Charlie Swan: Vampire Hunter

24

I call Carlisle from the car. He picks up immediately. "Bella-" 

"I heard. I'll meet you out side the ER." 

"Thank you."

I hang up and as Jacob slams his door shut I take off. 

It takes 10 minutes to get to the hospital, but I put on my sirens and speed like the devil is after us and it takes about 6. I screech to a stop in front of Carlisle and throw Jacob the keys. "Park it somewhere and meet us inside." 

He nods as I dash towards Carlisle. "How is she, Jacob made it sound bad." 

He grabs my hands and pulls me close. "It is bad. You need to prepare yourself." 

I shake my head and try to pull away, but his grip is unbreakable. 

"Charlie listen to me." I finally stop struggling and look into his gold eyes. "She doesn't look good. There is bruising and lots of tubes. Half her head was shaved and there are bandages all over. You need to take a moment to prepare. Call Renée and let her know what happened and then go see her." 

 I nod and pull out my phone, dialing and Carlisle lead me into the hospital, still holding tight to one of my hands as if I might bolt.  

The call was not easy, but it was short. I hang up when we reach Bella's room and take a deep breath. "She's on her way but it'll be a while until she gets here." 

Carlisle nods. "Are you ready for this?" 

"Do I have a choice?" 

He pulls me closer. "You always have a choice. I could go in a get you an update, then you wouldn't have to see it." 

I lean into him for a moment before pulling away and straightening my shoulders. "No. I have to see her. And if it comes to it, I have to say goodbye. I can't do that from out here." 

Carlisle opens the door for me, always keeping a hand on my shoulder or my back- never breaking contact- as we walk into the room. He wasn't kidding about the number of tubes. She has a ventilator, a chest tube, a small tube sticking out of a thick patch of gauze on her head, and an IV attached to more bags of medication than I can count. Both her eyes are black and her face is peppered with scratches. Her legs are hidden under the blankets, but I can see the bulge of a cast on her left ankle. Her arms are covered in bandages, although nothing looks broken. I drop into the chair next to her bed and put my head in my hands. Carlisle sits next to me, rubbing comforting circles on my back. 

"How are you doing?" He murmurs into my ear. I almost miss it over the steady beep of the heart rate monitor. 

"She looks so broken." I sob. "And I don't know how to fix it." 

"This isn't something you can fix." He wraps his arms around me, rocking gently. 

I lean against him and close my eyes. "But what if I'd said no to to going with Jacob or Edward. She might never have run into Jacob if I'd said no to Edward." 

"No." Carlisle stops rocking and turns me to face him. "This is not your fault and there was nothing you could have done to prevent it. She made her choices and that is not your fault. You can't blame your self for this. She could be fine, but if you take this on yourself, you won't be." 

I lean my head against his chest. "Thank you for being here."

"Nothing in the world could take me anywhere else." 

I fall asleep in his arms and don't wake until 3 am.