Thank you to Beachcomberlc who keeps this story readable and to IpsitaC77 for filling in the holes.
Chapter 7
Bella fell asleep during the opening credits of episode three. Rose turned off the disc and returned the TV to its place before going to her desk to finish some paperwork. She worried for her patient. This evening would be hard and the girl looked fragile. Rose had no psychiatric nursing experience, but she knew the mind games that were being played on Bella could have lasting effects. Rose would try to help her navigate through this as much as she could, however, she was bound by steel bands and a severe contract.
A mortifying sponge bath and a clean nightgown made Bella feel a bit better, although being allowed underwear would have improved her mood greatly. Dinner was a smooth butternut squash soup with whipped goat cheese and pomegranate arils. The bowl was small, but satisfying. Rose promised her more solid foods in the days to come. They decided to wait dessert until after the doctor had been to visit.
Dr. Cullen breezed into the room as if he had done so every day of his life. Bella was struck by the beauty of the man. He had kind eyes, blue and warm, wrinkling at the corners. His blond hair was longer than she thought a doctor would wear, slicked back and touching his collar. The colour hadn't turned ashy with age like some, and it had a natural shine to it. He looked weary, but beamed at Bella as if she were his favourite patient in the world.
"Miss Swan, I'm delighted with your progress. You're much further along than we thought you'd be three days post-op. I'd like to try getting you into a wheelchair after your examination this evening. All right?"
Bella looked to Rose and found her nodding her head with a wide smile on her face. Dr. Cullen turned his attention to Rose and began asking her questions, using medical words and terminology Bella had difficulty understanding. Unlike the last doctor, this one asked permission before lifting her gown and poking around her side. He spoke mainly to Rose, but kept his attention on his patient.
"I disagree with Dr. Cope. The drain can come out tonight with a local and perhaps some Diazepam. Her outputs are wonderful. I think you're right that she'll pass stools soon, most likely tomorrow. If you could start getting her ambulatory after that, I expect few complications. If you could give her the meds now, I'll take the drain out."
Rose opened the closet and typed a few commands into the computer. There was a hiss and a clicking noise as a small drawer under the console opened. Rose took out a bottle and shook out two pills.
"These are for anxiety. Dr. Cullen will give you a local anesthetic for the pain. Pulling your drain won't hurt, but it will feel odd once the area is numb. It shouldn't take more than about twenty minutes until we're done, once we get started. Just slip these under your tongue and I'll start getting everything else ready."
It was the first time someone told her what was going to happen before it happened since she had woken up and Bella felt compelled to follow directions. She had been raised to follow doctors' orders and not question. But a little voice in her head cried for her to find out what the hell was going on despite how scared she was at the situation. The medicine dulled that voice before Bella could speak up.
The drugs and local did nothing to help with the pain she felt as Rose rolled her on her side so the doctor could remove her drain. The smell of antiseptic and her own fluids made her nauseated, but she willed it back. She didn't want to prolong the procedure by throwing up all over Rose. The injection of the local anesthetic burned slightly as he administered the medication over several spots.
She could feel the tugging of the tape being removed. It stung and she wanted to run her fingers over it to soothe the sting.
"You have a mild adhesive allergy. I'm sorry, I had no idea. It wasn't in any of your medical records. Miss Hale, if you could give her a topical ointment later to ease the symptoms, please."
"Of course, Dr. Cullen."
"The good news is there's very little tape used on your incision, which will help minimize reaction. The incision looks great, clean edges and no discolouration on the margins. Little seepage. There will be minimal scarring. Cope may be an ass, but he closes wonderfully."
Dr. Cullen tried to distract her with chatter, but Bella could hear the sounds of the drain being removed from her body. When he dropped the detritus in a basin, Bella lost control of her stomach. She vomited most of her dinner onto the side of the bed and floor. Both Rose and the doctor apologized to her as Rose rushed to clean her up.
"Now would be a good time to get you into the wheelchair. Once you're cleaned up and ready, of course."
They finished up the minor procedure, the doctor left the room and Rose got Bella a clean gown. Bella had always been sensitive with a nervous stomach. She could bandage other people's injuries when she had to, but could not handle her own. Most of the time she would faint, but on rare occasions she'd thrown up. Bella was mortified and the act of being sick hurt a lot. Her head pounded in concert with her side.
Rose handed her a glass of water and a couple of mints to suck on. Dr. Cullen knocked, then came in pushing a padded wheelchair.
Slowly, they helped Bella swing her legs over the side of the bed. When she was ready, they lifted and slid her into the chair. Her foley bag was clipped to the back of the chair and her IV hung from a pole attached to the handle. Rose gave her a warmed blanket to cover her legs. Dr. Cullen pushed her out of the room into a perfect replica of her living room. Bella felt queasy again. Where the hell was she and what happened to her? Rose stayed behind to change the linens on her bed.
Dr. Cullen opened her apartment door and pushed Bella across the threshold. Even her door looked the same, with her apartment number and the stickers she had arranged on it to stop religious solicitors from knocking, an "I Donate for Life" from Canadian Blood Services, "PFLAG" and "Darwin Fish". The hallway looked different, though. They passed by two other numbered doors before they stopped. Dr. Cullen typed a code into a keypad to the side of the last door. Bella heard a chime sound behind the door.
After waiting for a moment, the door swung open and a voice called for them to come in.
"Miss Isabella Swan, may I introduce my wife, Esme." Doctor Cullen left Bella in her chair just inside the door and walked over to the woman who was standing just inside the kitchen. He kissed her on the cheek and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Esme smiled at him and raised her hand to cup his jaw. Bella could tell they were very much in love.
"I'm so glad you were able to come visit tonight, Bella. Alice is dying to meet you. As am I. I'll just go get her." Esme paused as she passed by Bella and laid her hand on the young lady's shoulder. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You saved not only her life, but all of ours. You're a wonderful person, Bella."
Bella turned, confused, to Dr. Cullen, but his attention was elsewhere. His head was in the refrigerator as he began pulling out bowls of food and placing them on the counter. The aroma of butternut squash soup she'd had for dinner reached her nose, causing it to wrinkle in distaste. As delicious as the soup was, after experiencing it in reverse, she found it no longer held any appeal.
Soft voices from the other room caught her attention. The medicine Rose gave her was making her feel a little disjointed and spacey. Rose came up beside her and asked how she was doing. Bella could only shake her head slowly. She had no idea how she was doing.
A door opened and a woman about Bella's age was pushed into the room. She was in a wheelchair similar to the one Bella was in. The young lady took one look at Bella and began to cry. Esme parked her chair parallel to Bella's, so that the wheels overlapped.
Alice reached for Bella's hand and grasped tightly, tears running down her smiling face.
"I just know we're going to become the best of friends. I can feel it. In fact, I think if we'd met before, we would still have ended up great friends but now, even more so, because of you."
Bella just stared at her, questioningly. There were words she felt she should say, but they were lost behind a haze of pain, confusion and drugs.
"I mean, if you hadn't volunteered to donate your kidney, I might have died, but you saved me. That's as good as any excuse to become friends, don't you think?"
Bella gave her a weak smile and squeezed Alice's hand. She turned to find her nurse.
"Rose, I'm very tired. I'd like to go back to my room, please."
AN: To clear up some confusion, Dr. Cope was not executed, but paid off and forced to retire before he could get kicked out of the profession. We'll find out more about him much later.
The Cullen's don't know what is going on and Bella will have little interaction with them for a long time.
Rec for this week - Plight Thee My Troth by gingerandgreen.
I neglected to thank Paige for recommending this story in the Twilight - Find Your Ward Group.
Thank you for reading.