I do not own any of the Twilight Characters. They all belong to Stephanie Meyers.

Chapter 8

There are times we feel alone and there are times we feel overwhelmed, it's finding a happy medium between these two feelings that is difficult. We never think about how things may not be as bad as they seem, until something worse happens. We forget that there are times where we have to relish in the fact that, though things may not be perfect, we are alive and we have many things that we can still look forward to. Turns out, when we forget to live, it may just be that it is taken away from us before we can blink. At least, that is how I feel right now.

I knew that Alice and Edward were standing at my doorway, both looking at me. I didn't know what to say or what to do. I knew that Edward was going to be my doctor for the coming months, and a part of me figured that Alice was going to be his nurse. This was my assumption, and I was quite shocked when Alice came over to where I was sitting on the window sill and gently took my hand, smiling at me.

"Bella, I know that we don't know each other at all and I'm sure that you are completely overwhelmed at them moment. I just wanted to let you know that I will be here for you every step of the way." Alice said, squeezing my hand reassuringly.

"Alice, really, that's very kind of you, but you don't have to do that. I mean, you have your own life to live and I'll be fine. Please don't…." I started before I was interrupted by Alice.

"Bella, stop it. I don't want to hear any more. I will be here. I want to be here. Trust me, if I didn't I wouldn't be. No one should have to go through this alone and I would never think of letting you. You are like a daughter to my father, and that makes you family. So yes, I will be here for you every step of the way, more than likely my mother will be here as well. So please, just focus on getting better and let us do the rest of the work." Alice said with much force, making it extremely hard for me to say no.

I turned to look at Edward as he stepped further into the room and said, "So Dr. Cullen, what next?"

Edward pulled up a chair next to me for Alice and then pulled one up for himself.

"Well, first off, call me Edward. Just because I am going to be the doctor on your case, does not mean that, like Alice said, you aren't a part of this family. We never had the chance to meet prior, which I find extremely unfortunate, and I would like to think that we would have been friends." He said leaning forward on his knees.

"What is up with this family and wanting to be friends. I mean, I don't even know them and here they are acting like they are my family. Bella stop this, they are trying to be nice and they want to help. More than likely, more so for Carlisle than you, but still, accept the help and be glad someone cares about you enough to go through this with you." I argued with myself.

I looked at Alice and Edward, slowly nodding my head, not trusting myself to speak. I knew that I needed to be strong. Nothing ever stuck around forever and letting people in always cost to much pain when they left, and they always left.

"Okay, so with that settled, here's the plan." Edward started talking about the next few days of testing that they would be doing, and more than likely starting a round of chemotherapy in the morning. I listened to Edward, but didn't speak, knowing that the water works would probably start if I did. Once Edward had gone over the plan for the next few day, he got up, patted my shoulder and then walked from the room.

I turned to look back out the window. I watched as the city came to life with the ligtht of day fading and the street lights had forgotten that Alice was even in the room till she spoke again.

"Bella, do you want to get in bed, the nurse is going to be in soon to start an central line."

I simply nodded my head and took Alice's hand as she helped me up from my seat. I walked over to the bed and noticed that it had been turned down. I didn't remember seeing Alice turn it down, but then again I wasn't paying attention either. Once I climbed in, Alice pulled the covers over my lower body and smiled at me.

"I'll let the nurse know you're ready." Alice said, turning to walk to the door.

I grasped her hand and stopped her. "Thank you Alice. I know you don't know me very well or I you, but you being here means a lot."

Alice placed her arms around me and gave me a hug reassuringly before saying, "Bella, you don't have to thank me. I am more than happy to be here. No one should have to go through something like this alone and I think that if circumstances would have been different and we would have met, you and I would have been great friends."

I hugged her back and smiled. Alice walked around the bed and out the door, as I contemplated the coming weeks. Shortly after she left, Alice walked back in followed by Nurse Mallory.

"Bella, Lauren is here to start the central line." Alice said, walking back to my side.

I had heard of Lauren's reputation concerning needles and IV's. I knew immediately that I did not want her doing my central line. I leaned towards Alice and whispered, "Would you mind doing it? I'd rather not have Lauren poking me if I can help it."

Alice smiled and nodded at me before turning towards Lauren and saying, "Hey Lauren, I'm gonna go ahead and do Bella's central line. Just leave the kit on the bed."

Lauren looked between myself and Alice and nodded begrudgingly before placing the kit on the bed and walking out the door.

"I think you may have hurt her feelings." Alice said, laughing while putting on a pair of gloves.

"I don't care to be honest. I know her reputation of causing tons of pain when sticking people and I figure I'm going to be going through enough of that the next few weeks that I shouldn't have to go through it before it actually starts." I said smiling back at each other.

Alice laughed and proceeded to start the central line. After it was all done and over with I realized that Alice had really easy hands and I hadn't felt a thing.

"Wow Alice, you're really good. I didn't feel anything." I said, watching Alice clean up the supplies.

Alice smiled and said, "I try. I figure there is no reason for a person to put through pain when we are trying to help them get well."

Once Alice had cleaned away the remainder of the supplies and pulled up a chair next to me, we began talking about anything and everything except what was going to be happening in the coming weeks.

I asked Alice what made her become a nurse and once she explained she asked me what made me become a doctor. Alice and I bantered back and forth with each other like that, asking questions back and forth, until Edward Cullen came in the room.

He gently knocked on the door and Alice and I looked up. Alice gestured for him to come in and so he did. He pulled up a chair next to my bed and said, "Hey Alice. Bella, how are you feeling."

I shrugged my shoulders before saying, "No better, no worse, at least not yet."

Edward chuckled and said, "I guess that's a good thing."

"So what's up Doc. To what do we owe this visit?" I said, nonchalantly.

Once again Edward laughed when we heard my nickname for him and said, "Well, we need to get started on those tests so that we can get treatment started."

"Oh, okay." I said after Edward answered. "Would it be okay if Alice comes with me. I'd rather not be alone."

"Of course. I'll have someone come in with a wheelchair right away and get you done to MRI and X-ray." Edward said getting up out of his chair and heading for the door.

"No Dr. Cu….Edward. I can still walk, and as long as I'm not too sick to walk that's exactly what I would like to do." I said, pushing the covers back and swinging my legs over the side of the bed.

"Of course Bella, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." Edward said apologetically. "Well then, if you want to follow me, we'll get your tests started."

I nodded my head, got out of bed, grasped Alice's hand and followed Edward. It was then that I knew that the tests were starting and as of this moment, any sense of peace that I had was gone and wit would be an extremely long time before it would be back.

Yay! Alice is here and a friendship is forming. Let me know what you think. Sorry if the updates will be semi slow the next few weeks, I'm mid move and not sure when I'll have the time to write. Also, sorry for the short chapter. I wanted to give you guys something but I have limited time to write right now.