Chapter 19
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Chapter Songs:
“Live Like We’re Dying” Kris Allen
“Seasons of Love” Rent Soundtrack
“Iris” Goo Goo Dolls
“Chasing Cars” Snow Patrol
BPOV
“An accident?” My voice was shaking. My Dad was a cop. If something had happened to him in the line of duty, it wouldn’t be a phone call that I would be receiving. “Is my dad...” I felt my knees start to give out from under me. Edward wrapped his arms around me to keep me from collapsing.
“Miss Swan, we aren’t here about your father. Are you the owner of a Aston Martin DBS Volante convertible?” The officer asked me.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Jake, Emily are they...” I couldn’t finish. While I wanted to know I couldn’t find the words to ask if my best friends were dead or alive. Thankfully, Edward had the strength that I didn’t.
“Her friends, how are they? What happened?” Edward’s voice was filled with the worry that I felt.
“Your friends were headed towards Norman on Sooner Road when a drunk driver collided with the vehicle. The fire department used the jaws of life to extricate them. The male, his injuries didn’t appear to be life threatening. The girl looked to be extremely critical. She was taken via helicopter to Oklahoma University Medical Center in Oklahoma City. The male was taken there by ambulance,” The officer said, looking over his paperwork.
I swallowed past the lump that had taken root in my throat and I could feel the tears that were now pouring down my face. The officer sounded so emotionally detached. I wished that I could detach myself from this reality that I was now faced with. “Miss, we need to contact their next of kin. Could you please provide us that information?”
“Um, Edward,” I could barely see him through the stream of tears. “My cell phone, please?” He let me go and I suddenly everything started to go black when I felt his strong arms pick me up and gather me close to his chest.
“Bella, B, Baby, I’m here. I’m not leaving your side no matter what.” I felt his lips graze my forehead as I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck with my faced tucked into his neck. He took me to the sofa and grabbed my cell phone off the coffee table. “Baby, whose numbers do I need to look for?”
“For Jacob, Billy Black. For Emily, Paul Young,” I said, as Edward quickly wrote the numbers down and handed them to the officer. “Officer, my friends, their parents live in Washington State. Someone needs to be there for them. They shouldn’t be alone right now.” I started sobbing uncontrollably. I never wanted to let Edward go, as I cried onto his shirt.
“Miss, if you would like, my partner and I can give you a ride to the hospital so you can be with your friends,” said the officer.
Before I could even respond, my gentleman, my other best friend, Edward, answered for me. “Thank you for the offer, sir. I would like to drive her there myself if it is OK with you.”
“That’s fine, son. I will make sure to leave word at the front desk, that they are to give you updates on their conditions since their families are so far away,” the police officer said, as he turned to leave.
“Thank you so much, Sir.” Edward reached out and shook his hand. He followed the officer to the door then came to sit with me on the couch. “Bella, we need to get going. Your friends need you right now.”
He pulled me tightly to his chest hugging me fiercely. His hands were moving in circles on my back trying to comfort me as I returned his hug. I needed some strength right now and Edward was doing his best to help me find it. He unwrapped my arms from around his neck, grabbed my cell and put it in my purse.
“Bella, which is your room? We need to get you some shoes so we can leave?” Edward was saying, as he stood in the hallway.
“First, door on the left.” I wiped at the tears in my eyes. Edward returned quickly with a pair of tennis shoes and an OU hoodie. He put the shoes on my feet and then clasped my hands in his as he helped me up. Then he slipped my arms through the hoodie and zipped it up.
I looked up at him with a questioning gaze. “It gets cold in hospitals. I don’t want you to catch a chill.” He picked up my purse and reached his hand to take mine. It wasn’t enough just to hold his hand, so I linked my fingers through his. Even with all the wrong that had happened tonight, that one gesture felt oh-so-right.
EPOV
Bella’s quiet sobs on the drive to the hospital tore fiercely at my heart. I drove with my left hand while the fingers of her left hand were almost melded between the fingers of my right hand. I used this small physical connection that I had with her to give her all of my strength and support that she needed.
When we entered the emergency room, I noticed the officer who had been at Bella’s, standing at the receptionist’s area. “Miss Swan, I was able to contact both of your friend’s parents. They unfortunately won’t be able to make it until some time tomorrow afternoon. I also spoke with the nurses in charge of both of your friends and they know to update you on their conditions.”
“Thank you so much for your help, officer.” I could tell from the tone of her voice that she was barely hanging on by a thread. I squeezed her hand gently and she smiled a weak smile but the squeeze she gave my hand back told me how much she appreciated me being with her.
“If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me. My name is officer Giovanni Raines.” He handed his business card towards Bella, and when she made no move to grab it, I took it.
“We will. Thanks again. Who do we need to talk to for information on her friends?” I said.
“They are waiting for you at the nurses’ station,” the officer pointed us in the right direction. I felt Bella begin to tremble with fear, as we went to get an update on Jake and Emily, so I wrapped my arm around her and guided her.
It was like the nurses were waiting for us. The looks in their eyes made me extremely nervous. I wasn’t sure how Bella would handle it if one or both of her best friends had died.
“Um, my name is Bella Swan. I was wondering if you could give me an update on my friends, Jacob Black and Emily Young?” Bella was hanging on by a thread and I was afraid that she was going to snap at any moment.
“Yes, Miss Swan. I’m Nurse Hayes. I just paged the doctors in charge of your friends’ cases and they said for me to take you to the surgical waiting room. This way please.”
We followed the nurse to the elevators and went to the third floor. When we were guided to a private room, my fears for Bella’s friends escalated. With my dad being a doctor, I knew that these private waiting rooms should really be called rooms of dread.
“The doctors should be here any moment,” Nurse Hayes said, as she shut the door and left Bella and I alone.
“Edward, I don’t know what I’ll do if...” I hugged her as tightly as I could and rubbed her back.
“Bella, we don’t know anything yet. You’ve got to think positive thoughts. Your friends are young and in excellent health. They are fighters from everything that you’ve told me about them.”
I could vaguely remember a time when Jacob Black wasn’t much of a fighter. He had changed a lot from the time in middle school, when he basically just stood there and took the beating that I gave him. I cringed at the thought of the stupid worthless fuck that I was. I was nothing but a piece of shit bully, who did whatever he wanted to do to get his way. Even if that meant beating up a scrawny little kid for looking at the new girl at school, with a big smile. I had seen the pictures of Jake and Bella together. He definitely wasn’t a weakling anymore.
Before Bella could respond two doctors who didn’t look much older than Doogie Howser walked in.
“You’re here for Jacob Black and Emily Young?” The doctor asked us.
“Yes, I am,” Bella answered. She pulled me tighter to her side.
“I’m Dr. Goldberg. I treated Mr. Black. He was extremely lucky. He has some cuts and bruises on his arms and face as well as a broken arm. He has a slight concussion as well, so we are going to keep him overnight for observation.”
“He’s going to be OK?” Bella asked timidly.
“Yes, he should be perfectly fine. We did have to sedate him, because he became uncontrollable when we wouldn’t let him be with his girlfriend. Do you have any other questions about Mr. Black?” the doctor asked.
“No, Dr. Goldberg. Thank you so much for taking care of him,” Bella said.
“You’re more than welcome. I will leave you with Dr. Sandler now to tell you about your other friend,” Dr. Goldberg said as he turned and left.
As soon as the door shut behind Dr. Goldberg, Dr. Sandler came and sat across from Bella. Fuck! It is never, ever good when a doctor takes the time to sit down and talk to a patient’s family.
“I worked on your friend Miss Young in the ER. Upon arrival the EMT’s said that they had to revive her in the helicopter twice on the way to the hospital because her heart had stopped,” Dr. Sandler told us.
Bella gasped for air and the tears began pouring out. My heart was breaking for her and there was nothing I could do but be here for her. I wanted to cocoon her and shield her from any and every bit of pain that life threw at her. “Is she...dead?” Bella asked.
“Her injuries are quite extensive. It appears that after the car that struck Mr. Black and Miss Young’s vehicle at such an angle, their car was sent into a spin. Most of the impact was on the front passenger side of the car where we were told that Miss Young was seated. There are a team of the best surgeons in the country working on her as we speak. Her right leg was crushed and one of our orthopedic specialists is working on it. Miss Young lost a great deal of blood from internal injuries, as well. She suffered trauma to her chest and had fluid around her heart that we believe came from a small tear that the impact likely caused. She also has some bleeding and swelling in her brain. I have to be brutally honest with you. Your friend is in the worst possible shape imaginable. If she makes it through surgery, the next 24 hours are critical,” the doctor said, looking over Emily’s chart.
“How long will she be in surgery?” I asked the doctor. I knew that at this point Bella’s thought processes had checked out. She was crumbling before my eyes.
“It could last from four hours up to twelve. It depends on the amount of damage that they find and repair. They may also have to wait until she is more stable to do all the needed repairs,” he said.
“What are her chances?” I asked. Unfortunately, I knew the answer when he looked me directly in the eyes.
“If she survives surgery, it will be a miracle. I am so sorry. I wish I had better news to give you.” He got up and squeezed Bella on the shoulder. “I do believe greatly in the power of prayer. Your friend needs as much support as she can get right now. One of her doctors will be out to give you an update as soon as possible,” the doctor said with a somber look on his face.
“When can I see my friend, Jake?” Bella asked with a despondent look on her face.
“He will likely be out for another hour or two. I will talk to Dr. Goldberg and have Mr. Black’s nurse contact you when he wakes up.” Dr. Sandler nodded to me and walked down the hall.
Bella nodded and threw herself around me. I gathered her up and put her in my lap. Her whole body shuddered from her heart-wrenching cries. I felt my heart constrict in my chest from Bella’s suffering, and soon the tears began to fall from my eyes.
“I can’t...” She gulped out between her sobs, “lose...her...I...need...her!”
“I know, Baby. I know.” I kissed the top of her head and rocked her back and forth. “The doctor was right. Let’s say a prayer for Emily.” She glanced up at me with her swollen eyes and red face. She seemed surprised at my suggestion.
“Bella, when I am stressed or overwhelmed and afraid that my old craving could take over my body, I pray. I pray even when I am not worried about anything. It is soothing and really does provide a true sense of peace and serenity.”
“Do you believe in God, Edward?” Bella asked looking up at me with anguish in her eyes.
“How could I not? The world is such an incredible place, like our meadow at Griffin Park. Look at all the incredible people who we have in our lives.” I looked at the most breath-takenly beautiful woman God ever created who was wrapped in my arms. Only God would have given me the chance to prove myself to her, to give me the opportunity to earn a second chance with her. “God works in mysterious and wonderful ways. I believe that he hears us and when it is in his power that he answers our prayers.”
“Edward, she’s in such bad shape,” Bella said with tears falling freely. I could feel every bit of despair that was engulfing every fiber of her being.
“All the more reason to ask God to give her the strength that she needs to fight, to fight to live for Jake, for you.” I placed my forefinger gently under her chin and she gave a small nod. “Would you like me to say the prayer, B?”
“Yes, please,” she sniffled.
“Beloved heavenly father...”
BPOV
“Amen.” Edward and I said in unison.
“Thank you so much, Edward. That prayer was absolutely beautiful. Do you really think that God heard us?”
“I honestly do, Bella.”
I curled myself even further into his lap. I had no idea how I could have made it through tonight without Edward. He had been my rock. I knew that there was no way that I could have faced all of this alone.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when there was a knock at the door.
“Miss Swan, I just received a call from your friend’s nurse. Mr. Black is awake,” the receptionist from the surgical waiting room said. I could feel the relief pulsing through my body. I needed to be with Jake as much as he needed to be with me. “He’s in room 605.”
“Will you tell Emily Young’s doctors where we are, if they come while we are gone?”
“Yes, sweetie. I will let them know. Someone will find you to give you an update if you aren’t here,” the receptionist smiled.
Edward and I got up. “Are you ready?” He asked me.
“I’ve never been more ready.” We wound our fingers together as we made our way to Jake’s floor. I stopped us before we entered Jake’s room. I turned to look at Edward. “What should I tell Jake about Emily?” I didn’t want to be the one to give him the news about how bad she was. I knew that any pain that Emily was experiencing would kill Jake. “The whole truth...It just doesn’t seems like he needs to know everything right now.”
“You’re probably right. Just don’t lie to him, Bella. If things don’t go...just tell him that she’s in surgery and you should be hearing how she is doing soon,” Edward said.
I took a deep breath to try to calm myself. I wiped at my face. “Do I look OK? Will he be able to tell how upset I’ve been?”
“Bella, you’re beautiful.” Edward’s words warmed my heart. “Anyone would be upset that their friends were hurt.” He was right. I could do this. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“Can you give me a few minutes alone with him?”
“Anything, Bella.” He kissed me on the forehead and I opened the door.
Jake hadn’t noticed me yet and it broke my heart to see him in such bad shape. It wasn’t his physical shape that was tearing me in two. I could feel the hurt and anguish that was radiating from his every pore. His other half was hurt. He didn’t know how badly, but I could tell that he still knew.
“Hey, Jake.” I walked over and sat down on the side of the bed by his unbroken arm. I grabbed a hold of his hand with both of mine. “How are you feeling?” I moved one hand and pushed his hair out of his eyes.
“I feel like I’ve been in a wreck, Bells.” He tried to rub at his head with his injured arm. “Fuck this hurts!”
“What can I do for you?”
“I’m so sorry,” He started to cry. My big, strong, teddy bear. My Jake was crumbling before me. “Emily, they wouldn’t let me stay with her. There were so many doctors working on her. I tried...The other car was there before I knew what was happening...” His cries intensified and I felt my tears begin to flow again. “Please tell me she is going to be OK?”
Everyone knows I am the world’s worst liar. Jake picked the one question that I had hoped he wouldn’t ask me.
“Jake,” I squeezed his hand tightly. “She’s in surgery. They are working on her. So many of the best doctors in the country are doing everything in their power to help her...”
“It’s my fault. She’s fighting for her life because of me!” Jake shouted. I wrapped my arms around him as best as I could and tried to help take his pain away like Edward had done with me.
“It is not your fault. Don’t ever think that you are to blame for what happened. If you want to blame it on anyone, blame it on the fucking moron who got behind the wheel of the car they were driving when they were drunk. This. Is. Not. Your. Fault.” I knew that I had to be firm in my words. Jacob loved Emily with everything that he was. I knew what was going through his mind. He was wishing that he was the one on the operating table. He would do anything to make things better for Emily. He would give his life for her.
“Bella, is everything OK?” I heard Edward’s musical voice, at the same time that I felt Jake tense up.
“What is he doing here, Bella?” He looked at me with ferocious eyes. “What the fuck do you think you are doing here with her, Cullen? Get the hell out of here!”
“Jake, he’s with me. He was with me when I found out what happened and hasn’t left my side. I want him here with me.”
Jake grabbed my arm as tightly as he could with his good hand. His grip was so tight it felt like the circulation was being cut off. “Did he not hurt you enough last time you were together? Do you want him to end you? He’s violent, Bella. He won’t stop until you’re dead!” Jake growled at me. He kept squeezing tighter and tighter, and I yelped and Edward stormed closer to us.
“Take your hands off her. You’re hurting her!” Edward’s voice was laced with fury. Jacob looked at the fear in my eyes that he had caused, not Edward.
“Bella, what the hell are you thinking? Is he...” I actually heard the click as Jake put two and two together. “He’s the guy you’ve been seeing here, isn’t he?”
“Yes,” I whispered as I rubbed my arm trying to get the stinging pain to disappear. Edward had taken a protective stance behind me. I could tell he was ready to spring on Jake at any opportunity. I had wanted to find a way to distract Jake about Emily’s plight, but not this way.
“Did you follow her here?” Jacob asked.
“The first time that Bella and I had seen or talked to each other since January, was when I ran into her at the student union here. Neither of us knew where the other was or what they were doing,” Edward assured Jake.
“Sure, Cullen.” Jake rolled his eyes and looked away from us.
“Jake, he has changed. I know you would have a difficult time believing it. I did too, but he isn’t the same person he was.”
“He’s just fucking waiting until you have your guard totally down and then he will start where he left off!” Jacob spat.
“That’s not true. He cares about me. I care about him. He is in my life now.”
“You are so fucking stupid, Bells. I’m not going to sit around and watch him tear you down again. Get the hell out of here and don’t come back. I don’t want to see you again, ever!” Jake said as he turned his head.
I would have collapsed to the floor if Edward hadn’t grabbed me and put me behind him.
“Black, I know you are upset and hurting, but this is not the time to treat Bella this way. She loves you. She loves Emily. It would literally kill her if anything happened to either of you. I am not the one who has caused any type of pain to Bella tonight. Can you say the same thing? All she is trying to do is comfort you and you treat her like, shit.” Edward grumbled and ran his hands through his hair. “What you just did to her... That is exactly something that I would have done to her before.” That remark caused Jacob to cringe and he turned pale. “It’s been a long and painful road for me to get to where I’m at; to change the way that I was. You don’t have a fucking clue and right now is not the time for us to even be talking about me! Your girlfriend, the love of your life, is laying on an operating table and is fighting for her life. Instead of fighting with Bella, you both need to support each other.”
Edward’s words seem to have struck a chord with Jacob. “Jacob, I know you may not be happy with my choices right now, but I need you as much as you need me.” Jake nodded in agreement.
“Jacob, it’s late and I know that no one wants to say anything else they will regret. We will let you rest,” Edward said.
I went up to Jacob and touched the back of his hand. He turned his hand over and clasped mine and squeezed. “He’s right. Rest, Jacob.” I kissed him on the cheek.
“Emily?” Jacob choked out.
“Once we hear something, you will be the next to know.” Edward told him.
As soon as we left Jacob’s room, I sagged against the wall and Edward captured my hand in his. “He didn’t mean any of it, B. He’s scared and needed to lash out at someone.”
“I know. I couldn’t imagine if...” I didn’t finish the thought out loud because it truly startled me. I couldn’t imagine how I would feel if I was in Jacob’s place and it was Edward who was fighting for his life. Edward belonged in my life. He wasn’t just my friend. He was the missing piece that I needed, to be who I was meant to be. Yes, I was Bella without him and my life was good. Hell, my life was incredible without him. But with this new Edward, my life was even better. “Let’s head back to the waiting room. I need to find out how Em is.”
It didn’t take long before a doctor came in to tell us that we had gotten a miracle. Emily had survived the surgery despite the odds. Her next hurdle was to survive the night which the doctors said would also likely require a miracle. I wondered how many miracles God would give my best friend.
We had promised to tell Jake how Emily was, but when we got to the floor, I couldn’t face him. Edward walked in the room. I head Jacob raise his voice then I heard his roar of pain. I sunk to the floor and wrapped my arms around my calves and cried for him, for Emily, for the bad luck that two such incredible people didn’t deserve to have. Edward walked out what felt like an eternity later. He looked like he had shed a few tears himself.
EPOV
I thought that Jacob Black was going to rip me limb from limb, when I entered his room. As soon as I told him I had news he demeanor totally changed. He demanded that I tell him everything that I knew. I simply nodded and told him what he never thought he would hear. If it were Bella, I wasn’t sure that I could survive it. She was everything to me and always would be.
Bella and I didn’t say a word as we headed to the Intensive Care Unit waiting area. A nurse came out and let Bella just peak her head in Emily’s room. When Bella returned, I wished that she hadn’t gone. She was in visible shock. I got a blanket from the nurse’s station and had Bella lay down to attempt to at least rest her eyes, even if she didn’t fall asleep.
She stretched out in the chair and placed her head in my lap. An hour or so had passed, but Bella wasn’t asleep yet, even though she hadn’t moved an inch other than to take a breath. I was rubbing my fingers through her hair. It was a technique that my mom used on me when I was little and couldn’t sleep. It never failed to relax me. I could feel the tension of the last eight hours slowly begin to leave her body. I heard Bella’s soft sigh. Another minute or so and she would be out like a light.
Suddenly an announcement had Bella shooting straight up. “Code Blue ICU 4. Code Blue ICU 4.”
“Emily!” Bella gasped.
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