Blood Moon [a Twilight Saga FanFiction]

Call Back

STAYING IN FORKS GOT EASIER WITHOUT CHARLIES BREATHING DOWN OUR NECKS ALL THE TIME. And Mary Alice had been right, we had finished the house by the weekend, so without Charlie to worry about, and without a house to build, life in Forks, almost seemed, peaceful.
      I stayed as a school nurse for a while, and I never had to deal with anything as big as Liam Attier, a few scraped knees, bloody noses, student fainting during blood typing in Biology, vomit... nothing ever as dangerous as Liam Attier.
     Liam's family sued the Hospital when they found out that the Doctor in charge of his care didn't pay attention to the warning from the new nurse who worked at the school with no experience.
     I was approached by the staff board of the Hospital. Doctor Malcolm Grey was apparently really fond of Carlisle's work, and would go against, well, law, and would hire me as a Doctor to replace the one they just suspended for investigation simply because I had similar medical instincts to my brother.
     "I think you could save a lot of lives, Mrs Fraser."
     "I'm flattered," I answered. "Really, I am. But I'm not trained to be a Doctor. And if I'm honest with you, Doctor Grey, I don't think having the same medical instincts as the big brother I never knew, is a good enough reason to hire me."
     "Work as one of our nursing staff. Keep the Doctors in check, we could use your families instincts around here. We're lacking it with Carlisle gone."
     "Why do you seem so set on me working under the shadow of my brother? I'm not him, Doctor Grey, I never will be. Look, I just want to work with children. Thank you for the offer, but my answer is no. I'd rather burn than work at the same place that Carlisle did."
     Not necessary, but humans didn't seem to take that I was pretending to not know Carlisle and in addition to that, not like him. They could think I hated him for all I cared, as long as they stopped bringing him up.
     If I brought passion into it, maybe it would work.
     Shelley kept up her usual chatterbox self, it amazed me how that woman always had something to talk about even if there was nothing new in her past.
     But I began seeing her as a friend, which was dangerous. But nice.
     After a few months, Igor had even starting to get invited to poker night with some of his classmates.
    "No cheating," I laughed at him one night when he had called me after class to let me know.
     "Never," he responded. "Shelley will be alright with dropping you at the house?"
     "Of course she will," I had said and looked at Shelley who had been waiting with me yet again. "She's been dying to see our house since I put my address in."
     She grinned at me and her eyes sparkled with excitement.
     Shelley had been more than excited. She was like a little puppy who had been waiting all day for their new family to come and they finally did, and with a new toy for the puppy to play with.
     I had gotten so deep into my art that day that I hadn't even realised when Igor had come home, not really, I was so deep into my own world. It was only when the sun rose behind the thick clouds that I stopped.
     "When you go deep, you go deep," Igor said behind me. We had made a studio for me on the second floor. Complete floor to ceiling glass walls so I could look out into the horizon. There was a sketching table for me, an easel, and a couch for Igor... or for myself. A few cupboards for my supplies but that was it in that room. It was all I needed for my art.
     "I'm sorry, I was distracted," I answered.
     "Clearly," he laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my bare neck. "Is that Forks?"
     I had spent all night painting the entire town of Forks, Washington down to the last leaf. I was considering donating it to the town hall when it was done. I was being a perfectionist about it.
     "We should get going," I stated and shimmied myself out of Igor's arms.
     "You're not raiding Bella's wardrobe today?"
     "Not today."
     We dressed and he drove me to Forks High once again. Except for this time, he didn't say a word the entire drive.
     I watched him when we pulled into the school, he was looking out to Shelley's car in her usual spot. I hadn't breathed the entire drive once I realised he wanted to think. But I knew what about, having to drive me around, my having to wait for him every day.
     I didn't say anything to his thoughts. He'd bring it up when he was ready for it.
     "I love you," I told him when I kissed him goodbye.
     "To the stars and back," he responded.
     "And even further," I added.
     He smiled and kissed me back before I got out of the car and watched him drive away.
     The day was like every other. Kids being kids and that's what I loved.
     And then lunch happened.
     "Hey, I'm going to grab some lunch from the cafe. Do you want anything?" Shelley asked me as she grabbed her keys.
     "Oh no, I'm good. Thank you," I answered.
     She shrugged and left. The moment her car door closed, my phone shrilled. Not the work phone. The phone that only the Denali's and the Cullen's had the number of. Emergencies only.
     It was an unknown number calling me.
     "Hello?" I answered.
     "Liz, it's Esme," Esme said over the line. She sounded... worried? anxious? tired? all of the above.
     "What's wrong?" I asked. "What sort of trouble is-"
      "There's no trouble, not yet."
     I waited for her to explain.
     "It's Lucy," Esme sighed after a moment. "She wants to see you."
     "She knows," I sighed. Lucy. Of course, she knew with her intuition. She had looked straight at me at the memorial!
     "More than we thoughts. She's very good at hiding it from Edward. What did you two tell her?"
     "Nothing," I hissed. "It's just her intuition. Just like Mary Alice. You said she wants to see me?"
     "Before her next surgery," Esme explained. "Carlisle says even if you were still her Doctor, she won't make it through this one. This is the end for her."
     I hadn't realised how hearing that would affect me. How it would tighten my throat, tie knots in my stomach. How it would make my eyes sting and my throat burn in a way that wasn't in thirst.
     "Her final wish," I managed to choke out. My voice had broken mid-sentence, how embarrassing. But of course, I was talking to Esme. No one knew losing a child like her.
     Even if the child wasn't my own.
     "Her surgeries on Monday," Esme said softly. "Liz, we'll be here for you. We know how hard it is to lose a patient. Especially one as special as Lucy."
     "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."
     "See you tomorrow."
     Thank the heavens it was Friday.
     After we hung up, I immediately was calling Igor.
     "Hey, what's wrong?" Igor whispered. I knew he had an exam today.
     "Family emergency," I answered as Harry came around the corner and was looking at me. "We need to go."
    "How bad?" Igor asked, speaking louder now.
     "I don't know yet, but I'll explain when you get here."
     "See you soon."
     We hung up and I grabbed my bag and stopped to look at Harold Green.
     "How long will you be gone?" He asked.
    "I'm not sure yet but I'll call you. Okay? Don't contact me wait for my call. I will be leaving the country."
     "Good luck."
     "Thank you."
     I ran out onto the street to wait for Igor. I knew it was a three-hour drive, but I still waited.
     "Did you want me to drive you to your house?" Shelley asked when I told her. "Ian can meet you there. Harry can handle the phones for an hour."
     "Thank you," I said, pretending to be in a rush.
     "Okay, let's go."
     I made up that there was a terrible crash on Igor's side of the family. We would be having to fly to far north Canada for them. I was already booking tickets as she drove. After, of course, telling Igor to just go straight to the House.
     "I hope everyone is okay," Shelley said as she dropped me off.
     "Thank you, Shelley. I'll call you."
     "You better!"
     She drove off and I began putting together just the bare necessities. No one was in immediate danger, except maybe the whole secret.
     But I had to trust Lucy. Had to trust...
     Lucy.
     Mary Alice had warned us that we may get another joining our family. Told us that we needed to add another room to our floorplan, just in case.
     Lucy wasn't just asking me to come and see her before she went into her last surgery. She was going to ask me to kill her.