The First Drop Of Rain

Chapter Six

A week later I was home and laying in my own bed, still being unproductive, but I figure crutches and fractured ribs are an excuse for not doing anything with your life. Thing is, where is my excuse for every other day I've lived?

Edward and I still haven't really talked about what happened at the hospital, the night I was admitted or that next day. Maybe it's for the better, I don't want to know what was going on with my persuasion powers over that nurse, and maybe it was her state of shock that made it easy to make her think she hadn't seen anything, I remember having seen that nurses face when I was being admitted, and she looked tired then. Perhaps she was just overworked... perhaps.

With a hard shrug of my shoulders I stopped caring and continued to watch Grey's Anatomy on Netflix with a small stack of finished books at my side that had been demolished in the time I've spent bed bound. Maddie slept peacefully on the foot end of my bed, loving the idea of me being home for so long.

It was peacefully quiet once I turned off Netflix, not a small feat by any means, and stared at the sleeping Maddie. I had insisted that Dad take Maddie to work since she loved it so much, but he had insisted it would make him feel so much better if a police dog was here to guard me. Besides, Maddie was paper trained so I didn't have to get up for her when she needed to potty, and the food and water were auto refill because she was a grazing type of dog rather than a sit and eat it all day kinda dog.

I sat there staring at my peaceful pup when I heard a knock at the door. Sitting there I remained helpless, we didn't have a fancy doorbell, and I couldn't get up. The knock became slightly more aggressive, and Maddie let off a soft growl, her eyes still closed. When the knock became more of a bang I grabbed my phone and ripped the charger out of the wall with the aggressive motion. Maddie had jumped up and was standing over my legs with her lip upturned. Even though she wasn't wearing her uniform she was already in work mode, ready to protect.

I looked at my phone, 10% battery, 11:58am, and a few notifications from Instagram sat on my screen looking back at me. When I began to unlock it the bang became a sudden crash. The door had come down, I was sure of it. Maddie's hackles raised as she growled and barked her warning bark, looking to me for the command. Without my father here I couldn't give her all the fancy German commands, and the only commands I had for her in situations like this were 'expecto' which meant hold for command and 'patronum' which meant protect from immediate threat. With a shaking hand and voice I held out my spread fingers as a hold symbol, "Expecto," I whispered keeping my eyes trained on the door. There was a thump on the floor as someone heavy footed moved around downstairs. I quietly clicked the speed dial for the emergency line to the sheriff's station. When the dispatcher picked up I swiftly raised my phone.

"Forks police department, what is your emergency?"

"This is Arabella Jacks, Officer Jacks' daughter. There is someone in the house. I've got Maddie on hold but I don't know her police commands." I whispered with a rushed and shaking voice.

"Arabella, it's Nancy, don't worry. Your father is out but I have Charlie on Route now. Where are you in the house?"

"My room-" the crashing got louder as whoever was hoofing it around downstairs was a real heavy footed sob. Maddie tensed, she was wanting me to give her the commands but I couldn't. "It sounds like they are in the living room, maybe the kitchen.... Nancy I'm bed bound. I can't... I can't move, my ribs are still healing."

"Oh. I'm so sorry Arabella. I've got an ETA on Charlie, approximately a minute out, he's going as fast as he can but he was out near the reservation." Her voice was an annoying level of calm.

Suddenly the clomping was coming up the stairs. Clearly they had gone through the downstairs and now were ready to search up here. "They are coming up the stairs Nancy. How close is Charlie?" Just as I asked, my door swung open and I made eye contact with a man who looked like he had been beaten with the criminal stick. He was a scrawny built white guy with muscles that were just barely there, which begged the question of how on earth his steps could be so heavy? In all honesty he looked like he was imitating early 2000's Eminem. Just a really tragic version of Slim Shady. "PATRONUM!" I yelped despite the fact that so much air made my ribs feel like they were on fire. In that instant Maddie leapt from my bed with a fierce snarl and snap of her jaw, going straight into take down maneuvers. Tears rolled down my cheeks from both shock and from pain as I had slid myself back on my bed. Slim Shady wannabe tried to fight against Maddie as he was knocked to the ground, punching at her and shoving her, but once Maddie found a flesh hold she wouldn't let go.

Then I heard the siren, the sharp tire squeal of a hard stop, the slam of a door, and then the announcement of the Forks sheriff's department before I heard crashing up the stairs as Charlie figured out our location. Once in the room Charlie snapped his hand and gave a sharp sounding German command, Maddie backing off but remaining vigilantly alert and watching every move Slim not so Shady was making as he groaned on the floor. He handcuffed him, read him his Maranda rights, and escorted him to the police car, where I was informed a rookie was waiting to keep an eye on things and go through the line of questions that the department does before booking. Once Charlie was back in the room he gave Maddie a strong pat on the head, which she seemed satisfied with and laid back down on the foot of my bed. "Are you okay Ari? I got here as fast as I could but there was a disturbance out by Billy's house that I was checking on for him."

"I'll be okay, and don't let dad worry too awful much, please. I beg of you." I was still holding my ribs after the sharp breath I had taken to give the command, and fear still thrummed through my body making my fingers twitch and my chest get red and blotchy.

"There is no way I can make it so he doesn't worry. Not after losing your mother Ari." He looked at me level, and then I heard more sirens and another squeal. "And that would be him." Crashing came and suddenly he burst into the door, Maddie perking up immediately and talking to him with a soft "roooo" and a tilt of her head.

"Oh thank god." He whispered as he sprang over to me and wrapped his arms around my head, kissing me softly and trying not to hurt any of my injured areas. "Are you hurt anywhere baby?"

"No more than I was when you left." I answered with a soft yet still painful laugh. Unfortunately my father didn't find this as funny as I did, and proceeded to look over me with concern and worry. I mean I understand why, but it felt a little ridiculous and over done. Honestly all of this did. Just all feeling rather silly to be honest. I didn't even understand how this series of events was happening to me. My entire life has been some cruel act of randomness almost like I'm part of some shitty fan fiction written by a crazy person with nothing better to do with their time.