DISCLAIMER: I am not, under any circumstances, claiming any right to Twilight. All rights go to the author, Stephenie Meyer. I am receiving no monetary gain from making this, I do it simply for fun and to further my writing skills.
By the way, I think this is the longest chapter I ever wrote for this story. Just a bit of fun trivia for you. :)
I bolted upright, all thoughts of sleeping disappearing as the screams echoed down the hall.
An unknown shriek pierced through my hospital room, making me jump. It almost frightened me more when I realized I was the reason for the noise.
The screaming down the hallway continued and goose-flesh broke out on my skin as my palms started to sweat, though I felt ice cold.
What's happening? I thought. I looked over to the window and it was pitch-black outside. Night-time. It was too dark in the room for me to read the digital clock hanging on the wall.
My heart-rate monitor was going hay-wire in my panic. The regular beeping was beginning to sound like one long, continuous hum.
The beeping escalated when I heard footsteps walking towards my door. The thump of the shoes agains the tiles sounded like gunshots as they approached closer still, the screams bouncing in my ears.
I was breathing so hard and fast I was getting light-headed.
The footsteps suddenly stopped outside the door, and my blood was hammering in my ears. The click from the latch as the doorknob slowly turned reverberated through the room.
I huddled down further in the crisp bed sheets as the door opened, much like a child would when scared.
As the door opened painfully slow, - the person still unknown to me - I was suddenly thinking of those stupid slasher films my friends used to make me watch, and the irony of how similar this moment was to those in the movie wasn't lost on me. I almost would have found it comical if I wasn't so terrified.
The light from the hallway spilled in, the cries outside intensifying.
A head of long, ironed-straight red hair poked into the room, and the wave of relief that flowed through me was dizzying. It was the kind nurse from before. No Michael Meyers or boogey-man. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
She entered fully now that she knew I was awake, shutting the door behind her and effectively blackening the room again for a moment before she flipped the lights on.
The woman strolled over to my side of the bed, placing her hand on my wrist delicately.
"Hello, honey. Are you okay? Your heart was going crazy there for a minute," she glanced over to the monitors and my heart-beat was thankfully beginning to calm down.
The screaming outside, however, wasn't lessening at all.
I wondered how long the nurse would play dumb and act like it wasn't happening.
I shifted into a sitting position on the bed, being careful of my ribs as I moved, and cleared my throat. "I'm fine, just startled. Who is screaming?"
The nurse sighed, and I could see the weariness in her eyes. "That's Mary Alice. It's her yearly visit."
The screams cut through the air, hurting my ears.
I winced as the wailing got - impossibly - louder. "What's wrong with her?"
"We don't know," the woman shrugged, checking the wires attached to me. "Everytime she's here, we can never find anything wrong with her."
There must be something not right with her if she was protesting that hard. I was confused as I thought of something else.
"What did you mean, 'her yearly visit'?"
"Well, it's not exactly yearly. Sometimes it's once or twice a year, sometimes it's not at all."
My brow furrowed as I frowned. "It doesn't sound like she enjoys being here," I mused.
The nurse chuckled without humor. "Oh, she doesn't. Some elderly woman brought her here this time."
"This time?" I asked, getting more and more confused. Nothing made sense.
She sighed again, albeit roughly and a little frustrated. "It changes. Different people. This time it was an old woman. Last time it was a young boy, the time before that it was a middle-aged lady with her children, and so on. It always different people, but the story never changes. They always find her unconscious."
"Really?" I was incredulous. I think my brain stopped working from the sheer surprise.
She nodded sadly. "They say she's . . . in a different world when they find her, like she's transfixed or something. She's never cumbersome when she's being moved, but when she gets to the hospital and wakes up, all hell is raised."
I could believe that. It sounded like they were killing her. I had never heard of anyone screaming like that before, short of dying, that is.
"Can you guys hold her here like this?" I inquired nervously. Surely they had to let her go if she didn't want to be here, right?
"She's free to leave if she wants, but we usually keep her here for a day or two, just to make sure she's all right."
"And what's wrong with her, truly?"
The woman shook her head, looking amazed. "Nothing at all. Or, at least, none that we can find. We've run full-body tests, brain checks, everything. And there's absolutely nothing the matter there. And she's a very pleasant girl," she defended, and I could see a fondness in her eyes for the mysterious girl.
"But there's times - like now - when she's just . . . possessed." She shuddered.
I leaned back against the pillows, absorbing what she said. The wailing began to take on a sobbing tone, and it twisted my heart, even though I didn't even know this girl. I looked over at the nurse, and she seemed to be sharing in my sadness.
"Is she going to be all right?" I murmured, and the lady nodded, seemingly relieved.
She swept her carrot-colored hair behind her ears. "Yes. In a couple of hours or so she'll calm down."
A couple of hours? How long could she be in this "trance"?
The nurse sighed again before putting on a birght, false smile. It was almost painful watching her try to brush this off as if it weren't happening. It was especially strange that she was ignoring it when the girl was crying down the hall.
"So do you need anything, dear? Would you like some more medicine to get back to sleep?"
I shook my head vigorously, but having to stop when the room began to spin. Ow.
The woman sank down into the chair that had seated my friends before her. "The poor girl has woken up damn-near everyone in the hospital with her screeching."
"I'm sure," I mumbled in agreement. I wouldn't be surprised if she had woken up everyone in Seattle, period.
I glanced at the clock now that there was light in the room, and I noted with great annoyence that the clock wasn't working.
"What time is it?"
"A little after three in the morning, dear."
I almost didn't want to ask my next question.
"Is Doctor Cullen still here?" I already knew the answer, but I still cringed when I heard it.
"Of course." She seemed puzzled at my discomfort. "Do you want me to go get him?"
I shook my head. "No. But could you tell him to go home, please?"
That confused her even more. She looked at me like I was growing a horn out of my forehead. "Why?"
"Because he shouldn't be here! He should be in Forks, where his real job is." It pained me to say those words. His real home in Forks? It burned like acid.
But do I really want him to leave? My mind questioned. No, of course not, my less noble side stated, as if it should be obvious to myself.
No, Carlisle loves his job in Forks, and I want him to be happy. He needs to go home, and stop worrying about me.
The lady sat quietly in the chair, watching me curiously as I argued with myself internally. I met her slightly embarressed gaze, and she smiled. "All right, I'll pass along the message for you dear."
I smiled back at her. "Thank you."
She held up her hand in a warning gesture, her eyes glinting with something wicked. "But I do have one condition for helping you."
I couldn't fathom what she would possibly want from me, a bed-ridden girl. What, did she want me to pay her for sending Carlisle my request? What were we in, the second grade?
"What do you want?" I asked her warily.
"I want to know something, something important," she said before pausing.
The silence was going to kill me. "Well?" I prodded.
She grinned suddenly. "Is Doctor Cullen single?" Her voice sounded like a love-sick school girl.
The breath I didn't realize I had been holding rushed out of my lungs. I looked at her with disbelief as she giggled. "Are you serious?" I choked.
"Like a heart attack," she laughed as she winked at me.
"Um, yeah, he's single." Maybe he didn't want her to know that. Maybe I should have lied for him.
The lady's face lit up as if I had given her the best present of her life. "Really?" She crowed. I back-tracked quickly.
"But, um, he doesn't really date. I haven't ever seen Carlisle go on a date, actually." And I really hadn't. He was just always . . . alone. I got a twinge of pain in my chest for him.
That wiped the happy look off her face. "Well, is he gay?"
I almost choked on my own saliva as I gasped. "No, of course not!" I spluttered around my coughing. Carlisle? Gay? Never. There was nothing wrong with being gay, but Carlisle? Just . . . no.
"Oh, thank goodness! I was worried for a minute there. He is shockingly attractive, and it just makes you wonder," she said and beamed again. "Then I see no problem for me asking him out!" She declared cheerfully.
I couldn't help but chuckle in amazment at her persistence. Poor Carlisle, I thought devilishly. Maybe she would send him running back home with her constant seduction of him. I laughed again.
The nurse pulled herself from her thoughts - about Carlisle in various states of undress, probably - and focused on me. "Are you sure there's nothing I can get you, hun?" This lady really knew how to make a person comfy here.
I didn't really want to ask her for anything, but this one thing was truly annoying me. "Um, ma'am?" I asked hesitantly. Why was I hesitant? I was the patient after all. Pull it together, Swan, I berated myself.
The nurse looked at me questioningly. "Yes, dear?"
I blushed under her gaze. "I, uh, - will you take out all the wires, please?" I held up my arms, all punctured with needles.
She frowned, a little line forming between her brows. I could tell she was debating what to do. I decided to push her, just a little.
"Please?"
She stared at me for another long moment before sighing. I saw the resignation in her eyes and I tried not to smile. I had won.
The lady stood up and grasped my left arm. "You might want to turn your head," she warned.
"I'm not that squimish," I muttered, though I turned my face away regardless. I felt the pinching sting of the needles being removed before I heard the monitor flat-line. The nurse leaned over and turned it off. "We wouldn't want the other doctors to think you had died, would we?" She laughed. I rolled my eyes, but nodded.
She quickly removed the rest of the wires until my body was blissfully equipment-free. I ran my hands over my fore-arms. "Thank you so much," I sighed happily.
"No problem," she grinned, but her face grew serious. "Though if you start to feel the slightest bit strange, the IV is coming back." She eyed me sternly. This was not a request.
I nodded and tried to smother my grimace. I knew they were only going through the motions and not trying to torture me.
"Thank you again, ma'am." I said politely. She had been a big help to me.
Her expression was a mix between outraged and horrifed. "Hey, hey, none of that ma'am business. I'm not my mother. You can call me Victoria. Or Vicki if I really like you," she winked.
I giggled. "Thank you, Vicki."
The endless sound of wailing brought me back to more dire things.
"Maybe you could help her now . . .?" I trailed off, wanting her to help the poor girl, but not wanting to upset Victoria by telling her how to do her job. I worried for a moment that she'd take my words the wrong way.
She didn't seem to find my question offensive. "Yes, I was on my way there, but I had to stop in here to see if she had unintentionally woken you up. Many other patients are complaining about not getting any sleep because of her."
I frowned at that. "It's not like it's her fault." I felt surprised that I would defend this girl when I didn't even know her. I brushed it off as someone innocent needing help.
"We know, deary. We're trying to help her, even though she doesn't want it."
"But she'll be okay, right?" I asked nervously. She truly sounded like she was on the verge of death.
She smiled. "Of course. We've been through this song and dance with her a million times, it feels like," she murmured, her voice taking on an even softer tone.
She stood up from the chair again, placing her hands on her lower back and groaned as she stretched. "Ugh, those chairs are a pain in the ass," she grumbled, rubbing her backside.
I couldn't resist laughing. "Literally!"
She grinned back at me before the cries outside intensified again, the mirth melting from her face. She glanced back towards the door and started inching over to it.
"If there's anything you need, you just-"
"Push the button on the table, yes I know." I finished for her. I smiled sheepishly when she raised her eyebrow at me. She waved as she opened the door, and before she closed it, I could have sworn I heard her say, "Cheeky little thing." I chuckled.
I reclined back into a sleeping postion, hoping to rest a little more, but my back was getting antsy at lying down so much. I tried rolling over on my side, being extremely aware of all the wires still in my arms. I frowned. I'd have to talk to Carlisle about taking those out.
Soon the protesting of my ribs against the matress was more painful than the aching in my back. I sighed heavily before rolling back over.
I looked back over towards the clock and groaned. I meant to ask the nurse if she could six that. I contemplated calling the lady back, but quickly putting the kabosh on the idea. It seemed silly to call her back for something so trivial.
Glaring up at the ceiling, the restless feeling coursing though me driving me mad. I tried to calm my breathing and started to think of counting sheep. Hey, it worked last time.
I soon started counting little Emmetts again, my giggles filling the room. But even with the amusing mental picture of a frolicking Emmetts, the buring curiousity about the screaming girl assaulted my mind.
What was she thinking?
What happened to her?
Did she even know where she was?
Why is she acting this way?
Was she a drunk, an addict?
Around and around I chased these thoughts in my head, each one spurring off ten more answerless questions.
I began to hear voices speaking softly outside my door. It was too muffled to hear individual words, more like a quiet hum in my ears. I should have tried to be polite and ignored their private conversation, to put my fingers in my ears and go, "La, la, la, la, la, la!"
I should have.
But I didn't.
Because one of the voices was Carlisle's.
With curiousity - and a hint of shame - buring through me, I slinked out of the hospital bed and tip-toed over to the door. As I approached, the voices' volume increased and one of them was, indeed, Carlisle's.
My hand closed around the chilly metal doorknob and tried to open the door stealthily. I was grateful that the heavy door didn't creak and give away my pathetic sneaking.
I opened the door only a crack and gazed out of the miniscule sliver to see Carlisle standing in the otherwise empty hallway, talking heatedly with another doctor.
I did not recognize this other man. He had a short and squat build to him, with mousy brown curls and bottle-cap glasses sliding down his nose.
I had to focus on what they were saying, almost having to read their lips to understand as they spoke so quietly.
". . . But there must be something!" Carlisle pleaded with the other man. I had never heard him sound that way before.
The man snorted. "Really? What would you suppose we do, then?" His voice was nasily and unpleasant.
"Anything but this!" Carlisle exclaimed, throwing his arms out for emphasis to his words. "She's a human being for God's sake! Something you seem to have forgotten."
The man gasped at Carlisle's cold accusation before his own tone hardened. "I have not forgotten anything, Cullen, especially the fact that this is not your working place. You would do best to remember that."
I had to place my hand over my mouth, smothering my curses.
How dare that man?
Carlisle spoke slowly, his teeth clenched together. "I remember. But you know why I'm still here."
"Yes, to watch over your little charity-case. How could I ever forget?" The man mocked, rolling his eyes dramatically.
I felt furious tears spring to my eyes and my grasp tightened on the door to keep myself from literally launching myself at that pathetic bag of wasted testosterone.
How could that mean refer to me like that? Is that honestly what people thought when they saw Carlisle and I? That he only watched out for me because he feels sorry?
And most importantly, is that what Carlisle thought of me? Tears of different kind than anger smarted my eyes.
I saw Carlisle step closer to the obnoxious man and had a heart-stopping expression on his face. He spoke in a low, dangerous tone. "Don't ever think for one moment that that girl in that room is my 'charity case'. I love that girl as if she were my own daughter, my own blood." He stared down the bastardly man, his voice rightous.
My ridiculous fears retreated as fast as they had came on. Why didn't I trust in him? Of course Carlisle thought of me as family. And I returned those feelings ten-fold. Carlisle is my father in every sense of the word.
The man seemed to be at a loss for words.
Carlisle continued, "But we're not discussing Bella, we were talking about Mary Alice. Now, are we going to be professional, or are you going to let your pettiness get in the way of your job?"
The doctor spluttered, everything coming out as nonsense, his face tomato red. He tried to regain his composure when a nurse went bustling by them. He glared at Carlisle with barely-concealed hatred, but nodded his head.
Carlisle nodded in return, his face all business. "How many times has Mary Alice been in this hospital in the recent years?"
"Six times in the last three years."
"And the same thing every time? No injuries?"
The doctor shook his head. "None."
"No external damage? Laserations? Bruises? Anything?"
"Do you know what the meaning of 'none' is?" The man replied snarkily.
Carlisle ignored his petulant quip and continued in stride. "What about brain damage? Internal?"
"No, and no," the doctor said, anger laced through his voice. "Listen, we should just go with my idea and quit dicking around and put that psycho in a mental institute."
"Mark!" Carlisle all but snarled. Had it not been late at night and patients were sleeping, I'm positive he would have been screaming. "How can you say such a thing?"
"Carlisle, come on. That girl is crazy! It's our job to protect others, and that means getting unstable people of the streets. And Mary Alice is not mentally stable."
"She's fine!" Carlisle exploded, making me flinch. Silence be damned, I suppose. "she's not dangerous at all, she's never harmed anyone!"
"Can you prove that?"
"Can you prove otherwise?" Carlisle countered, his voice scathing. I had never heard him speak so angrily before. Chills slithered down my spine. I couldn't imagine what I would do if he ever used that tone with me. I shivered again.
Mark simply glared harder at Carlisle, his lip pulled up slightly over his teeth in disgust. Good thing looks couldn't kill.
But he conceded. "No. I can't prove that."
"Then you know how the saying goes. 'Innocent until proven guilty', and Mary Alice is innocent." The man laughed hautily, but Carlisle merely silenced him with a look.
Carlisle started pacing back and forth, his arms clasped over his chest and a look of frustration on his face.
"We can't hold her here for a lengthy amount of time if there's nothing wrong with her - and we won't be sending her to a mental ward," Carlisle snapped as Mark opened his mouth, undoubtably to say exactly that. It only strengthened my guess when he closed his mouth without answering.
"But it seems foolish to simply unleash her back onto the streets again! She'll surely be back here again soon." Carlisle shook his head angrily, and my heart ached for him.
Mark stepped in front of Carlisle's pacing path when he turned back towards him. "Cullen, why does it matter to you? If it weren't for Bella, you wouldn't even know about Mary Alice. What concern is she to you? She's just one crazy loon."
Carlisle stormed up into Mark's face and he took an automatic step back form the look on Carlisle's face.
"A crazy loon?" Carlisle repeated disbelievingly. "She's a person for God's sake! Have you no heart?"
I agreed completely with that statement.
"Sometimes I cannot even understand why you choose a profession where you're supposed to help others. You have not changed at all, Mark."
With that, Carlisle turned an about-face and strode by the despicable man, heading straight towards my door.
My chest constricted in fear. I didn't have a clue as to how he would respond if he saw I was eaves-dropping on his conversation while he was in this mood.
I tried shutting the door as quietly as humanly possible. Maybe he didn't see me, I whimpered to myself. Yeah, right.
After closing the door with incredible softness, I sprinted to the bed on tip-toes and ripped the covers back before diving in. I pulled the blankets up to my chin and tried to slow my breathing. Carlisle's footsteps got louder, which really didn't help my oxygen intake situation.
I had just closed my eyes when Carlisle opened the door. I couldn't see him, but I figured he was just going to check on me quickly and then leave. So I was throughly surprised, - and more than a little panicked - when I heard his shoes glide against the tile floor.
I was suddenly greatful that the kind nurse had taken all the wires out of me earlier, otherwise my heart on the monitor would have given me away hours ago.
The bed shifted, alerting me that Carlisle had sat down on the edge of it. I tried not to hyperventilate.
I felt Carlisle's warm fingers smooth over my cheek, brushing away a few way-ward strands of hair. Little did he know that the disaray was due to my mad dash. Thankfully.
The bed shifted further as he leaned over me, and I smelled the scent of Carlisle's mint-laced breath before I felt the light pressure of his lips against my forehead.
He sighed heavily. "Please, watch over her," he whispered almost silently. The pain in his voice hurt me more than my bruised body ever would. I choked back my impending sob, trying to remain silent.
He sat there for a few more minutes, not moving, not talking, barely even breathing. I wanted so badly to ask the questions that were eating at me, that I knew only he could answer.
Who was Mary Alice?
Who was that other man?
Why did he seem to hate her?
Why did Carlisle care?
Of course, I couldn't ask any of those, since I was "sleeping".
When the stress of trying to appear unconscious was about to send me up the wall, Carlisle stood up and I heard his light, graceful steps carry him to the door. When he shut the door quietly after him, I waited another moment to make sure he was truly gone and not trying to test me. I counted two minutes off in my head before opening my eyes and rolling over to the door. Nope, he was really gone.
My heart felt like a leaded-weight in my chest. Poor Carlisle. I wracked my brain for ways to help him, all coming up blank.
Mary Alice's screams followed me into my dreams.
~)o(~
A warm tongue licked me from my chin to my forehead.
I cracked my eyelids open, startled awake, but all I could see was golden hair. A cold, wet nose poked me in the cheek accompanied by the sound of a heavy thumping. I finally shook off the delirium and I knew exactly who this was.
"Emmett!" I cried, throwing my arms around his thick neck, a huge smile blossoming across my face for the first time in days. The thumping sound increased and I looked over Emmett's back to see his tail thunking against the matress in his joy.
I laughed as he squirmed against me, his excitedness making his whole body practically vibrate.
I heard a soft giggle from the door. "Okay Em, you need to get off, you'll break another one of her bird-like bones."
Sara was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk on her face.
"Hey Sara, how you been?" I asked as I waved her in. She danced over to the ever-popular chair before plopping down. She shrugged out of her jacket and drapped it over the back of the seat. "Oh, you know, same ol' same ol'," she smiled at me and patted Emmett on the side. "But how are you? How are you feeling?"
I sat up - with Em still on my lap - and raised my arms over my head and stretched from side to side. I was a little stiff, but certainly nothing unbearable.
"I'm actually feeling a lot better - but I don't want to talk about me, tell me how you got Emmett in here!" I demanded excitedly. I still couldn't believe he was here.
Sara laughed. "I smuggled him in under my shirt, of course."
I didn't even feel like dignifying that with a response.
She giggled at my expression. "Naw, I'm just kidding. Carlisle said I could bring him in as long as he didn't bark and disturb the other patients. Told me it would be good for you."
"I'd say I agree with that statement," I murmured as Emmett nuzzled against my hand. I felt better than I had in days just after seeing him.
"Oh!" I exclaimed, her words reminding me of a question I'd wanted to ask. "Is Carlisle still here?"
Sara nodded her head, looking thoughtful. "Yeah, he's still here. Said he wouldn't leave if -"
" 'If I couldn't leave', yeah, yeah, I've heard it before," I cut her off, not wanting to listen to it again.
Sara huffed. "Well, Miss Smart-Ass, he actually is leaving soon."
I narrowed my eyes, looking her up and down in suspision. "Why? What do you mean?"
She grinned deviously. "Oh, so you don't know everything."
I rolled my eyes at her. "Don't be an ass. What do you mean?" I repeated, all serious.
Sara waggled her eyebrows at me. "You get to go home today."
"No way!" I yelled, scaring Emmett and making him jump. I scratched his head while I smiled.
"Are you serious? I'm free? Really?" I was too ecstatic to think of anything else to say.
Sara's giggles grew. "Really. Dr Cullen said as long as you take your meds and get lots of rest, you can go home."
I couldn't believe it. I was only moments away from leaping into the air and start dancing, my damaged body the only thing stopping me. Though with my joy came my guilt, quickly sobering my mood. For even though I could leave, there was one specific person who could not.
Sara saw my face drop and she tried to catch my gaze. I looked at her and concern shone out of her eyes. "Bella? You okay? You got a little distant there," she said nervously. Than her expression turned surprised. "You don't actually want to stay do you?"
I blanched. "No, no! Of course not." There was nothing I would hate more.
"Then what is it?" She spoke softly, as if not to scare me.
I couldn't help but as my next question. "Sara? I know this is pretty out-of-the-blue, but . . . you wouldn't happen to know a Mary Alice, would you?"
Sara's face scrunched up in concentration. I could almost hear the wheels spinning rapidly in her head. "No, don't think so. But maybe I'd know who she was if you'd give me her last name."
"I would if I knew it. The nurses say they don't even know."
"That's insane!" Sara spluttered. "She has absolutely no identification at all? Driver's license, anything?"
I shrugged. "They said no."
Sara bit her lip, her little white teeth worrying it to the point I was sure she was going to cut it. "I'm guessing she's here at the hospital, then?"
"You would guess correctly. She came into the hospital last night, and Sara . . . the screams that were coming out of her, you would have thought she was being murdered." I shuddered. Those sounds were going to haunt me for months to come.
Sara's eyes widened. "Good grief! What did they say was wrong with her?"
"That's just it, no one knows."
She shook like a leaf in a breeze. "Jeez, that's creepy."
"You've got that right."
It turned quiet in the room except for the sound of Emmett's tail hitting the bed and our breaths. I looked back over at Sara, and she was wearing an intense look of concentraion.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked gently, reaching out and cover her hand with mine. She seemed to snap out of it.
"Hmm? Oh, sorry Bells. I was just thinking," she murmured, her face still clouded.
"I can tell," I teased her, trying to steal a smile from her. I didn't succeed.
Sara looked up at me. "Did you see her? Do you know what she looks like?" She pressed.
I shook my head. "No. I couldn't get a glimpse of her. A nurse came in and stayed with me for a while, and by the time she left, the girl was in a room already."
Sara sighed and leaned back in her chair. "You don't think they'll let us come in and talk to her, do you?"
I laughed bleakly. "No. And besides, I don't think Mary Alice would appreciate two girls going in there and grilling her with questions."
The excitement faded from Sara's eyes. She slumped in defeat. "Yeah, you're probably right," she pouted, and I had to fight the urge to smile at her.
Sara always had a drive to get every last piece of information on anything remotely interesting to her. She always had to be in-the-know, no matter how insignificant or ridiculous. She was like a dog with a bone when she was curious. She would make a great journalist one day. Or at least an interrorgator.
I decided to distract her from the unattainable mystery. "Have you seen the nurse with the really red long hair?"
Sara appeared confused at the sudden change in topic, but nodded. "Victoria? Yeah, I've met her. She gave me a cup of coffee and talked to me for a while when you were in the coma," she shivered, and her face paled a little, but she continued. "She was nice. Why do you ask?"
I tried to look as innocent as possible as I said the next words. "No reason, really. Except she bullied information about Carlisle out of me," I said nonchalantly. "Bullying" was an exaggeration, but I knew it would catch her attention. I waited for her reaction.
She didn't disappoint.
"No way!" Sara gasped, her face suddenly alight. "What did she want to know?"
I thought it was best not to point out the fact that Sara was now the one badgering me for information. "She wanted to know if he was single." I braced myself, leaning away slightly from my best friend.
"No. Way." She whispered slowly, quietly. I released the breath I was holding and relaxed a little. This was definitely not the response I had been anticipating.
Apparently, I should have waited a few seconds before relaxing.
"No. Fucking. Way!" She nearly screamed, and I clasped my hands over my ears as Emmett jumped in surprise. A low, alarmed growl coming from his chest. I nudged him to make him stop.
"Sara!" I hissed at her, hoping to snap her out of her "no way" mantra.
She ignored me. "Bella, why aren't you excited? Why aren't you ecstatic?"
At least she had stopped babbling.
I frowned at her. "Why should I be? Am I missing something here?" I didn't really think I was being dense.
"Obviously!" She crowed. She threw her arms out for emphasis. "This is huge news! We need to set her up with Carlisle!"
I couldn't stop myself in time. I laughed in her face. She had clearly lost her mind. "Carlisle? With Victoria? Are you kidding me?" I laughed harder.
She looked at me like I had kicked her puppy, her blue eyes pouting at me over her glasses. "Why not? Carlisle needs to date somebody. You know, clean out the cobwebs and stuff," she grinned.
I rolled my eyes. "Okay, first: ew," I glared at her, and she stuck her tongue out and giggled. "Secondly, Vicki's not exactly what I'd call 'Carlisle' material," I hedged.
Sara snorted. "Oh, really? What would you describe as 'Carlisle' material? You?"
I blushed furiously and shook my head. "Of course not!" That entire idea was proposterous. "Just think about it, Sara. Close your eyes and picture Victoria."
She seemed wary about my request, but complied. She closed her eyes. "All right, I see Vicki," she murmured.
"Now picture Carlisle," I instructed calmly.
I waited a moment until Sara sighed. "Okay, now what?"
"Picture Victoria jumping Carlisle's bones."
Sara's eyes snapped open, and she recoiled from me like I had struck her. "Ugh! That was completely uncalled for," she groaned, glaring balefully at me.
I laughed and buried my face in Emmett's fur. "That's what you get for that whole 'cobwebs' comment."
"You're incorrigible," She muttered, but her eyes seemed to agree with me.
"I guess you're right," She conceeded.
"I know I'm right."
She visably deflated/ "I just thought it was a good idea, though," she saw my raised eyebrow and elaborated. "Not Victoria for Carlisle per se, but someone in general. I love Carlisle like a dad, and I just want him to be happy."
That stopped my giggles. I sighed. "I do, too. It just can't see Carlisle with anybody, and he can't either, apparently if he's been single for this long."
Sara nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess so. Hey, do you think Carlisle would agree to letting us sign him up for speed-dating?" She asked, her face sparkling.
I laughed, throughly grateful for Sara's lighter subject, steering us away from the uncomfortable place of Carlisle's relationships.
Or lack thereof.
"I'm going to go ahead and say that he won't." He'd have a conniption if he knew we were even thinking of it.
"I don't know," Sara said in a sing-song voice. "All we’d have to do is a 25 year old doctor. That coupled with his devilishly good looks, hell, he’d have a line of women waiting for him out the door!"
We busted into much-needed laughter at the mental image of a line of waiting ladies and a very uncomfortable Carlisle. The feeling was wonderous.
We laughed for incredibly long moments, our giggles reaching near-painful peaks before we would die back down. Then one of us would picture the senario again and the laughter would start over. Sara had tears running down her freckled cheeks, holding onto her sides as she rocked herself back and forth. I was gasping through my cackles, and was clutching Emmett to my chest, who was practically dancing in his mirth.
What felt like hours later, - though it was only minutes - our laughs had just barely stopped when the door to the room opened, revealing a curious Victoria.
Her sudden appearence brought us to near-hysterics. Vicki seemed befuddled as we gasped for air, looking down at her shirt as if she had spilled something on it. Our laughs were beginning to become painful, yet we still couldn’t stop.
Victoria finally had enough and stepped in. "All right, I get it, you’re having one of those ‘inside joke’ moments. But I do need to give you one last check up before you get the ‘ok’ to go." She said sternly, but I could see amusement playing around her lips in the way they twitched.
I grinned. "Yes, ma’am," I mocked, remembering her little pet-peeve.
She only hitched her eybrow higher up on her forehead. I destinctly heard her mutter "Cheeky" again under her breath.
Sara finally swallowed off the rest of her giggles and looked questioningly at Vicki. "Should I leave and give you a moment?" She asked politely, already half-way out of her chair.
The nurse waved at her to get back in the chair. "No, no, stay. I’ll only be a moment, and then you, Miss Swan," her eyes slid to mine and she smiled, "You’ll be able to leave with your friend."
Victoria walked to the end of my bed and stared at the golden mass in my lap with her hands on her hips.
"And just who," she began, eying Emmett with an unidentifiable expression on her face, "is this?"
The animal currently under scrutiny lifted his head from my leg and zeroed-in on Victoria. When he looked at her and her stern posture, a soft growl rumbled from his chest. I bit my lip, hiding a smile.
Sara didn’t find it funny. She gasped. "Vicki, I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into him, he’s usually a really sweet dog."
Victoria ignored Sara’s reassurences and leaned forward over the bed. She stared Emmett down, and ever so gently, growled right back at him.
Emmett’s chocolate brown eyes widened as his ears perked up in surprise. Before Sara could make a move to grab him, he darted and lunged at Victoria.
Sara screamed in terror, but I didn’t move. I knew what he was doing.
Emmett jumped on Victoria and started licking her frantically as his tail went nuts. Victoria laughed happily while Sara nearly passed out from shock.
Victoria ran her hands through Emmett's hair at his neck. "He's a good boy," she praised.
"Yes, he's a wonderful dog," I agreed whole-heartedly. Sara looked at the scene in front of her, her head whipping between me, Victoria and Emmett so quickly it was almost comical.
"But - but-" she spluttered, her confusion rendering her speechless.
Vicki glanced over at her, a playful smile on her youthful face. "Yes?"
"He - he attacked you! Why are you playing with him?"
Victoria shook her head, making her red hair bounce. "No dear, he was testing me." That didn't seem to help Sara's confusion at all. I understood completely and let Victoria explain. "Carlisle told me that Emmett here was abused at one point in his life," she said delicately, and I shuddered at the memory. "And he said that he doesn't take well to new people. So, when Emmett saw me and got defensive, he was testing me."
"Remember how when I first met you, Emmett wouldn't even be in the same room with you for about a year?" I asked Sara.
She nodded. "But he didn't attack me!" She protested.
I shrugged. "He responds differently with different people, I guess."
Sara seemed to accept this, but then shot out another question at Victoria. "But I don't understand one thing. Why did you growl at him?"
"Because that's what Emmett wants," I cut in. Sara threw me a withering look, and I hurried to explain. "It's true! Strange, but true. He just . . . likes it when someone else decides to be alpha, I guess. I've never understood why Emmett calms down when someone growls at him, but he does. Hell, I've had to growl at him."
Sara sat there quietly for a few minutes absorbing the information with little lines creasing her porcelian forehead. She looked at Emmett lovingly and said, "Geez Em, you're such a freak."
The surprise of her statement shocked me into laughter. It apparently tickled Victoria's funny bone, too, for she began cackling with me.
Once again this dull, dreary room was filled with the melodous sound of laughter. Emmett didn't seem to find it funny being laughed at. He huffed, - and I swear it was indignantly - I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing him to my chest and holding him there.
After a while of giggles, Victoria declared that she needed to do my check up and get back to her other patients.
My inspection - which made me feel like a cow for sale - went off without a hitch, and Vicki cheerily said I was free to leave.
Victoria went to the other patients and Sara told me she'd wait out in the lobby while I changed. Thankfully, Sara had the idea to bring new clothes for me, as I was told by other nurses that the clothes I had been wearing during the accident had to be cut off my body. I shivered.
When I was fully dressed and my little night gown was folded neatly on the edge of the bed, I patted my thigh and Emmett jumped up and followed me out. Before I shut the door behind me, I looked around the off-white room and hoped I wouldn't have to come back anytime soon.
With the wooden door shut on my latest nightmare, Emmett and I made our way through the hallway, which was surprisingly vacant and quiet. The only sounds were of my sneakers squeaking with every step and Emmett's toenails msking soft little clicking sounds against the tile.
For longer than was necessary, I found myself wandering around the hollowed halls, lost. I wasn't used to this hospital, so even though the little signs on the walls saying where the lobby was, I simply couldn't find it. I hadn't even gone by a flight of stairs or an elevator yet. Big hospital, I mused.
I couldn't help but marvel at how silent it was. Shouldn't there be rushing nurses and doctors, screaming patients riddled with bullets, noise and mayhem all round? I glanced at a clock hanging on a wall, it's hands stating that it was afternoon.
Ah, I thought, lunch break.
After a ridiculously long time turning around corners and finding only more empty paths, I finally saw an elevator. And not a moment too soon, as I could tell Emmett was getting agitated.
Hope renewed, I started walking with new vigor, Emmett tapping along next to me. I quickly learned though that my still-healing body wasn't appreciating my jogging. By the time I was almost to the door, my sides were screeching in protest against my actions.
I stopped and leaned against the wall, trying to slow my wheezing. Surely this isn't what Carlisle had in mind when he told me to "take it easy".
I heaved myself away from the wall and trudged forward, a definite change from my jogging before.
I stumbled ahead, but stopped in my tracks when I heard the undeniable sound of sobbing. Startled, I looked around the hallway for the noise, but I saw no one. Obivously I wasn't the only one hearing it, because Emmett's ears were perked up and he wore an almost confused expression on his furry face.
As the soft crying continued, I walked slowly towards the sound. It lead me to one of the rooms and the door was slightly ajar. I quickly glanced down both sides of the hallway to make sure no one was there or coming. I wasn't sure why I was nervous of being caught, but there was a small prickling of fear in my chest, regardless.
As curious as Pandora with her box, I placed my hand palm-down against the cold door and pushed gently to open it.
At first when I peered inside, I couldn't see anyone at all. Just another off-white room with an empty, made bed.
I almost began to shut the door and continue on with my way when I caught a tiny fraction of a movement in my periphery vision that alerted me that someone was there.
There, huddled in a corner, was a girl.
She had her slim legs drawn up to her chest with her delicate arms arms wrapped around them. Her face was pressed against her knees, and the top of her head was covered with pitch-black hair, cut so short it almost looked like it should belong to a boy. It contrasted so shockingly with her snow-white skin. She's paler than me, I thought incredulously.
The soft sobs I heard in the hallway definitely belonged to her as she hiccuped pathetically. As I looked out at the hall, I debated what to do when her near-silent cries turned into a shrieking wail. I jumped a foot in the air, and my mind raced as to why she would scream like that.
Is she hurt?
Does she need help?
Is she afraid?
Did she see me?
The adreniline coursing through my veins screamed at me to choose fight or flight, I finally looked back at the young girl, only to see that her face had never lifted from her arms.
The sweet relief was dizzying, and now I was almost desperate to leave, find the lobby and pretend this strange scene never happened. But something kept me rooted to the spot.
A little niggling sensation bounced around in my head as something tried to be remembered, but I couldn't think of what it was.
It took me another minute of useless thinking before the girl wailed again, and something clicked in my brain like two gears meshing together.
I knew that scream.
It had kept me up last night wondering about it.
Mary Alice.
The shock of the realization that the mysterious girl from last night was suddenly in front of me stunned my senses. I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe.
I remained frozen until I felt a shuffling by my leg, and I willed my dead eyes to look down as Emmett walked into the room, heading straight for Mary Alice.
"Emmett!" I hissed, trying to stay as quiet as possible. The girl didn't give any sign to show that she had heard me.
Emmett padded his way over to the girl confidently as I held my breath. For the first time, I didn't know what to expect from my beloved dog.
And most importantly, I didn't know what to expect from Mary Alice.
Emmett was within touching distance of the girl, and she still hadn't raised her head. I was suddenly desperate to see this mysterious girl's face, the one that had haunted me with her wrenching tones.
I got my wish. Emmett came to a stop in front of her and sat down, and ever so gently, brushed his nose against her forearm where it was clasped around her legs.
Her small gasp was almost indiscernible and her head snapped up, her eyes locked on Emmett, and I had to stifle my own gasp.
She was so . . . empty. Dead. Lost. her face was undeniably beautiful, resembling that of a china doll with her perfect porcelain skin, rounded cheeks, and large eyes framed by thick, dark lashes.
Her eyes . . .
They were so blue. Like someone had taken the clearest, purest ocean water and poured some of it into her eyes. Gorgeous, but so haunting. Like this girl had lived a thousand lifetimes, seen a million deaths. The vacant look in them was chilling.
I was suddenly afraid for Emmett. While there weren't any deadly weapons in the room, I still feared what she might do.
Emmett sat there unafraid as Mary Alice unwrapped one hand from her legs and lifted it slowly towards Emmett. I held my breath as that slim, fragile hand hung in the air for what felt like an eternity until it finally came in contact with Emmett.
Mary Alice's hand smoothed over Emmett's face, rubbing the side of his nose, almost lovingly, as my dog leaned his muzzle against her stroking hand. I almost couldn't believe my eyes when she folded her arms around his neck and guided him to her narrow chest, to which he happily went along with.
Surely this wasn't the same Emmett, not my Emmett. My dog would have been growling at this foriegn girl, yet he snuggled with her as if he'd known her forever.
"Emmett?" I whispered in disbelief, not really knowing I had spoken until Mary Alice's crystal blue eyes locked on mine.
Time seemed suspended as we stared at each other, no one talking, no one moving. I almost ran from her when she raised her hand, palm-up at me, gesturing for me to take her hand. As I pondered fleeing, the fear was suddenly gone. Not like it had disappeared, but like it had never been there to begin with.
I felt my legs glide underneath me, taking me closer to her with each step, her eyes trained on me the entire way.
When I reached her, I crouched down next to Emmett, taking me face-to-face with Mary Alice. Neither of us spoke, but there was a feeling that we didn't need to. We just sat and stared.
With her hand still on Emmett's face, she raised her other hand and let it hang in the air. I knew I should have been wary, but I simply wasn't now.
After a minute with no protests from me, Mary Alice brought her hand down and placed it on my cheek softly.
No one moved now, not even Emmett. I'm not sure how long the three of us stayed like that. It could have been seconds. It could have been years. I didn't know.
A smile played on her small pink lips, lighting up her face. "Bella," she whispered.
The shock of her casual use of my name had me with drawing from her hand, only her fingertips touching me now.
I was amazed. "How did you -"
"What do you think you're doing in here?" A harsh voice snarled.
I snapped my head back towards the door where an angry looking nurse stood. I glanced back at Mary Alice and she looked saddened.
"There are no visiting hours for miss Brandon," the old woman muttered. Miss Brandon? I thought. Was that Mary Alice's last name?
The nurse damn-near stomped her foot at me she was so agrivated. "You need to leave. Now!"
I looked at Mary Alice one last time before grabbing Emmett and hurrying out the door, the wretched nurse glaring at me the whole way.
Once in the hallway, I started sprinting towards the elevator again, completely ignoring my screaming injuries as I rushed away from that disturbing moment, Emmett running behind me.
Some doctor had just gotten off the elevator, and I nearly knocked him over in my haste to get in. Earning a glare, I stabbed the first floor button and the heavy doors shut.
My head slumped pathetically against the wall as I tried not to cry. I couldn't believe how saddened I was to be leaving Mary Alice. I didn't even know the girl for crying out loud! So why was I so upset?
I heard a high-pitched whine and looked down to see Emmett staring up at me with the most peculiar expression on his face.
"Don't," was all I could manage to say to him. He huffed and looked at his paws.
All too soon the seclusion of the elevator was replaced by the claustrophobic amount of people in the lobby. Em stayed close to my side as I scanned the crowds for my friends. Sure enough, a head of bouncing blonde curls came rushing up to me.
"Bella! Where have you been? We've been worried sick!" Sara admonished me, and I could see Carlisle coming up behind her with a relieved look on his face.
He reached us and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Bella, where were you?" His quiet, dulcet tones asked.
I shuffled from foot to foot, uncomfortable under their worry. "I kind of got lost."
Sara snorted and rolled her eyes. "How can you get lost in a hospital? There's signs practically everywhere!"
I smiled without humor. "This is me we're talking about, after all." There was no way I was telling them about my run-in on Mary Alice. It was confusing enough without them badgering me about it.
How did she know my name?
Carlisle spoke up, messing with some papers in his hands. "Well, next time one of us will accompany you, hmmm?" He questioned.
I nodded. "Yeah, sure." Anything to avoid something like that again.
I noticed Carlisle looking around the lobby with a fond expression on his face. "Well, well, Doctor Cullen, is someone not wanting to go back to Forks? Because I really think this hospital would love to have your expertise." Not to mention Victoria would love it. I had to bite back a smile at the image of Victoria unleashing her charms on an unsuspecting Carlisle.
Carlisle shrugged and smiled. "No. While I did enjoy this hospital's staff and atmospheric feel, my job is in Forks."
I tried not to roll my eyes at his over-used mantra. But it was his happiness, after all.
"All right," I said, for once giving up the old argument without a fight. He seemed surprised at my concession, but chose not to comment on it. I just didn't have it in me today.
Sara clapped her hands together and grinned. "You ready to go?"
More than anything. "Yeah, I'm ready."
"Great, I'll just go get my car and pull it up front since it's raining so hard," she scrunched her nose up at the wet windows, as if the constant rain had personally offended her.
"Sounds fine to me," I shrugged.
Sara smiled wider and dashed towards the doors and into the parking lot. I looked back at Carlisle questioningly. He laughed. "She's just excited that you're fine. She's been horrendously worried about you the entire time. She's barely left your side since the accident."
I felt myself softening. "Yes, she's a great friend. Very loyal."
"And spunky, too," Carlisle said joyfully.
I laughed and nodded. "Yes, and spunky," I tagged on.
Carlisle looked at his wrist watch and it reminded me of a question I'd wanted to ask. "Are you going home now?" I teased.
Carlisle rolled his eyes playfully, something he rarely did. "Yes, I'm finally leaving now that you are. Satisfied?"
"Never," I stated. It was half true.
We waited for Sara to pull up in silence. Well, I was silent. Carlisle was busy saying goodbye politely to the swooning nurses who begged him to come back soon, while the male doctors gave him dirty looks. I still hadn't found out the problem with that Mark guy and Carlisle. I would have to ask him about that later.
Sara's little red Honda finally pulled up in front of the building, and she honked the horn for me and Emmett to hop in. I walked over to Carlisle and gave him a quick hug. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Not too soon, please," he groaned, and I laughed.
He pulled back from the hug and eyed me sternly. "Remember to take your pain medication. I gave it to Sara, and she'll give it to you when you get home. If you feel any pain at all, come back to the hospital."
"Yes, doctor," I mocked.
He frowned at me. "I'm serious."
I ignored him and Emmett and I made our way to the doors, but I finally had the courage to say what I'd wanted to say. I looked at Emmett apologetically and went back to Carlisle. He had his back turned, and I tapped on his shoulder. He turned around and looked at me in surprise.
"Wow, back so soon?"
I snorted. "Har har. I wanted to tell you something." I pressed. I finally could do it.
He waved off the people he was talking to, signaling I had his full attention. "What is it?"
After the day I had today, all the emotions stirring up and attacking my senses, I was ready to go through with it. No matter how much I would probably hate it.
I took a deep, steadying breath.
"I want to go to therapy."