After pulling a helpless, bleeding teenager from a wrecked car, what do you do? I felt helpless for the first time in my long life, defenseless. I am nearly indestructible, immortal and physically flawless and yet I sat here waiting to find out Jaymie's condition like the frail human I used to be- long, long ago.
It would have made me feel much better if I was out exacting her revenge on the boy who had put her in this condition. I wasn't exactly sure what revenge would be. He wasn't a bad kid, overall, and people make mistakes- especially teenagers. So I wouldn't have done anything irreversible to put it in gentle terms. But at the very least I would have made sure that he understood his actions and their consequences.
Carlisle was one step ahead of me, both on Jaymie and on Adam. Having had decades of fatherly experience under his belt, he had called the school and found out the full names of both students immediately after stabilizing Jaymie and moving her to a more formal area of the hospital. Jaymie's parents rushed to her side as soon as they were contacted. They seemed like warm, loving people, with a mother who gushed tears over her bedside and a father who held it all together like the rock of the family. A little brother about three or four years old ran around the room, playing with various things, getting into whatever he could find and making for a nice distraction.
Alice, Jasper and I just sat outside in the hallway waiting room and waited. I wasn't leaving until I knew she would be alright. I felt responsible, like if I had done something to prevent her from going when I first heard them making these plans this never would have happened.
As far as Adam was concerned, Carlisle reported the accident to the police that patrol the hospital, who called it in properly. From what I understand from the thoughts of Carlisle and the hospital's officers, who keep checking in for updates, it didn't take long to get Adam into handcuffs and down to the station for a statement and a confession. They found the car right where I had left it as well.
Of course, I was questioned a few hours after that, because they wanted to know who pulled Jaymie from the car. Not that I minded, I wanted to do all I could to throw the book at Adam and get him into trouble for what he did.
A few hours after bringing Jaymie in, she was up and talking. They were able to get her side of the story- that Adam didn't even have a license, only a permit, and had "borrowed" his father's car for the evening. When he told her this, she got angry and wanted to go home. His bad driving worsened when he got angry in return, and that is when the car met the tree.
A few stitches in the forehead and an arm sling later, Jaymie went home with her parents and younger brother. Us Cullens, with the exception of my hard-working father, went home as well. It was a rough day, that worked out in the end I suppose. I was glad- for once- to not be human, to not be so weak and breakable. I was grateful to have the ability to heal, to be hard as stone, and to have known how to save a life. I did something good. Maybe I'm not such a monster. Maybe.
Labels:
Alice Cullen
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Before Twilight
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Carlisle Cullen
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Chicago
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Edward Cullen
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Jasper Hale
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Jaymie
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Vampires
