Columbus, Ohio - 1911

[mamavamp]

"ESME ANNE PLATT, get out of that tree!"

Esme tucks her knees up closer to her chest, wobbling a little to keep her balance. She's tired of her brothers bossing her around, tired of being the only girl and having to do all the household chores, tired of her mama and daddy traveling to neighboring farms to help with the harvest and leaving her home

Comments

[ofthefamily]

Dr. Cullen arrives at the house only moments after the girl's parents do, apparently; the story Carlisle is fed about what happened feels most accurate from the two brothers.

"Can I see her now?" Carlisle edges towards the back room of the small house without waiting for a response. "I need to set the leg."

There's no screaming; has the girl passed out already?

[mamavamp]

No, she's not passed out. She simply has a high threshold for dealing with pain courtesy of her two other brothers.

Esme looks over when she hears someone in her doorway. And for a moment, she forgets how to breathe. She has never seen a man this handsome before.

"Esme, this is Dr. Cullen," her mama says. "He's going to fix your leg."

All she can do is nod, her voice having left along with her ability to breathe.

[ofthefamily]

That can't be good.

Carlisle tries to smile at Esme -- Esme, he thinks, Not a name you hear very often -- but he has things he needs to take care of. Joey and Walt stand on either side of Esme at the shoulder. Carlisle has Esme's mother drag a chair in from the kitchen.

He could set the bone without help. Help is better.

"Esme, look at me a moment." Carlisle's gold eyes are looking up at the young woman from the foot of her bed. "I have to reset the bone in your leg so it'll heal. Do you want me to count off?"

[mamavamp]

Esme meets his eyes and manages to speak. "No, sir, it's easier not to expect it."

And if she continues to stare at his golden eyes and porcelain skin, she likely won't even notice the pain.