I decided to take a ride to my dad's today. I haven't seen him in a while and I knew he probably wanted to catch up. Edward said he was more then happy to stay home with the kids and let me have a day alone. Although he wasn't happy with me driving alone, I won the fight. A wave of nausea rolled through me as I pulled up to the house but I figured it would pass in a minute. I've been feeling sick ever since we got back from Volterra. I sent a quick text letting Edward know I arrived safely before turning the car off.
"Hey Bells!" my dad ran out
"Hi" he helped me out of the car and pulled me into a hug
"No Edward or kids today?"
"No, I'm free today" I laughed "I told him I needed a day to myself. The kids have been a little crazy since they just got over their cold. Although I bet he's kicking himself now"
"I'm sure but even moms need a day off every once in a while" he laughed "Now come on inside" he guided me into the warm house
"Are you cleaning?" I asked taking in all boxes
"Yeah…just getting rid off what I don't need anymore. That reminds me, there's a couple boxes I found in your room and I wasn't sure if you wanted them or not"
I walked over to the boxes that were labeled 'Bella's Room' and sifted through. I was surprised how much stuff I left behind when I moved out. There were old drawings, books, and other nick knacks. The next thing that caught my eye almost made me cry.
"Oh my god" I gasped
I pulled out the old book whose binding was falling apart. My old scrapbook from senior year. I hesitantly opened it and ran my hands over the pictures. I smiled at the ones of Mike, Eric, and Angela. Of course Jessica had her own picture. I remember them stealing my camera and going on a photo spree.
"Dad look at this" I said calling him over
"I remember that day clearly"
I turned the page to reveal the picture I took of Edward on my 18th birthday. With that one picture it brought back a flood of memories that I rather not remember. After staring for a minute I felt as thought I was going to cry.
"Bells?" my dad asked
"Sorry, I'm okay" I promised closing the book "It just brought back some sensitive memories"
"You know it's been almost three years but I'll never fully forgive him for what he put you through"
"Please, don't" I held my hand up "I know you won't but believe me when I say that he still beats himself up over it everyday" I sniffed "Anyways I think I'm going to keep this box"
"Okay good, one less thing I need to throw out" he laughed "Want some lunch?"
"Sure" I smiled
He nodded and moved to the kitchen to prepare a sandwich. I placed myself on the couch and tried to forget about the scrapbook. I would have to tell Edward about it later. I pulled out my phone and smiled when I saw a text from him
Glad you made it there safely. Be safe and have fun. I love you.
"Turkey?" Charlie yelled
"What?"
"Turkey sandwich okay?"
"That's fine"
He walked back in and handed me a plate of food before taking a seat in the recliner. Gratefully I bit into my sandwich. I realized that I never ate breakfast this morning because I was sick. I spent almost 20 minutes heaving over the toilet but of course I was starving now.
"Hungry?" my dad laughed
I nodded and hurriedly finished my lunch. Although a couple minutes after I finished my stomach started to feel uneasy. My dad went to wash the dishes from lunch and I found my way to the couch. My back was killing me all of a sudden and I ached for relief. I felt really sick and tired.
"How was it Bells?" he asked walking back into the living room
"Really good" I yawned rubbing my stomach
"Sandwiches are about the only thing I'm good at making" he laughed "Do you want me to bring the box out to the car?"
"Sure" he ran out
I tried to breathe through it but a really strong cramp rolled through making me take in a sharp breath. My dad walked back in and looked alarmed.
"Bells?"
"I'm okay" I assured him "Ow"
He got up and placed his hand on my back "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I think they're just Braxton hicks"
"This early? Don't they usually happen when you're about to go into labor?"
I was a little scared considering that these felt like real contractions. I didn't want to worry Charlie so I put on a brave face.
"I'm okay" I promised
"Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"
"No, I think I'm just going to go home and take it easy"
"Can you drive? Do you need me to take you?"
"No I'll be fine" I said waving it off
"Ok but call me when you get home"
"I will" I promised
By the time I pulled up to the house the pain still hasn't stopped, if anything it had gotten worse. I was starting to get really scared that something was wrong baby. What if I was having another miscarriage? I didn't get out of the car right away and Edward seemed to notice because I saw him walking out of the house.
"Hey love" he smiled opening my door
"Hi" I tried to smile back but it was forced
"What's wrong?" he picked up immediately
"I'm having really bad pains" I cried trying to catch my breath
I didn't want to worry him but I was really scared and in a lot of pain. He kneeled down next to me and ran a hand through my hair.
"Okay love take a deep breath. Where does it hurt?" he asked
I leaned back and pointed to my lower stomach. He leaned over to undo my seatbelt.
"Do you think they're just false labor pains?"
"That's what I thought but the pain's getting worse" I moaned "What if I'm having a miscarriage?"
"I don't think you are. Let's just get you inside first"
He helped me onto the couch and I took my shoes off wrapping a blanket around myself. Edward came back and handed me a glass of water.
"Where are the kids?" I noticed it was unusually quiet
"It was overcast today so Alice and Jasper took them to the park"
"Oh"
"How do you feel now?"
"I don't think Braxton hicks are supposed to hurt this bad" I told him
"Do you want to wait an hour or so and see if it gets better? Or do you want to go to the hospital?"
"I'll wait" I shot back
He nodded and placed his hands on either side of my stomach. He must have noticed that the baby was kicking hard.
"Jeez, the baby's not too happy"
"No and it's not helping. Can you call my dad and tell him I made it home?"
"Sure" he pulled out his phone and walked into the other room
"Oh god what is wrong?" I panted to myself
He came back and opened his arms up. I eased myself into them closing my eyes. I was really sweaty all of a sudden and felt sick and Edward's cool skin was helping. His hands rested against my stomach and he listened as he felt the baby move. I was becoming more agitated by the second.
"Shh relax" he buried face in my neck "You're dad's worried about you and said to call if we end up going to the hospital"
"He looked really scared when I rushed out of there"
"Why didn't you let him take you? I could've met you there"
"Then you would've freaked out"
About an hour later the pain was getting worse to the point the tears kept coming. I sat up and took a deep breath. I got up announcing that I was going to the bathroom. When I got there I was terrified to see that I was bleeding. I started shaking, thinking that I was having a miscarriage.
"Edward!" I cried "I need to go to the hospital"
"Is it getting worse?"
"Yes, I'm bleeding"
"How much?" he asked panicked
"I don't know"
I was shaking and Edward looked worried. I never wanted to go to the hospital. But when it came to the health of our baby I didn't want to take any chances. He finally nodded and pulled out his phone again.
"Hey Carlisle" he said "I'm taking Bella to the hospital. She's having severe abdominal pain… and bleeding. No, we're just scared that it could be something more serious… yeah I will, bye"
He looked at me with serious eyes. "He said to call him later on"
"Can we go now?"
"Yeah, come on sweetie"
He helped me up and put my coat on. He turned a light on since we weren't sure when we'd be home. What if I had this baby tonight? Could we really be walking through our doors again with a baby? Edward helped me walk since it was a little slippery but once in the car I rested my head against the seat. It was really cold out and snow covered the ground. The last thing I wanted to be doing was going to the hospital.
"Can you hurry please?" I was impatient
"Okay love I'm going" he said sticking the key in the ignition
He didn't disappoint when he was going at blinding speeds down the roads. I would usually yell at him but I wanted to get there just as fast. When we pulled up to the hospital I felt like my stomach was going to explode. Edward quickly helped me out of the car and into the waiting room. He walked over to check us in and I was taking deep breaths to get through the pain. It seemed to work because after a while it was just a dull pain instead of a stabbing one.
"Is it any better?" he asked sitting down
"A little but it still hurts" I grabbed his hand "Why am I bleeding? I know that something is wrong"
"Hey, we don't know that"
"Isabella Cullen" an elderly nurse called out "Come with me"
I took a deep breath and he helped me out of my seat and over to the where the nurse was holding the door open.
"Hello, I heard you were having some pain and some bleeding"
"Yes" I said simply
She nodded and wrote something down on her clipboard. She brought us into a private room and pulled down a laptop.
"Okay it says that you're in your 5th month. Is this the first time you've had pain like this?"
"Yes, at first I thought it was Braxton hicks"
"Well it's a little too early for that" she typed "When did the pain start?"
"Earlier this afternoon…"
"When did the bleeding start?"
"I'm not sure"
"Is it a lot or just spotting?"
"Spotting?" I said it as a question, I really had no idea how much
"Usually I have to force her to go to the hospital but she's the one that wanted to come this time, which worries me" Edward interrupted
"So you must really be in pain then. How would you describe it?"
"It was sharp and only happened every couple minutes but now it's a constant, dull pain"
"Okay, the doctor will be in shortly" she said handing me a gown.
Edward helped me change into the dreaded hospital gown -since I couldn't keep my balance and he lifted me with ease onto the table. He surprised me by sitting in the plastic chair and putting his head in his hands.
"Edward?' I asked
"I'm fine, I'm just anxious"
"Me too" I sniffed
"We'll figure out what's wrong and fix it" he reached up to grab my hand
There was a knock on the door and Dr. Thomason walked in looking concerned which made me more nervous.
"Hello Bella, I hear you were having some pain"
I nodded "I thought it was false labor but the pain got worse" I told him honestly "Then I started bleeding"
"It's still early for it to be considered Braxton hicks but I'm not ruling that out yet" He washed his hands and put gloves on "Sometimes women can experience bleeding when their due date gets closer but let's take a look just to be sure, shall we?"
I put my feet into the stirrups and he started his exam and I held onto Edward for dear life. Dr. Thomason seemed to be looking for a while and when he flipped a switch on our baby's heartbeat filled the room.
"That's a good sign" Edward said relieved
"It is but I see something that's a little concerning"
"Something's wrong?" I asked sitting up
"Well I'll just say that I'm glad you came in when you did" he said "It looks like you're at the risk of placental abruption which is what's causing the pain and bleeding"
"Oh god" I gasped
"See right here" he pointed to the where there was a dark patch under the baby "That's where the placenta is detaching from the uterine wall. If it gets any bigger or detaches then internal bleeding could happen."
"How serious is that?" Edward asked
"It can be extremely dangerous if not maintained. Usually if the placenta detaches we would have no choice but to do an emergency cesarean. It's the only way the baby gets its oxygen and nutrients…"
"But it's too early to have the baby now" I cried
"Will Bella and the baby be okay?" He continued
"If we take care of it now then yes. Worst case is we'll have to deliver but the baby would only have a 35% change of living"
"Is this common for someone who's had a miscarriage?" I asked
"It can be but luckily for you it's very mild so right now I see no rush to deliver. You are however showing some signs of contractions which are putting the baby in distress. If not controlled it could mean premature labor. I'd like to admit you so we can keep track and hopefully stop them all together. I also want to get that bleeding stopped"
"Okay" Edward nodded and stood up to shake his hand "Thank you"
Dr. Thomason placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and gave me a smile. I tried to smile back but I was really scared.
"I'll just fill out some paper work and we'll get you transferred upstairs to labor and delivery. Try not to worry too much"
He shut the door on his way out and Edward ran a hand through his hair as I sat up wiping my tears.
"I'm scared" I cried trying not to hyperventilate
Edward came over and wrapped me in a tight hug. He kissed the top of my head and tried to clam me down, it wasn't working.
"I didn't think it would be that serious" I continued
I hopped off the table and pulled my sweatpants up. Edward helped me take the gown off and slip into my comfy shirt. Dr. Thomason walked back in and gave us a warm smile.
"All set to head up. I'll meet you up there in a little while but a nurse will take care of you"
"Thank you again" Edward said
"Don't mention it. Our goal right now is to keep that baby in until it's time" he laughed
I gave a weak smile and let Edward lead me out of the room. We said our goodbyes to Dr. Thomason and headed towards the deserted elevators. Edward pressed the 5th floor and I leaned back against the wall rubbing my stomach.
"Are you still in pain?" he asked entangling his hand with mine
"Yes" I said bluntly
I moved to wrap my arms around his waist to rest my head on his chest. He rubbed my back lovingly and the elevator halted followed by the doors opening. We walked over to the nurses' station.
"You must be Bella" one older nurse smiled "Dr. Thomason said you'd be coming. Follow me"
Once I was shown to my room different nurses came in to hook me up to machines. One, who didn't look any older then me rolled over a funny looking machine.
"Are you feeling any contractions right now?" she asked nicely
"Right now it's more of a dull pain" I told her
"Okay I'm going to hook you up to this so we can keep track of your baby's heartbeat"
She lifted up my shirt to reveal my bare stomach and strapped an elastic band with a monitor around it. While she was connecting everything I looked towards Edward who was pacing in the corner while on the phone. He was making phone calls to everyone. My mom, dad, his parents, and by the tone of his voice I knew he was on the verge of a breakdown.
"All set" the nurse smiled at me
"Thank you" I smiled back at her
All the nurses that have come in had said that all I could do was wait. So I reached over and flipped on the TV. I wasn't interested in watching but it made good background noise. There was a knock on the door and Dr. Thomason walked in with the older nurse. Edward hung up the phone and was now listening intently.
"Okay what we're going to do now is give you drug called Brethine, which releases a continuous flow of low dose terbutaline into your system. It should help control and eventually stop the contractions all together"
"Okay" I nodded not really knowing what that meant
"I have to warn you of all the possible side effects which can consist of poor blood flow, rapid heartbeat, fluid buildup in the lungs, low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, fever and hallucinations. But honestly hardly anyone ever experiences them and the risk of not taking the drug could be more dangerous"
"Alright well we have to do it" I exclaimed looking at Edward and he nodded
Dr. Thomason gave me a reassuring nod as the nurse prepared to set up my IV. To my surprise I didn't flinch when she inserted the needle into my arm.
"We'll monitor you closely"
"How long will I be here?" I asked
"Depends how long it takes to stop your contractions. Once they've stopped for at least 8 hours we'll know more. Hopefully you'll be able to sleep the night painlessly" she said
"Don't hesitate to buzz us if you need anything" Dr Thomason said before leaving with the nurse
This was really scary and overwhelming. I didn't know what was happening or if the baby was okay. I knew if I had the baby now, it would most likely not survive the night. My body clenched as a wave a pain hit and I took a sharp breath.
"Bella" Edward came over and took my hand "I'm so sorry that you have to go through this but we're going to do everything possible to keep our baby safe"
I looked into his eyes and started to cry. He looked at me sadly as I tried to control my breathing.
"I'm so scared" I blubbered
In an instant he moved to sit with me on the small bed and I grabbed onto him like a lifesaver. His arms wrapped around my shaking frame trying to calm me. He gently rocked me, letting me cry. He didn't say anything and he didn't have to. All I wanted was to feel safe in his arms. That feeling alone led me into an uncomfortable sleep.
Edward's POV
I've been watching the monitor intensely for the last hour since she fell asleep. I could tell she was very uncomfortable and the contractions hadn't subsided the way we would have liked. Every time she would have one the machine stats would speed up and she would wince.
"Come in" I said before they even knocked
My parents quietly entered the room with concerned looks. I slid off the bed to explain what was happening.
"I was so worried when you called" Esme pulled me into a hug
"She worried me" I looked at my wife "When she said she wanted to go to the hospital I knew something was wrong"
"What did say?" my dad asked examining Bella
"She was at the risk of placental abruption and the pain she was having was due to that and she started contracting. They have her on a drug called Brethine to hopefully stop them…but they haven't stopped yet and if they don't they're going to have to deliver"
"But the baby wont survive" Esme sobbed
"At a little under five months, no" I told them
"Everything will work out" she gave me a small smile and placed herself in a surrounding chair
"Do you think she'll sleep the night if she's sleeping now?" Carlisle asked
"Probably not"
"Well my shift's starting I'll check in with you guys later" he walked over to give Esme a kiss before leaving
I sat back down on the bed, continuing to watch the monitor. Bella squirmed slightly when another contraction happened. They were definitely getting further apart but they weren't stopping.
"Are the kids okay?" I asked
"Yes, I figured it'd be better to leave them at home. I just told them that the baby was sick and mommy needed to go to the doctor's to get better"
I nodded. As much as I wanted them here I knew we needed to focus on Bella and the baby. Plus they'd probably be really bored here. Bella shifted again and opened her eyes.
"Hey love" I whispered
"Hi" she sat and spotted Esme "Hi, Esme"
"Hello dear. How are you feeling?"
"A little better. I just want to go home in our own bed"
"I know but we need to make sure both you and the baby are safe first" I grabbed her hand
As if he heard us talking Dr. Thomason walked back in with a nurse.
"Okay the contractions have slowed so let's take another look at baby okay"
She placed an arm above her head and watched as he moved the wand so we could see the baby. Dr. Thomason grimaced yet again and I panicked.
"The baby is very low" he said
"You're not going to have to deliver are you?" I asked
"I don't want to" he muttered "I'll have the nurse give her another dose of Brethine and it will hopefully stop the contractions. I want her to try her best to relax and hopefully the baby won't move. No matter what we do to prevent it, I would seriously plan on having this baby early"
Esme grabbed her hand and rubbed her arms soothingly. I wanted nothing more than to bring her home but it looked like we'd here for another day.
"Edward" she looked at me sadly
I pulled her into a hug, trying my best to comfort her cries "It's okay love"
The nurse came in to give her another round of the drug and her eyes began to droop. She rolled over on her side and I gently rubbed her back hoping she'd fall asleep. Esme went to shut the lights off but she continued to cry.
"What's wrong love?"
"We're going to loose our baby"
"Hey, no we're not" I soothed "Just try to relax and fall asleep"
She nodded but after an hour she still wasn't asleep. Esme was wiping the sweat off her forehead and I tried my best helping her through the pain. She kept moving around and couldn't seem to get comfortable.
"My leg hurts" she cried
I moved my hand under the covers to gently rub her leg muscles. She placed her hand over her eyes, exhausted. Hour after hour she couldn't sleep. She kept complaining about how much pain she was in and how sorry she was that we were going to loose the baby. I tried my best at comforting her but there was no getting through.
"The contractions are stopping" she finally said
"Thank god" I sighed "I told you everything would be okay"
"Don't jinx it" she laughed weakly
At around two in the morning she rolled away from me and her heavy breathing followed.
"She's finally asleep" Esme whispered
I silently laughed and leaned my head back. I figured the nurses wouldn't be back to check on her till later on this morning.
"You can go home if you want" I told my mother, she looked bored
"That's okay honey"
At around nine in the morning Bella finally woke up and gratefully told me that she hadn't had any more contractions. Dr. Thomason was even more pleased when he saw that the baby was in the right position again.
"Looks like you made a full recovery. Good thing we caught it when we did. I don't think they'll be any other issues" he moved the wand around
"Oh that's wonderful!" Esme cheered
"Look at the little nose" Bella gushed "And the little fingers"
"You guys still don't want to know the sex?
We both shook our heads and he nodded flipping off the monitor.
"I want to keep her here for a little while longer to monitor you more but as of right now I see no reason why you can't go home today"
"Thank god" she laughed
The rest of the day was uneventful. Bella ordered some lunch and we just sat, enjoying each other's company. At around 3 in the afternoon the doctor cam back in looking pleased.
"Okay so we decided to release you under one condition" he started at her "You need to take it easy. Anything strenuous could trigger labor and we don't want to see that baby for another four months. If you do go into labor then I'm not sure we'd be able to stop it again. If you feel any sort of pain don't hesitate to come in. I'm also going to give a medication that you need to take daily. Most importantly relax"
"Believe she won't even be lifting a finger" I laughed
She rolled he eyes and Dr. Thomason laughed, the nurse then walked in with a wheel chair.
Once she was disconnected from the wires I helped her get situated in the wheelchair. She didn't look too pleased but otherwise didn't complain. We said our goodbyes and finally got to the car. Esme decided to wait for Carlisle since his shift was over soon. I think she just wanted to let us have time alone. Once Bella was situated I reached over to grab her hand.
"Before we go home you need to promise me something" I told her seriously
"Why so serious?" she shrugged "Be happy, I get to go home"
"Of course I'm happy but you need to realize I came close to loosing you and our baby so things need to change"
"I know that" She wiped her tears, maybe I was a little too harsh
"Hey, don't cry love. I'm sorry but I just need you to understand how serious this is. You must take it easy from now on and I mean it. If you feel any sort of pain, anything at all, I don't care if you get a little cramp or…"
"I'll tell you…I promise"
"Thank you" I brought her hand up to place a delicate kiss
When we got into the house both Alice and Jasper were sitting on the couch with the kids. When Abby caught sight of Bella she ran over to give her a hug.
"Mommy!"
"Hi baby" she cooed kissing her
"Is everything okay?" Alice asked "I've been looking for your future all night since Edward called but I couldn't see anything"
"Everything is fine now. Its was a little scary but I just basically need to relax"
"Bed rest?"
"No" she said immediately "Just relax"
"Well I'm glad you and the baby are okay" she pulled Bella into a hug
Once they left I went to get supper ready. I decided to make something healthy tonight. We were trying to get the kids off of Mac and cheese and frozen chicken nuggets. After dinner I went to clean up and unpack from the hospital while Bella went into the kid's playroom with them. I was so happy that she was home and healthy but knowing that she could go into labor at any minute constantly had me on edge. I knew that I would have to keep reminding her to relax. After I unpacked I went into the playroom to fetch my wife. I found her with both kids in her lap and she was reading to them. Well they were now both asleep and Bella looked like she was going to follow any minute. I quietly went over and shook her.
"What?" she yawned
"Head off to bed. You're still tired" I told her grabbing her hand trying to lead her to the bedroom
"Hold on" she mumbled "I got to put them down"
"I'll do it" I grabbed Ryan off her chest along with Abby
"Fine, goodnight" she sleepily walked into our bedroom
Well, at least she wasn't arguing