COVID moon chapter 11
"Ok Bella this is a complete self contained breathing apparatus. It is what all the doctors on the COVID ward wear. It will protect others from catching the virus from you and it will allow us to sneak you into the hospital." Carlisle explained as he helped go suit Bella up.
"It looks like something from space," Bella smiled sadly.
"It sure does, Bella's going to the moon," Emmett joked.
"Once we get you to your mothers room you can take your helmet off and have some private time with her," Carlisle continued, "Edward and Alice and I will hold lookout."
" But… I'm sick, no? Won't I give it to my mother?" Bella asked.
The room stayed dead silent for far too long after Bella's question. It didn't matter if she gave COVID to her mom because her mother wasn't going to live through the next 24 hours. Bella eventually worked out the answer herself.
"We best hurry then," Bella sighed.
"I am so sorry, love," Edward whispered speaking for the first time in forever. Bella didn't answer him or make any eye contact with him. She had been pointedly avoiding all eye contact with Edward since she woke in fact. Though she still instinctively kept herself as physically close to him as possible.
Edward didn't push her for any sort of acknowledgment, He just simply helped to click close Bella's helmet and ushered her out to the abandoned parking deck where Two heavily tinted black land-rovers waited.
Getting into the hospital undetected was extremely easy with both Edward and Alice there to help. They entered through the COVID ward and blended right in with all the other space cadet doctors and nurses running around. Slipping away to the none COVID side of the building was a bit more tricky as every door was turned into a checkpoint. It was nothing a little vampire dazzle couldn't handle though and soon Bella found herself outside her mothers room, listening to the rhythmic mechanical noises of the machines keeping her last living relative alive.
Bella couldn't walk over the threshold of the door. Her legs having turned to Kelly simply wouldn't move.
"Bella, love you can do this," Edward encouraged, putting his hand on the small of her back.
Bella hissed like a feral lion, "I fucking know I can do this, Edward I've been saying goodbye to people I love for as long as I can remember."
Edward, Esme called to him from the end of the hall where she was standing guard, you need to let her go on her own.
Edward nodded to both Bella and Esme. Watching Bella suffer made his insides feel like they were melting. This was the reason why he tried to leave her to spare her from pain, but it just made everything worse.
Eventually, Bella took a deep jagged breath and opened the sliding glass door into her mother's room, dragging Edward inside with her. She left him just inside the door because she still couldn't bare to away from him but also didn't want him there either. Life was so hard.
It was a relief to take her helmet off for a brief bit. Bella was extremely hot inside her suit and she suspected a fever was brewing inside her body now. The thought briefly popped into her mind that in just a few short weeks she could be dead too and maybe she could then see her folks again. Then Bella laughed out loud a little thinking just how lucky she was that Edward could not read her mind. The laugh utterly confused Edward.
"Mama, hi," Bella finally said pitifully as she looked down at an almost unrecognisable version of her vibrant mother. Tubes sprung out of her everywhere like vines growing wild in a forest.
"I'm sorry, Mama. I'm sorry for all the hell I put you through these past 8 years. I can't… I can't ever fully understand how much that must of hurt you and dad, but… but I want you to know that I'm ok. I really am ok so you don't… you don't have to worry about me and… and you can just fo..focus on enjoying this next part of… of your existence, mama. I hope it's full of adventure. I love you so much and I want to thank you for being my mom. I… I couldn't of asked for a better match for me," Bella leaned down and kissed her mom as best she could before speaking to Edward without turning around.
"How do I turn off her life support?" She asked surprising all the Cullens. Alice had seen a fuzzy image of this possibility but it had been so faint she just assumed Bella would never make that decision.
"I can show you, Bella but once we do it we will have to run out because it will make all the nurses come," Edward answered.
Bella squeezed her moms hand one last time before telling Edward, "ok, let's do it."
"Put your protection back on for a bit and let me air the room out. I know you don't want to infect any of your moms doctors."
Bella complied and squatted next to her mom while Edward quickly opened the rooms two windows and ran around the room at vampire speed to far the air flowing. After 5 minutes Alice instructed that the room was clean enough and they should hurry up because it was almost time for night rounds.
"Bella, love I can do this for you now, if you are sure?" Edward asked.
"I am sure, but I want to do it so just tell me what to do," Bella replied. Edward didn't like it, but he complied, talking Bella through each of the machines she needed to switch off.
"Wha won't they just turn it all back on ?" Bella asked.
"Yes, probably, but it will probably be too late," Edward answered honestly.
"No no no I don't want probablys I want definitelys. I want to set her free Edward, please please can't you help me."
Just then the door flew open startling Bella. Edward knew it was Carlisle coming to help though.
"Carlisle has an injection he could give your mom that will make sure… she goes now," Edward stated quietly.
"I want to do it," Bella re-affirmed, reaching out her hand for it.
"Ok, Bella," Carlisle said, giving her the needle, "you need to insert it into the main line right here and just gently push down until it's empty. It will be a matter of seconds before we have to run out of here though," Carlisle added.
Bella nodded and attempted to insert the needle but it was a struggle with her shaking hands. Edward wrapped his own hand around Bella's to help steady her and together they plunged the needle in.