The next morning, I came down the stairs for the first time in over two weeks. Jasper and Emmett were playing baseball on the Wii. Alice and Rose were shopping online; probably buying something that they would force me to wear the next time we went out clubbing. Esme was out in the garden, attending to her flowers. However, the only person I could not find was Carlisle. "Where's Carlisle?" I asked, alerting everyone to me presence.
A chorus of hellos flooded my ears as Emmett squished me in one of his famous bear hugs. "Carlisle has gone into work early today." Jasper told me. "Something about a huge car crash in the middle of town that required emergency surgery on the driver."
Before I could respond, I was pulled away by another vision. Instead of it being about Edward, I saw myself in a ridiculously tight little black dress that Alice was forcing on me and 7 inch black pumps Rose was putting on my feet. "Stop it right there you two." I hollered at Alice and Rose. "No way are you going to buy that dress and those heels and make me where them. You know how jealous Edward gets. If he were to see me walk out of the house in that, I would never be allowed to leave again."
"That's the point!" Alice exclaimed.
"Maybe if we dress you up in something that Edward would be totally against, maybe he would snap out of whatever this is and come rescue you" Rose chuckled.
"Very funny. Ha-ha, If only that would work." I sarcastically responded. However, I had never wished something else to be truer in my entire life. Then I felt panic overcome me out of nowhere. "Jasper, are you sending out panic right now?" I asked unnerved.
"No," Jasper insisted. "Why would you ask such a silly question?" I was beginning to think that I was going insane. But, the feeling just kept getting stronger and stronger. Changing from panic to worry then back to panic so rapidly that I was begging to freak out.
"Can't you feel it? A moment ago I was sarcastic joking with Alice and Rose. Then all of a sudden I feel this panic and worry. Just like…" I didn't finish my sentence, for I started to dash up the stairs like a mad woman on a mission. Jasper, Alice, Rose and Emmett quickly followed behind me, screaming at me to explain what was going on. But I did not stop until I reached my door. Once the rest of them had caught up, I flung the door open. Lying there on the bed was a very awake and alert Edward. Once Edward's eyes landed on my own, those feelings of panic and worry disappeared and were replaced by love and adoration; however, I was relieved to see that Edward was awake.
Before anyone could stop me, I leapt across the room, right into Edward's expecting arms, burying myself deep into his chest. I sat there, cradled in his loving arms, until Jasper, Alice, Rose, Emmett and Esme walked into the room. Esme had brought with her a tall glass of fresh mountain lion blood for Edward. He quickly gulped down the glass. Thanking Esme as he handed the now empty glass back. All I could say was Edward. Over and over I said that one simple word knowing that he could hear me. Alice finally broke my single word mantra.
"Edward. I am so so sorry. It's my fault. I should have been there to help you." Alice just kept repeating that it was her fault over and over and over. To calm her, Edward gently set me down on the bed and went over and hugged Alice. I was upset at the sudden loss of contact between the two of us, but what Edward said next made the loss of contact seem so trivial.
"It's not your fault. It all happened so quickly. I am just so glad that you were not around." Edward consoled Alice. The way that he hugged his sister when she was at her weakest sent waves of pride through me. With still being weak at the severe lack of blood in his system, Edward fell back onto the bed, letting Alice go as he did. I crawled back over to him and leaned my head against his shoulder.
"Emmett, Jasper can you go find a couple of deer and bring them back. Edward needs the blood and we don't have enough here." I barked at the two as if I was a drill sergeant. The others I gave a dark glare, giving them the hint that it was time to leave. The listened and all of them left in an instant. Scurrying off to wherever they needed to go. After they were gone I turned to Edward. "It is so good to see you up." I said in a tender voice, weaving me fingers through his hair then moving to weave my fingers with his.
"How long was I unconscious for?" Edward asked, looking at our intertwined has as he spoke.
"About three weeks." I paused, letting that information sink in. "It was the most terrifying three weeks of my entire life. I thought you were never going to wake up. At one point, I stopped eating. I didn't have a drive to live if you were not going to make it." I blabbered. The three weeks of agony and grief welling up inside of me like a huge balloon popping and spilling my secrets like a huge waterfall.
Flabbergasted, "What do you mean you stopped eating?" Edward's voice was full of concern and worry. The way that he look at me, as if wanting to protect me as well as yell at me for being so foolish at the same time. I looked down in shame, for being so weak and selfish in my actions. Especially when he needed me at me best when he was at his weakest.
"It was stupid, I know. The pain of seeing you like that was so horrible. The moment I came down the stairs and saw you laying prone in the couch, as if you were dead, I thought that my life was over. I could not survive without you." I confessed my feeling to him. My worry, my concern, my moment of weakness. Edward didn't judge me or yell at me for being so stupid, he just held as I dry sobbed.
Esme popped her head in as Edward rocked me back in forth, calming and reassuring me. "Edward, Carlisle will be home soon. He just left the hospital, would you two join us downstairs when he arrives." Edward shook his head in acknowledgement at her statement, not wanting to speak and spoil the moment of content between the two of us.