Honeybee

Chapter Twenty-Two~Disaster

Chapter Twenty-Two
Disaster
Elizabeth Cullen
Forks, Washington. September 13, 2005.

But it all happened so very quick.

"Blood." Was the only coherent thought in Jaspers mind as the sight and smell triggered his more animalistic side.

All of the humanity that we try so hard to cultivate abandoned Jasper in a single instant as he became the predator that we are all designed to be.

"No!" Edward roared as Jaspers thoughts registered in his mind.

All at once, Edward pushed Bella out of Jaspers' path in an effort to block him from her, throwing her into the glass table behind them, while the rest of us were left shocked at the scene before us.

Emmett reacted faster than the rest of us, swooping in to force Jaspers' hands behind his back as he tried to pull him from the room. Jasper struggled wildly, empty vampiric eyes focused only on getting to the source of blood.

Edward took up a defense in front of Bella as the smell of more of her blood saturated the air. He was completely prepared to protect her at all cost.

"Emmett, Rose, get Jasper outside." Carlisle ordered, taking control of the situation in the way only he can.

I rushed to open the back door, sliding the glass back as Emmett and Rose tugged a still-thrashing Jasper out of the house and off into the trees.

"Let me by, Edward." Carlisle told our son calmly as I returned to the scene. "Let me help."

Edward nodded as he relaxed and came to my side, and I quickly put a strong arm around him in support.

Alice stood there, towel in hand, looking like she was struggling as she offered aid to Carlisle.

"There's too much glass in the wound." He shook his head at her, and I stepped forward to squeeze her arm.

"Alice, don't push yourself." I whispered too quietly for Bella to hear as Carlisle tied off a tourniquet above the glass-filled wound on Bella's arm and wrist.

"Bella." Carlisle spoke softly in an effort to keep her from going into shock. "Do you want me to drive you to the hospital, or would you like us to take care of it here?"

"Here, please." She whispered.

"I'll get your bag." Alice said, running upstairs.

"Let's take her to the kitchen table." Carlisle said to Edward, gesturing for him to help.

Edward lifted Bella effortlessly, while Carlisle kept a steady pressure on Bella's arm in an attempt to ease the blood flow.

"How are you doing, Bella?" Carlisle asked to keep her talking.

"I'm fine." Bella answered automatically in a tone devoid of any kind of emotion.

Edward's thoughts, which had been full of nothing but self-loathing and a confusing mixture of intense emotions, registered the shock on Bella's face and looked to me with a stone expression.

"This is everything I've been fearing." Edwards thoughts invaded my mind as he sat Bella in a chair at the dinning room table. "I won't keep hurting her like this. I can't."

"Don't rush into anything." I thought towards him as Carlisle began his work. "Your father and I will fix her injuries. Take a moment to breathe and relax. Don't ruin your existence over a simple mistake."

His thoughts became a disjointed mess then, and I quickly turned my gift off in an effort to give him some privacy as well as keep my own sanity.

"Just go, Edward." Bella sighed heavily, mistaking our tiff for his bloodlust.