Writer's note: Hello. Sorry for the interruption. I would just like to thank you all for leaving me feedback, I have never written anything before in my life, I have always been a reader, so please feel free to criticize my writing. I do not know where I am going with this story, and I realize that this Bella is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you find yourself in these pages, I hope it can help you. Kisses.
My head felt groggy as I heard distant humming, every hum was gradually amplified and it all echoed together now; I focused my hearing on the most beautiful sound of all, and made out a few words.
"…. Hypotension and hypernatremia… she needs IV fluids… take her to see my father."
I felt something tighten around my forearm; I opened my eyes to find myself in the nurses' office, laid on the school's recovery couch. The female school nurse was measuring my blood pressure, with Edward right next to her. I hated the attention. I don't like an audience, no matter how small. Luckily, she didn't feel the need to raise my sleeve, but cuffed over it, and I sighed in relieve.
"I'm- I'm fine" I mumbled, my tongue felt heavy. I didn't need to go a hospital, not where Charlie will inevitably hear about it. I have been through this enough to know how to deal with it. I needed to get home.
"Bella, you had a syncope episode and your heart is dangerously beating 36 beats per min-"
"You don't know that!" I cut him off, how could he possibly know that? But just then the blood pressure monitor beeped, and the nurse read aloud " 89 over 56, 36 BPM. I'm sorry Bella, but Edward is right, you need medical attention if we fail to raise it up."
The nurse left the room, whispering under her breath, "what a charming boy… smart like his father…"
Edward still stood there with the familiar look on his face, disgust or hatred, perhaps both. I didn't understand his expression. Why was he here at all if I was vile to him?
"Thanks for bringing me here, but you can go now" I said coldly, and hid both my hands under the white blanket provided.
"Don't be ridiculous, I am taking you to my father" he said through gritted teeth, but softened his expression. I didn't want to argue, he was dazzling and intimidating, but I had to avoid the hospital at all costs, too much could be exposed to Charlie, I couldn't risk it.
"With all due respect, I don't need to see your father, what I need is-"
"Electrolytes and salt" he cut me off, attempting to hold back a grin but failing.
"Yes." I said very slowly, "I'm dehydrated, I know I am." And I wasn't lying, I'm very familiar with these episodes, they are part of my routine now.
The nurse came back now with a drink and more papers to fill. I took a sip of what seemed to be tomato juice, 17 calories, high in sodium, I thought, I'll be out in no time. Edward now had a full grin on his face, holding back chuckles, as if something about my sight was amusing him right now. I blushed, suddenly too self-conscious to finish my drink; I am not worthy of it.
"Alright Bella, whenever you are feeling better, I will need to take your medical history." The nurse said just as another student entered the room carried by two other students, apparently he had slipped and twisted his ankle. "Oh dear, oh dear" the nurse panicked.
"I will take it from here." Edward told her as she handed him the papers and went to examine the other student.
"What, no!" I refused but Edward ignored my objection and went to fill in my details. To my surprise, he filled in my birthday on his own, and I stared blankly at him, confused. No one knew my birthdate, it was never a big deal in my life, and everyone treated it as just another day. How he has known, I do not know.
I continued to stare at him, as he so fluently ran the pen across the paper not once stopping, until suddenly his hand flinched at a question, and he frowned at himself, as if he was sitting a test and wasn't expecting this one to come up.
He looked up, "Do you happen to have any medical conditions?" he asked softly, his golden brown eyes looking straight into mine.
"Um, well, I'm anaemic" I answered, dazzled by his eyes. I wondered if they had the same affect on the nurse as well.. "Iron deficiency" I added before he could ask.
He looked even more confused now, and frowned at himself.
"What?" I asked
"Do you eat enough meat, Bella?" He asked, with a hint of sadness in his tone that I couldn't make sense of.
"No, I'm- well I'm vegetarian" but before he could say something else, I went on "but, to be fair, I've always been anaemic, before deciding that meat wasn't a necessity to be killing lives over." I felt stupid now, and regretted talking. I must sound silly to him; this extremely bright gentleman with one of the best doctors as a parent and the same potential career for himself was listening to my inferior reasoning of why I cut out meat from my diet.
But he pushed for more, "You are anaemic, Bella. You need to add a significant source of iron in your diet, or you will potentially have another fainting episode because your blood-" he stopped abruptly, and sat rigid in his chair.
"Because my blood what?" I pushed, but he shook his head and went back to fill the paper and we both fell silent.
Another nurse came in to measure my blood pressure yet again, and as I predicted, it went up. It still wasn't in normal range, but it was good enough to be discharged from the nurses' office.
I gathered my things, and went to get into my truck. But I searched every pocket on my jeans and backpack; my keys were nowhere to be found. I was just about to go back inside to look for them when Edward walked towards me, "You will be riding with me today, I can't let you drive in this condition." He said, and I was confused yet once more. Edward Cullen is driving me home, but he hates me. "I can't, my keys, I need to drive my truck but I lost my keys and Charlie will ask questions" but I looked up to see him smiling, enjoying my little tough situation.
"Relax, I gave your keys to my sister Alice, she will drive your.. truck.. back while you ride with me."
I have never seen any of Edwards's family, I haven't been attending school much after all, and I wondered if they were all as bright as the other two Cullen's.
I clumsily followed Edward to his car, which I come to learn is a black Volvo. He held open the passenger door for me to get in. I placed my backpack between my legs and buckled up. I felt sick to my stomach now, I was dreading making conversation. Edward made it easy to talk because I didn't have to stress over what I was going to say, but sometimes I regret the words once I have said them. My words seemed insignificant compared to his, so I hoped for a silent drive.
We drove past the turn to my house "Edward, you missed my turn. Take the next U-turn," I instructed, but he just smiled and said, "We are not going to your house, not yet Bella. I made arrangement with my father to examine you in our house." And a rush of panic overwhelmed me as we enter a new part of town.