Summary: Bella gets sick, but goes to work anyway. A couple hours later she can barely move. Will she ask Edward for help or try to heal on her own? Fluff, EdwardxBella
Bella's POV
I woke up Monday morning, groggy, and foggy headed. I sat up and stretched and realized that I felt awful. Not like "Monday morning awful because I'm exhausted" but more like "I feel as if I have the plague and I may die awful". I stood up carefully and shuffled over to my bathroom. I reluctantly looked into the mirror only to see the horrors of my untamed, frizzy hair. I decided to have a quick shower before work. I hopped in and switched the water on. The hot water cleared my congested sinuses, and relaxed my stiff muscles. While drying my hair, I felt my forehead with the back of my hand. Realizing that I probably had a fever, I frowned, yet assured myself that after work I would come home right away. I got dressed slowly because the haziness in my head still had not cleared and I didn't trust myself with any quick movements. I walked downstairs to see Charlie making himself some breakfast. He smiled when he saw me and clapped me on the back. I had to grab the counter to not fall over.
"Hey Bells! You're up finally. Want some cereal?"
"No thanks" I mumbled.
"You alright?" he asked, still preoccupied with his Kellogg's.
"Yeah, just tired dad" I said as I opened the front door.
"No breakfast?" he asked again through a mouthful of cereal.
"Nope. Bye dad." I said shutting the door. I walked to my truck and it took every ounce of my self-control to not collapse in the seat as soon as I climbed into the cabin. I groaned when I remembered Edward was coming over tonight. Not that I didn't love being with him, I just didn't want me to see me in my half-alive state.
The drive was uneventful. I was actually quite proud of myself for not seriously mauling anyone in the process of driving the wet and annoying twisting roads. When I arrived at the shop, Mike was eagerly awaiting my arrival. He expressed concerns about how tired I looked and asked if he could get me anything. I brushed it off and excused myself to go stock the shelves. By noon I was sweating bullets, wearing 3 layers of long sleeved clothing, and had about 100 used tissues stuffed anywhere I could find a pocket. I shuffled to the back room to take my lunch break, but as soon as I swallowed one piece of my dry sandwich, my throat felt like sandpaper with a touch of fire. I slumped down onto the table. I felt absolutely awful, and I knew I couldn't make it through the work day. I surely couldn't drive home like this, and Charlie was working, and he was in such a good mood… That only left…Edward. Oh lord he would be worrying like crazy over me. I didn't see too many options left though, and Mike was NOT driving me home. I reluctantly lifted my cell phone from my pocket and dialed Edward's number. He answered right away
"Bella?" he asked "Are you alright?"
"Yes it's just that…"
"What's wrong?" he asked right away as his tone became tense
"I just don't feel well. If it's not too much can you come pick me up from work-"
"Be there in 2 minutes" he said and the line went dead.
I slumped back down to the table and drifted off into sleep.
"Bella?" a satin voice whispered from behind me. I whipped my head up to appraise my visitor, but unexpectedly my entire body decided to go "dead fish" and I collapsed ungracefully in a head dive for the floor.
Cool stone arms embraced me before I could make contact with the tile and I was then lifted up into Edwards's arms. Looking up slowly, I saw his beautiful face. The only thing wrong with it was that his countenance was in some form of pity and sadness like he had just found a half dead puppy on the side of the road. Inwardly I wondered if I looked half dead. Yeah, I probably did.
"Bella" he chided "Why didn't you stay home if you felt ill?" He felt my forehead and frowned after a second. "100.1." He said with a sigh. "Alright we're getting you to Carlisle."
"No" I rasped. I cleared my throat and amended "It's just a fever, no big deal. It'll be gone tomorrow."
He raised one eyebrow skeptically.
"Nope you're seeing Carlisle." He stated as he marched out the door with me limply dangling from his arms. Mrs. Newton gasped when she saw me.
"She's alright" Edward told her quickly. "I'm going to take her to the hospital though, she's got a pretty high temperature and it looks like she's running a fever." Mrs. Newton nodded and smiled at me and told me that she hoped that I would feel better.
"We aren't actually going to the hospital are we?" I asked nervously. Edward chuckled and walked on. By the time we reached Edward's car, I found that it was a struggle to even move. I ached all over, I had a pounding headache, and I couldn't swallow without wanting to internally combust. Edward must have heard me groan quietly when I tried to get out of the car, so he once again scooped me up and carried me to the door. We were greeted by Carlisle and Esme who both looked very concerned. I was carried up the stairs and placed on Edward's bed. In one flurry of movement, pillows were propped up behind me and my shoes were pulled off. I shut my eyes to avoid getting dizzy. The last thing I, well actually, we, needed was me fainting again. Edward informed Carlisle that I had a fever and then mumbled some more unintelligible words. When I opened my eyes, Carlisle was sitting next to me on the bed, pulling out various tools from a large black bag.
"I'm sorry you don't feel well Bella" he said sympathetically as he looked up from his bag. Actually I don't think it even qualified to be a bag, it was more of a suitcase.
"I'm alright" I said. Ew, I sounded like death. Carlisle's brow pinched and he requested Edward to help me remove the jackets I had bundled myself in. Edward jumped in of course, and helped me untangle myself from the fabric. When that task was done, I grabbed a tissue and blew as hard as I could to expel the offending sticky substances from my nose.
"Bella" Carlisle said as I reached for another tissue. "Forceful nose blowing can propel some infected mucus into the sinuses, where secondary bacterial infections may take hold"
Sighing I asked "Well what am I supposed to do with all of this…stuff?" gesturing at my nose.
"Well I've got to diagnose you to figure out what's wrong first." He said with a chuckle. "Open please."
I opened my mouth, hoping no one would notice my most-likely-offending-breath.
"Are you have any trouble swallowing?" he asked as he felt my lymph nodes.
'Yes, my throat feels awful' I wanted to say. But looking up at Edward, I was convinced that he still looked worried and sure that I had a dire illness. So I settled with a mere "Not too bad, but just um…" Carlisle and Edward looked at me questioningly until I finished my sentence pathetically. "Um…sort of."
"Bella please down downplay anything sweetheart. Carlisle and I are here to help you" Edward said as he enclosed my hand in his. I took a deep breath and admitted that I had some trouble swallowing.
"Well you most likely have strep throat. I'm going to give you a rapid strep test" Carlisle said softly as he pulled out a rather long cotton swab and asked me to open my mouth. He quickly brushed the back of my throat and before I knew it, the swab was out.
"I'll be back soon Bella" Carlisle said amiably and whisked out of the room. I turned to look at Edward.
"So, does he have a whole hospital in that bag or…?" I asked trying to make a joke. Edward grimaced and took my other hand.
"I'm sorry that you're sick sweetie" he said stroking my hair.
"It's not too bad. Really Edward." I tried to convince him I wasn't dying but it really wasn't going well.
"Carlisle should be back soon" he murmured, and sure enough, Carlisle appeared.
"The strep test came back positive. I'm going to make a quick run to the hospital to get your antibiotics, I'll be back soon." And he was gone. Now that there wasn't as much commotion around me, I started to feel the aches, chills, and pain again.
"Bella you look absolutely ashen. I'm going to help you lie down sweetheart." He placed his hand behind my back and lowered me back onto the mountain of pillows. "How is the pain?" he asked feeling my forehead again.
"Besides the fever, I'm just achy and exhausted" I told him quietly. He sat next to me on the bed and placed his cool hand over my forehead once more. It felt nice. He began to hum my lullaby, and I feel into a deep, peaceful sleep.
"Bella? Bella, wake up honey" a melodic voice hummed. I blinked a few times to be greeted by Carlisle with a medicine bottle and a small cup. "It's time to take your medicine Bella." I drank the disgusting tasting liquid and gulped some water. I almost gagged when I felt the burning in my throat again. I began to splutter up my large gulp of water and Edward was behind me instantly, helping me sit up and encouraging me to take deep breaths. Once my little fit was over, Edward was lying me down again onto the pillow mountain once again.
"Edward, I um need a human minute" I said rather awkwardly.
"Oh, yes. Sorry I forgot all about that" he said as he scooped me up and carried me to the bathroom. I smiled a little bit.
"Edward you don't have to carry me everywhere, you know." He flashed his beautiful smile back at me and proclaimed that he enjoyed being my personal transportation. I excused myself and used the bathroom. While washing my hands, I looked up into the mirror and almost flinched at my reflection. My hair was once again unruly, I had never really sorted it out this morning. Everything about me just screamed 'homeless'. I unlocked the door and walked back to the bed. Edward was gone, he must have gone downstairs. I didn't want to return to the bed, so I walked around the room slowly, then came to a stop at the wall that was entirely glass across from the bed. The sky looked gloomy today and the whole forest just looked darker. I peered out into the trees to see if I could possibly spot one of the wolves, but then shook my head. They wouldn't be this near the Cullen's house, idiot, the treaty remember? But as I turned from the window to go lie down, a flash of white caught my eye from one of the far trees. I looked back over to the general area where I had spotted the flash, thinking it may be another member of the Cullen family. I turned away when I saw nothing. But just 10 feet from the house I saw an unidentifiable person staring up into the window, right at me. Their eyes were red and glowing.