*by Stephenie Meyer*



TWILIGHT - chapter 3 - PHENOMENON


It took six EMT's and two teachers - Mr. Varner and Coach Clapp - to shift the অগ্রদূত far enough away from us to bring the stretchers in. Edward vehemently refused his, and I tried to do the same, but the traitor told them I'd hit my head and probably had a concussion. I almost died of humiliation when they put on the neck brace. It looked like the entire school was there, watching soberly as they loaded me in the back of the ambulance. Edward got to ride in the front. It was maddening.
To make matters worse, Chief রাজহাঁস arrived before they could get me safely away.
"Bella!" he yelled in panic when he rocognized me on the stretcher.
"I'm completely fine, Char - Dad," I sighed. "There's nothing wrong with me."
He turned to the closest EMT for a সেকেন্ড opinion. I tuned him out to consider the jumble of inexpicable প্রতিমূর্তি churning chaotically in my head. When they'd lifted me away from the car, I had seen the deep dent in the tan car's bumper - a very distinct dent that fit the contours od Edward's shoulders... as if he had braced himself against the car with enough force to damage the metal frame....
And then there was his family, looking on from the distance, with expressions that ranged from diapproval to fury but held no hint of concern for their brother's safety.
I tried to think of a logical solution that could explain what I had just seen - a solution that excluded the assumption that I was insane.
Naturally, the অ্যাম্বুলেন্স got a police escort to the county hospital. I felt ridiculous the whole time they were unloading me. What made it worse was that Edward simply glided through the hospital doors under his own power. I ground my teeth together.
They put me in the emergency room, a long room with a line of beds separated দ্বারা pastel-pattered curtains. A nurse out a pressure cuff on my arm and a thermometer under my tongue. Since no one bothered pulling the curtains around to give me some privacy, I decided I wasn't obligated to wear the stupid-looking neck brace anymore. When the nurse walked away, I quickly unfastened the Velcro and threw it under the bed.
There was another flurry of hospital personne;, another stretcher brought to the ned পরবর্তি to me. I recognized Tyler Crowley from my Government class beneath the bloodstained bandages wrapped tightly around his head. Tyler looked a hundred times worse than I felt. But he was staring anxiously at me.
"Bella, I'm so sorry!"
"I'm fine, Tyler - আপনি look awful, are আপনি all right?" As we spoke, nurses began unwinding his soiled bandages, exposing a myraid of shallow slices all over his forehead and left cheek.
He ignored me. "I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast, and I hit the ice wrong...." He winced as one nurse started dabbing at his face.
"Don't worry about it; আপনি missed me."
"How did আপনি get out of the way so fast? আপনি were there, and then আপনি were gone...."
"Umm... Edward pulled me out of the way."
He looked confused. "Who?"
"Edward Cullen - he was standing পরবর্তি to me." I'd alwasy been a terrible liar; I didn't sound convincing at all.
"Cullen? I didn't see him... wow, it was all so fast, I guess. Is he okay?"
"I think so. He's here somewhere, but they didn't make him use a stretcher."
I knew I wasn't crazy. What had happened? There was no way to explain away what I'd seen.
They wheeled me away then, to X-ray my head. I told them there was nothing wrong, and I was right. Not even a concussion. I asked if I could leave, but the nurse ব্যক্ত I had to talk to a doctor first. So I was trapped in the ER, waiting, harassed দ্বারা Tyler's constant apologies and promises to make it up to me. No matter how many times I tried to convince him I was fine, he continued to torment himself. Finally, I closed my eyes and ignored him. He kept up a remorseful mumbling.
"Is she sleeping?" a musical voice asked. My eyes flew open.
Edward was standing at the foot of my bed, smirking. I glared at him. It wasn't easy - it would have been আরো natural to ogle.
"Hey, Edward, I'm really sorry - "Tyler began.
Edward lifted a hand to stop him.
"No blood, no foul," he ব্যক্ত flashing his brilliant teeth. He moved to sit on the edge of Tyler's bed, facing me. He smirked again.
"So, what's the verdict?" he asked me.
"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go," I complained. "How come আপনি aren't strapped to a gurney like the rest of us?"
"It's all about who আপনি know," he answered. "But don't worry, I came to spring you."
Then a doctor walked around the corner, and my mouth fell open. He was young, he was blond... and he was handsomer than any movie তারকা I'd ever seen. He was pale, tough, and tired-looking, with circles under his eyes. From Charlie's description, this had to be Edward's father.
"So, Miss Swan," Dr. Cullen ব্যক্ত in a remarkably appealing voice, "how are আপনি feeling?"
"I'm fine," I ব্যক্ত for the last time, I hoped.
He walked to the lightboard on the দেওয়াল over my head, and turned it on.
"Your X-rays look good," he said. "Does your head hurt? Edward ব্যক্ত আপনি hit it pretty hard."
"It's fine," I repeated with a sigh, throwing a quick scowl toward Edward.
The doctor's cool fingers probed lightly along my skull. He noticed when I winced.
"Tender?" he asked.
"Not really." I'd had worse.
I heard a chuckle, and looked over to see Edward's patronizing smile. My eyes narrowed.
"Well, your father is in the waiting room - আপনি can go প্রথমপাতা with him now. But come back if আপনি feel dizzy অথবা have trouble with your eyesight at all."
"Can't I go back to school?" I asked, imagining Charlie trying to be attentive.
"Maybe আপনি should take it east today."
I glanced at Edward. "Does he get to go to school?"
Someone has to spread the good news that we survived," Edward ব্যক্ত smugly.
"Actually," Dr. Cullen corrected, "most of the school seems to be in the waiting room."
"Oh, no," I moaned, covering my face with my hands.
Dr. Cullen raised his eyebrows. "Do আপনি want to stay?"
"No, no!" I insisted, throwing my legs over the side of the বিছানা and hopping down quickly. Too quickly - I staggered, and Dr. Cullen caught me. He looked concerned.
"I'm fine," I assured him again. No need to tell him my balance problems had nothing to do with hitting my head.
"Take some Tylenol for the pain," he suggested as he steadied me.
"It doesn't hurt that bad, "I insisted.
"It sounds like আপনি were exteremely lucky," Dr. Cullen said, smiling as he signed my chart with a flourish.
"Lucky Edward happened to be standing পরবর্তি to me," I amended with a hard glance at the subject of my statement.
"Oh, well, yes," Dr. Cullen agreed, suddenly occupied with the papers in front of him. Then he looked away at Tyler, and walked to the পরবর্তি bed. My intuition flickered; the doctor was in on it.
"I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with us just a little bit longer," he ব্যক্ত to Tyler, and began checking his cuts.
As soon as the doctor's back was turned, I moved to Edward's side.
"Can I talk to আপনি for a minute?" I hissed under my breath. He took a step back from me, his jaw suddenly cleched.
"Your father is waiting for you," he ব্যক্ত through his teeth.
I glanced at Dr. Cullen and Tyler.
"I'd like to speak with আপনি alone, if আপনি don't mind," I pressed.
He glared, and then turned his back and strode down the long room. I nearly had to run to keep up. As soon as we turned to corner into the short hallway, he spun around to face me.
"What do আপনি want?" he asked, sounding annoyed. His eyes were cold.
His unfriendliness intimidated me. My words came out with less severity than I'd intended. "You owe me an explanation," I reminded him.
"I saved your life - I don't owe আপনি anything."
I flinched back from the resentment in his voice. "You promised."
"Bella, আপনি hit your head, আপনি don't know what you're talking about." His tone was cutting.
My temper flared now, and I glared defiantly at him. "There's nothing wrong with my head."
He glared back. "What do আপনি want from me, Bella?"
"I want to know the truth," I said. "I want to know why I'm lying for you."
"What do আপনি think happened?" he snapped.
It came out in a rush.
"All I know is that আপনি weren't anywhere near me - Tyler didn't see you, either, so don't tell me I hit my head too hard. That অগ্রদূত was going to crush us both - and it didn't, and your hands left dents in the side of it - and আপনি left a dent in the other car, and your not hurt at all - and the অগ্রদূত should have smashed my legs, but আপনি were holding it up...." I could hear how crazy it sounded, and I couldn't continue. I was so mad I could feel the tears coming; I tried to force them back দ্বারা grinding my teeth together.
He was staring at me incredulously. But his face was tense, defensive.
"You think i lifted a অগ্রদূত off you?" His tone questioned my sanity, but it only made me আরো suspicious. It was like a perfectly delivered line দ্বারা a skilled actor.
I merely nodded once, jaw tight.
"Nobody will believe that, আপনি know." His voice held and edge of derision now.
"I'm not going to tell anybody." I ব্যক্ত each word slowly, carefully controlling my anger.
Surprise flitted across his face. "Then why does it matter?"
"It matters to me," I insisted. "I don;t like to lie - so there'd better be a good reason why I'm doing it."
"Can't আপনি just thank me and get over it?"
"Thank you." I waited, fuming and expectant.
"You're not going to let this go are you?"
"No."
"In that case... I hope আপনি like disappointment."
We scowled at each other in silence. I was the first to speak, trying to keep myself focused. I was in danger of being distracted দ্বারা his livid, glorious face. It was like trying to stare down a destroying angel.
"Why did আপনি even bother?" I asked frigidly.
He paused, and for a brief moment his stunning face was unexpectedly vulnerable.
"I don't know," he whispered.
And then he turned his back on me and walked away.
I was so angry, it took me a few মিনিট until I could move. When I could walk, I made my way slowly to the exit at the end of the hallway.
The waiting room was আরো unpleasant than I'd feared. It seemed like every face I knew in Forks was there, staring at me. Charlie rushed to my side; I put up my hands.
"There's nothing wrong with me," I assured him sullenly. I was still aggravated, not in the mood for chitchat.
"What did the doctor say?"
"Dr. Cullen saw me, and he ব্যক্ত I was fine and I could go home." I sighed. Mike and Jessica and Eric were all there, beginning to converge on us. "Let's go," I urged.
Charlie pout one arm behind my back, not wuite touching me, and led me to the glass doors of the exit. I waved sheepishly at my friends, hoping to convey that they didn't need to worry anymore. t was a huge relief - the first time I'd ever felt that way - to get into the cruiser.
We drove in silence. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I barely knew Charlie was there. I was positive that Edward's defensive behavior in the hall was a confirmation of the bizzare things I still could hardly believe I'd witnessed.
When we got to the house, Charlie finally spoke.
"Um... you'll need to call Renee." He hung his head guilty.
I was appalled. "You told Mom!"
"Sorry."
I slammed the cruiser's door a little harder than necessary on my way out.
My mom was in hysterics, of course. I had to tell her I felt fine at least thirty times before she would calm down. She begged me to come প্রথমপাতা - forgetting the fact that প্রথমপাতা was empty at the moment - but her pleas were easier to resist than I would have thought. I was consumed দ্বারা the mystery Edward presented. And আরো than a little obsessed দ্বারা Edward himself. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I wasn't as eager to escape Forks as I should be, an any normal, sane person would be.
I decided I might as well go to বিছানা early that night. Charlie continued to watch me anxiously, and it was getting on my nerves. I stopped on my way to grab three Tylenol from the bathroom. They did help, and, as the pain eased, I drifted to sleep.
That was the first night I dreamed of Edward Cullen.