AN: Writing historical fiction became really fun for me both in this chapter and the next one I'll be sending. History provides it's own plot lines.
Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. The inspiration for TLB is credited to Lavender Mornings by Jude Deveraux. No copyright infringement is intended.
Thank you Ann and Steph, (my amazing betas at project team beta dot com) for walking me through this process.
Discovery
Dr. Cullen shook my arm gently.
"Edward," he called in a hushed voice.
I squinted my eyes and yawned, trying to remember how to open them. I groaned once at the soreness in my side and then struggled to sit up.
"Is she okay? What's wrong?"
I looked over toward Bella's bed. The sun wasn't quite up yet, but I could see from her windows that the horizon was beginning to glow. I looked over at Bella lying in her hospital bed. There were white compresses resting on her arms and one on her forehead.
I sat upright and my heart stuttered. I was taking in rapid breaths, panicked by the fact that I had missed whatever necessitated this therapy. The pain in my side ached with fire.
"She slept fine. There isn't any imminent danger," Dr. Cullen said.
"What do you mean by eminent?"
He sighed.
"Edward, her condition is not really any different than I had told you yesterday. She's struggling with the infection. Her fever spiked during the night, but we've used compresses to cool her. So far she's responded, and the fever has come down a bit. The prognosis is that she will continue to get worse if we don't find a treatment that halts the progression.
That's why I came to wake you. Remember yesterday when you were saying I needed new colleagues?" I nodded. "Well, I took your advice. I sent out a broader request for information through ETOUSA. A colleague at the 17th Station Hospital in Australia recommended that we try penicillin. I had only heard of it being used for battle wounds to prevent infection. In June, they used it on a patient with septicemia. It is a blood infection similar to what we're battling with Bella. I want to try it. Honestly, she doesn't have anything to lose."
"Okay," I said. "Do it now."
"I don't have it here. This is a convalescent hospital. Penicillin is being used on the frontlines, and up until mid-summer there were tightly monitored military restrictions on its use."
"Colonel Swan." I breathed.
"Exactly," he replied. "We're going to need someone with his level of authority to divert the penicillin from the frontlines and field hospitals up here. Based on the recommendation from the colleague in Australia, she's going to need a lot of it. Something as sizeable as two million units, but I think we'd better ask for three."
"When will she wake up?"
"With the fever, I don't know, but the morphine is due to wear off within the hour."
"I promised that I'd be here when she woke up. I won't break that promise to her. Call Colonel Swan. Wake him up if you have to. He gave me his word that he would help her if we needed him."
"I don't want to say anything to Bella until we've secured the penicillin," Dr. Cullen said.
"I agree. I need to get dressed and get back here before she wakes up."
"And eat something too," he ordered.
I grimaced but agreed. I rolled over and slid out of bed, while grabbing the robe that Nurse Platt had given me last night. There was a paper laundry bag at the end of my bed with fresh clothes. My shoes were polished and clean. I eyed the orderly who was in the room tending to Bella.
"If she wakes up…"
"I'll find you," the orderly replied.
Dr. Cullen was already out the door, taking off his mask and gown. I gave Bella a hopeful glance and gently stroked her hand before following after him.
"I've got some calls to make," Dr. Cullen called out. "They'll come get me if her condition changes. I'll be back as soon as I know when we're getting the penicillin."
oo!oo
I was back in her room, holding her hand. My thumb traced slowly and repeatedly over her knuckles. She felt so warm. The orderly brought fresh compresses, and I helped him replace the old ones. He had a bowl of water and a sponge. He dipped it and began wiping down her chest and behind her neck.
"I'll do that," I offered.
"Start with her neckline, her shoulders and her chest. Go under her arms and in the creases of her elbows. Then move behind her neck where the air doesn't circulate. You want to cool down her pulse points."
I nodded and began to wipe where he had left off. The orderly went to take the old compresses out of the room. Before the door fully closed behind him, Nurse Platt entered with a small package in her hands. She saw me working with the sponge and crossed the room to the far side of Bella's bed. Nurse Platt exhaled, pursing her lips in frustration, and picked up another sponge to work on Bella's right side. She expertly picked up Bella's arm and ran the sponge from her wrist to her underarm in one continuous movement.
"If you lift her arm away from her, it circulates more air to cool her extremities."
I nodded and tried to match her movements. I noticed the flat package that she laid by the bowl of water. It was wrapped and tied with a white bow.
"What's that?" I asked.
"It's your journal. I was able to sterilize it for you. I figured since you said it was a gift I'd wrap it for her."
"Thank you," I said. "Not just for this, but for everything you've done and are doing for her."
She shrugged. "It's my job," she said.
She thought for a moment and furrowed her brow. After pausing to look into Bella's soft face, Nurse Platt shook her head softly before speaking with a heavy sigh.
"She's easy to love," she finally said.
Bella started to stir. Her eyes fluttered and then squinted. She held her breath.
Nurse Platt left her sponge in the bowl to draw up some more morphine. I sat on the edge of her bed and twined her fingers into mine. I brushed the matted hair away from her cheek. Her eyes seemed to find their focus, and she gave me a small smile.
"Hey, sleepyhead." I smiled, realizing how the light in her eyes was a little dimmer than it was yesterday.
I bent down to softly kiss her lips. She lifted her chin toward my mouth and ran her fingers through my hair. I could feel the heat from both her lips and her hand against my scalp.
"Help me sit up?" she asked.
I reached down and wrapped my arms behind her back to pull her forward. She winced and tightened her jaw. Her body lay draped over my shoulder. She pulled on the back of my arm and kissed down my neck and collar.
"You smell good," she said.
"Freshly sterilized." I grinned.
Bella leaned her head to the side so that her whisper would only reach my ears.
"So did you enjoy my bath so much yesterday that you decided to take advantage of me in my sleep?"
I nodded. "But then again, you can't take advantage of the willing."
She grinned and somehow found the strength to squeeze my shoulders.
"The pain in my legs is a little better today," she acknowledged.
"How else do you feel?"
"Truthfully, tired and weak, kind of like an elephant sat on my chest while I was out. That's why I wanted to sit up."
Nurse Platt was at the far side of Bella's bed with her stethoscope in her hands.
"I need to listen to your lungs, Bella."
Bella nodded and took deep breaths when instructed. After she finished charting and jotting down her notes, she untied the strings of Bella's gown. She grabbed the sponge full of icy water and pulled it in long motions from her neck all the way down her back. Bella shuddered from the chill and pulled herself tighter to me. I swept her hair off of her back and over her shoulder. When Nurse Platt finished, I helped change Bella's gown and her wet sheets. Soon Bella was resting with a new set of compresses against her flushed skin.
I was wiping a cloth over her neck, her chest and her face.
"This is familiar," She mused.
I guessed she was referring back to the night at Hanslope Park. Before I could answer her, I noticed that she was staring past the bowl on the table where her eyes had caught on the package with the white ribbon.
"What's that?" she asked.
I shrugged sheepishly.
"Well…I'm over a month late, but it's your anniversary present."
Her eyes flashed up to mine and lit up the whole room.
"I promise I'll never be one of those husbands who forgets his anniversary. I was just a bit out of it on the actual day. It's not French perfume, but I think you'll like it."
I picked up the journal and laid it in her hands. Bella fingered the covering reverently. I slid the ribbon off for her and the light blue cloth unwrapped itself.
"It's my journal. It was my way of bringing you along with me after I left," I whispered.
Her tears were falling down her cheeks. She reached her arms up to hug me. She pulled me tightly with all the strength she could muster.
"Read some of it to me," she begged.
I picked up the book and flipped it open. I knew the page I wanted to reach. It had been marked so many times when I bent the spine to retrace my thoughts of her on long, dreary days and cold nights. The passage was one I wrote the night before the Normandy invasion. I needed her to 'hear' my words and know how much I loved her. She was the source of all my strength. I fervently believed that somehow she would pull me through the terror and looming uncertainty of the upcoming battle.
June 5, 1944
My Bella,
Tonight I seem to be missing you more than I can express. It has been a lonely five months since I left your tearful stare and waving arms in London. It seems to me like an eternity.
As difficult as it is to be away from you, I want you to know that I'm the luckiest man alive because I have you to love. I am so much stronger because of you. I see your beautiful face when I close my eyes at night and it gives me hope. On the days when I'm scared and when I'm tired, I remember my promise. I remember the vow we made to each other. I will survive for you.
Be safe and keep me in your prayers, my love.
Always,
Edward.
Bella's tears were rolling down her face. She reached for me to pull her upright. Her arms wrapped around me and she sobbed. I ran my hand over her head and down her back. I didn't want her to cry anymore. She needed to conserve her energy for her own fight.
"Okay, if it's that bad of a gift, I'll take it back and figure out a way to get you the perfume. I hear they made it into Paris last month," I said thoughtfully.
She laughed and then tried to muster the strength to punch me in the shoulder with the side of her fist. I wouldn't let go of her. Then she closed her eyes and hugged me tighter.
Dr. Cullen pushed into the room in a flurry. The wind from the door blew a breeze into her face and she jerked in my arms. The sudden movement brought on a rush of pain. She gritted her teeth and held her breath. I laid her back down on her bed so that Nurse Platt could administer some more morphine in her IV. She had gone a long time without any, longer than I had realized.
Bella wasn't distracted by Nurse Platt's approach. She eyed me as I got up from her bed to speak with Dr. Cullen. He leaned into my ear so that Bella couldn't hear him.
"Colonel Swan will help her."
My eyes widened, and my chin immediately picked up.
"Bella, I need to talk to Dr. Cullen. I'll be back as soon as I can," I promised.
The morphine was taking effect, and as much as she wanted to argue or at least find out why I was leaving, Mike and Nurse Platt had already descended on her to start up another sponge bath. Their movements blocked her view of me. Dr. Cullen and I took the opportunity to silently leave.
We walked down the hallway and into the elevator to get to Dr. Cullen's office. His face had a look of renewed determination.
"I started calling Colonel Swan at around seven this morning. I finally reached him at nine. He sent a driver as soon as I got off the phone with him. He just arrived a few minutes ago. Colonel Swan said that he and his staff were going to call all of the field hospitals in and around London. He'll call again as soon as he secures the penicillin."
"The driver's here? Who did he send?"
"He said his name was Whitlock."
A broad grin came over my face. Jasper was getting closer to Colonel Swan's inner circle. When we reached his office, I saw Jasper sitting in a chair across from Dr. Cullen's desk. He stood and saluted me.
"Corporal Masen."
I saluted in return with a smirk. There wasn't any need for formalities.
"Still looking for action?" I shook my head.
"Actually, I heard you could use a lift."
"Yes. We'll plan to leave as soon as we hear from Colonel Swan.
He nodded. "I'm ready with everything we'll need."
Someone from Dr. Cullen's staff had brought lunch for us. I looked at the clock and realized it was just after noon. We sat down to eat, and Jasper filled me in on Colonel Swan's plans. There were fifteen general hospitals and field units within a two hour radius of London. His secretaries were drafting the order to pull the penicillin for Bella. As soon as he could locate a hospital with enough extra supply, he would send the order over via telegram. We would then follow to the location to pick it up. Jasper also had a signed copy of the order; only his didn't list a specific hospital unit.
"How's Mrs. Masen?" he asked.
"She's holding her own for now, but she's getting weaker. The infection seems to be stronger than she is."
Dr. Cullen was nodding in agreement. We were finishing lunch when Mike suddenly appeared in Dr. Cullen's office. His eyes met mine for a brief second as he quickly turned to Dr. Cullen.
"You're needed in the burn unit, sir."
I flew out of my chair and struggled down the hall after Dr. Cullen and Mike. I wasn't upset that neither had stopped to wait for me. Dr. Cullen needed to get to her first. I got to the scrub room as Dr. Cullen and Mike were exiting. I finished scrubbing and tore down the hall to Bella's room as fast as my limp would allow me. Nurse Platt was waiting for me.
"I sent Mike for Dr. Cullen because her fever was starting to spike again. She's awake and Dr. Cullen is examining her. Our immediate concern is her rapid breathing. You need to stay calm for her. If you panic, it will scare her. Okay?"
I nodded, anxious and terrified as she led me into the room. Bella was sitting upright, draped over the orderly I recognized as Mike, while Dr. Cullen listened to her lungs with his stethoscope. Bella was breathing faster than normal, like she had just finished a jog to the end of her street. After Dr. Cullen finished, I moved to trade places with Mike while he left to get more compresses. I looked into Bella's eyes and tried to hide my panic. The corners of my mouth edged up in an effort to fake a smile. I leaned my head down toward her ear and whispered too softly for anyone else to hear.
"Hey, I thought you were going to wait until we figured out how to bolt the door before you started any heavy breathing."
She couldn't help but snicker a little, and she shook her head at me.
"I thought I was the one with the one track mind."
"You are. Let's keep it that way. The sooner we get you well, the sooner I can make good on my duties as your husband."
A hand rapped gently on the window of Bella's door. Dr. Cullen nodded and made his way to the door.
"Bella, I'll be back to see you shortly. Nurse Platt will stay with you. Deep, slow breaths, remember?" Dr. Cullen ordered.
Bella nodded at him as he and Mike strode through the door. I laid her gently down on her bed. Bella looked at me suspiciously.
"Okay, time to come clean," she said, taking a stuttering breath. "I know you too well, Edward Anthony Masen. Yesterday you said that Colonel Swan himself couldn't drag you away, and today you go running off, leaving me with Mike for a very cold sponge bath!"
Her face was filled with mock horror. She began to murmur under her breath.
"And, you said he'd never touch me again."
She was teasing me, or at least trying, despite the ache and heat radiating from her small frame. Yet she had made her point; she didn't want me to keep anything from her.
"It's Corporal Edward Anthony Masen, thank you very much."
I didn't care about the promotion; I was just trying to stall.
"Corporal Masen?" She gingerly shrugged her shoulders with surprise. "When? How?"
"After Marigny, but of course I didn't get to enjoy any of the fanfare because I was asleep."
"You must have needed the rest," she said smugly. "Now about your exit earlier…"
"Earlier?" I asked.
"Yes, earlier," she replied with a labored sigh. "Your diversion tactics are weak. I've had training, remember?"
I dropped my shoulders in defeat. Her breathing was still too fast. I tried a different approach.
"How about I hold you so you're upright again and you try to match your breathing to mine?"
"Okay," she nodded.
I gently pulled Bella forward. She drooped and almost like an infant and laid her head on my shoulder. I positioned her chest on top of mine, and I tried to slow down the timing of her breaths. Bella began lightly kissing my neck and my shoulder.
"I don't think that's going to slow down your breathing," I said in a disapproving tone.
"Okay," she said. "I'll stop if you talk."
Dr. Cullen reappeared through her door. We both sighed, mine out of relief and hers out of frustration.
"Edward," Dr. Cullen called. His head nodded at me once.
A huge grin appeared on my face, and I turned to Bella and kissed her a little too hard.
"Give me ten minutes; I swear I'll be right back."
"My slave for two nights in a row," she bartered in my ear.
"Your slave every night," I countered with an enigmatic smile.
I gently laid her back on her bed and shot her a look of warning.
"Please, love, easy breaths."
I squeezed her hand and turned to amble quickly through the door.
AN: All of the history about penicillin is true. When I wrote this chapter I started researching the idea of using wide spectrum antibiotics. Little did I relize that antibiotics weren't widely available prior to the summer of 1944. They only became mass produced right before the battle of Normandy. I'm amazed at how far medicine has progressed since the time of this story.
Drop me a review and let know what you think. -FB
PS: The part about the doctor in Australia is also true. ; )
The Last Breath
Historical Research and Reference Guide: Chapter 7 Discovery
Story reference: Dr. Cullen suggests penicillin for treating Bella's infection. He cites its successful use by a colleague in Australia.
Historical Significance: Historical use of Penicillin for treating a blood infection in Australia. Documents use and success in 1944. Conveys the restrictions for use prior to mass production by Pfizer along with other pharmaceutical companies.
Source: http:/books(dot)google(dot)com/books?id=0iihcA2MikQC&pg=PA187&lpg=PA187&dq=Penicillin+use+in+WWII&source=bl&ots=MjhVZ_Io_G&sig=XvUWBrqKFsZgGVk4Xl1-rlCF06k&hl=en&ei=wREaStaDNJjFtgeftc32DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#PPA187,M1
Source: http:/home(dot)att(dot)net/~steinert/wwii(dot)htm
Story Reference: Bella's infection is leading to a deadly condition, blood poisioning
Historical Significance: U.S. President Calvin Collidge: Shortly following his nomination, tragedy struck the Coolidge family. Their son, Calvin, blistered a toe while playing tennis and it became infected. The 16-year-old later died of blood poisoning.
Source: http:/www(dot)u-s-history(dot)com/pages/h1584(dot)html
Story reference: Edward tells Bella he can give her French perfume as a gift if she didn't like his journal citing that the allies made it to Paris last month(dot)
Historical Significance: Allied troops liberated Paris in August of 1944
Source: http:/www(dot)historynet(dot)com/world-war-ii-the-liberation-of-paris(dot)htm#hide
