54

EMPOV

Fuck, my ass hurt, I thought as I woke up again. Not only did my ass hurt but my hip hurt. My head hurt a little but my main focus was the searing pain in my ass. I moaned as I opened my eyes and looked around. My room was mostly dark. There was only the light over the sink on. I looked up at the clock. Fuck me, it was after midnight. How long had I been asleep?

I shook my head slightly and looked around the room. Rose was curled up on a cot next to my bed. Esme was sitting in the recliner in the corner with a blanket pulled up under her chin. It felt nice to have her here. I had never really realized how much I had missed not having a mom. Maybe that was because Bella and I always had Catherine to take care of us. Or maybe I just didn't realize I needed one until Bella got sick. Oh my god Bella! Was she ok? I panicked as I looked around the room again.

"Rose," I whispered hoarsely. My mouth and throat were dry. "Rose."

"Em," she muttered as she woke up. She looked at me for a minute before she jumped to her feet. "Oh Emmett, thank god you are finally awake."

"How's Bella?" I whispered.

"She's ok," said Rose as Esme woke up. She sighed as the relief flooded her face.

"You scared me, Emmett," scolded Esme as she stood up and came over to me.

"Sorry, Mom," I whispered. She picked up a cup of water and held the straw to my lips. I took a few sips.

"Is that better?" asked Esme.

"Yes," I said. "Bella's really ok?"

"She's doing ok," said Esme. "She's been worried sick about you."

"Figures," I mumbled. Esme smiled softly.

"I am going to go let Carlisle know you are finally awake," said Esme. "Then I'm sure he will let Bella know and be down here to check on you."

"Thank you, Mom," I said softly. I saw Rose smile as I called her mom.

"That's what Mom's do," chuckled Esme. She leaned down and kissed my forehead before she left. I patted for Rose to climb into the bed with me. She smiled as she did.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"I think so," I said. "My ass really hurts."

"You knew it would," chuckled Rose.

"I know but damn, it really hurts," I whined.

"I'm sure Carlisle will give you something for it when he comes in," said Rose. I looked down at her. "You scared me. You wouldn't wake up. You kept mumbling something about dragons and superman. Then you said something about kicking Royce's ass."

"I'm sorry, Baby," I said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I know," she said. "Bella was pretty freaked out that you weren't awake yet either."

"I'm sure," I said. "She worries too much."

"No, she doesn't," said Rose.

"Have they given her the marrow?" I asked.

"Yes," said Rose. "They started it a few hours after you went in."

"I hope it works," I barely whispered.

Neither Rose or I said anything else for awhile. We were just content with being in each other's arms. A few minutes later, Carlisle and Esme came in. Carlisle looked exhausted. He came over to my bed and glared at me for a minute.

"Can neither you or Bella ever do anything the easy way?" he asked.

"No," I said. "It's a Swan trait."

"You had us pretty worried, Emmett," said Carlisle as his face relaxed.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, not really sure what to say. It's not like I did it on purpose. Carlisle rolled his eyes. "You've been spending too much time with Bella. You rolled your eyes."

"Yeah, well, you apologizing for things outside of your control is something you and Bella seem to have in common," said Carlisle. "Now, how are you feeling?"

"My ass hurts," I said.

"On a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst, how bad does it hurt?" he asked.

"Eight," I said. He nodded his head.

"Ok, I'll get you some Tylenol," said Carlisle.

"How's Bella really doing? And don't give me that she's ok answer. I want the truth," I said.

"She's doing ok. She's tired and a little nauseas but she's ok. We're watching to make sure she doesn't start running a fever, which she isn't," said Carlisle. "I have her on antibiotics to help fight infections. She's doing ok."

"Thank god," I whispered. "When can I go home?"

"In the morning," said Carlisle. "You need to get out of this bed and walk around for a bit. You've been in this bed for the last fourteen hours."

"Why was I out so long?" I asked.

"Oh, you came to a few times," he chuckled. "You were quite the chatter box. I think you had a small reaction to the anesthesia. Some people have harder time come out of it than others. Not a big deal."

"Good to know, I guess," I said.

"Let's hope you don't need to know this again for awhile," chuckled Carlisle. "I'm going to go back down to Bella. I'll send a nurse in with some Tylenol and then I want you to get up. Sit on the side of the bed first, then try to take a few steps but nothing crazy, Emmett. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," I said. "Tell her I'm ok."

"I will," said Carlisle. "I'll be back later in the morning."

I thanked Carlisle again before he left. A few minutes later, a nurse came in with the Tylenol. I quickly took it before she left. Rose and Esme helped me sit up on the side of the bed. I tried to be a man about it but I cried a little. My body ached from laying in the bed for so long and my hip and ass were sore. After I moved pasted the dizziness, I managed to stand up and take a few steps before I sat back down.

I sat on the side of the bed for a few minutes before I laid back down. Rose laid down with me and Esme settled into her chair. I let my mind drift off to Bella as we all drifted back to sleep.

BPOV

I watched as they rolled Emmett passed my window, while Edward held me. I could see the fear and worry on Emmett's face. So much for my letter making him feel better. Edward turned and carried me back over to my bed. He slid on next to me and held me while I laid my head on his chest. My tears were falling freely down my face.

I must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing I new the door to my room opened and Carlisle came in. He had the bag of Emmett's marrow in his hand.

"How'd he do?" I asked.

"He did fine," said Carlisle as Edward slipped off my bed. "He should wake up anytime."

"Are you sure he's ok? I mean, he should have been awake by now, right?" I asked. He rolled his eyes at me. "I was just asking."

"Between you, Edward, and Emmett, I've about had it with the worrying," said Carlisle as he sat on the side of my bed, causing Edward to roll his own eyes. "Bella, first of all, I would be completely honest with you if something had gone wrong, ok? Secondly, he's still out but he should be coming out of it anytime. Yes, he's been asleep a little longer than is normal but I assure you that he is perfectly fine. Just trust me."

"I am trusting you, Carlisle," I said. "I just can't help but worry about him. He's my brother."

"I know, sweetheart," he sighed as he stood up. "I am going to start the transplant now. I am going to attach a small thermometer to your temple. It will alert the nurses desk if you start running a fever. It's very important for you to call Chloe if you feel like you are running a fever, if you feel any chest pains, or if you notice any hives, ok?"

"Ok," I said softly.

Carlisle quickly got the marrow going and hooked up the thermometer. I felt like an alien. He insisted that Edward go eat with him. Edward begrudgingly agreed. As soon as they were gone, I pulled up my laptop and pulled up my blog site. I smiled inwardly when I saw a new message from Tricia.

Bella,

Wow, so the big day is finally here, huh? I'm sure you're already tired of
hearing this but too bad, I hope everything goes smoothly. There I said it
so now we can move on to more important topics….like boys.

Now, I know what you are thinking. I'm only thirteen so what do I know
about boys. I don't know much except that sometimes they do really stupid
things. Does that ever change? I mean, my little brothers tried to jump off
the roof of our house over the summer onto an old mattress. Thank god my
dad stopped them before they did but I just don't get what was going through
their heads.

So tell me about your husband. What's it's like to be married at eighteen? I don't
need any graphic details so please feel free to keep those to yourself. I guess what
I'm wondering is, what does it feel like to be in love? I can't help but wonder if I
will ever know what true loves feels like.

Let's stop talking about such depressing matters. I've taken your advice and
started my novel. I'm mostly working on the outline right now but at least it
gives me something to focus on other than the pain and fear. My dad convinced
my mom to seek out another opinion so we are off to Houston next week to get my
brain scanned by a whole new team of doctors. I'm already tired of it.

I'd better go. Ashton wants me to help him with his homework. I don't think he
really needs help. I think he just wants me to be close to him. I don't really mind.
Take care, Bella.

Tricia

Tricia,

Thanks for the well wishes. I would be lying if I said that it
wasn't getting old. It's not so much that I'm tired of people
wishing me well, it's just that I'm worried about getting their
hopes up. Maybe I'm just being grumpy.

So boys, huh? First, I don't think you are too young to know
anything about boys. Trust me, you have nothing on Rose. I
wish I could tell you why boys do stupid things but I don't.
When Emmett and I were ten, he thought it would be fun to
ride his skateboard while holding onto the back of cars. Yeah,
needless to say the road rash the boy had for several weeks
was not pleasant. Luckily none of it left any physical scars.
I love Emmett, but he doesn't always think things through.

As for my Edward, there is so much I could say about him. He's
the most amazing man I have ever met. Seriously, he never
complains about having to hold me while I am sick or too tired
to hold my own head up. He's amazing and wonderful. He plays
the piano and when I watch him, I will admit that I get a little
turned on. Ok, I know you didn't ask for any details but I couldn't
help myself. He's just perfect and I'm terrified about losing him. It's
more than just what if I die. What if I get better and he doesn't want
me anymore? That would break me worse than being sick has. He's
my life, you know? He's my muse.

Enough of my self pity. Being in love is the most amazing feeling. It's
like waking up on Christmas morning and finding that Santa has left
you everything you didn't know you wanted. I never thought I would
find someone who loves me for me, you know?

Good for you for starting your novel. I expect a signed copy as soon
as it is published. Good luck in Houston, Tricia. I know you are
scared but hopefully everything will work out. You're a good sister
for helping Ashton with his homework. He needs you more than you
realize he does. Trust me on this one. Mine is trying to save my life.

Until next time,

Bella

I sent her the message and pulled up my blog site. I had several people leave comments.

Bella,

I've been following your blog for the past several days. I wanted to tell
you that I think you are incredibly brave. For someone of only eighteen,
you have an old soul. Good luck with your journey. My thoughts and
prayers are with you.

Vikki

Bella,

Good luck with your transplant. I have added you to the prayer list at my
church. Just know that as you face this trying time that we are praying
for you and your family.

Meredith

Dear Bella,

My name is Jim. I just turned fifty and found out I had cancer when I went
in for a routine physical. I guess that's what I get for getting a check up, huh?
Anyway, I've been watching your blog for several days and I have to tell you,
I'm really impressed with your courage. My wife of nearly thirty years is not
handling my illness very well. We've been told that I probably only have months
left. Not really sure how to feel about that. Then to top it all, our daughter just
announced that she and her husband are expecting their first child. We've
been waiting for grandchild for so long and now I may not get to see him or her.

Anyway, I didn't mean to go off on my own self pity. I just wanted to tell you that
I admire you. You should real courage to come on here and be honest with all of
us. I hope that the transplant is successful and you love a long, happy life with
your husband. The only advice I have is that you live each day to the fullest. I
wish I had.

Jim

I wiped the tears off of my face and clicked onto Jim's page. He had posted a picture of him and his wife. He was a good looking man with salt and pepper hair. He had his arms wrapped around a stunning red head with hazel eyes. You could tell that he and his wife were very much in love. I clicked over so I could send him a message.

Dear Jim,

Thank you for your advice. In the nine plus weeks that I have been sick, my
husband and I have made a list of things we want to do before we die. I suppose
it's our own bucket list. I'm sorry about your cancer. I know how scary those
six little letters are. Give you wife some time. I know its hard to watch her suffer
but I can tell from the picture on your page that you and she love each other
very much.

Something I haven't talked about on my blog is that my father passed away a few
weeks ago. My brother and I were very close to him. It hurt a lot when he died but
I know that he is still here with me. I feel him wrap his arms around me when I'm
scared and frightened. I know this may not help but if you do die before your
grandchild is born, then I believe you will watch over him or her. I honestly believe
that those we love never truly leave us. They live in our hearts and souls. Good luck,
Jim. Try to enjoy what time you do have with your family.

Bella

I shut my laptop and pushed it away. I carefully rolled onto my side and watched as Emmett's marrow slowly dripped into the tube leading into my body. I'm not sure how long I laid there watching as my last chance dripped into my body when the door to my room opened. I shifted my eyes over and saw Edward come in.

"Any word on Emmett?" I asked.

"Not yet," said Edward. "They said he came to for a minute or so before he fell back to sleep."

"Oh," I whispered as I shifted my eyes back to the IV bag. I let a tear fall down my face. "If something happens to him…"

"He'll be fine," whispered Edward, sitting on the side of my bed. He entwined his gloved fingers in with mine.

"Edward?" I whispered.

"What?" he asked. I tore my eyes away from the marrow and looked over at him.

"Tell me a story," I whispered. "Tell me a story about something we'll do if I make it."

"The first thing we are going to do is go to Florida," said Edward as he laid down next to me. I shifted over and laid my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me. "We are going to spend at least one whole day at the beach. Just letting the sun shine down on us."

"That would be nice," I whispered.

"We'll build a big sandcastle," he said. "I'm sure Emmett and Jasper would help us. I bet we can talk Emmett into letting us bury him in the sand. We can walk through the water. We can let the surf wash over us as we sit on the beach and watch the sun fall over the water at sunset."

I left my head on his chest while he continued to talk about everything we would do and I let tears fell freely. I didn't have the strength to wipe them away. I didn't really want to anyway. Carlisle came in several times to check on me. He reassured me that Emmett was fine, even though he still hadn't woken up.

The day went by and I started to worry more. They brought me my dinner but I couldn't eat much. My stomach was in knots. I wasn't sure if it was a reaction to the marrow or because I was worried about Emmett. At ten, Carlisle ordered Edward to go home and sleep. I didn't really want him to leave but I understood why he couldn't stay.

I tried to sleep but all I could see when I closed my eyes was Emmett passed out. I couldn't get the image out of my mind. He had already been out for several hours longer than he needed to be. I should have never agreed to let him do this. I knew something was going to happen to him. It was just after midnight when the door to my room opened again. Carlisle came over and grabbed my hand.

"Emmett's awake," he said.

"Are you sure?" I asked through my tears.

"Yes, sweetheart," he said, sitting on the side of my bed. "I just came from him. He told me to tell you that he is ok."

"Oh, thank god," I sobbed softly. Carlisle pulled me into his arms and held me while I cried. "If something had happened to him…."

"He's fine," whispered Carlisle. "He was already complaining about his ass hurting."

"He can complain all he wants," I cried. "He's earned it."

"That he has," whispered Carlisle. "Now, I want you to get some rest, ok?"

"I'll try," I whispered as I laid back on my bed. "Carlisle?"

"What?" he asked.

"Thank you for taking care of Emmett and Edward for me," I whispered. "They are the most important people in my life right now. I couldn't have done this if I didn't know that you were taking care of them."

"That's what fathers do for their kids, Bella," said Carlisle. "You, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, you're all my kids, too. I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered.

"Sleep," he ordered. "I'll be back in the morning."

"Ok," I said.

Carlisle squeezed my hand before he left my room. I rolled onto my side and tried to get comfortable as I pulled up my blanket. As I fell asleep, my thoughts went to Emmett. Would I ever be able to repay him for giving me life?