Jasper's POV

Dad set the plate of toast on my nightstand and sat on the edge of my bed, his hand on my forehead. "You still feel pretty warm. I think one more day off from school won't kill you."

I grinned. "I could handle missing the rest of the week."

He chuckled. "No need for that. You should be ok to go back tomorrow."

"Here, you'll need this if I'm supposed to watch you all day." We looked up to see B standing in the door with the small porcelain bell known as the "Sick Bell."

Dad chuckled. "You don't have to stay with him all day, Bella. He's 13 years old, I think he can be alone for a bit if you need to run out at some point."

She shrugged and settled on the other bed. "I've got nothing else to do. None of my friends came home for winter break, so I'll just be here all day. Though I'm not your little lackey." She gave me a look. "Emergencies only, Jazz."

I grinned. I couldn't remember a time when we didn't have the Sick Bell. Since I was little, whenever one of us was sick, the bell took up residence on that person's nightstand while they recuperated. B was sick more than anyone, so it pretty much lived in her room. Emmett used to tease that her constant illness was why Dad nicknamed her Bella.

Dad looked between the two of us. "Ok, so Bella's in charge. Bella, be nice. Jasper, behave." He ruffled my hair and gave B a quick kiss on the forehead as he headed out the door.

She stretched out on the bed and lay silently while I chewed on my toast. We heard the car start up a minute later and Dad left. She rolled onto her side and studied me for a second.

"So…really sick?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Why would I lie about that?"

"To skip school."

I grinned. "It doesn't do much good since I can't do anything. I'm bored with the video games and movies we've got."

She chuckled softly. "So let's go see a movie. If you're up to it."

I snorted. "Up to sitting in a dark room and watch a movie? Hell yeah."

I sat and stared into my cup, not really seeing anything. Alice and I had woken up at the sound of the engine catching in the middle of the night. I'd stumbled downstairs to find out what was going on and had been met by a frantic Rosalie. All three of us had been up ever since trying to figure out what was going on.

Alice had at least had the presence of mind to call the inn and let them know what was going on with B so she was covered there, and the school so we were ok to stay home until we heard what was going on.

Rose was pacing anxiously. She'd made breakfast but no one was eating. The phone rang and she leapt across the kitchen, snatching it off the wall.

"Hello?" She was silent, her face drawn for a moment before she finally sighed and relaxed. "So you'll be home later?"

I relaxed and Alice did, too. Rose talked for a moment then hung up and turned to us, obviously relieved.

"Bella's fine, she's just going to be on bed rest for the next couple of months." She sighed and rubbed her face. "That means no work, no cooking, no cleaning, no anything. She's allowed to get up for the bathroom and showers but you know Bella, she'll try to push it. We'll have to watch her all the time."

I nodded. "How is she, though?"

She started dumping the cold food on our plates into the trash. "Edward said she's ok, just tired. She didn't get much sleep at the hospital."

She started another pot of coffee and sat down at the table. "She'll probably sleep all day today and I'll take over baby-sitting her tomorrow while everyone's out, but we'll have to take turns in the evenings and on the weekends."

"Not a problem," said Alice. "I'll take up residence in her room on the weekends. It'll be fine." She smiled. "We'll be great."

Bella's POV

I stared out the window at the rain. It matched my mood. Even though it wasn't my fault and nothing was related, I felt like everything was crashing down on me at once and I was suffocating. I was angry that I had to stay in bed for 8 weeks and frustrated that I wasn't going to be able to do anything without help during that time.

"Bella?"

I rolled over and smiled when I saw Alice and Jasper in the doorway. I scooted up in my seat and motioned them in. Jasper grinned and walked over, putting something down on my nightstand. I frowned and leaned over. I started laughing when I picked up the Sick Bell.

"Where the hell did you find this?" I grinned at him.

He settled down on the foot of the bed. "It was in the kitchen in a cabinet. Dad never would have thrown that out. He actually used it last spring when I had my wisdom teeth out."

I swallowed against the lump in my throat and smiled at him again. "Thanks."

"I'm here to keep you company," Alice announced, slinging her bag on the bed and crawling up next to me. "Everyone else has to go to work and do stuff, so I'm here to entertain you. Shall I tap or mime first?"

I started laughing. "You can tap and mime?"

"No, but I'll figure it out. Soft shoe and whiteface. And stupid white gloves." She laughed. "Otherwise, I can do your nails, feet and hand, make up, hair, craft projects, we can watch movies or you can help me with my homework." She beamed at me. "You're going to be sick of me by the time this is done."

I grinned. "I look forward to it."

She rested her head on my shoulder. "So you're ok, right?"

I nodded and put my arm around her. "We are fine. I just have to rest for a while. You're going to be sick of me asking for stuff all the time."

"Well, then we'll just start ignoring you," grinned Jasper. "Or hide the bell."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, E would kick your ass."

"Why am I kicking ass?" E asked as he came in then, pulling his tie off. He had dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep and a long day at work. He leaned down and kissed me absentmindedly.

"Jasper threatened to take away my bell if I get too needy."

He grinned. "The Sick Bell?"

I nodded and grinned up at him. "The one and only."

He chuckled and headed into the closet to change. "I'll wait on you if he hides your bell," he called out.

Jasper grinned and rolled off the bed, pulling Alice with him. "We'll see you later, B. Ring if you need anything." He winked as he closed the door behind them.

E came out of the closet then, wearing his boxers and a t-shirt, his hair sticking up all over the place. He headed into the bathroom and I heard the nighttime sounds. I pushed Alice's bag onto the floor and carefully climbed out. E looked at me alarmed when I came into the bathroom. I waved him off and headed to the toilet.

"You have an ok day?" he asked around a mouthful of toothpaste.

I shrugged. "I slept most of it. I think I slept something like 16 hours today and I'm still tired."

He nodded and rubbed his face with his wet hands. "I'm completely wiped out. I didn't rest at all sleeping up at the hospital. I'm glad I'm off tomorrow."

I nodded and grabbed my toothbrush. I sat down on the edge of the tub and brushed my teeth sitting down, then washed my face. I handed the washcloth and toothbrush to E who put them down and then we walked back to the bedroom. I crawled in and he pulled me close to him, sighing against my hair.

"I'm sorry about all this."

I shook my head. "No one's fault, remember?"

He was quiet. He pressed a kiss against my head and I closed my eyes.

Edward's POV

B was asleep before too long and even though I was exhausted, I couldn't join her. I kept going over things in my head. I knew it wasn't my fault but I couldn't help feeling somewhat guilty. This was supposed to be something easy for B to do and somehow it wasn't. I hated that I couldn't be there at the house for her all the time, but I knew Rose and Jazz and Alice would be me when I couldn't.

I sighed and shifted slightly on the bed. Emmett couldn't come home quickly enough and I couldn't get off work soon enough.

***

Tali: We had a bell, too. Well, really, we just had a bell. Last time I was home and sick was the week before my wedding and my mom dug out the bell and gave it to me for when I needed something. Dad ran out every day to get me milkshakes because for whatever reason, that was the one thing I could keep down (weird because I'm lactose intolerant). When I was a kid, he'd make the milkshakes and bring me whatever food I wanted. Now I just sit on the couch at home and feel sorry for myself…lol