As I sat in the waiting room, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, 'It's probably just a virus Bella, calm down.' I told myself said over again, like a mantra, the more times I said it, the more likely I would believe it. Waiting for the doctor to come out and talk to me was the longest time of my life. Now I'm not particularly religious (I must have only been to church 4 times, due to my mother's need for trying new things) but as I sat in the cold, hard plastic chair I pulled my knees tight to my chest, holding back the tears that threatened to spill and for the first time in a long time I bowed my head to pray. 'I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm scared! Please G-d, I hope everything is okay. Please be okay.'
Flashback – Six months ago
It was a Thursday everything started, I felt perfectly fine in the morning, if a little tired, I was walking to my biology class in the rain that had started; I started to feel dizzy, just a slight swaying at first, then my vision became blurry I put it down to nausea and stress of my finals coming up, I also made a mental note to start wearing my glasses more. All of the sudden after making about 5 steps, my knees gave out, and I fell to the soaking ground. My best friend, Alice, who was just in front of me turned around to help me up. The panic was evident on her usually peaceful face, the expression looked so strange.
"Oh my G-d! Bella are you okay?" she asked frantically, feeling my forehead for a temperature I didn't have.
"I don't know." I mumbled, feeling helpless and a little embarrassed of almost passing out in front of the entire school.
"You don't look so good. What can I do? Can you walk? Shall I go get someone to help? What can I do?" She offered me her hand and bent down more to help me up, by this time a little crowd had formed around me. 'Great one Bella.' I thought. Alice's little arm wound round my torso to help me steady myself.
"Could you please take me to the nurse's office?" I groaned a little as I tried to control my swaying.
"Of course, Bells." Alice nodded and started to help me walk slowly through the small crowd, it was very hazy and I felt disorientated.
"Thanks.' I managed to whisper as we made it into the nurse's office. I felt like I had run about a mile instead of just fall over. I wasn't a stranger to the nurse and she asked me to lie down on the cot so she could examine me, I could almost hear Alice's relief of not having to carry my body weight anymore but she kept close and sat in a seat by the wall. The Nurse started to poke around me and take my temperature, shine a light into my eyes – the usual stuff Nurse's make you do. She told me as far as she could tell, there was nothing wrong with me, but I should go home and get some rest. I didn't want to skip school and get behind on my studies, especially because finals were coming up. I guess you could call me a work-a-holic, or a nerd, but I took pride on my school record. I took her advice anyway and went home after asking Alice to pick up any work I would miss.
Later that night the pounding in my head started so I took some Tylenol and crashed out on top of my bed, clothes and all.
As the weeks progressed, I started to get feel more dizzy than usual and tired, throwing up constantly, a bloody nose and labored breathing, it was even affecting my sleep and I found myself been constantly awakened as well as been restless. My dad, Charlie, was getting worried and suggested I go see another doctor but I brushed it off and told him it was nothing to worry about, just stress. He seemed to believe me and had a lot on at work so eventually he let it go, for a while. I didn't tell my mom, Reneé because I knew that she would have a heart attack, meaning she would be on the next flight over to Forks.
I got so ill I found myself not concentrating in any of my classes and fainting twice in a week, so that's how I ended up here, waiting for the doctor to come back with my blood test result from 3 weeks ago. Did I mention that I loathe needles?
As the doctor entered the room he took in a deep breath and smoothed down his shirt. I prayed to G-d really hard for a final time and took in a deep breath as he scanned the room, his eyes landing on me. 'Isabella Swan?' He asked and motioned for me to come with him. I followed him into a small office room, just off the waiting room I was sat in. It looked comfy; too comfy. A place people get taken to hear bad news. Bad news they couldn't tell people in a waiting room. Then it all went in slow motion. He sat down next to me, looked me in the eye with such a deep sadness in his eyes, he brushed through his light blonde hair with his hand, opened his mouth to start with, 'Isabella, I'm very sorry to inform you that your blood tests came back and it turns out you have second-stage leukemia.' My heart stopped beating in my chest just for a moment as I was processing the news. Leukemia? I started feeling faint, sick to my stomach. I have cancer. It was something I read about in newspapers or saw on the TV, but never did I ever think that it would be me, not in a million years. 'I'm sure this is a shock to you and you have many questions, but we are going to help you every step of the way.' Dr Carlisle was still talking and went to fetch me some water in a paper cup, but it was just background. My first thought was I'm only 18. 18 years old, I still have so much I want to do, places I want to go, people I want to meet. The next was triggered when he suggested he would go phone Charlie. Oh G-d! Charlie! If I can't deal with this, neither can he! Dr Cullen told me he would call my dad explaining I had to stay the night for observation and asking him to be here in the morning for a talk. So here I am in a dark hospital room, waiting for the doctor to come for his nightly check-up, and usual round of questions. 'Am I okay?' 'Am I hungry? ' 'Feeling tired or thirsty? Or general condolences and 'We're going to help you.' It felt like I was dying already. Death. Hadn't really thought of that for the past 18 years, maybe I should have gone to church more because I know nothing about anything. It felt strange, I had been feeling ill for weeks, so nothing had changed there, but everything had changed as well. It's like the whole picture changed, but it didn't really change, just came from a different perspective.
At about 7, a light from under the door pulled me up from my reverie. "Come in," I said my voice raspy from crying a little and I regretted not taking that drink earlier.
There was a knock at the door and a man, walked in, taking my breath away as he did. Man was such an ordinary word for such an extraordinary human being. Standing at about 6'2", his hair beautiful disarray filled with the most interesting bronze highlights that even models would die for, high cheekbones, a strong jaw line with no sign of any stubble, a straight nose with full pink lips. Even hidden by the big doctor's coat he wore you could just tell he had a slender body underneath, and his eyes, his eyes were a piercing emerald green. I could never forget those eyes.
"Hello," He greeted in a voice I've never heard before, like velvet, smooth but rough at the same time. "My name is Edward Cullen, Dr. Carlisle's son. I will be your assigned doctor from now on."
For a second I forgot all about the cancer, I forgot all about the hospital I sat in and Charlie coming in the morning. I forgot about my finals and how I'm going to tell Alice and I forgot everything all by the name Edward Cullen and them piercing emerald eyes.