New beginnings, two years later.

[Rosalie Hale]

*Walking through the deep green brush of the island, Em a few feet ahead of me. Hunting here was not like hunting any where else in the world. Panthers were like filet mignon to humans and there were plenty here. With Em's speed they didn't stand a chance. We were tracking one when the breeze changed and another stronger scent hit us. Both Emmett and I stopped in our tracks, him turning to look at me. He mouthed the word "Human" It was a good thing we feed this morning and was just going after dessert, otherwise are eyes would give us away. Walking slowly, more human-like, we followed the scent. We came to a clearing in the jungle and what we saw was like something out of a Tarzan movie. The clearing was home to a village of sorts. Huts scattered here and there, children running around playing, women taking care of babies and tending the fires near their own huts. I looked at Em, Carlisle had told stories of the natives that lived on the island, those natives that were not part of the mainstream villagers, like the ones that live in town, like the ones that he employees to clean and care for the house during times when we are not using it. As we stood on the edge and watched, a few of them noticed us and pulled their children closer to them but continue to watch us closely. I am sure they knew of our being on the island. Knew of the Cullen home that was on the edge of their land, beside the ocean and just like the ones that lived in "town", I am sure they heard stories about us but they were not scared. The people on the island were strong in nature, they had to be to live here. Hearing coughing coming from within a hut to my far right, I looked at Emmett "Someone is very sick, I can smell it" I started to walk towards the hut as Em followed, keeping close to me. The villagers continued to watch but stood their ground. When I got closer to the hut a woman stepped outside and blocked the entrance. "Não o penso nenhum dano"{I mean you no harm} I said speaking perfect Portuguese. I slowly raised my hands so that she could see that I was carrying no means to hurt her but due to the many stories that spread throughout the years of the "death people" the "cold ones" , she still stood her ground, protecting what was hers. "Sou doutor, Posso ajudar" {I am a doctor, I can help} I told her that I was a doctor and that I could help. The coughing coming from inside got more intense and the woman more desperate for help. "Por favor, deixe-me dar uma olhada"{Please, let me take a look} I slowly started towards the entrance to the tiny hut as the woman backed even more slowly away. Stepping inside as Em stayed outside to keep watch, I saw a tiny child, no older then 1 at the most, laying on a pallet next to the far side of the hut. Making my way over to the child, I could smell death. She wasn't going to make it much longer without help. As I got to her, I placed my head on her tiny chest and listen. Nice thing about being a vampire, we didn't need stethoscopes to hear the human lungs but we used them will in public, ironically to look more human. I moved my head from left to right, then top to bottom, coarse crackles heard throughout her lung fields, plus she was burning up against my cold skin. This child had pneumonia. I felt someone come in the hut behind me. "Você pode ajudá-la?"{Can you help her} she asked as she knelled down beside me. "Por favor, ela é o meu único" {Please, she is my only child} she whispered. I could hear the pain in her voice as she spoke of her only child. "Ela é muito doente, sem medicação ela morrerá" {She is very ill, without medication she will die} I placed my hand on hers. She felt the coolness of my skin but didn't pull away. No matter the stories that she had heard, this was her baby, her life and she wanted help, no matter whom it came from. "Devo, nós dever tomá-la na cidade,ela precisa de medicação que ela pode adquirir-se lá" {We must take her into the city, she needs medical help that she can't get here} I placed her hand onto her child's chest "os seus pulmões são cheios, ela está afogando-se no interior"{Her tiny lungs are full, she is drowning from the inside} Emmett walked into the hut, bending at the waist just to fit inside. "She has pneumonia Em, she is dying" I said over my shoulder. "We got to take her into town or she won't make it" Looking back at the mother, all she needed to know shown in my eyes. "Por favor" {please} I asked once more. She looked down at her child as tears fell from her eyes "Sim, por favor, salve-a de qualquer maneira necessário" {Yes, save her anyway you must, anyway possible} she said as she bent to kiss her baby. Standing I turn to Em "She is going to let us take her, carry her please slowly until we get to the woods, then run" I helped the mother back to her feet "Meu marido a transportará, ele vai adquirir-se lá mais rápido"{My husband will carry her, he can get there faster} We stepped back as Emmett picked the small, weak child up in his arms and backed out of the hut with me and the mother right behind him. I looked around at what seemed to be the whole village now standing around the hut. The woman stepped in front of us as some of the village men raised their spears, blocking our paths. "Pare!" {Stop} she yelled, throwing her arms in the air "Eles estão querendo ajudá-la, salvá-la!"{They are wanting to help, to save my child} she reached for my hand "Os frios podem salvá-la, por favor ela é a minha única"{The cold ones can save her, please, she is my only one} She begged them. Telling them that the "cold ones" could save her baby, her only one. The coughing had stopped, I looked over at Em as we both heard the baby's heart slow. The mother looked out at her villagers, begging with her eyes. They slowly started to back away, allowing Em to make his way through the crowd towards the edge of the jungle. I followed close behind. Moving as slow as I could make myself. Playing "human" all these years has played off. As soon as we were out of sight, I looked at Em "Go...run. I am right behind you" I didn't have to say anything else, he took off, running with the small baby cradled in his arms. I had never seen him move faster and I was right behind him*

Attachments:

[Rosalie Hale]

*One of the hardest things for me to do was to go back to the village and tell that poor child's mother, that she didn't make it. I felt as if I had let her down, had let that whole village down. They took a chance in trusting us, the "cold ones" and the child died anyhow. There just wasn't a clinic set up close enough, that had all the medical things needed to help her. By the time we got her to the mainland, to a hospital she was gone.
Once back at the house, I knew what we needed. We needed a clinic here, on the island that had everything needed to stabilize someone enough to get them to the mainland, to a hospital. There were people, babies dying for no reason.
Picking up the phone, I made the international call to the Cullen house, hoping that my father picked up.
"Rose" Alice said picking up the phone. She didn't need caller I.D to tell who was on the other end. "Alice, is Carlisle there?" I asked. "Yes and he knows why you are calling" I heard her say with a smile in her voice before handing over the phone to my father.
"Yes dear, I think it is a great idea. I couldn't be more proud of you then I am right now" He said as he held the phone to his ear.
We spent hours on the phone talking about the need for a clinic here on Isle Esme. We made all sorts of plans to start building it right away. "Emmett and I will stop by Forks before heading back to school. I would love to talk more face to face about this"
We said our goodbyes and hung up the phone.
I visited the village once more before heading to see my family back in the states. I thought the mother would hate me for not saving her child but she told me she knew I did my best. I told her of our plans for a clinic so that no other children would have to die for lack of medical care. Em and I had been accepted into their world for our kind acts, we were still looked at as the "cold ones" but maybe not feared as much as before. We told them we would return again, then left to make our way the boat and back home to talk more with Carlisle before heading back to school*