All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of SM. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 2: Crawling

"When a fellow student, er," he opened his chart looking for specific information, "Tyler Crowley, lost control of his vehicle, colliding with your truck, and you caught between them. You were in a coma for about seven months when you began to come out of it. Around mid-September, about nine months ago, you came out of the coma. At that time, you were still at the Forks General Hospital, under the care of a Dr. Carlisle Cullen. However, you began having psychiatric fits, and your father, Charlie Swan, felt it best to have you committed here. You have been conscious now for nine months; however you are not always fully aware. This is the sixth time we've had this conversation."

My head was shaking from side-to-side now. No, that cannot be correct; Edward saved me from that accident. As if able to read my mind, the doctor proceeded, "Now, you're timeline varies from the actual event. The first time I explained this, you told me that Dr. Cullen's son, Edward Cullen" uhhh… I could feel the hole beginning to rip apart in my chest at the mention of his name, "had saved you from this accident because he was standing right next to you." I began nodding my head.

The doctor continued, "Except, Dr. Cullen does not have a son named Edward. He has four adopted foster children, but none of which are named Edward. As the months passed, and you came in and out of awareness, you began talking about vegetarian vampires and local Native American werewolves. You seem to remain aware for longer periods of time and each time you seem to recognize staff and surroundings quicker."

"I don't …" words were at a loss for me, how could I capture and describe my overwhelming confusion, how could I communicate to this doctor how nuts this sounded? – "understand."

He nodded. "Yes, I know. But Isabella, imagine for a moment how this sounds for me, stories of vampires who drink the blood of deer, mountain lions, and bears. Vampires who move through communities keeping low profiles to blend in, who after decades of this, suddenly break rank for a human girl? A vampire who works as a doctor? In a hospital no less! Or teenage boys who turn into werewolves to protect you? For some reason, you have created this alternate universe in your mind, somewhere safe to retreat to, where you feel safe, loved, and even adored. You are a child from a broken home caused by divorce, you have replaced your parents with a loving family, the Cullens, where you have a father and mother, brothers and sisters."

Yes, of course I knew how crazy it all sounded, but it was true! In that moment I was not worried that this place was a mental institution but more fearful that I had betrayed the Cullens' secret. What would happen to them now?

"Initially, when you woke up at Forks General, you were receptive. You were at home for about a week, before you slipped into this fugue state. Each time you become aware, we have this conversation. The states seem to vary, at times you were alert for longer periods of time, other times, and you are gone almost as quickly as you return. Your longest state was four months, which is practically unheard of, while your shortest states have lasted mere hours. You always come out of them wanting to ride a motorcycle," he chuckled at this last part. "In recent weeks, you've psychosis has deepened, where you have invented layers of delusion, starting first with the alternate reality you created, to hallucinations of Edward Cullen. The last 48 hours have been extremely interesting, as you have gone in and out of awareness several times, never quite long enough to have this conversation though. It is almost as if you are finally beginning to break free."

I vaguely realized he was staring at me, waiting for a response. I had none, merely staring at him in disbelief. This couldn't be right. This wasn't possible! It was real, all of it real. Shaking, I lowered my gaze to my arm, where I noticed a slim plastic band, twisting it around I read, "Swan, Isabella". Fumbling, I pushed the band down, then up, again and again I did this, surely looking as a person possessed, truly mad and deserving to be here. My eyes became unfocused as my fingertips fumbled along the delicate skin on the inside of my wrist, seeking desperately for something that was not there: the scar left behind from James' bite. It wasn't there. Oh God! Was I really here?

Stumbling, I pushed myself from the bed, backing slowly away from the doctor. This was not right, I knew what I knew and I knew it was real! As I unsteadily backed into a corner, something caught my eye. Behind the curtains was a sparkle, a shimmer. Was there a vampire here? Hope flew within my breast as I made long, albeit clumsy, strides to cross the room, throwing the curtain to the side. My smile froze on my lips as I stared at it, the beautiful prism hanging from a fish wire in the window. As the sunlight streamed through the window, catching, bending, and dancing with the light creating a thousand sparkles that blinded me. For a moment, I stood there, motionless, drinking in the prism. Surely, this was a dream, a terrible nightmare and I would awaken soon.

I closed my eyes, my head swirling, and points of light dancing behind my lids. Slowly, I turned to face the doctor.

Victoria.

There she stood, behind the doctor, with her flaming red hair, her feline figure merely hinted at under the obviously stolen white jacket. "Victoria! Doctor look out! She'll kill you!" I screamed, backing into the corner directly below the television.

The doctor looked exasperated, then smiled apologetically to the woman behind him, "Bella, this is Dr. Victoria, she visits you each week, you know her,"

I shook my head violently, disbelieving his words. This was a trick! She was trying to trick me! Surely she had caught me in the woods, and had somehow bestowed this form of torture upon me. My body shook and trembled, awaiting her quick, lithe movements, waiting for her to strike to kill.

Nothing.

"Dr. Victoria, please call James in here to sedate the patient, I'm afraid she may hurt herself." Victoria nodded once then silently left the room. I slid down the wall, pulling my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs. Edward I need you! I shouted in my mind, useless as it was, I continued this chant, and fervently hoping he would somehow hear my crazed calls. The door opened with a soft click as the knob clicked open, Victoria stepped inside the room, followed by a taller, blonde haired man. Oh God. I gulped my fear back, there stood James with a silver tray covered in some sort of paper towel, laying on top was a capped needle with a bottle of fluid next to it. James quietly closed the door behind him and began to move towards me.

"No, no, no…" I chanted, scrambling backwards, only to find my back already flush with the corner. "No! Stay away from me!" In the distance, I could see the doctor, shaking his head, almost as if he were sad. James and Victoria came nearer to me, stalking closer and closer, each coming at me from an angle, from each side. I knew there was no escape, but I had to try. I felt the adrenaline kick into my system, fire spreading through my veins, heat scorching through my fingertips, thighs, arms, and into my heart. My breathing was shallow, almost a pant, and my hands began to perspire. I sprang then, keeping low to the ground, hoping to make their grasps difficult. As I stumbled under James' quick grasp, I shoved the silver pan into his face and continued my escape.

Of course, you really cannot outrun vampires.

Hissing behind me, James suddenly appeared behind the doctor and stabbed the syringe into his neck. Victoria flittered to his side, grinning widely at me. "Oh c'mon Bella, don't you want to play along? We all know you really are crazy after all!" She laughed, her voice sparkling throughout the room, her delight of my maddened state chiming through her laughter.

Victoria growled then, and sped towards me, closing the space between us in less than an eighth of a second. I saw her hand too late, almost as if in slow motion as she reached out quickly to grab my arm, slamming me into the dresser below, and I heard a sickening crack as my arms broke in several places. The air in my lungs was forcefully ejected, and I felt my stomach lurch at the sudden impact. Her hands tangled into my hair, pulling my head back, my neck straining against her pull, she hissed again and I quickly closed my eyes as the dresser surface raced upwards to my face.

BAM!

"Bella! Bella!" I blinked, Charlie stood in front of me then scowling. "Bella, where did you go there kiddo?" His face wrinkled with concern and frustration, both evidently warring equally within him.

I blinked again, as I reached towards my arm; the one Victoria had broken, and began massaging it. Yet, when I stole a glance downwards at it, expecting it to lay in unnatural slants and bends, it was normal, not a single break. My eyes came back into focus, as I realized I was sitting at my father's dining room table in Forks. My fingers grasped my wrist again, their delicate pads feeling along the jagged lines where James had bitten me just months earlier.

"Bella, " Charlie stated, obviously frustrated now, waiting for my answer. Dazed, I couldn't remember what we were talking about, or even what day it was.

"Uh, Charlie, what day is it?" I asked innocently.

Charlie stared at me curiously, then snickered, "Geez, Bells, I know you hate your birthday, but really, don't you think you're taking this a bit far?"