Pinned but Fluttering

Chapter 15

Okay, here's Chapter 15...with lots more Carlisle!! Enjoy!!!

Chapter 15

I must have fallen asleep...or something. I wasn't sure how long I'd been out. When I finally pried my eyes open, blinking a few times to clear my fuzzy vision, I saw a woman, apparently a nurse, reaching up beside my bed, fiddling with a bag of clear fluid hanging on a metal hook-thing above my head. My eyes followed the slender tube twisting its way down from the bag to an IV inserted into the top of my hand.

I sighed in frustration. Great. An IV. I despised needles. I must have really been out of it to not notice an IV being placed in my hand. And I knew from experience that the top of the hand was the most painful place to stick one of those stupid things. The crook of my elbows must not have worked right; I also knew from experience that I had “tough veins,” and nurses quite often had to call in a doctor to finally place my IV's.

I groaned, closing my eyes for a moment, vainly attempting to wish away the dreaded reality of the damn IV. I desperately wanted to curse the psychotic monster who had dreamed up the ridiculous idea of IV's in the first place....

“Ah, you're conscious,” said the nurse cheerily. I opened my eyes to see her annoyingly-smiling face. She patted my arm soothingly, then said, still smiling, “I'll let Dr. Cullen know” and bustled away. Stupid cheerful IV torturer, I thought malevolently. Wasn't there a law against torture in the Geneva Convention? I have rights, after all....

I let my eyes wander the room, noting that only one other bed was occupied out of the six beds in this part of the emergency room. In that bed an ancient man lay perfectly still, his mouth wide open as if he were dead or something. He didn't seem to be breathing much.

Thinking about breathing, I reached toward my face and found the oxygen tube still taped under my nose. Ugh again.

I glanced at the windows, and they were dark. Wow, how late was it? How long had I been asleep or unconscious or whatever?

It struck me as odd that Mrs. Jane was nowhere to be found. But, on the other hand, I hoped that she had gone home after spending so much time with me yesterday and today. She really needed to be home with her family, after all; they needed her since she had younger kids. Mrs. Jane certainly didn't need to spend so much time with me, especially when I seemed to be asking for more trouble with wanting to return to the Blacks' house rather that getting away while I could.

Closing my eyes again, I saw Jacob's face in my mind...the face of MY Jacob. MY Jacob with the laughing eyes...MY Jacob with the light heart despite the many troubles in our household. MY Jacob who sneaked me food and books, who occasionally even stood up to Billy on my behalf.

I desperately missed MY Jacob.

I aimlessly wondered if anyone had told Billy and Jacob that I was in the E.R. since it was after dark now. Not that they would give a rat's ass most likely, but I also didn't want to end up in more trouble than completely necessary. Sighing, I looked out the dark window, seeing my own reflection clearly despite the blackness outside.

I could see that my face was still abnormally pale (even for me, the “pale pale-face” as Jake used to call me when we were kids), the clear, itchy tape holding an oxygen tube in place under my nose, short tubes inserted in each nostril. Ugh. So annoying.

Then I noticed the bruises on my chin and jaw...the bruises Billy had made the other morning and which I had covered carefully with foundation this morning before school. Great. I'm sure that Dr. Cullen would have additional questions for me as soon as he returned.