Thanks for being patient with us on this. We are working diligently on it, but sometimes life gets in the way.

Thanks to all of our devoted readers. Thanks to MaryV121 who helps me with suggestions for the blog, the Pattinson pic of the week and the music.

xoxo dbtcjs

Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight…

Before my mind could even register what was happening, the car turned its wheels and skidded into me from the side.

*******

The sound of Edward's voice pulled me back to reality, "Bella, are you there? Can you hear me? Wake up sweetie." He sounded panicked and scared. What the HELL just happened and why does my entire body ache?

My heart was racing like a turbo engine, and I could tell that my adrenaline was pumping through every vein I had trying to help me deal with this situation. I wanted to be anywhere but here; anywhere but lying in the middle of the street in the fucking rain. I wanted Edward to take me away.

The pain I felt was immense and a dull throbbing was radiating all the way up and back down my left leg. The pain seemed to culminate in and around my knee. It was unlike anything I had ever felt. The back of my head was also pounding, and the sudden urge to reach around to see if I was bleeding was almost overwhelming. I was too afraid of what I might find and quickly decided against it.

Instead, I tried to sit up. My attempt was stopped when I felt hands gently ease me back, guiding my head to rest in his lap. It was Edward, my beautiful Edward.

"Bella, please don't move too much. What hurts? Are you ok?" He asked with sheer horror in his voice.

Wow, he is really cute. How could I have ever let him slip away? I must be crazy or stupid….yeah, that's it….stupid!

The look on his face was like nothing I had ever seen before. He appeared terrified and worried; almost to the point of hysteria. I must be in pretty bad shape for him to look like that. Even in my clouded state, I knew I had to ease his fears. "Edward," I whispered before my brain shut down in an effort to cope with the circumstances.

********

I felt myself wake for a brief moment but fear kept me from opening my eyes, and the agonizing pain in my head kept me from comprehending what was going on. I could tell I was in an ambulance, and I felt myself get scared when I didn't hear anything but the blazing sirens. Where is Edward? Did he not ride with me? Does he despise me to the point that he no longer cares if I live or die? I was terrified and needed him more than ever. Just knowing he was with me would be enough, for now. This accident so does not fit into my "winning Edward back" plan.

Finally I heard his voice, but it didn't sound real. It sounded far away and it almost echoed in my ears. I was relieved to know he was sitting right next to me and wanted so badly to reach out to him. He seemed to be recapping the story of the accident and sounded completely distraught. "She was in the middle of the street trying to get her ridiculous shoe. I should have helped her, but I didn't." His voice sounded strained and out of sorts; almost apologetic. He paused for a moment and all I heard was rapid breathing. "Bella was meeting me to sign our divorce papers." I heard the sound of rustling paper, "See, here they are." He must have been showing someone the evidence. "I used to love her. God, how I loved her."

Loved? I didn't have the strength to let his use of the word in the past tense worry me. I heard him mumbling something under his breath, but I couldn't really make out what he was saying. Most of the words I did hear didn't make much sense. Edward had a tendency to ramble in high stress situations, "Always…her…in some way…still… can't fight it…oh God…too late." I wondered if his spurts of words were still referring to the accident. His breathing started to come in sharp, short pants. He was losing it. I felt him grab my hand and then felt the pressure of his forehead resting on my chest. "Oh God Bella, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. My Bella. My sweet Bella."

My sweet Bella? I heard that loud and clear, word for word. He actually had lost it. I knew I had been anything but sweet and for him to call me that…..he must have some sort of memory loss. I squeezed his hand slightly, and heard my name a few more times, before my brain shut me down again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Mrs. Swan?" I heard someone softly calling my name, "Mrs. Swan can you open your eyes for me?" I slowly woke and felt my eyes flutter open. I was instantly blinded by a bright light above my head, and I squinted while trying to catch of glimpse of the faceless voice calling my name. "I'm sorry. Let me move this. There, is that better?"

I opened my eyes but didn't try to sit up. I briefly scanned the sterile room, and searched for my Edward. Instead of seeing him, I saw blue curtains hanging from the ceiling on all sides and a series of doctors and nurses hovering around me.

Edward was my first thought outside of the pain. "Where's Edward?" I asked with a strained tone.

"He's out in the waiting room. Don't worry." A doctor informed me. I was a little shocked to find out that he was still here but glad he cared enough to stay. Despite the overwhelming pain I felt, I was actually happy, maybe even a slightly excited. I thought back to his beautiful smile; the one he flashed me right before the accident. My heart fluttered when I came to the conclusion that maybe he still cared for me. I felt a glimmer of hope and could not wait for the opportunity to tell Edward how I felt. This accident was just a speed bump in our road to reconciliation.

I made a silent promise to myself that I would make things right between us as soon as possible. I felt a sense of urgency and in an effort to speed things up a bit, I asked the doctor who seemed to be in charge, "Where am I, and when can I be released?" I knew I was in a hospital, but I wanted to know which one. I also knew I was in pain and hoped they would just give me some pain meds and let me go home.

"You're at Baylor hospital in downtown Dallas, and I'm Dr. Greene." He wasted no time getting to the point, "Now, I want you to wiggle your fingers and toes for me." He seemed to ignore the "when can I get released," question; which annoyed me slightly.

Then the realization of what he might be implying sunk in, and my eyes got wide and welled up with tears. I quickly tried to wiggle them but was afraid to look. "Am I moving them?" I asked as a tear spilled over and ran down my cheek.

He chuckled a little but assured me, "Yes, sweetie you're moving them. Do you feel yourself moving them?" He asked with concern.

Thank God!

"I do, but I was afraid I was imagining it." I said as my fears diminished.

"It's okay. You can stop moving them now. Tell me where you feel pain."

I felt it all over and just assumed that was to be expected after what had just happened to me. Not wanting to sound like a big baby, I only mentioned the areas that were causing extreme pain, "My knee hurts the worst. It's my left knee, and the back of my head hurts pretty badly too." It feels like I was run over by a car – ha!

"Yes, you have about a one inch long gash in the back of your head. We are going to take care of that as soon as we get your CT scan done. Are you having any trouble breathing?"

I took a deep breath to test my ability, "No, I can breathe just fine." I sighed in relief.

I looked at him as he continued to question me, "Any nausea or anything else like blurred vision that I might need to know about?"

"No nausea, or other problems; just pain," I said as I tried to adjust myself in my bed to get more comfortable. My adjustment was unsuccessful and only caused more stabbing, shooting and throbbing. Apparently, the doctor could read my mind, because I was about to ask for some pain medication when he mentioned it.

"Okay, we are going to give you an IV to help with your pain." He moved out of the way as a nurse stepped in his place. He motioned to the nurse, "Wait just a minute." He moved to the end of my stretcher, "Mrs. Swan I am going to look at your knee before we give you anything for the pain. I want your true reaction, okay?"

"Okay," I replied. I didn't want him to actually touch my knee, but I had a feeling he was going to.

He looked closely at my leg. "Mrs. Swan you don't appear to have any broken bones, but I would like to try a little maneuver on you. You just let me know if you feel any discomfort, okay?"

I nodded and prepared myself for the worst. I didn't think I had broken a bone either, because I had broken my arm as a child and that is not a pain you forget. This felt different; almost like it was inside or behind my knee.

He placed his right hand behind my leg, just above my knee, and his left hand rested firmly on the top of my leg just below my knee. "I am going to perform something called a Lachman test. It will help me determine if you have a torn ligament or not." He positioned his hands correctly one more time, "Just try to relax."

The fear of what was to come made me start to sweat. Then I felt it, he seemed to move my upper thigh and lower leg in opposite directions.

"Ouch!" I hollered. He immediately stopped the maneuver and placed my leg gently back on the bed.

"Alright, I apologize for that. I knew that some pain might be involved in that. The Lachman test only causes discomfort if the injury has just occurred." He turned to one of the male nurses in the room, "Order a CT scan for her head, and an MRI for her left knee. Tell the radiologist we are looking for a torn ACL. Oh, and start with the CT scan. I am more concerned with the possible head injury, than I am with the knee."

I watched him gesture to the nurse standing by my head, giving her the green light on administering my IV.

"I know you are having some discomfort. The meds in your IV should help. I will be back shortly." He grabbed my chart before walking out. Some discomfort! I hurt like HELL!

Finally, the nurse placed the IV into my left hand. Knowing what my reaction would be, I didn't watch as she methodically did her job. I had a tendency to get nauseous and faint at the sight of needles. Just knowing what she was doing was enough to cause queasiness. Feeling the slow burn, I laid there and let the drip fill my veins.

My minor aches were subsiding, and the only real pain I could still feel was in my knee. Of course my pride was hurt, but the meds couldn't make that issue any better. I didn't consider myself much of a klutz, but today I was obviously in rare form.

I had to close my eyes to concentrate on making some sense of my impending future. I realized then that my request to leave the hospital so soon was ridiculous. I had obviously done something to my knee that was going to put me out of commission for a little while. What the hell was I going to do now?

I was going to need someone to take care of me, for a few days at least while I got back on my feet. I knew Alice would want to help, but she had a young son and wouldn't be in a position to be at my disposal. Rosalie, my sweet sister in-law, could help, but her dramatics would likely get in the way of my recovery. Plus, she has a little one as well. How could I ask either of them to take care of me when they each had families to tend to? I didn't know if Edward would help me or not, and I was too scared to approach him with the current state of our relationship. For the first time in my life, I felt like I didn't really have anyone to turn to.

Why had I been too proud to say anything before? If I had just been honest with Edward, none of this would have happened. I felt a knot form in my throat, and I wondered if he was still out in the waiting room. I wanted him with me. I wanted to feel safe and protected, and I knew he could give me that. I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and apologize…..tell him how much I loved him, and how I never really stopped.

I felt the knot grow bigger when I wondered how he would receive that information. He hated me, and I knew it. I wondered if I was too late. I should have never let him leave the night he told me he was moving out. I should have told him then, but I was too angry and let my pride get in the way. I felt my cheeks get wet, and I reached up to wipe the tears away, knowing that spilling my guts to him was the only way to make him see the truth.

I closed my eyes and remembered what it felt like to have his arms around me. Edward's arms could cover my entire body. We fit perfectly together like pieces of a puzzle. I loved it when he pulled me to him, and I nuzzled against his chest. Lying there in my hospital bed remembering his touch, I could actually feel the weight of his arms on my shoulders, and the smell of his perfect skin. When we first got together, I fell asleep that way every night; my naked body molded against his. "I love you Bella," I could almost hear his smooth voice as he said it in my head.

I finally felt the physical exhaustion of the day and the night before take over. I hoped that when I woke I would find him by my side.

I woke in what seemed like minutes later to the sound and feeling of a nurse checking my vitals.

"Where's Edward?" I asked immediately.

"He is still out in the waiting room. We handled the cut on the back of your head and the doctor has the results of your MRI and CT scan," She said as she looked down at me after writing some notes down in my chart. "Dr. Greene should be in shortly to give you your results, okay? Can I get you anything?" She asked tenderly.

"No, thank you."

"Alright, your doctor should be in any minute." She turned and walked out.

I was pleasantly surprised that Edward was still in the waiting room. I imagined that Alice was out there too, probably freaking out, I wondered if Edward had called Emmet and Rosalie yet.

The medicine in my IV forced me to relax, and I laid there with the bright fluorescents staring back at me. How is a girl supposed to get any rest with those lights? I felt myself sink deeper into the stiff bed, and my eyes became heavy again. I didn't want to fall asleep, and I was fighting it with everything I had. Regret and sadness filled me when I realized how alone I truly was.

I glanced down at my left hand that had the IV in it. It wasn't until then that I noticed my ring was missing. I figured that a doctor or nurse had removed it at some point. I could only hope that Edward had it now. He was probably wondering why I had worn it, and I briefly wondered if he was wearing his.

Flashback

I remembered back to the day that Edward gave me my ring. He caught me completely off guard. We hadn't even talked about marriage. Edward took a huge risk by asking a girl who he hadn't even discussed it with. I wouldn't have changed it though. I was probably one of the last lucky few who had no clue a proposal was coming. We had only been dating for six months when he asked me.

Earlier in the week he told me that he had plans for us on the following Saturday. He said it was a surprise, and that I should be dressed casually and not to get upset if my hair got messed up during our outing. His request left me speechless and full of curiosity. I was dying to know what he had up his sleeve and kept asking him questions and begging for hints. He teased me with little clues like, "hopefully this will be the most memorable day of your life" and "come Saturday, you will see sparkles every time you look down." Other than his "so called indications," his lips were sealed. Looking back on it now, I should have known. He was practically giving it away. I was just so caught up in him that I wasn't paying attention.

He arrived at my door looking sexier than ever holding two helmets…..no flowers, just two black helmets. I stood in the doorway not knowing what to expect. He noticed my questioning look, "We're going for a ride." At that moment, I was really glad that all I had done with my hair was blow dry it and leave it straight. I figured since he said not to be upset if it got messed up, then I was not going to spend a whole heck of a lot of time fixing it.

Stepping into the driveway, I noticed it – the motorcycle. It was a very pretty black and chrome Harley Davidson. Not that I am a huge fan of the motorcycle, but this one sure was pretty. I knew Edward had a bike, but I had never seen it since he kept it in storage. My stomach did about ten back flips just thinking about getting on that thing. I was an emotional train wreck; feeling scared, nervous, excited. The best part was knowing that I would get to ride behind Edward holding him close until we arrived at our surprise destination.

The ride was completely exhilarating as he drove us to a quaint little Italian restaurant. I loved feeling the wind against my skin and the purring engine between my legs. I never thought of a motorcycle ride as being sexy, but by the time we arrived I was aroused and overly stimulated.

It was lunch time, but we seemed to be the only patrons in the place. We were seated at a tucked away booth in the back of the restaurant that was eloquently dressed with a white table cloth and black linen napkins. A few red carnations floated in a small bowl in the center of the table. It was not five star, but was perfect for our Saturday lunch date.

Knowing we would not be able to keep our hands off one another and not wanting to draw attention to ourselves, we sat on the same side of the booth out of site from basically everyone. We took the opportunity to sit as close to each other as we could and kiss as often as we could. I could tell something was making Edward act different, and I was beginning to wonder about the reason he brought me to lunch. I was about to say something, when he turned to me, "Bella, you know how much I love you right? You know that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me right?"

I wasn't sure if he actually wanted an answer or not, so I just nodded and gave him a curious look. After a long pause, he continued, "Bells, you would make me the happiest man in the world if you would be my wife." Jesus… did my heart actually stop? I did a metal check of my vitals. Yup, it stopped and had to restart itself. Then he pulled a beautiful ring from his pocket, "I love you with all my heart, and I want to spend the rest on my life with you." He took a deep breath, "Will you marry me?"

I couldn't believe it. My eyes welled up with tears, and I cupped his face as I pulled his lips to mine. I was absolutely and utterly astonished, amazed, and overwhelmed. I was so shocked by the ring that I forgot to say, "Yes." I just stared at it and then at Edward and then back at the ring. Finally, Edward said, "Ummm, is that a yes?"

Realizing that I had yet to say anything, I threw my arms around his neck and whispered, "Yes," over and over in his ear; along with some "I love yous"

Edward picked up my left hand and stared into my eyes as he slipped the gorgeous ring on my finger. With devotion in his voice and a smile on his face, he leaned in and whispered against my lips, "This means you are mine forever."

Forever. Sounds good to me.

With him so close, I seized the moment and gave his lips a slow lick. I let my tongue linger until his lips parted, and I entered his mouth. This turned into the most amazing and most passionate kiss I have ever experienced. Our kissing continued and at one point, the waiter had to clear his throat to break up our heated make out session. After giving our orders to the waiter, we resumed our positions locking lips and groping all the right spots.

The long table cloth covered our under the table actions, and I proceeded to unzip Edwards pants and began to stroke him with long and slow movements. "Bella, you don't even know what you are doing to me, ughhhh. You make me so hot!"

When the kissing and the hand job become too much for either of us to handle, we headed to the bathroom hand in hand. Without anyone noticing, we both entered the "Ladies Room." It was a single bathroom with double sinks; which made no sense what so ever.

As soon as the door was locked, we began kissing and removing each others clothes in a heated rush. "Edward, I need you so bad. I want to feel you inside me. Please don't make me wait." Once we were completely naked, Edward picked me up and placed me on the bathroom counter.

I was so wet, we did not even need any foreplay. Edward slid right into me and immediately began massaging my clit. "Oh God, Bella. You feel so good!" His every move consumed me further, and the harder he thrust, the better it felt. "I don't know how long I can last. I need you to come with me." Edward's voice was strained as he tried to hold off. His words sent me soaring, and in what seemed like less than a minute we came together. Neither of us had ever come so fast. I guess it was the combination of being in a public place and the intimacy of the proposal.

We held each other close for a few minutes while our heart beats returned to normal. He lightly kissed my neck and caressed my back before pulling away to help me redress. We giggled together at the thought of the whole restaurant hearing our "impromptu nooner in a public facility" and decided that this was definitely one of our "hotter" experiences.

In an effort to leave the bathroom undetected, I stepped out first to make sure the coast was clear. After taking a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, I peeked my head back into the bathroom to let Edward know he could come out. As we were walking back to our seats, Edward pulled me to him and leaned in to whisper, "Bella you are an amazing woman. You make me feel complete. I will always love you." He always knew just the right thing to say and right when I needed it most.

Our food was waiting for us when we got back. Having just worked up an insatiable appetite, we diligently scarfed it down; leaving absolutely nothing left to take home. As we waited for our check, we made plans to spend the rest of the day in bed making love and celebrating.

Our engagement only lasted about four months. We weren't living together when he proposed, but we purchased our dream house with our 'new money' and moved in as quickly as possible.

End Flashback

That "dream house" had become just "my house," but hopefully that was about to change. It was way too big for one person……hell it was too big for two people. I knew now that Edward had been the one to bring life to it. Without him, it was just furniture, paint, and lighting. All those "things" that you think make a house a home, no longer mattered.

Before my meds forced my eyes shut, I decided that as soon as I saw him, hospital or no hospital, pain or no pain, I was going to tell him how I felt. The location didn't matter; he had to know the truth. My eyes grew heavier and heavier, and shutting them felt like the only form of relief. I turned my thoughts off and let my body and mind rest.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Mrs. Swan?" I let my eyes lazily drift open and found Dr. Greene standing next to my bed. "Hi there. How are you feeling?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"I'm okay. Just feeling like I got hit by a car or something," I tried to make a little joke. "Oh, that's right. I did get hit by a car."

He chuckled slightly, "Well at least you haven't lost your sense of humor." He took a deep breath and looked down at my chart, "Well, we got all of your results back, and it looks like your knee is the worst of your injuries."

"I figured that much, since it's causing me the most discomfort." I said.

"You tore your ACL ligament pretty severely, and I am actually going to recommend surgery to fix it."

"What?" I asked in shock. "I can't have surgery right now. I have an extensive book tour lined up. I leave in a week." I was shaking my head 'no,' hoping he would give me an alternative. Maybe, I could get a second opinion to buy me some more time. Maybe I could convince the new doctor to do surgery after my book tour.

Of course, if things had gone well with Edward, I would have canceled the book tour and suggested that we go on a second honeymoon instead. I decided to keep that little tid bit to myself though.

"Well Mrs. Swan, as your doctor, I am going to recommend that you cancel your book tour." He sighed heavily, "Of course the decision is yours to make, but I must warn you that if you don't have this surgery, I believe your left knee will give you trouble for years to come. It won't ever heal right and you will more than likely walk with a limp."

"Oh, God," I sighed in disappointment. "How long does something like this take to recover from?"

"Well you will need physical therapy, but you should be as good as new in about four weeks. The surgery itself takes about an hour, and you will be in recovery for a while after that. The surgery consists of taking part of your hamstring muscle and using it as the new ligament in your knee."

Holy fuck!

I was shaking my head in disbelief. What was going to happen now? I was going to be basically crippled for the next month. Someone was definitely going to have to help me; possibly even live with me.

I spoke inwardly, trying to pep talk myself into the decision. I thought about consulting Edward with the decision of surgery, but knew he would want me to go ahead with it.

"Okay," I finally said. "When do you want to do it?"

"Well, I already have a surgeon lined up. He has years of experience doing this exact surgery and is considered one of the best in his field. He is actually here now, waiting to come in and talk to you. So to answer your question, we would like to go ahead with it as soon as possible." He turned to walk out, "I'll be right back with Dr. Newton."

He returned a moment later with my surgeon. "Mrs. Swan, I'm Dr. Newton. I am going to be your orthopedist." He held is hand out, and I cordially did the same.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you." I said as nicely as I could, considering the extreme nature of the situation.

He proceeded to tell me exactly how this surgery worked, how long I would be under anesthetic, and about how long it would take for me to recover. For good measure, he reiterated the fact that the recovery would take approximately four weeks, if and only if, I stuck to my physical therapy schedule.

"Do you have any questions, comments, or concerns that we need to discuss before we proceed?" He asked after he finished detailing every aspect of the next few hours.

"No, I think you just about covered it all." I said with a hint of sarcasm in my tone. "Oh, do I need to fill out some paper work or something?"

"Well, I am about to go meet with your husband to give him the details. If you'd like, I can have him fill out paper work for you. It is a very common procedure in situations like this."

My heart sunk, "your husband" and I wondered how much longer he would actually hold that title. "Um, Edward should be able to fill everything out." It was the truth. He still knew me better than anyone else, and he was still my husband. My gaze fell from the doctor, and I felt tears pool in my eyes. I was scared and a feeling of helplessness filled me.

I knew I was about to have to give up control over nearly everything, including all physical activity. And to make matters worse, I was probably going to have to hire a stranger to come help me get around the house as I recovered. I was feeling sorry for myself as my tears spilled out over onto my cheeks.

Here I was all alone in this room, knowing Edward was out there, but he hadn't been able to come in and see me yet. I had asked for him several times, maybe he didn't want to come see me. My heart broke, as I realized how much I needed him.

"Mrs. Swan, are you alright?" He asked and handed me a tissue from the counter behind him. I took it from him gratefully and wished that I could change everything about this day.

"I'm alright." I said through my tears and cried a little harder. "This day just isn't what I thought it was going to be." Jesus, that was the understatement of the century. I didn't feel the need to tell him about any of the other issues I was having.

He gave my hand a soothing pat. "Just try to relax. You'll be back on your feet before you know it." I took a calming breath and wiped the last of the tears from my eyes.

"I am going to send your anesthesiologist in, while I go speak to Mr. Cullen. She is going to give you some meds to help relax you before you go fully under, okay?"

I nodded and watched Dr. Newton step out as Dr. Greene made his way closer to my bed. "Well I just wanted to let you know that your CT scan came back showing a concussion. We will be watching you very closely and everything should be just fine. I am confident that the wound on your head will heal quickly and there should not be any lasting effects from the concussion."

"Well that's good news, I guess." I said with a slight shrug.

He nodded, "Are you still feeling pain?"

I did a quick mental check of all areas of my body. "No, not really. Mainly the only thing that still hurts is my knee."

"Well, your drip has probably taken care of most of your other pain. I am not going to give you any more drugs right now with the anesthesiologist coming in shortly. She will give you what we call a 'cocktail.' You will be feeling no pain very soon. I guarantee it." He chuckled slightly, "Just hang tight."

"That works for me!"

"I will see you after your surgery, alright?" I only nodded as my nerves started to get the better of me. I had never had any kind of surgery before, and deep down I knew there was nothing to fear, but I was still nervous to say the least.

He must have noticed my apprehension, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"Thanks," I said as he started to walk out. "Oh, Dr. Greene," he turned to look at me. "If it's not too much trouble, can you send my husband in here? I would really like to talk to him before I go into surgery."

"Sure. I am on my way out to talk to him now, and I will send him in right away."

A few minutes later, the anesthesiologist walked in. "Hi Bella." It was the first time anyone at this hospital had called me by my first name; not that I minded. "My name is Jessica. I am your anesthesiologist."

"Hi," I said nervously. I knew that this woman was going to put me to sleep for a while, and it made me overly anxious. She was very nice, but I just didn't like the idea of being totally under someone else's control.

"Are you nervous?" She asked as she prepared a needle for my IV.

"A little," I confessed as I fidgeted with my fingers.

"Well there is nothing to worry about. You are only going to be under for about forty five minutes to an hour. This is a quick process. I am going to be with you the entire time, watching you very carefully and monitoring your every heartbeat."

As she started to inject the meds, I asked, "Is what you're giving me going to put me out immediately?"

She chuckled. "No, it will take a few minutes. But don't be surprised if you start to feel really relaxed and sleepy. You may or may not be awake by the time we take you back for the surgery."

"Oh." I was sort of relieved that these meds weren't the actual anesthetic.

"By the way, if you are in any pain, this should take care of it." She paused for a moment and then continued with a silly grin, "Well actually, the pain may not go away, you just aren't going to care about it anymore."

"Okay," I laughed slightly. I was actually starting to like her. She was funny and carefree, and made me feel calm; unlike the other doctors who seemed nice but so serious. Maybe it was just the meds. I don't know.

"Okay, all done. She left the room, and I felt myself sink back down into my bed. I sat there for several minutes, and a feeling of relaxation like I have never felt before started to flow through body. Damn, if these drugs are going to do this, maybe I should think about getting some for when I go home. Haha.

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, I was feeling no pain. I even noticed myself smiling for no reason at all, and I wasn't one bit embarrassed by my goofy grin. Then I thought I heard someone humming, and when I stopped to listen harder, I realized it was me.

I let out a few giggles and then noticed Jessica's head peek around the corner. "How are we doing in here?" She asked with a toothy smile.

"Rrreeeally gooodd," I said realizing then that I sounded drunk. Maybe I was drunk, only without the spinning. I tried not to rationalize it any further. I rather liked the feeling, and I was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

She giggled, "I will see you in there, okay? And Bella, remember, everything will be just fine." I only nodded and smiled back at her with my perma-grin as she walked out of the room. All the worry and anxiety I felt seemed to have left my body; leaving me giddy.

Finally, I saw that beautiful face, the one I had been waiting for, peek tentatively around the corner. I suddenly felt a memorable comfort in the sight of him and breathed a sigh of relief. My heart jumped, and I instantly longed for his touch. "Edward," I said as my hand instinctively reached out for him. Even in my euphoric state, I thought he seemed glad to see me. He was here. Finally here! He was here to see me and make me feel safe and cared for. A least that's what I told myself.

He reached out and took my hand. "Hey Bella," he said as he sat on the edge of my bed and kissed my fingers. His eyes closed as he gave the affectionate kisses. I smiled at him, thankful for his loving touch. "How are you feeling?" He asked with great concern.

I said the only thing that came to mind, "Grreeeat!"

He shook his head, and the smile that I originally fell in love with appeared as he let out a small laugh. Then, his jolly demeanor changed to one of a serious nature. He looked into my eyes, "I'm so sorry Bells, I-"

I looked at his face questioningly. I knew him well enough to know that he wanted to say something else. Instead of saying what was on his mind, he just kissed my fingers again.

"Edwarddd, please don't apologize. Thiss isn't your fault. Don't beat youursself up." I could tell my words didn't come out as clearly as I had planned. I stared into his eyes and noticed how exhausted and worried he looked. Oh, please don't worry about me, Edward. I am gonna be just fine.

I don't know if I actually believed those thoughts or not, but I was willing to lie to Edward to keep him from worrying. I hated the look on his face.

I could feel the tenderness of his hand against mine as I fought with my IV to maintain control. The urge to tell him how I truly felt was overwhelming. Even in my slurred state, I decided to go ahead with it.

"Edward," I tried with everything I had to make his name sound strong and purposeful, but I knew it only came out in a whisper.

"What baby?" His use of the pet name gave me that last little drop of confidence I needed to move forward with my plan. Tell him, tell him nooowwwww!

I could feel myself slipping, further and further, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to fight the relaxation much longer.

"I have to tell you something,"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I woke up feeling very drowsy, like I might have been asleep for days. My mouth felt dry, and I was out of sorts; slightly confused. I couldn't seem to get a grip on my surroundings, and I surveyed the room to try and make sense of everything.

I quickly came to the conclusion that I was in a hospital. The bed was stiff and the sheets felt the same. The room was sterile, and everything was painted white with cream colored accents. The counter was made of cheap millwork, and a small wardrobe closet sat just to my left. I noticed a television connected to the ceiling in the upper left corner of the room, which no one had bothered to turn on.

I looked down at my body to survey the damage, and noticed I had an IV in my left hand. What the hell happened to me?

I detected a large bulge under the sheet where my left knee was, I lifted the sheet to get a better look. It was wrapped tightly in ace bandages and appeared to be three times its normal size. I wanted to try and shift my leg but quickly decided that might not be such a wise idea. I wasn't sure what had happened, and I didn't want to injure myself further by moving it if I wasn't supposed to.

About that time, I noticed my hand being held by someone to my right. His head was resting, forehead down, on the bed next to me, and all I could see was his hair. It was bronze colored and totally disheveled; like his hands might have run through it one too many times.

I tapped his shoulder softly. "Umm, excuse me," I said quietly trying to wake him gently. I wasn't sure if he was sleeping or not, but I felt the need to ask him some questions. His breathing didn't change, and he didn't stir. I tried again. "Hey," I said a little louder this time.

That attempt woke him, and he sat up looking groggy; yet grateful to see me awake. I nearly gasped at the sight of the beautiful man's face. The perfect jaw and gorgeous green eyes, mixed with his sexy stubble caused a little flutter in my belly. My God, who is this masterpiece and why is he holding my hand?

"Bella?"

Okay guys, as we said at the end of Edward's chapter in Second Chances... we know that she wouldn't be having surgery the same day as the accident. But it's fiction people, just trust us and go with it!

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