Author Note: Thanks for embracing this story!
Today's title was a real tough one! Congrats to TwilightObsessed522, who was the only one to guess! I didn't know how to hint it without saying that the band has a double name (Mr. Mister). That helped a couple of you, while others thought I was going for Duran Duran again.
There seem to be two main theories about what's wrong with Bella. The next few chapters may be upsetting to some readers.
Thanks again to moosals and NKubie for pre-reading. Stephenie Meyer owns all characters.
Chapter 39: Broken Wings
I'm vaguely aware of the feel of the carpet beneath my hands. Opening my eyes, I roll onto my back, where I see Angela's concerned face looming over me. I try to sit up but a hand on my shoulder gently presses me back down.
"Stay down," she orders softly. "Jess called an ambulance."
"Ambulance? I-I'm fine, just got a really bad cramp."
"No, I think it's more than that, Bella."
My brow furrows as I stare up at her. What more could there be? "How long was I out?"
"A minute or so," she answers, just as Jessica kneels on my other side, laying my jacket over me.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Jessica asks gently.
"Tell you what?" My brow furrows again; I have no idea what she's talking about.
She reaches out to touch my forehead, then turns toward the gathering crowd. "Back off a bit, guys. She needs some air."
Closing my eyes against the bright overhead lights, I try to remain calm. The pain seems to be easing, but I still don't understand what's going on here. Angela and Jessica seem to know something I don't.
A few minutes pass before I hear a commotion; the paramedics must be here. I open my eyes just as Jessica stands up, disappearing from my view.
"Bella?" a paramedic leans over me. "We're going to lift you onto a stretcher, ok?" I think I nod just before he grabs hold of my shoulders. Just that small movement has made me dizzy again, and I close my eyes as they start strapping me down.
"We'll meet you at the hospital, Bella," Angela calls. "I've got your purse."
I keep my eyes closed as I'm wheeled through the building and onto the waiting ambulance. The paramedic from earlier is in the back with me, and he straps a blood pressure cuff around my arm.
"We'll be there in just a few minutes, ok?" he says, smiling down at me.
I nod helplessly. "What's going on? What's wrong with me?"
"Someone will check you out when we get there and be able to tell for sure," he answers, which just makes me even more confused.
It's a rush of activity when we arrive at the hospital. I'm wheeled into a room and a nurse starts taking my clothes off in favor of a hospital gown. I catch a glimpse of blood on my slacks and feel my face heating up. No wonder Jessica had covered me with my jacket.
The nurse takes a tube of blood from my arm before asking me a bunch of questions for the insurance and writing down all of my answers. Walking out of the room, she tells me a doctor will be with me shortly.
"Good afternoon, Isabella," the smiling young blonde woman in a white lab coat says as she steps into the room a few minutes later. "I'm Dr. Goff." She looks almost too young to be a doctor.
"Just Bella," I correct her, a little confused as she starts lifting my gown.
"I'm just going to do a quick pelvic exam, all right?" she says, but that doesn't help me understand what the big deal is. I've got my period — that isn't something unusual.
"What's going on?" I ask a few minutes later when she steps back, removing her rubber gloves.
"The blood test will tell us for sure, but I'm afraid you've had a miscarriage."
I blink a few times. "What? I'm not pregnant."
"Why do you say that?" she questions, pulling a chair up to my bed.
"Because I had my period a month ago, and since then I've only had sex in the past week."
"A normal period?"
My brow furrows as I think back. Well, no, it wasn't "normal" but that wasn't unexpected. "It was much lighter than normal, but… my boyfriend had forgotten a condom so I took Plan B. The instructions mentioned that a common side effect was your next period being lighter or heavier than normal."
"Mmmm… I think what you may have experienced was actually implantation bleeding, a type of spotting that sometimes occurs early in pregnancy. The blood test should confirm the presence of pregnancy hormones, but the severe cramps and bleeding that you've had are very much symptoms of a miscarriage."
Stunned, I lean my head back into the pillow. I was pregnant… and didn't know it?
"Your friends are waiting outside. Shall I send them in to wait with you?" Dr. Goff suggests.
"Um, sure. What-what happens now?"
"We'll wait for the test results to confirm the cause, but the excessive bleeding seems to have subsided, so I think the miscarriage is complete. You can go home tonight, though you'll need some fresh clothes. I want you to take it easy for the next several days.
"For a woman your age, some 25% of pregnancies end in early miscarriage, but that doesn't mean you can't have a baby in the future, if you choose. You mentioned using condoms, and I'd recommend waiting at least through your next cycle before trying to get pregnant again — though it doesn't sound like you were trying this time."
"I wasn't," I whisper.
The doctor pats my arm as she stands. Almost the moment she's out the door, Jessica, Angela and Alice — the girls must've called her, not realizing she's still on my shit list — rush in.
"Oh honey," Alice says, hugging me tightly. "Why didn't you tell us you were pregnant?"
"I didn't know," I admit, finally understanding what Jessica was asking back at the office. She knew what was happening then already.
"Jasper can manage the kids for tonight. I'll take you home once they release you, and stay with you all night, ok?"
I blink up at Alice. "I… I need clean clothes. Edward can bring them and take me home. I don't need you to stay with me."
"You and Edward are back together?" she asks in shock. "Since when?"
"Since… a week ago," I admit.
"You never told us," Angela speaks up, sounding a bit hurt.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to argue with anyone about it," I reply grumpily. "He makes me happy. That's all that matters. If you can't accept that, then I don't need you in my life. Any of you."
I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I-I should call him. Where's my phone?"
Jessica hands me my purse and I pull my phone out, taking another deep breath before calling Edward. I need to get him to come down here without worrying him, which may be a Herculean task.
"Hey," he answers. "Sounds like you had a rough day."
"What?" My heart starts to pound; surely he doesn't already know?
"The stock market," he replies in a duh voice. "I saw it on one of the online news sites."
"Oh. Right."
"Is something wrong, Bella?"
"Um, I need you to bring me some clothes. Just something casual, including underwear."
"Bring them to your office?" he clarifies, sounding adorably confused.
"Um, no. I'll explain it all when you get here. I'm at the hospital." I hold my breath the moment the words are out of my mouth.
"Hospital?! Are you ok?" he nearly shouts.
"I'm ok, just… I need you, ok? I'm at—" I break off, realizing I have no idea what hospital they took me to.
"Harborview," Angela supplies, and I give her a small smile in thanks.
"I'm at Harborview. I'm not in a room, so just ask at the ER desk when you get here."
"Bella, are you sure you're ok?" He sounds panicked, and I need to get him calm before he drives over here.
"I'm ok. Promise."
"I'll be there soon, baby. I love you."
"You too," I reply, conscious of the girls around me.
Hanging up, I lie back with a sigh. I have no idea how to tell Edward that I… had a miscarriage. I can't even guess how he'll react. I just hope he doesn't react… badly. He clearly doesn't deal well with adversity — what if it's too much for him and he leaves me again?
No! I can't let myself think like that. Edward loves me, and I think he's more than learned his lesson about what happens when he tries to walk away from me.
"How are you feeling?" Alice asks, coming to sit on the edge of my bed.
"Like the stupidest person alive," I answer bitterly. "I dismissed every pregnancy symptom as something else. I did everything a pregnant woman isn't supposed to do. I work in a high stress job. I—"
"Bella, this isn't your fault," Jessica emphasizes. "Stress doesn't cause miscarriages, despite what people think. It's most likely because the fetus had some sort of genetic abnormality that was incompatible with life. Tell me you understand that."
"But I-I've been drinking alcohol. I had four cups of coffee this morning. None of that can be good."
"It wasn't your fault," she repeats. As I stare back at her, I remember that Jessica had two miscarriages shortly after she began working with me — before she conceived her now 6-year-old daughter.
There's a quick knock at the door before the doctor pokes her head in. "I have the blood test results," she announces, looking at my friends.
"They can stay," I nod. Might as well save me the trouble of telling them later.
She smiles back, then nods. "You were definitely pregnant, Bella. I need to do another quick examination, then I'll sign your release papers. If you all could wait outside…?"
"Bella, Jess and I are gonna take off. We'll take care of getting your car home, ok?" Angela offers, and I nod my thanks. "And we'll talk to Jason tomorrow — you should take the rest of the week off, at least."
Once they've all stepped out, Dr. Goff does an ultrasound, proclaiming me ready to go home. "You will have some minor residual bleeding for a week or two. If it's any more than that, please make an appointment with your doctor."
"All-all right. Thank you. Um, my boyfriend will be here soon to take me home."
Alice comes back in after the doctor leaves, taking a seat in the chair beside my bed. "You can leave if you need to get home. Edward will be here soon."
"I know; I'd like to meet him," she replies.
A/N: A cliffie, but not an evil one this time!
Many of you who've been suggesting for a few chapters now that Bella was having (vague) pregnancy symptoms were correct. But it wasn't meant to be this time.
Now, how to break the news to Edward? Will he freak out or surprise her?
I'm not a doctor or nurse, so if any of you who are find glaring errors in this, I'll try to fix it. WebMD was my main source.
Monday's title is a 1980s cover of a song that was originally released 15 years earlier. Two readers actually suggested it for this chapter.