Author's Note: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

Going to the meadow was one of the few activities that always relaxed me. It was peaceful and one of the few places I could count on being blessedly quiet. Not perfectly quiet, of course. The breeze ruffled the leaves, animals explored the forest, and birds communicated in the air. But these sounds did not trouble me the way the thoughts of others could, even those of my family.

Five of us were home at the moment. Alice and Jasper had gone into northern Canada for a few weeks. We had to spend months of the year in dreary classrooms, so we enjoyed ranging farther and spending the summer months outdoors in the wilderness, well away from humans who might catch sight of us in the wrong light. They had invited me to join them, but I didn't want to be a third wheel.

Of course, I was always a third wheel. A seventh wheel. I had my family's appreciation and respect for my gift, my intelligence and my self-control. I had their love. But I knew I was everyone's second favorite. Well, except for Rosalie. I ranked rather low in her affections, and the fact that I was aware of it was one more thing that bothered her about me. She didn't feel comfortable with her mind exposed to me. She knew I wasn't impressed with the contents. But I was in the meadow now, free of the relentless stream of thoughts. Lying on my back, I closed my eyes and began assembling the scraps of melody I was hearing in my head into a composition.

A new sound interrupted my thoughts. My cell phone was ringing. My father was calling.

"Carlisle? Is something wrong?"

"Edward, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Of course," I began. I was already on my feet.

"You're not going to like it," he warned.

"What do you mean?" I couldn't imagine what he had in mind.

"Edward," he said anxiously and then fell silent.

"What is it? Tell me, please. I can't hear your thoughts. I need to know."

He took a deep breath.

"You know I've never had to be involved in hiring decisions here at the hospital."

"Yes," I said in bewilderment.

"It's impossible for me. I can't decide who deserves a job. They all seem excellent to me. The ones who are turned away are disappointed. I have to try to stay out of the lobby when there are job applicants, because I end up taking them to the cafeteria for coffee and encouraging them, consoling them. Esme tells me I'm not doing them any favors that way, and I'm sure she's right. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and this kind of thing is really beyond me!" His voice was rising with stress.

"You haven't told me what you want me to do," I reminded him.

"Three finalists are coming this afternoon to interview for the open nurse position. Dr. Leonard is currently serving as the hiring committee, and she can't be here. Some type of family emergency. I think her husband's brother is going into rehab. Another relapse—"

"Dr. Leonard can't be there," I prompted.

"So I have to interview them." He finally got to the point. "I suggested rescheduling, but the head of nursing says they really need the new staff. I was hoping you could come and assist me."

"Assist you how?"

"Edward, please consider my idea before you refuse. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes, of course I will." He must really expect me to object.

"I thought you could just sit in your car in the parking lot and listen in on the interviews. I have so much respect for your opinion. You could tell me what you think about the candidates."

"Carlisle, what do you mean exactly when you say 'listen in'?" He didn't answer. "You want me to listen to everything, don't you?"

"It would really help me. It would be good for the whole community, because that way we'd know the hospital had a really good nurse. Without you, I'd probably pick a bad candidate. My colleagues would be disappointed in my poor judgment, and the humans here might suffer." His rationalizations were not very convincing.

"That seems rather unethical."

"In what way?"

"Aren't there things you aren't supposed to ask about in a job interview? Marital status, for example. But I would probably know."

"You make a very good point," he replied, eager to dispel my concerns. "Naturally I would rely on you to share only your impressions of their professional qualities."

"I don't like this idea."

He sighed. "I expected you would say that. I really wouldn't ask if I believed I could manage well without you. I tried to call Alice. They're too far in the wilderness. I'm not sure if she could have told me anything useful anyway. The whole problem is a decision that hasn't been made yet, a decision I'm supposed to make."

My father was the most important person in my life. Of course I would do anything I could for him or any of the others. We watched out for one another, supported one another, protected one another. We were a team. A clan. A coven. A family.

"How about this?" I offered. "I'll come and eavesdrop, as you suggest. If you find you can make a choice without me, you won't ask. And if I don't hear anything that I think would help you decide, so be it."

"Thank you, son." His voice was filled with relief and gratitude, and I couldn't help feeling a surge of pride. Maybe I was doomed to be the seventh wheel, but the Cullens needed seven wheels to function. "That is all I'm asking. Just knowing that I have you to back me up makes a big difference. The interviews start at 2:00."

"I'll be there."

"One more thing," he said quickly.

"One more thing?" I tried to remain patient, but I wasn't completely successful.

"When was the last time you hunted? Even in the parking lot of the hospital…" Oh, that.

"Don't worry," I assured him. "I'm safe."

I reclined the seat and closed my eyes. A passerby would see me taking a nap in my car. If they knew me, which many did, they would assume I was waiting for my father. It was easy for me to pick up the familiar tone of my father's thoughts. He was wondering whether I was in place, considering calling me to check, and reminding himself he had every reason to trust that I was keeping my word. I could call him to set his mind at ease. But he really should have faith in me.

It was too late anyway. The personnel administrator was escorting the first candidate to Carlisle's office. I watched with him as she came through the door. Her mouth fell open. Is this for real? Is this some kind of stunt? She shook hands with Carlisle and took a seat, but she was very agitated. Am I on camera? This man cannot be just a doctor in this pokey town. Carlisle opened the interview with some basic questions, and she answered automatically, but she was still completely absorbed by him. He's wearing a wedding ring. That figures. But that doesn't always mean they're unavailable. Ugh! I could see that she knew this from experience. In what looked like a hospital supply closet! Thankfully, she returned her attention to the present. He's so attractive... Jessica, get a grip. I chuckled quietly. She had the same name as a rather tiresome classmate of mine, whose head was often filled with similar fruitless thoughts about me. It was a very common name, after all. Would a man like that be interested in me? Not likely. But a girl can dream…

Carlisle was ready to take her on a brief tour of the hospital. I really want this job, she thought fervently. She paid close attention to everything he said. He explained the nursing rotations, the record-keeping system, and the atmosphere the staff tried to maintain. I was ready to catch any thoughts or memories related to nursing that passed through her mind, but the image of my father had completely crowded them out. His eyes are amazing.

"This is a small hospital, many fewer beds than St. Michael's," he said, referring to her previous employer in Seattle. "We expect nurses to be able to fill in where they're needed. Different shifts, even different departments sometimes. This is a real team environment."

I'll work anytime you're here. "Of course. That's the kind of job I'm looking for. I learned a lot at St. Michael's, but there was no opportunity to cross train."

"Do you have any questions?"

Would you like to come over to my place tonight? I rolled my eyes. "No, thank you. You answered all of them already. I'd love to come and work here."

Carlisle informed her when the hospital planned to make its decision. He thanked her for her time and showed her out. On the way back to his office to await the next candidate, he had some thoughts to share with me. She seemed well-qualified, don't you think? They all seem very capable and dedicated. That's why I need your input. I was starting to understand his predicament.

The next candidate was equally awestruck. Gorgeous, polite, intelligent, probably rich. After all, he's a doctor! And married, of course. Are there more of them around here? I laughed. Yes, there were, but my brothers were also very happily married and I, well, besides being entirely unsuitable and a bit young for her by all outward appearances, I had no interest in romance. Carlisle was flipping through her file, and she took a moment to collect herself. Stay focused. No matter what Mom says, I did not go into nursing to marry a doctor. And this one is taken anyway.

"Melissa, please tell me about your background," Carlisle invited.

She had been working as a school nurse. I saw her memories of interacting with the children. They trusted her. Her office was very pleasant and well ordered. Her days were full of loose baby teeth, stomach aches and runny noses, with the occasional high fever thrown in. She wanted the greater responsibility and challenge of a hospital environment. She imagined herself confronting cases of serious illness and injury and helping families during difficult moments.

She was also very attentive as Carlisle showed her around the hospital. The routine was not as familiar to her, and she asked several questions. She was very excited about the prospect of joining the staff. This is just what I've been hoping for. I'll be able to use more of my training and learn new skills. It looks like they really do things right here. Carlisle shook her hand and said she'd be hearing from the hospital in a few days. See? he thought to me. How am I supposed to decide?

The last candidate was on his way. His anxiety was very loud. Calm and competent, he was telling himself. As long as they don't look too closely at my references, I'll be fine. What the hell did that mean? My body was suddenly tense with anger. He thought he could fool Carlisle and take advantage of the staff and patients at Forks General Hospital? He even might have gotten away with it if Dr. Leonard were conducting the interview. Or if Carlisle had not asked me for a favor. I wanted to walk in, confront him, and throw him out of the building. That was not the right way to handle it. But I wasn't sure what was best.

I heard Carlisle greet the young man, John Petrowski, and invite him to describe his previous work experience. Petrowski was a good liar. He said truthfully that he had worked in a small hospital in Portland. But I saw the memories that accompanied his story. He had been an orderly, not a nurse. "That was my first job since earning my nursing degree," he told Carlisle. He's buying it, Petrowski congratulated himself. All my paperwork looks great. My buddies are in place to take any calls. I'm golden. I understood his plan. He had offered fake credentials and supplied false numbers on his resume. If the hospital called his former employer or the school from which he had supposedly graduated, his friends would answer and give the necessary assurances. I smiled. I knew how to stop him now.

Through their minds, I could hear the phone on my father's desk ringing with my call. Carlisle was attempting to ignore it and carry on with the interview. Answer it, I urged him. "I'm sorry," he said to Petrowski, as if he had heard my thought. "It's my son, calling on my private line. I really need to take this. I'm sure it won't be long. If you wouldn't mind waiting just outside? I apologize for the interruption." Petrowski went willingly. He was grateful for a break and only slightly puzzled that a man as young as Carlisle could have a son old enough to operate the telephone.

"Edward?"

"He's an imposter," I said bluntly.

"What?" Carlisle was astonished.

"He's not really a nurse. He forged his diploma."

"That's terrible!" my father exclaimed.

"Carlisle, we forge documents all the time."

"Well, yes. But that's different!"

"I know. I was just teasing you. He put fake contact numbers on his resume. I think you can expose him by threatening to call the Portland hospital or the nursing school and looking up the numbers yourself." I could hear that he concurred with my plan. It neatly solved the problem without tipping our hands. Carlisle was imagining the harm an untrained or possibly even malicious person could do if accepted as a nurse.

"Edward—" He wanted to express his gratitude.

"You can thank me later." I ended the call. I relaxed and prepared myself to enjoy Petrowski's unmasking. Carlisle was ushering him back into the office.

"I hope nothing's wrong regarding your son," Petrowski said insincerely. When they're preoccupied about something, they're not as curious.

"No, no," Carlisle assured him genially. "Let's get back to our interview. First I'd like to speak to your former supervisor. Then I'll have a better idea of what questions to ask you."

"Of course." Petrowski was confident in his deception. "I have the numbers right here."

"That's not necessary. I can find them myself." Carlisle turned to the computer and called up the hospital website. Petrowski's mind was in turmoil. I smiled with satisfaction.

"Dr. Cullen," he said. Maybe I can get out of this.

"Yes?" Carlisle turned back with a warm smile. My father was so smooth.

"I, I, I think I'd like to withdraw my application to this hospital," he stammered.

"Really? That's a shame. But I'd still like to talk to the director of your nursing school. It's a good chance to network. Perhaps he or she can recommend that other graduates consider working here."

Damn! I'm busted! "Look, Dr. Cullen, I guess I'd better tell you something." Carlisle expressed all the appropriate reactions to his confession. "So, what are you going to do?" Petrowski concluded, looking up warily.

"I think I will escort you to the triage room where we have camera equipment. They'll take your picture, and I will circulate it to the personnel office of every hospital and clinic west of the Mississippi. And throughout Canada," he added. "What do you think of that plan?"

Petrowksi hung his head. He's got me pinned.

"If you have any objection, I have another number I can call. The chief of police."

I grinned. Chief Swan was widely respected as an excellent law enforcement officer.

"OK," Petrowski mumbled. "I'm sorry."

My work was done. I slid a CD into the player and waited for Carlisle to appear. He joined me in the car ten minutes later.

"You know how important that was," he said. The pride in his voice was echoed in his thoughts.

"I'm glad I caught him, but don't make me out to be a hero, please. I can't help what I do."

"Edward," he said, shaking his head fondly. "Most people, if they had your ability, would use it for personal gain. You use it to benefit others, and you don't even want credit for it."

"I could say the same about you," I smiled.

"Never mind me. What did you think of the first two candidates?" I knew that if I tried to praise him the way he wanted to praise me, he'd change the subject. Equally pleased with my father's modest nature and my successful manipulation of him, I would have smiled even more broadly, but I controlled myself. "No, wait. We agreed that if I could make the decision on my own, I wouldn't ask for your insights. On paper, Jessica is clearly the stronger candidate. She has excellent hospital experience, and she seemed very interested in the job."

"Carlisle," I corrected him patiently. "She was very interested in you."

"Me? What about the nursing position?"

I couldn't resist the straight line. "I'm sorry to have to tell you that she had other kinds of positions on her mind." He dropped his head into his hands.

"I told you I'm no good at this. And Melissa?" His voice was apprehensive.

"She has good training?"

"Yes, Dr. Leonard screened all the applicants before choosing these to interview."

"Do you think she can transition from school nursing to the hospital?"

"Yes. There's a bit of a learning curve at first, but if she's really eager to improve her skills, she'll catch on quickly."

"Then you've made your decision."

"So she wasn't interested in me?" Carlisle was thinking back to their time together, concerned that he'd done something to put her off. He needed a good bedside manner to be an effective physician.

I couldn't help laughing. "Do you want her to be?"

"No, of course not. I just—"

I relieved him of his anxiety. "Naturally, she noticed you, but she also noticed your wedding ring, and she really cares about being a good nurse and having a chance to work here. She decided to, how shall we put it, overrule her instincts."

He laughed, sounding at ease for the first time that day. "I can respect that."

Author's' Note: I wrote this story months ago, after I was helping Juliejuliejulie with her first story, In the Hospital. We were discussing how the nurses in Phoenix would react to Edward. (In fact, in Twilight the nurse is rather brusque to him.) And I thought, if there is a nurse who's interested in men and yet who can ignore Edward, she must be really good at her job! Then I thought about how to make that idea into a story, and this is what I came up with. Carlisle does appear less self-assured than we usually see him. But we always see him through Edward's or Bella's eyes and they have vast respect for him. I think, like he says, we all have our strengths and weaknesses and everyone needs a little backup sometimes. I would like to write more stories about Edward and the family in Forks before Bella moved in, which is why I'm leaving the story open and the title is not specific to this tale.

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