time。
  I　could　count　the　shallow　breaths　that　gasped　through　my　teeth。
  I　could　count　the　low；　even　breaths　that　came　from　somewhere　close　beside　me。　These　moved　slowest；
  so　I　concentrated　on　them。　They　meant　the　most　time　passing。　More　even　than　a　clock's　pendulum；　those
  breaths　pulled　me　through　the　burning　seconds　toward　the　end。
  I　continued　to　get　stronger；　my　thoughts　clearer。　When　new　noises　came；　I　could　listen。
  There　were　light　footsteps；　the　whisper　of　air　stirred　by　an　opening　door。　The　footsteps　gotcloser；　and　I
  felt　pressure　against　the　inside　of　my　wrist。　I　couldn't　feel　the　coolness　of　the　fingers。　The　fire　blistered
  away　every　memory　of　cool。
  〃Still　no　change？〃
  〃None。〃
  The　lightest　pressure；　breath　against　my　scorched　skin。
  〃There's　no　scent　of　the　morphine　left。〃
  〃I　know。〃
  〃Bella？　Can　you　hear　me？〃
  I　knew；　beyond　all　doubt；　that　if　I　unlocked　my　teeth　I　would　lose　it—I　would　shriek　and　screech　and
  writhe　and
  thrash。　If　I　opened　my　eyes；　if　I　so　much　as　twitched　a　finger—any　change　at　all　would　be　the　end　of　my
  control。
  〃Bella？　Bella；　love？　Can　you　open　your　eyes？　Can　you　squeeze　my　hand？〃
  Pressure　on　my　fingers。　It　was　harder　not　to　answer　this　voice；　but　I　stayed　paralyzed。　I　knew　that　the
  pain　in　his　voice　now　was　nothing　compared　to　what　it　could　be。　Right　now　he　only　feared　that　I　was
  suffering。
  〃Maybe。。。　Carlisle；　maybe　I　was　too　late。〃　His　voice　was　muffled；　it　broke　on　the　word　late。
  My　resolve　wavered　for　a　second。
  〃Listen　to　her　heart；　Edward。　It's　stronger　than　even　Emmett's　was。　I've　never　heard　anything　so　vital。
  Shell　be　perfect。〃
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  Yes；　I　was　right　to　keep　quiet。　Carlisle　would　reassure　him。　He　didn't　need　to　suffer　with　me。
  〃And　her—her　spine？〃
  〃Her　injuries　weren't　so　much　worse　than　Esme's。　The　venom　will　heal　her　as　it　did　Esme。〃
  〃But　she's　so　still。　I　must　have　done　something　wrong。〃
  〃Or　something　right；　Edward。　Son；　you　did　everything　I　could　have　and　more。　I'm　not　sure　I　would　have
  had　the　persistence；　the　faith　it　took　to　save　her。　Stop　berating　yourself。　Bella　is　going　to　be　fine。〃
  A　broken　whisper。　〃She　must　be　in　agony。〃
  〃We　don't　know　that。　She　had　so　much　morphine　in　her　system。　We　don't　know　the　effect　that　will　have
  on　her　experience。〃
  Faint　pressure　inside　the　crease　of　my　elbow。　Another　whisper。　〃Bella；　I　love　you。　Bella；　I'm　sorry。〃
  I　wanted　so　much　to　answer　him；　but　I　wouldn't　make　his　pain　worse。　Not　while　I　had　the　strength　to
  hold　myself　still。
  Through　all　this；　the　racking　fire　went　right　on　burning　me。　But　there　was　so　much　space　in　my　head　now。
  Room　to　ponder　their　conversation；　room　to　remember　what　had　happened；　room　to　look　ahead　to　the
  future；　with　still　endless　room　left　over　to　suffer　in。
  Also　room　to　worry。
  Where　was　my　baby？　Why　wasn't　she　here？　Why　weren't　they　talking　about　her？
  〃No；　I'm　staying　right　here；〃　Edward　whispered；　answering　an　unspoken　thought。　〃They'll　sort　it　out。〃
  〃An　interesting　situation；〃　Carlisle　responded。　〃And　I'd　thought　I'd　seen　just　about　everything。〃
  〃I'll　deal　with　it　later。　We'll　deal　with　it。〃　Something　pressed　softly　to　my　blistering　palm。
  〃I'm　sure；　between　the　five　of　us；　we　can　keep　it　from　turning　into　bloodshed。〃
  Edward　sighed。　〃I　don't　know　which　side　to　take。　I'd　love　to　flog　them　both。　Well；　later。〃
  〃I　wonder　what　Bella　will　think—whose　side　she'll　take；〃　Carlisle　mused。
  One　low；　strained　chuckle。　〃I'm　sure　she'll　surprise　me。　She　always　does。〃
  Carlisle's　footsteps　faded　away　again；　and　I　was　frustrated　that　there　was　no　further　explanation。　Were
  they　talking　so　mysteriously　just　to　annoy　me？
  I　went　back　to　counting　Edward's　breaths　to　mark　the　time。
  Ten　thousand；　nine　hundred　forty…three　breaths　later；　a　different　set　of　footsteps　whispered　into　the
  room。　Lighter。　More。。。　rhythmic。
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  Strange　that　I　could　distinguish　the　minute　differences　between　footsteps　that　I'd　never　been　able　to　hear
  at　all　before　today。
  〃How　much　longer？〃　Edward　asked。
  〃It　won't　be　long　now；〃　Alice　told　him。　〃See　how　clear　she's　becoming？　I　can　see　her　so　much　better。〃
  She　sighed。
  〃Still　feeling　a　little　bitter？〃
  〃Yes；　thanks　so　much　for　bringing　it　up；〃　she　grumbled。　〃You　would　be　mortified；　too；　if　you　realized　that
  you　were　handcuffed　by　your　own　nature。　I　see　vampires　best；　because　I　am　one；　I　see　humans　okay；
  because　I　was　one。　But　I　can't　see　these　odd　half…breeds　at　all　because　they're　nothing　I've　experienced。
  Bah！〃
  〃Focus；　Alice。〃
  〃Right。　Bella's　almost　too　easy　to　see　now。〃
  There　was　a　long　moment　of　silence；　and　then　Edward　sighed。　It　was　a　new　sound；　happier。
  〃She's　really　going　to　be　fine；〃　he　breathed。
  〃Of　course　she　is。〃
  〃You　weren't　so　sanguine　two　days　ago。〃
  〃I　couldn't　see　right　two　days　ago。　But　now　that　she's　free　of　all　the　blind　spots；　it's　a　piece　of　cake。〃
  〃Could　you　concentrate　for　me？　On　the　clock—give　me　an　estimate。〃
  Alice　sighed。　〃So　impatient。　Fine。　Give　me　a　sec—〃
  Quiet　breathing。
  〃Thank　you；　Alice。〃　His　voice　was　brighter。
  How　long？Couldn't　they　at　least　say　it　aloud　for　me？　Was　that　too　much　to　ask？　How　many　more
  seconds　would　I　burn？　Ten　thousand？　Twenty？　Another　day—eighty…six　thousand；　four　hundred？　More
  than　that？
  〃She's　going　to　be　dazzling。〃
  Edward　growled　quietly。　〃She　always　has　been。〃
  Alice　snorted。　〃You　know　what　I　mean。　Look　at　her。〃
  Edward　didn't　answer；　but　Alice's　words　gave　me　hope　that　maybe　I　didn't　resemble　the　charcoal
  briquette　I　felt　like。　It　seemed　as　if　I　must　be　just　a　pile　of　charred　bones　by　now。　Every　cell　in　my　body
  had　been　razed　to　ash。
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  I　heard　Alice　breeze　out　of　the　room。　I　heard　the　swish　of　the　fabric　she　moved；　rubbing　against　itself。　I
  heard　the　quiet　buzz　of　the　light　hanging　from　the　ceiling。　I　heard　the　faint　wind　brushing　against　the
  outside　of　the　house。　I　could　hear　everything。
  Downstairs；　someone　was　watching　a　ball　game。　The　Mariners　were　winning　by　two　runs。
  〃It's　my　turn〃　I　heard　Rosalie　snap　at　someone；　and　there　was　a　low　snarl　in　response。
  〃Hey；　now；〃　Emmett　cautioned。
  Someone　hissed。
  I　listened　for　more；　but　there　was　nothing　but　the　game。　Baseball　was　not　interesting　enough　to　distract
  me　from　the　pain；　so　I　listened　to　Edward's　breathing　again；　counting　the　seconds。
  Twenty…one　thousand；　nine　hundred　seventeen　and　a　half　seconds　later；　the　pain　changed。
  On　the　good…news　side　of　things；　it　started　to　fade　from　my　fingertips　and　toes。　Fading　slowly；　but　at
  least　it　was　doing　something　new。　This　had　to　be　it。　The　pain　was　on　its　way　out。。。
  And　then　the　bad　news。　The　fire　in　my　throat　wasn't　the　same　as　before。　I　wasn't　only　on　fire；　but　I　was
  now　parched；　too。　Dry　as　bone。　So　thirsty。　Burning　fire；　and　burning　thirst。。。
  Also　bad　news：　The　fire　inside　my　heart　got　hotter。
  How　was　that　possible？
  My　heartbeat；　already　too　fast；　picked　up—the　fire　drove　its　rhythm　to　a　new　frantic　pace。
  〃Carlisle；〃　Edward　called。　His　voice　was　low　but　clear。　I　knew　that　Carlisle　would　hear　it；　if　he　were　in
  or　near　the　house。
  The　fire　retreated　from　my　palms；　leaving　them　blissfully　pain…free　and　cool。　But　it　retreated　to　my　heart；
  which　blazed　hot　as　the　sun　and　beat　at　a　furious　new　speed。
  Carlisle　entered　the　room；　Alice　at　his　side。　Their　footsteps　were　so　distinct；　I　could　even　tell　that
  Carlisle　was　on　the　right；　and　a　foot　ahead　of　Alice。
  〃Listen；〃　Edward　told　them。
  The　loudest　sound　in　the　room　was　my　frenzied　heart；　pounding　to　the　rhythm　of　the　fire。
  〃Ah；〃　Carlisle　said。　〃It's　almost　over。〃
  My　relief　at　his　words　was　overshadowed　by　the　excruciating　pain　in　my　heart。
  My　wrists　were　free；　though；　and　my　ankles。　The　fire　was　totally　extinguished　there。
  〃Soon；〃　Alice　agreed　eagerly。　〃I'll　get　the　others。　Should　I　have　Rosalie。。。　？〃
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  〃Yes—keep　the　baby　away。〃
  What？　No。　No！　What　did　he　mean；　keep　my　baby　away？　What　was　he　thinking？
  My　fingers　twitched—the　irritation　breaking　through　my　perfect　facade。　The　room　went　silent　besides
  the　jack…hammering　of　my　heart　as　they　all　stopped　breathing　for　a　second　in　response。
  A　hand　squeezed　my　wayward　fingers。　〃Bella？　Bella；　love？〃
  Could　I　answer　him　without　screaming？　I　considered　that　for　a　moment；　and　then　the　fire　ripped　ho