Yeah, so I've got no good excuses for taking so long to post this chapter. Real life was busy, and I put Brainward in a corner. I know, no one puts Brainward in a corner, so I hope you can forgive me, especially after I left y'all with that evil cliffie. Mean Birdee!

I must thank and send lots of hugs to the greatest beta ever, Bittenev. Not only did she help me tremendously with this chapter, but she also helped me with a personal crisis. Thank you so very much for letting me cry on your shoulder and for being so encouraging. I don't think I'd have gotten through that mess without you. I love you, and you are a wonderful friend!

Thanks too to my dear friend GuineaPigBarbie. You just let me vent when I needed to and never told me to get lost. I love you too!

I really need to thank the folks who run and . I use those sites constantly for research! I may be able to get my M.D. once I finish this story!

I've added links on my profile to the wonderful authors I beta. Please take the time to check out their amazing stories! I also have a link to the Chapter 10 song, "Green Eyes" by Coldplay.

Disclaimer: SMeyer owns all things Twilight. I own a shiny new pink cell phone.

Chapter 10—Green Eyes

BPOV

"B-bella, f-feel b-bad. S-some-thing's wr-wrong," Edward said before he began to tremble violently.

"Carlisle!" I called out. "I think he's having a seizure!"

Before Carlisle or anyone else could respond, Edward fell to the ground, taking his wheelchair with him. His head hit the concrete with a sickening thud. To make matters worse, it was the right side of his head, the side where he had his two surgeries. I could see blood as well. I was petrified.

"Emmett, grab a cushion!" Carlisle yelled. Emmett got a seat cushion from one of the patio chairs, and Carlisle placed it under Edward's head.

"Should I call 911?" Rosalie asked nervously.

"Yes, and I need my bag from my study," Carlisle replied.

Rosalie pulled out her phone to call 911 while Emmett ran inside to get Carlisle's bag. I buried my face in my father's chest and cried, unable to look at Edward thrashing about on the ground. I was afraid I was going to be sick. Charlie just held me and let me cry.

It got quiet a minute or so later, and I finally allowed myself to turn around. Edward's seizure was over, and he was on his back while Carlisle examined him. I could see a huge cut on his forehead that was bleeding profusely. I tried to break free of Charlie's embrace, but he held me tightly.

"I know, Bells, but let Carlisle check him out first," Charlie said gently. "Just wait a minute."

"No, Dad," I sobbed. "I can't lose him. Not now."

"Edward's not going anywhere. Don't panic, honey. He'll be OK." Charlie was doing his best to reassure me, but it wasn't working.

Emmett had come outside with Carlisle's bag, and the two of them were kneeling next to Edward. Emmett was holding Edward's hand, and he looked scared. That didn't help me much.

Carlisle opened Edward's eyes and shined a penlight in them. "Damn, his pupils are fixed and dilated."

"What does that mean?" Emmett asked, fear evident in his voice.

Carlisle let out a huge sigh. "It means he's suffered a head injury from when he fell."

"No!" I screamed, finally escaping from Charlie's grasp. "No!" I practically knocked Emmett out of the way as I sat on the ground next to Edward.

"Calm down, Bella," Carlisle told me. "It may be less serious than it looks." The look on his face, though, told me otherwise.

Emmett put his arm around me protectively. I looked up and saw nothing but shock and sadness on the faces of our family. Renee was hugging Esme, doing her best to comfort her. Jasper and Alice were attempting to console Elizabeth, who was hysterical. Charlie and Rosalie just looked lost.

The ambulance arrived shortly, and Edward was taken to the hospital. I rode there with Emmett and Rose. Emmett drove like an Indy car driver. Every now and then he'd curse under his breath, but otherwise no one spoke.

Edward was already in the ER when we arrived at the hospital, so all we could do was wait. Fortunately, Edward's friend Mike Newton came out to talk to us. He looked as shocked and upset as we did.

"Edward was just taken for a CT and an MRI," Mike told us. "Carlisle's with him and Dr. Snow is on his way in. We really won't know much until we get the results."

"Is he awake?" I asked shakily.

Mike shook his head. "He's still unconscious. Like I said, we'll know more once we get the scans. I'll keep you posted." He then went back into the ER.

"Dammit!" Emmett shouted as he got up and began to pace around the waiting room. "We were just getting our old Edward back! Why the hell is this happening to him?! Why?!"

Elizabeth ran over to Emmett, and he hugged her tightly. "I want him back, Em," she sobbed. "I want Edward back."

"I know, Bitt, I know," Emmett said, trying to stay calm. I could tell it wasn't easy for him. "Dad's going to make sure he's OK. Edward's come a long way. He's going to fight to come back to us. He has to."

Alice was sitting next to me, and she reached over and took my hand. "Emmett's right, you know. I've seen our old Edward over the last couple of weeks, and he's going to fight like hell to get better. I'm sure this is just a minor setback. He'll be OK, Bella."

"He has to. He has to be OK," I said tearfully. "Seeing him depressed and ready to die was worse than seeing him in a coma. I need him. I can't live without him."

"And I'm praying you'll never be without him," Alice replied.

Carlisle and Dr. Snow came into the waiting room about half an hour later. The look on Carlisle's face made me nervous.

"How is he? What's going on?" Emmett asked.

"Edward suffered a head injury when he fell," Dr. Snow began. "His brain is swelling. It doesn't appear to be life threatening right now, but we have to monitor him very closely. He also has a linear skull fracture. Normally I wouldn't be concerned, but the fracture is on the bone flap from his surgeries. That hasn't fully healed yet, so I'm worried that any unnecessary movement may cause the bone to shift and protrude into the brain."

"So what does all of this mean?" I asked impatiently.

"I'm going to put Edward into a medically induced coma," Dr. Snow replied. "His brain needs time to heal, and I think this is the best way to do it. It's not without its risks, but I don't feel like we have a better alternative right now. I'm going to start him on Mannitol and steroids to bring the swelling down, and I'm also going to insert a shunt to monitor the pressure in his brain. He'll be in ICU for a few days until the danger passes."

"Will he be OK once this is over?" Emmett wanted to know.

"I hope so," Dr. Snow told him. "Unfortunately there's no way to tell right now if there's been any further brain damage."

I began to cry again. "Is he on a vent? And when can I see him?"

Dr. Snow nodded. "Yes. It's just to make sure he's getting enough oxygen to the brain. You'll be able to see him in a couple of hours. I want to put in the shunt and start the IV meds before we send him to ICU. Once he's settled there you can see him. I'll let you know when." He headed back into the ER, but Carlisle stayed with us.

"Is he really going to be OK?" Esme asked nervously. "Please tell me he's going to come out of this. I don't know if I can go through this again. I need my baby to be OK."

"I honestly think he's going to be fine, but we have to take all of these precautions because of his condition," Carlisle explained. "I'd rather go through all of this and have Edward be OK than to ignore it and possibly have him worsen. I will say that I'm worried about the seizures. Epilepsy can develop after a brain injury like Edward's, but I was really hoping it wouldn't. I'm sure Dr. Snow is going to treat it aggressively, though."

Carlisle eventually went back to be with Edward, so the rest of us were left to wait. We moved up to the ICU waiting room, biding our time until we could see Edward. Jasper and Charlie went to get food for everyone. I really didn't have much of an appetite, but Renee insisted that I eat something. Finally, Carlisle came out to the waiting room.

"Edward's all settled," he told us. "I want to take Esme, Bella, Emmett, and Elizabeth in first. The rest of you can see him afterwards."

Carlisle led us back to Edward's room. I wasn't too surprised to see him hooked up to all of the monitors. The shunt had been inserted in the top of his head, and the ventilator tube was in place. The right side of his face and head was bruised and scraped, and the cut on his forehead was bandaged. What did surprise me was that his IVs had been put in his neck.

"Why does he have the IV there?" I asked.

"We needed a few ports to give him the medications he needed, so we thought it best to put in a central line. It's in his neck rather than his chest so it will be easier to remove when it's time," Carlisle explained. "He's on a few different meds, Mannitol and steroids for swelling, Dilantin for the seizures, and of course the sedatives."

Elizabeth clung to Emmett, crying softly. "How long are you going to keep him like this?" she wanted to know. "Is he in any pain?"

"He's not in pain," Carlisle replied. "The medications are taking care of that. He'll be in the coma for a few days, depending on how fast his brain heals."

Esme took Edward's hand. "My baby. I'm so sorry you have to go through all of this. I love you. We all do. We're here for you."

Elizabeth was still upset, so Emmett took her back to the waiting room. Esme stayed a little longer before going out to check on Elizabeth. I resumed my position of sitting next to Edward's bed, holding his hand, just like I had when he first had his stroke. I couldn't believe I was doing it again. I was crying and so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't even hear Alice and Jasper come in.

"Bella? Are you all right?" Alice asked.

"No, I'm not," I told her. "Why is this happening to him? I'm so scared. What if he's suffered more brain damage? What if this slows his progress? What's going to happen if he continues to have seizures? He was just starting to accept everything and move on. As selfish as it sounds, I don't know if I could handle it. I need him to be OK." I was panicking now. I was almost physically ill. How could I go on without my Edward? The answer to that was easy. I couldn't.

"I don't think it's selfish at all," Alice replied gently as she rubbed my back, doing her best to calm me. "I'm scared too, Bella. Edward's come so far. He has to come out of this OK."

I was still tears continued to pour down my cheeks. They clouded my vision, and I rubbed them away with the palm of my hand so I could see Edward more clearly. "I need to see his eyes open. I need him to talk to me, to hold me. I need to plan our wedding. I need to see him smile and hear his laugh. I need to have him make love to me. I just need him."

Now I was crying even harder. Alice and Jasper hugged me tightly, as if I'd fall apart if they let me go. The truth was that I probably would have fallen apart. At that moment, they were holding me together. The love of my life, my rock, was in a coma again. It was killing me to see Edward lying there like that. So many people went through life never having to deal with a situation like this. Why was it happening to Edward? What had he done to deserve this?

"I want my Edward back," I sobbed. "I can't handle this again. I can't do it."

"Bells?" We looked up to see Rosalie entering the room, followed by Emmett. They both joined in the group hug. I realized that we were all holding each other together. They all loved Edward too. This whole thing was hard on me, but it was just as hard on them. Emmett could be a goofball, but he really was a very sweet guy. Seeing his younger brother in a coma yet again had to be extremely difficult. Jasper and Edward were lifelong friends, and as calm as Jasper was, I knew this had to be eating away at him. Rose and Alice loved Edward like a brother. We were all struggling with this latest complication.

"Can I join in?" Carlisle had come in, and he stood next to Edward's bed and smiled weakly. "Edward's very lucky. He has all of you to help him get through this."

"It helps to have a dad who's a pretty amazing doctor," Emmett said, putting his arm around his father.

"I can only do so much," Carlisle replied. "Besides, Dr. Snow is really the one responsible for Edward's care. He's the best there is, and I trust him completely. This whole medically induced coma is risky, but I have to agree that it's what's best for Edward right now. It's just hard not knowing, not being able to do anything. I'm the parent. I should be able to protect my own son."

Emmett hugged Carlisle tighter. "You're doing all you can, Dad, which is more than we can do. It's not your fault. As much as I wish you could, you can't make Edward all better."

Carlisle sighed. "I know. It's just that I can help others, but I can't help my son."

Rose got up to hug Carlisle, and we all followed suit. There really wasn't anymore that Carlisle could do, and I don't think any of us wanted him to feel guilty about it.

"Thanks," Carlisle said as we broke the hug. "Let's hope Edward shows some improvement soon."

Eventually everyone went home, but I was spending the night. Carlisle begged me to go home since Edward wouldn't be waking up, but there was no way I was leaving. I slept in the rollaway bed next to Edward. I had to be near him. I somehow managed to get some sleep despite the noise of the machines and Edward's nurse coming in several times during the night.

I was awake when Dr. Snow came in the next morning. "Good morning, Bella," he said. "I hope Edward didn't keep you up all night."

I laughed a little. "Actually, I was able to sleep. How does everything look today?" I noticed that Edward's bruises had become a deeper shade of purple, and he was pretty swollen from the steroids.

Dr. Snow began to examine Edward. "His ICP hasn't gone down, but at least it hasn't gone up. I'm worried about his blood pressure, though. We're having trouble bringing it down."

"I know that's not good, but what exactly does it mean?" I asked nervously.

"It puts him at risk for another stroke and can be dangerous to the other organs, especially the heart and kidneys," Dr. Snow explained. "I'm going to start him on another IV medication to bring it down. I know you're scared, but overall I'm feeling confident about Edward's recovery."

"I am scared," I admitted. "I need him to get better. He was making so much progress. He's got to recover. I don't know what I'd do if he didn't."

Dr. Snow looked at me intently. "I promise that I will do everything in my power to get Edward through this. He's been a fighter, and I don't see him giving up easily now. I know you won't give up on him, and that's only going to help." He then left with a promise to check in a little later.

Carlisle and Esme came in a short time later. "How are you today, dear?" Esme asked as she hugged me tightly. "Did you sleep?"

"I did get some sleep," I told her. "I guess I was more tired than I thought."

Carlisle nodded. "I talked to Dr. Snow. He told me about trying to bring down Edward's blood pressure. It worries me that we can't get it down. Otherwise, he seems to be doing well. His brain isn't swelling any further."

"I keep wondering why this is happening," I said softly. "When Edward finally broke down, he wondered if God was mad at him. I'm starting to wonder about it too. There's that saying that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. How much more can Edward handle, though? How much more can any of us handle?"

Esme hugged me again. "I don't know why these things keep happening to Edward. I wish I knew. He's going to be OK, though. I have to keep telling myself that. If I believe he's going to be OK, he will be."

I pulled back a little to look at Esme. "How do you do it? How do you stay so positive?" I was completely in awe of Esme. How could she be so strong when her son was in a coma? Would I ever be that strong? I hoped that one day I would.

"I have to. That's my child lying in that bed," she replied quietly. "I'd die if anything happened to one of my children. He's going to be fine. He has to be. I can't outlive my children. I won't."

Esme and I spent the rest of the morning sitting at Edward's bedside. He was sleeping peacefully thanks to the drugs being pumped into his body. His nurse checked him every hour. His ICP hadn't increased, but it hadn't decreased. His blood pressure hadn't gone down either. I was still scared of what might happen.

Carlisle came back around lunch time and wanted us to go and get something to eat. Esme went with him, but I refused to leave Edward alone.

"Bella, you need to eat. You have to take care of yourself," Carlisle said disapprovingly.

"I'll go when Esme comes back," I promised him. "I just don't want Edward to be alone. I know he won't wake up while I'm gone, but I feel bad leaving him here by himself."

Carlisle relented, and he and Esme went to get lunch. I sat next to Edward's bed and held his hand.

"Come on, Edward, you need to get better," I said softly, kissing his fingertips. "You promised me that you were going to fight. You can't give up now. We're getting married. You have to walk down that aisle. You have to dance with me. Please, Edward. Don't leave me now. I'm so scared. I don't know what's going on in your brain right now, and I don't like it. Get better so you can wake up and come back to me. You're a fighter. You can do it. You're my rock, Edward. I need you." My tears were flowing, and I held Edward's hand to my face as if my tears could cure him. If they could, Edward would be perfectly fine by now.

Esme returned about an hour later. I was sure she could tell I had been crying, but thankfully she didn't say anything. I kept my promise and left to get something to eat. I wasn't very hungry, but I knew I had to keep my strength up. I wasn't gone very long because I couldn't stand the thought of being away from Edward. Even if he was unconscious, I had to be near him.

Our family came by after work, and even Jake and Tanya stopped in for a while. Finally Dr. Snow came in and gave us some promising news.

"Things are looking better," he said after examining Edward. "His ICP is coming down, and so is his blood pressure. His BP is still too high, but at least it's decreasing. Hopefully we'll have it back to normal soon."

Emmett spoke up. "How much longer are you going to keep him in the coma?"

"We need to wait until his ICP is in the normal range. If it continues to go down tomorrow, I can start weaning him off of the sedatives by Wednesday," Dr. Snow replied.

Part of me wanted to jump up and down with excitement, but the rest of me was still wary. I was scared that this whole incident would cause Edward more brain damage or hamper his progress.

"Bells, are you OK?" I was brought out of my thoughts by Rose's voice. She was looking at me with concern. "We just got some good news. You still look worried, though."

"I am," I admitted. "I can't rest easy until he opens his eyes and I know he's OK."

I slept next to Edward's bed yet again, and thankfully it was another quiet night. Edward's ICP continued to go down, and by Tuesday evening it was almost back to normal. Dr. Snow came in to explain what would happen next.

"Tomorrow morning I'll start to wean him off of the sedatives," he said. "I'll also remove the vent and the shunt then."

"When will he wake up?" I asked.

"He won't be fully awake until at least Thursday," Dr. Snow replied. "He may become responsive before then, but he'll still be pretty groggy from the sedatives. Once he's awake I'll be able to see if there's any further damage."

Sure enough, the anesthesiologist came in early Wednesday to start weaning Edward off of the sedatives. Dr. Snow came in shortly thereafter to remove the shunt and the vent. Esme and I just sat there all day waiting—for what, I didn't know. Carlisle and Dr. Snow checked in throughout the day as Edward continued to sleep peacefully. I became nervous because I thought he would at least begin to stir, but Dr. Snow assured me that everything was fine.

I barely slept at all that night. I was a nervous wreck, worried that I might miss something. About 5:00 I got tired of tossing and turning, so I got up and sat next to Edward's bed. I took his hand in mine as I had done so many times before. It felt relaxing, though, and I drifted off to sleep.

I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep, but I woke up immediately and nearly jumped out of my chair when I felt Edward squeeze my hand. I looked up at his face as his eyelids began to flutter.

EPOV

Sore. Confused. Tired. I felt all of those things as I woke up in a strange place. I felt Bella's hand in mine before I opened my eyes, and I gave it a squeeze. Once I was awake, I took note of my surroundings and realized I was in the hospital. Oh shit. Not again.

"B-bella," I managed to say. My throat hurt like hell, and I wondered why. I didn't remember being sick. Why was I in the hospital?

"It's OK," she said soothingly.

"Wh-wh." My throat was so sore that I couldn't talk. What was wrong with me?

My dad and Dr. Snow came in, and I hoped I would get some answers. "Welcome back," Carlisle said cheerfully.

I tried to talk again, but my throat felt like sandpaper. I needed to know why I was here. I wanted answers.

"Edward, you had a seizure Sunday afternoon," Carlisle said. "You were at the house for a barbecue. Do you remember?'

I shook my head because I couldn't remember. How had a seizure landed me in the hospital? This couldn't be good.

Carlisle continued. "During the seizure you fell and hit your head quite hard on the cement. You banged yourself up pretty badly."

Oh, so that would explain why my body was so sore.

Dr. Snow continued with the rundown of what had happened to me. "You were brought in unconscious because of your head injury. Your brain was swelling, so I felt it was best to put you in a medically induced coma to allow your brain to heal."

"H-how l-long?" I choked out.

"It's Thursday morning," Carlisle replied.

I nodded. "A-am I OK?"

"I want to examine you fully a little later, but everything seems to be fine," Dr. Snow said. "Your blood pressure shot up, and we had some trouble bringing it down. It's still a little high, so you may feel a little dizzy from that and the head injury. I wouldn't be surprised if you also had a headache."

I suddenly had a frightening thought. I started to raise my hand to my head but stopped. "D-did I h-h-have s-sur-ge-ry?"

Dr. Snow smiled a little. "No. Thankfully, surgery wasn't necessary. Your brain was able to heal on its own while you were in the coma. You are pretty bruised and banged up, though, and you had a nasty cut on your forehead that needed a few stitches. You also have a skull fracture, but thankfully it was just a linear one. It should heal just fine."

OK, that was a relief. I didn't need my skull cracked open yet again. Then I realized something else. I didn't have an IV in my hand or arm. I reached up again and felt it had been inserted in my neck. I looked at my dad and Dr. Snow in confusion. I remembered putting IVs in my patients' necks in certain instances, but I wondered why mine had been placed there. We usually put IVs in the arm or the chest.

Dr. Snow answered my unasked question. "I put a central line in your neck since you were on several different meds. It allowed us to have several different ports. It was easier to place it in your neck than your chest since it's only for a short time." I nodded, and he continued. "You had a shunt to monitor your brain swelling, and you were also on a vent to make sure you got enough oxygen to your brain. I'm sure you've got a sore throat, so we'll get you some ice to help soothe it. Do you need anything for pain?"

"N-no. N-no p-pain. J-just a lit-tle sore." I really wasn't in much pain, and I didn't want to be strung out on painkillers.

Then Dr. Snow examined me. He shined that damn little flashlight in my eyes, which actually hurt. I wiggled my fingers and toes, and he listened to my heart and lungs.

"Everything looks good, Edward," Dr. Snow said with a smile. "I want to keep you in ICU for one more day and hopefully move you to a regular room in the morning. Get some rest, and I'll be back to see you later." Then he left the room.

Bella returned to the chair next to my bed and took my hand again. I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it. "H-how are you?"

She smiled. "Much better now that you're awake. You really scared me."

"S-sor-ry," I apologized. Both Bella and Carlisle laughed.

"Don't be sorry," Bella said. "It's not your fault. Just don't scare me like that again," she added with a laugh.

"I'll t-try n-not to," I replied, wincing in pain because of my sore throat.

That didn't go unnoticed by Carlisle. "That's enough talking for now. Your throat needs time to heal. I'll have your nurse bring you some ice. Are you sure you don't need anything for pain?"

I shook my head. I didn't want to go back to sleep. I just wanted something for my throat.

Carlisle squeezed my hand. "OK. Your mother will be here shortly. I've got a couple of surgeries scheduled this morning, so I'll be back later." He squeezed my hand again and left.

"I missed you so much," Bella told me. "I've been a nervous wreck. I didn't know what would happen when you woke up. I've hardly left your side since you were brought in."

I frowned a bit. "Y-you d-didn't have t-to. I'm OK."

"I didn't know if you were going to be OK. I was so scared, Edward. We all were. That seizure was pretty scary. The way you fell and hit your head petrified me."

"Wh-what h-hap-pened?" I needed to know.

"You were on the patio in your wheelchair," she began quietly. "You told me you didn't feel well just before it began. You started shaking and fell. You knocked over your wheelchair. It was scary. Your head hit the ground so hard that I heard it. You were shaking and bleeding and I couldn't even watch. I never ever want to see that again."

Just then the nurse came in with some ice. I wanted to talk to Bella some more, but my throat hurt too much. I was grateful for anything that made it feel better.

My mother arrived a short time later and smothered me with hugs and kisses. "Oh sweetie, I'm so glad to finally see your eyes open. You had us so worried. How are you feeling?"

"OK. S-sore. T-ti-tired. S-sor-ry to m-make you w-worry."

Esme smiled. "I'm your mother. I'm always going to worry about you. We need you to get better now."

I smiled back at my mom. I had just woken up, and I was already eager to get up and moving again. I had been making progress, and I didn't want this latest complication to hold me back.

I dozed on and off throughout the day. There really wasn't much else I could do. When I was awake, Bella and my mother updated me on what had been going on over the past few days. It turned out I hadn't missed much. Everyone had been spending their free time at the hospital with me. I did end up with a headache after a while, but I didn't say anything because I didn't want any pain meds. Besides, it wasn't as if the pain was unbearable.

Emmett, Rosalie, and Elizabeth came by that afternoon. I thought Elizabeth was going to climb in the bed with me.

"Edward!" Bitt cried out as she hugged me tightly. "I was scared! I missed you!"

"M-mis-sed you t-too," I told her. Then I started laughing. "Y-you're squ-squi-shing me."

"Sorry," she said, letting me go. "I can't help it. You're my big brother."

Then Emmett hugged me just as tightly. "You need to stop pulling this crap," he teased. Then he became serious. "The only time I was more scared was when you had the stroke."

I laughed again. "D-don't like s-scaring you. I'll t-try to s-stop."

"You'd better. I don't know if I can handle the stress," Emmett replied.

At least Rose was gentle with me. "I think Em and Bitt said it all. We love you, and we've been so worried about you."

"I h-hate wor-ry-ing you," I said seriously. "J-just wan-na get b-bet-ter. I w-wonder if I ever w-will. N-now I've g-got these d-damn s-seizures to w-wor-ry about."

Emmett shook his head. "You will get better. You know that Dad and Dr. Snow are going to do everything they can for you. Now your ass needs to get out of bed so you can start walking."

"I h-hope so, Em. R-ready to get m-moving. D-don't w-want an-y-more set-backs."

"Neither do I." We all looked up to see Dr. Snow enter the room. "How are you feeling, Edward?"

"OK. S-still s-sore."

Everyone stepped back so Dr. Snow could examine me. "Everything seems OK except for your blood pressure," he finally said, "and I still don't know why we can't get it down. I'm going to keep you on the IV meds for it, but I don't see why you can't move to a regular room tomorrow. I'm only going to move you on one condition, though. You will be on strict bed rest for the next couple of days. No getting up for any reason." I groaned, and Dr. Snow chuckled. "You had a nasty head injury, Edward, as well as a hypertensive crisis," he continued. "You need to rest."

I nodded, knowing that the doctor was right. I did have a question for him, though. "Wh-what about the s-s-seizures? W-will I k-keep ha-ving them?"

"I don't know," Dr. Snow replied solemnly. "You've had two seizures since your surgeries, so unfortunately I don't think they're going away. I'm going to increase your Dilantin, and hopefully that will keep the seizures under control. I'm going to do everything I can to get you back to normal, Edward. I promise."

"I kn-know," I said. Dr. Snow was the best, and I knew I could trust him.

Dr. Snow smiled. "Get some rest, and I'll see you in the morning. If you need anything for pain, just call the nurse."

A few hours later, Bella and I were alone in my room. Neither of us said much; we were just comfortable with the silence. The whole seizure thing had been weighing heavily on me, though, and I had to talk to Bella about it.

"B-bella," I said softly, and she looked up. "I'm s-scared."

"Scared? Of what?" she asked, becoming concerned.

"My s-sei-zures. Wh-what if I k-keep having th-them? Wh-what if I hurt my-myself again? I w-won't be able to be a-lone. S-some-one will al-ways have to b-be w-with me. I d-don't w-want that. It s-scares me. I h-hate not b-being in c-control of my b-body."

Bella looked at me sadly. "Edward, I wish I could do something. It hurts me to see you hurt."

My eyes began to fill with those damn tears. "I j-just w-want to be nor-mal. I f-final-ly f-felt like I was g-getting my l-life back. I'm r-ready to w-walk and t-talk again. I w-want to be in-de-pen-dent. I c-can't k-keep doing th-this. It's t-too hard."

Bella was teary eyed too. "You can do this," she insisted. "You will be normal again. You may stop having seizures once your meds are adjusted. Just give it a chance. It's easy for me to tell you to be patient, but you need to be. Hang on, Edward. You can do this."

"Wh-what would I do w-wi-th-out you? How c-can you p-put up w-with me?" I looked at Bella lovingly. She held me together, and I never would have made it without her.

"I love you too much to let you go," she stated simply.

The events of the day had finally caught up with me, and my headache had gotten worse. Bella called the nurse for my pain meds, and I soon drifted off into a deep sleep.

I felt much better when I woke up the next morning. Dr. Snow came in early to examine me and confirmed that I'd be moved out of ICU. He and my nurse removed the monitors and the catheter, and I was on my way to my new room. I still had the IV in my neck, but I could deal with that.

"Now remember, Edward, no getting out of that bed for at least two days," Dr. Snow reminded me as I frowned. "I'll take a look on Sunday to see if you can get up and moving. Is there anything you need?"

I nodded. "I'm h-hun-gry."

Both Bella and Dr. Snow laughed. "I'll have some breakfast sent up," he said. "Do you need anything for pain?"

I shook my head. My throat was still quite sore, but that was about it. Dr. Snow left a few minutes later, and my breakfast arrived shortly thereafter. Thankfully it was all soft foods that didn't irritate my throat. I was so hungry, though, that I could have eaten a mountain lion.

My room became a flurry of activity as the day went on. My mother arrived about mid-morning, and my dad stopped in between surgeries. Alice came by at lunch with my favorite chocolate milkshake. I would have jumped out of bed and hugged her if I could have. Bitt came to visit with her friends after softball practice. I had known Allie and Jenn since they were little girls, and it was actually fun to have a group of giggling teenage girls there. The rest of my family had shown up by dinnertime. I enjoyed the evening, but it had left me pretty tired.

I woke up early Saturday morning with a dull pain in my lower abdomen and a strong urge to pee. Thankfully Bella was in the rollaway bed next to mine. "Bella," I said urgently. "I n-need the b-bedpan!"

Bella quickly got up and helped me get situated on the bedpan. As soon as I began to pee, the pain became 10 times worse. I literally saw stars.

"Edward? What's wrong?" she asked frantically.

I grimaced and winced in pain. "It h-hurts s-so bad. B-burns wh-when I pee."

I finished, and Bella picked up the bedpan. "You've got blood in your urine," she commented worriedly.

Crap. I knew what that meant. The pain, burning, and blood were all signs of an infection. Just what I needed.

"C-call my d-dad," I told Bella. "D-don't flush my urine. N-need to d-do a c-cul-ture."

Bella looked down at the bedpan in her hands and made a face. "Um, OK. What am I supposed to do with it?"

"P-put the b-bedpan in the sh-sho-wer," I replied. "It's ea-si-er than p-pee-ing in a c-cup."

Bella took the bedpan into the bathroom and then called Carlisle. Meanwhile, I was in a lot of pain. This actually hurt more than my head did. I tried to get comfortable while I waited for Carlisle, but I couldn't. It just hurt too much.

Lucky for me, Carlisle arrived quickly. "Bella said that you probably have a urinary tract infection," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"It h-hurts. V-very p-pain-ful," I told him, pointing to my lower abdomen. "Had b-blood in m-my u-rine."

Carlisle nodded. "Yep, sounds like a UTI, probably from your catheter." He took my temperature, and it turned out that I also had a low-grade fever. "I'll have to send a urine specimen to the lab to see what kind of antibiotics to put you on."

"I put the bedpan in the bathroom," Bella said.

"Good. I'll send down a sample now," Carlisle replied.

Just after Carlisle left with my sample, I had the urge to pee again. Bella helped me get on the bedpan, and she sat next to me on the bed and rubbed my back as I urinated painfully.

When Carlisle returned about an hour later, I was feeling a little better thanks to some Tylenol and the heating pad on my belly. He had an IV bag, which told me that I'd be on IV antibiotics rather than oral ones.

"I got your results back, and I'm going to start you on Cipro," Carlisle said. "As long as you're in the hospital, I'll give it to you intravenously. Are you feeling any better?"

"A lit-tle. S-still hurts s-some," I replied. "C-can't be-lieve how p-pain-ful it is."

Bella put her arm around me. "I can sympathize with you on this one. UTIs just hurt."

I laughed. "Th-this is k-kinda f-fun-ny. On t-top of e-ev-ery-thing, I g-get this. W-wonder wh-what else w-will hap-pen."

"Don't say that," Carlisle chuckled. "I don't want anything else to happen to you. You need to get better or else!"

Not being able to get out of bed was bad enough, but the pain from my infection made it worse. When Emmett came by, he teased me about having a girly sickness until Rose smacked him on the back of the head.

That night Bella sat in bed with me as I pouted. "What's wrong?" she asked me.

"I'm t-tired of b-being s-stuck in bed," I whined. "I n-need a sh-sho-wer."

Bella smiled mischievously. "I've got an idea. I'll be right back." She hopped out of the bed and headed to the bathroom. She came out a few minutes later with a plastic basin of water along with a washcloth and a towel. "How about a sponge bath?"

"Y-you are n-nau-ghty," I replied, but I definitely didn't say no. Bella reached behind me to untie my gown, and I captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

"Who's naughty now?" she said when we broke our kiss. She then pulled off my gown, leaving me completely exposed. Little Edward began to twitch, which actually hurt because of my infection. "Edward, are you all right?"

I groaned. "Y-you're kil-ling me, Bella. W-want you s-so much."

Bella gave me a chaste kiss on the lips. "I want you too. We're just going to have to wait until you're better."

I didn't want to wait, but I knew I had to. Bella washing and touching my naked body was sweet torture. I supposed that this was the next best thing to making love.

"S-so," I said playfully, "w-will I s-still get s-s-sponge b-baths when I g-get home?"

Bella laughed. "Only if you're a good boy."

Hmmmm, I could be good if it meant having fun with Bella like this. I obviously wasn't happy about being stuck in the hospital, but I could handle a few more days of it as long as I had Bella by my side. I could handle anything as long as the woman I loved was with me.