分节阅读_153

  irly .” as
  carlisle spoke, i could feel more pressure ohing poking
  and pulling at my scalp. the pain of it was lost in the pain of the fire.
  ”will that work?” alice's voice was strained.
  ”i don't know,” carlisle said. ”but we have to hurry.”
  ”carlisle, i…” edward hesitated. ”i don't know if i do that.” there
  was agony iiful voi.
  ”it's your de, edward, either way. i 't help you. i have to get
  this bleeding stopped here if y to be taking blood from her
  hand.”
  i writhed in the grip of the fiery torture, the movement making the pain
  in my leg flare sigly.
  ”edward!” i screamed. i realized my eyes were closed again. i opened
  them, desperate to find his fad i found him. finally, i could see
  his perfect fag at me, twisted into a mask of inded
  pain.
  ”alice, get me something to brace her leg!” carlisle was bent over me,
  w on my head. ”edward, you must do it now, or it will be too late.”
  edward's face atched his eyes as the doubt was suddenly
  replaced with a blaziion. his jaw tighte his
  cers hand, log it ihen his
  head be, and his cold lips pressed against my skin.
  at first the pain was worse. i sd thrashed against the cool
  hands that held me back. i heard alice's v to calm me.
  something heavy held my leg to the floor, and carlisle had my head locked
  in the vise of his stone arms.
  then, slowly, my writhing calmed as my hand grew more ahe
  fire was dulling, foto an ever-smaller point.
  i felt my ess slipping as the pain subsided. i was afraid to
  fall into the black waters again, afraid i would lose him in the darkness.
  ”edward,” i tried to say, but i 't hear my voice. they could hear
  me.
  ”he's right here, bella.”
  ”stay, edward, stay with me…”
  ”i will.” his voice was strai somehow triumphant.
  i sighed tedly. the fire was goher pains dulled by a
  sleepihrough my body.
  ”is it all out?” carlisle asked from somewhere far away.
  ”her blood tastes ,” edward said quietly. ”i taste the morphine.”
  ”bella?” carlisle e.
  i tried to answer. ”mmmmm?”
  ”is the fire gone?”
  ”yes,” i sighed. ”thank you, edward.”
  ”i love you,” he answered.
  ”i know,” i breathed, so tired.
  i heard my favorite sound in the world: edward's quiet laugh, weak with
  relief.
  ”bella?” carlisle asked again.
  i frowed to sleep. ”what?”
  ”where is your mother?”
  ”in florida,” i sighed. ”he tricked me, edward. he watched our videos.”
  the e iifully frail.
  but that reminded me.
  ”alice.” i tried to open my eyes. ”alice, the video — he knew you, alice,
  he knew where you ealy, but my voice was
  feeble. ”i smell gasoline,” i added, surprised through the haze in my
  brain.
  ”it's time to move her,” carlisle said.
  ”no, i want to sleep,” i plained.
  ”you sleep, sweetheart, i'll carry you,” edward soothed me.
  and i was in his arms, cradled against his chest — floating, all the pain
  gone.
  ”sleep now, bella” were the last words i heard.
  ===========================================================================
  24. an impasse
  my eyes opeht, white light. i was in an unfamiliar room, a
  white room. the wall beside me was loids; over
  my head, the glaring lights blinded me. i ed up on a hard,
  uneven bed — a bed with rails. the pillows were flat and lumpy. there was
  an annoying beeping sound somewhere close by. i hoped that meant i was
  still alive. death shouldhis unfortable.
  my hawisted up with clear tubes, ahing ed
  across