Chapter 4:
Two Months Later
"Jayden! No. Put it back now!" I snapped.
I grabbed the box of cereal and put it back on the shelf.
"ceral!" He cried.
"We have cereal at home!" I told him.
"CERAL!" He screamed.
"Jayden Anthony Cullen!" I snapped.
He started to cry.
"Come on Natalie." I sighed.
I had become one of those mothers who screamed at their kids in the store, and earned stares and glares from other people around. I pushed the cart down the isle grabbing the things I needed and placing them in the basket where Hayden sat quietly poking at her screaming twin, I couldn't help but laugh. I headed towards the check out.
"Twins?" The cashier asked smiling.
"That's what I'm told." I said laughing a little.
"You must have your hands full!" She said.
Naw! Not at all. Freaking idiot.
"Yeah, they keep me busy." I said handing her the cash.
I walked out of the store pushing a cart with a screaming child, I loaded everything and everyone into the car before pulling out. It took me ten minutes to get home and get everything put away. I grabbed the milk just as my cell rang, it was Edward. I felt bad for doing so but I hit ignore, I didn't feel like dealing with him right now. I took a deep breath and continued to put the groceries away, Natalie came running in to show me a picture, I smiled and told her it was pretty.
"Can you hang it on the fridge?" She asked.
"Of course." I said.
I took the picture and hung it on the fridge along with all the other ones that the kids have colored. My phone starting buzzing again, I sighed and answered it.
"Hello?" I said.
"Hey." Edward said.
"Hi." I said.
"How are you?" He asked.
"Tired." I said.
"You should lay down." He told me.
"Kind of hard when your raising three kids alone." I said.
"I can come home." He said.
"Why would you do that?" I asked.
"Because, you sound like your sick of me being away." He said.
"I am sick of you being away Edward, but your half way through, why stop now?" I asked.
"Because you want me too." He told me.
"I never said that!" I told him.
"You hinted at it." He said.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, Dear lord please help me from killing this man.
"Edward. I did not say I want you to come home. You gave your dream up when you met me, now is your chance to finish it." I said through my teeth.
"Why are you getting angry!" He snapped.
"Because! You keep acting all weird!" I said.
"How?" He asked.
"Asking me weird questions! Asking your sisters weird questions?" I said putting my hand up like I was saying 'duh'
"You've been talking to my sisters?" He asked.
"So now you want me to stop talking to your sisters, I'll just lock myself in the house from now on!" I snapped.
"I didn't say that and you know it." He said.
"You hinted at it." I mocked.
"Look, your having a bad day. I'm calling Esme to see if she can watch the kids." He said.
"No Ed-"
"I love you."
Click.
"I love you too I guess." I said under my breath.
I walked into the living room telling the kids to get ready because grandma was going to be picking them up soon. They were so excited and began to get their shoes and jacket on, I watched helping only when needed. Like when Jayden put his shoes on the wrong feet, or when Hayden got angry at her jacket because it was inside out and wouldn't work with her. I yawned just as the door bell rang, jeez that was fast.
"Hey Esme." I said answering the door.
"Hello dear." She said.
"I'm sorry, I tried to tell him not to call you. They are my responsibility not yours." I told her.
"Nonsense! They are my grandchildren!" She said.
"You sure you don't mind?" I asked.
"No! Go get a few hours of sleep and call when you are ready for to get them back." She said.
"Thank you." I said.
"Your welcome." She said.
"Bye mommy!" Natalie said.
I kissed and hugged her.
"Bye mommy!" The twins called.
I kissed and hugged them both.
"Bye." Esme said.
"Bye." I said.
I stood in the doorway watching until Esme pulled out of the driveway, I waved goodbye before shutting the door. I walked and plopped on the couch, I yawned before closing my eyes and falling asleep.
…
I woke up and my nose scrunched up, I smelled gas. I sat up slowly yawning and rubbing my eyes, I stood up before walking in the kitchen. I checked the stove and nothing was wrong, I went to the basement and couldn't find anything there either. I went back upstairs and grabbed the phone dialing Esme.
"Hello dear, ready for your children?" She asked.
"No, Esme I think there is a gas leak somewhere in the house. I'm smelling gas but I cant find where it is." I said.
"Oh my, that's not good. Well you or the children cant be in the house with it smelling like gas! Why don't you pack a couple bags and stay here until its fixed." She said.
"Okay." I said.
It didn't take me long to pack some bags, they were mainly filled with clothes for me and the kids. I packed some toys for the kids, Natalie's favorite coloring book, diapers, wipes, all the fun stuff that I would need. After loading the things into the car I headed to the house.
…
"Bella?" Esme asked.
I couldn't answer, I was busy throwing up in the toilet. She knocked on the bathroom door before coming in, I gasped as I sat up straight.
"Oh Bella! Are you okay?" She asked.
"I-I think so." I said.
"You don't look so good, your all sweaty!" She said.
She bent down and felt my forehead, she got up to get the thermometer. She stuck it in my mouth and waited for it to beep, when it did she took it out.
She gasped, "102.5!"
I groaned and turned back to the the toilet throwing up again.
A Couple Hours Later
"Make him stop calling!" I cried.
My head hurt badly, my stomach hurt badly, I was just sick all around. Esme took my cell phone from me and answered it, putting it on speaker phone.
"Hello?" She said.
"Mom?" Edward asked.
"Hello darling." She said.
"What are you doing answering Bella's phone?" He asked.
"There is a gas leak at your house." She said.
"There is? She didn't tell me that." He said.
"She said she tried calling you." She told him.
"I must have been busy. Where is she?" He asked.
"She cant talk right now. She's really sick." She told him.
"What? Is she okay?" He asked.
"She has a high fever. Carlisle told me to watch it, if it goes any higher we have to take her to the hospital." She said.
"What is it now?" He asked.
"103.0 it went up from when I took it a couple hours ago." She said.
"Oh god!" I gasped.
"Oh boy, hold on Edward!" She said nearly throwing the phone on the side table.
She made a dash for the trash can, she helped me sit up before I threw up. I ended up missing the trash can, but some of it made it.
"I'm sorry!" I gasped.
"It's fine dear. I can clean it up." She said.
I cried.
"Bella please don't cry, it's fine." She said.
She helped me lay down, I was shaking again. She pulled the covers over me and grabbed the phone.
"Am I on speaker?" Edward asked.
"Yes." Esme said.
"Love, how are you feeling?" He asked.
"Horrible." I said my voice hoarse.
"Well, just get some rest and I'll call you later tonight, okay?" He asked.
"Okay." I whispered.
"Night love." He said.
"Ni-Night..." I whispered as I drifted off to sleep.
…
"Bella!" Jasper yelled.
I jumped awake, "What?"
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"Oh, um... I'm feeding Jayden and Hayden." I said.
"No, you need to go upstairs and rest." He told me.
"Who's going to take care of them?" I asked.
"I will. Now go." He said.
I stood up slowly, I smiled at Jasper who took my spot at the table. I walked in the living room starting to feel light headed, I heard someone talk, I looked at the staircase to see Emmett walking down. That's all I remember.
Emmett's POV
"Bella, I got you some books for you to- Bella?" I asked.
I searched the entire room and bathroom but she wasn't there. I looked all over the upstairs before making my way slowly downstairs, I saw her come out of the kitchen.
"Bella what are you doing out of bed? I could have gotten you whatever you needed." I told her.
She looked up at me with this empty look, then her body went limp as she collapsed to the ground.
"Bella!" I gasped.
I ran down the stairs two steps at a time, Esme and Rosalie walked through the door laughing and carrying groceries. They stopped and gasped when they saw Bella on the floor, I lifted her head and set it in my lap.
"Bella! Bella wake up!" I said shaking her a little bit.
"I'm calling the ambulance!" Rose said.
"No. We can drive her!" I said.
"Rosalie, help me get the twins ready." Esme said.
"I think they are in the kitchen." I told her.
They headed to the kitchen really quick, Jasper came running out.
"What happened?" He asked.
"I was coming downstairs to find her, and she just collapsed." I said panicked.
"She was just fine a minute ago! I told her she should have stayed laying down!" He said.
"I think this would have happened whether or not she was laying down, it feels like her fever shot up." I told him.
"We need to get her to the hospital. Let's get her to the car." Carlisle said.
…
Edward's POV
I tapped my pen on my notebook as I stared at my text book. Reading had become impossible, the words kept jumbling all together into one big blob on the page. I was trying to study, I was now behind everyone else because all I could think of was Bella. Knowing she was home sick with a bad flu made studying even more impossible then reading. I had always been there for her when she was sick, it felt weird not being there now.
I sighed standing up walking to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I opened the fridge to find a bottle of wine, I took it out looking at it. I grabbed a wine glass pouring some in it, I wished that Bella was here to have a glass with me. I walked back in the living room sitting back down at the desk, I took a drink before going back to studying. I was "reading" when my phone went off, Jasper.
"Hey brother!" I said smiling.
"Edward." He said.
That tone wasn't a 'Hey what's up? We miss you' tone, ti was a 'Somethings wrong' tone.
"What's wrong? Is it the kids? Bella?" I said.
"Bella was just admitted into the hospital." He said.
"What? Why?" I asked standing up.
"She passed out at home, her temp is 104.2" He said.
In med school, one of the first things we learned is any temp at 104 or higher is dangerous, and certainly not a good thing.
"Is she awake? Can I talk to her?" I asked.
"They gave her some medication, the strongest she can handle, so she's out right now." He said.
"I-I'm coming home!" I said.
"Dad also said you would say that, and told me to tell you to stay there." He said.
"SHE'S MY WIFE! If she's in the hospital, I'm coming home!" I told him.
"Edward, she could be better by tomorrow. Then you would just have to go back. I'll stay with her okay? My time is devoted to Bella now. I'll be with her all the time." He told me.
I sighed pinching the top of my nose, "Thank you."
"You would do the same if it were Alice." He said.
I hung up after talking to him a few minutes longer. How was I suppose to concentrate now?
Jasper's POV
I was flipping through a magazine, one that Bella would enjoy, catching up on the latest celebrity drama. It was amazing what celebrities saw as "tough times". What kind of tough times did they have? Figuring out to spend the billions? I noticed Bella twitch, I looked up thinking that she was going to wake up. Instead she started to shake, like literally shake violently. Her body jolted up and down as the gurney shook and crashed. It didn't take me long to realize what was happening, she was having a seizure. It was more scary witnessing a seizure in real life then watching it on TV. I shot up from the chair I was sitting in and quickly screamed for help. A couple nurses rushed in following Carlisle and another doctor I didn't recognize. I listened as they fired off orders. I pulled out my phone and sent Edward a quick text.
Me: Bella's having a seizure
Edward: What?
Me: Carlisle is trying to stop it.
"We are going to have to take her off the medication." Carlisle said.
"What? The medication is what's helping her temp go down! Her brain could fry if it goes higher and you know that!" The second doctor said.
"Dad?" I said.
"We'll try an ice bath, I think she's reacting to the medication." Carlisle said.
Me:They are stopping the medication, Carlisle said they'll do a ice bath when she wakes up.
Edward: She wont be able to handle that!
Me: She'll have too... The other doctor said her brain could fry if her temp goes any higher.
Edward: I know, trust me, I know...
An Hour Later
"Bella honey, I know your head and body hurts, and I know it's cold, but you have to get in." Carlisle told her.
"No." She whined.
"Bella, love. I'll make you feel better." Edward said through the speaker phone.
"I don't want too!" She cried.
"I'll get in with you." Emmett said strolling in the room with his swim trunks on like they were going for a swim in a pool.
I looked at Emmett weird, he got in the ice cold tub no problem. I knew he was cold, and I knew he wasn't showing it to be brave for Bella so she would come in too. He held out his hand for Bella, she grabbed it after a minute of just standing there. He helped her get in, she cried all they way down. Emmett wrapped his arms around her shoulders, she gripped on to them like she was falling off a cliff and they were the only things holding her up.
…
"Her lips are blue Carlisle!" I heard Esme scold Carlisle.
"She has to stay in there until her fever drops!" Carlisle said.
"It has dropped! It's down to 103.2!" She said.
"That's still high!" He said.
"At least it's not in the 'life threatening' category now!" She snapped.
"Esme, dear, look I know she is like our daughter. But she is also my patient, and this is what I think is best for my patient." He said calmly.
Esme crossed her arms over her stomach and looked over at a shivering Bella, "She isn't like our daughter, she is our daughter."
"I know dear." Carlisle said.
"Mom, the kids are getting hungry." Alice said popping her head in.
She shot me a smile, God did I love this woman.
"Here's a $40, take everyone down to the cafeteria and get them something to eat." Esme said.
Alice blew me a kiss, I caught it and put it to my heart. She giggled before prancing out of the room.
"Wow. Cause that wasn't cheesy or nothing.
"I-I-Th-thought it was cu-cute!" Bella shivered.
"Thank you Bella." I said.
"I'm so co-cold!" She said.
"Just a little bit longer." I told her.
Bella's POV
His phone went off again, I gripped Emmett's arms tighter as I shivered more. He hugged me tighter but it wasn't helping at all.
"Edward." Jasper said.
I was still angry at him after our last argument. Jasper put the phone on speaker since I couldn't hold it.
"How is she doing?" He asked.
"I-I-I'm cold, otherwise fi-fine." I said.
I snapped my head up when I heard Carlisle say they were going to put me in a fresh ice bath, I could feel the tears coming already.
"I have to-to go in an-another ice bath?" I cried.
"Carlisle please! Now this is enough! Can't we taker her out and see what happens? There has to be other medication that you can give to her!" Esme snapped.
Carlisle sighed, "Fine. Bella you can get out now."
I stood up as fast as my cold numb legs would let me, I epically failed. I fell into Emmett who also was standing up. Jasper got a big warm blanket and held it in his arms, Emmett carefully placed me in Jasper's arms so he was holding me bridal style. They worked to get me all wrapped up.
"So warm!" I said snuggling into Jasper's neck.
"Glad I could be of service." He said smiling.
CLICK.
Only Edward would hang up and get upset over this...
…
"I don't see why you're getting upset like this Edward." I screamed into the phone.
Esme, Jasper, and Carlisle walked into the room.
"What? What do you mean I don't miss you?" I snapped.
He said something along the lines of me not even mentioning him or talking to him when he called.
"Oh, well I'm sorry for having a temp of 104.5! Next time I'll be sure to make it all about YOU Edward!" I growled.
I listened as he yelled back at me the tears filling my eyes.
"Well whose fault is it that your not here Edward! Your the one who chose to leave for four months!" I snapped wiping the tears away.
He screamed at me that I was the one who let him.
"Yeah but I didn't know it would be this hard! That every conversation would end in an argument!" I yelled putting the phone on speaker.
"It's your fault that it does!" He yelled back.
I opened my mouth, "My fault? Whose the one who is acting all weird and asking me if I like living in the house and being close to your family?"
"You want me to tell you why I have been asking you those questions?" He asked.
"It's about time!" I screamed.
"Because I was offered a job here Bella, okay? And I accepted it." He said.
Oh I was furious now.
"You took the job without ASKING ME?" I shrieked.
"Why are you getting so upset about this, I thought you of all people would be happy for me!" He screamed.
"Did you stop to think about me? About the kids? I cant just pull them out of their lives here and move a million miles away!" I hissed.
"Why not?" He asked.
"Natalie is in first grade Edward! She will be in second soon! She has friends, and she just started that dance class! And we finally found a preschool for the twins! Our lives are here Edward!" I told him.
"Plenty of kids have been moved from their lives, it'll be hard at first but they'll adjust." He said.
"God! Could you take a minute and stop thinking of yourself?" I snapped.
"Excuse me?" He asked.
"The plan was for you to go there for medical school, and then come home to work at the hospital with Carlisle. No where in the plan was there anything about taking a job up there, and you knew that, and you were happy taking a job at the hospital here!" I told him.
"I don't understand why you are getting so upset Isabella!" He said.
"First, you know I hate being called Isabella. Second, we are suppose to be a team Edward! We are suppose to talk about things together before making big decisions like this. Look, I'm sorry but I don't want to move, and I'm not pulling the kids from their lives." I said.
"Whatever." He said.
CLICK.
"Real mature Edward." I said.
I shook my head looking up, only then did I realize that they heard everything.
"Am I being stupid? Am I being unreasonable?" I asked.
"No. You're a hundred and ten percent right." Esme told me.
"Then why is he so mad at me?" I asked.
"You know Edward and his temper sometimes." She said.
I rubbed my head, "My head hurts."
Carlisle walked over and checked somethings before injecting some pain medication into my IV.
"How are the kids?" I asked.
"Good." She said.
"Did they eat? I should go find them some food." I said.
"Everything is fine Bella, Alice took them down to get some food." She told me.
I nodded. I was still worried about them. Were they upset that mommy or daddy wouldn't be tucking them in to bed tonight? I knew they wouldn't be scared because someone was with them. It was probably Rosalie, she loved those kids so much that it wasn't funny.
…
I didn't sleep good at all that night. One, my head was pounding, and two, because I had a nightmare.
"Bella, a big yellow envelope came in the mail for you." Emmett said handing it to me.
"Thanks." I said.
I took the envelope from him before walking into the kitchen. Esme was making the kids' lunch, I sat down at the island before ripping open the envelope. I pulled out the papers looking inside for anything else. Stuck to the papers was a orange post-it note: I need you to sign these. I looked at it funny.
"What is it?" Emmett asked walking in.
"I don't know, probably junk." I said.
I started to read the papers, my heart sank.
DIVORCE PAPERS
I didn't fully read the papers after that line. I scanned the page until I got to the bottom, Edward already signed them. I gasped.
"What?" Emmett asked going to stand by Esme.
"He wants a divorce." I whispered.
"What's a divorce mommy?" Natalie asked.
"What?" Emmett asked.
"Let me see those!" Esme said.
"Mommy..." Natalie continued.
"Just a minute Natalie." I said.
I handed Esme the papers.
"He signed them, he already signed them..." I whispered.
"This cant be right." Esme said.
My whole world was spinning. I got off of my stool and ran in the living room. Rosalie passed while I ran past her and out of the front door, I needed some air.
"Bella?" Rosalie called after me.
I didn't answer her, I just kept running. I ran until I hit the railing, I leaned over it gasping for air. He wanted a divorce.
I gasped sitting up. I had sweat dripping down my face. I looked over at Jasper who was sleeping in a chair next to the bed. I grabbed my phone and dialed Edward's cell phone, I didn't even bother to look at the clock to see that it was two in the morning.
"H-Hello?" He picked up on the fifth ring, he was half asleep.
"Edward! I'm sorry!" I said.
"Bella?" He asked.
"I'm sorry Edward! I shouldn't have lost my temper like that! I still don't want to move, but maybe we can work something out!" I said talking so fast that I'm not sure if he understood me or not.
"Bella, it's two in the morning." He said.
"I know, just answer me one thing." I said.
"Okay." He whispered.
"You don't want a divorce, do you?" I asked.
"What? Bella, what are you talking about?" He asked.
"I had a dream! Edward you signed divorce papers and sent them to me." I told him.
"Bella, I don't want a divorce. Now love, go back to sleep, you need your rest." He said.
"I love you." I said.
"I love you too." He said.
"Edward, I mean it. I love you." I said.
He laughed a little, "I mean it too, forever and always my love."
"I miss you, the kids miss you." I whispered picking at the blanket.
"I miss you guys too, so much. Look, I have rounds in the morning at 7, call you later?" He asked.
"Okay." I said.
He hung up, I looked at the phone before shutting it.
I looked back over at Jasper who was still sleeping, I slowly laid back down turning on my side. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
There you guys go! A VERY long chapter to make up for the wait! =P REVIEW! =D