Chapter 9: Sick

Nessie

I woke up the next morning with a very sore throat, stuffy nose, and what I could only guess was severe congestion. In other words I felt like total crap. One of the major downsides of being human is being susceptible to things like the flu and the common cold. Or HIV. I shuddered. It was still hard to believe that I'd contracted that.

As soon as my parents were awake I told them that I was really sick and would be staying home from school that day.

I was surprised when my dad said. "That's fine. I hope you feel better soon," as it was the most he had said to me in months. Maybe Dr. Brown was right and they were finally warming up to the idea of me being pregnant. I wondered if I should tell them that I'd been drugged and raped. I decided against it. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them as far as I was concerned.

I was about to take a decongestant when I remembered that I was pregnant. It probably wasn't a good idea to take any medication. I'd just have to suffer through the coughing, sneezing, congestion and chills.

I laid on the couch with nothing other than Netflix on my mind. It was maybe an hour later when I suddenly heard a knock on my door. I sat up startled. My parents never came home this early. Against my wishes I got out of my bed. I peeked through the window and was surprised to see Bella standing there outside on my porch.

I opened the door quickly. "Mom what are you doing here?"

"I got really worried when you didn't show up for school. What's wrong?" I could see the worry in her eyes. She touched my cheek. Her ice cold skin felt good against my feverish skin. "Baby you're burning up!"

I tried to brush it off. "I'm fine it's probably just a bad cold or a flu,"

She shook her head. "I don't care. I'm taking you to your grandfather this instant,"

I shook my head but I knew that there was no point in arguing with my mom. She'd force me one way or another. "At least let me go get dressed first and look hallways presentable,"

"I'll wait for you down here,"

I rushed up the stairs and nearly tripped and fell. Luckily I caught myself just in time. Once inside my room I grabbed the first clothes my hands touched. I didn't even stop to think about whether or not I matched.

My mother was, of course, still waiting for me in my living room. She stood there the epitome of beauty. "Put on a jacket young lady," she said as I was about to walk out the door without a jacket. I didn't understand how it was possible that she intimidated me when I was taller than her. I sighed. Then I listened to her and got a jacket.

I followed her to her car. My heart was beating a little fast. I caught mom looking at me a few times as she drove. "Mom why do you keep looking at me?" I asked.

"Because I still can't believe that you're really here and alive. That's why," she said.

"I'm surprised that you're not mad that I never came back,"

"Oh I'm not mad. I'm furious. I'm furious that my own daughter thought that I was better off thinking she was dead. I'm furious that my own daughter would make such a decision without fully considering the impact that decision would have on everyone who loves her so much,"

"I know I can't erase years of pain but for what it's worth mom. I'm really sorry," I said.

She sighed. "Years of pain doesn't even begin to describe what we went through. But you're here now and that's all that matters. We love you and you will always be apart of this family no matter what,"

I couldn't help but sit there and think about what I could do to repair the damage that I had done. I didn't know how.

"I was just doing what I thought was best for everyone,"

"and that right there is the problem," mom said. "You did what you thought was best. So you left. Renesmee let me ask you something. You're about to have a baby. How would you feel if your son left you thinking he was dead? How would you feel if you found out years later that he left because he thought he was doing what was best for you?"

I couldn't imagine a world like that. The thought was too painful. No matter how he was conceived I love my baby. If I thought he was dead that would devastate me.

"It would hurt like hell,"

"It hurts worse than that. You don't know true pain until you think you've lost a child,"

I didn't want to believe that I had caused my family so much pain. The guilt was almost unbearable to handle.

"I have another question for you Nessie . Why don't you believe your father?"

It took me a second to realize that my mom had changed the subject. "Because Austen and the other two boys are my best friends. I know they would never do something that horrible to me,"

"and Edward is your father and he can hear every thought and memory that passes through their heads. Do you really think that your own father would lie to you about something so serious?"

"I don't think he's lying he just...misunderstood,"

"and you're in denial. You don't want to believe they would do that to you,"

"We've all known each other for ten years. I was the first friend that Austen made after he moved out here,"

"That doesn't mean anything. He raped you. He and those other two boys you call your friends are monsters,"

I shook my head. It couldn't be true. They had to be wrong. But my mom did have a point. My father wouldn't lie to me. He was my dad. But maybe he was wrong,"

"Austen Royce King is the nicest boy I know mom. He wouldn't-" my mom suddenly slammed on the breaks. If it weren't for the seatbelt I probably would've gone through the windshield.

"Mom what the-"

"What is his full name?" she asked me eyes full of shock.

"Ouch. Austen Royce King. Why?"

"You said he moved here. Where did he move here from?" she asked me urgently.

"Rochester, New York. Why?" I asked her.

She shook her head fast. "That's impossible the King family lineage ended in 1933 when-well it doesn't matter,"

"You're familiar with that story mom? No I can assure you the lineage didn't die out in 1933. It almost did. Back in 1933 Austen's great grandfather Royce King II had been engaged to a Ms. Hale. She went missing a week before they were supposed to get married. Nobody ever found out what happened to her. Sad really. Anyway Royce quickly found a new fiancée and within two months they got married. A month into the marriage was when Royce was mysteriously murdered in a hotel room. A few months later his widow discovered she was pregnant, as luck would have it, a son who carried on the family name. So the King lineage lives on to this day,"

Mom closed her eyes. "I'm not sure I want to be around Rosalie when she finds out about this,"

"Why would she even care about this?" mom looked at me but said nothing. Was I missing something?