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The constant drone of the machines continued to echo through my psyche as the evening street lights casted shadows through the hospital room. Ren??e refused to leave Bella's side for any period of time. I let her have my seat next to Bella but continued to stay in the room, sitting in the corner quietly listening to Ren??e's thoughts whirl through her child like mind. She was unlike Bella in every way; she even sensed danger when it came to the Cullen's, unlike Bella.
My poor baby...what time is it? She looked towards the clock. Eleven. Charlie should be here shortly. I'm going to have to have a talk with him. Her thoughts then became a little disjointed in anger as she thought of her daughter falling down two sets of stairs because she had run away from Forks. Forks, she scoffed internally. I knew this wasn't a good idea. I warned her. I told her she didn't have to leave. What kind of mother am I to condemn my child to a place like Forks?
Ignoring her constant prattling, I continued to stare, fixated on Bella, waiting for her eyes to open, willing them to just flutter. I couldn't see the clock that was over my head, but I was counting every second as they passed. It was easy to keep track because my only focal point was Bella and how long she had been devoid of consciousness. It had now been exactly 39,982...83...84 seconds since we arrived at the hospital.
Her heart thrummed evenly as her scent was beginning to slowly return to her. The sweet nectar that was her life filled the room with the delicious aroma. Craving the sweetness, I brought the scent into my lungs, letting my throat burst into flames.
It was only two hours ago that she finished her second blood transfusion and I was afraid her scent would forever be a pitiful imitation of the luscious blood pulsating through her body. It felt like my body was undergoing physical suffering owing to her condition. Her blood deficient was because of me; a creature so monstrous that I preyed on this innocent creature by allowing her to become a part of my life. More than that, she was my life.
My phone lightly vibrated in my jeans pocket ?Cdistracting me from my internal torment - and I pulled it out to read a message from Alice.
Just picked Charlie up from the airport. Will be there in fourteen minutes.
Snapping my phone shut, I got up to move to Bella's other side. With her mother here, I kept my distance, not wanting to over step my bounds with a parental authority that I so recently met...and especially under these circumstances.
"Charlie will be here shortly. Carlisle and Alice just picked him up from the airport," I said lightly.
It's about time. "That's good," her eyes never left Bella's face.
For over an hour before now I was struggling to come over and talk with Ren??e. I wanted to flush out a good story to tell her about why we were here in the first place. She got the gist of the story from the doctor about her going through a window after falling down two flights of stairs, but that was all.
"Mrs. Dwyer," I began.
Such a gentleman...Mrs. Dwyer. Her penetrating gaze moved from Bella's face to mine. Her eyes widened a little at my appearance. It always caught humans off guard, the little indications they didn't comprehend, no matter how many times they'd seen one of us before. She studied my face for only a brief second before she saw the grief that was displayed squarely on my face. Ignoring her senses she brought her thoughts to my expression. He really cares for her. He looks like he is going to cry.
"Ren??e," she corrected me.
"Yes, of course, Ren??e. I wanted to apologize for this whole incident," I used my smoothest voice to ease her stress, one I retained for not alarming humans.
"This isn't your fault...," she began, but her thoughts caught up to her mouth. What was he doing down here anyways? He didn't...follow her did he? He's not a stalker...is he? She tried to smile politely but even without her thoughts as a guide I could have guessed what she was currently thinking.
Her thoughts weren't far off base. I was her vampire stalker, watching her sleep every night. I continued, not wanting to think that once she recovered, this would be the end...no more stealthily hiding in her room.
"Yes, it is my fault. I really care about your daughter, so please understand that I want the best for her..."
"Why are you here?" She blurted out.
"When I brought her home after playing baseball with my family she became upset. She really misses Arizona and after I confessed my feelings for her she became angry." The memory of her yelling at me flashed through my mind. Though she was acting, it burned to hear her say goodbye and slam the door in my face which is ultimately my worst fear.
His feelings? Hum, I wonder how much he actually cares for her...I hope her actions aren't because of me...my past...because of my fear of her staying in Forks. Nope, not his fault...mine, all mine. She stared at me with her eyes filling with the sorrow of her thoughts, so I went on, trying to distract her from her mental images. It was entirely my fault, not hers.
"When I found out she had run off to Arizona...from a call she made to Alice, I had to fix it. Carlisle and Alice came with me to try and convince her to come back to Forks; that we all loved and missed her."
We all love her? Their relationship is a little more intense than I realized. Ren??e speculated.
"She agreed to meet us at our hotel room but she never made it. Carlisle was actually in the hallway getting ice when he heard a loud crash. Alice and I heard it also," The look on my face showed pure agony at the thought, though this wasn't acting, this was how I truly felt. "It was Bella; she had tripped and gone through a window. We rushed to get Carlisle but he was already there. All three of us helped stop the bleeding and get her to the hospital."
Poor child. He must have been scared out of his mind. Ren??e reached over to place her hand over mine. "Thank you for saving her."
"Thank Carlisle. He's the doctor,"
"Yes, but without you, he might not of been able to stop the bleeding in time," a tear slid down her face and the white blanket covering Bella now had a wet spot from the droplet.
Edward, we're here. Alice called out to me through her mind. I have to warn you, he's not happy. You might want to get out of there before...
The door to the room flew open as Charlie came marching in, livid. His face was so screwed up in anger that all the blood had rushed to his face, covering it purple, like a radish with a sun burn.
"This is all your fault," he pointed a finger at my chest, coming closer and closer.
I backed away from him, "I'm sorry." It was a pathetic attempt, but it was all I could think to say with him advancing on me. I nearly knocked over my tray of food; nothing more than a prop, really, but my mind was in such anguish that I wasn't paying attention.
No, this is my fault, Ren??e thought while stepping in between us. She placed her hands on Charlie's chest and began to push him towards the door.
"Mr. Swan, I..." I began.
Ren??e interjected.
"Charlie, that's enough. Let's talk outside," she commanded sternly.
"You won't ever see my daughter again. Do you understand?" Charlie continued to shout at me as Ren??e continued to heave against him until he was outside of the door.
His threat was unnecessary because I had to leave her to let her live a peaceful life without all the peril. I backed slowly into the corner, sitting down on the chair again. Bella's breath had picked up slightly; the tempo of her heart increasing, like she could sense the tension in the room.
Watching her small chest lightly rise and fall with each breath, seeing the blood flow seamlessly through her translucent skin, listening to her heart which was echoed perfectly with the monitor all just emphasized how delicate and precious she really was. I had to save her from the nightmarish creature I feared and loathed that finally made it to the surface when I tasted the rich flavor of her blood. I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough discipline left to be around her forever. Would all my efforts fail?
Pushing my ever growing thoughts of leaving from my mind ?C fighting tooth and nail against what I didn't want to be - I opened my mind to the conversation that was now being shouted in the hall. Listening in on their conversation wasn't difficult in the least. They were barely standing outside the door and with their raised voices it was loud enough that even the humans could hear it.
"Charlie, calm down right this instance!" Ren??e yelled at him.
"You left him in there with our daughter. She left because of him," he growled furiously with the protective concern, emitting a possessive edge in his thoughts.
I could witness his livid expression through Ren??e's human eyes. Not the best vision, but it would work. He was right, though; she did leave because of me, because of the danger I placed her in. Looking at her limp form on the bed, her brown hair surrounding her glorious bruised face only brought more fear rippling and quivering through my still form. I was gasping at the air like I'd been suffocated.
"No. She left because of me! If she wasn't so scared to fall in love in Forks than she wouldn't have run away in the first place. This is my fault, not his. If you want to blame someone, blame me," she retorted.
"You didn't hear the way she yelled at him." I flinched at the memory, my nerves stretching tight ?C guitar strings, tensed to resonate at the gentlest of pressure. "She was so angry and upset," his voice had lowered some, noticing all the attention on them. Charlie hated attention as much as Bella did. "Wait, did you say love?"
Ren??e eyed the door automatically, picturing my tortured face in her mind. "Yes. I believe he loves her," she murmured.
"Well..." he stuttered. "That still doesn't matter!"
"They were trying to help. You know our daughter, she is very clumsy. If it didn't happen now it probably would have happened in the future. It's better if it is when a qualified emergency room doctor is around," Ren??e rubbed his shoulders. I could hear her impatience at her ex-husband.
Dr. Jones was still on duty and over heard part of the conversation in the hall. Must be her father the way he was yelling. He walked towards them. "Hello, I'm Dr. Jones. I am the one who worked on your daughter this afternoon."
