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Lost and Found	By : Valleygoat Category: Twilight Series > General Views: 5558 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 31
- 32
- 33
Chapter 32 The Decision
Edward's POV
I was standing on the front porch watching as Bella and Carrie drove off. I was really nervous about letting Carrie go out with none of us going with her; it felt like I was breaking my promise to protect her. I still remember the way that she was the last time we went to Port Angeles. Even though the only thing that we found that was suspicious was a truck not from around here I still couldn't shake the feeling that I had seen it someplace before. It was the same type of worry that I felt when we had to leave Carrie alone during winter break and we all know how that one turned out.
I heard someone come up beside me and I turned to my right to see Carlisle also watching as the truck disappeared. He turned to me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry; I'm sure she will be fine. It is just a quick trip, they will be in and out then on their way back here," he said.
"But we know all too well that things can change in an instant," I said. Carlisle and I just stared at each other for a moment before he lightly squeezed my shoulder and went back into the house. I stood on the porch for a little while longer before I also went back into the house. I lay down on the sofa that Carrie and I were occupying just a short while ago to settle down and wait.
It has been an hour and a half since they left. Knowing the distance, the way Bella drives, and her truck itself they should be arriving at town any minute. The time I have spent waiting has been completely miserable. At first I was just lying on the sofa then I sat up with my elbows on my knees, running my fingers through my hair in aggravation as well as bouncing my leg in impatience. I would then get up and start pacing around the living room. I would hear the others displeasure at my actions so I returned to my previous position on the sofa, just to get up and start pacing again. After a few times of doing this when I got up Rosalie also got up and forced me out of the room and said, "If you are going to pace to it out of my sight, you are giving me a headache."
The bad feeling that I had only intensified when I noticed clouds in the distance, in the direction of Port Angeles; It looked as if a pretty nasty storm was rolling in even though there had been no mention of rain or anything. I returned to the living room and turned on the TV that Emmett was no longer using for his video games and put it on the weather channel. "Well this is certainly surprising folks," the weatherman said. "I know that I promised sunshine for the week but this storm has seemed to apparently pop up out of the nowhere," he said as he motioned on the map of the storm system that was coming toward us. "It is a bit unusual to see storms pop up like this during this time of year but not completely unlikely. The storm seems to be a thunderstorm that is quickly building in intensity. It is currently showing a possibility of moderate rain fall but can quickly turn into heavy precipitation if it continues to grow stronger. I'll keep you posted on this storm, back to you at the news desk."
"I hope that Carrie makes it home before this storm is unleashed," Esme said. I needed to calm down so I went to play my piano. I started off with Moonlight Sonata which is one of Carrie's favorites, and then I played another, Fur Elise. A picture flashed quickly in my mind and I raced back to the living to where Alice was.
"What was that," I asked her urgently. Not having Carrie next or around me is making me jumpy.
"I'm not sure," she said, her tone conveying the truth of her words.
"What did you see," Carlisle asked gently as we all turned to Alice.
"It was someone, a man, a large man judging by the hands, was reaching for a shot gun that was in a vise and began to saw part of it off. I'm not sure what the importance of it is, though they are not always important," Alice said as she went over what she saw. It sounded pretty important to me, like some one planning something illegal and dangerous. I hope that it didn't have to do with Carrie.
"Did you recognize anything," Jasper asked as he reached over and held her hand.
Alice shook her head no. "It appeared to be a rundown motel room or something," she said.
"Can you tell what Carrie is doing," I asked, my concern most definitely apparent.
Alice closed her eyes and brought her right hand up to press against her temple. We were quiet as she concentrated. "From what I can see her and Bella are going to go to the jewelry store soon," she said as she opened her eyes and placed her hand back in her lap. She was having a little trouble seeing them, seeing as Bella is pregnant with a werewolves child; it was hindering her vision. It was quiet until Alice gasped and her eyes were wide and unseeing. I tried to see what she was seeing but I was being blocked. I watched as Alice blinked her eyes and stood up abruptly from the sofa and headed toward the door.
"What is wrong," I asked as the others and I got up to follow her. We were all curious as to what she saw to cause her to act this way. She appeared to be angry at something, and she is hardly ever angry. I heard Jasper, and the others, expressing their concerns at her actions, and their curiosity as well.
"I saw Carrie," she said as we went through the door and started running. The sky is getting darker and looked darker still in the direction that we were running which was Port Angeles.
"What about Carrie," I asked worriedly as I sped up to be slightly in front of her.
"I saw her from another's prospective. It appeared as if the person was following her. I saw the person's hands; they were the same that were sawing the shotgun. They were watching her as they got out of what appeared to be a truck and headed into an alleyway," she said. I was silent in shock and I saw as the images of the visions flash through my mind as Alice placed them together. I was so angry that I took off running, the others trying yet failing to keep up with me. I could hear thunder in the distance.
Author's POV (because I couldn't decide who to go with, I was thinking mostly Alice)
The rest of the family was shocked as well at what Alice said and picked up their pace. Edward being the faster one pulled ahead and the others who watched as he slowly disappeared in the distance. Carlisle shouted, "Don't do anything too rash Edward, remember what's at stake!" Edward either didn't hear them or didn't acknowledge them. The faster runners Emmett and Jasper tried to catch up but they stayed within sight unlike Edward. Alice was about to go with them since is also a fast runner but she gasped and stopped in her tracks, almost causing Rosalie to run into her. They stopped to see why Alice stopped only to see that she was having a vision. Alice came out of it with a gasp and immediately took off running faster than before.
"What's wrong," Rosalie shouted as she and her parents tried to catch up.
"There is going to be a gun to Carrie's head," Alice shouted back. The others looked at each other, eyes wide in shock, before they too ran faster than before.
Edward's POV
The only thing that was running through my mind was that I hope Carrie was okay and that I would get to her in time. If I knew that this storm was coming I would have gone with her but it just seemed to pop up out of nowhere. I should have gone with her anyways, I could have stayed in my car, It has dark tinted windows. As I was running I got a sense of déjà vu. It was around this time last year that I had to run and save Bella from the hunter James. It seems that just like with Bella I have to protect Carrie from something, but instead of from myself or those like me it is from her own family and whoever it is that Alice saw now. I unwillingly start to compare the two in my mind. Bella got into trouble at the baseball game; Carrie almost got struck by a baseball hit by Emmett. Bella almost died and/or become one of us because of James, Carrie almost died because of blood loss, pneumonia, and hypothermia because of her family. I shake my head to stop these thoughts; I shouldn't be comparing the two for they are completely different.
As all of the past events run through my mind it suddenly dawned on me where I have seen the truck in town from. My eyes go impossibly wide and I actually faltered in my steps and I grabbed onto a tree for balance, nearly tearing a huge chunk out of it. Carrie's step brother drives a truck like the one that we saw. And like that it all clicked into place, Howard had been following Carrie that day, and he is the one that she sensed. That would explain the weird familiarity the she said she felt. I felt a deep dread settle in the pit of my stomach as I remembered the rest of it. He is most likely the one that sawed off the shot gun and he probably following her as I am thinking this. 'What if he has a gun with him?' I ran to town even faster, the smell of rain heavy in the air.
I arrived at Port Angeles in record time, the storm right over head. I continue running toward the parking lot, hoping to meet them there. I was worried about the lack of people for it made the girls even more vulnerable. I suddenly stopped dead in my tracks when I heard a loud bang that wasn't thunder and it came from the other side of town. 'I hope that that wasn't what I thought it was,' I thought as I took off in that direction. I had to rely on sound to find them for the wet air made it hard to smell them out. What I could hear with my gift made me run even faster. I could hear how much Howard wanted revenge and after Carrie is dead he will teach the other girl (Bella) a lesson for getting in his way.
"Bella," I heard Carrie cry from a few blocks away. If it wasn't for my excellent hearing I would have never heard it.
"Not so fast. You are not getting away this time," I heard Howard say and I rounded the corner just as another shot was fired. They were all at the other end of the alley. Bella was on the ground among a bunch of knocked over garbage cans. Carrie was on the ground on her knees, in the process of getting up; facing roughly the direction that Bella was at. Howard was about ten feet away at an angle to Carrie's left with the gun pointed at Carrie. Despite me running at my fastest I watched in slow motion as the multiple pellets of the shot leave the gun. I tried to run faster but the pellets made it to Carrie before I was halfway down the alley. I watched in horror as they tore into Carrie's flesh.
Carrie was struck in the torso. Due to the angle and the distance she was struck in the chest area on the left side… along the heart area. I watched in terror as Carrie's face transformed into one of shock and pain as she was slowly forced back due to the force exerted on her form. Her blood from the wound flew out in a strangely poetic arc as she fell. I could see each drop of rain fall from the sky in crystal clear clarity. It seemed that time had speed back up and I caught Carrie in my arms before she hit the ground.
"Carrie," I called as I cradled her in my arms, my hand pressed tightly to her wound to stop the bleeding. Her breathing was labored most likely from pain and shock. I was slightly dizzy and my throat was slightly drier at the smell but I just ignored it I had more important things at the moment. I heard Howard gasp and I turned toward him with the darkest look on my face that I could muster.
"Where did you come from," he asked slightly scared. He looked more filthy and grungy than the last time that I 'saw' him. It looked like he hasn't bathed in a long while and like he hasn't changed clothes in the same amount of time. "It doesn't matter, I'll take care of you as well," he said as he finished reloading the shot gun and took aim. Before Howard could fire a shot though, he was shoved into the wall by Jasper and quickly knocked out by Emmett. Jasper stepped on the rifle causing it to flatten and kicked it away from us. Carlisle and Esme appeared on the other side of Carrie shortly after and Alice was next to Bella checking on her.
Esme moved so that she could cradle Carrie's head and I gently lay her down. Carrie soon began to gasp and tried to get up but we held her down but made sure that she was slightly elevated. I felt someone grab on to my wrist and I looked down and saw that Carrie had a death grip on it; it was the same one that was pressed against the wound.
"Carrie, Carrie can you hear me," Carlisle asked as he looked her over for any other wounds.
"…Carl...isle," Carrie gasped. Esme had her hands on both sides of Carrie's face to hold it steady, her thumbs slowly stroking her cheeks. The sunglasses had been removed so I could see Carrie's wide unseeing eyes. "Ch…check on…Bella. She pushed me …out of the way….and…she got knocked into… the trash cans."
"Bella is fine Carrie, Alice is taking care of her," Carlisle reassured her. "Esme keep the pressure steady on this, Edward help me get some of these layers off so I can see the damage." Esme placed her hand on top of mine and I reluctantly pulled my hand away and help Carlisle to get the coat off of Carrie which was used as a cushion of sorts to make her more comfortable. The sweater we tore off and the shirt we tore down the middle. Jasper, Emmett, Alice, who had her arm around Bella were all standing a few feet away from Carrie's feet. Bella turned away because of the blood. Jasper had his fist tightly clenched and Emmett had a grip on Jasper's left arm just in case. The thoughts that I could hear were full of concern and worry. Jasper was having real dark thoughts about Howard and at the moment I agree to them as well. If I wasn't so worried right now I would act them out, be damned of the consequences.
Carlisle used pieces of the sweater to clean the wounds which blood was just oozing out of which he applied more pressure to in order to try and stop it. Carrie let out a small cry of pain as he did so. Esme made some soothing sounds and place a kiss on her forehead whispering that everything was going to be okay and to be strong and fight it. I was holding Carrie's hand in my left while I was using my right to hold some pressure to some of the lower wounds. The pellets had caused damage in a circular area, with her heart unfortunately close to the middle.
"Shouldn't we call an ambulance," Bella asked as she glanced over her shoulder at us. She was holding her cell phone in her hands, her thumbs ready to start dialing.
"Even if you did they wouldn't make it in time," Carlisle said. "It is hard to tell how extensive the damage is, but judging by how badly these wounds here are bleeding her coronary artery may have been nicked. We do not know whether or not the heart or lungs have been damaged." 'Most likely though, especially of the lung,' he continued in his thoughts. Just as he finished saying that Carrie started coughing. When she stopped I could hear a gurgling sound coming from her as she breathed and her teeth her stained pink. Both of these were signs of her coughing up blood and fluid in the lungs.
"How about I carry her," I suggested, speaking quickly. "We are all fast runners, but I'm the fastest of us. I could try to get her to the hospital. Bella could call her dad and tell him about him over there," I nodded my head to the still out cold form of Howard.
"I wouldn't really suggest moving her in this condition, we could cause worse damage, especially since we are not sure of the extent of it," Carlisle said.
"Is there anything that we can do?" Esme asked as softly ran her fingers through Carrie's hair in an attempt to make her feel more comfortable. We all looked at each other wondering what we were going to do. Alice was holding on to Bella who was still mainly looking away from us. Emmett and Rosalie had moved when we were getting the clothes off of Carrie. Emmett was standing behind and off to the side of me and Rosalie was the same next to Carlisle. They had managed to zip their coats together and were holding them over Carrie like a tent or canopy to prevent Carrie from getting too drenched from the down pour of rain. Jasper was over by Howard to keep an eye on him. Thanks to the rain the blood didn't affect him as bad, and because he has better control of his instincts now. The winds was blowing hard, we were protected from most of it by being in the alley and lightning danced in the sky. We could feel the thunder rumble through us despite our stone like bodies.
Carrie started coughing again but she tried to hold it in so her body made little lunges or arches. Some still escaped and blood started to run out of the left corner of her mouth. Esme took her thumb and shakily wiped it away. Carlisle and I were still applying pressure to the wounds and he was still trying to determine how bad the damage is. "Why don't you try and change her," Bella asked hesitantly.
"That is only to be done if there is no other choice. We were going to make an exception to you but Carrie has made her choice clear on the matter," Carlisle said as he looked at her. He then turned his attention back to Carrie. Her clouded eyes were no longer wide open but closer to half lidded. Her complexion was paler and sweat started to form on her brow. I wanted to scream and yell about how we were wasting time, but I just couldn't find my voice as I looked upon the one that I love. She just looked so frail and it bothered me that she wasn't thinking anything. It's not that I couldn't read it, like before, it was just blank, there was no thoughts running through her mind. It made me worry about her even more.
"Do you see anything Alice," Jasper asked concerned.
Alice closed her eyes and concentrated harder than she has ever done before to get an answer quickly. "I can't see anything," she said with shake of her head, "not for tomorrow or five minutes from now. All of our eyes widened at that. I narrowed my eyes in determination as I turned back to Carrie. I let go of the hand that I was holding and as gently as I could I placed my arms around her back and under her knees.
"What are you doing," Rosalie asked in disbelief and slight shock with a bit of anger. My movement caused Emmett and Rosalie to move so that I could stand. Carrie lightly flinched as the cold rain came into contact with her previously (somewhat) dry skin.
"More than what can be done by just sitting here," I practically yelled. "I'm going to at least try to get her to a hospital." I shifted my hold on Carrie, which caused some gasps of pain to come from her, in preparation to start running to the nearest hospital.
"Wait," Emmett called out before I left.
"What," I snapped. 'Don't they realize that Carrie's life hangs in the balance and they are delaying me?' Carlisle came up to me and wrapped more fabric around her to increase the pressure to her wounds. When he finished Emmett came up and wrapped Carrie's jacket around her.
"Don't want her to get too wet, she might catch a cold," Emmett said with a small half hearted laugh.
"Thanks Emmett," I said quietly then I disappeared in a blink of an eye out of the alleyway. From the thoughts that I could hear Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie were going to be following me while the others were going to be taking care of Bella and Howard. I was taking the most direct route that I could to the hospital which was through a thick patch of forest. My speed was only slightly reduced because even though it was only winter/spring the ground level was thick with new and old growth and I made sure to not jostle Carrie around too much. I am beginning to worry because the shaking that she has been doing from the shock has been going back and forth between speeding up and slowing down and she is coughing more than before. Due to the way that I was holding her she was coughing into my shirt and jacket getting blood all over it. I wasn't mad at all; it only made me more worried for her condition.
I was about halfway there when Carrie started a coughing fit so bad it sounded like she was choking. I had to stop so I could hold on to her tighter so as to not drop her. I began to panic when her coughs became gasps and I knelt down to the ground to set her down and help her to breathe. I was holding her up and trying things to help her breathe. Carrie's eyes were wide, her hand clutching her upper chest, near her throat. There was blood all around her mouth and down her chin. Her skin was even paler and had a strange tint to it and it felt cold and clammy. "Carrie, Carrie, babes, come on, what's wrong," I asked. I know a stupid question to ask but I wasn't thinking rationally.
"I...I...can't...breathe," she managed to get out in a strained, hoarse whisper around her heavy gasps.
I was starting to panic even more. Sure I went to medical school, but due to my circumstances I didn't actually become a doctor; I don't know what to do. "CARLISLE," I began to shout as I held Carrie close to try and comfort her. They shouldn't be that far behind me so why are they taking so long? "CARLISLE...CARLISLE...Carlisle," I continued shouting. 'What on Earth could be keeping him?' "Carl-," was as far as I got as he and the women showed up.
"What's wrong," Carlisle asked as he came up to kneel next to us.
"She can't breathe, it is almost as if she is choking," I said in a shaky voice.
He began to look Carrie over and looked slightly panicked himself when he saw her throat.
"Her lung has collapsed. We need to try and relieve some of the pressure around it and hopefully it will inflate itself if the pressure is the only cause," he said.
"But wouldn't the blood escaping into her body be the reason for the pressure," I asked and Carlisle nodded. "But she has lost so much blood already, isn't there another cause?" I looked Carrie over again and knew that we had to act soon for she was starting to show signs of cyanosis (hypoxia); a blue tint to her lips and nails. Her blood is not getting enough oxygen.
"Would you prefer she dies of exsanguination (hypovolemia, bleeding out), or asphyxiation (suffocation, being unable to breathe)," Carlisle asked as he gave me a hard look.
"I prefer that she not die," I said as I move her to lean against Esme who was sitting on her knees on the wet and muddy ground. The coat was once again used as a cushion as Carlisle and I took off the bandages and handed then to Rosalie. Carrie's breath was coming in shorter quicker pants, her mouth and jaw moving like a fish almost as to swallow more air. Her eyes were once again wide open, slightly off in color, close to rolling back into her head. Her wounds were finally revealed to us but they were barely bleeding anymore; a good and bad sign. "How can we relieve the pressure?"
"Well since we don't have a scalpel or a tube for draining that only leaves...suction," Carlisle finished quietly.
All of our heads snapped to him in shock. "You...you're not suggesting what I think you are...are you," Esme questioned with a shaky and slightly disbelieving voice.
"I'm afraid so my dear. One of us is going to have to taste her blood," Carlisle said as he looked at me.
"No," I flat out denied. It wasn't that I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to stop; it was the thought that drinking her blood made me ill to my stomach. I was repulsed at the idea that I had to taste her blood.
"You don't have to drink it, just suck it out," Carlisle said. I just clenched my mouth shut tight and shook my head stubbornly side to side. I couldn't help but to think that I was acting like a little kid.
"Oh for goodness sake Edward move," Rosalie said as she thrust the bandages into my arms and shoved me out of the way. She kneeled down where I previously was and asked Carlisle what she should do. He pointed to a couple of places that she should use to be most effective. Rosalie placed her shaking hands on either side of a wound and leaned forward while letting out a shaky, unnecessary breath. She looked at Carrie's face and said, "I'm sorry" before she placed her lips around the wound and began to suck. She would get a mouthful and spit it out to her side. I could see that it was good that she didn't swallow it for some of the pellets came out as well. As the blood was being removed Carrie began to breathe a bit easier but it was still really labored. After using a few wounds to relieve the pressure Rosalie pulled with one last mouth full of blood which she spat out and made a face of tasting something unappetizing. "Well at least I don't have to worry about craving her blood. It started off sweet like honey then it changed into something I never want to taste again."
"Nice to know," I mumbled "Is she going to be alright," I asked Carlisle.
He was currently holding her wrist, checking her pulse. Esme was once again running her fingers through Carrie's hair and Rosalie took the bandages back and knelt by Carrie's feet, her eyes slightly red tinted. "I'm afraid we have only managed to buy her a few extra minutes. Her lungs are still filling with liquid, and it will most likely collapse again. I'm beginning to think that her heart took some damage as well which isn't good considering her heart was weak to begin with do to her life and what happened this past winter. As we speak her heart is not beating properly and isn't very regular in its beats. She won't even make it to the hospital at this rate no matter how fast you run," Carlisle said sadly as he held Carrie's hand after checking her pulse.
We all looked at Carrie sadly as we wiped the rainy tears from our faces and we completely forgot the storm as it blew and raged around us. Carrie didn't seem to be bothered by the rain falling on her anymore; hopefully it is only because she got use to it. We were all drenched but it was insignificant to the thought that Carrie may not survive to see tomorrow. "Can't we change her? The only family that she has is us so there will be no one else to miss her," I asked beseechingly of Carlisle.
"I'm not even sure that she would survive the venom attacking her body," Carlisle said sadly. We were quiet as we watched Carrie take what could possibly be her last breath.
"What do you think her chances of survival are," I asked Carlisle after I made my decision of what I want to do.
I watched Carlisle as he thought it over. I could tell that the others were watching him also. "Less than fifty percent, closer to fifteen or twenty percent," he said. "If we do this it might be a good idea, I'm not sure really, to put some venom on the wounds as well. I don't think that we should do it, if she dies it will be a painful death, why make her suffer.
"She is in constant pain already," I shouted, "she has been ever since she woke up a few months ago. Every time that our minds meld I can feel how much pain that she is in, which is pretty darn close to the pain I felt when I was changed, if not worse, The pain meds that you have been giving her are of no use. So save me the lecture about saving her from pain she is stronger than what you give her credit for." I was really huffing at the end of my rant. They seemed to be in shock at what I had said and Carlisle looked slightly angry and disappointed yet I could see understanding in his eyes.
He looked like he was going to say something but we looked down as Carrie began to say something. "Gees...have some faith...in me at least. I've been in sticky situations before...and bounced back from them. I'm a survivor," she said as best as she could between coughs and wheezes.
"You do realize what we are talking about right," Carlisle asked as he began re-bandaging Carrie's wounds.
"Of course... I'm blind, not deaf...Don't worry about the pain though...I'm not feeling much at this point in time," she said. This had me even more worried for it meant that we were running out of time. "Edward," she asked softly.
"Yeah," I said as I held her left hand. I saw that she was struggling to sit up and Esme tried to get her back down but I shook my head at her and helped Carrie up. She was gasping for air as I held her close; she buried her nose in the crook of my neck. We sat there and I could hear as she slowly deteriorated. She brought her head up and whispered in my ear, "Just remember...that I...will always… love you." At her words I felt a stinging in my eyes and blinked my eyes hard and I felt something warm and wet slide down my cheek along with the rain. I was crying; crying for my love in my arms as she slowly slipped away. I buried my nose in her neck like she did with me to try and get a pure smell of her scent. I opened my eyes and looked up to Carlisle who was holding a sad Esme. We made I made eye contact and he nodded once as he wrapped his arms tighter around Esme. I could hear his and the girls thoughts on how it may already be too late. I placed my lips in the crook of Carrie's neck and placed a kiss there. I brought my head up and whispered an "I'm sorry if I cause you any pain" which I didn't get a response.
I closed my eyes and placed my lips back to where it was before I closed my eyes and concentrated on the thought of saving her. All of my most precious memories of her started flashing through my mind; Halloween, Thanksgiving break, our date, every time I got to hold her in my arms, every night I held her while she slept. I concentrated on these happy thoughts as I let the venom flow into my mouth. I opened my mouth and some of the venom fell out onto Carrie, and then I sunk my teeth right where I had my mouth earlier and where the henna tattoo was so long ago.
Carrie gasped when I bit her and jumped at the feeling. I kept a hold of her though so that she wouldn't struggle and cause further damage. I continued to pump my venom into her hoping to maybe make the process go a little faster. Carrie was gasping more which also caused her to cough as she weakly struggled against me. I could hear her heart beat a little harder and faster as her body tried to fight my venom off. When I thought that I had held on long enough I released her from my teeth and held her close, rubbing small circles on her back. Carlisle and Esme moved forward and motioned for me to lay her down. I set her down on Esme's lap like before and she held on to Carrie's shoulders. Rosalie moved to hold her legs down so that she wouldn't thrash around.
Carlisle was checking her pulse and other things to see how she was doing so far. "Quick, get the bandages off and add some venom to the wounds, it may help," Carlisle said. I did as he asked and I smelled something sweet in the air. I look up and see that Carlisle has his hand to his mouth and when he pulls it away I see that he has some of his venom cupped in his hand. He moves it to one of the deeper wounds and tries to pour some of the venom in it. Carrie tried to roll away from it so I held her hips down while Esme gripped her shoulders tighter and Rosalie moved her grip closer to the knees. Carrie is still gasping for breath as we are doing this and her eyes are closed tight as small pitiful screams ripped from her throat which soon died down to nothing. Carlisle took the venom that was still on his hand and wiped it around the wounds as well.
As a result of her heart beating harder some blood was actually gushing out of a wound that was in the middle of her chest. Carlisle actually tore off the sleeve of his sweater, folded it as a bandage and had it pressed tightly to the wound. Due to where I had my hands on her hips I could feel the pulse of her femoral artery as it matched her heart beat. Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump… ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump… "Carlisle, her pulse has changed," I said. This could either be a good or bad sign; good because the venom is already working, bad because her heart could be giving out. We all have loosened our hold on her by now for her struggles have been replaced by an occasional small body lurch.
Carlisle grabbed onto Carrie's wrist feeling her pulse. Ba-bump, ba-bump…ba-bump, ba-bump…ba-bump, is what we felt. Carlisle let go and leaned closer to get a better listen to her breathing; it was shallow and still watery sounding. He pulled away as she began to cough again. Her whole body lurched as her lungs tried to get rid of the liquid filling it. After about a minute later she finally stopped but her breathing was more ragged sounding, yet softer at the same time. We sat there, watching as she breathed; in then out, in and out. In, out…in…out… in…out. I looked at her face and noticed that she seemed to be trying to keep her eyes open. She would blink and her lids would slowly flutter open. Each time it took longer for her eyes to open. She took in a small breathe, but when she let out it took longer as if more air was coming out, like all the air was leaving her body. Her eyes drifted close and all of the tension in her body seemed to melt away.
"Carrie," I said in panic, the burning behind my eyes increasing. I could swear that I was close to hyperventilating, believing that she has just died in front of my eyes. Esme and Rosalie let out a gasp as they too thought that she had died. Carlisle slowly reaches for her wrist and leans forward so his ear is over her mouth, listening and feeling for any breathing. I sat back on my knees, my fingers digging into the dirt by them, my form trembling. I'm not sure how long we stayed like that but Carlisle pulled away with a grim face.
"Is she…" Esme questioned, unable to fully ask what we all feared.
A small smile appeared on his face which had me confused. 'Why would he be smiling? Unless…' "I guess she is going to prove herself right again," he said.
"What do you mean by that," Rosalie asked confused.
"She is just unconscious. The only way that I can think to describe it is that she has slipped into some sort of coma," he said.
"But she's not breathing and look at how limp she became," I said motioning to her form which seems more relaxed than before.
"See for yourself," Carlisle said. I stared at him then moved my eyes down to Carrie. It was so scary to see the way that she is right now; pale, drenched with rain which has mixed with the blood on her chin, blood visible in her mouth, unmoving. The only good thing about her appearance is that like when she is deep asleep she doesn't appear to be in pain. I slowly moved closer to her and leaned down much like Carlisle did a short time ago. I placed my ear close to Carrie's mouth and listened carefully. I was starting to lose hope after a couple of minutes of listening so I got up and shot Carlisle a look. He just said, "Listen harder." I leaned down again and closed my eyes. I tried to block everything out, the rain falling, the wind blowing and the thunder rolling, and the thoughts from those around me, I concentrated on only what was right next to my ear. I listened and I listened but still got nothing. I was about to pull away when I thought that I heard something so I immediately froze. I was beginning to think that it was a figment of my imagination when I heard it again. A long while later (it seemed long to me) I heard it again, and again, and again. She was breathing! That means that she is still alive! It was a short, shallow breath, some gurgling every now and then, but it was still a breath.
I pulled myself away, my eyes wide. I reached a shaking hand out and gently picked up her hand and pressed my fingers where her pulse will be. I closed my eyes and only concentrated on what I was feeling under my fingers. I waited and waited until I finally felt something. I kept a hold on Carrie's wrist as I waited to feel that pulse again. Ba - bump…ba - bump…ba - bump. (The extra space around the hyphen is to show time between them.) Her heart was beating but just barely in an eerily similar way as to when we find her last winter.
"Well," Rosalie asked impatiently yet still worried and concerned.
"She is barely breathing, and her heart is beating but very weakly," I said with a small watery smile as I moved my hand to hold Carrie's hand between mine. I leaned down and brought her hand up a little bit and placed a kiss on the back of it then resting my forehead on it. My whole form shaking and more tears fell from my eyes. I just felt so tired then but I was so relieved that she was still with me, that I wouldn't be alone.
"What should we do now," Esme asked.
"We can't take her to the hospital with the venom in her now. It will cause a panic when her heart stops but she is able to move around. There is also a possibility that she might go after someone when the process is complete. We should take her home and look after her there," Carlisle said. We all voiced our agreements to his reasoning. I moved so that I was crouched down and I placed my arms under Carrie much like before and gently picked her up like she was the most fragile thing in the world. "Don't go to fast, stay with us this time," Carlisle said as he looked at me. I nodded and we took off running with Carlisle in the lead, Esme beside me and Rosalie behind us.
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