“Bella, my god! What happened to you!? Are you all right?”

I grimaced for what seemed like the millionth time since I had gotten to the hospital. If one more person asked me that, I swore I’d lose it completely. But I guess since he was my father and was the only person I technically couldn’t kill, I simply gritted my teeth and huffed through my nose.

“Yes, Charlie, I’m fine,” I finally replied with a martyred sigh. “I just… hit my head,” I gave him a meaningful look, glancing around the room at the nurses and students who had followed Tyler and I here. He instantly understood and nodded once at me before turning to speak with a nurse regarding my “condition”.

I rolled my eyes, playing with the edges of the sheet on a gurney I had been forced to rest on while I awaited my release. I had already been here an hour – the hospital was busy today, and the few doctors present were probably attending to more important patients. The nurse that had been in the ambulance with me had been shuffling in and out of the room, periodically checking my head for bumps or lacerations, and finding none, had given up and focused on stitching up Tyler’s bleeding forehead.

I was almost surprised to find that being so close to Tyler’s free-flowing blood did not particularly bother me. Of course, it made venom pool in my mouth and my throat had been steadily aching since I was forced into the ambulance with him so close by, but I had essentially kept my cool and focused on fending off the unwanted attention from the hospital staff. All I really wanted was to leave as soon as possible so I could concentrate on solving my latest mystery – the paradox that was Edward Cullen.

Before I could even begin to mentally touch on that subject, a doctor finally approached me, and I immediately perked up in the hope that he would set me free. And then I got another look at his face and my mind went blank.

“Isabella Swan?” the gorgeous man said, glancing at his clipboard and then at me.

“It’s Be… y-yeah, that’s me,” I stuttered, stupefied.

“I’m Dr. Carlisle Cullen,” he said with a blinding smile that brightened his equally white complexion, offering me his hand.