Chicago, 1918

He tried to move from his position to greet me, and he winced at the pain this small movement caused.

"Please father, don't move."

He was not able to respond, he merely grunted a response, slowly lying back into the pillows which were drenched in his sweat. I swallowed nervously and the fire burnt at the back of my throat; a reminder of all our fates. I tried to stop my hands from shaking at the thought as I listened out for Bella's soft murmurs of comfort to my ailing mother.

I soon returned my attentions to my father and the harsh gasps of his breathing. He was only fifty-two years of age yet before me I saw a man of almost eighty; his skin as pale as the sheet he was bundled underneath. The familiar wrinkles of his skin were now highlighted by dark shadows, deep red veins and the circles underneath his pale grey eyes were almost represent of not having slept in over a decade. He was living proof of the horrors which this disease brought with it. He was no longer the man who I had looked up to throughout my youth. He may be that man inside yet outside this was a stranger who I did not recognise - a stranger who was close to slipping away from all of us within a matter of hours.

I tried to think of the words to say, my brain going through each sentence over and over. Yet all I was able to manage was to reach out my hand, and squeeze his tightly. I looked down at him, and noticed him clench his eyes closed, a silent tear running down his cheek. He tried to squeeze my hand back, yet it was weak and I sat beside his bed.

"I don't know what to do..." I finally whispered, and he furrowed his brow in question. I swallowed and winced at the pain.

"I think I am ill as well. I...I don't want Bella to get sick...I don't want her to watch mother deteriorate and myself dying by her side..." I continued to whisper, making sure Bella or my mother were still talking and my father looked to me sadly. He opened his mouth a little and I listened in for what he wanted to say.

"Edward...I...I am...sor...ry," he croaked out and I shook my head, patting his hand.

"No, please do not apologise. I am only sorry that...that we did not have more time...," I felt my own eyes begin to sting with tears as he again opened his mouth, slightly panting from the exertion. He then said the words which I had savoured in my childhood, words which he rarely spoke to me.

"I...love y...you."

The tears escaped my eyes as I squeezed his hand, "I love you too. I'm proud to be your son."

He too nodded, silent tears rolling down his pale cheeks. After a moment, once we recovered he motioned his pale eyes towards the curtain, where behind sat my mother. I knew that this was the moment. He wanted to say goodbye to her.

"I'll get her father."

I slowly rose from my chair, my heart beating loudly in my chest. I turned once more, looking over my father as understanding passed between us. I would miss him and it was a strange feeling, knowing that once I disappeared behind this curtain I would never see him alive again.

"Edward?" My mother's voice broke as she saw me emerge from his bedside.

"He would like to see you mother..." I swapped a knowing glance with Bella who helped my mother slowly return to him. Whilst I stood out in the ward, I looked around me. I saw the kind of images which processed through people's nightmares. Women were crying, either of pain or grief, men were moaning whilst they clutched at their stomachs or their children were coughing loudly. It was sweat mixed with tears, mixed with hopelessness and terror. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to block out the sound. I would have to get used to it though, I would become a patient of this ward all too soon and I would not let my mother see me in pain. I promised myself that no matter what happened I would not allow one moan of agony escape my lips; it would kill her to hear it.

"Edward...how are you?" Bella's sweet voice rang out behind me, and my heart ached. I had to tell her, it was too risky for her to be here at the moment. This disease was relentless and the more she stayed where she was the more she was in danger.

"Bella..." I turned to her, my eyes connecting with her own. I felt myself beginning to savour their colour, the dark brown irises which stood out against her pale, porcelain skin. I tried to formulate the words, yet like before I couldn't seem to.

"What is it?" She began again, moving in closer and I gently took hold of her hand.

"Follow me..."

I breathed in deeply, making my throat even drier as I tried to think of how I was going to do this- to tell her to leave and never come back. My heart felt the icy hand return and squeeze it tightly and I tried to pay attention to where I was headed. I never would have thought that once I had found Bella again that I would have to leave her like this, to have to say goodbye when all I wanted to do was hold her tightly and never let go.

"Edward...please just talk to me..." Her voice anxiously pleaded yet I pulled her into the bustling hallway and decided to take her back into the empty office of Dr. Cullen. It was the same dark, cramped room I remembered and I closed the door behind us, lingering on the doorknob as I tried to stop my hands from shaking.

"Edward Masen you tell me what is wrong before I shake it out of you," Bella tried to snap at me, as she always did yet I could hear the fear in her voice. We were both afraid of what I was about to say.

"Bella..." I began quietly, as I let go of the knob yet my eyes remained on the floor. How could I let her go? She was my friend; my best friend, my everything and I knew without her I would definitely die anyway. Yet I couldn't be selfish, I couldn't let her go through what my mother is at this very moment. The thought of her sobbing endlessly into my cold, limp hand sent shivers down my spine and tears to my eyes.

"I'm sorry..." I managed to choke out, turning to face her and her features immediately softened as she moved in closer. I, however, took a step back, crossing my arms over my chest. I winced at the hurt which was reflected in her eyes yet she continued forward, lifting up my chin.

"You're shaking...Edward please tell me..." She reached out her hand and I greedily took a hold of it, savouring her warmth.

"I am so sorry...Bella...I..love you so much." I quietly mumbled into her hand and stepped in closer.

"I love you too...Edward you're scaring me..."

My heart was being squeezed again and I felt my legs begin to shake now. "I'm sick..."

The silence encapsulated the room as Bella's eyes widened in fear and I squeezed her hand which felt limp in my own. Instead of replying she merely shook her head in disbelief.

"No...no you're not..." She replied, more to herself than to me. I wished that was true more than anything.

"Bella...I have the symptoms..."

However, she just continued to shake her head and I couldn't take it any longer. I pulled her in closer wrapping my arms around her, hoping she would come to understand what was happening. It took a while and I realised she knew when she broke down onto my shoulder, her tears soaking my shirt. My heart ached in sadness as we sunk to the floor, my back resting against the door as she held me close.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." I whispered to her over and over just hoping it would help take the pain away, but it didn't. Nothing would. She slowly lifted her head, her body shaking and I went to push a piece of her dark hair from her face yet before I could react she pulled off her mask and my own. It was so fast that I couldn't help but feel my heart begin to race as she crashed her soft lips against my own. It was not like our kisses which we had shared in the past, this was frenzied, desperate and I knew I let it carry on for too long before I grabbed her arms and pushed her away. She was trying to get sick too.

"Don't do this Bella..." I breathed out heavily and she began to shake as she wrung her hands.

"You can't leave...Edward...please..." She cried out to me and I blinked back the tears which painfully stung my eyes.

"Bella...I need you to do something for me..." I lifted her chin up gently and she searched my eyes worriedly. I knew she wouldn't agree so I continued, "I need you to leave...to go back to your parents, you need to get out of Chicago and –"

"No." She shook her head, her tears rolling onto the floor and I couldn't stop my hands from shaking.

"Please Bella...just leave...go..." I tried to stand up again but she grabbed onto my arm pulling me down.

"I am not leaving you...I never will..." She tried to lean in but I pulled away, removing myself from her grasp and the sudden movement caused my head to spin. My heart was being pulled out my chest and my tears were threatening to fall at any moment. This was killing us both.

"Bella I want you to go...I can't do this to you..."

"I am staying Edward...I'm not leaving you..." She cried out, and the tears fell; my eyesight blurry and my legs felt all shaky that I could hardly stand.

"Just go!" I yelled in pain, yet she continued to shake her head in protest. I felt my throat burning and my feet falling from underneath me, and I tried to step towards her yet all I did was fall...fall into the darkness.

TBC