Unforgivable Lacerations

Chapter Thirty-Four

Rosalie's P.O.V

"What are these?" Edward mumbled as he searched Bella for any additional injuries before we turned her over. Like everyone else in the room, I looked up to see what Edward was talking about. My eyes scanned the skin he was pointing at; around a black bruise was a large, blood red pin-prick hole, slightly risen from the surrounding skin. Before I could speak, Carlisle commented on the mark- which was significantly smaller in danger than what we had been dealing with prior Edward's discovery. 

"It looks like injection marks... They're unprofessional, messy, and in addition, Bella would be unable to inject her arms that high," Carlisle answered with his eyebrows in a frown of confusion. "Evidently there is much we are unaware of, therefore, we'll have to just be patient for when she wakes."

If she wakes up.

Edward once again ignored me or was too focused on Bella to take action against my thoughts. "Can someone set a murphy drip for a fluid replacement? I'm finished with her ankle, I merely have to cast it. Her sprained wrist will have to be strapped up as well. What about her ribs?" Carlisle questioned. Esme went to get the murphy drip, Edward used his vampire speed to retrieve more casting and a strap for her wrist while I looked at her ribs. They were hidden under a cover of swelling and more inked bruising. However, from Bella's obvious starvation, the bones jutted out of her like steep valleys, making it easier than the average human to find the bones. Lightly, I ran my index finger over the bruising to see if I could feel any brakes. I, unfortunately, couldn't.

"I don't know about her ribs, she'll need an x-ray," I said to Carlisle.

"I'll organize the x-ray generator for a complete body scan," Carlisle murmured while Esme silently assembled another drip.

"I'll fetch the x-ray generator, where is it?" Esme spoke after the drip was in place. Carlisle thought for a second, never relaxing his unfurrowed eyebrows. 

"It should be in the attic if not, then the basement. I believe it was one of the boys who unpacked it, " he responded. Esme flashed out of the room only leaving the three of us, Carlisle, Edward and me.

"She's glued up on the front, the bite is uninfected and her wrist is strapped," Edward basically whispered, his voice not relaying any dreadful emotion I knew he was enduring. He was just there, my brother, autopilot, as his mind was a carousel spinning, spinning, out of control. 

"Excellent," Carlisle replied, his tone contradicting his statement. "I'm nearly completed with this and then we'll construct the x-ray, I think I'm going to do an internal organ check also." Skillfully, with years of practice, Carlisle used his vampire speed to create a secure cast, not looking up from his task whilst talking. "You see, the blood was from her lungs but I want to certify there is no other possible damage."

*_*_*_*_*

At last, after waiting in a tense silence while the machines scanned her, making the only noise audible in the house, the results informed that six ribs were broken, two of which were old breaks. Apparently, those two bones had been in that state for a minimum of three weeks, the maximum, months. It was just more evidence that Bella had been in serious trouble before I found her. 

After, Carlisle strapped her ribs tightly and turned her over, very carefully, onto her front, for us to see her back. It only revealed more infected swipes, deep and aging, cuts that expanded inhumanely- evidently made from a weapon, not a claw- and swelling. Her back was exploded with blues, purples, blacks, and reds, while her pale skin peeked out underneath in only the form of a tender pink. 

This destructed Edward, his hands continued to tremble and his jaw was firmly locked, sealing away the sheer agony he was experiencing. He didn't look up from her, he didn't touch her, he didn't breathe. The only sign of movement was the twitch in his bicep that was from his clenched fist and the enraged blackness in his eyes that grew like repugnant cells in the human body.