Summary: Edward gets sick. Set before New Moon.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
Note: This is a rewrite of an old fanfic. The old version, which was written by me as an eighth grader, was starting to make me cringe and wonder "Why do people still read this crap?", so I'm overhauling it to make it not cringe-worthy.
Exposure
Edward had suspected that the deer had something wrong with it. The smell and taste of the blood were off, not to mention that the deer had hardly even tried to flee when it sensed that he was nearby.
Nevertheless, despite cringing with every sip, he drained the deer eagerly. It wasn't long after that Rosalie appeared a few feet away.
"You almost done with that?" She asked.
"Yeah." Edward licked the last of the blood off his lips and stood up. "Ugh. That was disgusting."
"Then why'd you drink it?"
"I was hungry and it was there." He shook his head dismissively. "Race you back to the house!" He ran off before Rosalie could say anything else.
Onset
The next morning, Edward drove to school with a headache. He knew he wasn't hiding it very well, but if Bella suspected anything was wrong, she wasn't showing it.
His first few classes were a blur. Most of what the teachers said barely registered in his mind, and neither did the bell signaling the end of class. It wasn't until lunchtime that anybody seemed to notice that something wasn't quite right.
"You sure you're okay?" Jasper asked as Edward sat down.
"Yeah."
"You're really out of it."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just thirsty." Edward laid his head down on the table and closed his eyes. "And tired… I'm so tired."
"Dude, that's not normal."
"Nah."
"Maybe you should go home."
"Nah. I can make it."
"If you say so." Jasper turned and smiled as Bella walked up to the table. "Hey, Bella!"
"Hey." Bella set her tray down next to Edward. "Hey. Wake up." She elbowed him and he bolted upright.
"I wasn't sleeping." He rubbed his face and sat back in his chair.
"Sure you weren't." She snickered and kissed him on the cheek. "I got the bio notes for you, by the way. Don't make a habit of sleeping in class."
"I wasn't sleeping."
"Spacing out, then."
"I wasn't spacing out." Edward sat back in his chair and massaged his temples. "Look, don't worry about me. I'm just having an off day."
"Okay, if you say so." Bella didn't seem convinced, but she let the matter drop and ate her lunch in relative silence.
Edward had been correct about being able to make it through the remainder of the day, but he hadn't anticipated that his symptoms would worsen. By the end of the day, he had a splitting headache, he could hardly keep his eyes open, and he was starting to feel waves of nausea every so often.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Bella asked from the passenger seat of the car. They were sitting in the parking lot, waiting for the herd of student drivers and pedestrians to clear. "You look like shit."
He cringed. He hated it when Bella used profanity. It wasn't ladylike.
"I'm fine." Edward rested his head on the steering wheel and sighed heavily. "Hey, you know what? Let's try something new. How about you drive?"
"Okay." Bella grinned and hefted her backpack into the back seat. "Awesome, I've always wanted to drive your car."
"Go for it."
They got out of the car and switched seats.
Sucker.
Edward took the opportunity to lay his head against the window.
"Edward."
He groaned. Something was digging into his rib cage.
"Edward."
There was the poking sensation again. What was that?
"EDWARD. WAKE UP."
Edward groaned and opened his eyes. Bella was leaning over him and repeatedly jabbing him in the ribs with her finger.
"I was having a nice nap." He sighed, resting his head on the window.
Wait… Nap?
"Vampires don't nap, idiot." Bella crossed her arms. "You're sick, aren't you?"
"I'm not sick." Edward groaned.
"Then why are you napping?"
"Because I'm tired."
"Vampires don't get tired."
"Boy, you have an answer for everything, don't you?" Edward straightened and got out of the car with some difficulty.
That's funny, I don't remember the garage floor having an incline...
He took one wobbly step toward the door but he didn't get far before losing his balance.
"What the hell?" He lifted his head and squinted at his surroundings. "When did we get this feature put in?"
"Yeah, Edward? It's not the floor." Bella looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. "Come on." She helped him up and supported him with an arm around his waist.
"Bella, please stop walking in circles." Edward squinted down at her. "I'm already dizzy enough."
"I'm not walking in circles." Bella furrowed her brows and opened the door that led into the house. "You really ought to lie down."
"I'm FINE."
"You are not. Shut up." She supported him as he shakily stepped over the threshold. "C'mon. The couch is just a few steps away."
"I can make it to my room."
"Can you?"
"Yes. Now point me in the right direction, will you?"
"Yeah, okay."
Once they got to his room, Bella helped Edward sit down on the fainting couch near the bookshelf.
"So, I gotta get home. I have an assload of homework to do." She sat down next to him. "Are you gonna be okay after I leave, or should I go get my stuff and stay with you?"
"I should be fine." Edward took his jacket and shoes off and reclined on his couch. "Carlisle will be home from the hospital soon, and Alice is downstairs."
"Okay, cool. Text me if you need anything."
"Will do."
So, let me know if this is okay.