Chapter 27 – Count Chocula

"You don't have to watch over me like some strange vulture," Jasper called over to me. I was standing minding my own business at the nurse's station. And by minding my own business, I admit, I mean keeping an eye on Jasper in case he crashed…which in my defence was not an unusually occurrence.

"Vulture?" I scoffed. "I'm much prettier than that."

"I don't care how good you look; I'm not planning on croaking any time soon so you can get on with your work." He said, taking his eyes of the note pad he was scribbling in to look up at me. I stuck my tongue out and turned my back to him. I'm sure I heard him murmur something about how mature I was being.

I wish I could relax a little, but it had been two months without any major complications and I just didn't trust it. I felt like the moment I took my eyes off him something terrible would happen. So I didn't take my eyes off him.

"What are you writing?" I asked Jasper as I plonked myself in the seat next to his bed.

He narrowed his eyes at me, "Don't you have work you should be doing, Doctor Cullen?"

"My shift finished an hour ago, Mr Hale." I shot back. He opened his mouth, no doubt to tell me off for still being here but I spoke up before he could say a word. "All doctors work more than they're suppose to it comes with the territory, and I'm not exactly going to leave you to take the bus home, am I? Don't tell me if our situations were reversed you'd be happy to walk out and leave me?"

He sighed in defeat, "No." He said reluctantly. He looked very tired and was struggling to keep his eyes open, I could tell.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, softening my voice from before.

"Bit tired," He admitted. "Been getting worse the last few days."

I nodded, "I saw they've upped your EPO so you must have been getting anaemic. You should feel better in the next few days."

"I hope so," He glanced down at the notepad on his lap. "I have so many deadlines coming up and trying to write this on top of it."

"What is it?"

"My speech for Rosalie's wedding, I can't believe its only a few days away! They've managed to pull it together to quickly, but I guess that's easy when its so small." He looked puzzled.

"What's that confused look?" I chuckled.

"It's just a strange choice for my sister, I always imagined she would want a bit white wedding with everyone on the northern hemisphere invited. Not that I'm complaining, the thought of doing my brother-of-the-bride speech in front of just your family is nerve wracking enough. It's just an odd choice for her." He confessed.

I smiled ruefully. "Well I can think of one reason."

He frowned and raised an eye brow at me, "What?"

"Oh come on Jas," I said rolling my eyes at him. "You really can't think of any reason for a shotgun wedding?" I leaned back and patted my, distinctly not round, belly.

"No way," He gasped jolting forward in surprise. His eyes widened but quickly squeezed shut as hissed in pain at the sudden movement. I immediately stood and leaned over him. His face was scrunched tightly in pain and his free hand was pressed into this right side, which was obviously causing quite a bit of pain.

I asked him to lie back against the bed and relax, which he did reluctantly looking up at me with an apology in his eyes. I shook my head at him, trying to communicate that he had nothing to be sorry for and not to be so stupid…but it probably just looked like I was shaking my head.

I leaned over him and started to fell where the pain was, I couldn't feel anything but that didn't really mean anything at all. "I think you should get an ultrasound."

"No, Alice its fine." He said through gritted teeth. His voice was low and weak and full of pain. It brakes my heart to hear him like this.

"No really Jasper this has been happening a lot, I'm going to ask Dr Hoffman to organise one. I just to make sure everything's okay. Okay?" I took his hand in mind and squeezed it tightly. "Now I'm going to get you some pain meds and you are not going to argue."

He leaned back into the bed and nodded slowly in defeat.

His hand slipped out of him as I went off to get some analgesics. I hated seeing him like that, I'm sure it would turn out to be nothing, just a side effect of his disease and the dialysis but I couldn't rest easy unless we'd at least checked it wasn't something more serious. I wish I could just do the ultrasound right now and see for myself but…I wasn't really qualified for that and to be honest I'm not sure I would know what I was looking at. I quickly emailed Dr Hoffman as I passed the doctors office, the sooner he could arrange the scan the better…just in case.

As I was walking back toward him I notice his note book was lying on the floor. Since Rosalie's father wouldn't be there for his speech she had asked Jasper to fill in. He was so nervous about it but I had complete faith that he would do brilliantly.

I just hoped he would make it through the whole thing. He'd had no major issues in last few months but he had been getting progressively worse. He tried to hid it from me but I know him too well for that…also I'm a doctor…hard to hide being sick from a doctor. All things considering, he was doing okay, which is all we can really ask for at this point.

I put the pills in his hand without a word and handed him a glass of water.

"You have two hours left," I said quietly. "Get some sleep, I'll be right here." I took his free hand in mine once more and settled into my chair. She smiled at me gratefully and closed his eyes.

When he awoke I wish I could say the pain as disappeared from the creases of his face or dark circles under his eyes had vanished or his face was no longer pale but flushed with colour. Unfortunately, none of that was true. But the needles and red snaking tubes had been removed form his arms and he was unhooked, ready to come home.

"Home time," I said reaching out my arm to help him up. "I'm making chilli tonight."

He groaned and rolled his eyes, "Are you sure you don't just want me to cook?" He swung his legs over the side of the bed and took my arm. Cheeky bugger is lucky I didn't take it away.

"My cooking is not as bad as you make it out to be Mr Hale." I retorted as he grabbed onto my arm. He stood slowly leaning on me for support. I watched his expression carefully just in case he felt dizzy and I could make him sit before I had to pick him up off he floor. Thankfully his expression stayed jovial as he got to his feet and stood a foot above me smirking.

He looked straight into my eyes and for a moment I thought he was going to say something really lovely, until he opened his mouth, "It really is." He said slowly.

It took us a while to get out to my car, as always, parked in the land of far far away. I asked Jasper to wait in the entrance while I brought it round but he of course insisted that he walk with me. So it took us a while to get there because he was groggy and slow from the dialysis. The rain started almost immediately as we left the building and by the time we reached the car we were soaked through and shivering. When I turned my headlights on Jasper winced at the light, making some joke about the dialysis hangover starting earlier than usual.

I tried to laugh at his joke, I know it helps him to make light of his condition. But I wasn't trained to make light of serious medical problems, actually, quite the opposite. So when he make a joke I tried to laugh and he pretended he believed me.

I drove slowly home as the rain picked up and started pelting my little car with wet bullets, their fire echoing through the thin roof. I looked over to Jasper who was basically asleep next to me.

"Babe, we're home." Out apartment was only one floor up which I was thankful of at this moment in time. He mumbled to show he heard me and started fumbling with his seat belt. I leaned over and released it for him.

"Thanks," He said weakly. "Sorry, feeling…a bit…" he paused and almost looked like he was about to throw up…but I think he was just tired and searching for the right word "…bad" he evenly came out with.

I chuckled. "Good thing you decided on architect and not writer, Shakespeare would have had some competition." He smiled weakly but didn't say a word, which worried me slightly. "I think we're looking at bed without supper for you." I said getting out the car and moved over to his side to help him out.

I was trying to so hard to keep my voice light, but I hated seeing him like this. He'd been doing so well recently I was just so scared that any little thing that happened would be the next big disaster. My mind flashed back to the night I woke with him panting beside me, coughing up blood. I couldn't do that again, but worse than that…he probably couldn't do that again.

I did as promised and sent Jasper to bed with a stern warning to not get back out until it was at least morning. He was still planning on going into the office tomorrow but I had a feeling he might end up working from home. I settled myself into the sofa and balanced my laptop precariously on my knee while trying not to spill my nutritious dinner of Count Chocula all over the place. But just as I'd got my balance just right my phone started buzzing the I was nearly covered in chocolate cereal.

"Hello," I huffed as I regained my composure.

"Wow sis, what's up your ass?" Emmett's voice boomed in my ear.

"You nearly made me spill my cereal." I said sternly.

He laughed at me, "I thought doctors are supposed to at least keep themselves healthy!"

"I couldn't be bothered cooking and Jaspers sleeping and I didn't want to wake him…and I wanted cereal."

Emmett laughed at me some more and we chatted for a while about his impending nuptials. Edward had planned his stag night for the night before the wedding at Emmett's vehement request. I know it's tradition but it's a stupid tradition because, knowing Emmett, he'd be a bit worse for wear the next day and Rosalie would not be happy about that. But it was all just a few days away now and I could hear the nervous excitement in Emmett's voice. I really was so happy for them both and I was proud and excited to be a bridesmaid. I couldn't wait to get all dressed up and pretty, it was a nice change to formless scrubs and no make up.

When I hung up the phone I had a smile on my face. I couldn't help but think…maybe the next wedding will be mine.