Twilight Short Stories [FanFictions]

Cullens and COVID

Carlisle sat in his car after yet another extended shift. Surgeon, general GP.
COVID-19 cases were soaring.
The reason he waited to go home that day, the first death. An elderly woman of 82, had lost her fight too soon. Carlisle could see, the fight was lost. He recognised the patterns from pandemics past. Margaret Houser would not be the only one to die of this strange illness and there was nothing he could do to stop it. With the American government, the will of the people. For the first time in such a long, long time, he felt helpless. So now he sits, in his car, preparing himself for Jasper emotional manipulation, Alice's words of enthusiastic encouragement, Emmett's jokes... and Edward...
Carlisle could remember the recent, horrible pandemic. Recent for him. He could remember as well as if it were yesterday, the fevers, the coughs, the screams of night terrors rattling the Chicago hospital. He could remember Elizabeth Masen, her green eyes that her son had inherited. Her pleading words that broke through his eternal loneliness and began his family.
Esme quickly sat in the seat beside Carlisle. He didn't react to his wife's arrival for his mind still wandered back to 1918. And how history repeats itself.
She rested a delicate hand on his and softly rubbed it in comfort. She didn't speak.
Esme had been sent there by Alice.
With the support of his wife, Carlisle found the strength to drive home.
Edward was there to greet him in the garage.
"It won't get as bad, Carlisle," Edward assured him.
How do you know? Carlisle wanted to ask, but hadnt the energy to talk.
"Alice," Edward answered. "What she sees keeps changing but what she does see if that it wont be as bad. In all the possible futures she has seen... it doesn't get as bad."
In two years, around 500million people died, Carlisle thought. He compared the symptoms in his mind. The fevers, the sweating, the difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhoea... so similar and yet so different.
"Carlisle," Edward said softly. He rushed to embrace his father. "I promise you, it won't get that bad."
"But it will still be bad," Carlisle stated. History repeats itself.

——

January 1, 2022.
Carlisle sat in his car and he thought about the young girl now in intensive care. Her short bright red hair, her green eyes, her face of freckles. She had been immunocompromised when she caught Omicron, all because of her brother's girlfriend's sister. Carlisle had followed Zoey's case since she had been admitted. 17. A happy girl. Refused to stay laying down all day and would often pass out on chairs in the hospital.
The hair, the eyes... history repeats itself.
What was worse, her mother.
History repeats itself.
"Doctor Cullen, may I speak with you about Zoey?"
Carlisle had agreed and had walked with Joanne Watts to his office. Her heart was racing but Carlisle didn't think of it.
"Doctor... can I ask you a favour?"
"I'm doing my best to save your daughter, Mrs Watts, but this new variant is–"
"I know," Joanna said and sobbed. "Without her father, she's all I have left."
History repeats itself.
"Save her?"
"I'm trying, Mrs Watts," Carlisle replied. Silently praying this wasn't happening to him again.
"You misunderstand. You're not like the other doctors, are you? You never look like you're getting tired. Never get sick yourself. Always pulling double shifts. I know you, Doctor Cullen. You're a good man, your family a good family. Please. I'm begging you. She's all I have left."
"You need to leave, Mrs Watts."
"I don't care if it means I'll lose her. Losing her to your life at least means she'll be alive. I don't care that I'll never see her again. As long as I know, she's alive."
History repeats itself.
"You need to leave."
So now, Carlisle sat in his car. Deep in thought of the 17 year old girl, fighting a losing battle for her life. Zoey Watts. His family was already so large. Could he condemn another life to this darkness?
At their mother's wish?
Carlisle remembered Margaret Houser, 82, elderly, their towns first COVID-19 death, and the conversation with Edward following.
It wouldn't get as bad, Edward had promised. But had Alice seen this? Surely if Alice had seen a human repeating the words of Elizabeth Masen, they'd have moved before it was too late.
Of course, Carlisle wanted to save Zoey, he wanted to save them all but knew... he couldn't. He shouldn't.
So he drove home, wondering if Zoey Watts would still be there when he returned to the hospital the next day.
The whole family was in the front room when they returned home. Even Jacob sat on the couch with Renesmee sitting on his lap.
"Carlisle, I'm sorry," Alice said. "I should have been paying attention. I didn't see anything until it was too late."
Carlisle looked past her to Edward.
As he did every day of the pandemic, Carlisle saw Edward as he had been back then. The sweats, the fever, the blood. Except now, he saw Zoey beside him. Their mothers, pleading for their children's eternal survival.
"Carlisle," Rosalie stood and stepped towards him. "Alice told us everything. Including that if you don't save her, you'll never forgive yourself."
"Our family is already too big. Humans are questioning-"
"So Emmett and I will leave again. We've done it before."
"I can't ask you to do that."
"You're not."
"We'll make it work, Carlisle," Emmett said calmly beside her.
"It's your choice, Carlisle," Alice said softly as a wave of calm and confidence washed over Carlisle. "But as you decide remember that we're all here to support you no matter what you choose. We understand. History has a way of repeating itself... here's hoping in three years you don't come across a woman who's somehow barely survived jumping from a cliff."
Esme giggled before she ran to her husband side.
"You'll make the right choice, Carlisle," Esme said before she softly kissed her husband.
But which choice is the right one? And what would either choice mean for his family? He knew one thing for sure, even with their secret out, Carlisle couldn't bring himself to leave while Zoey Watts was still breathing. They'd deal with the repercussion of that choice after the girls death. However that death may come.

The next day at work, Carlisle was doing paperwork when Mrs Joanne Watts stopped in front of him. He feared she'd talk of his secret. Speak aloud of how he alone could save her daughter, by killing her. But after Carlisle looked at her, Mrs Watts just walked away in her worried tears. Once again being removed from the Hospital due to a surge of new cases.
Carlisle moved to check on Zoey's condition. Worse again. She wouldn't survive another day.
Her mothers words rattled in Carlisle's mind. Immediately he began formulating a plan.
This wasn't 1918, there was greater Hospital security now. Cameras at every exit. There was no way he was getting her out of the Hospital, unseen.
Suddenly, her green eyes opened. Zoey looked at Carlisle and smiled.
"Hey, Doc," she groaned.
"Hello, Miss Watts."
"I'm... so..." she violently coughed as Carlisle watched helplessly. Helpless? Was there nothing he could do? No camera was on maintenance, no guard blushing duty protecting the hospital from rightfully angry families wanting to see their loved ones.
"Doc," Zoey said. "Can I have a dying wish?"
"What can I help you with?"
"I want to go outside, one..." she coughed again. It sounded bubbly, weak, her body's final day of fighting as she slowly suffocated. "One last time," Zoey finished after her coughing fit.
"I'll see what I can do, Miss Watts."
Carlisle walked away from the patient. A spark of hope. It was dangerous but the Hospital did have a small yard at the back followed by the forest. Could Carlisle convince a nurse to take her outside? Or maybe, Carlisle could?
Immediately he retracted that idea. Evidence. But not fully. A plan began to emerge and with an hour, Carlisle was walking Zoey Watts to the hospital yard where they were alone. Other than the cameras.
"Doc?" Zoey said. She was looking up to the grey sky breathing deeply, raspy. "I know what my mom asked you." She coughed into her masks.
"She did?" Carlisle asked.
Zoey nodded and closed her eyes in the covered sunlight.
"And what do you think of the issue?"
"I think I'm too tired to care."
Carlisle saw her cheek raise slightly under her masks.
"No matter what... I..." more coughing. "Forgive you."
Her face paled. Death imminent.
Carlisle looked towards the trees and saw Alice. Phone to her ear. Helping?
"Doc... can I... be alone for a bit?" More coughing. "Five minutes?"
Carlisle looked back to Alice before he stood.
"I'll be at the door," he told her as he walked back inside.
Carlisle stood at the door and waited. He was too far away to hear Alice, but he could just make out her putting her cell away and talking to someone he couldn't see. Who else was with her?
The work phone in Carlisle's pocket rung. A page. As a nurse approached him, Kyra's eyes were crying. Filled with sadness. Who'd died?
"Carlisle, Brad just received a call from one of your daughters," she said. Ah. So this is what Alice had fabricated to help. "Your sister has been in a terrible accident. I'm so sorry."
My sister? I suppose, to get me out of the hospital...
"Zoey Watts-"
"I'll watch, you go be with your family. Carlisle, I'm so sorry."
She hugged me. Such a pure hearted nurse. As I walked away though, I heard her heart skip.
"Where'd she go?"
I turned and looking out the open door. The wheelchair Zoey had been sitting on, was empty.
Carlisle ran outside with Nurse Kyra as the two looked around. Carlisle knew, though. She was on her way home. On her way to an eternal night.
"Carlisle, go. Go be with your family. We'll find Zoey."
"Miss Watts-"
"Go! We'll keep you updated, I promise."
"I shouldn't have taken her outside-"
"We don't know what's happened. Either way, this isn't your fault. Go home. Direct orders from Brad, go home. And I pray for your sisters recovery."
So Carlisle went home.
There was only one with Zoey when he reached the house. Esme stood by the girls head, looking down at her.
"She's beautiful," Esme muttered and looked up to her husband. "Save her, Carlisle."

——

A month later, Zoey circled the Cullen's yard with Emmett and Bella. She was grinning in her excitement. The thrill of fighting the most enthusiastic of fighters in her new family.
Though, she heard Carlisle and Esme's approach and immediately turned to them with her smile.
Zoey Cullen, forever 17, family oriented, preferred spending time with her adoptive parents than anyone else.