Dawn of the Phoenix: Cedric goes to Forks
Story and Characters owned by
Stephenie Meyer and JK Rowling
Story Adaptation by Erica K. Bailey
Chapter 44: Waiting
The days of Bella's transformation were painful. Carlisle had returned quickly to examine her and was very pleased with what Edward had done.
"How did you administer the venom?" He'd asked.
"By syringe, directly into her heart… then at each of the main arteries…"
"Directly into the heart… quite innovative… what made you think of it?"
"I suppose – she was worried about her heart stopping, and it had already failed once. I figured it would help it keep going… do you suppose I did it wrong?"
"No, not at all… I think it was brilliant. I wish I'd thought of it myself."
Edward wasn't so sure. Every time I passed by the room over the next day and a half, he was sitting vigil by her side, holding her hand, or leaning his head against her body as if in prayer. Carlisle couldn't even tempt him back out of the room with Renesmee.
They let him be for most of the first day. I sat with him the next. No one tried to make him move too much. He was completely focused on Bella. I said little, but I could see the conflict in his face – had he done the right thing in changing her – would she survive the transformation – was she in pain… I knew him well enough to know he was questioning himself at every level, at each step, going through the entire day in his mind, searching for some point at which he might have changed the result.
Carlisle checked on her every few hours. He'd come in check her pulse at her wrist, sometimes checking her forehead as well.
"Still no change?" he asked Edward during one check up.
"None."
He leaned over and inhaled. "There's no scent of the morphine left."
"I know." He said grimly
"Bella? Can you hear me?" Carlisle tried gazing into her face, shining a small light down on her eyes. I think he was looking for movement under her closed lids, but there was nothing more then the rhythmic in and out of her chest.
Edward wasn't managing her silence very well. He sat very still on the stool by her bed. He leaned over, "Bella? Bella, love? Can you open your eyes? Can you squeeze my hand?"
He lightly squeezed her hand, hoping for some response. There was none. I could see the pain in his face at her stillness. He rested his head down against her body.
"Maybe..." Edward started, almost afraid to continue, "Carlisle, maybe I was too late." His voice broke on the last word.
Carlisle rested a hand on his shoulder in comfort, "Listen to her heart, Edward. It's stronger than even Emmett's was. I've never heard anything so vital. She'll be perfect."
Edward didn't look convinced, but at least he lifted his face and when he did, it wasn't nearly as tortured. "And her – her spine?" he glanced back down.
"Her injuries weren't so much worse then Esme's. The venom will heal her as it did Esme."
"Be she's so still. I must have done something wrong." He ran his hand through his hair. He just couldn't believe that she might be alright.
Carlisle's hand traveled from Edward's shoulder to his face and turned it up to look in his eyes, to try and convince him of his words, "Or something right, Edward." He said with conviction, "Son, you did everything I could have and more. I'm not sure I would have had the persistence, the faith it took to save her. Stop berating yourself. Bella is going to be fine."
He smiled faintly at his father before Carlisle released Edward's face. "She must be in agony." He said in a whisper.
Carlisle shook his head lightly, "We don't know that. She had so much morphine in her system. We don't know the effect that will have on her experience."
Edward simply couldn't accept his comfort. He was pessimistic – if he was to believe she was going to survive, then he'd have to berate himself for what she was going through now. His head bent back down to her body, resting on the bend in her arm. "Bella, I love you. Bella, I'm sorry."
There was a moment of silence when Carlisle looked down at him and then Edward jerked his head up to meet his, "No, I'm staying right here," he whispered, "They'll sort it out."
"An interesting situation," Carlisle responded, ignoring Edward's melancholy, "And I'd thought I'd seen just about everything."
"I'll deal with it later." Then a look of fiery determination took a hold of his face. "We'll deal with it." he kissed her palm, willing her survival to be true.
"I'm sure, between the five of us, we can keep it from turning into bloodshed." Carlisle tried to teasing Edward into better humor. It seemed to work to an extent.
"I don't know which side to take. I'd love to flog them both" he smiled grimly. "Well, later."
"I wonder what Bella will think – whose side she'll take."
His grim smile became a little broader as he moved into a low, strained chuckle. "I'm sure she'll surprise me. She always does."
Carlisle smiled at his improved spirits. I briefly wondered if that had been the point of his visit. Edward sighed and leaned his head back against Bella's arm.
He was quiet for quite a while then. I alternated between laying a firm hand on his shoulder and wandering around the library when my legs became restless. Edward, I'm sure she'll be fine. You're meant to be – you and Bella.
He didn't respond, but smiled slightly. A little later Alice came by.
"How much longer." Edward asked her.
"It won't be long now," Alice smiled, "See how clear she's becoming? I can see her so much better." She paused, her eyes going unfocused as she showed him her vision. She sighed as her attention returned to the room.
"Still feeling a little bitter?"
"Yes, thanks so much for bringing it up." She grumbled, "You would be mortified, too, if you realized that you were handcuffed by your own nature. I see vampires best, because I am one; I see humans okay, because I was one. But I can't see these odd half-breeds at all because they're nothing I've experienced. Bah!"
"Focus, Alice." He said firmly, hopefully…
"Right. Bella's almost too easy to see now." She went back into her trance again. Edward closed his eyes, watching the vision through her mind. A smile tempted the corners of his mouth. He looked much more peaceful, more happy… he sighed as they both turned their gaze back down at Bella's lying form.
"She's really going to be fine," he breathed, as if he was only now daring to believe.
"Of course she is." Alice said confidently.
"You weren't so sanguine two days ago." He teased her.
She grimaced, "I couldn't see right two days ago. But now that she's free of all the blind spots, it's a piece of cake."
"Could you concentrate for me? On the clock – give me an estimate." He pleaded.
Alice sighed, rolling her eyes. "So impatient. Fine. Give me a sec-"
They both watched again, Edward with his eyes closed, Alice with hers unfocused. A small crease appeared on her brow as she concentrated on the vision. Edward gave a peaceful smile "Thank you, Alice." His smile was a bit brighter, his expression more positive.
She simply smiled back. "She's going to be dazzling." She looked down her now dressed body. While we'd been downstairs discovering Renesmee's gift, she'd been dressing Bella in a very attractive and yet incredibly impractical blue silk dress and high heals… I suppose I was uneducated in the appropriate attire for transforming to a vampire, but this seemed a little over the top.
Edward growled quietly, but his face was still peaceful, "She always has been."
Alice snorted, "You know what I mean. Look at her."
He closed his eyes again and laid his head back against her arm, only now he wasn't tortured. Alice smiled at the both of us and skipped lightly out of the room. She had been much, much more cheerful since the delivery.
The tone sounded in my head then - a reply to Sirius' notes in the travel notebook to Dumbledore.
"See you later, Edward."
"Thank you, Cedric." He smiled.
I headed down to the notebook Sirius was holding onto it. He'd taken up the job of providing updates as things progressed. I headed straight for it.
"A reply?" he guessed as I reached for the notebook.
"Yes." I said. We opened and read it together.
Glad to hear Bella is doing okay. I am hoping she will awaken soon. I would very much like to see her when she's ready, though it would be wise to check with Carlisle on whether a visit would be appropriate at this time. Renesmee sounds intriguing. So pleased we were able to provide some assistance.
"He raises a good point." Sirius commented, "When Bella awakens she'll be a newborn vampire… as fast as your reflexes have become it might be wise to be elsewhere at that time."
I hadn't thought about it. I'd been so anxious to see Edward through this, I hadn't even thought about the change in safety around the house…
"Carlisle?" I asked.
A few moments later he appeared at the top of the stairs. "Yes?"
"Carlisle, might we have word." Sirius said. In a moment, Carlisle was by our side.
"Dumbledore is interested in coming to see Bella, but he raised a good question," I began, "When Bella wakes up will she be, er, safe?"
"Ah, yes, what do you think, Jasper?"
"I would strongly recommend not being anywhere near the house." He said gravely, "I'm sure, between all of us, we can keep her from doing something she'd regret, but still… it's best to find out just how difficult she's going to be. Is there anyway you can disguise your scent?"
"I'm not sure." I replied.
"I don't know of any spell, but Dumbledore might." Sirius added.
"Regardless, I would very much like for him to visit," Carlisle interjected. "Maybe there is a way." He mused.
"If we aren't safe, what about Renesmee?" I suddenly asked, "She's going to want to see her baby."
"No, no, no, no" Jacob jumped up, "No way – she's not getting near Renesmee. Forget it."
"With all due respect." Carlisle said firmly and with a much authority as I'd ever heard from Dumbledore, "I don't believe that's for you to decide."
Jacob gulped. He certainly wanted to disagree, but the expression on Carlisle's face left little room for doubt. Jacob had stepped out of line.
"We'll ensure she's well fed first and guarded." Jasper warned, looking at Carlisle. He didn't seem any more comfortable with Bella being near Renesmee then Jacob.
"Of course." Carlisle said.
Jacob looked uncomfortably back at Renesmee, searching for something to say. He was panicked, as panicked as Edward had been when he believed Bella was going to die. "What about… what about a test – a trial run." He said abruptly.
"What kind of trial run?" Jasper asked.
"Well, what if she were to try someone else first – someone a little less breakable."
"You?" hissed Rosalie, then her expression changed, "I like it." she smirked.
"That's not a bad idea." Jasper said. "Maybe once she's fed though."
"And so where should we be." I asked.
"Down here in the living room, or in the cabin." Carlisle suggested.
"I think I would recommend the cabin." Jasper interjected, giving Carlisle an apologetic look, "If we're going to introduce her to Renesmee, I think it's best if we keep the living room as free from the smell of fresh blood as possible."
"Good point," Carlisle said, deferring to Jasper, "Jasper is very experienced in handling newborns." He explained, "He knows much, much more then the rest of us."
"I wouldn't say that Carlisle," he replied, "You've spent a lot more time with each of your newborns, teaching them to overcome their thirst. You've accomplished much more then I could have."
Jacob still looked anxiously between them and then returned to the couch where Rosalie was holding Renesmee, reaching to take her away.
"It's my turn." She snapped at Jacob. He snapped his teeth together and growled as she pulled Renesmee away and turned her back.
"Hey, now." Emmett cautioned from the chair, glaring back at Jacob.
"So, how much time does she have?" I asked
"According to Alice's vision, we have less then half a day."
"So sometime tomorrow morning."
He nodded.
"Well, then, perhaps Cedric and I should reply to Dumbledore and get some sleep. I'm sure it will be a big day tomorrow." Sirius said, nodding toward the cabin.
When we got back to the cabin, I jotted down a hurried note to Dumbledore.
Bella should be up tomorrow morning. Carlisle is worried she'll be not quite ready for visitors, still he would like you to come if you can. We are to wait in the cabin until she is ready.
A hasty reply came back.
I'll try to make it.
I made up a late supper and left most of it out. Seth and Leah had made regular appearances at the cabin. I wasn't sure, but I thought Leah was eating a little. I had noticed that the clothing disappeared off the dresser after her rant at Bella.
With all that had happened, I hadn't had much time to think of what she'd said. It had been unforgivably rude of her, to attack Bella in such a fragile state. But I couldn't help but admire her courage. To run into the house like that, to a room of vampires – for the sake of her leader… And to stand up for someone else – that was also noble. It was a shame her outburst hadn't been better directed. I suppose, looking back now with Renesmee safely delivered and Bella seemingly on the road to recovery, it was easier to be understanding about what she'd done. At the time I'd only been shocked, and then concerned for Bella's well being.
I recalled Sirius' teasing… puppies. It wasn't difficult to guess who he had been referring to. She was the only female wolf of the two packs. I shook my head. Women… it was far too complicated and I was still much too interested in Hermoine, despite her apparent coolness to our embrace. Did I want her enough to fight for her? Was there even a chance, with the two of us so far apart?
I hadn't really gotten much of a look at Leah in her human form. Just a sideways glance here and there as we pass by the cabin. She always seemed so focused on getting to where she needed to go and get back out to her pack. She barely glanced in my direction. I realized I didn't even really know what her face looked like… It didn't matter…
Sirius – he was messing with my mind… After all he'd also suggested baby vampires… that wasn't even possible. Would he really have considered a relationship with Tanya? She seemed so… unattainable. She was definitely interested in a physical relationship, but one that had even a spark of meaning? Had she really meant it when she said she wanted to try?
I shook my head. It didn't matter. What was I doing thinking about all this anyway? I finished up my dinner and turned in for the night, though I didn't get much of a rest. I was far too restless in my dreams to truly sleep.
