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.
A/N: Thanks to everyone for hanging in there with me after chapter eight and welcome to this week's new readers. Enjoy.
Air
My face felt cool. I pulled my shoulders in, struggling to think straight. My hair moved softly, and I took a deep breath. There were warm fingers at my face, and I winced from the ache in my side. I had slept hunched over again. I squinted while my eyes were still closed and heard a light sigh.
Bella?
I tried to blink. I could begin to see the sunlight dance across the walls of her room. Suddenly, I felt the gentle rustle of fingers moving through my hair and down my cheek. They were warm again. I gasped and pulled myself from my stupor. I forced myself to open my eyes. There was Bella's haggard but beautiful face, smiling back at mine.
"I'm sorry I woke you," she whispered. "I just needed to touch you."
I sat up straight as a board. My heart was in my throat, and I was breathing like I had just run a mile. I reached down and curled my arms around her, weeping uncontrollably into her chest. Bella ran her fingers gently through my hair.
"It's okay, Edward. I'm all right. You saved me."
I collapsed forward, my knees buckling beneath me. My heart swelled, and I hugged her fiercely.
In my head I prayed. Thank you, God.
I couldn't control myself long enough to even think about letting go of her. I was too anxious. The only thing that made my heart feel whole was the beat of her heart against mine as I held her. The feel of her soft, warm body against my pounding heart healed the ache that had ripped through me last night. She was still strapped to the IVs and couldn't even get her arms around me.
She just touched my head, and I was whole again.
I stayed there just sobbing against her chest. I kissed every part of her over and over until I reached her face and her lips. She smiled.
"Easy." She grinned. "I haven't figured out how to bolt the door yet."
"They can watch for all I care. God, Bella, do you have any idea what this has done to me? I just can't..."
She pulled her left arm up to touch my face and rubbed my cheek.
"Kiss me," she said. "I'm warm, I'm soft and I'm still here with you. It's going to be okay."
I leaned forward and kissed her lips. It was as if I'd been released from the anchor. She was my air allowing me to breathe again.
I finally let go of her lips long enough to look at her. I held her face gently with both hands, shaking my head in disbelief. She really was going to be okay. She was still very frail and warm but not searing in the heat of the infection. The light in her eyes was stronger. Her breathing was back to its normal rhythm. The sheen of sweat on her temples and covering her neck told me that her fever had broken.
"What time is it?" I asked looking for the clock. "When did you wake up?"
"It's almost nine. I think I woke up about an hour ago. Esme was here. She took off that awful mask and told me how you and Jasper made it here with the penicillin. She looked almost as relieved as you do."
"Has Dr. Cullen been in to see you yet?" I wouldn't feel at ease until he examined her.
"Not yet, Esme went to get him."
"An hour ago? I'll go get him now."
"No you won't." She tried to muster a demand, but her voice was still very weak. "You owe me at least two days; actually, I think you promised me a lot more than that."
"Every night," I said, smiling at her. "Bella, I'll feel better after he examines you."
"Edward, trust me, this is the best I've felt in quite a long time."
"Me too," I smiled contentedly.
I felt a rush of air from the door of Bella's room. Spinning around, I saw Dr. Cullen and Nurse Platt dash through the door and into the room. Dr. Cullen looked like he had gotten less sleep than even I had. He went right to Bella's side and pulled out his stethoscope. Nurse Platt stayed at the edge of Bella's bed and smiled complacently at Bella's obvious recovery. Dr. Cullen examined Bella thoroughly. I held her as Dr. Cullen positioned the stethoscope along her back and listened to her lungs. My immeasurable relief came when he pulled Bella slightly away from my arms to hug her himself. His smile of satisfaction was all the diagnosis I needed.
"Bella, the fever is broken; your breathing is back to normal. Your pulse rate and blood pressure are good. How do you feel?" he asked.
"Happy," she said triumphantly.
"So are we," he answered looking up at me and Esme. "I've been doing research in the basement to look for other ways to help you. I'm glad you're doing better without them. We'll keep up the remaining doses of penicillin, of course, but we should be able to get that second IV out of you later this morning."
I sighed with relief. "Thank you, Dr. Cullen."
"Carlisle," he answered. "Please, Edward, call me Carlisle. And no thanks are necessary." He reached forward to gently cup Bella's cheek. "This smile is all the thanks I need." He shook his head and smiled again in relief.
"Edward," Carlisle called a moment later, after pulling himself back from Bella. "Jasper has been looking for you."
"Can I meet him?" Bella asked. "I want to thank him in person."
I frowned a little. Esme caught my expression and had the same reaction.
"If he's willing to be sterilized," she said. "In fact, Edward, Lord knows what you picked up yourself on that trip to Southampton. Let's get you something to eat. We'll change your dressing and then you and Jasper can come back to see Bella. She needs to rest anyway."
I didn't like the idea of leaving her, even if it was just for a short while, but Esme was right. I needed to get cleaned up, and I owed it to Jasper to be the one to tell him about Bella's recovery.
"What dressing?" Bella asked, both annoyed and seemingly a bit anxious.
"Edward had surgery two weeks ago to remove shrapnel from his side. The stitches are still healing."
I grimaced when Carlisle gave me away. Bella wasn't going to be happy that I wasn't completely transparent about the injuries I sustained in Marigny.
"I'm going to take that as my cue to leave and get cleaned up. I'll be back as soon as I can, love."
"I'll be waiting," she said.
Her voice was filled with both longing and frustration at the same time. I just hoped that Jasper would be willing to come see her. It would probably distract her from returning to the subject of my surgery, at least for a little while.
I found Jasper pacing outside of Carlisle's office. My face said everything. His smile met mine as he caught my eyes.
"She's okay? It worked?" he asked.
"She's better than okay. She's amazing."
I hugged him in relief, slapping his back in gratitude.
"Jasper, thank you."
"I'm just glad she's okay."
"It was touch-and-go through the night, but she's okay now. I guess the penicillin just needed some time to work. She asked to see you."
"She did?"
I nodded. "She wants to thank you herself."
"Let's go," he said eagerly.
"First things first, we need to get something to eat and then we both need to get cleaned up. Bella's system is very weak, and the doctors take precautions to keep her room completely sterilized. It's not pleasant, but if you want to see her, it's the only way."
"Lead the way."
We got a bite to eat, and I tried to warn Jasper about the lye bath before we got to the third floor. Jasper was more than willing to take the plunge.
"Jasper, it's a lye bath. It will sting your skin worse than anything you can imagine. I'll understand if you don't want to do it."
Jasper laughed. "If she looks anything in person like she looks in that photo, I think I'll take the pain."
I shook my head, knowing she was even better. When I climbed into the tub, it was every bit as painful as the first time. After breaking the surface, I heard Jasper's shouts of obscenities. They mirrored the ones in my head. We were immediately doused in clean water, but the coolness of the aloe vera didn't sink in until after we were dressed and on our way to Bella's room.
"I'm glad you didn't tell me about that before I got in the tub. I might have chickened out," he said.
I snickered a bit and then peeked into the window of Bella's room. She was awake and rubbing her thumb over my medal. She caught my face when I appeared at the window and returned a smile that stopped me cold. Jasper was right; how was I lucky enough to have her?
I went to her side and kissed her softly. She still looked exhausted, but she didn't feel feverish nor seem to be in pain. I turned around to see Jasper standing a few feet behind me. Bella caught my glance and followed my eyes up to Jasper's. Her smile was blinding. Jasper staggered back a step and looked up to return her grin with wide eyes.
Poor Jasper, Bella's smile could stop a train.
"You must be Jasper," she said.
"And you must be the reason Edward's the luckiest man alive."
She smiled, a little embarrassed. Jasper's own face was a little red when he realized what he'd just said. My shoulders shook slightly as I tried to keep from laughing at both of them. Since I was unable to speak without incriminating myself, I kissed Bella's hand and laid it back down on her bed. I got up so that Jasper could sit beside her. As I turned, I gave Jasper a little bit of warning in my glance. I was glad I couldn't read his mind; his face alone was enough to raise a twinge of jealousy in me. He shouldn't have been thinking lustful thoughts about another man's wife.
I crossed to the back of the room where Esme was standing. She leaned over to whisper in my ear.
"She had a dose of morphine a little over an hour ago. Dr. Cullen wants to cut the dosage a bit to see how her pain tolerance is today. We don't want her to get overly anxious though. It will take time to wean her off of the medicine. I'm ready with more when she needs it."
I looked over at the clock. It was almost eleven. I knew that was when Bella would receive her next dose of penicillin.
"Jasper, I don't know how I can thank you," Bella said. "Not just for helping Edward get the penicillin but for risking your life to bring it back here. Most of all I need to thank you for keeping him safe for me."
"We make a good team." Jasper smiled. "But I don't think Colonel Swan will be calling him back any time soon. He still needs to heal up."
I grimaced. Jasper's comment was going to get me into trouble. Bella looked up at me with a measure of suspicion in her eyes. Yes, she was thinking I was in trouble too. She held my eyes for a second and then returned to Jasper.
"Oh, Colonel Swan," she said. "Please tell him thank you for me."
Minutes later, Esme walked forward to pick up the syringe of yellow liquid lying on the table next to Bella's bed. She lined up the needle and then injected it into the tube leading into Bella's arm.
"So that's the stuff?" Jasper commented.
Bella just nodded in reply.
"I'm glad it's helping you, but it smells like old hay."
She laughed a little, and I could see that the pain was overcoming her movements. I stepped forward and put my hand on Jasper's shoulder.
"We'd better go so that she can rest."
Bella offered Jasper her hand as he stood. Jasper took it her small hand in both of his and began to gently rub the back it with his thumb.
"Thank you, Jasper," she said earnestly, "for everything."
"Just get better and keep him out of trouble," he replied.
We left Bella's room, and I watched as Jasper shook his head grinning. I walked him through the lobby and back out to Colonel Swan's car. Jasper lowered his bag into the trunk of the heavy sedan, and I shut the lid for him. I reached over and hugged him fiercely. So much gratitude was coursing through me today. It was coupled with so much relief.
"Jasper, she's right. We can never thank you enough for what you've done to help us."
Jasper's face lit up, and a smirk appeared across his face.
"Does she have a twin? A close cousin maybe?"
"Sorry buddy," I grinned. "She's one of a kind."
"I'd like to come back to visit you if Colonel Swan ever lets me off on a furlough," he said.
"Please do, and tell Colonel Swan I said thank you too."
I wasn't over my grudge. I was still infuriated with him for putting her in this mess in the first place, but I had enough sense to know that without his influence she wouldn't be alive right now.
Jasper got into the car. I walked around to the driver's side door and leaned in to get right in his face.
"Be safe, Jasper. Not a request, an order."
Jasper smiled and put his foot to the floor. The sedan's engine roared, and the gravel spun out beneath its tires.
"Yes, sir," he called out as he drove off. "Hopefully I'll finally get some action out of Colonel Swan now!"
I smiled to myself. Unfortunately, I knew Jasper was all too close to getting his wish.
The Last Breath
Historical Research and Reference Guide:
Chapter: 9
Title: Air
Story reference: Jasper looks at the yellow fluid (Penicillin) they're injecting into Bella
Historical Significance: It was said that the yellow powder penicillin drug smelt like old hay (cited in the book Women Who Went to War by Eric Taylor).
Source: Penicillin use in World War II: (dot)ca/forums/index(dot)php?topic=81967(dot)
A/N: I can't help but love on Jasper a bit. He's really likable in this story. Our young hero will be absent for a few chapters but but he and his heroism will be back down the road.
I hope you've enjoyed chapter nine. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.
First Blush
