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Chapter 23
Recovery
James
I heard my Master addressing her, desperately begging her to wake up. He was in agony. I felt infinitely sorry for them both.
When I heard the helicopter, I gave the King the signal and he landed next to this opening on the rocks. He jumped down to me.
It was a mystery to me how we were going to get the Princess up there.
He went to the Prince and they both came out. My Master carried the Princess in his arms. Her head hung down lifelessly and her long hair reached to his knees. The Majesty jumped back up the rocks and threw down a rope that he had attached to the helicopter. I caught it. We tied it around my Master. Then Carlisle pulled him up the rocks by the rope. I helped behind him. He ran up the rocks vertically and so he didn't have to let go of the Princess to hold on.
This worked better than I had expected.
We helped him into the helicopter. He sat down and kept her on his lap. Tenderly and carefully he pressed her limp body against him.
The helicopter immediately took off again and Carlisle first landed on the beach. There he placed a brown tube in the Princess's arm and hooked her up to an IV. Since we didn't have a holder, I held the bottle upright.
This woman or mother of the one wolf came. She had a package and gave it to me.
"Please give this to Bella when she wakes up and tell her I'm so sorry, we love her and she can come back to us anytime!"
"Thank you, ma'am, I'll tell her," I said, taking the package.
The Doc took a bottle of water and said to my Prince, "Moisten her lips with it on the way. Here, take my handkerchief. We'll fly home now and then we'll see what we can do, my son. Don't hang your head!"
"Will she survive, Dad?" my Master asked quietly.
The King thought about it.
"I believe it already, Edward, but I won't promise you."
My Prince nodded and I saw panic overtake him. He couldn't lose her, it would kill him, I knew that.
We flew home and landed directly on the lawn in front of the palace. Guards with a stretcher were already waiting.
The Prince carefully placed the Princess on it and then she was carried to her room.
We carefully undressed her and washed her makeshift.
The Doc put on a new drip, this time with a holder. He listened to her and examined her thoroughly from top to bottom.
Her body was full of bruises everywhere. Some of them were also yellow and green, which were certainly the spots from the way there that had already begun to heal. That must have been terribly exhausting for her. But there didn't seem to be any broken bones. That relieved me a little.
"Did he rape her?" my Master asked, almost breaking down.
He knelt beside her on the floor, the Doc sat on the bed.
"I don't know, Edward, I don't want to examine her like that either. She doesn't have any open wounds. We first have to hope that she wakes up again."
He covered her well, gave her injections at certain intervals and infusions continuously. There were various ones.
"Lie down quietly with her and speak to her from time to time," said the Majesty to my Prince.
He immediately lay down in the middle of the bed and gently put an arm over her.
"She totally lost weight," he said in frustration.
"Yes. I wonder what he did with her. There was water there and food, too. I wonder if he didn't give her anything?" the Doc pondered.
"Maybe she also refused because she hoped he would then let her go," my Master said.
"Or so she can die, because she didn't want to live like that, I'm sure, Your Royal Highness!", I said.
My Prince nodded.
"You might be right about that."
We watched over her for twenty-four hours without her stirring.
My Master became more and more desperate.
"She's getting some color," I noted at one point.
The Majesty nodded.
"Yes, she's doing a little better. The heartbeat is a little more stable, too."
The Prince tenderly caressed her face, gently creamed her lips for the hundredth time and talked to her.
"Wake up, darling, you're safe now. Please, come back to me."
His sorrow hurt my soul and the King also gulped.
In fact, at some point she moved and her heartbeat quickened. Immediately, the King put his hands on her arms to calm her down.
She opened her eyes and looked at him.
He smiled.
"Hello, Princess, so here you are again," said the Majesty.
She smiled weakly and turned a little.
"I'm here, darling," the Prince whispered softly.
She looked at him and that look was full of relief and love. But she had no strength to move or speak.
My Prince said, "Everything is fine, my precious, just lie still. You don't have to say anything."
He kissed her gently on the nose, she closed her eyes for a moment, exhausted.
"Here's a syringe, Edward, without a needle. You can use it like a dropper. Give her water between her lips with it, as often as she wants, so that she slowly takes something again. By tomorrow, I'm sure she'll be able to use a straw. She's out of the woods!" said the Doc.
We all breathed a sigh of relief.
For the first time since our return, the King left the room.
My Master was lying next to his princess, looking at her, caressing her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, kissing her lightly and repeatedly instilling water into her.
She looked around and at me.
I smiled.
She too, if you could call it that. It was only implied. She was completely powerless.
So the day and the next night passed. She fell asleep again and again.
The Prince remained uninterruptedly at her side.
In between, the Doc came to check on her.
The next morning she was clearly better. She had more strength and life in her eyes again.
My Prince was overjoyed and so was I, of course.
"Edward, I need to go to the bathroom. And I need a shower. I feel awfully dirty," she croaked in a whisper, her voice hoarse.
"I'll carry you to the bathroom, darling," he said.
The Doc had shown us how to turn off the drip. So I disconnected it.
The Prince got up and carried her into the bathroom.
"Please, stay here," she whispered, and he said, "Of course."
She used the toilet.
After that, he let in bath water.
"I'll go in with you, okay, then I'll help you," he said.
I didn't hear her answer, she probably just nodded.
So I put fresh sheets on the bed and picked out clean clothes for her.
I heard him get into the water and her comfortable sighing.
"Let's see how we're going to do with your hair right now. I don't dare let go of you, you're so powerless," he said softly.
"Yes," she breathed.
After a while he said, "I'll call James, okay? He'll wash your hair and I'll hold you, hmm ...?"
"Yes," she said softly.
"I'm already there, Your Highness," I said.
The Prince sat down crosswise in the tub, laid she across his lap, so I could get at the hair and he could hold it well with both arms.
When we were done, she breathed, "Thank you."
"James, please get a bath towel. You have to help me. I can't leave her in here alone," my Master said.
I fetched a bath towel. He stood up with her in his arms and I wrapped her in the bath towel and held her. She leaned against me.
The Prince quickly dried himself.
"Carry her over. I'll get dressed quickly and then I'll dress her on the bed, that's easier," he then said.
Carefully, I lifted her all the way into my arms, carried her over and put her down.
She was light as a feather.
I fetched the clothes and the Prince lovingly put them on.
Then I got the hair dryer and brush.
My Prince held her upright on his lap, she leaned her head against his upper arm and I sat behind it and tended to her hair.
"Thank you, I feel much better now," she whispered.
He pushed her back into bed, tucked her in and snuggled up next to her.
"Can I have some water?" she whispered.
"Of course, love. Do you think it's okay with just a straw?" he asked.
"Try," she breathed.
He held the cup out to her and it worked.
Then she shook her head and he put the cup aside. She looked at him and he at her. And then she cried.
He was very dismayed and gently wiped away her tears.
"Why are you crying, Bella ... hmm ...?" he asked.
"I missed you so terribly. And I thought I would never see you again," she whispered.
He quickly pulled her to his chest, hugged her tenderly and stroked her. She quickly calmed down again.
"I missed you terribly, too, and was terribly worried about you, love," he said tenderly.
"I know," she breathed.
They were silent for a while.
"What did he do to you?" he then asked gently.
"He wanted me to break up with you and stay with him. I told him several times that I would never do that, that I love you and want to go back to you. But he was so stubborn. Terrible."
She paused and he gave her some water again.
"Did he hurt you? Your whole body is black and blue," said the Prince.
"On the way there, they had turned and Seth tied me down on Jake. Everything hurt me - it was awful. In that cave, I had to lie on blankets on the floor, but underneath was the bare rock. That hurt, too," she explained.
"Did he touch you?" the Prince asked in a whisper, and I knew he was afraid of the answer - and so was I.
"Yes and no, he kissed me, pretty brutally, and fondled me, pretty much all over. I couldn't fight back - he was way too strong. It was so disgusting. I hit him and shouted at him, but he found that funny too. At night he snuggled up to me, but I woke up from that and rolled away. He kept sleeping."
She cried at the memory and my Prince stroked her.
"Why are you so dehydrated. Didn't he give you anything to drink?" he then asked.
"The first day we just argued and I was so angry. But he refused to accept my decision. And then after he held me and kissed me, I told him he'd made it ... I'd hate him now. I wouldn't talk to him anymore. And since he didn't want to let me go and wanted to force me to stay with him, I wouldn't eat or drink anything and would rather die, I told him. So I didn't take in anything the whole time I was there."
"Oh Isabella, you are one. That was dangerous. You really almost died, darling," he said worriedly.
"I know. But I thought it was my only chance. It was all so disgusting. At first, I still tried to wash myself in the water outside. I felt so dirty."
She shook herself in disgust.
"All is well now, precious. We'll bathe you again tomorrow and put some cream on you too, if you like," said the Master and she nodded gratefully.
"Why didn't you find me faster?" she asked quietly.
He explained to her how our search had gone.
"Billy didn't help you guys? That's really sad," she whispered.
"Yeah, but Seth and his mom. They really cared about you and blamed themselves. After all, it was Seth who led me to you," said the Prince.
"Please call his mother's house. Her name is Sue - and tell her I'm feeling better. She'll be terribly worried, she's really sweet. I know her well. She was often with her husband, before he died, at Billy's when we were there. I hardly know her children. But Sue likes my dad. She was also, when Mom left him, the only one who kept calling and trying to cheer him up," the Princess said.
"Yes, she made a lovely impression and scolded Seth. Oh yes, she left a present for you with us at the end," he then said and looked at me.
I fetched the package. It was over on the table.
He gave it to her.
But she didn't even have enough strength to open it.
"Help me, please," she whispered.
The Prince opened it carefully and out came a jewelry box. He opened this too. A piece of paper lay folded very small on top.
She took it out.
"Read to me," she asked the Prince.
Dear Bella,
We are all very sorry that you had to suffer so much because Jake wanted to assert his stubbornness. That was not right of him and is unforgivable, because no one should be held against his will.
Yet all of us on the Council of Elders had always hoped that one day you would marry Jake. You have always been in our hearts and had La Push in you as well.
Therefore, we had already had the bangle made for you, which was to symbolize your belonging to our people.
We have decided that even without Jake, you are one of us and can wear the bangle with pride. You know the symbols, I don't need to explain them to you.
If you ever want to leave the Volturis, you will always find open doors with us, you know that.
Please don't worry about your daddy. I love him, I think you already guessed that. I'll take care of him and Billy too.
We love you Bella, never forget that.
Your Sue
The Princess swallowed the tears in vain. She pulled the bangle out of the velvet cushion and looked at it.
"What does it mean?" asked the Prince with interest.
It was a large gold bangle, very wide and very valuable.
"It protects the wearer from evil beings. Only the family members of the council of elders are allowed to wear one and they are revered by the tribe. My name is on top of it. Next to it is the symbol for freedom, because that is the most precious thing for our tribe. The symbol next to it means peace. The tribe want to live in peace with the other beings of the world. The third symbol is for the wolf. Only now do I understand ... why. Jake had explained to me that the tribe worship the wolf because it is a pure animal and protects the tribe. On the back of the name plate is still the sign for moon - Luna - which is also worshipped and the sign for love. Love that all the wearers of the bangle feel for each other and their tribe," she said softly.
She had to take several breaks because her voice was going.
The Prince carefully put it on her.
"Now he's protecting you from me," he said with a smile.
She looked at him and laughed, too.
He kissed her gently and she snuggled up to him again.
There was a knock and both Majesties came to visit. The Doc examined her and was pleased to see how well she looked.
"You can also give her tea and vegetable broth now, and if she likes, bananas or soft fruit puree. Things are looking up now," he said confidently, but once again put her on a drip.
The Queen gently embraced her and talked with her for a while.
"Mom, her eyes keep falling shut. She still has to sleep," said the Prince and they said goodbye again.
She snuggled into Edward's arms and slept.
The next day she was much better. Her voice came back, she had color, rosy cheeks, her lips healed, she drank, ate and smiled.
We were very relieved.
My Prince went to shower together with her and that already worked out great. Then he oiled her tenderly and I was a bit sad that I was not allowed to do it. But she liked it and that was the most important thing. But of course she was still very weak and spent the day in bed.
"Will you read to me?" she asked him.
"I found a poem I think you'll like," he said, picking up a book.
He began:
The White Magnolia Tree
by Helen Deutsch
The year when I was twenty-one,
(John that year was twenty-three)
That was the year, that was the spring,
We planted the white magnolia tree.
"This tree," said John, "shall grow with us,
And every year it will bloom anew.
This is our life. This is our love."
And the white magnolia tree grew and grew...
Oh, youth' a thing of fire and ice,
And currents that run hot and white,
And its world is as bright as the sun...
I was twenty-one...
And I wore a plume in my hat.
And we went to the movies and wept over 'Stella Dallas',
And John sang 'Moonlight and Roses'
(a little off-key, but very nicely really),
And we hurried through our crowded days
With beautiful plans, boundless ambitions, and golden decisions.
There is so much the young heart clamours for,
That it must have, and that it cannot live without,
And it must be all or nothing,
For aren't we the masters of creation?
Oh, valiant and untamed were we,
When we planted the white magnolia tree!
And the white magnolia grew and grew,
Holding our love within its core,
And every year it bloomed anew,
And we were twenty-one no more.
No more untamed, no more so free,
Nor so young, nor so wild and aflame were we.
Dearer to us grew other things:
Easy sleep, books, a day's quiet holiday,
Good talk beside a fire, the beauty of old faces...
We have known many things since then:
The death of a child and the bitter lesson
That a heart which breaks can mend itself again
(That it can and must be done),
And what loyalty can mean,
And how real a word like courage can become,
And that solitude can be rich and gratifying
And quite different from loneliness...
There is so little the serious heart requires:
Friends, faith, a window open to the world,
Pride in work well done,
And strength to live in a world at war
And still maintain the heart's own private peace...
Dear Heaven, I give thanks to thee
For things I did not know before,
For the wisdom of maturity,
For bread, and a roof, and for one thing more...
Thanks because I still can see
The bloom on the white magnolia tree!
"Oh ... that's just wonderful, thank you," she said, touched.
"I'll plant a magnolia tree for you when you get well," he whispered, and she smiled.
He turned on music and they cuddled. (Yiruma - Lord ... Hold my Hand)
"Will you kiss me properly?" she asked.
He smiled.
"Nothing better than that."
Very tenderly they kissed and caressed each other.
Suddenly he jerked abruptly back and took his distance.
"What's wrong?" she asked, irritated.
"Nothing, love, I'll be all right in a minute," he said.
She eyed him.
"When was the last time you went hunting?" she asked, thinking about it.
He nodded.
"I have to go urgently. I don't want to hurt you," he said. "And James has to, too," he stated, looking at me.
We both had black eyes.
"Sir, you go first and when you get back here, I'll go. I can do this, my Prince, and there's no way we're both leaving the Princess," I said.
"Yes James. I'll leave tonight and try to be back by tomorrow morning. Then you go!"
I nodded.
"Is one night enough for you?" she asked anxiously.
"Then I won't go quite so far away," he whispered, and she looked worried, but remained silent.
She put up with what he was about to do because she herself was afraid when he wasn't around.
"I'll be back as soon as I can, darling," he said, and she nodded, turning so he wouldn't see her tears.
But of course he noticed her fear and sadness.
Tenderly he pulled her to him and caressed her.
"James will take care of you," he said.
"I know," she said softly.
With heavy hearts they parted that evening.
Shortly after the Prince left, there was a knock, and I opened with a flourish, thinking it was Princess Alice, whom the Prince had specially ordered to entertain his fiancée. But it was Alec, and faster than I could react, he was standing in front of my Princess, who flinched back into her pillows, startled.
I immediately pushed myself between him and the bed.
I sat down by her and hissed at him, "Prince Alec, you have no right to intrude here like this. My Master will go berserk!"
"I don't care about that, James. I just want to pay my respects to Isabella and wish her a speedy recovery. Unfortunately, the only way is by force - to get in here, as you wouldn't let me in," he said.
"There will be a reason for that, Your Royal Highness. Now say your three sentences and leave, or I will call the guards."
The guards had already entered the room.
I had deliberately left the door open when Alec entered.
Alec just turned to my Princess.
"Your Royal Highness, I am sorry to have intruded here in this way. I just wanted to wish you a speedy recovery!" he said more quietly and emphatically politely.
My Princess eyed him skeptically.
And then, I could hardly believe my eyes, he knelt down next to the bed, put a small package on the bed and said, in an almost tender tone: "Please, Isabella, accept this. I am so sorry for what you have had to suffer and please forgive me at last. I mean it. I adore you!"
She swallowed.
"Thank you, Alec. I have already forgiven you!" she then replied in her still weak voice.
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty, that means a lot to me. If there is anything I could do that would please you, please just tell me!" he asked her quietly.
My Princess nodded and breathed, "Thank you, Prince Alec, but please leave now!"
He rose, bowed and said, "Goodbye, my dear!", and left the room.
The guards closed the door.
We both looked at each other, completely perplexed.
"What does he want from me, James?" she asked, sounding desperate.
"I don't know, Princess, I'm completely at a loss. I've never seen him like this. I've only known him to be brutal to women. It's a complete mystery to me!", I said.
"Please open the gift for me," she said.
I opened the small blue package.
Out came a small angel made of crystal glass that could be hung in the window, just like the faceted glass drop of the Princess that was already hanging in the window. With it was a little card that it would be the 'Angel of Recovery' and a few words from Alec, absolutely kind get-well wishes.
"Put it in the drawer with the crest, James. I can't hang it up. He's not honest, I can just feel it. He doesn't really mean well by me," she said anxiously.
I stroked her little hand.
"Are you quite sure, my Princess?", I asked.
"Yes, I feel it. For sure. Please put it away and let's forget about the incident," she said and I put the gift away.
Two minutes later there was another knock and this time it was the Princess Alice I was expecting.
"Hi, Bella. Edward has given permission for me to visit you. Can you stand me?" she asked.
The Princess laughed.
"Of course, I'm glad. Come in!"
With a flourish, Alice landed in bed beside her and hugged her warmly.
"I'm so glad you're feeling better," she said, looking at my Princess.
"Yes, thank you, me too. I'm not really fit again yet, but I will be. I am very well cared for and pampered here," she said with a smile and gave me a grateful look.
I smiled back.
"Since we're running a bit short of time with the wedding dress, I've brought my laptop," said Princess Alice, pulling her laptop onto her lap and switching it on.
My Princess looked at her in disbelief.
"So?" she then asked.
"Look, I have a fashion program. We can create your dream dress here. Then I'll take your measurements, we'll have it sewn and, when you're fit again, we'll go to Olympia for a fitting - then it will definitely be ready for the wedding," Alice said, beaming.
The Princess smiled at the enthusiasm and nodded kindly.
"Now that's a great idea, Alice. I can't wait to see how it works!"
Princess Alice showed and explained all sorts of things to her.
Then they tried fabrics, colors, patterns, cuts and put together the wedding dress.
My Princess - as always - knew pretty much what she wanted and so it did not take so very long.
"Look, James, would Edward like this?" she asked me when they were done.
I sat down on the bed on the other side of the Princess and watched the screen with her.
"Yes, it will look adorable on you, Princess," I said. "It's not too modern and not too old-fashioned and really beautiful!"
"I'd like to have some gloves to go with it and a scarf or a jacket, Alice. I always freeze quickly. And I'll need white shoes, too."
"We'll order your scarf and gloves at the same time and you can choose your shoes at the fitting," said Alice.
"Stockings, too, please," she remembered.
"Of course, and a blue garter to go with it," Alice said with a smile.
The two chatted for ages until my Princess' eyes slowly grew heavy and she was already yawning.
"Princess Alice, my Princess is still weak. She needs to sleep!", I said and Alice understood immediately.
"Of course, James, sorry. Good night, Isabella. You can come to the bathhouse in the morning if you like. I'll leave around nine," she said and left the room.
My Princess disappeared once again in the bathroom and then lay down.
She was so tired that she quickly fell asleep despite the absence of the Prince. But it was a very restless night, she kept waking up looking for her Prince.
I remained seated at the edge of her bed and soothed her periodically.
The next morning she woke up at six o'clock and couldn't get back to sleep.
"You could take a bath and take care of yourself. I could massage you, then the time passes faster?", I suggested to her.
"Yes, my nails really need to be done," she noted, "it looks terribly unkempt."
I didn't see anything unkempt there, but she was picky about that.
She first went into the bathroom alone, shaved, did her nails and then let me fill a bath for her. I helped her and after that I was allowed to massage her.
"That feels good," she sighed contentedly.
"The bruises are fading now, too," I noted.
"Yeah, that was really bad," she said.
Otherwise, she let me pamper her in silence and I must confess that I also enjoyed it. It gave me pleasure to touch her.
After her hair was dry, she painted her nails pale pink and lay down again for a while.
"I still get exhausted quickly," she noted.
"Yes, my Princess, I'm sure it will take a few more days, too," I said.
I brought her breakfast to bed and she gratefully accepted it.
"I hope Alice isn't offended, but the bathhouse is still too exhausting for me," she said.
"Princess Alice is very understanding. She will understand," I said reassuringly.
After breakfast, she fell asleep once again.
The King came and listened to her chest carefully once more. She did not notice.
"She looks really good again, James," he noted with relief.
"She is also feeling better, Your Majesty, but is still weak and tires quickly," I said.
"It will stay that way for a few days," he said, and I nodded.
I watched her sleep and then my Prince came back.
"Is she all right?" he asked, immediately casting a worried glance at the bed.
"Yes, everything is fine. She groomed herself extensively, had breakfast and then fell asleep from exhaustion. The night was restless. She missed you, Your Highness."
"Me her too," he sighed.
"My Prince, Alec rushed in here last night," I said. "I'll show you!"
Afterwards, I reviewed my thoughts from the night before, so the Prince could see exactly what had happened and how we had reacted.
"Hmm ... he must have deliberately waited until I was gone!" he scolded sourly.
He then went out and instructed the guards never to let Alec in again and even to prevent him from knocking. If he wanted something, he could reach Edward on his cell phone - they should just remind him of that in the future.
"You can go hunting now, James, I'll be here until morning. And I'll have to somehow explain to her that I'll have to show up at the office again tomorrow," he sighed.
"Yes, my Master, that's what I thought. I will do my best to keep them busy and distracted, my Master," I said.
He nodded.
"I know, James, thank you!"