What Happens In Vegas
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, but then again, Alice will bet you already knew that. And I'll never bet against Alice.
a/n: I have gotten more than 75 reviews between the two websites now and that makes me giddy! The more reviews I get, the more you get to snuggle with Edward (or Bella, or Bella and Edward—whatever floats your boat!) Thank you to everyone that has alerted and favorite this story—I love you all!
Chapter 13: Discovery
EPOV
It was still dark in the room when a hideous sound broke through the air. Bella started moving and I instinctively pulled her back to me. She was so warm and soft and cozy and I just didn't want to move. Unfortunately, the beeping just wouldn't stop.
"What the hell is that sound?" I growled, my voice rough with sleep.
Bella just giggled in my arms and I could feel the vibration against my chest. "It's the alarm. Let me hit the snooze so it will go away."
I pouted because I was so comfortable and tired and she was moving again. "Okay, but come back quick," I told her as I opened my arms. "Do you always get up at this god-awful hour?" I knew that there were nights that I was still treating patients at 6:00 in the morning but I did not see this hour if I didn't have to.
"No, it's a little early, even for me. I got up early yesterday to finish the scripts before Jane wanted to go over them," Bella replied as she finally silenced the annoying beeping sound. I grunted my acknowledgement and pulled her back into my embrace. She fit here perfectly.
"How long do we have?" I asked quietly.
"About ten minutes before it goes off again," she groaned, burrowed herself deeper into my chest and pulled the blanket up higher. When the alarm went off again ten minutes later, I rolled onto my back and rubbed my face. This was not how I envisioned waking up this morning. I wanted to hold my girl as we both woke up naturally. Bella flicked some switch and the alarm clock shut off completely. I was drifting back into dreamland when I felt Bella lean over and kiss me lightly.
"Hey," she said softly, "why don't you stay in bed and get some rest? I'll put on some coffee and it will stay warm until you're ready to go?" She was going to leave me here without her and go to work. Just like if this was our home together. My brain wasn't working well enough to tell me if I liked it or not. I did know that I didn't want to waste what little time I would have alone with her this week.
I hummed. "Where are you going to be?"
"I have to get ready for work. I'll be quiet in the shower so you can sleep, okay?" she offered sweetly. Images of a naked Bella with warm water streaming down her skin appeared behind my eyelids and I felt the blood rush to my groin.
I crooked my eyebrow at her and lazily grinned, hoping that it did not look too much like a leer. "Shower?"
She just laughed at me and my already low hopes sank a bit. "That would not be conducive to me getting ready for work and leaving the house," she teased. I just stuck out my lower lip in a pout in response. She laughed again.
"What time do you have to be at work?" I asked. I was trying to blink and clear the haze from my brain. I would definitely need a nap before I went in this afternoon.
"I usually go in around eight," she replied.
"Then you go shower and I'll make breakfast. We can eat before you go," I offered. Instead of waiting for her response, I rolled out of bed and stretched my arms over my head. Knowing that she was watching, I turned my head quickly and smirked at the blush she developed when she was caught. She just smirked back and shrugged, giving me the once over with her eyes once more.
I pulled on my clothes as Bella got out of bed and I looked those horrible pajamas over while she was digging through one of her drawers. I felt compelled to touch her again so I laid my hands on her hips and nuzzled my face into the hair lying across her neck. I inhaled deeply then moved it out of the way so I could place a kiss underneath her ear. "Just so you know, those pajamas are just as bad as you described, but I'm still not going to get this image out of my head all day," I whispered into her ear and jumped out of the way before she could smack me. I chuckled as I walked down the hall into the kitchen.
I heard the shower running and I had to fight the urge to rush back in there and climb in with her. I had never felt so attracted to another person in my life. I ran my fingers through my hair and started opening the cabinets. I wasn't a great cook, but I did have some staples. She had some pancake mix so I whipped up some batter while the griddle heated on the stove. I was almost done when she walked in the kitchen. Her citrusy scent, combined with the pancakes made my mouth water. I took a drink of coffee to wash it down.
"That smells delicious," she said cheerfully and I just smiled. I wasn't sure I could speak at that moment without embarrassing myself. She was dressed in a knee-length gray skirt and a fitted white button-down blouse. Those short heels she wore the entire time we were out in Vegas were on her feet again. I don't know why my sister thought she had no fashion sense because I thought she looked really hot. It took all of my restraint not to launch myself across the kitchen and bend her over the table. Instead, I opted for banal conversation.
"I hope you like pancakes. I didn't know how long you would take to get ready and I didn't want your eggs to get cold."
"This is perfect!" she gushed back. My heart warmed a bit that I was able to do something to take care of her. "What are your plans for the day now that I got you up at the crack of dawn?" she continued. She popped a bite of pancakes in her mouth and moaned. Her eyes rolled back a little and my jeans became even tighter. I tried to push those thoughts back down.
Instead, I shoved a bite in my mouth and chewed slowly. When I was done, I swallowed and answered, "I'll probably go to gym before I go home, take a little nap, then I have to clean my apartment. That reminds me, what are you doing Friday night?"
"Friday? I don't know. What am I doing Friday night?"
"Alice is throwing me a birthday party at my place. I was hoping you would come," I said with trepidation. I wanted her to see my home, but there had been no reason to bring her there yet.
"Of course I'll be there. What time?" Bella asked eagerly.
"I have no idea," I laughed. "She told Jasper to tell me last night."
"Then I guess I need to ask Alice what I should bring?" she asked mischievously.
"That's probably safest. She told me not to worry about anything but since this is the last time that I know I'll be home before then, I figured I should at least pick up my laundry," I responded with a shrug.
"Why won't you be home tomorrow night?" she questioned. "I thought you were off."
"I'm on call, so theoretically, I am off, but if they call me in…" I left off spreading my hands as explanation. She nodded in response but there really wasn't anything to say. We ate in silence for a few minutes.
"Can you tell me why you've been so on edge the last couple of days?" she asked cautiously. I frowned and set my fork on the edge of my plate. I said with a sigh, "It's the NICU."
"What about the NICU bothers you so much?"
What could I say? The place gives me the creeps. It depresses me. I tried to go as simple as possible but saying enough that she would understand. "The whole place bothers me. There are all of these tiny babies hooked up to monitors and ventilators, with IVs all over the place. We take them away from their parents as soon as they are born because we have to, but then they have to stick their hands in the incubators to hold and touch them. It's so sad."
"Isn't it happy, though, when they get to go home?" she posited.
"Very, but the ones that are critical are there for a long time and it just depresses me. I cannot imagine how those poor parents feel."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Not really. Just be there for me, I guess," I replied. Her presence in my life helped more than she knew.
She stood and walked to the other side of the table. I turned in my chair as she approached and she sat sideways on my lap. Bella wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me softly. "That I can do. You just tell me what you need, okay?"
All I could do was smile and kiss her back. And be thankful that the conversation about work had relieved some of the physical tension I was feeling. "Thank you for understanding."
We just held each other for several minutes before she had to reluctantly move and grab her bag to head to the office. I followed her out and kissed her before she got in the car.
"Can I call you tonight?"
"Please do! If I can't have you in my bed, at least I can hear your voice," Bella quipped then covered her mouth when she realized how that sounded. I just grinned widely and raised both eyebrows.
"I have to agree that being in your bed is a nice place to be," I stage whispered. "Now, go to work before I drag you back upstairs and make you play hooky." I was only a hairs-breadth away from doing just that. I closed her door and sauntered across the parking lot to my Volvo. I loved this car. It was a gift from my parents when I graduated from medical school and I had babied it for the past year. Tanya used to get pissed when I first got it because I spent more time on it than I did on her. I hadn't spent much time on it for the past couple of weeks and decided to run through the touch-less car wash on the way to the gym.
It was 8:30 by the time I started my work-out but I felt like I'd had a productive morning. I ran on the treadmill and worked out on the weight machines enough to build up a good sweat. Thankfully, the gym was mostly empty at this time of day. I didn't want to see the stares I usually got. I knew what I looked like and I knew that women, and some men, appreciated it. I didn't see what the big fuss was but it was usually there just the same. Perhaps I would do this more often in the morning instead of at lunchtime.
When I finished there, I went home, picked up around the house and cleaned the bathrooms. I didn't want Alice to have to do that. It was nice enough of her to offer, but there were some things you just couldn't expect your sister to do. I tossed a load of laundry in the washer and set my alarm for 12:30. That would give me enough time to shower, eat, and get to work. I laid down in my cold bed and fell into a restless sleep.
I was still tired when the alarm went off but I pulled myself up and showered. I could feel my muscles tensing as I drove to the hospital and by the time I made it upstairs to the NICU, the muscles in my back were screaming. Dr. Scott Walters was the attending on this shift and I had no idea how he managed every day. When I walked in, he handed me a stack of charts and we both combed them in silence. On occasion, one of us would consult the other about suggestions for care, but for the most part, we just focused. After we finished with the charts, we made our rounds through the ward and looked in on every patient that we had just reviewed. I did have one patient that I felt would be able to go home the next day and it felt good to see the relief and happiness on her parents' faces when I told them. Abigail was born at 33 weeks and her lungs had not developed properly. After a short stint in the NICU, she was breathing well on her own and her functions were mostly normal, albeit a little delayed as was expected with preemies.
At about 5:30, I was called to the labor and delivery unit to supervise a high-risk birth. I stood in the back of the room with the crash cart, incubator and nurses and waited as the poor mother had to endure twenty people watch her struggle in pain. The baby was more than a month early and his heartbeat had been irregular for several weeks. She had been given a couple of steroid shots to help his lungs develop, I noted, but her OB was less than enthusiastic about the situation. After over an hour in the birth canal, her son was born. He was tiny, weighing barely five pounds and the cord was wrapped around his neck. The nurses and I jumped into action, suctioned his lungs out and let his mother see him before we whisked him away. There were a lot of tests to be performed and I wasn't pleased with the blue tinge to his skin. Scott met us when we returned to the unit and we hooked the little boy up to the monitors. His heartbeat was still erratic and his oxygen levels were poor. I scheduled a heart ultrasound and waited for the techs to let me know when it was complete. While I waited, I decided to check on the other kids under my care and walked back to the nursery. The sight that met my eyes made my heart soar. Bella was sitting with Casey, my favorite nurse on the floor, holding one of the babies in her arms with a bottle in her hand.
BPOV
I couldn't concentrate all day. Jane had me editing what she described as adult fiction. I was leaning more towards Harlequin romance. The love scenes were completely unrealistic and the writing itself was juvenile at best. Unfortunately for me, this was Jane's first client and I learned a long time ago that complaining about her style did me no good. Instead, I went through two red pens. I did spend some time during lunch Google-ing NICUs. I was trying to understand why Edward hated it so much and thought if I understood more, I could support him better.
"Hey woman," Angela said as she peeked her head around the wall. "What are you doing?"
"Not much, just looking for information on how Neo-Natal Intensive Care Units work," I replied sullenly.
"Is there something you forgot to tell me?" she teased back.
"No! Nothing like that!" I hastened to reassure her. "It's just that Edward is on rotation in the NICU this month and he absolutely hates it. I thought if I knew more about it, I could support him better."
"You're pretty serious about this guy, huh?" she asked intuitively. Angela knew me so well and she was a great friend. She never pressed and was content to let me reveal things in my own time.
"You could say that," I laughed. "He's a pretty great guy."
"Have you found anything useful online?"
"Not really. There are some great testimonials on blogs from parents with experience and there is a lot of information on how it works, but nothing that really tells me anything, you know?" I responded.
"Are you all comfortable enough with each other that you could go down there and see for yourself?" Angela suggested.
The idea was perfect and I hoped that Edward didn't mind. I could take him some dinner as an excuse and get a feel for what he was dealing with. "Angela, you are a godsend! Thank you," I said as I hugged her tightly.
She returned the hug and looked at me critically. "I get the feeling that there is more to this story. Will you tell me some time?"
"Yes, I will. Just give me some time to figure it out for myself, okay?" I bargained. I knew she would agree and she did. We spoke for a few more minutes about the projects we were working on before Angela went back to her desk. I spent the next four hours reading about unrealistic sex and fantasy love. At least this woman didn't write about one-eyed snakes and kitties. I was pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to make it through if she did.
I found a sandwich shop on the way and picked up two cold subs with chips. I knew it wasn't a glamorous meal but it would keep easily if he wasn't able to eat right away. The map in the main lobby directed me to the second floor and I stepped tentatively off the elevator. I followed the signs forward until I found a nurse to help me.
"Um, excuse me, I'm looking for Dr. Cullen," I said nervously. The nurse in front of me was middle-aged and a little overweight, but she had a kind face and her motherly smile instantly put me at ease. She looked at my hands when I moved them back and forth.
"Did you bring him some dinner? Aren't you sweet!" she exclaimed. "Come on back. He's up in labor and delivery right now, but he should be back before long. I'm Casey, by the way."
"Bella Swan. It's nice to meet you." I followed her down the hall and past a couple of rooms filled with incubators and plastic beds. She had me put the sandwiches on her desk and asked if I would like to look around. She showed me each of the six rooms and told me about all of the babies they were responsible for. While we were in one room, a very small boy started crying in a tiny, mewling voice. I looked at Casey in a panic, worried that something was wrong.
She just laughed lightly. "Dear me, Carlos! Are you hungry again?" She turned to me, "I don't think he will be here too much longer. He eats every 2 hours now. Would you like to feed him?"
"Is that allowed?" I asked incredulously.
"Of course! We have volunteer 'cuddlers' that come in every day to hold and feed these little people. Sometimes, the best medicine is just the personal contact," she explained.
"Sure, I'll give it a try. I don't have much experience though," I confessed.
"No problem. I'll stay with you this time. Let me go get his bottle ready and I'll be right back." I saw her confer with a couple of nurses on the way and a few minutes later, she returned with a barely full bottle.
"Will that be enough?" I asked. I had no experience with babies, not even babysitting in high school. She just laughed and motioned for me to take a seat in the cushioned chair near the wall. She expertly plucked Carlos from his bed, rewrapped his blankets, and handed him to me. He felt so tiny in my arms, but I was acutely aware of how precious he was. At Casey's instruction, I put the bottle in his mouth and watched with awe as he sucked the milk greedily. When he drained it, I sat rocking him softly, patting his back, and chatting with Casey. She was a really wonderful person and talked about the challenges of working with such small patients. A voice from the doorway broke my concentration.
"Bella? What are you doing here?" Edward said happily. His mouth was curved into that crooked smile I loved so much and his eyes were tender.
"I brought you some dinner and Casey convinced me to cuddle Carlos when he got hungry. He's a really sweet little guy," I gushed.
"Yes, he is," he replied with a genuine smile. He bent down to take him from me and curled Carlos into his chest. "How did he do?" he asked Casey as he bounced a little.
"He did great. That's the second time he's eaten since I came in tonight. He's even gained a little weight since he came in," she reported.
"Fantastic! Let's get you back to bed, little guy," he cooed to Carlos as he tucked him back in his plastic bassinet. He then turned back to me and offered his hand to help me up. "So, did you bring us both dinner this time?"
"Yes, I did, as a matter of fact," I replied happily. Edward started leading me out of the room so I turned back to Casey. "It was really nice to meet you, Casey."
"You too, Bella. Have a nice dinner," she called back.
I turned back to Edward, who had my small hand clasped tightly in his much larger one. "Dinner is on Casey's desk. It's no steak this time, but I thought you might need something that didn't have to stay warm."
"I'm sure whatever it is, it will be great. To what do I owe this?" he asked tenderly.
"Um, I wanted to see you and I wanted to see the NICU," I mumbled.
"I'm glad you came." He reached over Casey's desk and lifted our bags of food. "Let's go over here so we can eat in peace." He leaned closer and whispered in my ear, "You looked really good back there, natural."
I blushed heavily and whispered back, "So did you." I looked at him and got lost in his green gaze. He tugged me down into a hard chair. We chatted as we ate our sandwiches and enjoyed each other's company. Just as he finished, one of the nurses rushed in and told him some test results were in. He stood quickly.
"I'm sorry, baby. I've got to get back to work. Can I call you later?"
"Sure. I hope everything is all right," I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. I think he saw through me though because he leaned down, kissed my cheek and whispered, "I'm sorry. Thank you for dinner."
"It's okay. Have a good rest of the night," I wished and watched him walk away. I thanked Casey again and made my way back home. I read until I was too tired to focus and collapsed in my bed. I never heard from Edward.
The next morning, there was a voicemail waiting when I woke up. "I know it's too late to call. I'm sorry I had to leave dinner so fast and that I didn't call before you went to bed. I am thinking of you, though. I miss you. Call me when you can." I chose to wait until later to return it. Instead of the pancakes I ate yesterday, I grabbed a cinnamon raisin bagel from the drawer and drove to work. I spent the day writing rejection letters and finishing the romance novel. After lunch, I called Edward back but it went to voicemail and I didn't leave a message. All in all, it was a normal day at work. At five, the team decided to get dinner before the game and I downed a greasy cheeseburger and fries. It was the perfect fuel and comfort food to me. As I laced up my turf shoes, Mike tapped me on the shoulder.
"Hey, isn't that your boy over there in the stands?"
I looked up and saw Edward sitting on the uncomfortable metal bleachers staring directly at me with an intense gaze. I told Mike I would be right back and ran around the field.
"You came!" I shouted gleefully.
He caught me in his arms as I fumbled up the steps. "I told you that I would be here. Are you happy to see me?" he laughed as I wrapped my arms around his torso.
"I am! But are you here to see me or the other team?" I teased him.
"You. Why would I be here for the other team?" he asked, confused.
"Take a look." He glanced over to the other team's bench and squinted his eyes. The other team was made up mostly of members from the UC hospital. Tanya was playing.
"Oh, dear God. Honey, I had no idea. I promise," he looked at me beseechingly.
"I know you didn't. I heard her say that she was subbing in tonight for one of the other girls that had to work. Thank you for coming. It really means a lot to me," I said. I kissed him on the cheek and jumped down the bleachers. The teams were moving on to the field and I was starting.
I took the field with my team and moved immediately into defense. They had the ball first and they played rough. One of the guys was really aggressive and shadowed my every move. We bumped and checked constantly, up and down the field. Mike broke free and stole the ball, moving rapidly down the field. I was the closest girl and league rules stated that a girl had to touch it before we could score. I sprinted up and he passed it to me. I passed back and he kicked hard. The goalie missed it and we scored. Mike high-fived me and I glanced to Edward who was clapping. I checked out and caught my breath for a few minutes while my team mates defended our goal. The other team was truthfully a lot better than we were and it was tough to keep them from scoring. Marcus was getting a work-out in goal. Angela motioned for me to come back in and switched places with her quickly. The big guy moved to cover me again. When Eric passed me the ball, he shoved so hard into my back that I hit my knees on the turf and he stole the ball. No one saw the foul so we went back on defense. Tanya checked in and smirked at me from the other side of the field. We battled back and forth and she took to checking me whenever she was near. Eventually, I got tired of it and when she had the ball again, I purposely caught my toes on the carpet, over-corrected and fell backwards. This put my feet right under her as she ran past. She went flying and ended up sprawled on the turf.
"Oops. Sorry about that," I yelled over my shoulder. Her returning glare was scathing. Her palms were scratched from the turf so she called for sub and hobbled to the bench.
During the brief pause, Angela pulled me aside, "Do you know her or something?"
"She's Edward's ex and isn't exactly my biggest fan," I replied nonchalantly.
"Nice. Good shot with the feet." Angela winked back. I grinned at her and ran to the other end of the field.
We ended up winning 1-0, but we were all exhausted by the end. Tanya avoided me during the handshakes and I didn't push the issue. Edward was no longer in the stands when I looked over. With a sinking feeling, I grabbed my bag and headed for my car. I didn't get far before Edward grabbed my wrists.
"Where do you think you're going?" he said with his crooked smile. "Bella, that was awesome!"
"Thanks! We have a lot of fun anyway. I told you I was mostly a defensive weapon," I laughed.
"Yeah, about that," his voice became hesitant. I slumped my shoulders in defeat.
"I'm sorry, Edward. I know tripping Tanya was a cheap shot. I just couldn't stand to take her hits anymore," I griped.
"I don't blame you," he said. "It was a good shot and she deserved what she got. I was referring to your knees."
"My knees?" I looked down and saw scrapes and trickles of blood covering the underside of both knees. "Oh, I had no idea."
"Of course not. Here, sit down so I can clean them up," he ordered. I promptly took a seat at the picnic table and he pulled my foot onto his thigh. From somewhere in his other hand, he produced a wet paper towel and dabbed my knees gently. He blew on them afterwards to temper the sting and held out his hand for me to help me up. His phone rang and he let out a groan of frustration.
"This is Dr. Cullen," he answered. He listened for a few more seconds, nodded then said he would be there soon. When he looked back at me, he was apologetic. "That was the hospital. I have to go back in for a little while. Let me see what is going on and I will call you, okay?"
I just nodded.
"I promise I will call you tonight before you go to sleep," he offered pleadingly.
"It's fine," I assured him. "Call me later. I'm just heading home." This time, when he left, he put his hand on my cheek and really kissed me. Once again, my lips tingled and I was dazzled. When I finally found Earth again, I picked up my bag and met Angela walking towards the door.
"Girl, I don't know how you did it, but that is the most gorgeous man I have ever seen," she said in an awed tone. I just giggled like a ten year-old and she joined in. I waited with her while she grabbed a Coke from the concession stand and we walked to our cars together. My phone rang as I put the car in drive and I fumbled around my purse for it.
"Hello," I practically yelled into the phone once I found it.
"Hi," Edward said. I could almost see his raised eyebrow.
"Sorry, I couldn't find my phone. What happened?" I asked. I couldn't imagine that emergency call-ins were ever a good thing.
"Nothing too drastic. It must be a full moon because the labor and delivery floor is packed tonight. All of the other doctors on tonight are stuck in high risk deliveries and they needed someone to cover the floor, just in case," he explained.
"Well, that is definitely good. How is Carlos?" I had thought several times today about how it felt to hold him and to see Edward with him. Just the remembrance brought a smile to my face.
"He got to go home today, actually. He had quit eating and was severely dehydrated when they brought him in. It wasn't his parents fault, they tried to feed him, but he just refused to eat. Once we got him eating again and rehydrated, it was safe to send him back."
"What did you do differently? To get him to eat, I mean," I asked.
"We switched him to formula and found one he liked. His mother really wanted to breastfeed but he couldn't get the hang of it and didn't like the soy formula she was trying to use," he answered. "I feel sorry for them if he is that picky now!"
I laughed, remembering how picky I was in grade school. "They are going to have their hands full later." I pulled the car into my lot and looked around. Being a cop's kid, I was trained early on to be fully aware of my surroundings. Once I was sure it was safe, I jogged to the door with Edward still on the phone.
"Are you home?" he asked.
"Yes, finally! It has been a long day and I am ready to chill on the couch with a glass of wine and a chick flick."
"Mmm. Remind me to get you a better film selection for your birthday," he retorted.
"Speaking of birthdays, mister, is there anything you want for yours?" His party was in just a couple of days and I had no idea what to get him.
"Just you will be fine, please," he said in a sing-song voice.
"Smooth, real smooth Cullen," I teased back. "Hang on. Are you near another phone?"
"Yes, why?" His tone was suddenly more business-like.
"The dead bolt isn't locked on my apartment door and I always lock it when I leave," I said cautiously.
"Are you sure you locked it this morning?" he questioned.
"No, I'm not, but hang on here with me just in case, please," I stated.
"Bella, I don't like this. What if someone is in your apartment?" he said, the tension thick in his tone.
"Then, I'll leave and you'll call 911," I retorted. "I'm sure I just left in a hurry."
"Does everything look fine?" he asked nervously.
"Um, there are a couple of lights on that I don't remember leaving on, but it was so bright this morning that I could have and not realized it. Wait. I hear something. Hang on," I ordered. I was really getting scared now. I had lived in Chicago for six years without trouble and I didn't really want to start tonight.
"Bella, I don't like this. Get out of that apartment now," Edward ordered.
"Hello? Is someone in here?" I called through my home.
"Bella?" a strangled, choked voice replied and I ran toward my bedroom.
"Bella, what is going on? Who's there?" Edward demanded.
When I swung open the door to my room, there sat my best friend, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Alice?"
So what do you think? Leave me some love and review. And tell me, do you play any sports?