The Dead of Night

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter 27: Goodbye.

The blackness separated, peeling away like a curtain, and the first sight that greeted me was a bright light, flashing straight into my eyes. I reacted, in my opinion appropriately, shaking my head and desperately trying to force myself to move, a searing sharp pain shot straight up the left side of my body, making me yelp in pain.

"Please, lie back, Miss Swan," an irritated, unfamiliar female voice requested from the other side of the light. My eyes narrowed as the beam of light was pulled away, revealing a mid-30's, brown-haired woman, wearing a nametag that said Melissa. Her teal scrubs confused me; she was dressed like a nurse that worked in a hospital. "Doctor Gerandy?"

As my eyes adjusted, I examined the off-white walls, the generic paintings you could find at a gas station, the outfit of the strange woman, and Dr. Gerandy. He gave me a cautious smile—the same one I got when he'd examined me after I'd been found in the woods; the look just screamed pity. The old, balding man made his way to me and leaned over, placing his warm hands on my torso.

"Definitely broken ribs," Dr. Gerandy called over his shoulder, after I squeaked in pain. "Bella, do you remember anything before you blacked out?"

The last thing I remembered was watching Ary rip apart the vampire who'd been stalking the McRaes and me. The nightmarish image was burned into my subconscious, and I don't know if I'd ever let it go. My face cringed, desperately trying to do away with the memory, and, as I looked up, I caught the doctor's concerned stare. Since I couldn't tell him what really happened, I sighed and shook my head.

"Nothing," I muttered, not liking the scratchiness of my own voice. "How did I get here?"

"Your boyfriend brought you in," Dr. Gerandy responded as he wrote on his clipboard. "According to him, he was driving you back home when he hit a deer. You were unconscious and bleeding, so he called his sister and they brought you to Forks General." He lowered his clipboard and smirked at the nurse. "They say his car's totaled; that's what he gets for buying an import though."

"But, I—"

"Bella!" Charlie came crashing through the door, his face panic-stricken, and came to a halt by my bed, barely acknowledging Dr. Gerandy. "What happened to you? I swear, you're gone a few hours and this is what happens? I never should've let you—"

"Hello, Charlie," Dr. Gerandy said, his voice and posture extremely tense.

Ever since I had been found in the forest, my dad and Dr. Gerandy hadn't been on speaking terms. Charlie refused to tell me what was going on, and I hadn't been too focused the last few months, so I never pressed. Now, I watched them both, eager to know what had happened and if they had cleared it up.

"Doc," Charlie replied gruffly and begrudgingly shook his hand. "What happened to my daughter?"

"Bella and her boyfriend, Eric, hit a deer on their way back into town," the doctor informed Charlie, barely acknowledging me.

"How bad is she, doc?" Charlie had followed Dr. Gerandy's lead and had completely nixed me out of the conversation. The two men turned their backs on me completely and lowered their voices.