Forgotten Forever? (Twilight Fan Fic)

Carlisle' s Mortal Pain

With my phone recording in my top pocket I walk to the hospital. When I get there I see Carlisle sitting in the waiting room with two bottles of beer on the floor next to him, and one in his hand. Stubble covers his chin, and his usually tidy hair is messy and falling over his face.

"Is he okay?" I ask the receptionist quietly.

She sighs and shakes her head, "No one can get him to leave, we've tried but he doesn't seem to want to."

"Okay," I reply, walking over to Carlisle. "Hi," I say to him quietly, kneeling down so I can look him in the eye. He looks away from me and doesn't answer.

Slowly I begin taking the bottle of beer off him. He doesn't even protest, just lets me take it from him and then stares dully at it as it sits on the floor by my knees.

"Are you okay?" I ask him, and he finally breaks.

Throwing his head into his hands he begins sobbing violently. The tears leak through his fingers and splash onto the linoleum bellow. "I let her die!" He sobs. "I let her die! I let her die!"

"No, Doctor Cullen. Stop!" I command, gently grabbing his wrists and pulling his hands away from his face. "You did not let her die. You did everything in your power to save her."

"Everything wasn't enough," Carlisle finally looks me in the eye.

"You're right," I reply. "Sometimes everything isn't enough, but you did not let her die. Listen to me!" I almost shout, for he had looked away. "You did not let Esme Platt die. She is probably in heaven right now, thanking the doctor who tried to give her every chance possible, even if he failed in doing so. You did not let her die, Doctor Cullen, you gave her the best chance."

In response he looks down at the floor. I let go of his wrists. "Bella," He says.

"Yes?"

Suddenly he pulls me into a hug. "Thank you," He says. "I needed to hear that."

Over his shoulder I see Charlie come into the waiting room. He smiles at me as Carlisle finally lets go. Carlisle smiles at me too before he gets up.

"I better go home," Carlisle murmurs, smiling at Charlie before walking out to his car.

"Dad," I say, pointing to the beer bottles and then to Carlisle.

"Woah, Doctor Cullen, wait up!" Charlie calls, going after him. I chuckle and pick up the beer bottles to put the in the small plastic bin.

"How come my dad is here?" I ask the receptionist.

She smiles warmly. "I thought you might need some help with Doctor Cullen. I've never seen him drink before."

"Thanks," I sigh quietly.

"You were very good with him," The receptionist comments.

I shrug. "I guess I've always been able to calm people down. I have to go now, sorry."

"Okay. Bye Bella," She says before I walk out the hospital towards Charlie's cruiser. They are waiting for me with Carlisle sitting in the front.

"Hey dad," I say, sliding into the back.

"Hey Bells," Charlie smiles as he drives away from the hospital. "I'm just going to take Doctor Cullen home first. That okay?"

"Sure," I smile, and then I notice Carlisle is asleep, and that my phone is still recording in my pocket.

Maybe its because nothing can shock me at this point, but somehow I'm not surprised as Charlie begins driving up the long dirt road just outside of town.

When we get to the house, Charlie and I help Carlisle into the house. Half asleep, Carlisle slumps onto one of the cream sofas with tears leaking from his eyes. "You're going to be okay," I whisper, before kissing his cheek and straightening up.

As I look up I see a drastic difference in the house. There are no glass walls, making the house seem dark and empty. Alice's computers are no longer here, and my old classic books are gone from the windowsill. There are no game consoles or games on the floor, no flat screen TV, just a small TV on a stand. The coffee table holds a few coasters, and an empty mug, not the endless stack of gardening, gaming and fashion magazines I have grown so accustomed to.

The biggest difference to me is the absence of Edward's piano. The place where it used to be is now a pointless raised section in the floor. The cream walls, which once held the everlasting warmth of home, now only hold the cold, continuous torture of loneliness.

Upon further inspection I see that not one painting is hanging on the wall. The paintings that once hung in this room were painted by us. Jasper and Rosalie, mostly, but we all had something there.

My painting was one that I think failed dramtically, but everyone else said they thought it was flawless. It was a plain black canvas with a symbol for each family member on it. For me was a lamb, for Edward a lion, for Emmett a bear, for Rosalie a rose, for Alice a crystal ball, for Jasper the peace sign, for Ness the prettiest white flower, for Jacob a puppy, but at the very top of the picture had been two hearts to represent Carlisle and Esme. Coming from the hearts were chains, linking every symbol together as a family.

"The house is cold and empty, and the walls are bare of the paintings that once covered them," I whisper to the camera, knowing that if my family ever watch this as vampires they will hear.

"Come on, Bells. He'll be fine," Charlie smiles, and after taking a quick last glance at my once immortal father, I walk out the front door for what will probably be the last time.

The problem is, I don't think Carlisle will be okay. I don't think any former Cullen/Hale will be okay following the death of our immortal mother, even if the rest of us don't know why.

I don't think any of us will be okay, especially not me.