Blood Moon [a Twilight Saga FanFiction]

The Unexpected Neighbour

THE DAYS AFTER LUCY'S DEPRESSIVE STATE WAS TOUGH. Though she seemed eager to heal, eager to survive; so she talked to Igor on a weekly basis, took her medication, underwent every surgery and test we put her through with a high head and a smile.
     "What changed her mood?" Igor asked me one day as we drove home one day.
     I shuddered at the memory of her past. What changed her mind... was us. And as happy as that had made me, it had also terrified me.
     She had been paying too close attention. Lucy hadn't been able to make up much during Igor and my conversation in her doorway, but she had made out enough to hear about my human son that I couldn't save and she had understood that we had loved her. Truly loved her. And she loved us back.
     And that was very dangerous.
     Yet, it was now also dangerous for her survival for me to separate myself from her. As Igor and I had become the very people, keeping her hanging on. For now.

Two years later things were very different. Lucy had begun making friends with nurses and patients again on the anniversary of the discovery of the remains. Igor had been afraid she would relapse on the day of, but she hadn't. In regular Lucy fashion, she held her head high and smiled through it. She was back and I began planning how to distance myself from her while being safe. Of course, even after another year, I hadn't been successful, not that well.
     The child had my heart, and it was worrying. Especially because I couldn't quite understand from her past, how much she knew and understand about Igor and me.
     One day, after failing yet again to emotionally distance myself from her, I had planned on calling Igor during my lunch break and talk to him. Even though he'd laugh at me and tell me that I reminded him of his old friend from the days he was part of the Cavian army. Rachelle hadn't been able to let children go either, in fact, according to when Marius and Rachelle had visited him last, back when the asylum was still standing, they frequently looked after abandoned children on the street for a while before letting them go, for their own safety.
     Marius only had put up with it for Rachelle. I had joked that Igor was putting up with my insanity because he, too, loved Lucy.
     But it was a conversation I needed to have, again. Except when I got to my office, even only a few hours into the shift, to make the call my message light was blinking so I listened to it.
     "Liz, I'm sorry," Igor's voice crackled over the machine. "A few disgruntled teens have gotten into a brawl and the police and school want me to help intervene for their mental health. I won't be able to talk during lunch today. I hope you have a beautiful day, my love. And remember, though we may both love Lucy, you must find a way to let her go before it gets too dangerous, and too difficult for her when we eventually leave Nanaimo."
     Ah... it was a point he hadn't brought up before, but a fact nonetheless. When we inevitably would leave this town for the next. Move on to a new home... and leave Lucy behind. It hurt just to think about it.
     So to distract myself I went back to focus on my job. Except, strangely enough, there was a buzz through NRGH, and excitement I hadn't felt in the Hospital since we had arrived here.
     A new family had moved into town, and the father was fresh out of surgery residency!
     "Collin says she's going to give him a chance," I overheard one of the nurses gossiping. Kylie.
     "Why would a fresh-graduated surgeon want to work in a small-town hospital like ours? Why not Vancouver?" another nurse, Rose, added.
     "Who knows," the third nurse, Beverly, answered. "And who cares. Nanaimo could use another nurse."
     "Better yet, a surgeon who actually gives a shit about the nursing staff," Kylie said.
     They had a point there. Nanaimo Regional General Hospital only had one surgeon, Gary Broode, and as his family name would make you guess, he wasn't the happiest or brightest of fellows and was a very difficult gentleman to love.
     I couldn't even understand how his past had made him who he was. He had an average life, parents who loved him, brothers and sisters who treated him like brothers and sisters would. Except he became a man who no one dared approach unless they really needed to, and he liked it that way.
     "I've heard the surgeon is married to a nurse that studied in Vancouver, so maybe she liked her regional placement?" Rose guessed.
     "How big is this family anyway?" Beverly said.
     "I heard, very."
     "The surgeon, his nursing wife, and like, eight-kids if I heard right," Kylie stated.
     "What?!" I gasped staring at them. "That can't be right."
     They grinned at me, enjoying my joining in.
     "It's what I've heard. But all the kids are adopted, see. They have to be! Hannah says the surgeon and his wife are way too young to have eight kids."
     "Why would a young couple adopt so many kids?" Beverly asked.
     "There are plenty of reasons," I said going back to my paperwork. "I'd adopt if I had the time. I'd love to have a child."
     "Right, sorry, Liz," Beverly said, quickly, solemnly. "I forgot you can't have kids."
     "Maybe this nurse wife is the same."
     I stood and began to leave, but heard the approach of Dr Clare Moore, so took my time.
     "Hey! Liz!" She called when she came around the corner, I looked towards her and waited for her. "I'm heading out to lunch with some of the other girls."

     Some of the other girls? I thought. Besides the two of us, the only other female Doctors were Judith Arndale, an endocrinologist and GP, and Karmen Moore, Clares recently graduate cousin who specialised in general health.
     "Are you meeting with your man again or do you want to join us this time?" Her smirk gave away that she thought Igor and I weren't being professional when we met up for lunch.
     "Igor is busy, so I'll join you. But I'm not that hungry," I warned her.
     "Come anyway, you need to get out of the Hospital more."
     So I ended up going. I didn't have to wait to call Igor during lunch so I hung up my coat in the Doctors lounge and left following Karmen, Judith and Clare. They were also gossiping about the new family.
     "Hannah says the new surgeon? Apparently, he looks like a God," Judith began gushing as we walked. "And he is super attractive."
     "Like we need any more attractive doctors in Nanaimo Regional," Clare said and nudged me.
     "At least now Liz'll know we'll all stop drooling over her doctor, and go after this new one," Karmen joked.
     "Aren't you married, Kar?" Judith asked.
     "Yeah, but that doesn't mean a girl can't look."
     I rolled my eyes and sat down with the other female doctors at the cafe just down the road from the Hospital. I guarded the table while they all went to get good, decent coffee.
     Coffee. What a strange, bitter, scent. Yet, it was a scent I really enjoyed.
     Especially fresh coffee.
     I was enjoying the smell when the girls came back.
     "You sure you don't want anything, Liz?" Judith asked me.
     "I'm sure, you just sit down before you hurt yourself," I joked.
     "Hurt myself! Hah! Liz, I may be old but I can still run rings around you," she joked. I tried to make my grin seem like embarrassing acknowledgement rather than ironic humour.
     Judith was the third eldest human doctor at the Hospital and was almost in her sixties, Clare was thirty years younger and Karmen, three years younger than that. It was amazing Judith was able to keep up with Clare and Karmen.
     They all joked and laughed about the possibilities of the new family while I enjoyed the outside light and fresh air. Silently worrying, silently thinking...
     "Oh. My. God," Judith gasped as her heart skipped a beat. She was looking behind me.
     "Are those four of the new kids in town?" Karmen asked.
     "Must be, I've never seen them before."
     "What? Where?" Clare asked, turning fully around in her seat. "Oh my God!"
     "I know right?" Karmen said. "They're... wow."
     "They're beautiful," Judith muttered.
     I had to turn and see what they were on about. My eyes caught the kids immediately. Beautiful pale skin that looked soft and cold like marble. Strong features. But that was our kind. Then I made out the bronze hair, the jawline...

     Edward! I thought and my nephews head snapped up to me.
     "That little bugger," I muttered and began standing.
     "What?" Clare asked.
     "Excuse me for a moment. It would seem I have some family drama to take care of." I began walking away hearing the shouts of "family drama?" "They're related?" "Of course they're all fucking beautiful!" and ignoring them behind me.