Work of Art

Chapter 1

"Carlisle Cullen?"

He stood as his name reverberated around the room. After a brief scan, his eyes found the owner of the voice.

"Dr. Gordin, it's a pleasure to meet you," Carlisle addressed as he approached the older-looking man.

"Call me Mark, please," the man returned with a smile as he extended his hand.

"Well then Mark, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The man laughed at Carlisle's emphasis. "If you'll just follow me, I'll give you the tour."

Carlisle nodded and proceeded to follow Mark as he walked through a set of swinging doors. Despite his many years of practice, Carlisle always found moving to a new location to be nerve-wracking; there was something about having to dissuade an entirely new group of people that always left him on high alert. So even though he had worked at many similar hospitals before, he kept his eyes peeled and listened attentively as Dr. Mark Gordin gestured to and explained the different areas of the small Forks hospital.

As the pair walked down an inpatient hallway, Mark steered his conversation to the likes of Carlisle. 

"So I know all about your academic life from the advisors -- quite impressive might I add, finishing your residency at 27..." 

Carlisle smiled at the man as he discussed his academic achievements.

Over the years Carlisle had found it easier to repeat schooling rather than attempt to forge medical documents. So, he had spent the past few years receiving his medical license for the third time. The small school he had attended had accelerated his studies largely in part to his advanced knowledge. While the process was tedious, it gave him an opportunity to learn new procedures and medical discoveries that had not been known the last time he served in the medical field. 

At this point, it had been a decade or so since he last walked through sterile scented cream walls as a doctor. In the previous decade or so, he had served as a professor of biology at a university a few states away. But as always, when his supposed age and appearance grew a stark contrast, Carlisle was forced to move with his family to a new town, sometimes under a new alias.

Mark continued, "So tell me about you. Any family?"

Carlisle chucked at the man, "That's a long story."

Mark shot him a perplexed look urging Carlisle to continue.

"I met my best friend Esme while I was studying pre-med at university. We had a brief stint where we dated, but we mutually decided that we were better off as friends." 

Carlisle laughed at the partially true memory. While the two thrived in each other's company, it was obvious early on to the pair that they were not mates and that they lacked romantic intentions towards the other. 

"We've been close friends since and actually moved in together when we took in a set of teenage twins three years ago. Jasper and Rosalie. Esme works as a counselor now but was in social services for a while ,which is what connected us with the twins. We ended up taking in their partners too, Alice and Emmett." 

Carlisle ran a hand through his smoothed-back hair as Mark looked at him, urging him to continue. "The dynamic was a bit odd at first but we couldn't leave the kids alone through the system. We eventually brought in Edward too." 

Carlisle quirked his lip up at the thought of Edward being the last to join the Cullens when he had truly been with him the longest. 

"The seven of us formed a family of sorts as I completed my residency, which leads to us all now moving to Forks for this job and for their education. They're all actually going to be sophomores and juniors at the high school this year."