline.
"I am, Ma'am." Her eyes narrowed on me and my nerves only intensified. I cleared my throat. "I hate to interrupt, but visiting hours are not until later and I have to check the patient before the doctor comes in to see him."
"But I'm his mother," Mrs. Cullen protested, her teeth clenched.
Oh, so she was that kind of woman.
I noticed Edward rolled his eyes out of the corner of my eye and tried to get his hand out of his mother's grasp, but she held on tightly.
"I know, Ma'am, but it's just hospital rules and I have to follow them. So, can you please exit the room?"
"Mother," Edward said.
Mrs. Cullen pursed her lips and grabbed her purse, letting go of Edward's hand. "Fine, but I'll be back. Let's go girls."
Kate gave me an apologetic look before kissing me on the cheek. The other woman, Tanya, stood up slowly, giving me a once over before she leaned in and tried to kiss Edward on the cheek. And I say tried because Edward moved away without sparing her a glance. I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back a laugh.
After they are gone, I walk up to Edward and begin taking his vitals.
"How are you feeling?" I asked as I wrapped his arm with the cuff to take his blood pressure.
Edward sighed heavily. "I got a headache, but that has more to do with my mother than my bullet wound."
I chuckled, shaking my head. "So she's been a pleasant visitor."
"Only if the definition of pleasant is now irritating."
I rolled my eyes and began squeezing the ball to take his blood pressure. I kept my eyes on my task, but I knew he was watching me and I knew what he was seeing.
"You haven't been sleeping, have you?" He asked quietly.
I removed the cuff from his arm and shrugged lightly. "I'm working on it."
The corner of his mouth twitched in distaste, but there was a sympathetic look in his eyes.
"My father had trouble sleeping as well. He used to drink chamomile tea before going to bed and it seemed to work. He slept like a rock the nights he drank it," he said. "You could also add a bit of honey in it."
"My father preferred a glass of bourbon to keep the nightmares away." I grimaced, remembering the many times I found my father passed out in our living room with the empty bottle of bourbon beside him. He stopped after one night he was so intoxicated, he vomited all over the living floor. The look in his eyes when he saw Alice and I at the bottom of the steps staring at him was one of despair. Ever since then, alcohol was prohibited in our home.
"Not a fan of bourbon?" Edward asked, noticing my grimace.
"Wasn't too fond of the taste." I shrugged again, keeping those memories to myself. "Thank you, though. I'm happy to know there are other remedies for sleepless nights other than bourbon. I'll try some tonight. It seems like I can't turn off my brain at night. The memories, the feelings and Angela all plague me the most then."
"Trust me, I know the feeling." Edward looked around his hospital room. "There's nothing to do here but think. And I'm not sure what's sure, if it's the thinking or the inability to escape it."
I slipped my hand in his and his eyes met mine. Giving his hand a squeeze, I said, "if you want, I can come back tonight and bring you some chamomile tea. It seems only right since you gave me the remedy."
Edward smiled and he opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, the door opened and Dr. Harmon walked in with another gentleman. He was tall, blonde with green eyes, almost like Edward's but not as bright. He also wore a white coat.
I quickly slipped my hand out of Edward's grasp and took a step back.
"Ah, Izzy, there you are. I was just talking about you," Dr. Harmon said. He pointed to the gentleman next to him. "This is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Dr. Cullen, that right there is Nurse Isabella Swan, one of the best we have on our team."
Oh! This must be the new doctor. Wait, did he say Cullen?
"Uh-" I looked at Edward, who couldn't hide his smirk as he looked at the new doctor.
"He's my uncle," he explained. "Seth's father."
Oh, his uncle! That was right, Kate had said something about Seth's parents moving here to be closer to their son. They must have gotten here with Edward's mother.
"Nice to meet you, Dr. Cullen." I walked around Edward's bed and shook his hand.
"Please, call me Carlisle," he said.
"Well, I'll leave you to it. There is much to do," Dr. Harmon said and clapped Carlisle on the shoulder, shaking his hand. "Honored to have you on board, Carlisle."
"The honor is mine," Carlisle said. With one last nod in mine and Edward's direction, Dr. Harmon stepped out of the room. Carlisle slipped his hands into the pockets of his white coat and said, "So, how has my nephew behaved since he's been in Pearl Harbor? I hope you've been on your best behavior, Edward."
Edward rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of amusement in his expression. He did not look as annoyed as he did when his mother was here just moments ago.
"You really want to know?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Prepare yourself for something very dreadful. The first time I met your nephew was at a party, he barely acknowledged anyone or said a word." I threw Edward a teasing look.
"I danced with you," Edward said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"And what a pleasant dance that was," I said, sarcastically.
"Sure it was. If it hadn't been for you stepping on my toes."
"You made me step on your toes."
"Yes, but not that hard."
"I only did that because you deserved it."
Edward narrowed his eyes at me, the corners of his mouth twitched into a smirked as he turned to his uncle and said, "You know, Uncle, you have a very good nurse here on staff. Though, it is a shame she has such a heavy hand. I almost couldn't sit for an entire day after she gave me my shot, nearly stabbed through me with that needle."
I looked back at Dr. Cullen who was looking at our exchange with an amused look.
"And in my defense, your nephew deserved it." I pressed my clipboard against my chest. "That and stepping on the toes."
Edward laughed.
"Is that true, Edward?" Carlisle asked, his brow raised.
Edward shrugged. "What can I say, Uncle? I am not the best at first impressions."
"I won't argue with that," I said.
"Finally. Something you won't argue about," Edward said, looking up at the ceiling.
I had the urge to smack him with my clipboard, but I had some self control. He must've known I was battling with my self control because of the daring look he was giving me.
"Well, this was fun, but I have work to attend to," I said. "Again, it was nice meeting you Carlisle and I look forward to us working together."
"Oh, trust me, I am looking forward to that as well," he said.
"Remember the tea!" Edward shouted at my back just before I shut the door behind me.
I was still chuckling to myself when I got to the nurse's station. Alice and Rosalie both looked up from their charts when I set my clipboard on the counter.
"Izzy, who were those women that came out of Edward's room with Kate?" Alice asked.
My smile fell.
"Oh. Those were Mrs. Cullen and Tanya Denali, Edward's mother and a family friend," I said.
"Edward's mother is here?" Rosalie asked, a horrified look on her face. "You met her?"
"Oh yes, and I don't think Mama Cullen likes me very much," I said.
"I believe you," Rosalie said without missing a beat.
It stung a little.
"Am I really that unlikable?"
At this, Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Please, don't be absurd. You are a joy to be around. But Mama Cullen is a bitch, Emmett has told me. So it is to nobody's surprise she doesn't like you given you are not of the same class as her."
"Also, isn't Tanya Denali the woman Kate told us his mother wanted him to marry?" Alice asked, perplexed. "You met her as well?"
"Yup." I sighed and shook my head. "Another lovely young lady if you ask me."
I wasn't sure what to make of them. One thing was sure, Mrs. Cullen wouldn't warm up to me easily and I wasn't sure if I wanted her to. Surely, she couldn't be in town for that long. Her high class lifestyle surely would be calling her home soon enough.
Edward also didn't seem very interested in Miss Denali. I don't think he even said a word to her in the short time I was in their presence. Was that really the people he was constantly around back home? No wonder why he acted like such an ass when we first met.
"Oh, Izzy, remember the boat gets here tomorrow morning," Alice said as she stood. "We have to be there by nine."
I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes, I remember, Alice."
"Your parents?" Rosalie asked.
"Yes. They get here tomorrow. They have a reservation at one of the hotels so they won't be staying at the house."
After the attack, I called my mother to let her know that Alice and I were alive and well. Our mother was so upset, she could barely form a word, so the phone was passed to our emotionless father, who told us they would be here by the end of the week. Needless to say, I wasn't sure how to feel about their visit. We haven't seen them in months and both Alice and I had changed drastically since they last saw us. What would they think? Especially our father?
I shook those thoughts away. I didn't want to worry about that now. I still had a good few hours before they arrived.
Rosalie's little snort brought me out of my train of thought.
I arched a brow at her.
"Sorry," she said, biting at her lower lip. "But I just can't wait until your Upper-Class-Hating father meets Edward's Lower-Class-Hating mother. That will be a treat."
Alice's alarmed eyes met mine, and we both knew the truth. That meeting would be anything but a treat. That alone might as well start a battle of its own.
Author's Note:
We finally got Carlisle! And Elizabeth and Tanya... and soon Charlie will be in the mix as well. That should be fun haha