I do not own Twilight.
Huge thanks to SunflowerFran for betaing – remaining mistakes are mine.
oOo
Low voices, and the beeping of a machine.
Darkness.
Someone touching his side. Pain.
Darkness.
Voices again.
"Yes, but the bleeding was pretty heavy, so we had to give him a transfusion…"
"Oh, dear God."
Mum?
"Hurts… it hurts…"
"Shh, baby… It will be better in a moment."
.
He woke from a blinding headache, as if his head was being crushed from all sides. And he felt sick.
Opening his eyes, he remembered bits and pieces.
Emmett's shocked voice.
An ambulance.
A searing pain in his leg.
He was at the hospital. There was an IV needle in his hand. It was dark outside.
He groaned.
"Edward!"
Only now did he notice that the chair next to his bed was occupied.
"Mum…"
"Oh, darling, you're awake!" She got up and stroked his cheek. She had tears in her eyes.
"What… what happened, Mum?"
"Edward?"
Another voice, from the other end of the room. He tried to turn his head.
"Don't move, sweetheart."
His mother's cool hand was on his temple.
"I must've fallen asleep…"
It was the most adorable voice in the world, and when she finally came into sight, Edward felt a tear run down his cheek.
"Bella…"
Sitting gingerly on the bed, she looked at him. He'd never seen her so tired, or sad; there were deep circles under her eyes, and she was pale, and she looked so thin.
"I'm going to get a nurse to get you some pain medication," Esme announced, and left the room.
"Edward." Bella ran one finger over his cheek.
"Can I have something to drink?"
"Yes, just a second."
She helped him with the cup and straw. Even the effort of drinking was too much.
Ironic, really.
He sank back into the pillows.
"What happened?" he asked again, his voice low and raspy.
Tears gathered in Bella's eyes.
"You had an accident. You… you were drunk, Edward, and you fell into the glass table in the living room." She was trying to hide her sobs, but not succeeding. "You broke two ribs, and you cut your leg quite badly. It was bleeding heavily."
Edward closed his eyes in shame.
"What… who…"
"Emmett found you. I was getting so worried because you didn't answer your phone. I didn't have his or Rosalie's number, but I figured that Jasper would. He made Emmett go to our house to check on you."
She was crying so hard by now that her words were muddled.
"Edward, I… I could have lost you…"
"I'm so sorry, baby," he whispered. He touched her hand. "So sorry…"
"I love you so much, Edward, don't you know that?"
"I'm sorry," he whispered over and over.
She covered her face with her hands, sobbing incontrollably.
"We… you… this has to stop, darling. I can't watch you do this to yourself… You need… you need to get help."
He was looking at her, and knowing what she said was true – it broke his heart.
He was making her ill, and unhappy.
He'd only ever wanted her to be healthy, and happy.
Edward gave her hand a little squeeze.
"Bella? Bella, love, look at me, will you?"
She looked up, all red eyes and wet, blotchy cheeks.
"I know, Bella," he said with as much strength as he could muster. "I know. And I will."
oOo
Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you think.