Wednesday, August 18, 2010
SO SORRY
Wow, I'm really sorry guys, -or whoever reads this-, that I haven't been keeping up with writing like I promised. To tell you the truth, I'm not the best writer and I'm still pretty young, but hell, I'm going to let the chips fall as they may.
OH AND BY THE WAY!
Robsten is official. No one can deny it. We all saw that kiss. :D
amore, mi bella tesoro. amore.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Chapter Seven: Discovery
Chapter Seven: Discovery
"Bella?!" Angela stares in shock at me for a moment before she tries to catch my fall. Arms outstretched like wings.
She drops her glow stick and it crashes to the ground with a loud thud. I see thick neon green gloop oozing out of the crack in the plastic. I hear a sickening crunch as my skull connects with the metal floor like they're best friends. Who designed this place, anyway? Metal floors? They should expect a hate letter. Except I won't be able to send one... space shuttle.
What Angela just told me drags me into the light of discovery. The high-tech that wouldn't be used in normal hospitals. The lack of windows. Strange garbage disposal. Even the bed boxes were starting to make sense. And the use for Paraquin. With our without will, I'm all but melded into the C21-0.
"Bella, what's wrong? Please, tell me! I think your skull..." she doesn't finish her sentence, but I feel two fingers prod the back of my head and neck. Wincing a little, I force my eyes to focus on Angela's face dying in the fading light.
"We're... space? Why? When?" I throw at her. She catches my words reflexively and almost patriotically gives me answers. Answers I desperately need. "You, me, and the rest of the crew are in space because the Cullen Project C21-0 is a space shuttle. Among many others, as I might add. We're on a ten year long journey to Titleless -T for short- where we will finally land and begin a new life on it."
"...Why?"
Angela huffs and pinches the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "War. Land... disease."
I understand Angela's words. No matter how hard I try, how forcefully I push against it, the memories are branded into my mind and stubborn enough to stay. They assault me spasmodically and I squeeze my eyes shut to block them out. Much to my avail.
Years ago, life on earth was... peaceful. Tranquil. Like you just had a warm bath, bubbles included. You're unmoving in body and mind, but still running forward at blinding speeds, demanding new technology, knowledge, and above all, power. But, this greed stands alone compared to the reactions the asteroid created to human kind.
An asteroid tens times the size of Mars had just barely clipped the edge of earth's moon, sending it on it merry way... -spiraling straight down to home at a dangerous proximity. Now, as we all know- the moon concocts ocean waves. With the moon so close to earth, the waves doubled, tripled, quadrupled until they overcame us. Entire countries were submerged in water, and people scattered higher into the mountains to escape it and breathe now-precious oxygen. Crops and pasture animals drowned, and finally choked the life out of us. Disease spreads like wildfire to a parched forest. That's when it gets really ugly.
My mind is muddled, memories don't last forever, no matter how drastic, but I force myself to battle through the barrier with pounding fists. This is my mind. I will conquer it. Even if the memories hurt like a thousand knifes stabbing into my brain.
"What's the year?" I say. My brain is having troubles fathoming the ten year long journey I supposedly slept through. I also need... what? Confirmation? Closure? I don't know.
"2047." Angela tells me as she hold out her hand and I take it, huffing up from the cold, hard floor.
So thirteen years ago, the earth died, along with my sister. And so did Renee. On the inside, anyway. After my sister Bree's death, Renee couldn't bear the guilt she threw on herself in heavy sheets. Renee was always on the verge of being Bipolar -it runs in the family- but it was never as bad after my beloved Bree passed from this world. My mother used to be so lovely, the perfect mother and as wondrous as you could imagine. After school, she'd bake me cookies and make up stories about her day. One of them I remember was how she had been on her way to work and a huge sea monster spluttered out of a sewage drain and nearly ate her car. Her eyes were the most alive and bright when she told her stories to Bree and I, it's when I loved her most. Another had been about her meeting a mysterious man who could run as fast as a train at full speed, who sparkled and glittered in the sunlight like diamonds, and could even hear your heartbeat. I've always liked that story best.
Renee had reminded me every night to brush my teeth, only to slip me a piping hot mug of cocoa before bedtime, much to Charlie's dismay. I almost chuckle at the thought, but I know I can't. Not after what she did. What she let other people do to me.
Bree had always been the favorite child. Still is. Even in death, Renee loved her more. We had to pry her fingers away from my sister's cold hand to lower the coffin into the hillside on the dreadful, rainy Sunday morning.
We had mass burials then.
Bree had died of the one disease that unleashed itself across the world, murdering many with icy fingers. It was slow, painful, and you're awake through it all. It surprises even the doctors that Bree was able to last so long- three months. On average, the disease takes you in three days. It was the spirit, the life in her that I think kept my little Bree going as long as she did.
A silent tear rolls down my cheek as I re-live pain. So much pain for thirteen years it really feels a lifetime. I remember on my worst days with Renee, when I'm cowering in a corners, writhing with pain in my mind and soul when I wished that my life would end. Show over. Curtains closed. The un-applauding audience grabbing their coats to leave my pathetic show.
I'm following Angela into the dark inaudibly, minding to myself. She doesn't notice me. No one did. On the day following Bree's funeral, Renee's depression stole the best of her, and she went insane. She cried herself to sleep at night, imagined Bree's presense in the morning. Having one-way conversations with her. Speaking Bree's part as well as her own. She even made extra food for her. A bowl filled to the brim with cereal, accompanied by an empty seat. Charlie finally admitted her into a mental hospital, which unsurprisingly had almost too many patients. Yes- even in apocalyptic mayhem, the ward lived on. Renee stayed there for three years, me visiting her every month, until she was released and confirmed sane by five doctors.
Renee then shifted from neglect, to abuse. It didn't take long before Charlie couldn't stand the sight of either of us. He left the family for a small, rainy town up in the mountains. I begged to go with him, and he never said a single word to me. Even when I clung to his leg as he walked out of our drafty apartment, carrying everything he owned, he shook me off and slammed the door in my face.
My memory is irrevacobly foggy at this point. I remember going to a hospital once, a few weeks after Charlie left, probably from a serious injury inflicted by Renee, who said I tripped down a flight of stairs into a window. I am clumsy, and the doctor's brushed it off. I don't recall ever leaving the hospital, just suddenly popping back into hell with Renee, with no escape. Either I'd been looney on the drugs the doctors prescribed, or that's when... I went to sleep.
"Bella."
I blink and thank Angela inwardly for breaking my revere. I didn't want to dwell on the past anymore. It's over and done with and I'm here now. Away from Renee's abuse. Phil's rape. Humanity's neglect, death, and disease. At least here, the scariest thing is the dark. I jog a few steps and bump into Angela, who obviously called for me because I was lacking behind, and she couldn't feel my presence anymore. "I'm real sorry, Ang, I was, er, zoning out a bit back there." I clutch onto the crook of her elbow. We're exceptionally close to another pinpoint of light, now. I can make out two figures crouching down in the dim light of their glowstick. I watch as one of them shifts, and suddenly the light is brighter. They light another glowstick. Which means they have more.
Angela and I walk briskly to them, growing in size to full forms of humans. There is a midnight haired man with murky green eyes, staring into the almost-burning light of the glowstick. It's set in between the two people like a campfire. He seems to be in his forties. The next creature is beautiful. Angelic, yet adult in her features. She looks to be about twenty-something, with her blond waves of hair spiraling down into an elegant twist at the nape of her neck, with her naturalness highlights, high cheekbones, small, full lips, and icy gray eyes, fixated on the light.
Angela clears her throat, but neither of them look up. She clears it again and speaks. "Aro," she nods to the midnight haired man, "Jane," she cuts her gaze to the child-like blonde woman. Their heads snap up in our direction, Aro's eyes soft and inviting, Jane's glare piercing my soul. I instinctively flinch back from her gaze, absolutely terrified. The young woman who seemed so harmless, so extraordinary, turns into an ugly, deadly snake. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Angela waves me over and introduces me to them. "Aro, Jane," she repeats, "this is Bella Swan. She's a Subject."
Aro's eyes alight with new interest. "Is she, now? Well, you're up early." He cocks his head to the side and raises his brow.
"So I hear..." I mumble.
He barks out a raspy laugh, hand on his head. "Ha! There's something... wrong about you."
I feel my brow furrow with confusion, and I'm about to broach the subject when Angela interrupts.
"Do you have an extra light?"
Aro stops laughing and points to a petite plastic box nestled beside him. Angela walks over, opens the box, and takes a glowstick. She snaps it together in her hands and it crackles to life, slowly but surely, filling the hallway with double the light. "Thank you." she tells Aro, and comes back to me.
"Bye now." Janes seethes, and I turn on my heels and resist the urge to run down the hallway like a little bitch. Her voice got the best of me, clawing at scabbing wounds. She sounded like Renee.
Angela quickly takes my hand and leads me down the hallway. "Sorry about that, Bella. They're doctors here, although I don't think they should be. Those two are really quite nuts."
"Are they? I thought that Aro guy was...nice enough." Yah, compared to the sadistic blondie.
"I guess you're right, but that Jane on the other hand..." she shivers. Wow. If this so called Jane is scary enough to make Angela shiver, I should be quarantined.
"She's different." I mutter, not wanting to go on with the subject, so I start a new one.
"What's a Subject?" I ask, stopping Angela in her tracks. She slowly turns and faces me.
"I know you don't remember, Bella, it's written all over your face. As strange as that is, it's not my story to tell, it's yours. In whatever way you became a Subject is completely your doing, more or less."
"So I have to remember?" I ask. Ang nods. I search through my brain, and come back empty handed. There's no way I can break through a fog that thick. Every time I think about what happened directly after arriving at the hospital, there's a blank expanse of white. I shake my head, telling Ang I simply can't remember. She sighs, and takes my hand again, leading me aimlessly.
"Where are we going?"
"No where." Angela answers, "Just wondering. Any place you want to go?"
Now that I think of it, I do actually need to go somewhere. Alice. "Is Alice still with Jasper?"
"I'm sure she is. I heard about him... very sad..." Ang's eyes prick with tears, and I wonder what kind of connection she has with Jasper Hale. "I can take you to them, I saw his room number in the morning report. I'm a nurse here."
A nurse seems a suiting job for Angela. She's caring, and quiet. Out of the way, but will come to your aid as soon as you need it. I really like Angela, she's a friend I want long-term. My second friend, ever, besides when I was a kid, which doesn't count.
"Please,"
Angela leads me down endless hallway after hallway, and I'm so glad the Cullen Project C21-0 has no windows. If I looked out of them and saw nothing but space I'd surely freak out and never move again, right there on the floor. But I keep my cool. "Here it is." Angela points to a door, streaming light down into the hall out of the window set in the door. I tap timidly on it. Am I right for coming back? Was Alice worrying about me at all? I do and don't hope so.
The door clinks, and then opens to reveal Dr. Carlisle. He looks very tired. Dark circles under his eyes. His hair in an utter amount of disarray from running a hand through it so much. Thumb and forefinger pinching the bridge of his nose in aggravation. The blue eyes in his skull are dull, not bright and full of life like they usually are. I clear my throat dryly.
"Um, hello, doctor Carlisle, I was, er, checking on Alice." He nods and tries to smooth out his features, trying to keep up with the unemotional-doctor facade. He waves me and Angela into the room.
"Come in, come in. Alice has been worried sick about you, Bella. Angela, welcome."
Angela nods and follows me through the door. The medical room is the same as I've left it before, except now it's bathed in a haunting green light, causing everyone's faces to get a doggedly tired and endearing quality. Or it could just be me. Emmett and Rosalie are still wrapped around each other against the far wall, Esme and Alice are at Jasper's side, who's covered in a slick sheen of sweat, coughing. Cope sits quietly in a corner, Edward is glued to his loveseat we shared. I carefully walk over to the loveseat as quietly as I could manage, tripping over my own feet as usual, I land next to Edward, who slides to make room for me. It's hard, what with his lengthy frame, but I'm seated comfortably. Angela heads over and sits on the floor in front of my feet.
Every soul in the room is dead-silent. Not one word is spoken. They all hold their breath, anticipating something. I close my eyes -not sleeping, of course, not ever- relaxing a little. I steal glances at Edward, and I catch him staring right back at me occasionally. I blush, duck my head to hide my face, and twidle my thumbs. Hours seems to pass before Jasper's starts an erratic fit of coughing. Alice starts to wail and dabs his mouth with a hankerchief, it returns maroon and begging for more. Carlisle sprints over and pours a small vile of clear, crisp liquid into Jasper's mouth. Carlisle casts a look of fear towards his son-in-law. Jasper swallows most of it, and Alice takes the excess away with the end of her sleeve.
After a while, things are calming down, and I can't take Edward's penetrating gaze any longer. I break the silence and speak to Angela, more to save myself than her, even though I know she's hurting from the cold tile floor.
"Switch spots with me?"
She nods enthusiastically and hops up, knees cracking. I feel insensitive for not offering it to her earlier, and plop my ass down by her feet. I sense Edward's eyes on my back the whole way, but I pretend not to notice. Time continues on, slowly but surely, until I'm practically falling over from boredom. I don't dare leave though, for fear of them resenting me for it, calling me out on my weakness.
Then, finally, finally, the lights up ahead start to flicker and sputter out, only to come back again, like strobe likes. All heads snap up in it's direction, their breath hitching. I watch too, fascinated by the lights quick movements. They flicker for what seems like eternity, before is smooths over into a constant flow. Every chest in the room breathes a sigh of relief. There's a miniscule beeping noise coming from Jasper now that wasn't there before. I whip my head around to see that Jasper has been hooked up to a big machine, with flashing lights and beep noises, the whole lot. It looks very expensive. Rosalie asks the question I've been itching to hear. I love her for it, because I'd never have the guts to do it myself.
"How long was the power out." It's not a question, because Rosalie knows she'll be answered. Carlisle relectently pulls a handheld from his back pocket, searching for the time. His breath hitches and everybody freezes in place, even me.
"Seven hours, forty-two minutes."
Rosalie, Cope, and Esme stare at Dr. Cullen with disbelief. Emmett melts away from Rose's side and is streaming curses at the top of his lungs. "Shit! Shit shit shit!"
"Fuck!" Emmett fist pounds the wall, and I watch in wonder at his hand comes back littered with tile and drywall. Edward springs from the couch, barely scimming my head and is cursing along with Emmett in clear rage. I've never seen him so angry, so open with his emotions. Where's the calm and collected doctor I ran into the other day? Who so nicely gave me clothes and showed me my room when Alice wasn't able? I wouldn't be shocked if Edward was part animal, he's so obsessed with rage.
"What's going on?!" I shout at the top of my lungs. They ice over and twist their faces to stare at me. Shit. Me and my huge mouth. At least they're quiet...
"The power," Carlisle clears his throat dryly before he can continue, "was out... longer than we thought." He casts a nervous glance at his son-in-law, who is now concious and trying to comfort Alice with a shaking hand through her spiky hair. I wait for more of an explanation, and Carlisle stalls, seeming to collect himself. "All the extra energy pods we have are most likely almost used up on the Subjects now, to keep the sleep units going... which means-"
Edward inturpts his step-father, cutting him off in a cold, almost robotic voice. "If the power goes out again, Jasper's life support will fail." I look at the strange machine hooked in Jasper with new eyes. That machine there is Jasper's lifeline. Jasper's disease dawns on me. The very one that took her with icy fingers, proded and crushed her chest to squeeze the life out of her. Steal her heartbeats. Jasper had the sickness that murdered Bree out of my life. I stare at Edward with horror as people cheer outside of the Cullen's tense bubble. "The lights are back!" If only they knew somebody's life was connected to those very lights...
I don't think they'd be cheering.
End of Chapter Seven.
“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”
"Bella?!" Angela stares in shock at me for a moment before she tries to catch my fall. Arms outstretched like wings.
She drops her glow stick and it crashes to the ground with a loud thud. I see thick neon green gloop oozing out of the crack in the plastic. I hear a sickening crunch as my skull connects with the metal floor like they're best friends. Who designed this place, anyway? Metal floors? They should expect a hate letter. Except I won't be able to send one... space shuttle.
What Angela just told me drags me into the light of discovery. The high-tech that wouldn't be used in normal hospitals. The lack of windows. Strange garbage disposal. Even the bed boxes were starting to make sense. And the use for Paraquin. With our without will, I'm all but melded into the C21-0.
"Bella, what's wrong? Please, tell me! I think your skull..." she doesn't finish her sentence, but I feel two fingers prod the back of my head and neck. Wincing a little, I force my eyes to focus on Angela's face dying in the fading light.
"We're... space? Why? When?" I throw at her. She catches my words reflexively and almost patriotically gives me answers. Answers I desperately need. "You, me, and the rest of the crew are in space because the Cullen Project C21-0 is a space shuttle. Among many others, as I might add. We're on a ten year long journey to Titleless -T for short- where we will finally land and begin a new life on it."
"...Why?"
Angela huffs and pinches the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "War. Land... disease."
I understand Angela's words. No matter how hard I try, how forcefully I push against it, the memories are branded into my mind and stubborn enough to stay. They assault me spasmodically and I squeeze my eyes shut to block them out. Much to my avail.
Years ago, life on earth was... peaceful. Tranquil. Like you just had a warm bath, bubbles included. You're unmoving in body and mind, but still running forward at blinding speeds, demanding new technology, knowledge, and above all, power. But, this greed stands alone compared to the reactions the asteroid created to human kind.
An asteroid tens times the size of Mars had just barely clipped the edge of earth's moon, sending it on it merry way... -spiraling straight down to home at a dangerous proximity. Now, as we all know- the moon concocts ocean waves. With the moon so close to earth, the waves doubled, tripled, quadrupled until they overcame us. Entire countries were submerged in water, and people scattered higher into the mountains to escape it and breathe now-precious oxygen. Crops and pasture animals drowned, and finally choked the life out of us. Disease spreads like wildfire to a parched forest. That's when it gets really ugly.
My mind is muddled, memories don't last forever, no matter how drastic, but I force myself to battle through the barrier with pounding fists. This is my mind. I will conquer it. Even if the memories hurt like a thousand knifes stabbing into my brain.
"What's the year?" I say. My brain is having troubles fathoming the ten year long journey I supposedly slept through. I also need... what? Confirmation? Closure? I don't know.
"2047." Angela tells me as she hold out her hand and I take it, huffing up from the cold, hard floor.
So thirteen years ago, the earth died, along with my sister. And so did Renee. On the inside, anyway. After my sister Bree's death, Renee couldn't bear the guilt she threw on herself in heavy sheets. Renee was always on the verge of being Bipolar -it runs in the family- but it was never as bad after my beloved Bree passed from this world. My mother used to be so lovely, the perfect mother and as wondrous as you could imagine. After school, she'd bake me cookies and make up stories about her day. One of them I remember was how she had been on her way to work and a huge sea monster spluttered out of a sewage drain and nearly ate her car. Her eyes were the most alive and bright when she told her stories to Bree and I, it's when I loved her most. Another had been about her meeting a mysterious man who could run as fast as a train at full speed, who sparkled and glittered in the sunlight like diamonds, and could even hear your heartbeat. I've always liked that story best.
Renee had reminded me every night to brush my teeth, only to slip me a piping hot mug of cocoa before bedtime, much to Charlie's dismay. I almost chuckle at the thought, but I know I can't. Not after what she did. What she let other people do to me.
Bree had always been the favorite child. Still is. Even in death, Renee loved her more. We had to pry her fingers away from my sister's cold hand to lower the coffin into the hillside on the dreadful, rainy Sunday morning.
We had mass burials then.
Bree had died of the one disease that unleashed itself across the world, murdering many with icy fingers. It was slow, painful, and you're awake through it all. It surprises even the doctors that Bree was able to last so long- three months. On average, the disease takes you in three days. It was the spirit, the life in her that I think kept my little Bree going as long as she did.
A silent tear rolls down my cheek as I re-live pain. So much pain for thirteen years it really feels a lifetime. I remember on my worst days with Renee, when I'm cowering in a corners, writhing with pain in my mind and soul when I wished that my life would end. Show over. Curtains closed. The un-applauding audience grabbing their coats to leave my pathetic show.
I'm following Angela into the dark inaudibly, minding to myself. She doesn't notice me. No one did. On the day following Bree's funeral, Renee's depression stole the best of her, and she went insane. She cried herself to sleep at night, imagined Bree's presense in the morning. Having one-way conversations with her. Speaking Bree's part as well as her own. She even made extra food for her. A bowl filled to the brim with cereal, accompanied by an empty seat. Charlie finally admitted her into a mental hospital, which unsurprisingly had almost too many patients. Yes- even in apocalyptic mayhem, the ward lived on. Renee stayed there for three years, me visiting her every month, until she was released and confirmed sane by five doctors.
Renee then shifted from neglect, to abuse. It didn't take long before Charlie couldn't stand the sight of either of us. He left the family for a small, rainy town up in the mountains. I begged to go with him, and he never said a single word to me. Even when I clung to his leg as he walked out of our drafty apartment, carrying everything he owned, he shook me off and slammed the door in my face.
My memory is irrevacobly foggy at this point. I remember going to a hospital once, a few weeks after Charlie left, probably from a serious injury inflicted by Renee, who said I tripped down a flight of stairs into a window. I am clumsy, and the doctor's brushed it off. I don't recall ever leaving the hospital, just suddenly popping back into hell with Renee, with no escape. Either I'd been looney on the drugs the doctors prescribed, or that's when... I went to sleep.
"Bella."
I blink and thank Angela inwardly for breaking my revere. I didn't want to dwell on the past anymore. It's over and done with and I'm here now. Away from Renee's abuse. Phil's rape. Humanity's neglect, death, and disease. At least here, the scariest thing is the dark. I jog a few steps and bump into Angela, who obviously called for me because I was lacking behind, and she couldn't feel my presence anymore. "I'm real sorry, Ang, I was, er, zoning out a bit back there." I clutch onto the crook of her elbow. We're exceptionally close to another pinpoint of light, now. I can make out two figures crouching down in the dim light of their glowstick. I watch as one of them shifts, and suddenly the light is brighter. They light another glowstick. Which means they have more.
Angela and I walk briskly to them, growing in size to full forms of humans. There is a midnight haired man with murky green eyes, staring into the almost-burning light of the glowstick. It's set in between the two people like a campfire. He seems to be in his forties. The next creature is beautiful. Angelic, yet adult in her features. She looks to be about twenty-something, with her blond waves of hair spiraling down into an elegant twist at the nape of her neck, with her naturalness highlights, high cheekbones, small, full lips, and icy gray eyes, fixated on the light.
Angela clears her throat, but neither of them look up. She clears it again and speaks. "Aro," she nods to the midnight haired man, "Jane," she cuts her gaze to the child-like blonde woman. Their heads snap up in our direction, Aro's eyes soft and inviting, Jane's glare piercing my soul. I instinctively flinch back from her gaze, absolutely terrified. The young woman who seemed so harmless, so extraordinary, turns into an ugly, deadly snake. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Angela waves me over and introduces me to them. "Aro, Jane," she repeats, "this is Bella Swan. She's a Subject."
Aro's eyes alight with new interest. "Is she, now? Well, you're up early." He cocks his head to the side and raises his brow.
"So I hear..." I mumble.
He barks out a raspy laugh, hand on his head. "Ha! There's something... wrong about you."
I feel my brow furrow with confusion, and I'm about to broach the subject when Angela interrupts.
"Do you have an extra light?"
Aro stops laughing and points to a petite plastic box nestled beside him. Angela walks over, opens the box, and takes a glowstick. She snaps it together in her hands and it crackles to life, slowly but surely, filling the hallway with double the light. "Thank you." she tells Aro, and comes back to me.
"Bye now." Janes seethes, and I turn on my heels and resist the urge to run down the hallway like a little bitch. Her voice got the best of me, clawing at scabbing wounds. She sounded like Renee.
Angela quickly takes my hand and leads me down the hallway. "Sorry about that, Bella. They're doctors here, although I don't think they should be. Those two are really quite nuts."
"Are they? I thought that Aro guy was...nice enough." Yah, compared to the sadistic blondie.
"I guess you're right, but that Jane on the other hand..." she shivers. Wow. If this so called Jane is scary enough to make Angela shiver, I should be quarantined.
"She's different." I mutter, not wanting to go on with the subject, so I start a new one.
"What's a Subject?" I ask, stopping Angela in her tracks. She slowly turns and faces me.
"I know you don't remember, Bella, it's written all over your face. As strange as that is, it's not my story to tell, it's yours. In whatever way you became a Subject is completely your doing, more or less."
"So I have to remember?" I ask. Ang nods. I search through my brain, and come back empty handed. There's no way I can break through a fog that thick. Every time I think about what happened directly after arriving at the hospital, there's a blank expanse of white. I shake my head, telling Ang I simply can't remember. She sighs, and takes my hand again, leading me aimlessly.
"Where are we going?"
"No where." Angela answers, "Just wondering. Any place you want to go?"
Now that I think of it, I do actually need to go somewhere. Alice. "Is Alice still with Jasper?"
"I'm sure she is. I heard about him... very sad..." Ang's eyes prick with tears, and I wonder what kind of connection she has with Jasper Hale. "I can take you to them, I saw his room number in the morning report. I'm a nurse here."
A nurse seems a suiting job for Angela. She's caring, and quiet. Out of the way, but will come to your aid as soon as you need it. I really like Angela, she's a friend I want long-term. My second friend, ever, besides when I was a kid, which doesn't count.
"Please,"
Angela leads me down endless hallway after hallway, and I'm so glad the Cullen Project C21-0 has no windows. If I looked out of them and saw nothing but space I'd surely freak out and never move again, right there on the floor. But I keep my cool. "Here it is." Angela points to a door, streaming light down into the hall out of the window set in the door. I tap timidly on it. Am I right for coming back? Was Alice worrying about me at all? I do and don't hope so.
The door clinks, and then opens to reveal Dr. Carlisle. He looks very tired. Dark circles under his eyes. His hair in an utter amount of disarray from running a hand through it so much. Thumb and forefinger pinching the bridge of his nose in aggravation. The blue eyes in his skull are dull, not bright and full of life like they usually are. I clear my throat dryly.
"Um, hello, doctor Carlisle, I was, er, checking on Alice." He nods and tries to smooth out his features, trying to keep up with the unemotional-doctor facade. He waves me and Angela into the room.
"Come in, come in. Alice has been worried sick about you, Bella. Angela, welcome."
Angela nods and follows me through the door. The medical room is the same as I've left it before, except now it's bathed in a haunting green light, causing everyone's faces to get a doggedly tired and endearing quality. Or it could just be me. Emmett and Rosalie are still wrapped around each other against the far wall, Esme and Alice are at Jasper's side, who's covered in a slick sheen of sweat, coughing. Cope sits quietly in a corner, Edward is glued to his loveseat we shared. I carefully walk over to the loveseat as quietly as I could manage, tripping over my own feet as usual, I land next to Edward, who slides to make room for me. It's hard, what with his lengthy frame, but I'm seated comfortably. Angela heads over and sits on the floor in front of my feet.
Every soul in the room is dead-silent. Not one word is spoken. They all hold their breath, anticipating something. I close my eyes -not sleeping, of course, not ever- relaxing a little. I steal glances at Edward, and I catch him staring right back at me occasionally. I blush, duck my head to hide my face, and twidle my thumbs. Hours seems to pass before Jasper's starts an erratic fit of coughing. Alice starts to wail and dabs his mouth with a hankerchief, it returns maroon and begging for more. Carlisle sprints over and pours a small vile of clear, crisp liquid into Jasper's mouth. Carlisle casts a look of fear towards his son-in-law. Jasper swallows most of it, and Alice takes the excess away with the end of her sleeve.
After a while, things are calming down, and I can't take Edward's penetrating gaze any longer. I break the silence and speak to Angela, more to save myself than her, even though I know she's hurting from the cold tile floor.
"Switch spots with me?"
She nods enthusiastically and hops up, knees cracking. I feel insensitive for not offering it to her earlier, and plop my ass down by her feet. I sense Edward's eyes on my back the whole way, but I pretend not to notice. Time continues on, slowly but surely, until I'm practically falling over from boredom. I don't dare leave though, for fear of them resenting me for it, calling me out on my weakness.
Then, finally, finally, the lights up ahead start to flicker and sputter out, only to come back again, like strobe likes. All heads snap up in it's direction, their breath hitching. I watch too, fascinated by the lights quick movements. They flicker for what seems like eternity, before is smooths over into a constant flow. Every chest in the room breathes a sigh of relief. There's a miniscule beeping noise coming from Jasper now that wasn't there before. I whip my head around to see that Jasper has been hooked up to a big machine, with flashing lights and beep noises, the whole lot. It looks very expensive. Rosalie asks the question I've been itching to hear. I love her for it, because I'd never have the guts to do it myself.
"How long was the power out." It's not a question, because Rosalie knows she'll be answered. Carlisle relectently pulls a handheld from his back pocket, searching for the time. His breath hitches and everybody freezes in place, even me.
"Seven hours, forty-two minutes."
Rosalie, Cope, and Esme stare at Dr. Cullen with disbelief. Emmett melts away from Rose's side and is streaming curses at the top of his lungs. "Shit! Shit shit shit!"
"Fuck!" Emmett fist pounds the wall, and I watch in wonder at his hand comes back littered with tile and drywall. Edward springs from the couch, barely scimming my head and is cursing along with Emmett in clear rage. I've never seen him so angry, so open with his emotions. Where's the calm and collected doctor I ran into the other day? Who so nicely gave me clothes and showed me my room when Alice wasn't able? I wouldn't be shocked if Edward was part animal, he's so obsessed with rage.
"What's going on?!" I shout at the top of my lungs. They ice over and twist their faces to stare at me. Shit. Me and my huge mouth. At least they're quiet...
"The power," Carlisle clears his throat dryly before he can continue, "was out... longer than we thought." He casts a nervous glance at his son-in-law, who is now concious and trying to comfort Alice with a shaking hand through her spiky hair. I wait for more of an explanation, and Carlisle stalls, seeming to collect himself. "All the extra energy pods we have are most likely almost used up on the Subjects now, to keep the sleep units going... which means-"
Edward inturpts his step-father, cutting him off in a cold, almost robotic voice. "If the power goes out again, Jasper's life support will fail." I look at the strange machine hooked in Jasper with new eyes. That machine there is Jasper's lifeline. Jasper's disease dawns on me. The very one that took her with icy fingers, proded and crushed her chest to squeeze the life out of her. Steal her heartbeats. Jasper had the sickness that murdered Bree out of my life. I stare at Edward with horror as people cheer outside of the Cullen's tense bubble. "The lights are back!" If only they knew somebody's life was connected to those very lights...
I don't think they'd be cheering.
End of Chapter Seven.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Chapter Six: A Gravity Comedic Show
Chapter Six: A Gravity Comedic Show
I pace the room. I watch food network on the holographic television. I lay in my bed. I go in the bathroom and wash my hands just to smell the clean soap. I fiddle my fingers. I run my hands repeatedly through my hair to rid of the disarray.
It's been a few hours, -or at least if felt like it- and Alice still hasn't shown up to bandage me or give me the tour she was so eager to guide. There is definitely something missing in this situation. Complicated puzzle piece. I wrack my brain for where she would scamper off to but I realize I know almost nothing about this woman. Or the places she could go. I sigh and crash onto the bed again.
I want to go run outside. I still have enough bottled up energy for that. But I know I can't, because I'll end up helplessly lost in the labyrinth. My face connects with the pillow and I can't breathe. I stay there just to see how long I can hold it. A pretty lengthy time, actually. If Renee had ever let me try out for sports it would've been swimming. I liked being in water.
With sudden inspiration I go to my bathroom to a giant tub. I swear my private bathroom is almost the same size as the bedroom itself.
I do know why that have a community bath, though. There is only a tub here, but no shower faucet. If somebody wanted to get in and out in a hurry they'd go for the shower. Alice must have been anxious for the tour, and couldn't wait for me in the bath. But then why would she leave? And hasn't Edward found her yet? I mean, honestly, my neck stings. Bad. He should have at least sent someone for me. Is that so hard? No it isn't. Edward forgot.
I shake these thoughts from my mind and start the tub. I'm still fairly clean but even in my thick clothes I'm starting to grow cold. I feel the hot water running from the the faucet with my fingers and relish in the warmth. It soon gets way to hot and steamy so I pull my hand out and wait. I don't turn the temperature down. Instead, I wait a couple minutes before shredding my clothes and stepping into the still-steamy bathtub. It's so big and comforting I sigh and try to relax.
So much energy. My toes are tapping on the edge of the tub along with my fingertips. An endless beat-less rhythm. I stay in the tub and dunk myself in repeatedly to practice holding my breath. Over and over and over until I'm dizzy. I gasp for air and lean my head on the edge of the tub. It reminds me of the grave. I wonder where Alice is now? Or Edward? Are they even thinking if I'm okay? Are they thinking about me at all? Probably not. Or my neck would be bandaged and my tour finished.
I finally drag myself out of the tub when it starts to get chilly. The last thing I need in this place is frozen toes when I don't have socks. I dry myself with the same fluffy white towel from this morning because it's really not that dirty. I put my hair up in the towel and leave it there to dry. Pulling my sweatpants and shirt on again, I crawl into bed because my toes are freezing.
I'm debating whether or not I should leave the room, even if I do get lost. Just for something to do. Then, I feel a huge lurch deep in my stomach as the bed dips under me. I scream and hold on the the edges of the mattress.
What. The. Chickenshit.
It feels like I'm in an airplane and we're having major turbulence. I shout for Alice and Edward because I don't know if it's me, or the hospital's moving. Is it an earthquake? No, that doesn't seem right. And the Cullen Project C21-0 is obviously too large to be an airplane. I'm strangling the sheets balled up in my hands. My towel flies off my head as if it has a mind of its own and sticks to the metal door. Gravity is shifting. My bedside table starts to screech it's way across the metal part of my floor. I want to cover my ears, but my hands are all but glued to the sheets of my bed. My bed starts to shift, and then I really start to panic.
"Alice! Edward! Carlisle!"
I squeeze my eyes shut to withhold the images before me. Furniture sliding. Water spewing out of the bathroom door in small orbs. Floating. Superman liquid. My ceiling is growing. Getting closer and closer. So dangerously close. Could this be real? What if I'm dreaming...? My screams have not ceased and they grow louder because it all won't stop.
Suddenly, the air rushes out of my lungs as my bed hits the floor with a hard impact. Whoosh. I hear the oxygen escaping from me. There's a splashing sound as all the water droplets hit the floor and soak my gray rug. The wardrobe is stagnant, but twisted at an odd angle with the wall, and my bedside table lays cracked at the foot of the front door. A static-ridden voice explodes out into my room from the ceiling. I jump and look up at the ceiling. A speaker rests in the middle of it. That must be where the sound is coming from.
"Attention! There has just been an extreme gravity malfunction caused by a fried wire in the system. Please, do not panic, workers are attending to it as we speak. Do not expect this to happen again. If anything near you is broken or damaged, please contact a worker. Resume your business."
The message repeats itself three more times before it finally crawls back into the speaker. Gravity shift? What are we in, space? I laugh at the completely ridiculous thought. Space? This? Please. I'm recovered from my fright as quickly as it came, simply glad that it's over and done with. The voice in the speaker said it would not happen again, but I don't trust it. I walk across the room carefully, expecting the floor to fall out from under me again like the wolf trying to get the roadrunner.
I'm finally at the door. I carefully pick up my glass end table and set it by my bed, which I straighten out. The crack in the table is quite large, but if I don't lay anything on it I think it will be fine. The holographic television and stand are surprisingly unscathed, and I quickly set my wardrobe back in it's place.
The puddles are a different story. They must have seeped out of the bathtub that was still draining. I wrack my brain and remember that they were floating, but that could've been me just freaking out. I stubble into the bathroom, infamously tripping over my own feet. The bathtub hasn't tipped over, like I supposed it would be. Then how did the water get out...?
There's a knock on the door that separates my from that thought. I jog over to the door and open it wide to a handsome dark skinned man with dreadlocks and humble brown eyes.
"Hello, miss. Are you all right? As you probably know, we experienced a gravity shift, so we are checking each room for damage to the people or their possessions." The man moves his head to try to look around me, and notices I've put almost everything in there good order. He nods to himself.
"Um, there's a glass table that cracked, and my floor is soaked but other than that I'm sure you have more important things to take care of." I tell him and he smiles. His grin fades quickly.
"Do you need a bandage? What happened?" He's noticed my neck.
"Oh, that's from the other day, and I would like a bandage..." The man unfolds a backpack and unzips it. He presents me a gauze and wraps it on my neck. "Thank you."
"Would you like some pain pills? It's inflamed, I think you have a small infection."
"Please," I state and hold out my hand to accept two pain pills. I swallow them dryly and my throat convulses as I choke them down. An all too familiar feeling... "Thanks, again."
"You're welcome, Miss..." He pauses.
"Bella. Call me Bella." He smiles widely and his white teeth are very straight. They contrast nicely with his dark skin.
"Bella. My name is Laurent." He shakes my hand but lets go quickly, obviously in a hurry but sustaining politeness. "I need to attend to the other rooms in this section now, Miss Bella."
I nod and wave at him as he knocks on the door to the right of mine. He's really nice. I leave my wet room and walk down the hallway, not sure of where I'm going but it's better than the confines of that place. There are no broken things in the hall but there was nothing in here to begin with except for people. Who are buzzing around right now checking to see if everything's in order. I get shoved a couple times and I'm the one that says sorry. I shouldn't be in their way.
I round a corner and practically fall down a set of stairs to the first floor. Grabbing hold of the railing, I lose my footing and slide down until my bum comes into contact with the bottom metal step. Ow.
Why does it have to be metal, anyway? Practically everything is. The walls. The floors. The stairs. Boring, drab, and down-right ugly. Oh, and hurtful. Don't forget hurtful. I get up with a huff and rub my ass. That really did hurt.
I stagger into a mess hall. It's filled with food and broken plates scattered on every metal surface. It's slippery and I barely hold my footing. Dozens of people are bending over to pick up food scraps and are audibly cursing under their breath. The food goes in the green bags, and the glass plate bits in orange ones. There's a cleared pathway out of the mess hall a few feet to the left so I hop over and walk across it towards the exit.
"Hey, it's you." I freeze. I recognize that voice. James. Mr. Tattoo.
I break into a jog for the exit. Being the klutz I am, I stumble and fall to my knees right my a smashed watermelon.
"Need a hand?" I glance up toward the sky and find James staring down at me. His hazel eyes piercing my soul and sending a shiver up my spine. He holds he arm out to me, and I take it cautiously. He hoists me up and I immediately let go of his hand and place it at my side.
"Thanks." I say curtly and continue on my way, not looking back.
"Wait a second there, Bella, I'd like to have a chat..."
Shit.
What would he like to "chat" about? I don't care for this man at all, and honestly, he makes me gag.
"About what?" I say rudely, and I'm staring at the floor. I can't handle his hazel eyes that pierce skin and bone and soul. Searching the darkness there.
"I was wondering..." James lifts a hand to tuck a runaway lock of hair behind my ear. I shiver at his touch. James must mistake my reaction because he steps closer to me, our bodies almost touching. He reminds me so much of Phil and I feel as if I'm going to throw up all over his dirty shoes. He looks down at my shirt and I cross my arms over my chest. "...If you and me-"
"Bella!" I almost leap for joy at the sight of Alice, forcing her way through the mushy floor in her black stilettos. I've missed the Tigger Pixie. I forgive her right away just by seeing her face. I can tell my the urgency in her voice that she's saving me. Her shoes click-clack on the metal floor and she stands at my side, ignoring James. "I need you to come with me, Bella. Now." The dim light in her eyes is real, that I see. This isn't an act. Alice is hurting for real. I nod my head yes and without sparing a glance in Jame's direction we all but sprint out of the mess hall, leaving a stunned James behind us.
"Alice, what's the matter?" I raise my eyebrows as she grabs hold of my shirt, pulling me with her. I try to keep up the pace but she's amazingly fast for someone so small.
"It's Jasper," Alice almost sobs. "He's sick."
Dammit. I've been so selfish for being mad at Alice before. Of course she would leave me to be at her husband's side. She must of thought I wouldn't be dumb enough not to ask someone for help. Yet I make a fool of myself and crash into her twin who doesn't seem to like me much. It still doesn't explain why he didn't send somebody for me. Maybe he was too wrapped up in his brother-in-law's sickness it slipped his mind. It makes me feel a tiny bit better knowing he didn't dump me in my room on purpose. We fly up two flights of stairs before I can get a word in.
"I'm so sorry. You shouldn't be with me, Alice, you should be with your hus-"
"I am." Alice hisses at me and I've never seen her so aggravated. "Well, I'm on my way anyway. I just needed to figure out where you were so I can keep on eye on you." She turns a corner and comes to a stop in front of a door marked 3-A1. Third floor, section A, room one. "Would you rather wait out here, or come in?"
"Whatever makes you more comfortable, Alice. I don't want to intrude..."
"You won't. Besides, if you're out here I wouldn't really be keeping an eye on you, eh? And you'd probably get bored and run off. 'Common-" Alice scans her finger on the door and opens it wide. She waves me forward and I enter first while she shuts the door behind her softly, the metal door extracting a barely audible click.
The room is all white and very sterile. A typical hospital room. There's a computer at the foot of Jasper's bed with his name in it, but I'm too far away to read the diagnosis. I gasp at the amount of people in this room. Carlisle is sitting in a chair by Jasper's bed, Emmett leans against a wall at the far corner of the room, Rosalie molded into him. Cope from the community showers is sitting in another chair by Jasper, and a tall pretty woman is kneeling by Jasper's side, hand in hand. That could only be Esme. Edward is sitting on a very uncomfortable loveseat close to Cope, alone and with his head in his hands. No one is wearing any kind of uniform, they're casually dressed, except for Rose, who's in a neon blue cocktail dress and heels. I stop abruptly and Alice whistles past. Esme automatically gives Alice room, and let's Alice take Jasper's right hand.
"Jazz, can you hear me?"
Jasper is sick. It's plain all over his features. His eyes are dim and far-back, as if he's seeing different scenes in his mind rather then whats happening outside. Dark shadows encircle his eyelids and his face shines with a slick layer of sweat. His breath comes in pants. I do see him register, though. He grips Alice's hand and mumbles something in her ear. Alice nods and strokes his cheek.
I duck my head, knowing I'm looking in on something intimate. I wonder why Cope is here. Maybe she knows Rosalie, or Alice or any one of the people in this room but I decide it doesn't matter. Because Edward is seeming very lonely on that loveseat.
I steal a glance in his direction and catch him watching me. He raises his eyebrows. Edward leans back and then pats the open space beside him. Edward wants me to sit with him? Well, I won't object. Making the least noise I can with my clumsy limbs I clamber into the loveseat and lean back. Edward doesn't speak. I'm not expecting him to, they're all here for Jasper and I'm here for Alice. I catch Rosalie glaring at me from her corner, and Emmett hugs her body closer.
We stay like this for a few minutes, before Esme breaks the silence. "I'm going to get coffee. Who wants some?" Everybody raises their hand except for me. I don't like coffee. Edwards head shifts toward me and he gives an incredulous look.
"I'm not a fan of coffee." I tell him, barely louder than a whisper. He nods his head and leans his chin on his hands, leaning away from me so I can't see his face. I notice I still have no bra and underwear. I feel a deep blush creeping to my cheeks. I duck my head and cross my arms over my chest to hide. It's then that Jasper starts coughing. Bad. Alice jumps up and lifts him into a sitting position. Blood is beginning to pool around the corner of Jasper's mouth and then everyone is on their feet.
Carlisle is the first into action. "Edward, go get a nurse."
Edward is out the door before I have the chance to watch him leave. Carlisle tests Jasper's pulse while Alice wipes off Jasper's mouth with a handkerchief. It comes back red. Alice is sobbing into his shirt. I shouldn't be here. I turn and walk out of the door. No one notices my absence. I'll catch up with Edward and he can tell me how to get back to my room.
I see Edward walking very fast in my direction, Jessica in tow. I'll be damned if she isn't qualified for this. I glare at her as she passes but she ignores me. She's too busy staring at Edward's ass. I'm tempted to let my foot out and make her fall on that makeup-smeared face of hers but she's too late and she's disappeared through the door. Edward doesn't go inside.
He leans against the wall, looking defeated before he finally slumps to the ground in a fetal position. My heart goes out for him and I walk toward Edward tentatively.
"Anything I can do?" I ask. There must be something I'm good for here.
"No, Bella. Could you just- sit with me?"
That's a surprise. I shuffle over and sit beside him. It's not the most comfortable place what with the metal floor but I don't care. I'm about to wrap an arm around him but think better of it. He doesn't say anything for roughly ten minutes before the silence is driving me mad.
"Can I get you something?"
Edward shakes his head no but finally releases it from the prison his hands constructed. He leans his head on the wall. Edward's hair is at the craziest I've ever seen it and it's most likely from him repeatedly running his hands through his hair.
When he eventually speaks his velvet voice is rough and cracked. "Seeing Jasper like that..." He shakes his head again and closes his eyes for a moment before releasing them. "And then knowing I can't do anything to help..." His slams his hands down on the floor and it creates a loud snap. I flinch at the sudden noise and recoil away from him before recovering and scooting over closer, trying to comfort a man I barely knew.
"It just aggravates me."
I know how he's feeling. Helpless and hopeless and on the verge of being out of control. This time, I do drape an arm over his shoulders and recoil slightly as electricity courses through me. I take my arm back and duck my head, embarrassed. What was it about this man that's so enticing? I want to touch him again, but the expression on his face holds me at bay. Utter confusion, and shock.
"I shouldn't be bothering you. I'll go back to my room." I unfold myself from the ground and wince as my knees crack. My energy as depleted extremely and I feel slightly sleepy. I wonder where the Cullen Project C21-0 keeps the Paraquin...
"Which way?" I ask timidly and he points down the the hallway to my right. "Go down that hallway, then down the set of stairs at the end of the hall, turn left, keep walking until you get to Section 7. I think you can take it from there."
Okay, those directions are easy enough. I nod, and he tilts his head downward in response, silently telling me to go. I follow Edward's instructions and amazingly I'm back in my room.
My feet make squelching noises on the wet rug so I roll it up and prop it against a wall. The floor is damp but I just ignore it. It will dry eventually.
I'm feeling tired an it scares me. What scares me more is the electric feeling I have whenever I'm around Edward. Like some force is pulling me toward him however hard I struggle to resist.
I make my bed and redo it until there isn't a crease or wrinkle to be spotted. I rearrange my furniture half a dozen times but I like it best the way they had it first. There is not one thing to do in this room besides watch television, and I noticed every channel has reruns nonstop.
I would find this weird and annoying but it's not on the top of the list of my priorities right now. The first is finding out what caused the strange gravity shift earlier, and the second is dealing with Edward. Or maybe that should be first.
I sigh and walk out of the room down the hall. I have no idea who my neighbors are. This isn't the best time to get acquainted though, everyone is still cleaning up the mess the gravity shift caused. Dozen of people still scatter down the hall, cleaning and repairing and moving out spoiled, broken items. Maybe I'll help.
I spot a midnight haired girl hefting a cart full of buckets. I look closer and see that they're full of heavy glass shards. The cart looks heavy and the black haired girl is struggling.
"Need any help?" I step in front of the cart.
"Oh, um, no I got it." She pushes her glasses up that were sliding down her nose and sniffs. Is she sick? My eyes widen with horror at the thought that Jasper's sickness could be spreading, but I push it back. My mind is just running at full speed at pulling random thoughts into the air to give it something to do. She obviously has a simple cold, or a case of the sniffles. Allergies.
"Please, I want to help. I have nothing to do."
"Er, well... okay. If you put it that way..." She moves to the side to make room for me and I walk over to her and grab the right side part of the handle on the cart. We start pushing and I let her steer mostly, not knowing where this will go. She breaks the silence first.
"I'm Angela."
"Bella." I tell her and give her a smile.
"It's really nice for you to do this, by the way. Thanks." She steers the cart around a corner and we enter a large metal room. It's very loud in here and it sounds like something is grinding metal under our feet. The metal floor slightly vibrates.
"You're welcome!" I yell over the noise, and cup my hands toward her as she leaves the cart, a bucket in each hand. I follow suit and grab a larger bucket in both hands. She stops at a huge round cylinder in the middle of the room. It's height reaches up to a few inches above my waist. The center of the oval is dominated by a gaping hole with huge turbines in it, tearing up whatever's inside. Angela dumps the glass contents of her buckets into the oval and they slide down into the turbine. The turbine eats of the glass shards hungrily and a ear-splitting noise chokes the air. I drop the bucket quickly and cover my ears.
I see Angela's mouth open and it looks like she's laughing and shaking her head. She takes hold of my bucket from the ground and dumps it in. The noise is deafening but I finally free my hands from my ears and help Angela with returning the empty buckets the to cart. After about ten minutes the last of the buckets is cleared and we leave the room.
Angela shuts the heavy metal door behind us and I'm thankful that the noise is muted. There's a slight ringing in my ears and I pick at them with a finger, coaxing the sound to register.
"What is that place?" I ask and start pushing the cart along with her back the way we came.
"Don't you know? It's the garbage room." Angela cock her head to the side.
"I've never been around the place, much." I say, and to make things clearer for her, I use a term I heard Edward call me once. "I'm a Subject."
Her eyes widen. "So you're up early? That's strange."
"That's what I hear..." I say. I still don't know what a Subject is but it reminds me of a submissive so I just don't want to know.
Angela nods her head and hands the cart to a burly man with my buckets full of broken glass. I shiver as I remember the sounds of the garbage room and I'd rather not go in there again.
"You don't have to come back with me, Bella." Angela smiles, sensing my discomfort. "It's my break, anyway. Would you like to eat with me?"
My stomach growls. It approves. I haven't noticed how famished I was and I grab my stomach. "Please."
"This way," Angela takes my arms briefly and pulls.
We eventually reach the mess hall downstairs and I search the room for James. He's gone. I exhale with relief. The mess hall is somewhat cleaner than before. There's a counter full of food. Buffet style. But Angela takes a moderate size of food. A salad, breadstick, and a container of pudding. I do the same, not wanting to seem rude but add an apple to the mix. Angela clears off a table and we sit down.
We eat in comfortable silence and other workers start to file in to eat. The mess hall is soon full and chattering. Angela and I finish our meal and I have no idea if it was lunch or dinner or even breakfast. I ask Angela for the time.
She glances at a digital clock set in the wall above our heads. "It's 2:30, why do you ask?"
"It's hard to keep track of time, here. I've been sleeping for a while and just woke up this... Morning? Afternoon? So I didn't know if we just had lunch or dinner."
Angela laughs at this and her laugh is very young and carefree. She seems more like a child even though she looked about twenty-five.
"I really like you, Bella. You're funny. I think we're going to be good friends."
I beam at her and she returns the smile. I give her a small short hug as it feels a little awkward for me but she seems okay with it. We wonder around the building for a few minutes on a semi-tour. Not the grand kind I knew Alice would have conjured up but Ang showed me the basics. She showed me how to get to the mess hall, community bathroom, and medical wing from my room. I memorized the route knowing I'd need the medical wing eventually.
After a while of walking through an abandoned medical wing, I turn and face Angela. "Do you think you could give me a dose of Paraquin? I'm feeling tired."
"Of course, Bella!" She tells me and struts to a locker. She opens it and takes out a small package.
"Here you are." She hands me the clear plastic packet and I see small white tablets inside.
"I thought it's supposed to be injected into your arm?" I ask and point at the crook of my elbow. Angela shakes her head.
"That's one way, and it's faster, sure, but I find it painful. This is Paraquin in pill form. It also comes in a drinkable liquid but it has the nastiest taste so I wouldn't recommend it." I nod and accept the little package greatfully. I noticed that Angela didn't have to unlock the locker she pulled them from so now I know where they are, if I need them.
"Thanks, Ang." I open the resealable packet, "How many do I take?"
"Just one." Angela states. I pull out one and swallow it dryly, my throat convulsing.
Then everything is dark. The lights flicker and sputter out lifelessly. I squeal and feel out in the air for Angela's arm. She yelps out in surprise at my touch but recovers and wraps and arm around my torso, holding her to me. The lights return after a few seconds but then flicker and die out again. We stay standing in the medical wing for what seems like hours but the lights never come.
"We have to move." Angela says and links an arm through mine. She pulls me along with her as I hear her shuffling around. "Got it!" Suddenly, I hear a snapping noise and a glowing light appears before me. A glow stick. And a powerful one at that. I can see about ten feet in each direction, before it fades to blackness. I spot pinpoints of light in random places and I suspect it's other people, just finding their glowsticks.
Angela's face is twisted in fear. I don't know why though, it's just a blackout. It's then that I notice that they're are no windows in this hospital that I've seen, so far. Why wouldn't it have windows? If they did it wouldn't be so dark, now. It is only 2:30, the sun should be high in the sky.
"Angela, why are there no windows anywhere?"
She gives my a quizzing look. "What?"
"Why aren't there windows?"
"Well, there are, but not much."
"Why is that?" I wonder where the scarce windows are around the Cullen building.
"To avoid as much oxygen leaks as possible, why do you ask?"
"Oxygen leaks?!" I hiss, incredulous. Holy shit.
"Yes, Bella, don't you remember coming here?"
"No. I don't remember anything!"
I'm so frustrated. Why can't I remember coming here, like they say I do? I can feel my eyes prick and I hate myself for my emotions to be connected to my tears. I hate crying when I'm mad. She seems to understand my confusion, or maybe she just doesn't want to snoop in my business.
Angela pats my hand, sorry for telling me whatever she's going to say next.
"We're in space."
My knees buckle under me.
End of chapter six.
“You can't blame gravity for falling in love.”-Albert Einstein
I pace the room. I watch food network on the holographic television. I lay in my bed. I go in the bathroom and wash my hands just to smell the clean soap. I fiddle my fingers. I run my hands repeatedly through my hair to rid of the disarray.
It's been a few hours, -or at least if felt like it- and Alice still hasn't shown up to bandage me or give me the tour she was so eager to guide. There is definitely something missing in this situation. Complicated puzzle piece. I wrack my brain for where she would scamper off to but I realize I know almost nothing about this woman. Or the places she could go. I sigh and crash onto the bed again.
I want to go run outside. I still have enough bottled up energy for that. But I know I can't, because I'll end up helplessly lost in the labyrinth. My face connects with the pillow and I can't breathe. I stay there just to see how long I can hold it. A pretty lengthy time, actually. If Renee had ever let me try out for sports it would've been swimming. I liked being in water.
With sudden inspiration I go to my bathroom to a giant tub. I swear my private bathroom is almost the same size as the bedroom itself.
I do know why that have a community bath, though. There is only a tub here, but no shower faucet. If somebody wanted to get in and out in a hurry they'd go for the shower. Alice must have been anxious for the tour, and couldn't wait for me in the bath. But then why would she leave? And hasn't Edward found her yet? I mean, honestly, my neck stings. Bad. He should have at least sent someone for me. Is that so hard? No it isn't. Edward forgot.
I shake these thoughts from my mind and start the tub. I'm still fairly clean but even in my thick clothes I'm starting to grow cold. I feel the hot water running from the the faucet with my fingers and relish in the warmth. It soon gets way to hot and steamy so I pull my hand out and wait. I don't turn the temperature down. Instead, I wait a couple minutes before shredding my clothes and stepping into the still-steamy bathtub. It's so big and comforting I sigh and try to relax.
So much energy. My toes are tapping on the edge of the tub along with my fingertips. An endless beat-less rhythm. I stay in the tub and dunk myself in repeatedly to practice holding my breath. Over and over and over until I'm dizzy. I gasp for air and lean my head on the edge of the tub. It reminds me of the grave. I wonder where Alice is now? Or Edward? Are they even thinking if I'm okay? Are they thinking about me at all? Probably not. Or my neck would be bandaged and my tour finished.
I finally drag myself out of the tub when it starts to get chilly. The last thing I need in this place is frozen toes when I don't have socks. I dry myself with the same fluffy white towel from this morning because it's really not that dirty. I put my hair up in the towel and leave it there to dry. Pulling my sweatpants and shirt on again, I crawl into bed because my toes are freezing.
I'm debating whether or not I should leave the room, even if I do get lost. Just for something to do. Then, I feel a huge lurch deep in my stomach as the bed dips under me. I scream and hold on the the edges of the mattress.
What. The. Chickenshit.
It feels like I'm in an airplane and we're having major turbulence. I shout for Alice and Edward because I don't know if it's me, or the hospital's moving. Is it an earthquake? No, that doesn't seem right. And the Cullen Project C21-0 is obviously too large to be an airplane. I'm strangling the sheets balled up in my hands. My towel flies off my head as if it has a mind of its own and sticks to the metal door. Gravity is shifting. My bedside table starts to screech it's way across the metal part of my floor. I want to cover my ears, but my hands are all but glued to the sheets of my bed. My bed starts to shift, and then I really start to panic.
"Alice! Edward! Carlisle!"
I squeeze my eyes shut to withhold the images before me. Furniture sliding. Water spewing out of the bathroom door in small orbs. Floating. Superman liquid. My ceiling is growing. Getting closer and closer. So dangerously close. Could this be real? What if I'm dreaming...? My screams have not ceased and they grow louder because it all won't stop.
Suddenly, the air rushes out of my lungs as my bed hits the floor with a hard impact. Whoosh. I hear the oxygen escaping from me. There's a splashing sound as all the water droplets hit the floor and soak my gray rug. The wardrobe is stagnant, but twisted at an odd angle with the wall, and my bedside table lays cracked at the foot of the front door. A static-ridden voice explodes out into my room from the ceiling. I jump and look up at the ceiling. A speaker rests in the middle of it. That must be where the sound is coming from.
"Attention! There has just been an extreme gravity malfunction caused by a fried wire in the system. Please, do not panic, workers are attending to it as we speak. Do not expect this to happen again. If anything near you is broken or damaged, please contact a worker. Resume your business."
The message repeats itself three more times before it finally crawls back into the speaker. Gravity shift? What are we in, space? I laugh at the completely ridiculous thought. Space? This? Please. I'm recovered from my fright as quickly as it came, simply glad that it's over and done with. The voice in the speaker said it would not happen again, but I don't trust it. I walk across the room carefully, expecting the floor to fall out from under me again like the wolf trying to get the roadrunner.
I'm finally at the door. I carefully pick up my glass end table and set it by my bed, which I straighten out. The crack in the table is quite large, but if I don't lay anything on it I think it will be fine. The holographic television and stand are surprisingly unscathed, and I quickly set my wardrobe back in it's place.
The puddles are a different story. They must have seeped out of the bathtub that was still draining. I wrack my brain and remember that they were floating, but that could've been me just freaking out. I stubble into the bathroom, infamously tripping over my own feet. The bathtub hasn't tipped over, like I supposed it would be. Then how did the water get out...?
There's a knock on the door that separates my from that thought. I jog over to the door and open it wide to a handsome dark skinned man with dreadlocks and humble brown eyes.
"Hello, miss. Are you all right? As you probably know, we experienced a gravity shift, so we are checking each room for damage to the people or their possessions." The man moves his head to try to look around me, and notices I've put almost everything in there good order. He nods to himself.
"Um, there's a glass table that cracked, and my floor is soaked but other than that I'm sure you have more important things to take care of." I tell him and he smiles. His grin fades quickly.
"Do you need a bandage? What happened?" He's noticed my neck.
"Oh, that's from the other day, and I would like a bandage..." The man unfolds a backpack and unzips it. He presents me a gauze and wraps it on my neck. "Thank you."
"Would you like some pain pills? It's inflamed, I think you have a small infection."
"Please," I state and hold out my hand to accept two pain pills. I swallow them dryly and my throat convulses as I choke them down. An all too familiar feeling... "Thanks, again."
"You're welcome, Miss..." He pauses.
"Bella. Call me Bella." He smiles widely and his white teeth are very straight. They contrast nicely with his dark skin.
"Bella. My name is Laurent." He shakes my hand but lets go quickly, obviously in a hurry but sustaining politeness. "I need to attend to the other rooms in this section now, Miss Bella."
I nod and wave at him as he knocks on the door to the right of mine. He's really nice. I leave my wet room and walk down the hallway, not sure of where I'm going but it's better than the confines of that place. There are no broken things in the hall but there was nothing in here to begin with except for people. Who are buzzing around right now checking to see if everything's in order. I get shoved a couple times and I'm the one that says sorry. I shouldn't be in their way.
I round a corner and practically fall down a set of stairs to the first floor. Grabbing hold of the railing, I lose my footing and slide down until my bum comes into contact with the bottom metal step. Ow.
Why does it have to be metal, anyway? Practically everything is. The walls. The floors. The stairs. Boring, drab, and down-right ugly. Oh, and hurtful. Don't forget hurtful. I get up with a huff and rub my ass. That really did hurt.
I stagger into a mess hall. It's filled with food and broken plates scattered on every metal surface. It's slippery and I barely hold my footing. Dozens of people are bending over to pick up food scraps and are audibly cursing under their breath. The food goes in the green bags, and the glass plate bits in orange ones. There's a cleared pathway out of the mess hall a few feet to the left so I hop over and walk across it towards the exit.
"Hey, it's you." I freeze. I recognize that voice. James. Mr. Tattoo.
I break into a jog for the exit. Being the klutz I am, I stumble and fall to my knees right my a smashed watermelon.
"Need a hand?" I glance up toward the sky and find James staring down at me. His hazel eyes piercing my soul and sending a shiver up my spine. He holds he arm out to me, and I take it cautiously. He hoists me up and I immediately let go of his hand and place it at my side.
"Thanks." I say curtly and continue on my way, not looking back.
"Wait a second there, Bella, I'd like to have a chat..."
Shit.
What would he like to "chat" about? I don't care for this man at all, and honestly, he makes me gag.
"About what?" I say rudely, and I'm staring at the floor. I can't handle his hazel eyes that pierce skin and bone and soul. Searching the darkness there.
"I was wondering..." James lifts a hand to tuck a runaway lock of hair behind my ear. I shiver at his touch. James must mistake my reaction because he steps closer to me, our bodies almost touching. He reminds me so much of Phil and I feel as if I'm going to throw up all over his dirty shoes. He looks down at my shirt and I cross my arms over my chest. "...If you and me-"
"Bella!" I almost leap for joy at the sight of Alice, forcing her way through the mushy floor in her black stilettos. I've missed the Tigger Pixie. I forgive her right away just by seeing her face. I can tell my the urgency in her voice that she's saving me. Her shoes click-clack on the metal floor and she stands at my side, ignoring James. "I need you to come with me, Bella. Now." The dim light in her eyes is real, that I see. This isn't an act. Alice is hurting for real. I nod my head yes and without sparing a glance in Jame's direction we all but sprint out of the mess hall, leaving a stunned James behind us.
"Alice, what's the matter?" I raise my eyebrows as she grabs hold of my shirt, pulling me with her. I try to keep up the pace but she's amazingly fast for someone so small.
"It's Jasper," Alice almost sobs. "He's sick."
Dammit. I've been so selfish for being mad at Alice before. Of course she would leave me to be at her husband's side. She must of thought I wouldn't be dumb enough not to ask someone for help. Yet I make a fool of myself and crash into her twin who doesn't seem to like me much. It still doesn't explain why he didn't send somebody for me. Maybe he was too wrapped up in his brother-in-law's sickness it slipped his mind. It makes me feel a tiny bit better knowing he didn't dump me in my room on purpose. We fly up two flights of stairs before I can get a word in.
"I'm so sorry. You shouldn't be with me, Alice, you should be with your hus-"
"I am." Alice hisses at me and I've never seen her so aggravated. "Well, I'm on my way anyway. I just needed to figure out where you were so I can keep on eye on you." She turns a corner and comes to a stop in front of a door marked 3-A1. Third floor, section A, room one. "Would you rather wait out here, or come in?"
"Whatever makes you more comfortable, Alice. I don't want to intrude..."
"You won't. Besides, if you're out here I wouldn't really be keeping an eye on you, eh? And you'd probably get bored and run off. 'Common-" Alice scans her finger on the door and opens it wide. She waves me forward and I enter first while she shuts the door behind her softly, the metal door extracting a barely audible click.
The room is all white and very sterile. A typical hospital room. There's a computer at the foot of Jasper's bed with his name in it, but I'm too far away to read the diagnosis. I gasp at the amount of people in this room. Carlisle is sitting in a chair by Jasper's bed, Emmett leans against a wall at the far corner of the room, Rosalie molded into him. Cope from the community showers is sitting in another chair by Jasper, and a tall pretty woman is kneeling by Jasper's side, hand in hand. That could only be Esme. Edward is sitting on a very uncomfortable loveseat close to Cope, alone and with his head in his hands. No one is wearing any kind of uniform, they're casually dressed, except for Rose, who's in a neon blue cocktail dress and heels. I stop abruptly and Alice whistles past. Esme automatically gives Alice room, and let's Alice take Jasper's right hand.
"Jazz, can you hear me?"
Jasper is sick. It's plain all over his features. His eyes are dim and far-back, as if he's seeing different scenes in his mind rather then whats happening outside. Dark shadows encircle his eyelids and his face shines with a slick layer of sweat. His breath comes in pants. I do see him register, though. He grips Alice's hand and mumbles something in her ear. Alice nods and strokes his cheek.
I duck my head, knowing I'm looking in on something intimate. I wonder why Cope is here. Maybe she knows Rosalie, or Alice or any one of the people in this room but I decide it doesn't matter. Because Edward is seeming very lonely on that loveseat.
I steal a glance in his direction and catch him watching me. He raises his eyebrows. Edward leans back and then pats the open space beside him. Edward wants me to sit with him? Well, I won't object. Making the least noise I can with my clumsy limbs I clamber into the loveseat and lean back. Edward doesn't speak. I'm not expecting him to, they're all here for Jasper and I'm here for Alice. I catch Rosalie glaring at me from her corner, and Emmett hugs her body closer.
We stay like this for a few minutes, before Esme breaks the silence. "I'm going to get coffee. Who wants some?" Everybody raises their hand except for me. I don't like coffee. Edwards head shifts toward me and he gives an incredulous look.
"I'm not a fan of coffee." I tell him, barely louder than a whisper. He nods his head and leans his chin on his hands, leaning away from me so I can't see his face. I notice I still have no bra and underwear. I feel a deep blush creeping to my cheeks. I duck my head and cross my arms over my chest to hide. It's then that Jasper starts coughing. Bad. Alice jumps up and lifts him into a sitting position. Blood is beginning to pool around the corner of Jasper's mouth and then everyone is on their feet.
Carlisle is the first into action. "Edward, go get a nurse."
Edward is out the door before I have the chance to watch him leave. Carlisle tests Jasper's pulse while Alice wipes off Jasper's mouth with a handkerchief. It comes back red. Alice is sobbing into his shirt. I shouldn't be here. I turn and walk out of the door. No one notices my absence. I'll catch up with Edward and he can tell me how to get back to my room.
I see Edward walking very fast in my direction, Jessica in tow. I'll be damned if she isn't qualified for this. I glare at her as she passes but she ignores me. She's too busy staring at Edward's ass. I'm tempted to let my foot out and make her fall on that makeup-smeared face of hers but she's too late and she's disappeared through the door. Edward doesn't go inside.
He leans against the wall, looking defeated before he finally slumps to the ground in a fetal position. My heart goes out for him and I walk toward Edward tentatively.
"Anything I can do?" I ask. There must be something I'm good for here.
"No, Bella. Could you just- sit with me?"
That's a surprise. I shuffle over and sit beside him. It's not the most comfortable place what with the metal floor but I don't care. I'm about to wrap an arm around him but think better of it. He doesn't say anything for roughly ten minutes before the silence is driving me mad.
"Can I get you something?"
Edward shakes his head no but finally releases it from the prison his hands constructed. He leans his head on the wall. Edward's hair is at the craziest I've ever seen it and it's most likely from him repeatedly running his hands through his hair.
When he eventually speaks his velvet voice is rough and cracked. "Seeing Jasper like that..." He shakes his head again and closes his eyes for a moment before releasing them. "And then knowing I can't do anything to help..." His slams his hands down on the floor and it creates a loud snap. I flinch at the sudden noise and recoil away from him before recovering and scooting over closer, trying to comfort a man I barely knew.
"It just aggravates me."
I know how he's feeling. Helpless and hopeless and on the verge of being out of control. This time, I do drape an arm over his shoulders and recoil slightly as electricity courses through me. I take my arm back and duck my head, embarrassed. What was it about this man that's so enticing? I want to touch him again, but the expression on his face holds me at bay. Utter confusion, and shock.
"I shouldn't be bothering you. I'll go back to my room." I unfold myself from the ground and wince as my knees crack. My energy as depleted extremely and I feel slightly sleepy. I wonder where the Cullen Project C21-0 keeps the Paraquin...
"Which way?" I ask timidly and he points down the the hallway to my right. "Go down that hallway, then down the set of stairs at the end of the hall, turn left, keep walking until you get to Section 7. I think you can take it from there."
Okay, those directions are easy enough. I nod, and he tilts his head downward in response, silently telling me to go. I follow Edward's instructions and amazingly I'm back in my room.
My feet make squelching noises on the wet rug so I roll it up and prop it against a wall. The floor is damp but I just ignore it. It will dry eventually.
I'm feeling tired an it scares me. What scares me more is the electric feeling I have whenever I'm around Edward. Like some force is pulling me toward him however hard I struggle to resist.
I make my bed and redo it until there isn't a crease or wrinkle to be spotted. I rearrange my furniture half a dozen times but I like it best the way they had it first. There is not one thing to do in this room besides watch television, and I noticed every channel has reruns nonstop.
I would find this weird and annoying but it's not on the top of the list of my priorities right now. The first is finding out what caused the strange gravity shift earlier, and the second is dealing with Edward. Or maybe that should be first.
I sigh and walk out of the room down the hall. I have no idea who my neighbors are. This isn't the best time to get acquainted though, everyone is still cleaning up the mess the gravity shift caused. Dozen of people still scatter down the hall, cleaning and repairing and moving out spoiled, broken items. Maybe I'll help.
I spot a midnight haired girl hefting a cart full of buckets. I look closer and see that they're full of heavy glass shards. The cart looks heavy and the black haired girl is struggling.
"Need any help?" I step in front of the cart.
"Oh, um, no I got it." She pushes her glasses up that were sliding down her nose and sniffs. Is she sick? My eyes widen with horror at the thought that Jasper's sickness could be spreading, but I push it back. My mind is just running at full speed at pulling random thoughts into the air to give it something to do. She obviously has a simple cold, or a case of the sniffles. Allergies.
"Please, I want to help. I have nothing to do."
"Er, well... okay. If you put it that way..." She moves to the side to make room for me and I walk over to her and grab the right side part of the handle on the cart. We start pushing and I let her steer mostly, not knowing where this will go. She breaks the silence first.
"I'm Angela."
"Bella." I tell her and give her a smile.
"It's really nice for you to do this, by the way. Thanks." She steers the cart around a corner and we enter a large metal room. It's very loud in here and it sounds like something is grinding metal under our feet. The metal floor slightly vibrates.
"You're welcome!" I yell over the noise, and cup my hands toward her as she leaves the cart, a bucket in each hand. I follow suit and grab a larger bucket in both hands. She stops at a huge round cylinder in the middle of the room. It's height reaches up to a few inches above my waist. The center of the oval is dominated by a gaping hole with huge turbines in it, tearing up whatever's inside. Angela dumps the glass contents of her buckets into the oval and they slide down into the turbine. The turbine eats of the glass shards hungrily and a ear-splitting noise chokes the air. I drop the bucket quickly and cover my ears.
I see Angela's mouth open and it looks like she's laughing and shaking her head. She takes hold of my bucket from the ground and dumps it in. The noise is deafening but I finally free my hands from my ears and help Angela with returning the empty buckets the to cart. After about ten minutes the last of the buckets is cleared and we leave the room.
Angela shuts the heavy metal door behind us and I'm thankful that the noise is muted. There's a slight ringing in my ears and I pick at them with a finger, coaxing the sound to register.
"What is that place?" I ask and start pushing the cart along with her back the way we came.
"Don't you know? It's the garbage room." Angela cock her head to the side.
"I've never been around the place, much." I say, and to make things clearer for her, I use a term I heard Edward call me once. "I'm a Subject."
Her eyes widen. "So you're up early? That's strange."
"That's what I hear..." I say. I still don't know what a Subject is but it reminds me of a submissive so I just don't want to know.
Angela nods her head and hands the cart to a burly man with my buckets full of broken glass. I shiver as I remember the sounds of the garbage room and I'd rather not go in there again.
"You don't have to come back with me, Bella." Angela smiles, sensing my discomfort. "It's my break, anyway. Would you like to eat with me?"
My stomach growls. It approves. I haven't noticed how famished I was and I grab my stomach. "Please."
"This way," Angela takes my arms briefly and pulls.
We eventually reach the mess hall downstairs and I search the room for James. He's gone. I exhale with relief. The mess hall is somewhat cleaner than before. There's a counter full of food. Buffet style. But Angela takes a moderate size of food. A salad, breadstick, and a container of pudding. I do the same, not wanting to seem rude but add an apple to the mix. Angela clears off a table and we sit down.
We eat in comfortable silence and other workers start to file in to eat. The mess hall is soon full and chattering. Angela and I finish our meal and I have no idea if it was lunch or dinner or even breakfast. I ask Angela for the time.
She glances at a digital clock set in the wall above our heads. "It's 2:30, why do you ask?"
"It's hard to keep track of time, here. I've been sleeping for a while and just woke up this... Morning? Afternoon? So I didn't know if we just had lunch or dinner."
Angela laughs at this and her laugh is very young and carefree. She seems more like a child even though she looked about twenty-five.
"I really like you, Bella. You're funny. I think we're going to be good friends."
I beam at her and she returns the smile. I give her a small short hug as it feels a little awkward for me but she seems okay with it. We wonder around the building for a few minutes on a semi-tour. Not the grand kind I knew Alice would have conjured up but Ang showed me the basics. She showed me how to get to the mess hall, community bathroom, and medical wing from my room. I memorized the route knowing I'd need the medical wing eventually.
After a while of walking through an abandoned medical wing, I turn and face Angela. "Do you think you could give me a dose of Paraquin? I'm feeling tired."
"Of course, Bella!" She tells me and struts to a locker. She opens it and takes out a small package.
"Here you are." She hands me the clear plastic packet and I see small white tablets inside.
"I thought it's supposed to be injected into your arm?" I ask and point at the crook of my elbow. Angela shakes her head.
"That's one way, and it's faster, sure, but I find it painful. This is Paraquin in pill form. It also comes in a drinkable liquid but it has the nastiest taste so I wouldn't recommend it." I nod and accept the little package greatfully. I noticed that Angela didn't have to unlock the locker she pulled them from so now I know where they are, if I need them.
"Thanks, Ang." I open the resealable packet, "How many do I take?"
"Just one." Angela states. I pull out one and swallow it dryly, my throat convulsing.
Then everything is dark. The lights flicker and sputter out lifelessly. I squeal and feel out in the air for Angela's arm. She yelps out in surprise at my touch but recovers and wraps and arm around my torso, holding her to me. The lights return after a few seconds but then flicker and die out again. We stay standing in the medical wing for what seems like hours but the lights never come.
"We have to move." Angela says and links an arm through mine. She pulls me along with her as I hear her shuffling around. "Got it!" Suddenly, I hear a snapping noise and a glowing light appears before me. A glow stick. And a powerful one at that. I can see about ten feet in each direction, before it fades to blackness. I spot pinpoints of light in random places and I suspect it's other people, just finding their glowsticks.
Angela's face is twisted in fear. I don't know why though, it's just a blackout. It's then that I notice that they're are no windows in this hospital that I've seen, so far. Why wouldn't it have windows? If they did it wouldn't be so dark, now. It is only 2:30, the sun should be high in the sky.
"Angela, why are there no windows anywhere?"
She gives my a quizzing look. "What?"
"Why aren't there windows?"
"Well, there are, but not much."
"Why is that?" I wonder where the scarce windows are around the Cullen building.
"To avoid as much oxygen leaks as possible, why do you ask?"
"Oxygen leaks?!" I hiss, incredulous. Holy shit.
"Yes, Bella, don't you remember coming here?"
"No. I don't remember anything!"
I'm so frustrated. Why can't I remember coming here, like they say I do? I can feel my eyes prick and I hate myself for my emotions to be connected to my tears. I hate crying when I'm mad. She seems to understand my confusion, or maybe she just doesn't want to snoop in my business.
Angela pats my hand, sorry for telling me whatever she's going to say next.
"We're in space."
My knees buckle under me.
End of chapter six.
ON THE WAY 2
Chapter Five: Shower Power is on the way! I'm almost done so you won't have to wait too long. Love you guys! Buhbye:)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Chapter Five: Shower Power
Chapter Five: Shower Power
"Goodbye, Edward." I whisper.
"Come again?" Alice cocks her head to the side and her hair bobs around her face. They're in cute little ringlets today, and they match her personality perfectly. Bubbly and bouncy. Tigger.
"Oh, nothing Alice. Just mumbling to myself. I'm so full of energy, you know?" I state, changing the subject before she senses my fascination with her fraternal twin. She seemed like a lady who would always no what's up. Not a gossiper, in any way, but had the knack to know everything about everybody without snooping. It was a weird thing, but that's how I felt about her.
"That's completely normal, the first time you're injected with this." Pixie taps the Paraquin bottle still in her dainty left hand with a middle and index finger, then sets it down on my beside table. "I'll give you a tour, like I promised, kay? Alright." Alice tugs on the sleeve of my hospital gown. I resist. I didn't want Edward seeing me all greasy and unattractive. I shake my head.
"No, Alice- please, I really need to shower." Alice wrinkles her nose slightly, confirming my statement. Do I smell that bad? Whatever. I don't care what Tigger Pixie thinks. Renee has taught me in her own way not to be ashamed for anyone. Except when I'm around her. She makes me feel like shit whenever I'm in her presence.
"Fine. 'common!" I let Alice grab my sleeve and she thrusts me out of my cot. I stand there, shaking, with a hand on my head from a sudden head-rush as Alice deletes my name from my former cot and walks briskly away. She stops a few feet from the sliding door. "Hurry up, Bella! You smell." I chuckle a little under my breath and practically fly over to Alice. It feels like I could run for hours and not get tired or even out of breath. Paraquin sure is some powerful stuff. I'd like to have it on hand.
"This, way." Alice links her fingers through mine and it feels so nice, I almost cry from her simple gesture. I've never been touched like that before. Alice turns her head to look at me and she sees the moisture. "Bella, sweet, what's wrong?" Her green eyes penetrate me, so I lean down to cover my blush.
"It's just very overwhelming, this whole place. The energy..." I shake my head as if I'm lost in my thoughts... But really, it couldn't be more simple. I take too many pills. I wake up in a strange hospital. They tell me I've been sleeping for a really long time, but obviously, it's just some paperwork mishap. Maybe they got some internal server malfunction in their computer, and another patient got mixed up with me.
"Oh I know, Bella. It must be so strange to someone who can't remember a thing before they got here." she gives me a small smile and pats my head with her little palm gently. "It's also weird that you don't even remember coming. All of you should at least have that in your memories."
"What do you mean by all of me?" I ask.
"Whoa!" Alice steps back towards the right wall of the narrow hallway, dragging me with her. My back hits the wall and all the air escapes from my lungs, laughing at me for not being able to hold them in.
"What the hell?! Watch where you're going!" Alice shouts to a man, who's lugging a huge cart filled with medical supplies -mostly old-fashioned computer screens and monitors- over to the room we just left. He turns around and shouts with a booming voice. "Sorry, Alice!" He laughs and continues jogging dangerously fast with the squeaky cart.
Alice scoffs and shakes her head slightly while flipping him the bird. I giggle a little on the inside. Her tiny little finger making such a rude gesture is down-right hilarious. As if she could take him, who's she kidding? My eyes scan the receding bulky frame and notice Alice wouldn't stand a chance against the menacing mass of that man. He's wearing heavy looking boots with faded jeans, and a long sleeved black shirt. I clearly see the massive muscles coiling in his arms as he pushes the heavy cart. Nope, Alice would be a goner.
"Alice, do you know him?"
"Sure I do, he's my half-brother, Emmett." Alice states matter-of-factly, and I wonder in what world could they ever be related considering their immense differences. But then again, they only shared one parent.
"Um, related by father or mother?"
"My mom, Esme. Carlisle is my step-father." I guess that makes sense. Carlisle is too slim to pass on his genes to Emmett. So Edward has a step-father, and a half-brother. Any other relatives I should know about? I can already tell this will be a complicated family. "Oh I see. I've heard of your husband, Jasper, any other relatives I should know about...?" I ask.
"Well," Alice replies as she leads me into a room walled with tiles. Community bathroom. "Jasper has a sister, Rosalie, and she and Emmett have been dating since they were teenagers. Carlisle is currently married to my mother -in case you were wondering- and Edward... he's always been just one in himself."
Score. He's single. Although I find that hard to believe. But then a sickening thought comes to mind. "Is he...gay?" I mutter, almost too low for Alice to hear. Pixie's voice chimes loud with a guffaw, and tears run down her face. I've never seen anyone laugh so hard. She quickly wipes the tears away and I almost laugh too, but I don't find it all that funny.
"No, Bella, I don't think so." She chuckles a bit more and hands me a small travel-sized bottle of shampoo and conditioner, and a midget-sized bar of soap. "Here."
"Er, thanks, Pix- Alice." I stutter and take the toiletries from her. I walk all the way back into the corner of the room, where it's most private. There are some other girls showering in here. I stare at the wet tiled floor because there are no curtains, just tiled walls separating each shower.
"Sure thing, Bella! I'll wait outside so I can give you the tour when you finish." Alice cries out from the opening, then shuts the door. I walk into the segmented area of the shower I choose at the left hand corner of the room. I shower quickly, not wanting to attract any attention, but all eyes are trained on me. There are only about four girls in here, but I can't be for sure, because it's steamy from the hot water.
One of the girls staring at me is very beautiful, from what I can see. She has bright blue eyes and golden hair cascades down her back in ripples all the way to her waist. Her skin is pale and smooth and I'm immediately jealous of her beauty.
Another girl stands almost near the entrance, washing her head because her hair is barely there. Close-shaved. She has very dark skin and soft brown eyes and by her peaceful expression I can tell she's a very nice and gentle person, unlike the catty presence of Goldilocks.
One of the four girls finishes her shower, wraps herself in a towel, and heads out the door before I can see what she looks like. We're down to three, not including me.
The next girl looks vicious and wild. Her abnormally thick red hair poofs out all around her face, giving her a fierce appearance. Her hazel eyes are almost golden in color and if looks could kill, I'd be dead right now.
Because she's staring straight at me.
Blushing unwillingly, I look down and wash all the shampoo out of my hair before wrapping myself in a puffy white towel I find on the edge of a tile wall separating me from an empty shower. I scrub my hair with another towel until it's only damp. I grab my hospital gown and toiletries Alice gave me and make my way towards the exit.
"Hey you!"
I freeze, and then slowly turn towards the direction of the sound. It echoes off the walls. It's coming from Goldilocks. I sigh with relief that it isn't the fierce lioness scrubbing herself near the right corner shower. I would've rather of had it be the nice-looking one by the entrance, though. I wouldn't be as freaked out.
"Wh-what?"
"You're a Subject, aren't you?" Goldilocks cocks her head to the side and water streams down her neck. "I haven't seen you here before."
"Um, no... I don't know. I just got here." I fiddle my fingers and bite my lip like I usually do when I'm nervous. Goldilocks scoffs and rolls her eyes at me. I'm immediately intimidated.
"That's impossible. No one leaves or arrives on the Cullen Project C21-0 until we reach our destination."
"Why can't anybody leave?" I ask incredulously. I wouldn't ever want to leave this safe haven, with nice pixies and weird medicine and hot doctors. But someone else might.
"It just can't be done. Don't you remember where you are...?"
"No... I don't remember this place at all, um, Ms... what's your name?" I dare to look up to her to wring out an answer. My weak attempt to look fierce and strong must be laughable, but Goldilocks speaks.
"I'm Rosalie. But let me get this straight, you have no idea how you got here and why you are?"
Emmett's girlfriend.
Everybody in the community wash house is staring at me, including the dark-skinned nice one I've decided to call Cope, because that was the last name of the secretary at my school, who was always so nice to me and gave me lollipops like a kid whenever I came into her office.
The thing that scared me the most was the lioness's stare from across the room. I look down.
"No." I say again, and I'm beginning to wonder if they think it's my favorite word. All three of the girl's eyes go wide with shock and they mutter amongst themselves. I can't take it anymore. I rush outside to try to find sweet Alice the Pixie who feels like home. Or what a home should feel like. I slip on the wet surface of the tiled floor and go flailing into one of the separator walls of a shower. Good thing it's there though, I'm able to catch my fall by clutching onto it for dear life. My towel starts to slip off my body but I catch it and bring it up tightly around my chest.
Amazingly, I'm able to run out of the bath house mostly unscathed while the others talk wildly behind me. My neck stings from having to take the gauze off to wash, and some of the soap had seeped into the wounds. I don't care. I need to find Alice.
I break through into a hallway filled with people. My eyes quickly scan my surroundings but I see no pixie flying about. There's doctors holding hand-helds and nurses fixing their hair and the occasional worker pushing a cart. But where is Alice? She said she'd wait for me. Now I have no where to go. Why would she leave me here? Helpless and vulnerable in nothing but a towel. Sweet, kind Alice. My only friend here on the Cullen Project C21-0.
My feet start pumping before I tell them too, and I thrive on this energy. I could run for miles. I'm blindly pushing past people but I ignore their stares and snide remarks when I get them all wet.
"Hey, watch where your going lady!"
Shut up. I need to find Alice. Without her, I'm totally lost in this hospital.
I whiz past Emmett and I almost tip him over -if you can believe that. I must have caught him off his guard. I ignore Emmett's shocked look and his wet shirt that I rammed through. But I do smack myself inwardly for not stopping and asking him if he's seen Alice the Tigger Pixie. But I'm already sprinting round the corner and down a hallway. There's no time to go back. I need to find Alice now or I'm obviously going to cry. I feel the moisture creeping up into my lids. I reign them in. No one can see me this weak.
Bam!
I should've known something this cliche would happen. I should have known it would be Edward's rock hard chest I would collide into. Edward huffs as the the wind gets knocked out of him but he doesn't double over. He falters a few steps and I watch helplessly as my face comes into dangerous proximity to the cold metal ground. I squeal a little and my hands can't shoot out fast enough to break my fall. I'm waiting for the impact, but there is none. My towel is slowly slipping off my body. I grab for it and I can't seem to get a grip on it but I don't care. Edward's hand is locked around my wrist like a choke-hold. My head is literally inches from the hard metal floor.
"Jeez, Bella!" Edward says, and slowly lifts me up to face him. My towel is slipping dangerously close to the demolition zone and I hoist it up almost to my neck. I feel very vulnerable and scared so I can't help it when the tears spill over relentlessly over my cheeks like faucets. "Are you okay?"
I shake my head no, and tug my arm in Edward's grip. Edward releases my wrist immediately. I use it to add extra support to my runaway towel. I'm shivering from the drafty air of this place, and being wet doesn't really help my situation, either. I duck my head and turn around.
"Hey, wait!" Edward's firm hands grasps my shoulder and slowly twists me around. "What's wrong? Where's Alice?"
"I don't...know." I blubber, and I wipe a few tears that have escaped from their prison. "I was in the shower and when I got out...she wasn't there waiting for me." My lip is quivering so I hold it back with my teeth. I usually do this when I'm beyond nervous or humiliated, which at the moment is both.
"Shh, it's all right, Bella." Edward sighs and runs a long fingered hand through his jungle mass of hair. "I'm sure she just went to the restroom." I
nod, this makes sense, but Alice doesn't seem like she would leave me for a thing so simple. Something has happened. I can feel it.
"I...er, do you have some extra clothes laying around? Girls clothes. I'm kind of... not very..." I stutter, and hoist up my towel to make a point. Edward laughs.
"Yah, I'm sure you're not very comfortable in that..." He struggles for the right choice of words. "...State of dress." He chuckles a little and I blush deeply. I pretend to stare down at the floor but really I'm gazing at his exposed feet exposed through his camel colored sandals. They're pale and slightly hairy and extremely sexy. I watch his toes squish together and then release as he shifts his weight from foot to foot.
"We have some clothes laying around you can have," Edward continues and waves a hand as a signal for me to follow. I do and his back turns away from me as he leads the way down the hall. I take this time to notice that he's not dressed in his lab coat, but faded jeans and a tan, long sleeved shirt rolled up to the elbows, exposing an impressive set of muscles elongating his forearms. I blush a little and even though he can't see my expression, I duck my head again. I'm beginning to feel like an ostrich.
Edward finally comes up to a small linen closet and opens it without a word. He presents a pair of gray sweatpants, and a white form-fitting long sleeved shirt. I accept them greatfully. I'm glad that he had the decency to know how cold it is in the hospital, and a skimpy pair of shorts and tank top would not go well with me.
"Thanks...Edward," I give him a small smile. "Do you know where I can change?"
He nods. "I'll show you to your room."
My room? Since when did I have a room? I thought hospitals made you share. Or maybe they just have a lot of space to fill. After all, this place is huge.
"Since when do I get a room?"
"Since you started blacking out at random intervals." He chuckles darkly and I fume at him. It's not my fault. I can't control that. My brain needs to protect itself and these past few -Hell, I don't even know how long I've been here, days-? have been... strange.
"That's not my fault, my brain needs to protect itself."
"From what?" Edward cocks his head to the side and raises an eyebrow. I consider this answer for a few moments.
"From...myself."
Edward raises both eyebrows this time but shrugs it off and leads me down never ending labyrinths of hallways and stairs. "How long have I been sleeping?"
"Before or after you woke up from the sleep unit?" Edward inquires. I know the answer to the first one, which my brain just entirely shuts down and refuses to believe, so I go with the latter.
"After."
"Two days." Oh. Not as long as I would've thought, but longer than was reasonable. "Why didn't you wake me? I didn't have to sleep so long..." I shudder at the thought of ever having to sleep again, where I re-live all the moments with my mother... and Phil.
"No, you're right, your brain needed to protect itself from all the shocking events you've gone through. Carlisle said you'd come around on your own time."
"I see." Just don't ever make me do it again. I silently made a vow to never drift into the terrifying world of my dreams.
"Well, this is you." Edward halts at a medium sized metal door with 2-F7 painted carefully onto it. Floor Two, Section F, room seven. That's how these kinds of things worked, right? Edward carefully places his right index finger on a small pad inlaid in the doorknob. I watch a thin string of light creep up and down the pad of his finger and then there's a click of a lock and a soft beep.
"Welcome Mr. Cullen" reads a screen set in the metal door below 2-F7.
Cullen!
So Edward's step-daddy owns the hospital? I've known he would be filthy stinking rich alone just from being a doctor but now I guess his family owns the entire hospital. My luck has run out the door today. Could me and this beautiful man be any further apart? I glance at him through my lashes. He's pressing random buttons on the touch pad and asks me something I can't hear. I'm too mesmirised by the sound of his voice and the way is lips move together.
"Er, what? Sorry..." he must think I'm mentally challenged.
"I said put your right index finger on the pad, please." Edward points to the fingerprint scanner on the doorknob. I obey and feel a slight prickling in my finger as it scans my print.
"Welcome Ms. Swan" now reads on the screen of the door. "I've programmed you into the room so you are the only one who can get in now except for Alice and Carlisle, since Carlisle is your doctor and Alice your nurse. You're free to program anyone else in if you trust them to go into your room freely."
I nod. This is high-tech. Very high-tech. I'm able to turn the knob and open the slightly heavy metal door to an average sized room about the length and width of my living room back home. There's a small, halographic television resting on a glass stand on the right wall. A queen bed rests in the top left hand side corner and the gray silken sheets look so comforting I'd like to snuggle in them all day. A simple glass nightstand accomodates the bed and there is a giant gray rug covering the floor of ashen metal. There's a locker-type wardrobe a few yards from the bed, and I spot another door set in the wall that leads to somewhere.
"Wow, this is really nice." I exclaim and brush my fingertips across the gray silk sheets. This room is in a major need of color but I'm not going to complain. "Where does that door lead?"
"Personal bathroom." Edward states and I notice he's leaning on the doorframe of the entrance.
"Aren't you going to come in?" I ask rather bravely and hoist my towel up higher. I swear these things need saftey pins. I set the clothes Edward gave me on the bed and wait for an answer.
"I actually have a lot of work to do before the Subjects wake up so if you'll excuse me..." Edward coughs slightly. I must be bad company because he wasn't even dressed in his doctor's etire.
"Oh...yah, er, bye then, Edward..."
"Goodbye Ms. Swan, enjoy your room. Once I find Alice I'll tell her to come here straight away to take you where ever you want to go. I'll tell her to bring an antiseptic and bandage for you neck, also." And with that, Velvet turns on his sandal-clad heels and disappears down the hallway. I sigh, and close the door softly. I hadn't even noticed the pain in my neck until Edward left. His presense is both a soothing balm of distraction and an aggriavating sense of discomfort. I pull on the sweatpants and shirt. I have no underwear or even a bra and socks. I'll have to ask Alice for some once I see her. Oh, and give her a big hefty piece of my mind for leaving me like that.
Although, the walk with Edward was kind of nice. No matter how little words were shared, I got to see him today. I smile and flop on the silken bed, feeling the sheets, the sweet softness of it all. My energy seems to he going down some but in no way am I tired. I hope Alice gets here soon so she can show me around the hospital. But deep inside me, I know the only reason I want to see Alice is so she can give me a dose of Paraquin. I never want to sleep again.
End of Chapter Five.
"Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange."-Dom Cobb, Inception
"Goodbye, Edward." I whisper.
"Come again?" Alice cocks her head to the side and her hair bobs around her face. They're in cute little ringlets today, and they match her personality perfectly. Bubbly and bouncy. Tigger.
"Oh, nothing Alice. Just mumbling to myself. I'm so full of energy, you know?" I state, changing the subject before she senses my fascination with her fraternal twin. She seemed like a lady who would always no what's up. Not a gossiper, in any way, but had the knack to know everything about everybody without snooping. It was a weird thing, but that's how I felt about her.
"That's completely normal, the first time you're injected with this." Pixie taps the Paraquin bottle still in her dainty left hand with a middle and index finger, then sets it down on my beside table. "I'll give you a tour, like I promised, kay? Alright." Alice tugs on the sleeve of my hospital gown. I resist. I didn't want Edward seeing me all greasy and unattractive. I shake my head.
"No, Alice- please, I really need to shower." Alice wrinkles her nose slightly, confirming my statement. Do I smell that bad? Whatever. I don't care what Tigger Pixie thinks. Renee has taught me in her own way not to be ashamed for anyone. Except when I'm around her. She makes me feel like shit whenever I'm in her presence.
"Fine. 'common!" I let Alice grab my sleeve and she thrusts me out of my cot. I stand there, shaking, with a hand on my head from a sudden head-rush as Alice deletes my name from my former cot and walks briskly away. She stops a few feet from the sliding door. "Hurry up, Bella! You smell." I chuckle a little under my breath and practically fly over to Alice. It feels like I could run for hours and not get tired or even out of breath. Paraquin sure is some powerful stuff. I'd like to have it on hand.
"This, way." Alice links her fingers through mine and it feels so nice, I almost cry from her simple gesture. I've never been touched like that before. Alice turns her head to look at me and she sees the moisture. "Bella, sweet, what's wrong?" Her green eyes penetrate me, so I lean down to cover my blush.
"It's just very overwhelming, this whole place. The energy..." I shake my head as if I'm lost in my thoughts... But really, it couldn't be more simple. I take too many pills. I wake up in a strange hospital. They tell me I've been sleeping for a really long time, but obviously, it's just some paperwork mishap. Maybe they got some internal server malfunction in their computer, and another patient got mixed up with me.
"Oh I know, Bella. It must be so strange to someone who can't remember a thing before they got here." she gives me a small smile and pats my head with her little palm gently. "It's also weird that you don't even remember coming. All of you should at least have that in your memories."
"What do you mean by all of me?" I ask.
"Whoa!" Alice steps back towards the right wall of the narrow hallway, dragging me with her. My back hits the wall and all the air escapes from my lungs, laughing at me for not being able to hold them in.
"What the hell?! Watch where you're going!" Alice shouts to a man, who's lugging a huge cart filled with medical supplies -mostly old-fashioned computer screens and monitors- over to the room we just left. He turns around and shouts with a booming voice. "Sorry, Alice!" He laughs and continues jogging dangerously fast with the squeaky cart.
Alice scoffs and shakes her head slightly while flipping him the bird. I giggle a little on the inside. Her tiny little finger making such a rude gesture is down-right hilarious. As if she could take him, who's she kidding? My eyes scan the receding bulky frame and notice Alice wouldn't stand a chance against the menacing mass of that man. He's wearing heavy looking boots with faded jeans, and a long sleeved black shirt. I clearly see the massive muscles coiling in his arms as he pushes the heavy cart. Nope, Alice would be a goner.
"Alice, do you know him?"
"Sure I do, he's my half-brother, Emmett." Alice states matter-of-factly, and I wonder in what world could they ever be related considering their immense differences. But then again, they only shared one parent.
"Um, related by father or mother?"
"My mom, Esme. Carlisle is my step-father." I guess that makes sense. Carlisle is too slim to pass on his genes to Emmett. So Edward has a step-father, and a half-brother. Any other relatives I should know about? I can already tell this will be a complicated family. "Oh I see. I've heard of your husband, Jasper, any other relatives I should know about...?" I ask.
"Well," Alice replies as she leads me into a room walled with tiles. Community bathroom. "Jasper has a sister, Rosalie, and she and Emmett have been dating since they were teenagers. Carlisle is currently married to my mother -in case you were wondering- and Edward... he's always been just one in himself."
Score. He's single. Although I find that hard to believe. But then a sickening thought comes to mind. "Is he...gay?" I mutter, almost too low for Alice to hear. Pixie's voice chimes loud with a guffaw, and tears run down her face. I've never seen anyone laugh so hard. She quickly wipes the tears away and I almost laugh too, but I don't find it all that funny.
"No, Bella, I don't think so." She chuckles a bit more and hands me a small travel-sized bottle of shampoo and conditioner, and a midget-sized bar of soap. "Here."
"Er, thanks, Pix- Alice." I stutter and take the toiletries from her. I walk all the way back into the corner of the room, where it's most private. There are some other girls showering in here. I stare at the wet tiled floor because there are no curtains, just tiled walls separating each shower.
"Sure thing, Bella! I'll wait outside so I can give you the tour when you finish." Alice cries out from the opening, then shuts the door. I walk into the segmented area of the shower I choose at the left hand corner of the room. I shower quickly, not wanting to attract any attention, but all eyes are trained on me. There are only about four girls in here, but I can't be for sure, because it's steamy from the hot water.
One of the girls staring at me is very beautiful, from what I can see. She has bright blue eyes and golden hair cascades down her back in ripples all the way to her waist. Her skin is pale and smooth and I'm immediately jealous of her beauty.
Another girl stands almost near the entrance, washing her head because her hair is barely there. Close-shaved. She has very dark skin and soft brown eyes and by her peaceful expression I can tell she's a very nice and gentle person, unlike the catty presence of Goldilocks.
One of the four girls finishes her shower, wraps herself in a towel, and heads out the door before I can see what she looks like. We're down to three, not including me.
The next girl looks vicious and wild. Her abnormally thick red hair poofs out all around her face, giving her a fierce appearance. Her hazel eyes are almost golden in color and if looks could kill, I'd be dead right now.
Because she's staring straight at me.
Blushing unwillingly, I look down and wash all the shampoo out of my hair before wrapping myself in a puffy white towel I find on the edge of a tile wall separating me from an empty shower. I scrub my hair with another towel until it's only damp. I grab my hospital gown and toiletries Alice gave me and make my way towards the exit.
"Hey you!"
I freeze, and then slowly turn towards the direction of the sound. It echoes off the walls. It's coming from Goldilocks. I sigh with relief that it isn't the fierce lioness scrubbing herself near the right corner shower. I would've rather of had it be the nice-looking one by the entrance, though. I wouldn't be as freaked out.
"Wh-what?"
"You're a Subject, aren't you?" Goldilocks cocks her head to the side and water streams down her neck. "I haven't seen you here before."
"Um, no... I don't know. I just got here." I fiddle my fingers and bite my lip like I usually do when I'm nervous. Goldilocks scoffs and rolls her eyes at me. I'm immediately intimidated.
"That's impossible. No one leaves or arrives on the Cullen Project C21-0 until we reach our destination."
"Why can't anybody leave?" I ask incredulously. I wouldn't ever want to leave this safe haven, with nice pixies and weird medicine and hot doctors. But someone else might.
"It just can't be done. Don't you remember where you are...?"
"No... I don't remember this place at all, um, Ms... what's your name?" I dare to look up to her to wring out an answer. My weak attempt to look fierce and strong must be laughable, but Goldilocks speaks.
"I'm Rosalie. But let me get this straight, you have no idea how you got here and why you are?"
Emmett's girlfriend.
Everybody in the community wash house is staring at me, including the dark-skinned nice one I've decided to call Cope, because that was the last name of the secretary at my school, who was always so nice to me and gave me lollipops like a kid whenever I came into her office.
The thing that scared me the most was the lioness's stare from across the room. I look down.
"No." I say again, and I'm beginning to wonder if they think it's my favorite word. All three of the girl's eyes go wide with shock and they mutter amongst themselves. I can't take it anymore. I rush outside to try to find sweet Alice the Pixie who feels like home. Or what a home should feel like. I slip on the wet surface of the tiled floor and go flailing into one of the separator walls of a shower. Good thing it's there though, I'm able to catch my fall by clutching onto it for dear life. My towel starts to slip off my body but I catch it and bring it up tightly around my chest.
Amazingly, I'm able to run out of the bath house mostly unscathed while the others talk wildly behind me. My neck stings from having to take the gauze off to wash, and some of the soap had seeped into the wounds. I don't care. I need to find Alice.
I break through into a hallway filled with people. My eyes quickly scan my surroundings but I see no pixie flying about. There's doctors holding hand-helds and nurses fixing their hair and the occasional worker pushing a cart. But where is Alice? She said she'd wait for me. Now I have no where to go. Why would she leave me here? Helpless and vulnerable in nothing but a towel. Sweet, kind Alice. My only friend here on the Cullen Project C21-0.
My feet start pumping before I tell them too, and I thrive on this energy. I could run for miles. I'm blindly pushing past people but I ignore their stares and snide remarks when I get them all wet.
"Hey, watch where your going lady!"
Shut up. I need to find Alice. Without her, I'm totally lost in this hospital.
I whiz past Emmett and I almost tip him over -if you can believe that. I must have caught him off his guard. I ignore Emmett's shocked look and his wet shirt that I rammed through. But I do smack myself inwardly for not stopping and asking him if he's seen Alice the Tigger Pixie. But I'm already sprinting round the corner and down a hallway. There's no time to go back. I need to find Alice now or I'm obviously going to cry. I feel the moisture creeping up into my lids. I reign them in. No one can see me this weak.
Bam!
I should've known something this cliche would happen. I should have known it would be Edward's rock hard chest I would collide into. Edward huffs as the the wind gets knocked out of him but he doesn't double over. He falters a few steps and I watch helplessly as my face comes into dangerous proximity to the cold metal ground. I squeal a little and my hands can't shoot out fast enough to break my fall. I'm waiting for the impact, but there is none. My towel is slowly slipping off my body. I grab for it and I can't seem to get a grip on it but I don't care. Edward's hand is locked around my wrist like a choke-hold. My head is literally inches from the hard metal floor.
"Jeez, Bella!" Edward says, and slowly lifts me up to face him. My towel is slipping dangerously close to the demolition zone and I hoist it up almost to my neck. I feel very vulnerable and scared so I can't help it when the tears spill over relentlessly over my cheeks like faucets. "Are you okay?"
I shake my head no, and tug my arm in Edward's grip. Edward releases my wrist immediately. I use it to add extra support to my runaway towel. I'm shivering from the drafty air of this place, and being wet doesn't really help my situation, either. I duck my head and turn around.
"Hey, wait!" Edward's firm hands grasps my shoulder and slowly twists me around. "What's wrong? Where's Alice?"
"I don't...know." I blubber, and I wipe a few tears that have escaped from their prison. "I was in the shower and when I got out...she wasn't there waiting for me." My lip is quivering so I hold it back with my teeth. I usually do this when I'm beyond nervous or humiliated, which at the moment is both.
"Shh, it's all right, Bella." Edward sighs and runs a long fingered hand through his jungle mass of hair. "I'm sure she just went to the restroom." I
nod, this makes sense, but Alice doesn't seem like she would leave me for a thing so simple. Something has happened. I can feel it.
"I...er, do you have some extra clothes laying around? Girls clothes. I'm kind of... not very..." I stutter, and hoist up my towel to make a point. Edward laughs.
"Yah, I'm sure you're not very comfortable in that..." He struggles for the right choice of words. "...State of dress." He chuckles a little and I blush deeply. I pretend to stare down at the floor but really I'm gazing at his exposed feet exposed through his camel colored sandals. They're pale and slightly hairy and extremely sexy. I watch his toes squish together and then release as he shifts his weight from foot to foot.
"We have some clothes laying around you can have," Edward continues and waves a hand as a signal for me to follow. I do and his back turns away from me as he leads the way down the hall. I take this time to notice that he's not dressed in his lab coat, but faded jeans and a tan, long sleeved shirt rolled up to the elbows, exposing an impressive set of muscles elongating his forearms. I blush a little and even though he can't see my expression, I duck my head again. I'm beginning to feel like an ostrich.
Edward finally comes up to a small linen closet and opens it without a word. He presents a pair of gray sweatpants, and a white form-fitting long sleeved shirt. I accept them greatfully. I'm glad that he had the decency to know how cold it is in the hospital, and a skimpy pair of shorts and tank top would not go well with me.
"Thanks...Edward," I give him a small smile. "Do you know where I can change?"
He nods. "I'll show you to your room."
My room? Since when did I have a room? I thought hospitals made you share. Or maybe they just have a lot of space to fill. After all, this place is huge.
"Since when do I get a room?"
"Since you started blacking out at random intervals." He chuckles darkly and I fume at him. It's not my fault. I can't control that. My brain needs to protect itself and these past few -Hell, I don't even know how long I've been here, days-? have been... strange.
"That's not my fault, my brain needs to protect itself."
"From what?" Edward cocks his head to the side and raises an eyebrow. I consider this answer for a few moments.
"From...myself."
Edward raises both eyebrows this time but shrugs it off and leads me down never ending labyrinths of hallways and stairs. "How long have I been sleeping?"
"Before or after you woke up from the sleep unit?" Edward inquires. I know the answer to the first one, which my brain just entirely shuts down and refuses to believe, so I go with the latter.
"After."
"Two days." Oh. Not as long as I would've thought, but longer than was reasonable. "Why didn't you wake me? I didn't have to sleep so long..." I shudder at the thought of ever having to sleep again, where I re-live all the moments with my mother... and Phil.
"No, you're right, your brain needed to protect itself from all the shocking events you've gone through. Carlisle said you'd come around on your own time."
"I see." Just don't ever make me do it again. I silently made a vow to never drift into the terrifying world of my dreams.
"Well, this is you." Edward halts at a medium sized metal door with 2-F7 painted carefully onto it. Floor Two, Section F, room seven. That's how these kinds of things worked, right? Edward carefully places his right index finger on a small pad inlaid in the doorknob. I watch a thin string of light creep up and down the pad of his finger and then there's a click of a lock and a soft beep.
"Welcome Mr. Cullen" reads a screen set in the metal door below 2-F7.
Cullen!
So Edward's step-daddy owns the hospital? I've known he would be filthy stinking rich alone just from being a doctor but now I guess his family owns the entire hospital. My luck has run out the door today. Could me and this beautiful man be any further apart? I glance at him through my lashes. He's pressing random buttons on the touch pad and asks me something I can't hear. I'm too mesmirised by the sound of his voice and the way is lips move together.
"Er, what? Sorry..." he must think I'm mentally challenged.
"I said put your right index finger on the pad, please." Edward points to the fingerprint scanner on the doorknob. I obey and feel a slight prickling in my finger as it scans my print.
"Welcome Ms. Swan" now reads on the screen of the door. "I've programmed you into the room so you are the only one who can get in now except for Alice and Carlisle, since Carlisle is your doctor and Alice your nurse. You're free to program anyone else in if you trust them to go into your room freely."
I nod. This is high-tech. Very high-tech. I'm able to turn the knob and open the slightly heavy metal door to an average sized room about the length and width of my living room back home. There's a small, halographic television resting on a glass stand on the right wall. A queen bed rests in the top left hand side corner and the gray silken sheets look so comforting I'd like to snuggle in them all day. A simple glass nightstand accomodates the bed and there is a giant gray rug covering the floor of ashen metal. There's a locker-type wardrobe a few yards from the bed, and I spot another door set in the wall that leads to somewhere.
"Wow, this is really nice." I exclaim and brush my fingertips across the gray silk sheets. This room is in a major need of color but I'm not going to complain. "Where does that door lead?"
"Personal bathroom." Edward states and I notice he's leaning on the doorframe of the entrance.
"Aren't you going to come in?" I ask rather bravely and hoist my towel up higher. I swear these things need saftey pins. I set the clothes Edward gave me on the bed and wait for an answer.
"I actually have a lot of work to do before the Subjects wake up so if you'll excuse me..." Edward coughs slightly. I must be bad company because he wasn't even dressed in his doctor's etire.
"Oh...yah, er, bye then, Edward..."
"Goodbye Ms. Swan, enjoy your room. Once I find Alice I'll tell her to come here straight away to take you where ever you want to go. I'll tell her to bring an antiseptic and bandage for you neck, also." And with that, Velvet turns on his sandal-clad heels and disappears down the hallway. I sigh, and close the door softly. I hadn't even noticed the pain in my neck until Edward left. His presense is both a soothing balm of distraction and an aggriavating sense of discomfort. I pull on the sweatpants and shirt. I have no underwear or even a bra and socks. I'll have to ask Alice for some once I see her. Oh, and give her a big hefty piece of my mind for leaving me like that.
Although, the walk with Edward was kind of nice. No matter how little words were shared, I got to see him today. I smile and flop on the silken bed, feeling the sheets, the sweet softness of it all. My energy seems to he going down some but in no way am I tired. I hope Alice gets here soon so she can show me around the hospital. But deep inside me, I know the only reason I want to see Alice is so she can give me a dose of Paraquin. I never want to sleep again.
End of Chapter Five.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Chapter Four: Socially Under Contruction
Chapter Four: Socially Under Contruction
Get up, do what you want
Before, before it's too late
Don't, don't worry yourself
Of others I don't think
Kick down the door
To hell for more
Severe injections - a lethal dose
Antisocial -Front Line Assembly
My eyes flutter as I open them to the amazingly white lit room and I blink furiously under the intensity. A grumble escapes from my lips and I heave myself into a sitting position. I instantly feel dizzy and my hand collides with my temple as if to block out the intrusion. I groan and fall back on a soft pillow.
Images flash through my mind as I remember an almost-encounter from earlier today. Or was it yesterday? Two days? I don't have any intuition on how long I had been sleeping. The disturbing man in the cot next to mine... I throw a glance briefly to the cot on my left and find it empty, the sheets crisp and newly pressed against the mattress. Good. Mr. Tattoo James is gone. On the other hand, there was Jame's doctor... Edward.
Velvet. Voice from the grave. Who had a crooked smile that made me blush and experience feelings so abstract and new to me I didn't know how to piece them together. Piercing green eyes that stared straight into my mangled soul.
But he's leaving my conscious now. Fading so slowly. I grip onto him with my fingertips but I'm weak, so weak. He slips and fades and diminishes and now I'm unloved and uncared for. I sigh and close my eyes to less pleasant memories... No matter how hard I try to shut them out...
"Shit, Bella. Get a hold of yourself and clean the damn bathroom before Phil comes over! Don't you know how much you've let it go, it's disgusting! I want it spotless and sparkling before he gets here!" Renee throws a dishtowel and holds the Windex out to me with a trembling hand. She's been drinking. The sickly stench of alcohol leaks from her mouth and her breath assaults me.
"I'm sorry," Is all I manage to sputter.
"Damn straight you're sorry!" Renee harshly squishes the trigger of the Windex bottle. The blue, chemical liquid gathers around my face and mouth. I instinctively squeeze my eyes shut before it can enter. That would've stung like hell. I do cough though, as fumes spread and leak up to my eyes. They tear and I put my hands over my face, trying to push it out before it reaches my brain. Get out get out get out. Get out! It takes whatever self-control I have to not scream in agony. I fold my arms across my head to conceal my emotions. Renee cannot win. I stay in that position -fetal on the floor of the kitchen- for what seems like hours before I hear her footsteps recede.
I take a shakey breath and then bear it out as I scour the bathroom, which isn't even dirty. I shouldn't have done any work at all, but I did it all vigorously just in case Renee decided to check up on me. Which is extremely unlikely, considering the doorbell just rang and Phil would be barging in any second whether my mother answered the door or not. Just as I suspected, Phil bounded across the hallway outside of the bathroom I was disinfecting and yelled.
"Renee! Where are you?!" His words were slurred, and I could almost feel the alcohol-ridden stench across my face, even though Phil and I were separated by thick concrete walls.
"Here! I'm over here, Philly!" I can barely hear Renee call from the living room, where she is undoubtedly perched on the loveseat glued to the television.
"Woman, don't you ever call me Philly." Phil seethed, and I flinch, scared for my mother and admittedly myself. "I'm from Wisconsin."
The line is so cliché I almost laugh out loud but I don't knowing Phil would come looking for me if he heard it. I cover my mouth with my hands as I try to stifle the laugh bubbling up in my throat but I end up coughing because of the chemicals residing in my skin. I can't help but be loud.
Shit.
Phil rounds the corner and his head pokes around the siding of the bathroom door.
"Hey, Bells. So nice to see you." He smirks so evilly at me and I'm afraid I'll actually piss my pants. Images assault me from every angle as I remember what he did... I wretch into the toilet I had just cleaned and that immediately turns Phil off, but not before he laughs and his palm caresses my cheek sickeningly.
"What's the matter, Kitten?"
I wretch my meager lunch into the porcelain. It doesn't stop. I'm glad it doesn't. Phil takes his hand away and shuffles out. He must be squeamish. I wretch until there's nothing left inside and acidic bile pours into the toilet. My body convulses and shakes and I lay on the bathroom tiles until I hear Phil's footsteps recede out of the front door.
"Bella?"
I wake up.
"...Wh-what..?"
"Hey Bella, you've been sleeping for a while, but we'll give you a drug so you can stay alert, okay?"
It's Alice. The Pixie. I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm in the haven of a hospital. And it feels so good. Not having to wake up to my mother's screams and lashes and sick torments. Not to work, or school... or... Phil. I shake images I don't want away and lift my eyes. They're sticky, but I manage to thrust them open to, yours truly, Alice the Pixie.
"Hi...Alice. And yes, please, give me whatever medicine to stay awake. Please. I don't want, I can't...dream anymore."
If it's even called a dream. More like nightmares. As I sleep in this hospital I'm attacked with flashbacks of my past. Dark and haunting with no escape. No future for me besides pain and pain and then finally death. Here it's a sweet haven, and I don't ever want to sleep again for the rest of my life, if possible. I will do whatever it takes to stay awake.
Alice pats my head reassuringly and with a little sympathy. I'm happy she's my personal nurse, instead of Jessica. But- I wouldn't mind if Edward was.
"I'll just set it up now, then, if you'd like." She smiles at me and I nod as she unwraps a new needle from a package and sticks it into the top of a bottle filled with clear, crisp liquid. I read the name on the bottle. Paraquin. It's a medicine I've never heard of or taken before. The liquid oozes into the pocket of the needle and Alice lifts it up and professorially taps the tip of the needle with her finger and some pops out of the top, like water from a hose.
"Are you ready?" Alice must sense my evasiveness to sharp objects. Especially needles. I shake my head 'yes' and she sticks the needle into the crook of my elbow. I sigh with pleasure as energy surges through me immediately. I'm wide awake, and so full of energy. I want to run for miles, or jump in the air, or dance at a high-end club until the break of dawn. Move to the beat. Fluid, restless, moving.
"Wow." Is all I say, and that's all she'll get.
"I know, pretty powerful stuff, huh? It keeps us all going." Alice taps the needle again and it creates a clean, high-pitched ding. It reminds me of her voice.
"What do you mean...keeps you all going?" I ask.
"Doctors and nurses rarely sleep here, Bella. We have so much work to do, and sleep is pretty much pointless anyway, isn't it? Unless, of course, you want to dream. Which is why I sleep every chance I get." Alice winks at me and I wonder what she dreams about. Maybe her husband? Jessica did call her Mrs. Hale...
"Do you have a husband, Alice?" A seemingly random question to her, I would assume. Or maybe she could guess from the wink she gave me that I would catch the hint.
"Oh yes, I am." She smiles and shows my a very flashy -and dare a say, heavy- wedding ring. It's silver and the simple massive diamond sparkles luminously in the bright lights of the room. "To Mr. Jasper Whitlock Hale." she smiles again, and I wonder if that woman ever frowns.
"Well, er, I'm happy for you, Alice." Really, I was. It's always nice to see someone else so happy. Even if it reminds me of the void inside my chest that will never be filled.
"Really? Oh Bella, we're going to be great friends, I can tell!" She claps her hands excitedly and I have the urge to roll my eyes. Which of course I don't, because I respect Alice the Pixie, and she seems to be a genuinely nice person.
"Yah, Alice... really great friends." My eyes prick a little, and I wipe my eyes quickly while she glances away quickly at the opening door. I've never had a friend before. It feels...nice. But so alien. I don't know how I feel about the whole situation.
"Hey, Edward!" Alice calls, and waves him over.
Edward? Edward's here? Shit, I must look like... well, shit. For sleeping so long, as Pixie had put it. Although I feel so radiant with energy from this miracle medicine, I run my hands through my hair before I give up on the mob at the base of my neck, threatening to strangle me.
"Hello, Alice." Edward gives Alice a hug and her small frame is almost lost in his embrace. The hug ends after a few seconds and I'm so glad that Edward's name isn't Jasper. Come to think of it, I don't even know this man's full name. It's just Edward. Edward Velvet Voice. It has a certain ring to it...
"Bella, I'd like you to meet Edward, my twin."
Twin?! I would have never guessed.
"Hello, Bella, I've seen you around." Edward bestows his infamous crooked smile and holds out his long hand. I take it in mine timidly and his fingers completely engulf mine. I blush and pull my hand away first.
"So... you two are twins?" Well duh. But I'd like to confirm.
"We're fraternal." Alice chimes, and wraps a thin arm around Edward's waist briefly before letting go. Edward nods and seems a little bored. He's probably had this conversation roughly a thousand times in his life span.
"Bella, I want to give you a tour of the Cullen Project C21-oh, kay? It'll be fun, it's a very interesting place. Although, I don't know why you don't remember, silly girl!" Alice ruffles my already straggly hair and I chuckle a little just to give her some amusement. "Besides, you must want to stretch your muscles."
Exactly. They are very stiff and I'm about to stretch my arms up but think better of it. My pits probably smell like dog crap.
"Um, I'd like to take a shower or something, first. Freshen up, if you don't mind." I cock my head to the side and Alice nods, understanding. Edward coughs and shifts his weight from foot to foot. He's wearing sandals. SAN-DALS. They're camel colored and extremely casual. He's a doctor, for crying out loud. What the hell. It's so hot.
"Er, I have to go check on some of my patients. Good-bye Alice." He gives her a warm hug. I want to replace Alice. I'd like to be wrapped in lean arms like his. "Nice meeting you, Bella."
I blush and watch him briskly walk out of the double sliding doors.
"Good-bye, Edward." I whisper, too low for anyone to hear.
End of chapter four.
Get up, do what you want
Before, before it's too late
Don't, don't worry yourself
Of others I don't think
Kick down the door
To hell for more
Severe injections - a lethal dose
Antisocial -Front Line Assembly
My eyes flutter as I open them to the amazingly white lit room and I blink furiously under the intensity. A grumble escapes from my lips and I heave myself into a sitting position. I instantly feel dizzy and my hand collides with my temple as if to block out the intrusion. I groan and fall back on a soft pillow.
Images flash through my mind as I remember an almost-encounter from earlier today. Or was it yesterday? Two days? I don't have any intuition on how long I had been sleeping. The disturbing man in the cot next to mine... I throw a glance briefly to the cot on my left and find it empty, the sheets crisp and newly pressed against the mattress. Good. Mr. Tattoo James is gone. On the other hand, there was Jame's doctor... Edward.
Velvet. Voice from the grave. Who had a crooked smile that made me blush and experience feelings so abstract and new to me I didn't know how to piece them together. Piercing green eyes that stared straight into my mangled soul.
But he's leaving my conscious now. Fading so slowly. I grip onto him with my fingertips but I'm weak, so weak. He slips and fades and diminishes and now I'm unloved and uncared for. I sigh and close my eyes to less pleasant memories... No matter how hard I try to shut them out...
"Shit, Bella. Get a hold of yourself and clean the damn bathroom before Phil comes over! Don't you know how much you've let it go, it's disgusting! I want it spotless and sparkling before he gets here!" Renee throws a dishtowel and holds the Windex out to me with a trembling hand. She's been drinking. The sickly stench of alcohol leaks from her mouth and her breath assaults me.
"I'm sorry," Is all I manage to sputter.
"Damn straight you're sorry!" Renee harshly squishes the trigger of the Windex bottle. The blue, chemical liquid gathers around my face and mouth. I instinctively squeeze my eyes shut before it can enter. That would've stung like hell. I do cough though, as fumes spread and leak up to my eyes. They tear and I put my hands over my face, trying to push it out before it reaches my brain. Get out get out get out. Get out! It takes whatever self-control I have to not scream in agony. I fold my arms across my head to conceal my emotions. Renee cannot win. I stay in that position -fetal on the floor of the kitchen- for what seems like hours before I hear her footsteps recede.
I take a shakey breath and then bear it out as I scour the bathroom, which isn't even dirty. I shouldn't have done any work at all, but I did it all vigorously just in case Renee decided to check up on me. Which is extremely unlikely, considering the doorbell just rang and Phil would be barging in any second whether my mother answered the door or not. Just as I suspected, Phil bounded across the hallway outside of the bathroom I was disinfecting and yelled.
"Renee! Where are you?!" His words were slurred, and I could almost feel the alcohol-ridden stench across my face, even though Phil and I were separated by thick concrete walls.
"Here! I'm over here, Philly!" I can barely hear Renee call from the living room, where she is undoubtedly perched on the loveseat glued to the television.
"Woman, don't you ever call me Philly." Phil seethed, and I flinch, scared for my mother and admittedly myself. "I'm from Wisconsin."
The line is so cliché I almost laugh out loud but I don't knowing Phil would come looking for me if he heard it. I cover my mouth with my hands as I try to stifle the laugh bubbling up in my throat but I end up coughing because of the chemicals residing in my skin. I can't help but be loud.
Shit.
Phil rounds the corner and his head pokes around the siding of the bathroom door.
"Hey, Bells. So nice to see you." He smirks so evilly at me and I'm afraid I'll actually piss my pants. Images assault me from every angle as I remember what he did... I wretch into the toilet I had just cleaned and that immediately turns Phil off, but not before he laughs and his palm caresses my cheek sickeningly.
"What's the matter, Kitten?"
I wretch my meager lunch into the porcelain. It doesn't stop. I'm glad it doesn't. Phil takes his hand away and shuffles out. He must be squeamish. I wretch until there's nothing left inside and acidic bile pours into the toilet. My body convulses and shakes and I lay on the bathroom tiles until I hear Phil's footsteps recede out of the front door.
"Bella?"
I wake up.
"...Wh-what..?"
"Hey Bella, you've been sleeping for a while, but we'll give you a drug so you can stay alert, okay?"
It's Alice. The Pixie. I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm in the haven of a hospital. And it feels so good. Not having to wake up to my mother's screams and lashes and sick torments. Not to work, or school... or... Phil. I shake images I don't want away and lift my eyes. They're sticky, but I manage to thrust them open to, yours truly, Alice the Pixie.
"Hi...Alice. And yes, please, give me whatever medicine to stay awake. Please. I don't want, I can't...dream anymore."
If it's even called a dream. More like nightmares. As I sleep in this hospital I'm attacked with flashbacks of my past. Dark and haunting with no escape. No future for me besides pain and pain and then finally death. Here it's a sweet haven, and I don't ever want to sleep again for the rest of my life, if possible. I will do whatever it takes to stay awake.
Alice pats my head reassuringly and with a little sympathy. I'm happy she's my personal nurse, instead of Jessica. But- I wouldn't mind if Edward was.
"I'll just set it up now, then, if you'd like." She smiles at me and I nod as she unwraps a new needle from a package and sticks it into the top of a bottle filled with clear, crisp liquid. I read the name on the bottle. Paraquin. It's a medicine I've never heard of or taken before. The liquid oozes into the pocket of the needle and Alice lifts it up and professorially taps the tip of the needle with her finger and some pops out of the top, like water from a hose.
"Are you ready?" Alice must sense my evasiveness to sharp objects. Especially needles. I shake my head 'yes' and she sticks the needle into the crook of my elbow. I sigh with pleasure as energy surges through me immediately. I'm wide awake, and so full of energy. I want to run for miles, or jump in the air, or dance at a high-end club until the break of dawn. Move to the beat. Fluid, restless, moving.
"Wow." Is all I say, and that's all she'll get.
"I know, pretty powerful stuff, huh? It keeps us all going." Alice taps the needle again and it creates a clean, high-pitched ding. It reminds me of her voice.
"What do you mean...keeps you all going?" I ask.
"Doctors and nurses rarely sleep here, Bella. We have so much work to do, and sleep is pretty much pointless anyway, isn't it? Unless, of course, you want to dream. Which is why I sleep every chance I get." Alice winks at me and I wonder what she dreams about. Maybe her husband? Jessica did call her Mrs. Hale...
"Do you have a husband, Alice?" A seemingly random question to her, I would assume. Or maybe she could guess from the wink she gave me that I would catch the hint.
"Oh yes, I am." She smiles and shows my a very flashy -and dare a say, heavy- wedding ring. It's silver and the simple massive diamond sparkles luminously in the bright lights of the room. "To Mr. Jasper Whitlock Hale." she smiles again, and I wonder if that woman ever frowns.
"Well, er, I'm happy for you, Alice." Really, I was. It's always nice to see someone else so happy. Even if it reminds me of the void inside my chest that will never be filled.
"Really? Oh Bella, we're going to be great friends, I can tell!" She claps her hands excitedly and I have the urge to roll my eyes. Which of course I don't, because I respect Alice the Pixie, and she seems to be a genuinely nice person.
"Yah, Alice... really great friends." My eyes prick a little, and I wipe my eyes quickly while she glances away quickly at the opening door. I've never had a friend before. It feels...nice. But so alien. I don't know how I feel about the whole situation.
"Hey, Edward!" Alice calls, and waves him over.
Edward? Edward's here? Shit, I must look like... well, shit. For sleeping so long, as Pixie had put it. Although I feel so radiant with energy from this miracle medicine, I run my hands through my hair before I give up on the mob at the base of my neck, threatening to strangle me.
"Hello, Alice." Edward gives Alice a hug and her small frame is almost lost in his embrace. The hug ends after a few seconds and I'm so glad that Edward's name isn't Jasper. Come to think of it, I don't even know this man's full name. It's just Edward. Edward Velvet Voice. It has a certain ring to it...
"Bella, I'd like you to meet Edward, my twin."
Twin?! I would have never guessed.
"Hello, Bella, I've seen you around." Edward bestows his infamous crooked smile and holds out his long hand. I take it in mine timidly and his fingers completely engulf mine. I blush and pull my hand away first.
"So... you two are twins?" Well duh. But I'd like to confirm.
"We're fraternal." Alice chimes, and wraps a thin arm around Edward's waist briefly before letting go. Edward nods and seems a little bored. He's probably had this conversation roughly a thousand times in his life span.
"Bella, I want to give you a tour of the Cullen Project C21-oh, kay? It'll be fun, it's a very interesting place. Although, I don't know why you don't remember, silly girl!" Alice ruffles my already straggly hair and I chuckle a little just to give her some amusement. "Besides, you must want to stretch your muscles."
Exactly. They are very stiff and I'm about to stretch my arms up but think better of it. My pits probably smell like dog crap.
"Um, I'd like to take a shower or something, first. Freshen up, if you don't mind." I cock my head to the side and Alice nods, understanding. Edward coughs and shifts his weight from foot to foot. He's wearing sandals. SAN-DALS. They're camel colored and extremely casual. He's a doctor, for crying out loud. What the hell. It's so hot.
"Er, I have to go check on some of my patients. Good-bye Alice." He gives her a warm hug. I want to replace Alice. I'd like to be wrapped in lean arms like his. "Nice meeting you, Bella."
I blush and watch him briskly walk out of the double sliding doors.
"Good-bye, Edward." I whisper, too low for anyone to hear.
End of chapter four.
Chapter 4 Is Under Contruction- literally
Well, I'm thinking of naming the fourth chapter of The Subject to be Socially Under Construction even before I write it. Anyway, just blogging to let you guys know that I'm working on it!
Mkayloveyou,
bye. ;]
Emily aka Forbidden Apples
xoxo
Mkayloveyou,
bye. ;]
Emily aka Forbidden Apples
xoxo
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Chapter Three: Unlikely Encounters
Chapter Three: Unlikely Encounters
“Some people swallow the universe like a pill; they travel on through the world, like smiling images pushed from behind.”
-Robert Louis Stevenson
Alice nods again and ducks through the door. There are other nurses around this bright hospital room, but they're busy with whatever nurses do so I don't try to talk to them. Some other beds a situated close to mine, and I turn over to a man laying a few feet to the left of my cot. His sandy-blonde hair glimmers under the forceful white lights, and I wonder why they're so bright. Don't some people have to rest here? I find it impossible to close my eyes.
The man's back is twisted way from me, and most of his body is covered in sheets. His head and neck pokes through, and I see it's heavily muscled and a long tattoo runs up the contours of his neck. Black and meaningless designs that travel down from the tip of his ear to the base of his neck, where it disappears under the collar of his blue shirt.
"Um, hi." I mumble, and I wonder if he could even hear me. I'm proved wrong.
"...What?" The man turns his face slightly towards me, and I see a glint of piercing light-hazel eyes. He's average looking, with a slight menace to his features, like he would beat up some random guy for no reason except to watch him bleed into the dirt.
"Oh, nothing, I'm just uh, waiting for the doctor, and I was kind of looking for someone to talk to... keep me company..." I ramble, and the man slowly shifts over to his right side, so he's facing me. I notice that his left ankle is bound with heavy gauze and thick material. He flashes me a smile.
"Well sure, honey. I'll talk to you as long as you want." His eyes squint slightly and I shiver as his eyes move over me. I'm glad that half of my body is covered up in sheets. I pull them up higher.
"So, um, how did you break your ankle?"
"I'm a worker here, and I slipped." the man's answer is too dull for it too be real, and I can tell he's lying. Why would he? Not like it's important. Maybe he's just embarrassed about hurting himself on the job. He seems like the macho-type man that won't take no shit from anyone, even if it's a broken ankle.
"Oh really? What do you do?" I ask. I can't think of anything else to say and this man is making me really uncomfortable. He reminds me of Phil. I squirm under the covers, but the man doesn't seem to notice.
"I do construction and I slipped on a ladder working on a cable in the ceiling."
Construction, eh? I guess that suits him. He doesn't look like he would have the highest IQ. "Then why are you still here?" I put rather rudely, and I don't care. I want him to leave.
"I'm still waiting for a cast." He points at his ankle like I'm stupid and I fume.
Oh.
Of course he would need to wait for a cast. I glance at the clock and watch it tick for a few minutes and start to sweat under this man who's name I don't even know's gaze when his eyes never peel themselves off me. Why is he still staring? I haven't spoken after that ankle comment, he should just suck up and get over that I don't want to talk to him. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him open his mouth like he's about to say something when I hear the double doors squeak nosily as they open and click together as they close.
Finally, Carlisle is here. I bring my eyes up in the direction of the door, but I don't see Blondie walking towards my bed, I see a beautiful creature. His bronze hair is as wild as my reality, and it springs out in all directions. I wonder if it's as soft as it looks. Shimmering jade eyes pierce mine as I stare at him like I have an eighth grade crush. His full lips twist up into a hint of a smile as he ghosts over to me. I'm distracted by the broad width of his shoulders when I notice that he's wearing a long white doctor's coat. I selfishly wish he was my doctor instead of Blondie. I'd kill for him to be checking my IV everyday. I blush when his gaze doesn't leave mine, and I duck my head and stare down at my wrist with the IV, breaking the contact.
Why is he coming over here? I focus on his footsteps coming closer and closer when finally, they stop. I dare to lift my head to look at him at the foot of my bed but find that he's not there at all.
He's by Mr. Tattoo. I flush and gawk at him as he checks the computer set into the base of Mr. Tattoo's bed. He nods to himself and brings up a hand-held, and types in a few things while he asks Tattoo how he's feeling.
My mouth opens wide and my eyes pop as I recognize that voice. Velvet from the grave. He's Dr. Carlisle's nephew.
"James, do you think you need any more pain medication before I put your cast on?" Velvet Voice's lips move in a mesmerizing way, and I catch myself staring at them longingly. Mr. Tattoo, excuse me- James manfully shakes his head no.
"Nah, Doc. Just get this cast on already. I'm tired of waiting, dude. Seriously, how long does it take you guys? Although, I don't think I want to leave just yet." James wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I gasp and flush. I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep as Velvet places a questionable look upon me. I open my eyes the slightest bit so I can see, and I'm annoyed that I couldn't see him clearly anymore. But I do make out him skillfully wrapping Jame's ankle in dark blue material. It hardens almost immediately around Jame's limb. Once I know both of them have stopped looking at me I daringly open my eyes.
"You can leave now, Mr. Cotter. I'll give you a bottle of painkillers and take two of them every few hours for your ankle." Velvet says and hands him an all-too-familar see-through small orange bottle of seemingly harmless pills. I swallow dryly...painfully remembering...
"Whenever you shower or bathe please make sure that your cast never gets wet, alright? That's important. Or else I'd have to do it again." Edward sighs and I wonder if he hates his job, although why would anyone go through extra years in medical school if they didn't want to be a doctor? Unless he isn't certified.
"I thought our new versions of casts can get wet?" James asks and cocks his head to the side.
"Yes, Mr. Cotter, they can, but we're running low on some supplies and this kind is all they had in the back room." Velvet Voice runs a long fingered hand through his jungle of hair and sighs. He looks very tired. There are dark circles beginning to form under his lovely green irises and his broad jaw is firm.
"Ugh, fine Doc." James huffs and swings his dirty denim-clad legs over the cot, toward me, even though there was plenty more room on the other side of his cot. James grabs some crutches placed on the edge of his bed that I didn't notice before and situates his hands on the rests. He tests out the crutches before nodding and grumbling about how annoying this will be until it heals.
"I'll get the door for you, Mr. Cotter." Edward walks slowly toward the double doors and slides one open for James.
"Er, thanks or whatever, Doc." James huffs and Mr. Tattoo slices a dark look through me before he disappears down the hall. I sigh with relief and lean back onto my pillow, which is so much softer than the other in my box/bed.
"Please, call me Edward." Velvet says professionally down to James.
I watch Edward through a slit in my lids as he places his hand-held on a charger in a row of about twenty other chargers on a long counter on the back wall. He gracefully dances over to the edge of Jame's old bed and presses a few buttons on the touch pad of the computer screen, canceling out James Cotter's name and leaving a blank slate for the next patient.
Edward throws a glance over at me and I notice how closely he resembles Alice the Pixie. Alice has the same green eyes, although hers is a darker shade then Edward's, his being a piercing light green. I see some of Alice in his features too, but not much. Maybe they're related?
He is, after all, Carlisle's nephew. Unless I'm incorrect about the voice match. But I would never forget the voice that gave me hope in the grave, and it definitely belonged to this gorgeous man. Alice could be related to Carlisle, maybe? They all looked similar, and Blondie had called her Alice, and not 'nurse' or 'Mrs.Hale' or something like that...
Edward bestows me a crooked smile that knocks the breath out of me. I blush furiously and I can feel it boil all the way to my hairline. I turn my back to him, and stare at the end table settled by my bed. There are some anti-anxiety pill bottles resting on top, and I wonder if I can take any, or if they've already put medicine in my IV. I'm pondering this as I hear Edward's footsteps slowly tread out of the annoyingly noisy double-doors.
“Some people swallow the universe like a pill; they travel on through the world, like smiling images pushed from behind.”
-Robert Louis Stevenson
Alice nods again and ducks through the door. There are other nurses around this bright hospital room, but they're busy with whatever nurses do so I don't try to talk to them. Some other beds a situated close to mine, and I turn over to a man laying a few feet to the left of my cot. His sandy-blonde hair glimmers under the forceful white lights, and I wonder why they're so bright. Don't some people have to rest here? I find it impossible to close my eyes.
The man's back is twisted way from me, and most of his body is covered in sheets. His head and neck pokes through, and I see it's heavily muscled and a long tattoo runs up the contours of his neck. Black and meaningless designs that travel down from the tip of his ear to the base of his neck, where it disappears under the collar of his blue shirt.
"Um, hi." I mumble, and I wonder if he could even hear me. I'm proved wrong.
"...What?" The man turns his face slightly towards me, and I see a glint of piercing light-hazel eyes. He's average looking, with a slight menace to his features, like he would beat up some random guy for no reason except to watch him bleed into the dirt.
"Oh, nothing, I'm just uh, waiting for the doctor, and I was kind of looking for someone to talk to... keep me company..." I ramble, and the man slowly shifts over to his right side, so he's facing me. I notice that his left ankle is bound with heavy gauze and thick material. He flashes me a smile.
"Well sure, honey. I'll talk to you as long as you want." His eyes squint slightly and I shiver as his eyes move over me. I'm glad that half of my body is covered up in sheets. I pull them up higher.
"So, um, how did you break your ankle?"
"I'm a worker here, and I slipped." the man's answer is too dull for it too be real, and I can tell he's lying. Why would he? Not like it's important. Maybe he's just embarrassed about hurting himself on the job. He seems like the macho-type man that won't take no shit from anyone, even if it's a broken ankle.
"Oh really? What do you do?" I ask. I can't think of anything else to say and this man is making me really uncomfortable. He reminds me of Phil. I squirm under the covers, but the man doesn't seem to notice.
"I do construction and I slipped on a ladder working on a cable in the ceiling."
Construction, eh? I guess that suits him. He doesn't look like he would have the highest IQ. "Then why are you still here?" I put rather rudely, and I don't care. I want him to leave.
"I'm still waiting for a cast." He points at his ankle like I'm stupid and I fume.
Oh.
Of course he would need to wait for a cast. I glance at the clock and watch it tick for a few minutes and start to sweat under this man who's name I don't even know's gaze when his eyes never peel themselves off me. Why is he still staring? I haven't spoken after that ankle comment, he should just suck up and get over that I don't want to talk to him. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him open his mouth like he's about to say something when I hear the double doors squeak nosily as they open and click together as they close.
Finally, Carlisle is here. I bring my eyes up in the direction of the door, but I don't see Blondie walking towards my bed, I see a beautiful creature. His bronze hair is as wild as my reality, and it springs out in all directions. I wonder if it's as soft as it looks. Shimmering jade eyes pierce mine as I stare at him like I have an eighth grade crush. His full lips twist up into a hint of a smile as he ghosts over to me. I'm distracted by the broad width of his shoulders when I notice that he's wearing a long white doctor's coat. I selfishly wish he was my doctor instead of Blondie. I'd kill for him to be checking my IV everyday. I blush when his gaze doesn't leave mine, and I duck my head and stare down at my wrist with the IV, breaking the contact.
Why is he coming over here? I focus on his footsteps coming closer and closer when finally, they stop. I dare to lift my head to look at him at the foot of my bed but find that he's not there at all.
He's by Mr. Tattoo. I flush and gawk at him as he checks the computer set into the base of Mr. Tattoo's bed. He nods to himself and brings up a hand-held, and types in a few things while he asks Tattoo how he's feeling.
My mouth opens wide and my eyes pop as I recognize that voice. Velvet from the grave. He's Dr. Carlisle's nephew.
"James, do you think you need any more pain medication before I put your cast on?" Velvet Voice's lips move in a mesmerizing way, and I catch myself staring at them longingly. Mr. Tattoo, excuse me- James manfully shakes his head no.
"Nah, Doc. Just get this cast on already. I'm tired of waiting, dude. Seriously, how long does it take you guys? Although, I don't think I want to leave just yet." James wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I gasp and flush. I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep as Velvet places a questionable look upon me. I open my eyes the slightest bit so I can see, and I'm annoyed that I couldn't see him clearly anymore. But I do make out him skillfully wrapping Jame's ankle in dark blue material. It hardens almost immediately around Jame's limb. Once I know both of them have stopped looking at me I daringly open my eyes.
"You can leave now, Mr. Cotter. I'll give you a bottle of painkillers and take two of them every few hours for your ankle." Velvet says and hands him an all-too-familar see-through small orange bottle of seemingly harmless pills. I swallow dryly...painfully remembering...
"Whenever you shower or bathe please make sure that your cast never gets wet, alright? That's important. Or else I'd have to do it again." Edward sighs and I wonder if he hates his job, although why would anyone go through extra years in medical school if they didn't want to be a doctor? Unless he isn't certified.
"I thought our new versions of casts can get wet?" James asks and cocks his head to the side.
"Yes, Mr. Cotter, they can, but we're running low on some supplies and this kind is all they had in the back room." Velvet Voice runs a long fingered hand through his jungle of hair and sighs. He looks very tired. There are dark circles beginning to form under his lovely green irises and his broad jaw is firm.
"Ugh, fine Doc." James huffs and swings his dirty denim-clad legs over the cot, toward me, even though there was plenty more room on the other side of his cot. James grabs some crutches placed on the edge of his bed that I didn't notice before and situates his hands on the rests. He tests out the crutches before nodding and grumbling about how annoying this will be until it heals.
"I'll get the door for you, Mr. Cotter." Edward walks slowly toward the double doors and slides one open for James.
"Er, thanks or whatever, Doc." James huffs and Mr. Tattoo slices a dark look through me before he disappears down the hall. I sigh with relief and lean back onto my pillow, which is so much softer than the other in my box/bed.
"Please, call me Edward." Velvet says professionally down to James.
I watch Edward through a slit in my lids as he places his hand-held on a charger in a row of about twenty other chargers on a long counter on the back wall. He gracefully dances over to the edge of Jame's old bed and presses a few buttons on the touch pad of the computer screen, canceling out James Cotter's name and leaving a blank slate for the next patient.
Edward throws a glance over at me and I notice how closely he resembles Alice the Pixie. Alice has the same green eyes, although hers is a darker shade then Edward's, his being a piercing light green. I see some of Alice in his features too, but not much. Maybe they're related?
He is, after all, Carlisle's nephew. Unless I'm incorrect about the voice match. But I would never forget the voice that gave me hope in the grave, and it definitely belonged to this gorgeous man. Alice could be related to Carlisle, maybe? They all looked similar, and Blondie had called her Alice, and not 'nurse' or 'Mrs.Hale' or something like that...
Edward bestows me a crooked smile that knocks the breath out of me. I blush furiously and I can feel it boil all the way to my hairline. I turn my back to him, and stare at the end table settled by my bed. There are some anti-anxiety pill bottles resting on top, and I wonder if I can take any, or if they've already put medicine in my IV. I'm pondering this as I hear Edward's footsteps slowly tread out of the annoyingly noisy double-doors.
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