»—— act one. twilight
☽⋅── FOUR ──she will be fine ─⋅☾

Carlisle had spent the past few weeks getting to know Eve beyond the initial pleasantries. He discovered she had a daughter, a revelation he had put together having heard through Emmett's teasing of Edward about a girl who had sworn at him in school about his behaviour. He then learned that Eleanor, Eve's daughter, was in fact the girl who had confronted Edward.

Carlisle also found out that Eve was an intern at the community hospital just a few months before he was hired. However, by the time he arrived she already transferred. It was unfortunate that their paths had not crossed during her brief tenure.

It came as no surprise to Carlisle that Eve possessed exceptional intelligence. Despite her age, she was an accomplished surgeon, a testament to her skills and dedication. He couldn't help but wonder why she had come to Forks, especially from a more prominent hospital, but her explanation was quick and straightforward.

Eve shared that Dr. Snow, who he learned was her mentor back then, was preparing to take considerable time away from work, leaving the small staff at their hospital with an increased workload.

And while he as curious, it appeared that Eve had no ulterior motive or hidden past that she was trying to flee from.

He was also pleasantly surprised upon learning of Eve's living arrangement. Hearing that she was staying with Charlie Swan, the town's well-respected chief of police, reassured him greatly. He felt relieved knowing she was in one of the safest places in Forks. After all, no one in the town was foolish enough to mess with the town's formidable lawman.

A few other things was that he noticed Eve's fixation on sweets. Whenever he caught glimpses of her on a break, she would be munching on some kind of sweet snack. Seeing this, he began the routine of leaving sweets on her desk, hoping to bring a small smile to her face.

Eve had quickly picked up on this gesture of his, and it pleased him to know that she appreciated the surprise. However, she kept quiet about it, especially since many nurses would glare at her with envy anytime she and Carlisle were seen together – chatting or just waving at each other.

The hospital itself was relatively small, limited to a single floor, making it rather intimate. This meant that any interaction between Carlisle and Eve was bound to attract attention from the other nurses.

Carlisle frequently found himself in his office, whether it was to catch up on paperwork or just to have some quiet time to himself. Whenever Eve sought him out, she would always make sure he was in his office, to avoid any unwanted attention from the other nurses.

She knew that it was impossible to avoid interaction outside of their offices, but she preferred to limit her time around him to ensure their conversations wouldn't be overheard.

...

Just as Eve left the operating room, she felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing the news. She had just finished cleaning herself and was about to leave when Dr. Snow and a nurse burst into the room.

She felt somewhat light-headed but managed to keep her composure as she entered the emergency room. Her heart raced as she walked in and caught sight of her daughter sitting in one of the beds. Seeing Charlie standing there, and scolding a male teen in the other bed being treated by a nurse, she let out a sigh of relief.

As she approached her daughter, she asked, "Are you okay?"

Eleanor took her hand and assured her that everything was fine, even if she felt shaken. "Everything is fine, Mom," Eleanor said, trying to reassure her mother.

"I'm sorry, Eleanor," the teen's friend Tyler, who had a cut above his eyebrow, chimed in.

Eleanor shrugged and waved her hand, "Nah, it's fine. The road was wet, anyway. Besides, it was just an accident, and I was practically shoved out of the way," she joked, downplaying the severity of the situation.

Eve turned quickly, ignoring Charlie's scolding of the male teen, and focused her attention on her daughter, concerned about any potential injuries. "And you, being shoved didn't give you any injuries?" she inquired, a hint of worry in her tone.

Eleanor looked away, downplaying the incident, "Well, no, nothing major. Just a bruised ego," she said, trying to lighten the mood with a joke. Eve sighed, still concerned, before glancing at the nurse standing next to them, observing the situation quietly.

"I'm okay, Mom," Eleanor assured her mother, offering a reassuring look. "I promise." She then glanced again to the nurse who was standing quietly nearby, holding a sphygmomanometer.

Eve moved aside to allow the nurse to take her daughter's blood pressure, though her mind was still somewhat preoccupied. The scene inside the emergency room seemed to have lightened up somewhat. Charlie stood beside Eleanor, patting her shoulder and offering a reassuring smile.

Eleanor, not missing a beat, made a joke and jokingly asked, "So Chief of Police, Can you boost my ego, is it in your list of experience?"

Charlie laughed heartily, clearly amused by her humour. Eve, however, just shook her head in mock disapproval, even though she couldn't help but find it endearing.

Just as the tension seemed to ease, the double doors opened, revealing Carlisle walking in.

"I heard Dr. Eve's daughter is in." Carlisle's voice carried a note of relief, followed by an undertone of concern. He had been listening from afar, grateful to hear that Eve's daughter was alright.

He made his way to the group, his presence bringing a slight change in the room's atmosphere. As the nurse handed Carlisle the file, "Eleanor" and the teen turned towards him.

"Dang, Doc, did anyone ever tell you that you look like a model?" Eleanor blurted out, unable to resist commenting on his appearance.

Eve elbowed her daughter playfully as she scolded her for her comment. Eleanor snickered, "I was just telling it like it is. Honestly, if not a model, you look like those Doctors from all those TV shows."

Charlie stood nearby awkwardly, used to the two's habit of blurting out their thoughts aloud, especially about how attractive someone looked.

As Carlisle chuckled, he acknowledged his resemblance to Eve, saying, "I can see the resemblance between you and your mother."

Eve, feigning a cough, responded with a slight blush, while Eleanor, not missing an opportunity, grinned suggestively at her mother, clearly amused at the situation.

She smiled sheepishly, and added, "We just... have a habit of speaking the truth."

Eleanor snickered, clearly enjoying the banter, while Carlisle took out a flashlight and began to examine the teen.

"Well, it's refreshing," Carlisle exclaimed, appreciative of the honesty. "I like it when people are truthful about things." He then turned his attention to Eleanor, beginning his examination.

"Your vitals look good." Carlisle paused for a moment before adding, "But you may experience some PTSD or disorientation"

Eleanor rolled her eyes and said, "I think I already have enough PTSD from all the people at my school, don't worry about Tyler, he doesn't count." Tyler let out a laugh, though flinched when Charlie shot him a stern look.

"Anyway," began Eleanor with a lighthearted tone, "I'm all good. Edward basically pushed me aside, or well, I had already moved away, he just exaggerated it a bit."

She then looked at Carlisle and asked, "Oh, right, is Edward your son, Doc?"

Carlisle chuckled and answered, "Yes, Edward is indeed my son."

"That's cool," began Eleanor, apologetically. "I just wanted to say, sorry. Not sure if you heard, but I kinda cussed at him on my first day. I mean, I get people being distant, but he acted like I was a plague."

Eleanor then noticed Eve's disapproving look and quickly cut herself off, clearing her throat. "Uh, yeah, just, well, sorry, Dr. Cullen," she repeated, offering an apology.

Carlisle chuckled, already getting the gist from Emmett teasing Edward about it. "It's fine, no harm done," he reassured her.

Eleanor grinned, "Great, so can I take the day off from school tomorrow?" She asked, hoping to get out of classes.

Eve rolled her eyes and joked, "With your energy, do you really need to stay home?" she teased, but knowing that she was going to make sure Eleanor stayed home.

Carlisle, sensing the mood, chimed in saying, "Well, you're fine, but I would recommend taking the day off."

Eleanor clenched her fist and whispered to herself, "Yes." She then turned to Carlisle, giving a grateful nod.

Eve let out a sigh, acknowledging that Carlisle had met her daughter, saying, "And now you've met my daughter."

"Oh, right."

A moment passed as Eleanor realized that the doctor she was speaking to was her mother's colleague. Clearing her voice, she extended her hand out, introducing herself. "Forgot about all that. Anyway, I'm Eleanor Demeter."

The last part of her sentence was delivered with a hint of dry humour, glancing at her mother, Eve, who just sighed and rolled her eyes in response.

Carlisle chuckled, shaking Eleanor's hand in response. "Eleanor, a pleasure to meet you," he said.

Eve, still observing the exchange, just shook her head in response to her daughter's dry humour, knowing her all too well.