A/N: So this was supposed to go out last night, but….I bought a fish tank. That's my only defense (long story). Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!
Again, another reminder: my knowledge of human healthcare is limited by my own Google research so I'm sorry if it's not completely accurate! I tried.
Chapter 21: Pain
"She's a fighter," Jamie said, looking over at Carine and Earnest, who smiled cordially in response. The middle-aged nurse played with the settings on the touchscreen for a moment longer before murmuring almost to herself, "All right, hon, let's see how you do."
It was Tuesday mid-day, and it was the second attempt at weaning Edythe off the ventilator. The first time, when the machine had been paused to give her lungs the opportunity to self-inflate, there had been good progress, but Dr. Vernetti and Carine agreed she was still a little too weak and to give her another couple of days. Thankfully, Carine had been able to calm the others, who could hear Edythe's struggling lungs and became panicked as they watched; the doctor had assured them that the machine was built with these considerations in mind and Edythe was not in danger from the few seconds of testing from the machine.
The Cullens were still on edge though as they waited with bated breath as Jamie made to begin the process again; Carine was unsure as well, but felt slightly more confident from the gradual, minuscule changes in Edythe's lung sounds over the small time period. She hoped what she heard would prove her right. Slowly, Jamie changed the gauges at Dr. Vernetti's direction and all eyes were on the monitor, the doctors' bouncing back and forth between the vital monitor and the little blue screen attached to the ventilator. A few slow beeps on the machine and then the production of a bright orange curve set danced across the screen; everyone sat tense and the vampires listened closely. Just as they could hear the gentle, spontaneous intake, the monitor beeped again and Dr. Vernetti exhaled, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Good girl," Carine murmured quietly, her face still on the monitors but a smile replacing the tension across her face as she listened to Edythe's quiet breaths, one after another. A set of sounds Carine had grown accustomed to up until five days ago, she never thought she would be so thankful to hear them again. Earnest squeezed her hand; Carine glanced at him for a minute, her encouraging smile soothing his fears as she confirmed in her face what he and the rest of the family hoped.
A succession of successful attempts of spontaneous breathing on Edythe's part gave Dr. Vernetti and Carine confidence to remove the tracheal tube and move Edythe off manual breathing. They were equally relieved as Edythe's body did not react to the change, minimizing the stress to transition to breathing on her own well. The Cullens, Carine including, were thankful to have it removed, making Edythe look a little more normal.
"She's improving every day," Paul assured Carine.
"I know, Paul," she said, "I'll just feel better when her eyes are open."
"Hopefully by tomorrow," he said and she turned from where she was watching Edythe—as always—to look at him, a little surprised.
"She's healing very well, better than I would have expected," he defended himself, "I think it wouldn't hurt to try to wake her up, though, of course, under decent pain medication. You know patients can heal faster when they are conscious and can actively work on getting better. Not to mention, you would feel more at ease." Carine knew he was right, and part of her really wanted to wake Edythe up, to finally see her eyes, to talk to her. But at the same time, she didn't want to wake her daughter up before she was sure she could be comfortable. And Dr. Vernetti seemed to know that.
"We will have her on morphine," he reminder her, "And if she needs something more, we will do whatever we need to keep it under control." Carine sighed, and nodded. He laid his hand on her shoulder, his lined face comforting; she worked to respond in kind but the doubt was still there. As he left the room, Carine moved to sit on Edythe's bed once more.
"They're going to wake her up?" Eleanor asked, her eyes curious and hopeful.
"Yes; they're going to ease her off the sedatives gradually over the next few hours," she said.
"She'll open her eyes tomorrow at four thirteen," Archie said, his eyes glazed for half a second before they cleared; the grimace on his face couldn't be hidden and Carine met his gaze, the question in her eyes. Archie exhaled, running his hand through his buzzcut.
"She's going to be in pain," he said sadly, "You won't be able to convince Dr. Vernetti to up the dosage before she wakes up." Carine's face twisted; she had figured as much, but it still hurt that the first few minutes of Edythe's consciousness will be in discomfort.
"He will be on standby to give more medication when she needs it," she said, comforting herself as much as her family. "But he's right; she needs to wake up eventually. She can't really begin to heal until she does." After a moment of silence following her statement, she looked toward Jessamine and Royal.
"Anything more?" she requested; they knew what she was talking about.
"Nothing," Jess said regretfully. "Victor is doing a good job at evading us."
Carine was not as upset as they expected her to be when they revealed to her and Earnest that her children had gone after Victor; if Edythe had been in a better state, Carine knew she would've done so herself. But she couldn't bring herself to leave Edythe's side. The Cullen siblings had been unable to locate, let alone take out, the redhead, but there was other information they had garnered from the searches.
The forest north to the accident sight was permeated with werewolf scent, something they did not expect in the moment but were not as surprised after the interaction with the Quileutes in the waiting room. The realization gave away how Bonnie had learned of the accident and, as such, had feared for Beau's life. Despite the Cullens' reluctance to admit that Bonnie had been right that their involvement had caused Victor's involvement indirectly, Beau refused to accept it.
"Victor was not your fault; nor was Joss. I knew next to nothing about vampires back then, but Victor only reacted because Joss did. Lauren didn't care; so my simple being there wasn't the issue. Joss was." He argued firmly, with no room for argument. The reminder was still sore for them, Archie in particular, who felt responsible for not seeing Joss' plan to lure Beau to Phoenix, despite Beau's insistence. However, the fact that Victor had been able to avoid detection from Archie unnerved them; and it didn't take them long to link Victor's sudden ability to Lauren, who was still in Alaska.
A quick call to Tanvir's coven in Denali resulted in even more insight: Lauren had mated to Ivan and, even though she did admit to relaying the information of Archie's and Edythe's gifts to Victor, Lauren did not feel any loyalty toward the redhead. Unwilling to cause a rift between themselves and their cousins as a result of qualms about Lauren, Carine had strongly encouraged due diligence on the part of Tanvir in observing his newest coven member. Archie could foresee that, though Lauren was hardly on the same level of humanity as themselves or the Denalis, she had meant no harm in the information spreading and was, in fact, working at transitioning to the vegetarian diet.
As a peace offering, Lauren did reveal that Victor had a proclivity for escape, no doubt an extra talent, which made finding him far more difficult. The Cullens were working on how to circumvent the extra ability, with little success, though they had felt better that their attempts at hunting were not fruitless simply because of their lack of ability. What they did find though was what had become of Edric; a small clearing thirty-five miles to the southeast of town was filled with Victor and Edric's scents, along with a long finished pile of ashes. The Cullens felt no remorse or sorrow for the loss of the vampire bounty hunter, only that they were unable to end his life themselves.
Archie was working nearly around the clock watching for Victor, trying to find some kind of hole in their defense; every time an opportunity would present itself, it would last only a few minutes where, of course, the family was unable to reach Victor in time. It was a constant conundrum for the family, between wanting to search and kill the nomad, but not waiting to go so far to leave Edythe, especially as she gradually started to improve.
Another new development was the abrupt change in attitude in Royal; the family was slightly surprised that Royal barely left Edythe's room, only to accompany or lead searches for Victor. Carine and Earnest were unaware of exactly what had transpired that first night when Royal had left into what turned into their first hunting party, but they were relieved that he finally had seemed to be warming up to Edythe. More than that, he was fiercely protective of her, a relationship neither parent expected. They did not try to push him for details, only grateful for the support he was providing.
There were many changes and many revelations, but they all seemed focused on one end, for Edythe to get better. And that started with her being able to wake up.
"It's recommended to limit the number of people in the room," Dr. Vernetti told them, eyeing the Cullen siblings, who did not look happy about the idea. Carine spoke before they could protest.
"We don't want to overwhelm her when she wakes up," she soothed them. "Earnest and I will be with her. Then, when she's ready, the rest of you can see her." At her words, they deflated, still disappointed but submissive; only Eleanor was still visibly upset by the situation. Carine squeezed Beau's hand gently before she and Earnest stood and moved toward Edythe's room, leaving their elder children in the lobby. Two nurses were there, including Jamie, who was hanging up the equipment to the ventilator, pushing it to the far end of the room, while the other placed two chairs close besides Edythe's bedside.
"Thank you Jamie, Diane," Carine thanked the two older nurses gratefully, and they smiled genially in response.
"Of course, Dr. Cullen. Please let us know if you or Edythe need anything," Jamie offered before departing. Carine moved and sat on the bed on Edythe's left side, her hand closing around Edythe's fingers, easily minding the venous port taped to her forearm.
"She's going to need more pain meds," Archie murmured from the lobby. The warning prompted Carine to reach out and press the button on the self-infused pain medication pump; though she knew it would make Edythe less coherent, she refused to allow her to feel any more pain than she already would be in. The two vampires stayed quiet, listening intently to Edythe's heartbeat and breathing, waiting for any change.
Thirteen minutes later, just as Carine anticipated and Archie predicted, there was just the smallest flutter of her eyelids. Earnest and Carine were alert, watching her for any other indication. A few moments later, a small sound—a low conscious inhale—issued between Edythe's lips. Carine squeezed her hand gently, breathing a small sigh when she felt the lightest pressure as Edythe closed her fingers around the familiar cool touch. A few moments later, her eyelids squeezed shut and then opened half way. As the green eyes found Carine's, the matriarch couldn't help a small exhale she didn't know she was holding.
"Mom?" Edythe whispered quietly, unsure and out of it.
"I'm here," Carine responded in a low voice, keeping the volume quiet to not disturb her. The matriarch smiled gently as Edythe's eyes focused on her face, but that expression twisted as Edythe tried to reach for her; she was only able to move her right arm a few millimeters before she gasped, her eyes scrunching from pain. Carine caught her, one hand pulling her arm back down while the other reaching forward to brush against Edythe's cheek.
"Shhh, sweetheart, try not to move," she told her. "You have a lot of injuries." Edythe seemed confused by the statement, but she relaxed under Carine's hands, partially from her mother's words, but also because any movement just resulted in a resounding ache lancing through her body. She squeezed her eyes shut as the pounding ebbed gradually, Carine keeping her hands on her face though she heard the low moan issue from between her teeth. Carine's worry grew and she glanced at the medication pump, checking how much of the maximum dosage had been administered.
"Dad?" Edythe whispered, her eyes staying shut and her body locked but still reaching just slightly with her fingers. Earnest reached forward, aching to touch her but not wanting to cause her distress. Carine leaned to the side to allow Earnest to move closer, running his fingers down Edythe's relatively uninjured arm.
"Earnest and I are here, Edythe. We're right here," Carine soothed her, her calming voice masking the despair at the obvious discomfort Edythe was in. "You're okay, sweetheart." That wasn't entirely true, Carine knew even as she spoke the words, but Edythe was okay in comparison to how she was directly after the accident.
Edythe's body relaxed marginally as the pain ebbed; it didn't go away though, just moved from the forefront of her mind to the side, allowing her a little more room to think. She was confused and exhausted in a way she had never felt before; this was unlike a sleepless night like the many she had experienced during the weeks of her nightmares. She felt as if her body had been pushed to the limit and was barely hanging on. She tried to open her eyes, to bring some resolution to the haziness, but it was painful; she squeezed her lids shut, turn her head slightly away from the brightness.
"The light hurts my eyes," she murmured. Earnest immediately moved, turning off the two lights besides her bed and dimming the far floor lamp. The lack of light eased the pounding in her head and Edythe opened her lids half way. She focused on her parents' faces, feeling the brim of tears, both emotional and physical, against her tear ducts. The glistening alerted Carine and Earnest and their worry intensified.
"What hurts?" Carine asked quickly. But Edythe shook her head every so slightly, a millimeter to the right and left. The pain wasn't the main reason for her response; she was coherent enough to recognize the environment and the varying aches. Though she had never felt this level of discomfort before, she knew it could only mean one thing. She was in the hospital and was hurt, hurt badly from what she could tell. The soreness in her throat could not only be due to lack of use; it was from intubation, an idea also supported by the drowsiness she felt from the high amount of sedatives and pain medication she had been or was currently dosed with. If she had been intubated, she knew it had been bad. But what she couldn't figure out was how she had gotten that way; her mind was drawing a blank.
"What happened?" she asked Carine, her eyes drifting up to meet her gaze. The vampire's mouth and eyes tightened slightly; she knew this was one of the first questions Edythe would ask, once she was able, and she was unsure whether providing the entire truth would be in Edythe's best interest.
"Tell her," Archie confided, "She'll react worse if you keep things from her." Carine sighed quietly, too quiet for Edythe to hear, then spoke, choosing her words carefully.
"You and Beau were on your way back from the bowling alley," she began, "but you got into a car accident. You have a severe spinal fracture in your lower back, seven broken ribs, a torn rotator cuff, a punctured lung, internal bleeding, as well as lacerations and bruises all over your body. And you lost a lot of blood." Edythe absorbed the list of injuries, finally putting names or rationales to the various pains that ached through her body, though confirmation of her suspicions did not comfort her. And her suspicions grew slightly; it was unlikely that such a horrible accident could have happened so out of nowhere. It was possible—especially given Beau's bad luck—but, given the look that Carine and Earnest exchanged that they thought she had missed, she knew it was not a freak accident. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"What was it?" she asked. Carine pursed her lips and Edythe thought for a moment Carine wouldn't tell her. But after a moment of hesitation, she answered.
"It was Victor," she confessed. "He ran you off the road." Edythe's eyes grew wide, and her heart rate started to increase. As the monitors' tempos skyrocketed, Carine hushed her, eyeing the monitors uneasily, knowing the stress would not help with Edythe's condition. But she trusted Archie, assuming this was a better reaction than what might have happened if Carine had kept the truth from her.
"He's gone, Edythe. He won't touch you, either of you," she promised her, "Sweetheart, please. The pain will get worse if you can't calm down. I don't want to have you sedated again." That realization, the threat of unconsciousness, gave Edythe the incentive to force herself to focus on Carine's words, to allow her heart rate to slow as she processed it. Despite she knew the pain would go away in unconsciousness, she did not want to go back to sleep. Carine pressed the back of her hand to Edythe's forehead, her golden eyes not hiding her worry as Edythe breathed deeply, working to calm herself.
"Where's Beau?" Edythe asked quickly, the concern and protective edge leaking into her voice, though not as strong as she wanted it to be. Carine was glad to be able to provide this information easily, knowing it would help.
"He's fine; he's out in the lobby. They would only allow us to be present when you woke up," she informed Edythe then glanced at Earnest, who immediately moved toward the door, calling for Beau. The human boy nearly sprinted to the door, his eyes finding Edythe's immediately, who relaxed marginally at the confirmation he was, in fact, okay. Earnest indicated the chair besides Edythe's bed, gesturing for Beau to sit. Beau exhaled heavily, relieved to finally see Edythe awake, leaning over to press his lips gently to her hand that Carine offered him; the vampire shifted to place her hand on the other side of Edythe, her fingers delicately stroking her injured arm.
"Edythe," he murmured; Edythe squeezed his hand, ignoring the pain it caused her, both of them visibly calming at being reunited.
"Beau," she said, her voice cracking, the name both a question and a demand.
"I'm here, Edythe, we're both okay," he assured her, rubbing his thumb over the back of her palm. Edythe was trying to remember the details of the accident, but came up blank. Sensing her confusion, Beau moved to clarify.
"You were knocked unconscious immediately. Victor was aiming for you," he said, the last part rather bitterly. Edythe nodded, forgetting that any movement was abhorrently painful and she flinched, her muscles automatically tensing. But this just caused more pain; it seemed everything she did was filled with pain and she grimaced, her eyes scrunching together as her head fell back against the pillows. Carine hushed her quietly, her fingers turning through her hair, even as she felt water fill her under her eyes.
"Mom," she whimpered softly, "It hurts." Her body trembled as her mind registered again how much everything ached.
"I know, carling, I know it hurts. We can give you more pain medication in a few minutes; just try to minimize your movement," Carine comforted her, the guilt and anguish lancing through her for how much pain Edythe was in, without the ability to give her anything else. The glistening in Edythe's eyes, as well as the few tears that slipped down her daughter's cheeks, cut through Carine like a knife. She had never felt so helpless.
She knew the premise for disallowance of family members being treated by a physician was legitimate; but, in this moment, not for the first time, she found the customary exceedingly aggravating. She had seen Edythe's injuries, and could only imagine how much pain she was in; she would need to speak to Paul again for additional pain management. She reached out once more to administer more analgesics as Edythe made to move; Carine lifted her hands to stop her, but Edythe just curled further into the blankets, ignoring the pain as the fingers of her right hand tightened around her mother's. Carine squeezed back softly, her hand pressed to Edythe's cheek.
"You are going to need at least a few weeks to recover," Carine told her quietly, though knowing Edythe probably had come to this conclusion. "A few months for your back; I'm keeping you home for the rest of the school year."
"How long do I have to stay here?" she asked. Carine smiled a little; she had a feeling Edythe would be as objected to the idea of staying in the hospital as Beau was, but this was not something she was willing to budge on.
"Until we can get your pain under control, at the minimum," she told her. "You'll need be on continuous medication for a few days, at least." Edythe grimaced, not from pain this time.
"Your body has been through too much the past few days. You need to let yourself heal," Carine told her firmly before brushing Edythe's hair back from her forehead. "You'll be out of here before you know it, I promise."
Edythe's pain level was decreasing, though much slower than she liked; everything was so uncomfortable that she minimized all movement as much as she was able. Dr. Vernetti and Carine had added a stronger medication to try to keep Edythe more comfortable, as long as she didn't move much.
Though it took a decent amount of the edge off, Edythe hated it. She hated the pain, the inability to move, to eat or sleep comfortably, the itchy IV lines and tape, the bandages over her flaming incision, not to mention how she felt medically. Besides the constant ache, she felt nauseous, and not just from the inane hospital food she was forced to eat. Her throat hurt from being intubated and every breath she took she felt as if her lungs and ribs were protesting their continued function. All she could do was just lay in bed and follow her family members with her eyes and speak to them, without being able to inflict gestures of movement without suffering the consequences.
Her family constantly worked to soothe her or distract her, just tremendously thankful that she was awake and communicating. But she struggled to keep her spirits up, for how horrible she felt.
"Her pain level seems to be going down," Dr. Vernetti noted, but Carine grimaced.
"I think she's trying to push that agenda so you'll send her home," the vampire admitted. Dr. Vernetti raised his eyebrows in mild surprise.
"Did she tell you that?"
"No, but her responses to the questions are not directly correlated to her responses to movement. She's not used to pain; she's never had anything like this happen before," Carine said; she could see that Edythe was lying, or at least exaggerating the truth. She may rate her pain as lower, but she still flinched and grimaced as much as she did since she woke up nearly two days before.
"Well, other than that, her incisions are looking good, and we can work on getting her mobility back…" Carine listened to Dr. Vernetti's update, all of which she knew already from watching Edythe day in and day out. But she was distracted as she heard the exchange in the room behind her.
"Get Carine," She heard Archie instruct in a low, urgent voice, then the sound of Eleanor's footsteps as she stepped across the room; as she opened the door and the two doctors met her gaze, they could hear the monitor began to sound.
A/N: I know this may seem like I'm being mean, but I promise, there is a method to my madness and this chapter was long enough as it is! The next chapter will be very long, and kind of like this in that not every second is written out (we don't need three chapters of Edythe in the hospital when she can't really do anything anyway).
But it will not be going up this weekend, unfortunately. Because this took me a little longer to get the little sections working correctly, and I have an exam next Friday, it will be going up next weekend! I'm sorry in advance and I hope this double post will appease you until then!