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Plink. Plink. Plink.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The many noises of the machines were slowly making their way down the hallway towards room four-oh-eight. Emotions were flooding me, my body not knowing which ones to recognize.
Alice was eyeing me with apprehension, the future obvious in her mind.
You're not going to like this.
Alice stood up and paced back and forth, becoming impatient with the slowness of the nurse pushing Bella down the hall. I was still standing, my hand resolutely on the door, afraid to open it, afraid of what I'll see.
I dove into her mind for only a fraction of a second to see that Bella was hooked up to so many machines it almost made her look like she was some sort of mechanical apparatus or contrivance.
My many threads of thought were lost when I caught a scent that was unfamiliar to me, yet I knew it all the same. I finally yanked on the door, flinging it open to see Carlisle walking quietly behind the nurse, a despondent look upon his face. My eyes ignored him and everything else that was going on around the busy nurses' station. The only room I had in my brain right now, in my heart, was for the precious soul laying in the bed, beaten and battle worn.
Taking in a deep breath, I tried to find the scent that would reassure me that she was still Bella, still okay...still mine. But, the scent was off, wrong...possibly vulgar. For a moment I thought there was something wrong with me, that maybe my brain was fooling me...tricking me, a mere product of my own mental invention. Possibly a fantastic notion ?C like her blood finally was unappealing to me.
Shaking my head, I realized the only scent in the world I wished for right now was her scent, her very human, very Bella scent. My eyes followed a red tube from her arm up to a blood red bag.
Blood. Not any blood, but human blood. Sitting there ?C for the taking. But the aroma was off, offensive...extremely unpleasant.
Ignoring the now erroneous smell wafting off of her, I concentrated on her face, her bandages...her wrist. My teeth automatically clenched so hard that if steel were to meet them it would be ripped in half.
James.
Pushing my angry thoughts aside, I brought myself back to the angel, the beauty that was lying in this bed, unconscious and broken. At the sight of her my extremities felt like they were going numb.
She was broken. I broke her.
The nurse had finally made sure she was hooked up to all the appropriate machines, that everything was working correctly before checking her pulse and her temperature. Carlisle and Bella's doctor were standing outside the door talking. I was barely paying attention to the conversation, choosing to pick key words from their minds.
She'll be fine.
Probably another pint of blood.
Temporary medically induced coma until she heals more.
My head snapped up. Coma? ... Coma? What?
I reached for Bella's hand, bringing it to my lips, kissing her lightly, caressing her face. Automatically I began to try and probe her mind, even though I knew the effort was useless. Maybe I could reach into her brain, pull out her thoughts. Did she forgive me? Was she okay? How was the pain?
Silence.
Fear bubbled like acid in my stomach. The only thing that slightly soothed my frenzied nerves was her warmth...her pulse in the air, on my skin.
I was seeing double, watching Bella from two different views, mine and Alice's.
How revolting. She didn't care much for the blood being forced into Bella's veins either.
We both continued to watch Bella's check's lightly turn a tinge of pink as the blood swirled under her clear skin. Every second the pain at her broken body lashed at me. I tried to form some kind of enchantment, to make it so we could magically change places; that I could feel the pain, that it was me lying there unconscious.
To think how this could have happened, how she was almost reduced to ash...to a cold and fiery death. The picture of a fleshless Bella entered my mind and the feeling of disgust was present on my tongue. Each second I felt like I was becoming emotional deranged. I needed an outlet, some way to focus my thoughts.
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.
I whipped around to see Alice flipping a tiny video in her hands. Resentment began bubbling to the surface. Without thinking I rounded on her.
"What happened? How did you let this happen? Bella..." my voice was overly accusatory.
My hostility began swelling in the air, slowly consuming me. Alice stepped back two steps before sitting down. She placed her head in her tiny hands and very quiet sobs escaped her lips. The afternoon's events were finally catching up to her.
"After you boarded the plane...I saw it. Bella, in the ballet studio. I saw it all..."
She looked up at me as her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, tears that would never come.
"I...I didn't realize it was because she planned to meet him."
"You left her alone with Jasper? Seriously...Jasper? Come on Alice!" I kept my voice low, not wanting to upset anyone outside this room.
"Jasper can handle himself," she cut across me. "Maybe she hadn't completely made up her mind, but when she did, she was already on her feet, running towards the exit. By the time this future presented itself to me I knew I'd be too late." She breathed in a quick breath, trying to calm her nerves. "She wrote a letter to her mom. It was still in my hand. On a hunch I opened it. That's when I very nearly ran into you. Edward... I'm...I'm so sorry."
"Not as sorry as I am," I barely muttered.
My anger had left as quickly as it had come on.
Sorry...
"It's not your fault, it's mine." I whispered.
I turned to bring myself back to Bella. My eyes followed every bruise, every bump and every blackened spot. Each second little quiet explosions of pain were erupting through my body. Now, more than ever, I was vividly aware of her fragile, breakable body.
How is this your fault? Alice challenged.
"If it wasn't for me, she would never be in this hospital. She would be safely in Forks, probably having a nice dinner with her father. Instead...she's here, broken...comatose."
Her arm wrapped around my shoulder. "No, this is his fault." She waved the tape in front of me. "Do you want to see what Bella was talking about?"
I looked at Bella and then looked at Alice, giving her a pleading look.
"Carlisle," Alice called over her shoulder.
"Excuse me, Dr. Jones." Carlisle said politely.
"Yes, of course. I'll check on Ms. Swan later," Dr. Jones responded.
Carlisle strode into the room. "Alice?"
"Carlisle, will you please stay with Bella while Edward and I watch this tape?"
He looked over her to see my face. I wasn't looking, my face was resolutely focused on Bella, my focal point, the one I cherished, loved and adored above all others. No, I wasn't leaving this room.
"You guys go ahead," I waved them away.
Alice huffed lightly. "I'll watch it outside the hospital." You can just watch it through my mind.
"Okay," I answered blandly.
They both left me, not another thought in their minds about my decision. Carlisle had already known that I wouldn't leave her side. Not now, not when she needed me more than ever. Fear fluttered in my chest at the thought of what she might think when she does wake. Would this be the thing that finally makes her snap? Another sharp stab of pain prickled my insides.
Bella continued to lay there, silent and still...unmoving except her tiny chest movements.
There was a light rapt on the door before the Doctor walked in with his clipboard in hand. I rose, hand out.
"I'm Edward Cullen. Thank you for taking care of her." I spoke reverently, more thankful than he will ever know or understand.
Love. "Yes, of course. You're welcome. Dr. Cullen wanted me to stop in and explain what will happen with her next."
"Yes..." I pressed.
Eager chap, isn't he? "She has many injuries. Her skull is fractured, she has several broken ribs and her leg was badly mangled, but we were able to fix that with surgery. A few pins will hold her bone in place until it heals," he answered while taking her vitals.
"Why isn't she waking up?" I coaxed, trying to get him to get to the coma part.
"Yes, well, because of the extensive damage I have purposefully had her placed in a comatose state to help her heal. I'm not sure how long she will need to be in a coma. It could be a day, it could be several. Don't worry, she'll be okay." Clumsy girl.
You ain't kidding, I thought. "Well, thank you, Dr. Jones."
He nodded once and exited the door. He had good timing, because as soon as he shut the door a thought burst through my mind.
Edward! Pay attention! I'm about to watch this video. Alice shouted from her head.
They found a cord to plug into one of their laptops and were sitting outside in our car that Jasper brought back for us to use.
This is going to be hard to watch, son. Please keep your cool. Carlisle warned.
Sitting, I pulled Bella's hand back into mine. To watch this video, I knew I would have to feel her warmth to remind me she was still alive, that she was still with me...even if she was unconscious.
Watching her actions like they were my own, Alice's finger slowly appeared in my vision as she pressed the play button. I felt a pang of unease. Accompanying my thoughts were Alice's and Carlisle's.
A face appeared on the screen. James.
I took in a heavy breath, preparing myself for the onslaught of pain...torture that watching this will cause me. Deep down, I probably deserve to watch this, to make me see what I did to her.
"Edward, I'm so sorry we couldn't meet today, but I have a prior appointment with your Bella." A sick laugh. "I hope you enjoy the show. Hope to...see you very soon."
I could hear the thoughts of revulsion radiating off of Carlisle.
The screen shook, as I could imagine James placing it upon the stereo. His face was now facing the camera again.
"I just got off the phone with Bella. Looks like she will be here shortly. You shouldn't have let her out of your sight. She's all mine now." He licked his lips.
My stomach jolted, I felt sickened at the thought. The screen no longer showed what he was doing, but I heard him fiddling with something.
My fault, Alice thought again.
Another minute had passed. I focused on Bella, reminding myself once more that she was here, safe.
I heard the door crack open slowly in the video as the air conditioner thrummed quietly in the background.
"Bella? Bella?" I heard a voice call out.
Suddenly Bella was running through the studio, looking around in alarm.
"Bella, you scared me! Don't you ever do that to me again! "
There was a trill of a laugh and Bella whirled around, looking for the noise. I watched as Bella slowly walked towards something out of the camera lens' vision. There was a sudden blue light and she backed away, the light reflecting off her perfect face and her white shirt.
She turned around slowly, anxiety obvious in her deep depths.
Oh no, Alice thought weakly.
My heart ached to watch her panic. She must have been terrified. My desire to throttle James had reached such a pitch, but there was no vampire left to kill, to rip apart and burn.
Bella's eyes focused on something past the camera.
"Sorry about that, Bella, but isn't it better that your mother didn't really have to be involved in all this?" His voice was mellow.
He really is a cruel creature, Carlisle added to my already angry thoughts.
Poison rippled through my veins. He had no right to even talk to her, to even look in her direction. I wanted to reach out and bring death to him. A sudden surge of jealousy hit me as I realized I didn't get this opportunity and never will.
"Yes," Bella answered as relief broke across her face.
She was...relieved? My teeth met with an audible snap as I realized she was being selfless, sacrificing herself for her mother. A trait I loved in Bella, yet hated all at the same time.
