The Small Print -- Chapter Five
Summary: Charlie lands Edward in jail. Hilarity and community service ensue. However, while on a community service assignment in the lesser known areas around Forks, an encounter with an elderly citizen in need leaves Edward and Bella with a much bigger problem on their hands.
Time Period: Between New Moon and Eclipse.
Rated: Mature for sexual content.
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***
Author’s Note: Back by popular demand. And I might have received a few death threats as well. (Like GOSH, you guys. It’s not like it’s been a YEAR or anything.)
(...oh wait.)
***
The Small Print
Written by Coquette
Chapter Five
Edward was asleep.
It was a sight I’d never expected. Something I’d not thought possible. And now I couldn’t help but stare at the impossible, transfixed by the vulnerable angle of Edward’s throat and the soft curl of his hand as it rested on the pillow beside his face.
It was the first time I’d understood why Edward enjoyed watching me sleep.
His eyes moved behind the paper thin skin of his eyelids, audience to something in his dreams that I hoped was pleasant. Shadows persisted beneath those eyes, but they were brought about by fatigue rather than thirst. The shadows gave way to cheeks lightly peppered with freckles I didn’t recognize - skin every bit as pale as it was when he was a vampire, though stained red at his nose, cheeks, and ears.
Worried that his flushed skin was a sign of fever, I brought my hand to his face to check his temperature. But no - he was only cold, the blood pooling in his face to warm him. Catching hold of the blanket, I pulled it up to his chin and tucked him in, careful not to wake him. I was cold, too, but that mattered little.
Wondering if there was another blanket nearby, I turned to glance around the sparse but clean hospital room. It was a private suite - the finest Forks Community Hospital had to offer. But like all hospital rooms, it lacked the warmth of home, what with the smell of antiseptic and the unforgiving glare from the florescent lights. I hated that Edward had to be in this place.
When my eyes happened to skim past the doorway, I jumped and did a double-take. Carlisle stood there, his clothes wrinkled, his youthful face lined with worry. After staring for so long at Edward’s altered appearance, it was almost startling to see a real vampire again. Carlisle looked haggard, overworked, but a great deal calmer than he’d been several hours ago, when Edward had first arrived at the hospital.
Carlisle had all but gone to pieces, then. Tears stung my eyes every time I thought about it.
“His tests?” I asked. My voice was barely audible over the beeps of the medical equipment, one of which sounded out a heartbeat that, for all intents and purposes, shouldn’t be there.
“All normal,” was Carlisle’s equally quiet reply. He looked very small standing there in the doorway, clipboard held loosely at his side.
“Which ones did you administer?”
“Every applicable test I could think of.” Carlisle didn’t look at me as he spoke. His eyes were only for his son.
I turned to look at Edward as well, wincing at the sight of his right arm, which was cast over his head onto the pillow. He was bruised in places from needles and repeated blood-taking. That was the only reason the rest of his family wasn’t here in the room with him: the blood. The smell of it was thick in the hospital. I was barely holding up, myself.
The rest of the family hadn’t handled the separation well. Alice had wasted many words on them all, trying to reassure them that Edward was going to be fine, but no one seemed to hear her. Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie had pleaded with Carlisle to let them do something, and Carlisle had finally sent them on an errand. So far, no one had disclosed to me what that particular errand was, or why it was so important when Edward was lying in a hospital bed. Even Alice had tagged along with them, though I could tell she saw no point in it.
She’d kissed me on the cheek before she left. “The smell of this place is starting to get to me,” she said apologetically. “It’s just too potent in areas, and it wouldn’t be polite to eat the next person who walks in here in need of stitches. Don’t worry, Bella. They’ll decide later to bring Edward home tonight, and we can all be together without having to deal with this place.”
Esme couldn’t be convinced to leave. She had tried to be strong, but every now and then, she’d been forced outside or to a different wing of the hospital. I expected her to return at any minute, regardless of the smell that lingered in the room from Edward’s last blood-test (which admittedly, had made my own stomach churn). Just as desperate as her children to do something, Esme had given herself the mundane task of finding some chap-stick for Edward in the hospital gift-shop.
Chap-stick.
Edward had chapped lips.
I put a hand over my face, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.
“Has he woken at all since I was last here?” asked Carlisle.
Edward wasn’t unconscious - only asleep - and he’d had his waking moments.
“He stirs every now and then,” I replied. “Once, he opened his eyes, and he said something to me that I couldn’t make out. But then he fell back asleep before I could ask him what he needed. He just can’t seem to keep his eyes open, Carlisle.”
“Then it’s probably best to allow him to sleep.” Carlisle leaned heavily against the door jamb and sighed. “Or at least, we can only hope it is. He hasn’t given us much choice in the matter. Bella, please. If there’s anything else you can tell me about what happened...”
I shook my head and tugged at the loose threads of the hospital blanket. “I wish I could. I don’t know what happened, Carlisle. Or why, or how.” I clenched my teeth. “But I think I know who. That man ... Larry Waxman. I know he had something to do with it.”
Carlisle’s gaze darkened. “After what you and the boys told me, I’m inclined to agree. I’m anxious to speak with him. I feel as though I should have gone with them to retrieve this Waxman character, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave Edward here with the other doctors on staff. They can’t understand his particular circumstances. They might even try to send him home.”
Oh, I realized. So that was where Alice and the others had gone. Off to see “the wizard.”
Poor Larry Waxman.
He had seemed so nice. Strange, yes, but I’d thought him harmless. Still, I had the nagging suspicion that he had been the one to do this to Edward. I didn’t care how nice Larry was. If he had hurt Edward in any way, he was going to have six angry vampires and me to deal with.
“What will they do when they find him?” I asked, not certain I wanted to know.
“I imagine they’ll bring him back to the house,” said Carlisle. “We’ll need to know what he did - if it’s permanent, or if it’s harmful in anyway.”
Permanent.
That was going to take some getting used to.
From the bed, Edward snored once, and his cheeks puffed out as he exhaled.
My face crumpled with emotion. “Oh, God,” I said, fanning myself to stop myself from crying. “He snored. That’s just so sweet.”
Carlisle approached the bed, smiling sadly. “The last time I saw him sleep, it was like this. In a hospital bed. Though that time, he was at death’s door. I certainly can’t find anything wrong with him now. Except for maybe a cavity or two.”
“You checked him for cavities?”
“I checked him for everything, Bella. That’s my son lying there.”
My eyes flitted to the doorway, and I caught sight of Esme’s wispy silhouette approaching. Offering me a troubled smile, she slipped her arms around Carlisle’s waist and kissed him on the cheek. I looked elsewhere to give them a moment of privacy. They looked like they needed it.
A moment later, Esme leaned over Edward's sleeping form and uncapped a fresh tube of chap-stick. She cupped his cheek like she was handling the thinnest glass imaginable and carefully applied the chap-stick to his lips.
“There now,” she cooed, smoothing his hair away from his eyes. “That should feel better.”
Edward stirred and rubbed his lips together, spreading the chap-stick around. Appearing pleased, he smiled in his sleep and leaned his face to rest in his mother’s open hand.
Esme and I simultaneously melted to pieces.
“Oh, God!” I wailed again, wringing my hands. “He's smiling in his sleep.”
“Oh, my poor baby," Esme gasped. "Carlisle, I want my son home now.”
Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dearest, you know I want nothing more than that, but there are several additional tests that could...”
“No,” said Esme, gently but firmly. “He’s been through enough. Edward needs his family right now, and we can’t be here for him in this place. Please, Carlisle. You’ve said yourself that there’s nothing wrong with him. You’ve done everything you can for him. No one could have done more. Now let’s bring him home.”
Carlisle sighed until his shoulders slumped, but he nodded his consent. “I’ll start the paperwork for his release. I apologize for keeping him so long. I just wish I knew what happened.”
“We might have our answer to that soon,” said Esme. “I spoke with Alice on the phone a few minutes ago. They found Waxman.”
A quiet growl emanated from Carlisle’s chest.
My eyes widened in surprise. Poor Larry Waxman, indeed.
“Easy, love,” said Esme. “We don’t know for certain if he had anything to do with it. Try to keep that in mind. Let’s just take one thing at a time - and the first step is getting Edward home.”
“Um, Esme? Carlisle?” I asked timidly. “Would it be all right if I came to the house, too?”
The two of them exchanged a glance.
“Do you think there’s a chance Waxman could harm Bella?” asked Carlisle.
“No more than any of us,” said Esme, looking pointedly at Edward. “I’m sure the children have secured him. And you know Bella would be a comfort to Edward. Let her come, Carlisle.”
“He was nice to me earlier,” I interjected. “Larry, I mean. I think he liked me. Maybe I could get him to talk. Tell us what he did.”
“It’s your choice, Bella,” said Carlisle. “I seem to have little say with all these opinionated women around me. Not that I mind.”
Esme shot me a wink.
“I still have to ask Charlie, though,” I said, suddenly discouraged. “I don’t know what I’m going to tell him. He thinks Edward overdosed on something. What do I say?”
“The official story is that Edward had a violent allergic reaction,” said Carlisle. “Anaphylaxis. I’ll speak to your father immediately to set the record straight. I need to thank him, regardless. We all owe Chief Swan a great deal of gratitude.”
Esme nodded. “That we do. And then you’ll start the paperwork for Edward’s release?”
“As soon as I’m able.” Carlisle gave Esme a kiss on the forehead and excused himself, leaving us alone.
Esme and I fell silent for a long while, both of us content to watch the slow rise and fall of Edward's chest as he slept.
“What do you think he’s dreaming about?” I asked.
“Nothing, I hope,” Esme mused. “He deserves a little peace right now. His poor mind is always so burdened, so crowded with unwelcome thoughts, constantly having to hold barriers up against everyone. No, I hope his sleep is deep and peaceful - and absolutely, one-hundred percent quiet.”
***
I found Charlie in the waiting room, a forgotten cup of coffee cooling in his hand. He was alone, Carlisle already having come and gone. An old black and white television flickered in the background, but judging from the vacant expression on Charlie’s face, I doubt he even knew it was on.
I couldn’t help but notice how noble he looked, sitting there in his police uniform. And he was noble. Unquestionably so. After all, he’d been the one who’d beaten a pulse back into Edward’s chest while I’d just stood there, unable to move.
I’d been relatively strong since arriving at the hospital, but the sight of my father ultimately proved to be my undoing.
The first wave of emotion hit me hard, and my throat closed up on me. I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth, but it didn’t help. A sob erupted from my chest regardless of my efforts to hold it back.
Charlie looked up, alarmed, and he was on his feet before the second sob hit me. “Oh, sweetheart. Come here.”
Charlie and I had never been the hugging type - but on the rare occasions when I really needed it, his hugs were always the fiercest and the tightest. He folded me up in his arms, and let me cry myself out on his chest.
“Dr. Cullen said the boy would be fine, but that gave you quite a scare, didn’t it?” said Charlie.
I nodded miserably. “Thank you, Dad. I was just frozen. If you hadn’t been there...”
Charlie shrugged off the gratitude. “Well, I couldn’t just let him croak right there on the floor, could I? I’d have to sell the house.”
He’d meant it as a joke - or perhaps something to help shock me out of crying - and it worked. I pulled away from his chest, trying not to smile, and lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Not funny. And I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to go all to pieces on you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Scared me a little, too,” Charlie admitted begrudgingly. “Dr. Cullen said something about an allergic reaction? Could have sworn that kid OD’ed...”
“Dad.”
“Well, I’m sorry. I’m a cop. We just think like that. Oh, don’t you start crying on me again. I won’t say another word about it.”
“Good,” I said. “Because that’s just not true. And Dad? I need to ask you a favor. And you’re not going to like it. You’re probably going to say no.”
Charlie squinted down at me, looking like he hadn't fully understood what I'd said. “Then why bother asking?”
I glared at him. “I know I’m still grounded, and I know you don’t think much of Edward - but they’re releasing him tonight. Can I please go to the Cullen house? I need to be there. I'll sleep in Alice's room or on the couch or something. Please, Dad.”
Charlie squinted even harder -- until he resembled a child that had just been force-fed spinach. It wasn't a pretty face. “You sure the Cullens want you there? I know you mean well, Bella, but you might be in the way right now.”
“I already asked and got permission.”
Charlie rolled his eyes. “I swear, kid. I don't know what to do with you sometimes. You just had to go crying on me, didn’t you? And now you've got those weepy, puppy dog eyes. Bet you planned that in advance, huh? Just to make sure I was all nice and softened up so I couldn’t say no." He growled and threw up his hands. "What the hell. I suppose it would be all right if you stayed. But only if the Cullens are okay with it. But you’re still grounded, Bella. Tonight doesn't change that.”
I relaxed. “I know.”
“And Edward’s still got community service.”
"You’re impossible, you know that?”
“But I’ll try to get him an extension tomorrow at the station.”
I sighed and let my head rest on Charlie's shoulder. “Thanks, Dad.”
***
After we left the hospital, Charlie brought me home to change clothes and grab a toothbrush. And then, after an embarrassing phone call to Esme to ensure I was invited, he begrudgingly allowed me out of the house. The fact that he’d ungrounded me for the night was a testament to how much Edward’s collapse had frightened even Charlie.
Apparently, today was a day for miracles.
It wasn’t a short drive to the Cullens’ house, and as I tried to keep my truck steady on the road, I did a lot of thinking about that very thing: miracles.
I had long-considered Edward to be my own personal miracle. The missing part of me. An inexplicable, unlikely, and undeserved gift.
Had I just received another gift? It was a difficult thing to think about, having just witnessed Edward go through something so frightening. But if I looked at the situation without fear and worry clouding my opinion, I had to admit that the whole situation was miraculous. Edward was human. Surely that couldn’t be a bad thing ... could it?
I honestly didn’t know yet, and I wasn’t ready to ponder the enormity of that question. At that moment, I didn’t care if Edward was a vampire, human, or pygmy. I just wanted him to be okay.
Still, I knew that question was going to resurface very soon. It was just a matter of when.
I maneuvered the dark roads with care, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that I probably left indentations with my fingers. Despite the detour to my house and my stubborn adherence to the speed limit, I still beat Edward and his parents to the Cullen household. That was probably a first - a feat likely never to be repeated. It caused me a brief moment of panic, and I had to convince myself that the checkout paperwork had likely delayed them. I would go insane with worry if I let myself think otherwise.
The house was almost completely dark, only a single light on upstairs. But that didn’t mean the rest of the family wasn’t home. Shouldering my overnight bag, I got out of my truck and slammed the door. As I traversed the driveway, my movements triggered the motion-sensitive flood lights, and I could finally see where I was going. It was then that I noticed that Emmett and Jasper were on the front porch, deep in conversation. Emmett waved me over.
The summer night was relatively warm - for Forks, at any rate - but my teeth still chattered as I approached them. A product of my nerves, no doubt.
Jasper nodded in my direction by way of greeting. “Emmett and I were just discussing your friend, the memorable Mr. Waxman.”
I lifted an eyebrow, arms wrapped tight across my chest. “If he hurt Edward, believe me - he’s no friend of mine.”
“Ooh,” said Emmett approvingly. “Hell hath no fury. That woman scorned bit looks good on you, Bella. This whole thing is your boyfriend’s fault, by the way. We warned him about that old goat a long time ago.”
“Esme said you found him. Where did you bring him?” I asked, not certain I wanted to know.
“Basement,” they chimed in unison.
“Did he try to do anything to any of you?”
“We put tape over his mouth before he had a chance,” said Emmett.
“Because Emmett was afraid he’d start spouting off magical spells,” explained Jasper with a snigger. “Even though I told him real wizardry is far more complicated than that.”
Emmett scoffed. “I wasn’t scared.”
“Do you feel that, Bella? The flagrant lies, flying left and right? Oh, you can’t? I guess it’s just me, then.”
“I just didn’t like being around him, okay?” Emmett said, growing more defensive by the second. “He smelled like raisins, Jasper. Do you know what else smells like raisins? Pee. That’s what.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You didn’t hurt him, did you?”
Jasper shrugged one shoulder. “Not physically. Though Emmett played country music on the way back, so I can’t say for certain.”
“Dixie Chicks,” said Emmett with a wicked grin. “Circa 1998.”
“Evil,” I murmured, eyes wide.
“Nah,” said Emmett. “The guy was humming along in the backseat, even with tape over his mouth. I think he liked it.”
“Well, he better enjoy himself while he still can,” said Jasper. “Before Carlisle gets home.”
Emmett’s grin widened. “Daddy’s not going to be happy.”
“Nor mommy,” said Jasper.
“Just between the three of us, mommy scares me more.” Emmett clapped his hands together with glee. “This is going to be epic.”
I added nothing to conversation. In my opinion, the entire day had already qualified as epic.
At that moment, the front door opened and Alice appeared, her footsteps silent as she flitted across the porch like a cat. Her eyes were fixed on the distance, locked onto something I couldn’t see. “Grow up, you two. And hello, Bella.”
“You see something?” asked Jasper, coming up behind her and placing his hands on her tiny shoulders.
Alice nodded. “They're on their way, and they’ll be here in less than five minutes. Most importantly, Edward’s finally awake.” She turned to peer at me, half of her lovely face shrouded in shadow. “I’m glad you came, Bella. He’s going to need you tonight.”
***
To be continued.
Author’s Note: This chapter was a bit more serious than the others, but don’t worry. It will get light-hearted again soon. This is not an angst-y story. I just couldn’t picture Bella and the Cullens not taking something like that seriously.
I’ll continue to update this story regularly until it's finished. You may now berate and punish me for not updating for a year. (You know. Whips. Chains. Renesmee fanfic.) Even I admit that I deserve that much.
Submissively yours,
Coquette