The Eye of the Tiger

Happy Arm Day!

"Sorry I'm late Dr.Cullen! Biology project ran late at school and I had to drop Jack off at home," I explain, running into his office at the hospital. 

"Alls well, Artemis. And please, it's just us, you can call me Carlisle here," He assures with a kind smile. "Here, have a seat and I'll try to make this as quick as possible. I know you must be busy."

"Well, we don't all have 24 hours a day every day," I joke, him chuckling. 

"Yes, of course. How has your last few days been since Esme and I saw you for dinner?"

"Oh, you know, just full of teen stuff. Eric has me helping with the prom committee and Angela got me to be part of her book club. So on top of that and researching the Crocotta for my grandmother, you could definitely say it's been a busy few days," I explain, rambling on as Carlisle turns my arm about, looking over the cast. 

"Well, I'm glad you're so busy and enjoying Forks. It can always be hard to move to a small town," He comments. "Here, let's move to a check up room so I can cut this off."

"Yeah, yeah of course," I agree, grabbing my back pack and following him down the hall.

"Great, here why don't you take a seat on the bed and I'll get the saw."

"So, when about will my arm be back to good? I've been missing my bow," I question, him chuckling. 

"Give your arm a few more weeks to fix itself up and you can get back to shooting arrows at anything and everything other than my children," He assures. 

"I would never," I assure the father as he picks up the saw that was waiting on a table. "I only shoot at empty beer bottles."

"I don't know whether I should be concerned or reassured?" Is all he can seem to respond, pausing with the saw above the cast. "You're not the one emptying these bottles, are you?"

"Oh, no no no, that's my dads, Uncle Sam, and Charlie Swan when he comes to visit."

"Good, good. Now, this saw has no chance of cutting your arm in the way it's designed, but what I'm going to do now is cut the cast enough for it to break, and then I will look over your arm once more to just be sure that it is okay," Carlisle explains. "And I'm sure I'll be seeing you around enough to keep an eye on it if there is any after-effects, but just in case, be sure to come to the hospital or call me immediately, okay?"

"Of course," I agree, nodding and having my head of curls bounce. 

"Great, here I'll get started, I'm sure you want this thing off by now."

"Oh, I wanted it off the first day," I joke, him chuckling. 

"There you go. Now, let's just move your arm around..." He mumbles, removing the cast and bending my arm this way and that. "It's looking good, but like I said-" 

"Come back into the hospital or call you if anything seems wrong, I promise, Carlisle. Plus, do you really think my dads, mom, uncle, brother, friends, or your children would let me do anything to mess up my arm anymore?"

"You can add Esme and I to that list too," He says, not looking at me while he floats around the room, putting things away. "We've taken quite the liking to you. You're good to Alice and Jasper, and that's all we could ever want."

"They're good to me too," I assure, smiling at my dirty sneakers.

"I believe you have a visitor," Carlisle alerts, just before there's a knock on the door. "You can go ahead. We'll see you soon."

"I'll be sure to stop by," I assure, jumping up and to the door. 

"Come with me!" Angela immediately says, grabbing my arm and pulling me down the hallway. 

"Ang, what are you going here?" I ask, laughing as she leads me outside.

"Happy Arm Day!" Everyone yells, everyone standing just outside the hospital doors. Jess is there, balloons in hand and a smile on her face as Mike stands beside her, sign in hand with his mess chicken scratch spelling out "Congrats!" Near them are Eric, Ty, and Jack, all with hand-drawn signs and banners. And then there's  Lauren, setting off a confetti popper and yelling in surprise at the noise. 

"What the hell? Why did no one warn me this thing sounds like a gun?" 

"Lauren! You ruined it!" Jess scolds, rolling her eyes at the still shocked girl.

"No, no, everything about this is perfect!" I assure, smiling a crazy smile with happy tears in my eyes. 

"Come on Martie! Show us the arm!" Mike yells. 

"Show us the arm! Show us the arm! Show us the arm!" The guys chant, earning a glare from a couple of passing nurses. 

"I'm so sorry about them," Ang apologizes as we pass the nurses, getting closer to our friends. "Now show us the new and almost improved arm!"

"Okay, okay," I give in, waving my arm about in front of them in a very dramatic way. 

"I'm still uncomfortable with the fact we're celebrating an arm that was broken because of me," Ty mumbles, pulling me by my healed arm into a hug. "I still feel really bad about it."

"Do I have to punch you again?" I question, hugging back but holding my newly uncasted arm as I pull away.

"No girl, you have a wicked swing, I'm good," He compliments, taking a few dramatic steps back.

"Okay, now that all that is dealt with, what do we think about milkshakes at the diner, on Mike?" Jess offers up, linking her arm with mine. 

"Wait what?" Mike questions, jogging after us as we all start towards our cars. 

Jack laughs, patting him on the back with a laugh. "Thanks Mike, good on you."