Yes to Forever

Carlisle's POV

"In room 23! It's very urgent, you must get there NOW!" The bored voice in my walkie-talkie blared out. Room 23? I pondered in my mind. The labor room, and I was only called in there if an emergency operation was needed.. and this was the first in weeks. The Forks Hospital never was too busy, except for the occasional "ouch" and bandaging. I wanted to run across the Hospital as fast as I could, not giving any precious moments into walking, but if I did that I'd probably end up on CNN.

And that was certainly unnecessary.

Pushing through the big blue double doors, I held my hand down on the red button to let me in further. I greeted the nurses and pulled the mask over my face.

"What has been diagnosed so far?" Even though I already knew, I could not just waltz in and know everything immediately; that would give something away. The woman's blood smelled appetizing, but not nearly enough to make me forget my morals. Flowery, almost.

"She just gave birth to a baby girl, and has lost too much blood in the process. She told us before she was an "easy bleeder".

"The patient's name?" I questioned.

"Renee Swan." I nodded at the nurses, and acknowledged them to leave. I could handle it from here.

I turned to Renee, and saw the look on her face. It made me stutter in my thoughts, and I knew immediately why.

The look on her face was the same as Edward's mother, when she was dying.

"How are you, Mrs. Renee?" I mentally checked her pulse, and noted it was below average. This was not good.

"Am I going to make it?" She abruptly asked. Before I could even answer, she interrupted me. "No, I'm not, am I? But Isabella did, right?"

I glanced at the notes, and nodded swiftly. "Your child is in perfect condition." She sighed thankfully, and rested her head back.

"Promise me something, swear to it." She commanded with an intense expression.

"What would you like, Mrs. Swan?" She gripped my hand, and held it as strong as she could. Not even flinching at the cold touch, she continued.

"Bella's father died months ago in a shooting. After I am gone, she will have no family. You MUST take care of her, you swore it." Her voice was growing fainter by the minute, and sadly, I knew her last words were coming. "I can see it in your eyes, Dr. Cullen. You can do something for my Bella, and you must take her into your life, as you have with the other children you've adopted. Keep her alive with you, forever." Her hand slumped in mine, and I knew she was gone. I knew there would be no problem in adopting Bella, the nurses always recorded conversations of a critical patient with a doctor.

But the intensity Renee had in her words, her eyes, reminded me so much of Elizabeth so many years ago. Though I couldn't promise the same fate as Edward's, being changed moments after his mothers request in keeping him safe, I could raise Isabella until she was of age. It would be hard, having a human grow up in a vampire household, but I think we could manage.

The nurse brought in the child, so the mother could hold her, but she didn't know the mother was long gone. I told her what had happened, and the nurse said she'd contact the adoption agency for me and give me the rest to handle it.

She gave me Isabella, and I looked into her eyes.

Rosalie and Esme would love her.