32. Visiting the ER

EPOV

The sirens were getting closer, and I stopped to think about how things would look. I wondered if my eyes were red. Had I drank enough of Bella's blood to change the color? I couldn't allow any of the humans to see me with red eyes. I reached back into the car and grabbed a pair of sunglasses from the pocket in the door, slipping them awkwardly onto my face. I had plenty of strength to hold Bella with one arm, but she was unconscious, so I had to be careful to keep her properly balanced as well. Plus, I was concerned about jostling her too much with her head wound. I thought about how I would look, standing there holding her, with little or no effort. The humans might become suspicious if I demonstrated such strength. I moved to rest her body weight on the undamaged portion of the trunk, still keeping her in my arms. I wanted to place her on the stretcher myself, not trusting anyone else to hold her.

A tiny, very tiny, portion of my brain was bemoaning the loss of my precious Volvo. It had served its purpose though in helping to protect my darling Bella from injury. I could buy a dozen more cars tomorrow if I wanted, but Bella was irreplaceable. So I let the Volvo go.

Another tiny portion of my brain was ready to finish the job on Tyler Crowley. The idiot had been speeding on an icy road, downhill, headed toward a stop sign. What the hell did he expect to happen? I chose to ignore the fact that I had also been speeding on the icy road, driving with my knees, talking on the phone, and holding hands with my mate. I was a vampire, doggone it. Yet my vampire skills had been useless, and the danger my nature had presented had almost cost Bella her life. I didn't want to take the time to look at my own faults at the moment. There would be plenty of time for beating myself up later, once I knew she was safe. For now, I'd settle for fantasizing about beating up Tyler instead.

I couldn't believe the bloodlust was completely gone. I had continued to breathe, and though my throat still burned a bit, I had no desire to quench my thirst. I wasn't even bothered by Tyler's blood. The majority of my brain was consumed with thoughts of Bella. I couldn't let her die. I would change her if need be, but I would not let her die. My personal monster was firmly chained in his cage, though he was fairly satisfied at the moment, having drunk the most perfect blood ever created.

The first vehicle to arrive at the scene, lights flashing, sirens blaring, was none other than Chief Swan's cruiser. He got out of the car grimly, concentrating on the wreckage and the accident scene, which told its own story. I tried to listen for his thoughts, but merely got the basic gist without the details. He had already determined the guilt of Tyler Crowley, having easily surmised that he ran the stop sign and crashed into the car that had the right-of-way. He could see by the skid marks and distance traveled that Tyler had been exceeding the speed limit, though he didn't know by how much. His eyes were taking in details everywhere, all in a matter of seconds as he approached. His eyes then swept over Tyler, assessing the damage to his body and to his van. Then his eyes came to us. I saw the recognition flicker in his eyes upon seeing me, and then a mere second later the connection was made, and his eyes flew to Bella's limp form in my arms. His mind didn't want to accept what his eyes were telling him.

"Not my baby girl," he whispered, distraught. I could sense the fear and anguish crowding his mind as he noted her stillness. "Bella?" His eyes came back to my face, though he couldn't see my eyes through my sunglasses.

"She's still alive, though she's unconscious. She's hit her head. The ambulance should be here any second," I started sobbing. He continued walking to us, needing to feel her pulse for himself, needing the comfort of her warmth, her breath, her life. "I'm so sorry Charlie. There was nothing I could do. By the time I saw him, it was too late to react. I think the side air bag may have helped, but I don't know for sure. It did inflate. Oh, Charlie, she's got to be okay!" I was still sobbing, throughout the speech, resting my forehead on top of hers. "We've just got to get her to Carlisle. He can save her. I know it. If we get to Carlisle everything will be okay. He can fix anything," I promised softly, my words and tone filled with sorrow and desperation.

"Please, Bella, hang in there. Don't die. I need you. I love you. Don't leave me, Bella. Please don't leave me. Stay with me, Bella. Wake up, darling, please," I pleaded, not caring if her father heard. I would do anything for her. Anything.

"Edward?" she whispered weakly. "Don't cry, sweetheart. What's wrong?"

Her eyelids fluttered, but she did not open her eyes.

"Don't try to talk, love. You've been hurt. Just stay with me. I'm going to get you to Carlisle, I promise."

"Edward? Don't leave me. Promise me you won't leave me," she demanded, her words weak, but her determination strong.

"Bella, I won't leave you now, not while you need me, but there's too much danger. You have no idea how dangerous it is for you to be around me."

"Promise me you won't leave, Edward," she growled at me. Her heart rate was accelerating. She was getting disturbed, frightened.

"I promise, Bella, I won't leave you."

She gave a sigh of relief and fell back into unconsciousness. I wanted to shake her, but I knew how disastrous that would be, so I refrained. "Wake up, Bella! Please wake up! You have a concussion. You really ought to stay awake, at least until Carlisle has examined you." I felt Charlie's hand on my shoulder, his other hand caressing her cheek. I lifted my head to look in his eyes, forgetting for a moment my sunglasses. I saw myself reflected back in his pupils, the epitome of grief and worry. He didn't speak, but a new thought hovered along with his own grief and worry. Acceptance. The stirrings of familial bonding. He was acknowledging to himself the depths of my feelings for his daughter, and of hers for me. He was accepting that I would be a large part of his life with her.

He dropped his hands wordlessly and approached Tyler's van. His thought patterns had shifted into authoritative disgust and anger. He was concerned for Tyler's well-being, but he was angry about Tyler's reckless driving behavior that had endangered the life of his only daughter. Tyler would likely be facing a ticket or charges in addition to his injuries.

Just then, the volunteer rescue squad pulled up from one side, and the fire department's ambulance pulled up from the other.

I carried her quickly over to the rescue squad, eager to get her loaded up and on her way to Carlisle. I desperately needed for him to check her out and assure me she would be okay. I would have to explain what I had done and endure his disappointment at my lack of control. He would have to determine whether or not she would need a transfusion.

The paramedics had the back of the ambulance open, and I didn't wait for them to remove the stretcher. I simply climbed up into the back and set her down gently onto the little bed. The paramedics already knew me, so with one look at her prone form and another at my face, they had no complaints. They simply climbed back into position themselves, not denying my right to stay by her side on the way to the hospital, and rushed off to the emergency room. I saw Charlie watching as we pulled away and understood that he trusted me to see to Bella's safety. If I had tears, they would be streaking down my face. He trusted me, the one who almost killed her.

Carlisle was waiting for us at the ambulance entrance, just as I suspected he would. I could hear his thoughts as we approached.

I will take care of Bella. Alice called me. You fed from her?

One look at my sunglasses told him the answer. I had no need for words. If Jasper had been here, he would have been on his knees from the force of my guilt and shame.

Quickly go and hunt, son. How much did you take? Never mind, I'll know soon enough. Get some contacts from the house, if need be. You'll need to be on hand to answer questions, so go as fast as you can. I will do everything in my power for Bella.

I nodded in agreement, understanding his wisdom, and trusting him like no other to provide Bella with whatever she needed. In the confusion surrounding her unloading and being wheeled into place in the E.R., I slipped away, running through the forest, moving faster than I ever had before. I was racing to get back to my Bella. Blood and contacts, blood and contacts. That's all I needed and then I could be back by her side, where I belonged.

CPOV

My surgeries for the day had been cancelled due to the ice on the roads. Nobody wanted our patients to have an accident on the way to the hospital. It was unspoken, of course, but the staff was also expecting to need to deal with accident victims. It didn't snow very often here in Forks, due to the proximity of the ocean, so the residents weren't as comfortable driving through snow and ice as our neighbors to the north and east. I hoped nobody was seriously injured. So far, everything that had come through the E.R. had been minor, not requiring my advanced skills, so I was pretty much twiddling my thumbs in my office waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I checked the caller ID. Alice. When would I learn to stop feeling bored? Whenever I did, something bad seemed to happen, always leaving me wishing for boredom again.

"Yes?"

"Carlisle!" she whimpered. Uh oh, that can't be good. Alice is almost never distraught.

"What is it?" I snapped, the tension in my voice audible to even the most casual observer.

"Bella!" she sobbed, whimpering again. Oh, no. Please, no. Edward was happy for the first time in over eighty years. Please don't let something have happened to his soul mate.

"Alice," I pleaded. I needed answers, and I needed them now. Preferably before I had a heart attack. I smiled weakly to myself at my mental joke. I heard her take a deep breath and heard Jasper murmuring to her in the background, trying to help her calm down enough to tell me what was happening.

"There was an accident. Tyler ran into the Volvo at high speed, right into the passenger side door, right into Bella." I actually felt my stomach drop at her words and braced myself for her to continue. "Her head went through the window, and she started to bleed from a gash on her temple." Oh, no. That was bad. I could sense where this was leading. Edward had excellent control, but she was his singer. Her blood called to him, and he had only known her for a week and a half. They were in a confined space together, where her scent would be so strong, even with a broken window. I closed my eyes, my fertile imagination easily picturing the impending disaster. "Edward, he…well, he…he lost it. He was overcome by bloodlust and started to drink from her wound. I had a vision," she sobbed, "…a vision of him draining her, killing her. When he realized what he'd done… Oh, Carlisle! But then I had another vision, of him holding her in his arms, with sirens in the distance, waiting for them, and she was still breathing, though she was clearly unconscious. So I called 911 and reported the accident anonymously." She started sobbing uncontrollably.

I could easily understand her fear and concern. I was filled with it myself. My children were hurting. Edward, my son. Bella, my daughter. I could not lose either one. As long as she was still alive there was hope, I would cling to it with every particle of my being. I would not give up, and if I needed to change her, I would. I would do whatever was necessary. I would not allow Esme to suffer by losing another child ever again, as long as I could do anything to prevent it. I knew she already considered Bella a daughter, and would be devastated by the news of the accident. I also knew that if we lost Bella, we would lose Edward too. I didn't need Alice's power to know that. I had lived a long time and knew well the power of the bond between mates.

"Don't worry, Alice," I soothed. "I'll take care of everything from here."

"Thanks, Carlisle. I'll see you soon." I took a small amount of pride in knowing how much my words had comforted my daughter. She trusted me to make everything better. I just hoped I could. My brain kicked into overdrive, making plans for every possible contingency, starting with Edward. If he had drunk enough of her blood, his eyes would be red. He would need to wear contacts to cover the color.

Alice had hung up, so I called Esme, filling her in on the news. I asked her to find contacts for Edward and prepared her to be ready for him when he arrived. Then I went down to the E.R. entrance to await the ambulance.

Once they had arrived, Edward had slipped away into the woods. Bella was settled into her little cubicle and I began to examine her. The nurse took a blood sample to run some tests. I was amazed to find that the contusion and gash on her head were her only real injuries, aside from heavy bruises resulting from the seatbelt and the door. I knew she would be feeling the pain and discomfort in her shoulder and hip from the force of being restrained by the seatbelt, but that was a small price to pay compared to what would have happened if she hadn't been wearing a seatbelt. She would surely have died without it.

I left the nurses to attach the heart monitor and insert the IV. I returned a few minutes later with a small surgical set. I quickly cleaned her open wound, wincing as she flinched even in her unconsciousness. I stitched her up quickly, with tiny tight stitches so they wouldn't leave a noticeable scar. I wrote orders for an x-ray and went to examine Tyler. He too was unconscious when he arrived. The EMTs informed me he had been unconscious when they found him. I looked him over carefully. He had not had an airbag as his van was an older model, so he had hit his head fairly hard on the steering wheel, giving him a concussion. He had been covered in broken glass when the windshield shattered, which resulted in multiple small cuts on his face and hands. None of them needed stitches and would heal in a matter of days. He also had bruises on his shoulder, chest, and hips from the seatbelt. Like Bella, he too would have died without it, likely being flung right through the windshield. The only other obvious injury was a swollen wrist. I issued the orders for x-rays for both his wrist and head.

There was nothing to do but wait now, until the x-rays and the blood test came back, so I could discover the extent of the damage. I found myself pacing, just like a human, impatient and helpless.

"Dr. Cullen?" I looked up to see Charlie Swan addressing me. He was clearly upset and looking for answers. I stopped pacing and held out my hand.

"Chief Swan, I'm so sorry about the accident," I responded immediately. He shook my hand and attempted a smile, though it looked more like a grimace.

"How is she?" He cut right to the chase.

"I won't know for certain until I get some results back, but she is stable. Her vitals look good. Her head is the only real injury, other than some hefty bruises."

He looked relieved. "Oh, and Tyler?" He growled just a bit at the end. I really couldn't blame him, though I knew Edward was just as guilty. I had no doubt Edward had been speeding, cocky that his vampire reflexes would keep them safe from harm. Then again, the thing that was worrying me the most at the moment was whether or not she would need a blood transfusion, which was all on Edward's shoulders. Tyler could hardly be blamed that Edward wanted to eat his own girlfriend.

"Tyler appears to be in much the same boat as Bella, plus a sprained or broken wrist and some minor cuts."

Charlie nodded, relaxing a bit. He looked around the room, including the waiting area. Then he looked back at me with confusion. "Where's Edward? The way he had her cradled into his chest at the scene of the accident, I was sure he wouldn't let her go. I didn't even bother to try to take her from him. When she awoke briefly, they only had eyes for each other. Frankly, I'm shocked he isn't attached to her side."

I smiled at him in understanding. "I had to force him away, I'm afraid. He wasn't physically injured in the crash, nothing serious anyway, but he was in shock. Medical shock. I had to insist he get something to drink to get something into his system. Then I made him get a little rest, forbidding him to come back to Bella until Esme could tell me he was okay. I knew then he would have to rest at least as long as it takes Esme to get here from our house and make her way to him. He didn't want to listen, but he's a good boy and didn't argue with me. He's had enough time and experience with me to know I'm always right." I chuckled and winked at Charlie to show him I was kidding about the last remark. He grinned at me.

"Father knows best, eh?"

"Well, nobody's perfect, not even me, but he recognized the wisdom of fulfilling my orders without complaint."

Charlie shook his head. "I really admire you Carlisle, you and Esme both. I don't know how you do it. I'm a bit at a loss myself, trying to raise my one and only teenage daughter. How on earth have you two managed to raise five of them? It's beyond my comprehension."

"I guess you just learn to accept the challenges life gives you and try to make the best of whatever hand you're dealt. Believe me, there are times I feel like running screaming into the night, yanking out all my hair in the process, but the love we all share as a family is worth all the sacrifices, the frustrations and irritations we suffer through daily. I wouldn't trade my family for anything."

Charlie smiled at me. "I'm glad you feel that way, Doc, because I have a feeling you and I may be related someday."

"Oh?" I queried, my eyebrows raised in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Charlie squirmed, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He even blushed, not meeting my eyes.

"The looks I saw on our children's faces today—the love they shared was obvious. I'm pretty sure my

Bella is going to take after me, as far as love goes. She's such a constant little thing. Once her mind is made up about something, there's no budging it. I've only loved one woman in my life, Carlisle. I loved her eighteen years ago, and I love her still. There is nothing I wouldn't do for that woman, including setting her free to find her happiness elsewhere. Even letting her have custody of our precious daughter, accepting miniscule visitation rights, just to bring her joy. Now my Bella is becoming a young woman herself, and there's nothing I wouldn't do for her either. I was her age when I fell madly in love with Renée, and that love has never faltered or died. I have never even looked at another woman. I can't regret the love I gave to Renée, even though she didn't return it, because it gave me Bella. I do hope my daughter will not suffer as I have. I see that permanent kind of love shining in her eyes today, and I realized it's already too late. She will love Edward forever. I can only hope he feels the same way about her. I couldn't see his eyes, but his words and his body language indicated he treasured her above all else. I don't know how you feel about that, seeing as how they're so young."

Charlie was still blushing and looked like he couldn't believe he said so much. I wondered briefly if that was the longest speech he'd ever made. I'd always heard he was a man of few words, but loyal and good as they come. He loved his job, his town, and his people. His honesty and integrity were well known.

"Charlie, Esme and I have already come to think of Bella as a daughter, as part of our family, even though we haven't known her long. She's charmed every single one of us into loving her. My children, with the exception of Edward, all consider her a sister and would protect her as one of us. Edward has never had a girlfriend before. He has been approached by females desiring his company so many times I've lost track, so he has had plenty of opportunity. He has never been interested. Not that he's been interested in males either, please don't misunderstand. He was just content with the love of our family and the companionship we provided. He never seemed to want anything more. Since Bella came along though, he's been completely different. He wants to be with her all the time. He's joyful, playful, ecstatic… He's happier than I have ever seen him. It's like he only existed before and now he's alive. She is his whole world, his meaning in life. He greets each day with a smile now. He used to be such a loner, but he is becoming social now. He's even made friends with some of the boys from La Push, which is something I never thought I'd see."

"Really? From La Push?" Charlie seemed staggered. I wondered why. He couldn't know of the treaty.

I nodded. "Yes, apparently they've all decided to work through some misconceptions each had about the other and are now getting along fine. I am very happy to see it, but I'm not sure how happy the tribal elders are going to be when they find out. I'm hoping for the best."

"Good for you," Charlie encouraged. "I've told Billy before that if he would just take the time to get to know you, then he'd realize his fears and superstitions were nothing but nonsense." He clapped me on the shoulder and then had to answer a call that came in over his radio.

The nurse approached with the x-ray films. Excellent! I put them up on the x-ray board and turned on the light. I sensed Edward's approach, and he came up behind me to look at the films over my shoulder. I examined Bella's first. This was good news. Though the bone had cracked, it hadn't broken all the way through, so there was no real damage to the brain, aside from a bit of bruising from it colliding with the inside of her skull at the time of impact.

I moved on to Tyler's films. Also, excellent. The concussion was mild; the bone in the forehead being one of the stronger bones that encased the brain. His wrist was merely sprained, not even broken. I was feeling rather hopeful at the moment, the injuries relatively mild considering the force of the accident.

One of my nurses handed me a chart with the blood test results. I held it so Edward couldn't see it, wanting to know myself, before he could react. I started blocking my thoughts, running my eyes down the list at vampire speed. My dead heart flipped over. I looked at him over the chart, my expression blank, my eyes serious.

"I am so…PROUD…of you, son," I whispered. He looked at me in shock. I noted his eyes were an orangey-yellow. They would likely be back to normal with one or two more feedings. I smiled. "According to the numbers, she's only down about half a pint, nowhere near a critical level. The Red Cross takes more than that from blood donors. You showed incredible restraint. While it was incredibly risky to taste her blood at all, and truly she could have died so quickly, you actually pulled back from the bloodlust, from your singer no less, before you did her any real harm. It's absolutely amazing! I don't know of any other vampire who could have demonstrated such overwhelming control."

Edward was amazed by what I was telling him. I could tell he had expected me to be disappointed. He blamed himself, seeing only what he did wrong and not what he did right. I didn't want to argue with him here in public, so I decided to let it go for the time being.

"Why don't you go sit with her now, Edward, and see if you can coax her out of her unconsciousness. I'm going to go and give Charlie the good news."

His face lit up with the idea, not only of being with Bella, but of doing something useful to help her. He quickly moved to her side as I approached Charlie.

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Hey guys... I really sad... :'( My only best friend is leaving me and im all alone now... It sucks being alone...

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