A/N: Chapter 2! This is the beginning where the whole catalyst of the story happens. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine. It belongs only to Stephenie Meyer. I simply play with her toys.

My awesome Beta: Tima83


Chapter 2 - Hell

In anticipation of learning the sex of the baby, Jake and I had bought pink and blue paints. So after we arrived back home from the appointment we went straight to work. Well, Jake did. He refused to let me help. He said, "Not with the fumes, Bells. No way am I letting you help. Just go take a nap."

I did just that, I took a nap.

I woke a few hours later, after dreaming of what our baby would look like, and went to find my husband.

To my great surprise the nursery was already painted. All the furniture and decorations were put in their rightful spots as well. I guess I slept longer than I thought.

"Jake, how did you get all this done so fast?" I was in complete awe and incredibly grateful of him.

He sat in the rocking chair by the window and motioned for me to join him. I wobbled over and sat on his lap as we rocked together. Our hands immediately went to their spot again, rubbing our little boy.

"I am just that awesome." He chuckled somewhat smugly.

"Yeah right. You wish," I teased.

"What should we name him, Bells?"

"Hmm…I don't know. What do you think?"

We sat in thought for a few minutes. You would think that we'd have talked about this forever ago, but we didn't want to decide before we knew whether we were having a boy or girl first.

"How about Logan?"

"No."

"Ryan?"

"No."

"Jayden?"

"Yes! I like that, Jake. Jayden it is."

We spent the rest of the evening relaxing on the couch watching mindless TV while eating Chinese take-out, since I had a serious craving for it.

Later that night I climbed into bed, laying on my side. Jake slid behind me, wrapping his arm around my mid-section.

We fell asleep quickly, both of us spent from all the activities and excitement of the day.

I dreamt more of our baby, wondering whose personality and characteristics he would have. Would he look more like Jake, or me? Would he be an introvert like me or and extravert like his daddy?

In my dream, he looked like his father. As a toddler, I could see him being tall and lanky. He would have black hair and a smile that would break hearts in a second. Soulful eyes that went on for miles…

My dream was cut short by the piercing screams of the smoke alarms blaring all throughout the house.

I shot up from the bed in a panic. "Jake!"

"Bella!"

He copied my movements once the situation registered with him.

We rushed out of the room and into the hallway but stopped short when we noticed that the walls were on fire. My hands automatically went to my stomach to protect my baby futilely.

Taking over the situation Jake grabbed one of my hands and dragged me to the stairs, breaking me from my stunned stupor.

The flames licked angrily up the walls and railings. Everything was on fire!

We moved as fast as we could down the stairs and headed towards the front door. Before we could reach it, wood from above crashed to the floor, closing the door off.

Jake jerked me in the other direction suddenly and a searing pain ripple across my abdomen, stopping me dead in my tracks. I cried out in agony and crumpled to the ground clutching my belly.

"BELLA!"

I looked down seeing blood seep through my panties and pajamas. I couldn't move, but I knew I had to. Jake pulled me up from the floor and carried most of my weight to our last exit. Our last chance of escaping.

Jake opened the door and pushed me ahead of him.

I didn't get far before there was a loud explosion that sent me flying through the air and into the lawn. I landed feet first, then my stomach, followed by the rest of my body and ending with my head thwacking onto the hard surface.

I saw only black after that. I couldn't hear a thing, nor could I feel anything.

I don't know how much longer, but I finally came to again as pain shot through my leg, stomach and head. Warmth trickled from my hair and from between my legs.

Quickly I rolled onto my back, searching frantically for Jake while I clutched my unborn baby. I couldn't find him anywhere and I could feel the baby's distress.

I looked up and found that the house was completely engulfed in flames. I couldn't see anything clearly, my vision becoming hazy.

I knew Jake was still inside. Something in my gut knew that I would never see him ever again.

Still clutching my middle my head sagged and I sobbed.

I began to get light headed and tired. Every sound started to become distant.

The voices of people frantically screaming incoherent words was the last I heard as I drooped to my side and succumbed to the darkness that threatened to overtake me.

"Bella?" The noise was muddled and dreamlike, but it was the first I had heard in a while. Somehow I knew a great deal of time had passed.

"Bella?" The voice again. It was a bit louder and I could make it out better.

"Bella? …Wake up…Open your eyes." I wanted to obey the female's voice, but I couldn't. I tried. My body just wouldn't concentrate. It felt as if I was trapped inside the darkness and I couldn't feel anything. There were no sensations.

No touch.

No smell.

Nothing…

The sound of the woman's voice remained distant and seemed like it was coming in and out of focus.

I knew that once I woke up I would have to face reality. I couldn't remember what that reality was, though I knew it was terrible. So, I clung tighter to the numbness out of fear. I wasn't ready to face things yet.

"Come on, Bella." Another female voice. I could tell from the slightly different pitch.

"Wake up, honey." This time the first female spoke. There was an air of familiarity to these two voices. I just couldn't place it.

I felt so conflicted between wanting to obey and wake up for them or staying in the darkness where I couldn't feel anything, just so I could avoid everything.

I just wasn't ready to face anything yet.

Slowly the darkness began to lift and sensations became noticeable. I could faintly feel my body again. My hearing became more focused as other sounds began to trickle into my consciousness.

The whooshing sound of the air conditioner, the steady beeping of a machine, the clicking sound of something else, doors opening and closing, the clacking of a keyboard, a chair scraping across the hard floor…

"Bella, wake up." This voice was new but familiar like the other two.

The darkness continued to fade and I found that I couldn't hold onto it anymore. Though I tried. I tried with everything in me. It only slipped through my grasp like water.

My heart pounded with the knowledge of my slipping darkness. Fear seeped into my spine, pumping through my veins like the venom of a snake.

The beeping sound I heard, increased in pace and became irregular.

"She'll be waking up any moment. Bella? Can you open your eyes for me?" This voice was male, one I knew I had never heard before.

I didn't want to obey him. I wanted to shake my head in defiance. I wanted to scream at him for trying to make me do something I didn't feel ready for.

I just wanted peaceful oblivion back. I craved the numbness it brought me.

"Bella, please wake up." It was the first voice. The sadness in her voice tugged at my heart strings. No matter how much I thirsted for the darkness I still didn't want to be the cause of that familiar voice's pain.

I searched my body, trying to find the strength to open my eyes. It was hard and it hurt but they fluttered open.

Nothing was clear everything blurry but extremely bright, causing me to squeeze them shut reflexively.

I opened them again, trying to adjust to the lights and blink away the blurriness.

I was able to adjust the light for the most part but everything was still blurry and it gave me a headache. I could make out four figures standing above me and I wished I could see well enough to tell who they are.

"Hey Bella! Happy to see you awake. I'm Dr. Cullen. You have a breathing tube in so you won't be able to talk. Instead I want you nod and shake your head in response okay?" I was slow to understand what the doctor said but nodded when I finally did. "Do you know where you are?" I nodded. "Good. You are in the ICU. Do you know why you're here?" I shook my head no.

Sobs erupted from the other side of the room and I turned in the direction of the sound. I desperately wanted to know who it was that was there with me. I could tell I knew them, but I couldn't figure out who they were.

"I am going to run some quick tests okay?" I nodded after I understood what he said. "Can you wiggle your toes for me?" Again it took me a while before what he said made sense, and then it took more time before I could find the appropriate response to his question.

After a minute I could feel my toes wriggle.

"Good job, Bella. Now squeeze my hand as tight as you can." I was delayed again and it made me incredibly frustrated with the time it took to respond. "Lift your left arm…now your right…and your left leg… Good. How is your vision? Can you see?" I nodded. "Is it blurry?" I nodded again in confirmation. "Is the room too bright for you?" I nodded. To my great relief, the lights were turned down for me.

Unfortunately, the doctor decided to shine a light in my eyes next.

"Alright follow my finger with just your eyes the best you can. If you can't see my finger follow my hand." I did as instructed and followed the blob I assumed to be his hand. When the doctor seemed to be done I motioned with my hands for a pen and paper.

I wrote as legibly as I could, seeing as that things were blurry, and the doctor confirmed what I wrote. "Who is here?" I nodded.

The three figures that had stepped away without me noticing earlier came back into my view.

Directly to my right I heard a soft and sweet voice say, "Honey, it's your mom." I furrowed my brow a little until recognition dawned and I nodded my head.

The figure to my mom's right answered next. "I'm your best friend, Alice."

And the last said, "I'm your best friend Rosalie."

I wished I could say 'hello' to them, instead I lifted my hand a little and wriggled my fingers in greeting, hopefully conveying that, even with a great deal of effort, I recognized them.

I had completely forgotten about my pencil and paper, so as quick as possible, I wrote that I knew who they were. Everyone of them sighed and relaxed. I assumed with a great deal of relief.

I scribbled my next question. "Why am I here? What happened?"

This time the doctor answered my queries. "You have suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury. Otherwise known as a TBI. As a result of this injury you fell into a coma lasting two weeks, half of which was induced. That was we could allow you to heal. Along with the TBI you acquired various other injuries, which is why you are experiencing the symptoms that you are."

That still didn't answer my other question, so I underlined it a couple times. "I want to wait to see if it comes back to you. You are suffering from memory loss that I believe is due to the TBI. Jogging your memory too soon can be harmful. Let's wait and see what happens."

I wasn't happy about it but I went along with it anyway. Something told me I didn't want to know and that he was right, I wasn't ready yet.

I scribbled, "What are my other injuries?"

The doctor sighed and answered with a bit of reserve, "Your right leg is broken. We had to place a rod to help you heal. You have first, second and some slight third degree burns scattering across your back. You have a mild concussion, also some minor cuts and bruises. You ended up needing eighteen stitches to close up some of the more serious wounds." He paused for a moment. "You will recover nicely I'm sure." He was holding something back. There was something he wasn't telling me and I couldn't figure out what it might be.

I nodded to him, telling him that I understood.

"I'll be back in a bit to check on you." Dr. Cullen left the room closing the door softly on his way out.


A/N:

What ya think? Like it? Love it? Let me know.

I do not have a medical degree. Everything mentioned in this chapter is just my inference from research and the little training I've had.

If you've ever been knocked out you'll recognize some things. I've been knocked out a few times (I have a hazardous job). So I took my experiences from Martial Arts and used it to my advantage in this chapter. A knock out can last as little as a couple seconds, and that's what happened to Bella. In my cases, I was knocked out and lost all sensation and ability to control my own body but a few seconds later I regained it. In my second knock out I managed to stay standing cause my body locked up and I came to in time to stumble out of the fighting ring.

Bella was out for about 10 seconds. And since swelling doesn't occur quite instantly, I think it's possible that she would fall prey to a coma a minute later. BUT I don't know, I'm not an expert.

Blah blah blah... I'll stop rambling now!

Review?

Fic Rec!

Family of Perfection by DazzlinSparkle05 - I just picked up and read this and I absolutely fell in love with it! I figured you would like it too.