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Chapter 10

Edward was wrong on one point, the good Doctor did not send an ambulance, he drove out himself to check on them when they did not arrive in his office as expected. The storm had mostly blown itself out by the time he got to them. The tree that halted their progress completely blocked the road, so Edward handed first the baby, and then Bella across to the doctor's waiting arms, again ignoring her loud protests.

"I can walk, you know!"

"Mrs. Atera, until I've had a chance to check you over, you won't be walking anywhere," he told her, firmly.

Doc Banner agreed to take them to his office, instead of the hospital, after confirming that there appeared to be no reason either of them would require the additional equipment available there. He installed mother and baby in his vehicle, before turning his attention to Edward. "How are you holding up, young man?" he asked, noting the cuts on Edward's face, the bruise across his forehead, and the extra effort it cost him to walk.

"I'm fine, Doc, don't worry about me, just take care of them," he instructed, indicating with a nod the precious cargo in the back of the doctor's Jeep.

"I'll take your word for it, for now," he agreed, his sharp eye cataloging the number and depth of wounds. "When we get these two looked after, though, you will be getting checked out, too," he insisted, in a tone that brooked no argument. Edward conceded, and climbed in beside Bella.

"Mrs. Atera," Doc Banner addressed her as they pulled into his office parking lot, "do you have a car seat for your young lady?"

"No, I...left in a hurry, so I wasn't able to bring much with me."

"I understand. We'll need to get one for her before you take her home, they have very strict child safety laws in Georgia."

She glanced at Edward and he nodded, reassuring her that it would be taken care of. She offered a sweet smile of thanks, and he realized at that moment that there was little he wouldn't do for her; he wanted to take care of her forever.

BR

An hour later Jake and Edward were pacing the tiny waiting room of Doc Banner's office, worrying and checking their watches every few minutes while he examined Bella and her baby. After what seemed like days, Alice came out to inform them that everything was fine and that she wanted to see them before she rested. The Doctor would be keeping her overnight, just in case.

"The Doctor wants to see you, too, Edward," Alice said, patting him on the shoulder.

"I'm fine, there's no need for all this fuss," he grumbled.

"You know, you get more like him," she pointed at Jake with smile, "everyday. Come with me, and Jake, you can go visit with Marie while the doctor takes a look at this pretty face."

She led him to the exam room and handed him a gown, "Here, undress and put this on, please. He wants to check you over to make sure you don't have any hidden injuries."

Edward complied, reluctantly. The doctor did not keep him waiting, coming in seconds after he slipped into the embarrassing gown and sat on the examination table.

After confirming that all his injuries were indeed superficial, he squeezed Edwards shoulder reassuringly. "You did a fine job of taking care of those two, son. No one could have done better under the circumstances."

"Thanks, Doc. That's good to know."

"If everything goes well tonight, and I'm confident it will, you can pick them up tomorrow morning, say around 10?"

"I'll be here."

"Good. OK, I wanted to talk to you about something else. You know that you are going to need additional surgery, have you given any though to when you want that to be done?"

"After the harvest I was planning to go back to Chicago, so Carlisle could perform the operation."

"I know your father is one of the best in the country, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you waiting that long, and if you don't take better care you could cause irreparable damage. There are good doctors in Atlanta, too, you know."

"Perhaps, but he would never forgive me if I went somewhere else."

"The decision is yours, of course. If there is anything I can do just let me know."

"Thanks, Doc."

"Get dressed, and then go tell those young ladies 'bye so they can get their rest," he said, clapping the younger man on the shoulder.

Edward knocked softly and waited for Bella's, "Come in," before peering around the door. Jake was holding the baby, his eyes suspiciously red-rimmed and watery. He was making cooing noises and his wiggling his forefinger, which was clutched in a tiny fist. Bella watched with a tremulous smile, her eyes, too, tearing up.

The makeshift splint Jake made had been replaced with an aircast, and the bandage on her face was gone, leaving her wound to air. The ordeal she had been through still showed in her pallor and the way her hair clung in damp tendrils to her forehead and cheeks. Edward couldn't help but notice that her hair was curling adorably around her face as it dried. Even in the faded blue hospital gown, she was so beautiful it made his heart ache.

He approached the bed, clasping her hand in his when she reached for him. "Edward," she gazed up at him, a damped down fire in her eyes, "I...there are no words to express my gratitude to you. I know you didn't want me to stay with you and Jake, and you had good reason. My presence puts you in danger, and still you've shown me nothing but kindness. The two of you have done so much for me, there is no way I could ever begin to repay you. I didn't know people like you existed, and I am so grateful that it was you that found us."

Edward shifted from foot to foot and mumbled something incoherent, feeling almost unbearably guilty about his initial thoughts of her. He had been hopeful that he would be able to continue to make it up to her, but her voice and expression were scaring him. It almost sounded like a goodbye. "I'm glad I found you, too." He squeezed her fingers gently before letting them go. "We should let you get some rest now," he managed to get out, "and we'll be back to get you tomorrow."

She smiled at him and nodded. "OK, Jake, time to give her back," she said, holding out her arms.

To everyone's surprise, including his own, Edward spoke up. "Can I hold her for a minute?"

"Of course, Edward, you don't even have ask!"

"Hand her over, old man," Edward demanded, knowing from the smirk on Jake's face that he was in for a boat load of teasing later. He decided he didn't care as he gazed down at the the bundle, now wrapped in a pink blanket, Jake placed in his arms.

It was a solemn little face, with a wrinkled brow and big, serious blue eyes. She had a ridiculously small turned up nose and a pink rosebud mouth between two round rosy cheeks. A mass of red-gold fuzz covered her tiny head. Edward did not know much about babies, but he thought this must be a fairly handsome specimen. She seemed to regard him with a worried expression. "I thought babies cried a lot, but I haven't heard her crying at all. Is she OK, is that normal?"

"She did cry a little, when the doctor was examining her. He says she's fine," Bella assured him. "She weighed in a 7 pound, 13 ounces, and she's 21 inches long. Pretty much perfect."

Alice came in then and shooed them off, taking the baby from Edward, pushing them out the door. "Don't leave yet, I have something for you," she directed, placing the newborn in Bella's arms, before following them out into the waiting room.

"Now both of you two listen up, that young lady is going to need rest, with as little stress as possible," she admonished. "She's been weakened by abuse from that rotten husband of her's and months of worrying." She reached into the pocket of her uniform and pulled out a piece of paper. "Here's a list of things she will need, you two go on and get them; the drug store around the corner should have everything, and then go get her room set up." She handed the paper to Edward.

He stood there looking at the list and the full impact of the change that had come into their life hit. He sighed and handed it to Jake who perused it for a moment scratching his scraggly bearded chin. "How in tarnation could one little baby need all this stuff?" he wanted to know.

"Don't you worry about it, just give the list to Shirley and she'll get everything together for you." She patted Jake on the shoulder. "By the way," she said, her tone considerably less business-like, "I want you to know I think it's a mighty nice thing ya'll are doing for this little girl. She's lucky to have family to help her out. Now go on, get going."

Edward and Jake did as they were told.

"Did she tell ya what she named the little mite?" Jake asked Edward on their way out to the truck.

"No, what?"

"She named her Leah Rose. She's gonna call her Leah." He retained a silly grin all the way to the drug store.

BR

Edward brought Bella and Leah home the next morning, and soon it became apparent that Alice was spreading word of their arrival in town. People began dropping in, bringing food and gifts for the baby. Bella was overwhelmed, even though she remained ensconced in the bedroom and did not meet any of them. She could hear the conversations, the well wishes and genuine concern expressed, and it made what she had to do so much harder; leaving these people behind would hurt.

Alice herself arrived that afternoon, driving up in her pickup with something in the back covered with a blanket. She climbed out of the cab hollering for Jake or Edward. When Jake came out on the porch she had him help her carry the something into the house. She uncovered it with a flourish. It was a beautiful old rocking chair, obviously antique, made of a rich dark amber wood. It begged for someone to sit and nurse, or rock a baby to sleep. It had a high, ornately carved back from which hung a padded back rest in a colorful chintz. A matching pad covered the seat.

"Now, I'm not giving this to you permanently," she told Bella, "this is a loan for as long as you need to rock Little Bit. This belonged to my Grandma, and it was her dad that made it for her. Then it was my mama's, and I'll use it if and when I have young'uns, but a detour won't hurt it at all. The padding is stuffed with goose down. I made them. Go ahead and sit in it, see if it doesn't feel like two loving arms wrapping around you."

Bella did as Alice instructed, running her hand down the smoothly polished arm. "I don't know what to say Alice, it's so beautiful, and it does feel wonderful. Thank you so much."

"You're quite welcome." Alice said, and then announced that she would be helping out for the next several days. "Now, don't argue with me," she said when Bella tried to object. "Every new mother needs mothering, and you know Jake and Edward don't know the first thing about taking care of a baby, You're a new mama with only one good arm, Marie. You're going to need lots of help, and in ways it just isn't fitting for them to be helping. I've told Doc Banner I'll need at least a week off, and he agreed. I'll come in the morning and stay as late as you need me."

"That's so kind of you, Alice, I hope the doctor doesn't mind being without you for that long," Bella said, gratefully giving in.

"He'll do just fine, and if there's an emergency I can be at his office in twenty minutes. We're gonna be good friends," she continued after patting Bella's hand. "And, I am going to enjoy spending this time with you, and getting to know you."

Bella was somewhat taken aback at first, but it soon became clear that Alice knew of what she spoke. The first time she tried to nurse from the left breast she would have given up if Alice had not been there to help. By the third day she was so sore that each feeding had become an ordeal to be suffered through. Alice worked with her, showing her how to hold her baby correctly, which made nursing much less painful. She also bolstered Bella's sagging ego when being a mother didn't seem to come by instinct as she had assumed it would. "Oh, honey, if you could see some of the mistakes I've seen! Some of them were funny, some were downright life threatening!"

BR

By the second week the baby was eating well and sleeping through the night. She also took several longs naps during the day, which worried Bella, who thought she was sleeping too much. Alice assured her that so far the baby was doing everything just right. The days fell into a pleasant pattern and slipped by so fast that Bella felt she was falling forward, accelerating into an unwanted and uncertain future. The time was bittersweet. She tried to savor every moment, knowing that it would all too soon be over.