Pushing my ever growing thoughts of leaving from my mind - fighting tooth and nail against what I didn't want to be - I opened my mind to the conversation that was now being shouted in the hall. Listening in on their conversation wasn't difficult in the least. They were barely standing outside the door and with their raised voices it was loud enough that even the humans could hear it.

"Charlie, calm down right this instance!" Renée yelled at him.

"You left him in there with our daughter. She left because of him," he growled furiously with the protective concern, emitting a possessive edge in his thoughts.

I could witness his livid expression through Renée's human eyes. Not the best vision, but it would work. He was right, though; she did leave because of me, because of the danger I placed her in. Looking at her limp form on the bed, her brown hair surrounding her glorious bruised face only brought more fear rippling and quivering through my still form. I was gasping at the air like I'd been suffocated.

"No. She left because of me! If she wasn't so scared to fall in love in Forks than she wouldn't have run away in the first place. This is my fault, not his. If you want to blame someone, blame me," she retorted.

"You didn't hear the way she yelled at him." I flinched at the memory, my nerves stretching tight - guitar strings, tensed to resonate at the gentlest of pressure. "She was so angry and upset," his voice had lowered some, noticing all the attention on them. Charlie hated attention as much as Bella did. "Wait, did you say love?"

Renée eyed the door automatically, picturing my tortured face in her mind. "Yes. I believe he loves her," she murmured.

"Well..." he stuttered. "That still doesn't matter!"

"They were trying to help. You know our daughter, she is very clumsy. If it didn't happen now it probably would have happened in the future. It's better if it is when a qualified emergency room doctor is around," Renée rubbed his shoulders. I could hear her impatience at her ex-husband.

Dr. Jones was still on duty and over heard part of the conversation in the hall. Must be her father the way he was yelling. He walked towards them. "Hello, I'm Dr. Jones. I am the one who worked on your daughter this afternoon."

A nurse had followed behind him and entered the room. She began taking Bella's vitals, not even realizing I was sitting in the corner. Her thoughts concentrated on the information she was writing down on the chart.

I continued to listen to the conversation outside the door. "Oh, hello, yes...I'm Charlie, her father. Dr. Cullen told me she was in a medically induced coma?"

The light rhythmic movement of Bella's heart continued at a steadied beat, a little faster than when she was in a peaceful sleep. Again, I was counting the seconds.

"Yes. She is healing nicely. Once her swelling goes down around her brain we will try and wake her, but it is strictly up to her body to decide when she is ready to awake from this coma," he stated firmly, yet in a tone that would help ease his stress.

"Yes. Of course. I understand," Charlie rubbed his temples.

"I'll leave you alone. Let you have some time with your daughter," he murmured before walking away.

"Thanks," Charlie barely spoke.

When the nurse swiveled around she finally saw me sitting there. Her heart jumped and began beating wildly. I didn't even see him sitting there.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just leaving now," she began to walk towards the door. Now that I think about it... she glanced over her shoulder. He is hot! I might have to volunteer to come back in here tonight. She finally opened the door nearly knocking over Charlie who had reached for the door at the same time.

Standing, I opened my mouth to apologize again. Charlie held up a hand. "No need."

Renée continued to stand in the hall, uncertain if she needed to enter or not, worried that Charlie might decide to release some more of his fury on me.

"I'll leave you two alone," I mumbled while walking out of the room.

Renée turned to get dinner, taking deep breaths while her thoughts were grumbling in complaint at Charlie's behavior. And he's such a nice boy...I just don't understand.

As soon as the door clicked shut Alice was at my side.

I see he calmed down. He was in a white rage in the car on the way over here. I thought I was going to have to restrain him he was so angry.

I nodded, not speaking. I was still burning from the pain.

I know what you're planning.

I ignored her. Curiosity continued to eat at her as she walked next to me down the hall which was rich with the scent of bleach and plastic. She looked at me inquisitively, wondering what I was thinking that was making the visions in her mind flash. My thoughts were burning, wishing I could know what was going through Bella's mind right now. Her mind was closed to me, and now her eyes were too, the one link I had left to her internal knowledge.

Everything is going to be okay, I can see it. She tried to comfort me.

Still, I continued to walk silently next to her. Bella's oddly deep brown eyes were fixated in my irises which were crimson with fresh human blood. My contacts were beginning to burn away. Before I could ask Alice, she had another box placed in her palm.

Here, let's not give Charlie any reasons to hate you more.

"Thanks," I replied dully.

If I thought going on a single hunting trip - leaving Bella behind, vulnerable - was excruciating, the next twelve hours were worse. The extreme and generally prolonged pain and mental suffering were the most constant of my torments. But, the most painful of my torments was Charlie's possessive nature over his daughter. With him here, I was basically kicked out of her room, Renée constantly apologizing for his poor behavior.

During the afternoon hours Alice and Renée would converse about everything from style to yoga classes, even though Alice has no need for yoga. Though I sat there, listening to their conversations, they continued to become aware of how tightly wound I was, feeling the stress emanate out of me without the special gift that Jasper has.

Edward, Alice called from her mind around two in the afternoon. Charlie is going back to Forks. The officers...well, he is the police force, they need him back. He already received that call and will be on a plane by five.

This was the first decent news I had heard in days. Regardless, today would be a hard one. Harder than the day before because each second that I continued to count added to the time that her deep depths were closed, her mind locked up tighter than Fort Knox. Like Alice had predicted, Charlie came strolling around the corner to give us the news about his departure. He completely ignored me, but in his mind he was thinking daggers towards me. Daggers that would never pierce my cold, steel skin.