Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Or Harry Potter or King Kong.
BPOV—Twenty-three
"Let's bring her to the hospital! She's not waking up!"
"How do you expect us to get her to the car? Two pregnant women can't carry another pregnant woman! We have to wake her up!"
"Mommy!"
"Auntie Bella?" I could hear the words spoken but couldn't understand them. My whole world seemed to be falling to pieces. My heart felt like someone had ripped it out and tossed it into a blender. My Edward, my love. In a coma.
"Mommy!" I recognized Nicky's voice and it was full of panic and confusion. I didn't want to open my eyes; if I opened my eyes I would be accepting reality, letting in the pain that threatened to crush me, to cripple me. But I couldn't let my little baby worry over me. I wrenched my eyes open, surprised to see I was spread out on the floor of the kitchen. Alice and Rosalie were bickering above me. Joey was tugging on Rosalie's arm, trying to get her to notice I was awake. Nicky launched himself into my arms, letting out screaming sobs.
"Shh, baby, it's okay, I'm awake," I whispered, trying to comfort him. My voice was dead, lifeless. I couldn't work up enough energy to feel anything other then pain.
"Bella!" Alice and Rosalie gasped in unison. I pulled myself up, Nicky latched onto my hip, raw panic in his eyes. He wasn't used to seeing Mommy collapse.
"Are you okay? What the hell happened?" Rosalie demanded.
"That was Dr. Graves." I was surprised at how easily I kept my voice controlled. Well, control was easy when you didn't let yourself feel anything. Not pain, or worry, or panic. Just lifelessness, nothingness. Numbness. "Edward got into a car accident. He's in a coma." Rosalie and Alice both gasped, tears springing into their eyes. I will not cry, I told myself fiercely. Not yet.
"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry," Rosalie whispered, reaching out for me. I shied away from her touch. There was only one person whose touch I longed for right now. And I didn't know if I would ever feel his touch again. I shook my head at her and she stepped back, looking slightly hurt. Alice was full out sobbing. In fact, it seemed like there was a puddle of liquid beneath her.
"We have to get to the hospital," Alice groaned.
"I know, we need to see Edward," Rosalie said, her voice cracking slightly. Alice shook her head.
"No. I'm going into labor," she gasped, clutching a kitchen chair for support. Nicky and Joey both looked confused as Rose and I gasped, reaching for Alice. She gripped my hand. "I'm so sorry Bella."
"It's okay," I mumbled. Rosalie and I led her out to the car and strapped the boys into their car seats. "It's not your fault," I reminded her. She groaned in pain.
"I wanna see Edward," she gasped. "Before. Please."
"We'll see Alice," Rosalie said, speeding down the street at five times the legal limit. Alice groaned and moaned in pain the whole way to the hospital. Her voice was the only sound. Even Nicky and Joey seemed to know to be quiet.
"Bella." It was the first time anyone had spoken since we left, in legitimate words that is. Rosalie was watching me in the rearview, her face serious. I blinked to let her know I was listening. She sighed and handed me a cell phone. "Please call Jasper and tell him to call everyone else. Let them know about Alice and…and Edward." The end of her sentence faulted, exposing her calm façade. I took the phone anyways and dialed Emmett.
"Hello?" he answered, his tone dreading. He probably thought we were going to ask him to buy food or something. How very wrong he was.
"Alice is in labor," I said flatly. I heard Jasper gasp. "Please get the baby bag and meet her in the hospital."
"Bella what else is wrong? You sound crushed," Jasper said sympathetically. How could he tell? I thought my emotions were well hidden.
"Edward is there too," I whispered. "He got into a car accident. He's in a coma. Please call everyone."
"Oh God," Jasper groaned. "No, no! I'll tell them Bella. I'm so, so sorry." I shook my head and dropped the phone to the floor. It slammed shut against the ground. Rosalie didn't even seem to care her expensive phone was rattling along the bottom of her car.
I stared out the window as we drove, one of my hands on the top of Nicky's head, just needing the physical contact. He didn't seem to mind. I watched as the trees whirled by in a blur of green. There were very few houses to be seen through the trees, but every once in a while I would see a happy family taking advantage of the momentary cease in rain.
"Bella, we're here." I didn't even realize that the trees had left my vision when Rosalie startled me. I looked around, surprised to see we were already at the hospital. The bright red lettering seemed ominous to me.
I climbed out of the car, pulling Nicky with me. I didn't know what to tell him. How do you explain to a baby that his daddy is in a coma? So I just pulled him along with me as I made my way inside, to the intensive care unit that was so familiar. How ironic that Edward ends up in the very place he works. I walked to the front desk and the nurse recognized me immediately. She gave me a pitying glance before looking up Edward's room number. I didn't even have to ask.
"684," she said gently. "I'm so sorry Mrs. Cullen." I just nodded as I made my way to the room. Rosalie and Alice were behind me, Alice in a wheelchair with Rosalie pushing. Alice seemed to be biting her lip to stay quiet. Joey was latched onto Rosalie's hand, looking around with wide eyes. A few nurses offered to take Alice to the maternity ward but she wanted to see Edward first.
I stood outside of room number 684, unsure of what to do. I wanted to see Edward. I wanted to be sure that he was alive, breathing, that his heart was still beating alongside mine. But could I handle this? Could I manage to hold myself together until Nicky was gone? I hoped so. I reached forward and twisted the handle on the door, opening it at an excruciatingly slow pace. And there was Edward.
There were tubes and wires coming out of every part of his body. It seemed like half of him was covered in plaster or stitches of cuts and bruises. Machines were beeping and whirring from every corner of the room. I wanted to break down in sobs when I saw my Edward like that. So broken.
I slowly made my way forward, sinking onto a chair when my knees gave out. Nicky was staring at Edward, his face confused and curious.
"Wake up Daddy!" he yelled happily. It broke my heart. Hearing Nicky say that just broke my heart. "Daddy!" he yelled again. I could see tears starting to form in his eyes as he looked at his father. He thought Edward was joking by not answering and he didn't think it was funny.
"Daddy wake up!" he commanded. I could hear Alice and Rosalie sobbing behind me but I kept my tears silent. "Wake up Daddy!" he wailed, sobs starting to form. He scooted off of my lap before I could stop him and toddled over to reach for Edward's hand. He let out a loud cry when he touched Edward's hand.
"Daddy," he whispered brokenly. Whatever was left of my heart shattered at his voice. He was so sad, so hurt and confused. I reached over and scooped him back up, pulling him into the comfort of my arms, cradling him against my chest.
"Oh baby," I sighed, my voice quiet. "Daddy's not going to wake up just yet. I'm so sorry baby." Nicky sobbed onto my chest and I was unable to hold back my tears. I just kept myself quiet.
"No," he mumbled onto my chest in that same broken voice. It sounded like all of his hope had left him. "No Daddy."
"Take him Alice, Rose. Go to the maternity ward please. I need some time," I whispered. Rosalie reached for Nicky instantly and he fell into her arms without a fight. Rosalie kissed my cheek, her tears mingling with mine, and wheeled Alice out. I scooted my chair closer to Edward and took his hand in both of mine. It was cool, unmoving. My hand had to do all the work to hold our palms together.
That was the last straw. I sank to my knees and sobbed onto his bed. My sobs were loud, racking through my chest almost painfully. I couldn't believe it. My strong, brave, beautiful husband. Unmoving, an inch from death. It couldn't be happening.
"Edward," I moaned in complete and utter despair. My world was crushed around me, flattened with one, big, bang. "Please wake up Edward. I need you. Nicholas needs you. The new baby needs you. I can't do this on my own. I can't live without you. Please." I hated the way my voice sounded. Broken, weak, pained.
"Edward, don't leave me," I pleaded, gripping his hand with all of the force mine had in them. "Please, don't ever leave me. I love you Edward I love you so much."
I'm not sure how long I was in there alone before Esme and Carlisle came in. Esme was in tears and instantly fell next to me, sobbing uncontrollably. Carlisle put a comforting arm around her shoulder, even as tears slid down his own cheeks. I sniffled a few times and stood up, sinking back onto the chair. I kept my eyes on Edward's face, for any signs of life.
"Bella, I'm so sorry." Dr. Graves came into the room and hugged me tightly. I squeezed him back. I could tell he was upset about this. Edward and him were great friends; Edward respected and admired him greatly.
"What happened?" was all I managed.
"I talked to a witness of the accident. He said Edward was on the highway when the person next to him dozed off, bumping into Edward's Volvo. The one tap sent him tumbling into a ravine off the side of the highway. The car flipped over at least three times and Edward was thrown out of the open window, landing in some nearby bushes. His side of the car was completely crushed. If he hadn't fallen out, he would've been killed." Dr. Graves voice was, ironically enough, grave and somber as he talked of the accident. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It all sounded so made up.
"A doctor who was on her way home from a wedding stopped and helped Edward. We got him a med flight over here but he was already gone by then. He seemed to have gone unconscious on impact. He's very lucky someone found him." I didn't see Dr. Graves as an optimist, but he seemed to think Edward was quite the lucky man. Sure he's in a coma but it could be worse. It's true, but it's not how my mind worked.
"Who was the other person?" I asked softly. "That fell asleep?"
"A college student apparently. He was extremely apologetic. He was on his way home to visit his parents and hadn't gotten much sleep," Dr. Graves said.
"Was he hurt?" I asked. I was surprised by how much I wished he was. He did this to my Edward, just because he was sleepy. Dr. Graves shook his head.
"His car only got a slight dent, but he pulled over and called 911," Dr. Graves said.
"Will he wake up?" It was Esme that asked this question. The answer I most needed to hear, but dreaded the most.
"I-I don't know," Dr. Graves said softly. "It is a possibility. But he could also have to…have to stay on life support, living as a vegetable for the rest of his life. Unless…" He trailed off, making it painfully obvious.
Pulling the plug.
Could I ever do that? Could I intentionally kill my Edward? I know he would never want to live like this- useless, unable to move or even open his eyes to see me. He wouldn't want to waste his life like this. He would rather be dead.
But could I do that? Could I make that decision?
"How long do you think…before we would know? If he never woke up?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
"I'd say if he doesn't wake up in the forty-eight hours…then chances are, he never will," Dr. Graves answered. I heard Esme sob into her husband's chest. I wanted someone to hold me as I sobbed. But the one person who could comfort me was the one I was crying over.
I'm not sure how long it was before Emmett and Jasper came to see Edward. They were the only ones who hadn't seen him yet.
It was odd seeing Emmett cry. His dimples were nowhere to be seen, his carefree smile and omnipresent laughter completely erased. You just don't expect someone as huge as Emmett to cry. Jasper was crying as well, shaking his head in hopelessness. Carlisle carefully explained what happened to them and Emmett was shaking with anger.
"I'll kill him," he growled when Carlisle mentioned the other driver wasn't hurt at all. Esme shook her head.
"It could have been any of us in that boy's position. He probably feels awful right now too," she said quietly. Emmett unclenched his fists, but was still looking hostile. I kept my hand connected, however feebly, with Edward's. I hoped with every fiber of my being that he would be able to squeeze my hand back.
"Alice had the twins," Jasper said once we finished telling him of our situation. "Lilly Isabella and Jillian Hope." I understood the middle names. Isabella for me and Hope for Edward. Hope that he would live to see them grow up, to see his nieces.
"Beautiful names," I murmured. "Congratulations." Jasper thanked me softly.
After a while, Jasper left to be with Alice and the new babies. I wanted to see them but I couldn't leave Edward's side. Rosalie came in to join Emmett, holding Nicky. I took him in my arms and he hugged me tightly.
"Love Mommy," he whispered.
"I love you too Nicky," I replied, kissing the top of his head. Nicky was the only thing keeping me going right now. I held him tightly against me for an immeasurable time. He fell asleep in my arms.
"I'm going to stay here," I whispered to Carlisle and Esme, the only ones who had stayed. Emmett and Rosalie had to take Joey home and Jasper had to stay with Alice. I didn't really mind. "I can't…leave him." My voice broke and they seemed to understand.
"We love you Bella. You're being so strong," Esme said, wrapping her arms around me and holding me. I relished in her touch.
"Can you take Nicky? He can't stay here…"
"Of course," she said, scooping him from my arms. He remained asleep. "Call us if…anything happens."
"I will. Goodnight."
"Night Bella." Carlisle kissed my cheek and gave me a warm smile before leaving. A nurse brought me in a cot and I was grateful I was already wearing sweats when I left. I climbed onto the cot, reaching over to take Edward's hand in my own. I sighed in the darkness of the hospital. The machines still beeped steadily. Edward's hand was still lifeless in mine. My world was still being torn to pieces. Hope was all I had left. Hope and family.
"Please don't leave me Edward. I love you so much," I whispered, closing my eyes. And although I knew it wasn't possible, I could've sworn I heard a ghost of a voice say "I love you too."
A/N: Well I hope everyone liked this chapter. I'm actually kind of proud of this one. I, like, sobbed when Nicky saw Edward. Oh God, the poor baby. I told you 21Skadoosh that I would use Jillian!! REVIEW!!