Chapter Text
I twirl the hospital bracelet around my wrist. I'm too scared to look down at it, I don't even know if it has the right name or what it could even say. I haven't seen Dr. Cullen or Edward in over an hour, instead an man named Dr. Grady came in telling me he's over taking my care. After being touched, prodded, x-rayed, and forced through an MRI, I'm back inside the room I started in, alone. So far I've thought of every attempt to escape, but I doubt any of them would be successful. The last time I opened the door a nurse showed up asking if I needed anything. I'm sure they've all been told to watch me. I take a breath and contemplate just running as fast as I can threw the emergency department of Forks General Hospital. I'm seriously considering this when the door opens and Edward scoots in quickly and silently, closing the door behind him softly.
“You lied.” He states, I squint my eyes up at him,
“I'm sorry?”
“About being attacked,” he clarifies, “you lied to Carlisle and then you yelled at me not to tell him. You lied.” I purse my lips and look away,
“Technically I thought it.” When I look back, Edwards face is not amused. I release a large breath wincing at the pain in my chest. “She's my mom, she didn't mean it.”
“She didn't mean to strangle and beat yo-”
“Shhhh” I hiss looking around, “She was drunk, she would never do this if she was sober.” After a moment of silence, Edward speaks.
“That's what you believe?” Yes, no, I don't know. I nod anyway. Edward shakes his head, “You don't believe that, but she's taught you to believe it.” I look up and shrug,
“I don't know what you want from me,”
“I want you to tell me this isn't the first time she's done it, just the first time she's gone this far.” I feel hot tears well up in my eyes and blink them away,
“How do I get home?” I change the subject, we both stare at each other for a long second with nothing but the sound of the light buzzing above us. I open my mouth when the door opens again. Dr. Cullen takes a quick look at Edward before turning his attention to me, a manilla folder in his hand. He opens it flipping through a few pages,
“How are you feeling Mare?” Dr. Cullen asks,
“I'm fine.” I sigh,
“Now, I know Dr. Grady went over this with you already, but I would like for you and I to go over it once more, just so that I know you understand completely.” I nod, “Alright I want to re-ask you some of the questions, starting with, do you have a headache or blurred vision?” I've answered all these before, I lied on most of them, but that was when I believed they weren't going to hold me hostage here,
“No,” That one was true,
“Any nausea?” Yes,
“No.”
“Yes,” Edward answers behind me, damnit mindreader!!!!!
“How long?” Dr. Cullen asks disapprovingly.
“It's only when I move my head,” I confess. Dr. Cullen shuts the folder and holds out his hands,
“May I?” I swallow and nod. My back stiffens when I feel his fingers push into the tender skin at the back of my head, “Little soar?”
“A little bit.” His fingers move, one hand grabs my chin to lift my head up, another pushing my bangs back to look at the swollen and still forming bruise there. Dr. Grady spent a lot of time in this territory, asking simple questions, looking into my eyes, checking hearing in both ears, forcing me into an MRI machine to lie still for 20 minutes.
“You have a mild concussion Mare, but mild doesn't mean it's any less serious. Your brain took a beating and requires rest and time to properly heal.” I know the spiel, but I answer anyway,
“Okay,” his hands move down to my neck, still swollen and darkening with time,
“The trachea nor any of your vocal cords were damaged, but theirs a good amount of swelling, so expect some soreness and a sore throat, possible loss of voice, but the good news is the x-rays on you're ribs came back normal, no breaks or bruising.” They should be normal, she only kicked me once, I think of this forgetting the mindreader in the room and again I project my next thought loud and clear, damnit mindreader!!! Dr, Cullen pulls away and grabs the folder again, opening it and flipping to the last page,
“In the meantime Dr. Grady prescribed anti inflammatories and pain medicati-”
“How will I get back home.” Dr. Cullen looks up from his paperwork and then carefully sets it aside, “I don't know how I got here, so I don't know how to get home.”
“Do you remember what happened before you got here?” I look away and think hard,
“I was sitting on the sidewalk talking on the phone.....I think.......I think their might have been lights...bright ones.....Am I dead back home?”
“Or injured, to be honest this is a situation I have no knowledge about. I was completely unaware that something like this could happen.” A large lump grows in the back of my throat, the pain almost seems to swell and I try to swallow but wince feeling the tears fill my eyes again,
“So what do I do?” I try swallowing again, “Where do I go?” Dr. Cullen reaches into his breast pocket pulling out a cloth and holds it out to me. I stare at it and after a second he reaches down and wipes away the stray tears on my cheeks before pushing it into my hand,
“What to do? We'll figure it out, in the meantime you'll come to our home.” This catches my attention,
“Your home, why?” Dr. Cullen crosses his arms and leans back
“A few reasons-”
“The main one being you know about the V word” Edward cuts in.
“Yes,” Dr. Cullen sighs, “That being a very important reason, but there is also the matter that you've seemed to have completely jump worlds and currently have no place to live here.”
“I can't go live with you.” Dr. Cullen looks amused,
“Oh?” He questions. Theirs one thing they're both forgetting and I look between both of them before whispering,
“Vampires.......blood.”
“Actually-”
“Your blood doesn't smell.” Edward cuts in, again Dr. Cullen sighs,
“What?” I don't know anything about vampires, but their diet is blood. Don't they go crazy for it no matter what?
“It is in fact true that it's our primary diet, but everyone and everything with blood flowing through their veins has a scent. Some more influential than others, but you have no scent at all.” Dr. Cullen explains. My blood has no scent, but how would he know........Margaret,
“Exactly.” Edward confirms, I look back to Dr. Cullen,
“Is it because this isn't my world....like I don't belong here, that's why my blood doesn't smell?”
“It could be, honestly I've never come across another human that didn't smell at all, which is why I think it would be acceptable to take you into my home.” I furrow my brows,
“I can't really go home with you, technically I'm in trouble with the law.” Dr. Cullen reaches for the folder again,
“Thats already taken care of, anything else you can think of?”
“Um yes, the hospital's not going to just let me leave with you, technically I'm a minor and a ward of the state without parents or guardians.” I point out. Edward looks impressed with my statement, Dr. Cullen looks sad at it.
“Have you looked at your bracelet?” I give him a look and then look down, flipping the side with text towards me. My eyes widen involuntarily,
Marceline Cullen
I look back up,
“Why and how?”
“Why? It was the only way to get you into my care and how?” He pauses and looks to Edward, “Apparently someone saw you coming and had all the necessary documents drawn up and placed in the system. You're believed to be my niece, your parents died last year before we even got to Forks and you were sent to live with an aunt on your mothers side, however you took off in the night and ended up here, hence why I could not treat you and had Dr. Grady take over your care. My wife and I have always kept a foster license so bringing you into our home will not be a problem however you will still need to talk to a social worker and since an aunt on your mothers side doesn't exist-”
“If I'm to go home with you I will have to convince the social worker I want to do so.” Dr. Cullen nods,
“Exactly.” This is all I have, I have no where else to go, Edward stiffens and crosses his arms, looking down to me, he opens his mouth,
“Exactly.”