I was so weak from the battle earlier today, I ended up making myself sick. I was having hot and cold flashes, hallucinations, and couldn't keep any food down. Embry just got off his watch when he saw that Edward was laying in my bed with me.
"What the hell is going on?" he asked.
"She's been having hot and cold flashes all night along with dreams that are more like hallucinations. She hasn't eaten all day and can only hold down fluids. I've never seen her like this! Carlisle will be over shortly to check her out. In the mean time, can you hop in the bed as well to help me try to get her temperature stabilized?"
"Sure! Anything for Tess!"
Carlisle came into the room just as Embry hopped into the bed. He did a quick examination on me and said that it was because my body went through so much stress, between Alex, Bella, and Jacques, I wasn't strong enough to handle all of this in such a small amount of time. It will pass, once I've regained my strength. All they can do is wait it out and make sure that I'm comfortable.
I woke up a couple of hours later. It was odd to wake up and find both of my crushes in my bed with me. I flushed 3 different shades of red.
"Where's Alice? I want to go take a bath."
"Right here! I already have your water running. Can you guys move? I can't get to her when you're both in my way!"
"Here you go Alice." Edward grabbed me and pulled me on top of him which made me flush 3 deeper shades of red. Embry wasn't too happy either. He hopped up and literally swept me off my feet. He carried me down to the bathroom, put me on my feet, and allowed Alice to take it from there.
I just got into the tub when I heard muffled yelling and snarls.
"YOU TWO, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" I yelled hoping they would hear me over their fight. Sure enough, they did.
"What's wrong? Are you ok?" they asked.
"I'm fine! I'm trying to relax and all I can hear are you guys bickering back and forth. Stop fighting over me. I'm not worth it. You will both get your chance to woo me, now please leave it at that for now! I'm too weak to be breaking up fights."
"Sorry Tess." They both said in unison.
"Now go play nice and I will be out in a little bit!"
Alice helped me with my bath. All she really did was make sure I didn't pass out or fall. I went and got dressed. Alice picked out a set of purple silk pajamas. I headed downstairs and went straight for the kitchen. As I was searching, the cupboards, I noticed that Edward already had the chicken noodle soup warming up on the stove. Embry was pouring me a huge glass of OJ.
"Aw, you guys take such good care of me! Thank you so much for the soup and OJ."
I sat down at the table and ate the whole can of soup Edward fixed. I also managed to drink an entire gallon of OJ. Carlisle, came in shortly after I finished eating.
"Tess, I need to speak to you immediately!" I looked over at Embry and Edward, then we all shrugged our shoulders in unison. "I'll be right back guys. What's up Carlisle?"
Before I knew it, we were by the river that separated our properties.
"While you were unconscious, I ran some more tests. Your tumor is growing more rapidly than I predicted."
"How much time do I have? Carlisle?"
"At the rate it's going, You have until the new year." Tears started filling my eyes. Before I knew it, they were spilling over onto my cheeks. "I'm so sorry Tess! Is there anything I can do?"
"No, I just know that I'm running out of time fast, so I might as well fill everyone in on my final secret."
We headed back to the house and all we both could hear were snarls rippling out of throats. Carlisle and I looked at each other, and the next thing I knew, I was on his back flying through the back yard. I noticed that my back door was gone and there was a huge hole in the wall where the door used to be. Embry and Edward were fighting. Without thinking, I ran right in between the both of them as they lept to attack, lifted my hands in the air, and had them dangling in mid air.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO FIGHT OVER ME, I'M NOT WORTH IT! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?" I released them and they came crashing down to the ground. "IF YOU GUYS ARE DONE WITH THIS CHILDISH BEHAVIOR, I NEED EVERYONE TO GO INTO THE LIVING ROOM. I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU!"
Everyone did as I asked. Embry was on one side of the room and Edward was on the other. The rest of the Cullens filed into the living room sitting on the huge sectional.
"Where is she? What's so important that she has to show us?" Emmett asked.
Before anyone answered, I was walking downstairs with a huge album in my hands. I placed the album on the mantle behind me, and turned to face the crowd.
"Before I begin, I want all of you to promise not to be mad at me for keeping this from you!"
Everyone looked at each other, nodded and said in unison. "We promise!"
I turned away from them, and pulled out a photo of myself when I was 13 years old. I held it up so everyone could see. Emmett and Embry started cracking jokes.
"OMG........ever heard of a wig?" Emmett asked.
"Yeah, what's with the dark purple circles? Is her head too heavy to hold up? What did she do? Lose control and fall face first to the ground?"
At those comments, I let out a sound that was between a howl and a cry. I threw the picture down and ran upstairs locking my door. Alice picked up the photo and immediately recognized the eyes. She flipped the picture over, and to everyone's horror, my name and the year were on the back.
"Carlisle, what was she trying to tell us?" Edward asked.
Jazz was the one who spoke up. "She was trying to tell all of you that she is dying of cancer!"
Embry went weak in the knees, so did Emmett. "We didn't know it was her! We didn't mean to hurt her feelings!" They both said.
"What you don't realize is that the way you guys just reacted is why she decided not to tell anyone in the first place. I've been monitoring her tumor, and now, she only has until the new year. She will not make it to graduation!" Carlisle finished.
Alice and Rose ran upstairs with Esme on their heels. I locked my door so no one could get in.
"Tess, please let us in." I didn't move from my bed, but managed to wave a finger to unlock the door.
"We are so sorry, Emmett and Embry will get what's coming to them. Are you ok?"
"I'm dying sooner than I thought, what do you think?"
Before I knew it, Everyone was in my room. "Tess I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you in the picture. I wouldn't have made fun if I knew it was you!" Embry said with tears streaming down his face. "Can you forgive me?"
I looked deep into his eyes. "Considering that you are crying like a baby, yeah, I can forgive you! Emmett, I forgive you as well, just because it's in your nature to pick on everything."
"So what does this mean?" Edward asked.
"It means that I'll be dead sooner than I thought I would."
"But we can change you! You don't have to die!"
"Edward, this is why I hid my illness from you guys. I'd love to be part of the family, but I refuse to live a life without love!"
"But we all love you."
"I know and understand that, but that's not the love I'm talking about!"
"Oh......OH! I see."
"Where does that leave me?" Embry asked.
"Right where you're at! I'm not dead yet, so we have plenty of time."