Circling Stars

🌟 Chapter 37 🌟

    "I guess this is why it pays to have a doctor in the family, huh?" Carlisle and I were alone in the examination room. He'd seen to Shirley first and found that her shoulder was not broken, but it had been dislocated and she also suffered deep muscle bruising. Thankfully no surgery was needed, but a strong painkiller and a lot of rest were prescribed. Shirley's parents were waiting for me to be released and then we'd all go home. I suppose my parents were called as well but no one had told me if they were here or not. 

    I'd gotten off so much easier. If I had just manged to run when I should have Shirley wouldn't have gotten hurt. I didn't regret helping Margie and I knew that Shirley wouldn't either. I just wished that it hadn't cost so much or that it had been me who paid since I started it. My hands and legs had been scraped up pretty good in the fall, but didn't really require Carlisle's attention, however it was a slow day at Wendigo Mercy Hospital, and since I was engaged to his son I warranted his personal attention.  

    "Yes, but most of my family never have need of my medical skills." He looked up at me and smiled while disinfecting my hands.

    "I'm so sorry, Carlisle." Within minutes of the the ambulance whisking us away, videos of the incident had been posted across all social media and sent to who knows how many people.

    "One of the nurses showed me a video. It is unfortunate that Jasper's actions were witnessed and recorded. Luckily his self control is second only to mine. Nothing he did was out of bounds for a human man; especially with his loved ones in danger. Leaving your attacker alive took immense restraint on his part."

    "But it's out there now. What will happen if Sarah David sees it?" I flinched as the disinfectant began to bubble in the the worst of my scrapes.

    "She has already called. Sarah is and has always been a fair woman. Though Jasper's recent service to her may have caused Sarah to be more lenient than she would be with others. No action is being taken against us. However we were warned to be more careful. Our coven does have a history of causing stirs after all."

    "Maybe I should invite her to the wedding," I mused.

    "That would be an appropriate gesture at this point." Something Carlisle said came back to me. He reached for the band-aides and wrapped up my cuts completely unaffected by the blood.

    "I know Jasper has immense self control but I wouldn't have thought his was almost as good as yours. He had to take off after he saw us here safely."

    "You forget your blood is more appealing to him than others and often in a heightened state of anxiety, baser desires climb to the surface." He paused for a second. "Jasper can feel the thirst of us all in addition to his own. Taken together with his history of human feeding makes it extraordinarily he was able to walk away today."

    "I hadn't thought about that. It must be hell for him." Like so many things I hadn't thought about because apparently I was a short sighted person. Like charging into a situation that got my best friend hurt, giving up on self defense lessons because deep down I never thought I'd actually need them, and my failure to execute simple directives like run.

    "Jasper's involvement today was not your fault, Theo. You did not know Jasper was anywhere near you or that Alice had finished her makeup that will allow us to walk in daylight." He finished bandaging my hands. He was right about that but I was still guilty of jumping into something I hadn't been prepared for.

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    I didn't know the woods around Shirley's as well as I did my own. I wasn't worried about getting lost though. The night was clear and I knew the constellations above the house and had my compass if cloud cover rolled in. The painkillers knocked Shirley out as soon as she'd buckled herself into Mr. Marx's truck. That had been over six hours ago and she was still sleeping.

    Not wanting to hang around the house, I decided a late night walk would do me good. I'd bundled myself up in a sweatshirt and my winter coat. My parents had brought it for me at the hospital. They'd asked me to come home but I told them no. Sean wasn't there and for that I was glad because if he had been I might of said yes.

    I came to a large rock in the center of a small meadow and settled on it to star gaze. I wasn't sure how long I was there before I heard footsteps. Probably pretty long because my face was completely frozen and I couldn't feel my nose. I leaned up on my elbows and found Jasper approaching me.

    He looked at me and then sped all across the meadow. When he was finished I saw he'd started a small fire. I went over and joined him.

    "How is Shirley?" he asked as a I sat.

    "She's gonna be fine. The drugs your dad gave her will have her passed out until lunch tomorrow."

    "And you?"

    "I'm fine. I didn't get hurt really." He took my gloved hands in his and started to rub them. "Are you okay, Jasper?"

    "Yes. I just wish you did not have to see me like that. I was on my way to surprise you. Shirley told me the time she'd thought you'd be done. I was so distracted by walking in daylight among others that I didn't realize you were in trouble until I felt your fear. I'm so attuned to the feel of you that I always know when you're nearby. It was your fear that snapped me out of it. I would have been there sooner if there weren't security cameras everywhere. The only reason that man is still alive is because there are so many cameras around. Theo, I'm so sorry. The moment I felt you like that was the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced. I can't apologize enough for not being there sooner."

    "Jasper." I put my hands on his cheeks and kissed him. "You don't need to be sorry. Nothing that happened was your fault. Even if you hadn't been close enough to feel me and something worse had happened it wouldn't be your fault. I love you."

    "I love you."