Chapter 20
EPOV
Dad headed back to the Trauma room after showing us to the private waiting room. He promised to come back as soon as he knew anything further. My team, including Alice arrived shortly after Dad went back. An hour later, Sue and a few guys who looked like they were Native American's turned up too. Charlie had called Renee too and she called back to say that her and her husband were booked on the next flight out of Florida and would arrive in the morning.
The waiting room was packed to the gills with people waiting for news on Bella but I couldn't concentrate on any of them nor the conversations that were going on around me. I was trying so hard to keep my focus on praying that Bella would be ok that I had no energy to speak to anyone. They all understood and mostly left me alone. My mother and Rose had arrived just ten minutes ago, bringing food and drink for everyone, but I couldn't eat.
I had now been here for five hours and there still wasn't any news on my Bella. I was sat in a seat in the corner of the room away from the rest on the group. My head was hanging down and I was leaning on my elbows. I felt someone sit down beside me and I saw my mother's hand snake into mine. I clutched her hand but said nothing. She reached up and stroked my hair gently and I closed my eyes. The action reminded me of when Bella used to do it and it brought tears to my eyes but I blinked them back.
Mom sat there with me, her hand in mine comfortingly, silently. Neither of us spoke. I had no energy to and Mom understood that, so she kept quiet too. I could feel eyes on me on occasion, but I didn't look up. I sat in the same position, staring at the tiles on the floor as I waited for news. Finally the door opened and my head snapped up to see my father step in and stop in front of Charlie, who waved me over. I got up and made my way over to them to hear what my father had to say
"Chief Swan, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself before. I am Dr Cullen, Bella's attending physician. I'm afraid it's not all good news" Dad begun as he shot me a look that said 'keep calm'
"Bella had two cracked ribs and a fracture in her right cheekbone. She also had head trauma, resulting her to bleed into her brain. We have managed to stop the bleeding, but…" Dad paused and took a deep breath before continuing
"But we've had to keep her in a medically induced coma" he finished quietly
I stared at him, not comprehending what he was saying. Coma? How? Would she be ok? Would the baby?
"The baby" I whispered, causing mom to gasp beside me
"Baby?" she asked
"The baby is fine. It has a good heartbeat and its vitals all look stable. Bella being in a coma will not affect the fetus, but we are keeping an eye on it" Dad assured me
"When will she wake up?" Charlie asked
"We don't know that. She suffered quite a bit of trauma. The next 36 hours are going to be crucial. If, once the swelling goes down, we manage to record brain activity, she should be fine" Dad replied
I however heard what he didn't say. If she didn't have brain activity, it would mean the end of my world
"Can we see her?" Deacon asked
"Yes, but I can only allow one at a time and try and keep the number of visitors down to a minimum" Dad said sternly
"Thank you Doctor" Charlie said softly
"Chief Swan, I think it's safe to say that our children will marry soon, so how about you just call me Carlisle?" Dad smiled at Charlie
"Thanks, Carlisle and its Charlie" Charlie returned his smile
Dad headed back after telling us he would send someone to get us once Bella had been moved into a room from Recovery. I sank back down onto a chair to process what Dad had just told us. I couldn't wrap me head around the fact that my pregnant girlfriend was in a coma. I felt anger against James rise within me again. If only I had actually killed him, but we had received word an hour ago that he was also in hospital. This hospital. He was being treated for broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and he also had head trauma. That satisfied me a little, he was getting a taste of his own medicine.
Chief had come over shortly after he arrived and told me that as far as any of them were concerned, my beating James up had been self-defence and for that there would be no investigation into it. I didn't really hear much of what he had said, but I nodded anyway.
Around an hour later, a nurse came in and told us that we could see Bella, but it would have to be family only. Charlie and Deacon stood to go and then Charlie called to me
"Sir, I'm sorry, its family only allowed in the ICU" the nurse stated
"He is family" Charlie replied firmly
"Parent, sibling or spouse only allowed, sir" the nurse repeated
"And he is her husband and the father of the baby she is carrying" Charlie responded, standing his ground
"Fine. Follow me" the nurse sighed and motioned for us to follow her.
She led us down the hall and stopped outside glass doors that read ICU, written in red across them. She pressed the buzzer and waited for us to be buzzed in. there was a few moments of silence and then the doors buzzed. She continued through the ICU until she came to a door at the end and gestured to it
"She's in there, but its only one person at a time, please. The rest can wait in the room over there" she gestured to a room a few doors down which I assumed to be the waiting room
"Charlie, you can go in first" I said quietly and made my way to the waiting room with Deacon beside me
Deacon and I sat in the waiting room for about half an hour before Charlie came in. neither of us had spoken the entire time. We glanced up when Charlie came in and Deacon got up to take his visit. Charlie sat down beside me and put his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him and saw that his eyes were red rimmed
"Prepare yourself, Edward. Its not a great sight in there" he said softly
I nodded and looked back down to the floor
"When are you planning on asking her then?" Charlie said after several silent minutes
"I was planning on taking her back to The Grand Hotel this weekend and asking her then" I replied, not lifting my head
"Why The Grand?" he asked
"It was our first 'working date'" I answered
"'working date'? Is that like a normal date?" he asked, confused and I chuckled slightly
"It was the day I told her I was in love with her and we had arranged to go on our first date that evening, but work got in the way. We were on a mission that night" I clarified, but he still looked confused
"You told her you were in love with her and you weren't even together?" I nodded
"How does that work then?" he asked
I launched into the whole tale of how our relationship started, not leaving out anything. I told him about Tanya and how my relationship with her was like, explaining about how she constantly flirted with other men in front of me but I had always brushed it off because I trusted her. I told him about her sleeping with my partner, thus destroying my trust in her and in anyone who wasn't my family. I told him about my reactions to Bella after only one sight. I told him about the struggle I went through with my feelings and how she had won my trust implicitly by simply being her. And finally, I told him about how it was Alice who knocked some sense into me, making me realise that I loved her.
I left nothing out and when I was finished, Charlie looked at me with understanding and compassion. He didn't say anything, but I read the acceptance in his eyes and for his silent acceptance I gave him gratitude. It wasn't long after that that Deacon returned, also red eyed. He gave me a small sad smile
"Be prepared" he said softly
I nodded and arose from my chair. I walked out of the waiting room and towards Bella's room. I stopped out side the door and took a deep breath before exhaling it in a long sigh. I opened the door and slipped in, closing the door behind me. I kept my back to the room for a moment, taking another minute to compose myself before I turned.
I finally turned around slowly and the sight before me knocked the breath out of me and shook me to my core. My knees gave out on me and I slumped against the door. A sob tore from me and the tears flowed from my eyes. My angel was lying on her back with several wires attached to her. Her face was bruised and there was a bandage on her right cheek where I assumed the fracture was. She had another bandage on her forehead near her hairline; this was where I had seen the blood coming from back in Portland. She had an IV in her right arm which was hooked up to a drip. But despite all of this she was still the most beautiful creature in my eyes.
There were two heart monitors and this confused me for a moment before I realised that one would be for the baby. I stepped up to the bed and sat on the chair beside it, taking her hand in mine and holding it gently and kissed it softly
"Hi baby" I whispered and stroked the hair from her forehead, careful not to touch the bandage
"You came back to me, angel. I'm so happy to see you but I need you to wake up ok? I need to see those beautiful eyes of yours and I want to look into them when I tell you how much I love you and how ecstatic I am that you're having my baby. The baby is fine, angel. Dad checked him over good, now I just need you to wake up"
As I was talking, her heart monitor had started beeping faster and I pulled back, worried. The nurse came rushing in to check on her. She looked over the monitor and the wires connected to Bella but everything looked fine so she looked confused
"What happened?" she asked
"I don't know. I was talking to her and it just started beeping faster" it happened again as I spoke
"Say something" the nurse asked
"Like what?" faster again
"There! It happens every time you speak!" the nurse exclaimed
I stared at her for a moment and then looked down at Bella. I picked up her hand again and the machine beeped faster again
"Baby, it's me. Can you hear me, my heart? Please wake up, baby. I need you to wake up" I said softly
The monitor beeped faster again. The nurse looked at me and then bent down closer to Bella
"Bella, this is Nurse Rainer, can you hear me sweetheart?"
Nothing. The monitor continued to beep at a steady rhythm
"Your turn" Nurse Rainer gestured to me
"Baby? It's all over now, come on back, my heart"
This time the monitor beeped faster. Nurse Rainer looked at me in excitement and then ran from the room and I stared after her in confusion for a moment. I shrugged and went back to talking to my Bella, ignoring the monitor. I talked to her about how I reunited Deacon with her father. I told her about how her mother was on her way and I even teased her on how it was now time for me to charm the pants off of her.
Ten minutes later, Nurse Rainer walked back into the room with my father trailing behind her
"See Dr Cullen, look at how fast her heart is beating? Now watch this. Sir, can you remove your hand, please?" she asked me
I reluctantly release Bella's hand and sat back
"Now watch this" she said
She moved round to the other side of the bed and took Bella's other hand in hers and leaned in to speak to her
"Bella, its Nurse Rainer again, can you try and open your eyes, sweetheart"
The monitor stayed the same
"Dr Cullen, why don't you give it a try?" she said, waving Dad forward
Dad came round to my side and picked up the hand I had held
"Bella, honey, we need you to wake up, dear. My son needs you and the baby to be ok. Come on honey, wake up, not for me, for Edward" he said softly
No change. Dad released her hand and sighed
"Now, sir, can you pick up her hand?" Nurse asked me
I reached back and picked up Bella's hand again and once again the monitor beeped faster. Dad's eyes widened as he stared at the monitor and then back at me. The monitor returned to normal after a few moments
"Now, talked to her" Nurse Rainer said
I leaned forward again
"Baby, it's me again. I know you're trying to sleep angel, but nows not the time, you need to wake up, angel. I promise you can sleep all you want after you just show me those beautiful eyes once" I whispered
The monitor once again beeped faster and Dad looked at me in excitement
"This is amazing, son!" he exclaimed
"Son?" Nurse Rainer asked
"Oh, yes, sorry, Nurse Rainer. This is my son, Edward and that there is my future daughter in law and that" Dad pointed to the baby heart monitor "Is my future grandchild" he said proudly
"Nice to meet you, Edward" Nurse Rainer smiled at me
"Likewise Nurse Rainer" I replied
"Please call me Anna" she said
"Thank you Anna" I answered
"Son would you like to hear your baby's heartbeat" Dad asked me
I looked up at him in surprise
"I can do that?"
"Sure, we just need to turn on the sound is all" he replied
He gestured to Nurse Rainer and she flicked a switch on the machine and a whooshing sound filled the room and I stared at the baby monitor in awe
"That's my baby's heartbeat?" I asked, amazed
"Sure is, son" Dad replied, smiling proudly
"My baby, my son or daughter" I said in an awestruck voice, making Dad and Anna chuckle
"You hear that angel? That's our baby's heartbeat. Sounds strong, doesn't it, my heart?" I whispered to Bella
I leaned forward and gently kissed her lips
"Thank you for this gift, my angel. Thank you so much" I said against her lips, making her heart monitor beep erratically
Dad and Anna laughed and I looked up at them. They were both watching me and Dad had unshed tears in his eyes, pride and love shown clearly
"Dr Cullen?" Anna said, still looking at me
"Yes, Anna?" Dad replied
"You got another perfect son like him?" she asked, making dad chuckle
"As a matter of fact, Edward is one of a set of fraternal twins. His brother Emmett is in the waiting room by Trauma" Dad answered
"Is he single?" Anna asked playfully
"Afraid not, he's also very much taken" Dad said in mock remorse
"Damn"
We laughed at that. I turned back to Bella
"Here that angel? You're not the only one who thinks I'm perfect. I'm not by the way, but it's nice to know you guys think so" I said lightly
I stayed with Bella for an hour and a half alternating with talking to her and then the baby until Anna came back and told me I had to leave. I really didn't want to and did put up a fight, but Anna said that it was policy in the ICU that visitors had to leave at night and they had already bent the rules allowing me to stay as we hadn't gotten in to see her before visiting hours were up at 8pm so I went back to the waiting room in Trauma and sat there. I refused to leave the hospital. The room had emptied some. The only people left in there now were Charlie, Sue, Seth, Deacon, Mom, Alice, Em and me. Everyone else had gone home whilst I was with Bella. My team and chief promised to check in with us on the morning and Rose said she would come back once she had picked up Renee and Phil in the morning.
I slid down onto the floor against the wall when I got to the waiting room and buried my head in my arms as I rested them on my knees. Before I knew it, I was sobbing, the day's and week's emotions catching up with me all at once. My whole body was shaking with the force of my sobs. I felt arms wrap around me but I didn't respond, I just cried. I cried for my pain, for Bella's pain and I cried in anger against James and Aro. I heard my mother whispering soothing words in my ear and Alice shushing me as she, herself cried along with me. I then felt my brothers arms snake around my shoulders and he pulled me into him and out of my mother's and sister's arms. He hugged me as I wrapped my arms around him too and continued to sob like a baby.
I don't know how long I cried for but by the time my cries quietened my throat was raw and my eyes were swollen. I pulled back out of Em's arms and gave him a weak smile which he returned with one of his own. His eyes were also red and swollen and I knew he had cried with me. As twins, our reactions to each others emotions was one and in the same. If he cried, I cried. If he laughed, I laughed and it was the same for him too. We reacted to each others emotions.
We stayed there on the floor, sitting side by side. We didn't speak, we didn't need to. Besides Bella, Em was the only other person who understood me so completely so he knew that chatting right now was not on my list of priorities.
We must have fallen asleep at some point because I woke up to a bright sunlit room with my head on Em's shoulder and his on top of mine. I heard a giggle and looked up to find Alice, Mom and Rose staring at Em and I with smiles on their faces
"I swear I just saw a flashback of when they were kids" Mom said
"So did I, they looked so cute!" Alice chimed in
"So that's what our kids will be doing" Rose mused
I rolled my eyes and scowled at them making them laugh. Beside me Em woke up with a start
"Wha?" he drawled sleepily causing the three women to laugh harder
"Em, do yourself a favour bro and don't ask, ok?" I said as I stretched
"Oookkaay" Em replied
I got up from the floor just as an older version of Bella stepped into the room. Renee had dirty blond hair and sea green eyes, but the shape of her mouth and the cute button nose was all Bella. I recognised her from the pictures of her that Bella had in her apartment. Charlie led her over to me and introduced us
"Renee, this is Edward, Bella's boyfriend. Edward, this is Renee, Bella's mother" Charlie said and then on a side to me he whispered 'good luck, she doesn't know about the baby' and walked away to sit on one of the chairs
"Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you Ma'am" I said as I held out my hand
"Oh please, no ma'am. It makes me feel old. Just call me Renee. It's nice to meet you too Edward, I've heard so much about you" Renee said as she forewent my hand and just pulled my into a quick hug before stepping back and eyeing me up and down
"Ok, Renee. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances" I said softly, looking down at the ground
"You sure are a handsome man" Renee declared causing my family to snort behind me in amusement and me to blush
"Um…Thank you?" I posed it as a question
We chatted for a while as she asked me question after question and I responded truthfully to each. Finally I glanced around and noticed that Deacon wasn't in the room. I wondered where he was and if Renee had seen him yet. My question was answered when Deacon stepped into the room a moment later his hands full with Starbuck coffee and a bag full of food. I watched as both his and Charlie's eyes widened. Deacon's in surprise and fear and Charlie's in just fear. I guessed that the reuniting had not yet happened as Renee just informed me that she had gone straight to Bella's room when she got here an hour ago.
I stared at Deacon, asking him with my eyes what he wanted me to do. As Renee's back to him, she had not yet seen him. Deacon shook his head as if to clear it and then he squared his shoulders and strode towards us. It was my turn for my eyes to widen. Deacon motioned for me to help. I looked at him in a gaze that clearly said I thought he was crazy and he sighed and then spoke from behind Renee
"Hi Mom" he said softly
I saw Renee's eyes widen and her mouth drop open in surprise. She turned slowly and faced Deacon. I backed away and left them to it. I wanted to see Bella and this conversation was for them to have. I would not be needed for it. I headed out of the waiting room and down the corridor to the ICU. I pressed the buzzer and waited to be buzzed. Once the door buzzed I walked quickly towards Bella's room and opened the door to slip inside. The room was empty, save for Bella so I pulled up a chair and sat down, taking her hand in mine and kissing it softly. I then leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly too
"Hi baby, how are you today?" I said
I then lifted the blanket back and leaned forward and kissed her stomach
"Hey little one, still going strong, I hope? Can you do me a favour and wake Momma up? Can you do that for Daddy, little one? See, Daddy needs your Momma like he needs air to breath. I need you to grow strong too and for that I need her to wake up. Daddy loves you both so much little one. So, so much"
I pulled back and replaced her blanket
"Angel, your mom's here. I hear she came in a spoke to you for an hour, I bet it felt good to hear her voice, right? If you wake up, you'll get to see her too. I did what I promised, baby, I charmed the pants off of her. She likes me" I said proudly
"I've just left your parents in the waiting room. Your mom has just seen Deacon for the first time in eleven years, baby, they needed time to talk and I needed to see you. I think they're going to be just fine, you don't need to worry, though I know you will anyway" I chuckled slightly and then sighed
"I love you baby, please I need you. I need you to come back soon. Please my heart, come back to me" I whispered
I stayed with her for over an hour. I talked to her sometimes and sometimes I talked to the baby and other times I sat silently and listened to her heartbeat. I left the room when Charlie came in for his visit, kissing her and the baby softly before I went. He warned me to stay out of the waiting room for the moment as Renee and Deacon were currently in there hashing out a few things. I took his advice and instead went on a wander through the hospital.
I ended up standing outside the chapel. How I got there, I don't know but I went in and sat in one of the pews near the front. I clasped my hands together and bent my head in prayer. I prayed for my angel to return to me and I prayed for my child's safety inside her and most of all I prayed that I would get to grow old with her. I stayed in the chapel for over two hours, just sitting silently as my mind played images of Bella and I fantasised about asking her to marry me and then actually marrying her, watching her walk down the aisle to me. I imagined what the baby inside her now would look like and I dreamt of our future children. I wanted it all and I wanted it with her only.
The next morning I woke up in an armchair in the corner of Bella's room. I had managed to sneak back in just before the end of visiting hours and had hidden the bathroom next to her room. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to leave her after my sojourn in the chapel. The fantasies and dreams were fresh in my mind when I returned back to her room and I just couldn't bring myself to remove myself from her side so I had stayed. I had talked to her well into the night, hiding each time the nurses came in to check on her and I had talked to the baby, telling it of all the fun things we would do once it was old enough. I also talked to Bella about my idea of quitting the FBI and opening up a security company of our own. I outlined my plans to her, telling her of how I would do the legwork and she could stay home with baby and work from there until it was old enough to go to school and then she could join me in the office.
I stretched when I awoke and glanced around the room. I startled when I saw my father standing at the end of Bella's bed with her chart in his hands
"Good morning son" he said in an amused tone as he continued to write on her chart
"Um….morning dad" I replied sheepishly
"Sleep well?" he asked
"Better that I have in a couple of months" I answered as I stood and crossed the room to her bedside
"You know you shouldn't be in here, right?" he said with one eyebrow quirked
"I know, but…I couldn't…I…."I trailed off, not knowing how to explain my intense need to be near her
Dad finally looked up and smiled at me gently
"I know son. I have informed the nurses to allow you Carte Blanc access into her room. You should be fine from here on out" dad said softly
"Thanks Dad" I said with relief and gratitude colouring my tone
"It seems she likes it better with you here too. Her brain activity registered at a good level last night" I perked up at that
"Is the swelling gone?" I asked eagerly and he nodded
"Yes and the activity is registering at a good level, so we are weaning her off the drugs that are currently helping her sleep. Hopefully, she'll wake up soon" dad said in his doctor voice
"So she could come out of her coma at any time now?" I felt excitement grow within me
"If her mind is done helping her body to heal, then yes" Dad answered with a smile
My face split into a wide smile and I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers
"You hear that, baby? You can wake up now. It's all on you now, my heart" I said to her
I reached over and lifted her blanket and bent to press a kiss on her stomach
"Good morning, bug. Daddy wasn't ignoring you little one, he was just talking to Grandpa" I said to her stomach
I heard a sniffle and looked up to see my father wiping a tear from his eye
"Dad?" I questioned
"You called me Grandpa" he whispered, his voice full of emotion
"Well, that's what you are to my baby, right?" I teased and he laughed
"My son is going to be a Daddy" he said in awe
"I am" I replied proudly and he beamed at me and clapped my shoulder
"I'm so proud of you, Edward. You turned out to be a great man" he said to me
"No more than you Dad" I replied
We hugged quickly and then Dad said he had to go do his rounds. I was left alone with Bella for a total of ten minutes before the nurse came in a kicked me out, telling me that they needed to change her bed sheets and her bandages. I told her they wouldn't be exposing anything I hadn't seen already and she laughed and said it didn't matter, I still had to leave so I did, pouting as I went.
I sat in the waiting room in the ICU to wait for them to finish so that I could return to her. I looked up when the door opened and Charlie stepped in
"They told me I would find you in here" he said as he dropped into the seat beside me
"They're just changing her sheets and bandages" I replied
"I know" he looked thoughtful
"What's up, Charlie?"
"Did you know? When you come to Forks for that weekend, did you know about Deacon?" he asked quietly
I hesitated as I debated on how to tell him the truth. I gazed at him for a long moment and then answered
"I did"
"Did Bella?"
"Yes"
"Shit"
I told him about how I had recognised Deacon at the ball on our first 'working date' and how Bella had confirmed his identity at our lunch in the café. I then told him that Deacon had a story to tell and it wasn't mine to tell. Charlie asked me why Deacon had stayed away so long and again I told him that that was for him to ask Deacon about
"For what its worth, Charlie, I am sorry for not saying anything sooner" I offered and he shook his head
"If my own kids won't tell me then I can't expect my daughters boyfriend to either" he said and then left the room
I let him go, knowing he needed some time to process everything I had just told him. I felt bad for him, but I knew that had Bella or even Deacon wanted to tell their parents they would have and my priority was to do what Bella wanted. I only hoped that this would not hinder their relationship in any way. Now that I was going to be a father, I understood a little of what Charlie was feeling. If this had been my child I would have felt as hurt as he did. I hoped that I would never feel that kind of hurt from my kids.