TUS - Chapter Four: Home Again

I choked back a sob as I replied in a withered voice, "I'll be back…Edward."
"Your light," he whispered. "D-don't…forget it." The entire time I'd been here - I wasn't sure of how long that was - that was the most he'd spoken to me, and it was while I was leaving him. I should have felt elated because it was more than two words, but the tone in his voice - the defeat - marred my emotions further. He had abandoned any belief of my returning, and no matter how much I professed otherwise, he wouldn't believe me unless I did come back. I couldn't help but wonder now, because of his doubtful disposition, how many times he must have been forgotten by others.
Of course, because my head was cast down, I could see the flashlight lying on the ground in the corner near the doorway, see that it was indeed mine. I bent down, and my trembling hands gripped around the cold, metal handle, pulling it to my chest as I stood upright.
Taking the final steps from that room was one of the hardest things I'd ever done. And honestly, I still had yet to understand why my feelings toward this man had shifted a one hundred eighty degree interval. I was still waiting to understand that change in me, but what I did understand, and very well, was I didn't want to leave him. Getting back here wouldn't come soon enough.
I clicked the flashlight on and beamed the light ahead of me. I was walking tediously down a long, narrow and winding corridor, and the room in which Edward had me in seemed to be the only one down this hall. Not that I was familiar with any aspect of this hospital, but I didn't recognize where I was at all. I almost wanted to turn around and ask him directions, but I figured doing so might do more harm than good, and there was always the possibility he wouldn't answer anyway.
The further down the hall I moved, the more condensed the mustiness became, but I could also see light underneath the door. What struck me odd was the fact that the light never danced across the floor, as if reflected off a flashlight; it was a fixed illumination. I just assumed it had been a good long while since this place had ever seen electricity or the means to. Yet, my curious mind wanted to know the source of the light.
I pulled at the door, struggling to open it because the weight of it felt as if I were pulling against steel, and as I opened it, I noticed the doorway was curtained by a large blanket. But the moment I stepped around the blanket - in what appeared to be a boiler room - I paused, mouth agape, eyes wide. There was a small work area adjacent to where I stood, littered with empty cafeteria trays that, oddly enough, looked recently used. And there sitting on top of the work bench was a lamp, actually plugged into a working outlet.
I walked over toward the bench to inspect it further. There were a few empty pop cans near the trays, even some used sporks; freshly used. There was obviously one of two possibilities; either Edward left the hospital and purchased his own food – and the possibility of that did not seem plausible – or someone knew he was here and was feeding him.
I gasped inwardly at that thought, a plethora of questions flooding my mind.
Did someone really know he was here?
Why would they allow him to stay here, knowing how unhealthy it was?
Were they forcing him to stay here?
How safe would he be if I left right now?
They'd obviously been feeding him, because he certainly didn't look malnutritioned, and feeding him steady meals wasn't conducive to harming him, considering they could simply starve him to death. Nothing about Edward or what was happening behind the walls of this hospital made sense to me. And that fact terrified and intrigued me all the same.
There were so many unanswered questions congregating within my mind - questions I really wanted to know the answers to - but as much as I wanted to know them, I still had to go home first. I glanced around the room, looking for an exit, but the only thing I noticed was a set of winding stairs. I started toward them, moving uneasily due to my lack of being graceful.
I took each step in slow stride because I was unsure where they may lead, but they seemed to be the only way out of the boiler room. When I reached the door at the top, I grasped the handle and pushed open, finding it a lot easier than the previous door.
I stepped through the doorway into a small room that was equivalent in size to a mop closet. There were old metal stands on either side - outdated cleaning solutions lined the shelves of the one closest to where I stood, concealing the door leading to the boiler room - practically swallowing up the entire room because of its small size. I hmphed under my breath when I realized this room was in fact a mop closet, one that effectively eclipsed the boiler room.
As I opened the closet door, flashing my light ahead of me, I immediately recognized where I was; I was on the basement floor, opposite the end where the room I first saw Edward was. If this closet resided at the far end of the basement floor, how did Edward manage to get me here without Jess seeing? That is, if Jess was actually still waiting for me. I didn't want to believe she could just leave me behind like that, but I realized the probability of that was a strong one, considering. I'd definitely be finding out the answer to that one later.
I turned around, facing the door as I closed it, whispering, "I'll be back, Edward." as I did so. I lingered with my hands against the door a few more seconds before I headed left until I reached the stairs, which served as a halfway point in the hall. I took them to the second level, where the exit was located.
Knowing Charlie, I expected police cars to be surrounding the building, or at the very least, people searching the premises. But when I exited that building, there was no one waiting for me, no one searching.
How long had I been at the hospital?
Had anyone looked for me at all?
The closest place to go was Alice's, so I walked the ten minutes it took to get there. I knocked on the door approximately two times before it was yanked open, and I heard a rather resonant scream, followed by tiny arms wrapped around my neck in a grasp that left me breathless.
"Oh, my God, Bella," Alice cried. "Where have you been? We've been looking everywhere for you."
"Alice," I gasped. "Let go…so I can…breathe."
She stepped back, tears flagrant upon her cheeks, and pulled me inside the house toward the living room. "Where have you been?" No sooner had she asked, she yelled to her mom, who quickly joined us and enveloped me in a motherly embrace; Alice continued her questioning. "What happened to you? We looked everywhere for you. Your dad has been out of his mind with worry. Did someone take you? Were you-"
"Alice," I interrupted. "I can't answer if you won't let me." I sat down across from her while Esme sat beside me, holding my hand as I regaled what had happened….well, minus all that included Edward, along with a few other embellishments. I was still unsure what to do about him yet. "I just got startled from the noise, so I hid in a closet. You know me and my balance, so backing up wasn't such a good idea. I ended up tripping over something along the floor and fell, hitting my head in the process. I'm sorry I worried everyone. How long was I gone?"
"Twenty-four hours," Esme answered.
"Jessica Stanley came barreling up to the third floor where Jasper and I were, carrying on like a lunatic. She said she heard you cry out, but when we went back to where she said you were, we didn't find you. We were sure someone had taken you," Alice explained. That certainly answered the question pertaining to Jess.
"You need to call your father," Esme ratified. "He needs to know you're alright."
I nodded as she handed me the phone. I dialed home, and it barely rang once before Charlie answered. "Hello," he said in a rush. I'd never heard him so panicked.
"Dad, it's me. It's Bella."
"Bells," he exhaled in relief. "Are you…are you okay? Where are you?"
"I'm okay, Dad. I'm at Alice's," I told him. "I just…I got a little spooked and hid in a closet, but then I tripped over something and hit my head. Alice says I was gone for a day."
"You were," he choked out. Moments like these, where Charlie's emotion was appreciable, were rare ones, but he made no effort to hide how affected he'd been. "I was…I was terrified something happened to you, Bella. I searched up and down that hospital, me and some of the other town folk, so I don't know how I missed you if you were hidden in a closet. But when I couldn't find you, I-" he paused. "I'm coming to get you right now. We're going to the hospital to have you checked out, then I'm bringing you home."
I bit back the tears, partially because I hated lying to him – a lie that was rather flimsy- but also because I hated hearing how broken down my absence made him. "Okay, dad," I whispered.
"I'll be right there," he said, and then there was silence on the other end of the phone. I excused myself to the restroom, something I'd been waiting hours to do, while I waited for him.
Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting inside Charlie's cruiser on my way to the hospital. "How's the head, Kiddo? You doing okay?"
"Dad, I'm fine," I chuckled. "I'd feel better if I could just get home in my own bed. I think an icepack would be good enough. I don't need to see a doctor."
"Bella," he started; his tone authoritative. "You're going. The way I see it, you gave your old man quite a scare, so the least you can do is go see Dr. Cullen and have him look at that head of yours. I realize you hate hospitals, but I'd feel better all the same if I knew you were okay."
I sighed. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"
He shook his head. "Nope."
"How's Emmett?" I asked. "Does he know that I-"
"He does," Charlie interrupted. "He wanted to come, but I told him to stay home. He came with me to search for you. We'd barely been home an hour when you called. We weren't giving up."
"I'm sorry, Dad."
"I'm just glad you're okay, Bells. That's all that matters."
As soon as we entered the hospital, Mrs. Ramshaw, the ER registration secretary, acknowledged us. "Hey, Charlie. Bella, it's good to see you're okay. "
I bit into my lip. "Thanks."
She smiled then her eyes averted to Charlie. "I already have the paperwork started. I just need your signature." Charlie eyed her curiously. "Oh, Mrs. Cullen called ahead, letting Dr. Cullen know about Bella, and that you were bringing her in to be examined."
Charlie nodded his appreciation. "Okay, thanks, Pam."
I had just taken a seat in the waiting area when the triage nurse called me back. She took my vitals, briefly glanced at the contusion - as she called it – asked me how I received the injury, what my pain level rated on a scale of one to ten, then took me back to a room.
When Dr. Cullen arrived at my examining room, I once again had to reiterate what happened at the old hospital. Yet this time when I told the story of my injury, I received a different reaction. Of course, the look within his eyes was fleeting, but I could tell that somehow he knew I was hiding something, that he could see how transparent I was, even though I was trying not to be.
But he didn't ask questions, never let on that he believed anything more than what I told him. He simply ordered a CT scan, concluded that the contusion on the back of my skull led to a minor concussion, and I was to rest in bed for the next few days. He sent me home with a list of normal side effects, along with what to watch out for that would require me coming back to the hospital. But overall, he believed I'd be fine, that it was nothing to worry about.
Needless to say, the moment we entered my front door, I went straight to my room to grab clothing so I could take a shower. Just as I stepped over the threshold of my bedroom door, I was engulfed in giant arms, my feet dangling from the ground as my brother wrapped me in a bear hug. "Emmett," I gulped, trying to catch my breath. "My head…is going to…pop off."
"Sorry, Bells," he replied, placing me back on my feet. "I'm just glad to see you home."
"I see that," I laughed.
"You're okay, though, right?" he asked. "The doc gave you a clean bill of health and all?"
"I'm fine," I nodded. "There's nothing out of the ordinary. Concussions are a cakewalk," I teased.
"You had us worried, you know? I never should have let you go in that place." His guise held so much guilt, like he blamed himself for my being hurt. "You being equilibrium challenged and all that, I should have stopped you from going in there, or at least taken you with me. If I would-"
"Emmett, stop," I interjected. "I'm a big girl, and I made the decision to go. It's nobody's fault, okay? It was just a stupid accident." I gripped his hand in mine. "Really, if anyone is to blame, it's me. I knew better than to go into a place like that, especially since I'm 'equilibrium challenged', but I chose to anyway. It's done, it's over, I'm home, and right this minute, I just want to take a shower."
He laughed, then squeezed my hand before letting it go. "Yeah, you do stink."
"Thanks," I scoffed, mockingly. "I feel the love."
I could still hear him laughing as I closed the bathroom door behind me. I discarded the clothing from my body, set the shower as hot as my body could handle, and climbed inside, washing away the dirt that had accumulated over my skin in the last twenty-four hours. But the only thing I could think about as the water pelted against my back was green eyes and the person they belonged to.
After I finished dressing, I grabbed a quick sandwich, seeing as there wasn't an actual meal made because I had not been home to cook one, then headed to bed. I laid there in my bed, my body relaxed, but my mind busy. I was happy to be home, yes, but only a part of me was. I was also feeling a bit indifferent about it, because there was somewhere else I wanted to be a little bit more. I knew without question that the only reason I left at all was to assure my family and friends I was alright. If I could go back now, without Charlie knowing, I would. And I still had no idea why, what the pull was to Edward. I knew nothing about him at all, other than he seemed so riven. Maybe that in itself was the appeal. Regardless, I'd return to that hospital…tomorrow.
I woke around ten, after nearly tossing and turning most the night. It's not easy to sleep when your mind refuses to steel itself against unremitting thoughts. I changed out of my old sweats and oversized t-shirt, putting on a pair of jeans and a short sleeve v-neck, then brushed my hair, careful not to brush against my wound. I padded downstairs, only to find that I was the only one home. How much easier could this be?
I found a note from Charlie lying on the counter, saying he'd gone to work early but if I needed anything to call him. Emmett had football camp and work, so he wouldn't be home until later in the evening. I wasted no time as I crumpled up the note, throwing it into the trash, then proceeded to gather up some sandwiches for Edward and I, along with two thermoses full of apple juice.
I threw everything, including my flashlight and a thermal blanket, into my tote bag, then headed out to my truck. Yeah, it was an old beater - a 1953 Chevrolet Pickup – but she was still going strong.
When I arrived at the hospital, I pulled around back, making sure to conceal my truck as much as possible. Seeing as it was light out, it would be a lot easier to spot; especially since it's red. I threw my door open, grabbed my tote bag, and walked at a brisk pace toward the broken entryway of the hospital.
As soon as I was inside, I gripped my flashlight, flicked it on and started for the stairway. Once I made it to the basement floor, I turned right, heading toward the tiny closet that led to the boiler room. After I reached the closet door, I briefly flashed my light down the hall, making sure I wasn't being followed. It may have been laughable, but I was still being cautionary. I had yet to decide on whether I was going to tell anyone about Edward, and I certainly didn't want it happening as a surprise to us both.
I entered the closet, tote held in front of me so I could move easily through the small space, then pulled the door open leading to the boiler room. I descended the stairs, my heart thudding in anticipation the closer I came to the room I knew he'd be in.
And just as I reached the blanketed door, blanket still gripped in my hand, I heard a voice behind me. "You came back."
The voice was not Edward's.