Life in the Balance (Cullens, Kenny, Doctors)

[edwardcullen]

“What happened? How did she wreck? What kind of car was it?” “Does he think I might do something drastic?” Right before he could answer any questions, Carlisle called him on his cell. Edward answered it politely saying hello. They had not even gotten home yet. But Edward was speeding at the sound of light. To get Esme there before Carlisle did...He nodded at what his father wanted now. And flipped the cell back up...And placed it on the dash board...His attention was back to his mother now as he looked over at her. And sighed. He knew she was upset. "Esme calm down. She was driving a Masserati...That..." Edward stopped..."I bought for her..."

Brooke was not there to hear what was going on. And she would be safe. It was not the first time he had taken the wrap for some one elses actions. But he still did not want Esme to know for a minute that his wife was responsible for what had happened...That's how Edward thought his mother would take it. They didn't seem to trust Brooke and this would give Esme enough ammunition to not trust Brooke even more. It seemed that the Cullen's could trust a human now more than their own kind. At least that's how Edward saw it. "I don't think he'll think you will do any thing drastic. He's just worried about you. You are Ana's mother after all. You are reacting the way a mother would...."

Finally, Edward pulled into the drive way of the Cullen home...And got out and went over to the passenger side door and opened it. He reached his hand out for his mother to take...."Come on..." After he took his sadden mother into the house he did as he was asked by his father to do. He left his mother in the living room and went up stairs and prepared his sisters room....He wanted to cry so badly. He knew what was going to happen to his sister. She was either going to die or be turned. And Edward was so against the second option. There was always another option...But not tonight....

He couldn't help but remember the good times he had with Ana when she was still human...He didn't want to let her go. He looked over at her stuff on her dresser and rubbed his fingers lightly over the magazines and CDs....His sister would not be the sister he once knew. This would change a lot for him. Did any one care about his opinion in all of this....? He sighed to himself...And turned the bed down for his sister to be placed in...This world has taken a lot from him....And now his sister would be taken to the darkness of his world.

[kenny]

Kenny started beating himself up inside for letting that wreck happen. He felt he should have done way more than hold the sides on her head! He should have thought faster and stopped it, push on the brakes or took her out of it or......something......He felt like a complete idiot who should be slapped across the face. And the feelings of wanting to cry never left him....He hurt his girlfriend....He did this to her...A knot formed in his throat causing him to not be able to speak, not that it mattered. He wasn't talking or saying anything! What was he supposed to say? I'm sorry? No....it just doesn't work that way... He wasn't sure if it were just him that he was blaming or if the others even thought about blaming him too...but he sure was! Just thinking about how Esme must feel made him want to curl up in the corner and stay their for a few years.

Was she going to die? Kenny couldn't think about it...he wouldn't let his mind go there....But it kept slipping into his thoughts...Is she? Will she make it?....She's dying.......The knot grew higher in his throat; he went into looking at nothing once more...He tried pushing those thoughts away again but failed miserably...they were unavoidable... How would he live with himself knowing he hurt....his girlfriend. All the sudden , it was almost as if, he got a stomach ache from all his thinking. But vampires don't have those...not to his knowledge. It had to be his mind playing tricks on him... “You’re coming with us, right?” Brookes voice rang to his ear and his eyes looked over to her. “At the very least you can keep me company… I don’t feel like I belong there. It seems like a family moment… and even though I carry the Cullen name it is only by marriage.”

Kenny looked at her momentarily with the same sad look on his face he had had since he arrived.. He swallowed the knot so he could at least say something to her, "I'll come." His voice was quiet and weak. Sighing, he pulled out her car keys from his pocket and held them out to her

[BROOKE KNIGHT]

Brooke nodded, “Good.” She muttered as she wrapped and arm around Kenny in a reassuring fashion, she was only being friendly as she led him to her car. “She’ll be okay… Carlisle will fix this…” she said softly as she opened her car door for him to get in. Once he had she got in the driver’s side and started her car quickly, pulling out of the parking space and then the lot in a matter of seconds. She raced back to the Cullen home; she wanted to make sure Edward wouldn’t need any help with preparing Ana’s room or comforting Esme. Despite the general over all Cullen dislike for the French vampire she was still a Cullen through marriage and she insisted on helping out if she could.

Her life with Edward was certainly off to a crazy start, she had only been married to him for a little over a week and things had gone crazy already. She kept her eyes on the road as she drove to the Cullen home, “I am sorry, Kenny… It’s my fault that this happened… I shouldn’t have bought her that car…” she muttered as she kept on driving, her car began to slow to a normal speed about half way home, as if she was distracted by something.

She was distracted, by her guilt. The car finally came to a halt outside of the Cullen home but Brooke didn’t move from her spot. She rested her head against her steering wheel lightly and let out a heavy breath. “I can’t believe I did that to her…” she muttered.

[achen]

Achen regained consciousness and was soon on his feet at the protest of the nurse. He batted away her comments and told her he was fine as he walked out the room. He asked the nurse for the girl's chart and viewed the final notes. Satisfied with the final readings, he gave the nurse the chart and walked out of the hospital.

The cool air of the night stung Achen's skin as he walked out to his car. He was swift in getting it started and speeding home as the stars winked into existence. He left his white coat in the car when he arrived home and stepped out of the car. He strolled to the edge of the forest that surrounded his house. The moon was bright in the sky, lending the trees an eery glow that promised mystery and adventure. Achen was restless as his eyes wandered across the darkness of the heavens and the stars that beckoned to the dreams of the innocent. He stepped into the shadow of the forest, letting it curl its tendrils around him until only the glint of his eyes could be seen. He shifted then, letting the comfort of his blood soothe his senses. Achen stepped farther into the embrace of the forest and its primal nature. Here, the world was simple and straightforward. There was life and death without the crushing intensity of human emotions. Achen quickened his pace pushed by an instinct he could not comprehend. He was a flash of darkness through the shadow of the woods, his dangling cross glistened in the moistened air. A blood red drop in the night that seemed to soar through the air with a magic all its own.

Achen came to a house that stood nestled in the depths of the forest, surrounded by a clearing like his own home. He didn't step into the clearing, prefering the thick shelter of the trees that would protect him from the rains he smelled before their arrival. Achen lay there among the debris of the forest floor, his cross beginning to shimmer in the stillness of the night. The stars shone as if hope promised them the blessing of lighting the darkness around them and the moon shone with a brilliance of a being at home in a world so shadowed and mysterious. A tear fell from Achen's eye and landed on the ruby cross. The cross pulsed then and the tear winked a bright red before being soaked up by the cross. There in the enfolding darkness of the forest Achen lay, his cross shimmering and pulsing a blood red that reflected in his eyes. The red of warmth and destruction, beginning and end. Achen watched and listened as his senses spread over the clearing and into the house, hearing the creatures that could so easily pass silently among the shadows and between the beams of moonlight. He heard everything happening, being said, and the arrival of Carlisle as he pulled into the clearing. The rain began to fall as Achen watched what would happen in this place hidden among the shadows and as mysterious as the night that he sought comfort in.

[wendy]

Carlisle had made sure that Ana was comfortably set in her room with Edward and then turned to head out of the room for a few minutes. This wasn't something he liked doing, changing a human to a vampire. It was against what he believed in and had it been anyone else, human -wise, he would of never of done it with such ease. He went to his bedroom that he shared with Esme to get a few moments alone to clear his thoughts and gain composure. The whole past weeks events were taking their toll on Carlisle.

After he got out of his hospital clothing and into something more comfortable,he returned to Anas room and looked over to Edward. It was now or never, right? Ana wouldn't make it much longer and looked like she was on deaths door step. He walked over to her and lowers to sit down beside her on the bed. " She is a beautiful young lady. My daughter..from now til death parts her.."

Words of love and emotion could be heard behind what he had said. He and Esme cared a great deal for Ana. They treated her like thier own blood. As they did with Jasper, Emmett, Alice, Rosalie, and Edward.

One last glance was shot over to Esme who was standing within the room and close by and he gave her a nod of his head. The next movements of Carlisles came swift. He bent over Anas form, brushing hair out of the way of her neck and brought his mouth down over the heated silken flesh of her neck. So happened to be a spot that was either over Edwards scars or near them.

His mouth opened and he bite down into Ana, his bite and the venom that went from him to her was swiftly done. In a matter of just a few moments, Carlisle was lifting back up and bringing a hand up to wipe across his mouth. The taste of Anas blood fully in his thoughts and on hips lips. Slowly he pushed up, glanced over to Esme and Edward, knowing that now this part would be on them, as well as the rest of the family to keep her comfortable when the pain came. He would tend to any other matters that arose as they came.