Author's note:
Before I begin I just want to say that I'm not a doctor nor have I ever been pregnant so I'm sorry if any medical facts/procedures/terms etc. are wrong.
I'm just using what I know from Leaving Cert. science and what I've seen on TV and in books :)
[BN: Aine decided not to warn me about the medical details in the chapter, as a person with trypanophobia… Yes, I did scream half way through! Still love her though! Great chapter Aine, despite my screaming! =P Hope everyone enjoys it- but I have no doubt that you will!]
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Chapter 2
Bella's POV
As we drove through the Washington state countryside the weather was dreary and wet. Just like I remember it but I already missed the contrasting, beautiful weather of Isle Esme.
The journey back to Forks dragged. It was mostly full of awkward silences, though it did contain a few small ounces of small talk. However anything that was said seemed liked it was prepared and thought through beforehand. They asked Edward and I things like what the weather was like on the island, how were our flights, mundane things like that. Everything else seemed taboo.
As we reached the outskirts of Forks the feeling of relief and familiarity returned. A police car drove past us. At first I thought it could be Charlie but as it got closer I knew it wasn't him.
Charlie… He's someone I have to deal with yet. Am I even going to tell him that I'm pregnant? That he'll be a grandfather. To be completely honest I don't know if or when he'll find out. He doesn't even know we're back in America yet! Time will tell I suppose. Maybe I should wait until Carlisle's done all the tests he wants to do on me. Maybe Edward might even what to have a say in who we tell.
I yawned as we drove through the streets of Forks. Even though I slept through a lot of the plane journey I was still so tired. I knew tiredness was a symptom of pregnancy but I've met pregnant woman before and they have never seemed this tired. I'm also starving but I could easily deal with that when we got home.
We finally reached the mansion. Alice, Esme and Jasper were all stood on the porch waiting for us I assumed. As soon as I stepped out of the car Alice had me pulled into a hug but I could tell that there was something off about her. She wasn't her normal self. As Alice pulled away from me she glanced at Edward and they gave each other eye contact for a few seconds. I was used to these private conversations at this stage.
I greeted Esme and Jasper before Edward began to lead me into the house. Emmett and Jasper both helped with bringing our luggage in.
As we made it inside everyone dispersed into the various rooms of the house leaving just Edward, Carlisle, Rosalie and I in the hallway. I realised then Rosalie wasn't about to leave my side anytime soon and I was grateful for that. Edward and Carlisle stared at each other for a number of moments before Edward nodded his head and turned to me.
"If its alright with you Carlisle thinks it might be best if we went up to his office to talk but since we just got home if you're not up to it, it can wait," he explained.
"No. I'm fine," I replied simply. Edward frowned but he squeezed my hand as he led me upstairs. As we entered the office I noticed that it hadn't changed much since the last time I was in here which seemed like a life time ago.
Carlisle quickly walked to his desk trying to make sense of his organised mess. He pushed a bundle of paperwork out of the way. He sat in his large, old, comfortable looking seat and signalled for me to take the seat on the other side of his desk.
Rosalie hovered just inside the door as Edward dragged another seat beside mine. He sat down, once again interweaving our fingers together. Carlisle sighed and looked to Rosalie, his expression serious.
"Rose, I'm sorry but if you don't mind I think it might be more suitable if I talk to Bella and Edward in private for a while," he requested.
"No! I'm not going anywhere!" she demanded. She seemed genuinely angered by his request. She looked to me obviously waiting for me to say something to convince him to let her stay.
"Maybe its for the best Rosalie. I'm sure our talk won't last long," I sighed. It took her a second to comprehend that I agreed with Carlisle.
"If it's not too much trouble maybe you could get me something to eat? I'm starving!" I asked. Hopefully that would give her something to do and get her mind off the fact that I have just basically told her to get out. Also I was truthfully craving something to eat. She nodded and reluctantly turned to head out the door.
"Rose!" I called quickly. She turned fast, surprised yet all her attention was on me.
"Thank you…" I stated simply. She half smiled a sympathetic smile a repeat of the one she gave me in the airport. She turned her head to Edward and he expression became stern. She glared at him. He tried to ignore her by turning to face the wall but the pain quickly re-engulfed his face. Rosalie quietly closed the door behind her and I could hear her begin to descend the stairs.
My attention then focused on Carlisle. What was he going to say to us and in turn what were we going to tell him. I might not be Alice but I could definitely see some aspects of the conversation we were about to have as very awkward. Carlisle was practically Edward's father and my father in-law for all intents and purposes after all.
"So," he began, his attention on me. "Bella. How are you feeling?"
"Like I said. Really, I'm fine," I replied. He glanced at Edward who seemed to be staying silent. Carlisle's expression was staying emotionless. It was as if he was only speaking to us as our doctor and nothing else.
"What I meant was how are you really felling, like what symptoms have occurred so far?" he inquired rephrasing his question. One thing I had noticed since we arrived back in America no one said any words like pregnancy or baby. It was as if it was forbidden.
"Oh. Well I've had nausea, tiredness, cravings and my emotions seem to be all over the place. Also my period is late. There all pregnancy symptoms aren't they?" I asked. He nodded in response. I looked to Edward. His hands never left mine but he was staring absent-mindedly into space just like when we were on the plane returning home.
"Okay, well by the way you look and by what you're telling me I'd agree that you are most definitely antenatal but did you take any home tests?" he questioned.
"No, but it seems kind of obvious. I already have a bump and everything. It even seems to have gotten bigger since I first noticed it, just hours ago," I explained.
"Hmm, fascinating. Do you have any idea when it was conceived?" he asked quickly and he got up and headed in my direction.
"We think August 13th. Maybe the night after the wedding," I answered. My cheeks immediately became crimson and I could tell Carlisle felt my embarrassment mixed with his own. He changed the subject quickly.
"I took a trip to the hospital before you arrived home. With my connections I was able to bring some equipment here. I will have to treat and test you here instead of the hospital for a number of obvious reasons but mainly because it might blow our cover. I should be able to get everything we need so don't worry. Would you be able to lie on the examination table for me please? I would like to run some tests, if you don't mind?" he asked while pointing towards the end of the room. I nodded in agreement as I could still feel the embarrassed heat on my cheeks.
Edward released my hands from his grip and I took off my coat, leaving it behind me on my seat. I walked over to the examination table and as I pulled myself onto it I surprisingly found it slightly comfortable. I still felt uneasy though because even if it was Carlisle I wasn't too fond of doctors.
"Can you raise your top for me slightly," he requested. I complied. While using a stethoscope and his fingers he examined my stomach. I almost flinched at his cold touch. He then used a thin measuring tape to measure the size of my baby bump.
"By your size I can estimate that you are about 2 months along. Amazingly if you have the date of conception correct you are growing extremely rapidly. Are you one hundred percent sure that it's-," he began before he was interrupted.
"Of course it is! How dare you even think that!" Edward yelled, leaping from his seat and coming to my side, gripping my left hand perhaps with a bit too much force. He seemed genuinely offended by whatever Carlisle was about to ask.
"Look Edward, I'm sorry. It was it was just a thought. I didn't mean," he tried to apologise. He was obviously stunned by Edward's reaction. As was I.
"I know what you meant! Bella would never, not to me, not to us!" he retorted angrily.
"Edward, please. I know you're upset right now but you have to at least try to listen to me for a second," Carlisle scolded. Edward groaned and took his eyes off Carlisle, brushing some hair from my face.
"What I was trying to say was that it would make a lot of sense. It would explain everything. I didn't mean to offend you or Bella. Like I said it was just a thought, an option we had to work through. I apologise for even bringing the idea up. It's just up until the moment I heard about Bella I had always believed that this was impossible for us," Carlisle explained.
I was quite confused. I was missing a vital part of the conversation. That part being whatever enraged Edward. Thanks to Edward's mind reading abilities he knows exactly what Carlisle was thinking but I guess I'll have to wait until Edward calms down a little for me to find out what.
"Carlisle, you know as well as I do that just because something sounds impossible doesn't mean it can't happen . We're walking proof of that," Edward responded calming down considerably. Carlisle sighed.
"Look, I'll try some more tests and then we'll see what's what. First I'm going to give Bella a physical," he said seriously. His attention reverting back to me.
I nodded as Carlisle walked over to his desk and picked up a number of pieces of equipment. He carried out a number of tests including taking my weight, heart rate, a urine sample and then my blood pressure.
"Oh dear Bella, your blood pressure is extremely high. Even if you weren't pregnant the level you are at would be very dangerous," Carlisle stated. Edward groaned and placed his head in his hands.
"Will this effect the baby," I asked quickly. It was the first thought that popped into my head.
"Yes, potentially it can cause premature childbirth and can cause very serious complications such as the placenta detaching from the uterus," he explained. "But your heath is what's important right now."
I frowned as I pulled myself back up onto the examination table. Carlisle recorded my results as Edward pulled a chair next to me and sat down.
"Okay, Bella," Carlisle said softly. "I'm going to have to give you a blood test as well. It's the most reliable test also I'll be able to find anything else that may be abnormal. It could potentially tell us an awful lot about you and your health."
"Edward, if you want to leave while he takes the sample I'll understand. I don't want to make it uncomfortable for you," I suggested.
"No. I'm not going anywhere." he stated as he gave me complete eye contact.
"It won't last for long. It's completely routine, I do it nearly every day to my patients. Don't worry about it," Carlisle reassured. He pulled over a tray of equipment but abruptly he groaned.
"Ugh… I forgot the antiseptic wipes in my car. I'll be back in a minute," he said as he quickly left the room, leaving Edward and I by ourselves.
"Edward? I asked shyly.
"Yes… Love?" he murmured.
"What were you and Carlisle talking about when… Well… You got angry with him," I inquired with genuine interest. He took a deep, unnecessary breath.
"He insinuated that maybe it wasn't mine," he responded grimly.
"Oh Edward! Of course the baby's yours! I would never cheat on you! I can't believe-" I exclaimed before Edward interrupted me putting his finger on my lips.
"Shush… I know… I know… Carlisle was just thinking as a doctor and not like my father. He regrets even thinking it," he explained with an edge to his voice.
I was surprised that Edward had reacted the way he did. He seemed to be sending me mixed signals. Mostly he was against the idea of me carrying his child but sometimes he would show the odd blip in his armour. Then again, his reaction could have been purely to do with the fact he was just genuinely offended by Carlisle's thoughts. Maybe I'm just reading too much into things, trying to latch onto any sense of hope.
Carlisle quickly returned and mine and Edward's conversation was suddenly dropped. Carlisle walked over to me and prepared a section of my arm for taking the sample, pulling my skin tight. I looked away and forced my eyes to shut tight. I squeezed Edward's hand as hard as I could. Though I know it was impossible for me to hurt him he noticed my nerves and gently squeezed my hand back. There was nothing I hated more than needles. I felt a pinch and I whimpered slightly.
"There, it's over," Edward said while exhaling. He was holding his breath. I immediately felt guilty. He released his pressure on my hand and I looked to where Carlisle took the blood sample. A small bandage was left behind.
"Alright," Carlisle said as he began backing away his equipment.
"I think we have done enough tests for now and as I'm sure you're tired after your flight, rest is the best thing I can prescribe to you right now. Also I smell some food being cooked for you. I still have to give you an ultrasound but I couldn't get hold of a machine in such short notice but I will have one for tomorrow morning. I will process and get any results I have so far back to both of you later okay?" Carlisle asked.
I nodded. Carlisle glanced at Edward. It was as if Edward refused to give him any form of eye contact or awareness.
"Before you both go I want to talk to you both about your options," Carlisle began, suddenly becoming very cautious.
"To put it bluntly, I honestly have no idea what's growing inside you, Bella, and I cannot predict how this will turn out. Due to the apparent rapid growth I can't even say how long the pregnancy could possibly last. I've never witnessed anything like this before and I don't know if the foetus will be more vampire or human. Bella, what I'm trying to say is that I don't know how this will exactly affect you. I can't tell if it's even possible for you to continue to carry the foetus and survive. I just want you to be aware of your options. At this moment abortion is something that should be taken into consideration because-" he continued before I interrupted him.
"No!" I yelled and I pushed myself off of the examination table. Suddenly my vision blurred for a second and I became light headed, dizzy even. I stumbled and Edward pulled me back up into a seated position onto the examination table.
"No! That's not even an option! No way!" I yelled as I fumbled in Edward's grip.
"Bella, I'm sorry but it's just a suggestion, a consideration. Though I would never normally condone such a thing in the long run for your health it might be more beneficial to terminate the pregnancy. I want you and Edward to at least try and discuss what you plan to do. In search of a better term 'sleep on it' and don't make any decisions until we have the ultrasound images and I have the results from the tests I've carried out," Carlisle explained.
"Okay," I said glumly. I would never agree to an abortion and they both knew it, but Carlisle was right about one thing: Edward and I do need to discuss things.
I was so hungry and even with my weak human senses I could now smell the food being prepared for me. I got up though this time at a slow pace. I wasn't light headed but the dizziness hadn't faded completely.
"Thank you Carlisle, for everything you've done. I… We really appreciate all your help," I thanked as Carlisle smiled sympathetically in response. It was a carbon copy of the smile Rosalie gave me gave me earlier.
I pulled on Edward's arm signalling for him to follow me. He thanked Carlisle before he followed me out of the office. He grew quiet again as we headed down the stairs and into the kitchen.
As we reached the kitchen, Esme and Rosalie were dishing out something for me to eat. I sat at the counter, Edward sitting in the stool beside me. I thanked them gratefully before they started asking about our honeymoon and Carlisle's examination. I could tell they were being careful with what they said. Edward remained relatively silent.
I was about three bites into my chicken when suddenly a fresh wave of nausea hit me. I ran quickly towards the kitchen sink without tripping. Thankfully the sink was empty. I could feel the blush creep up my checks and my eyes were beginning to water as I griped the edge of the counter. I felt a cold hand begin to rub soothing circles into my back and pull my hair behind my face.
I was surprised to realise that it wasn't the cold hands I was normally used to. I glanced up to see her perfect, long, golden hair. It was Rosalie.
I stretched my arm forward and turned on the tap, washing away my mess.
"Sorry," I mumbled embarrassed. My blush was now my most predominate feature.
"It's okay Bella, really," Rosalie smiled as she stepped away from me. I looked Edward who was still sat in his stool. His head was bowed, his eyes closed. He was pinching the bridge of his nose, frowning. I then looked to my half eaten food. Suddenly I wasn't so hungry anymore. I grimaced.
"I think I might just go sit down and relax, watch some TV. I don't really feel up to finishing my dinner or doing much else," I confessed. Esme nodded and began clearing up the kitchen after giving me a quick hug.
I stepped towards Edward and placed my left hand on his shoulder. He sighed as he looked up to me through his seemingly pained eye lashes. I grinned but he didn't return the gesture. He got up and followed me into the sitting room. I walked in to find Emmett sprawled across an armchair flicking through the TV channels.
I sat on the empty couch and Edward practically moulded himself around me putting one arm over my shoulders. I rested my head against his chest. It was the first time I felt truly peaceful and comfortable since I slept in Edward's arms during the long flight home.
Emmett finally gave up trying to find something decent on the TV and put on a DVD. It was a light-hearted comedy. Though I had seen it before at least it would help me get my mind off things. Rosalie and Esme joined us. Rosalie sat on the floor beside Emmett while Esme sat on the only vacant armchair.
Suddenly I realised which members of the family were missing. I knew Carlisle was in his office working on my test results but where were Alice and Jasper? I did notice that they both seemed very distant when we arrived home. I wasn't exactly surprised at Jasper's behaviour but Alice was one of my best friends. Then again, like with Edward, maybe I'm just reading too much into things.
"Where are Jasper and Alice gone?" I asked everyone who was sat watching the film.
"They're gone hunting. Jasper felt a little overwhelmed by the rush of emotions today, also Alice was thirsty, so they thought it would be best to take a breather and go hunting. They're not gone far. They'll be back soon," Emmett explained.
The silence returned as everyone's eyes where glued to the television. My eyelids on the other hand began to grow very heavy and once again I drifted off to sleep.
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"Ugh… Five more minutes" I groaned.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Edward chuckled. I forced open my eyes weakly to find Edward gently untying and pulling off my Converse. It was the first time he laughed since we were on the Island. I missed his exquisite laugh. My eyes began to focus slightly as I registered my surroundings. It was dark. The lights weren't on. The only reason I could see was because of the light seeping thought the slightly open doorway. We were in Edward's room, well I guess you could call it ours now. I was comfortably lying on the bed. Edward must have carried me up here. I can't even remember the film finishing.
"What time is it?" I mumbled.
"It's just after 11pm," he answered, tucking the blanket around me. I moaned as I snuggled my head into my pillow. All I wanted to do was sleep.
Edward brushed my hair out of my face and placed a soft kiss on my temple. He moved away from me and I could hear the faint thud of his runners as they hit the floor.
I was just about to completely drift off when suddenly I heard I creaking at the door. I was too tired to turn and see who it was. Edward could deal with whoever it was.
"Sorry Edward, but is it alright if I talk to you for a second?" a male voice asked. My brain was tired but it eventually registered that it was Carlisle.
I could feel Edward's weight lift from the bed as I tried to fall back asleep. As I slipped in and out of my sleepy state I could hear whispering. It began to get annoying so I turned around, forcing my eyes open once more.
There was no one else in the room with me but the door was left ajar. I could see two shadows. I assumed them to be Carlisle's and Edward's.
"Look, Bella's tired. She's had a really long day. Maybe we should just wait and talk about this in the morning," Edward whispered.
"I know, but Edward I don't know what state Bella will be in in the morning. I'm sure you've noticed. She's noticeably gotten worse and she's only been home for a few hours," Carlisle replied.
"I know…" Edward said glumly.
"Her urine and blood samples show that she's not absorbing any of her necessary nutrients. She has especially dangerously low levels of iron. She's deteriorating by the minute," Carlisle explained.
"And it's the thing that is doing this to her, isn't it?" Edward asked.
"Yes unfortunately, most definitely. I know she's not keeping down her food so if it gets worse we'll have to try and help her intravenously. Though I don't know if that will work either," Carlisle responded.
"Isn't there anything else you can do? Anything?"
"Edward, you know enough about medicine to realise that terminating the pregnancy is our best option. But we both know Bella will never agree to it," Carlisle replied.
"Ugh…" Edward sighed.
"Please, I want you both to really discuss this. As I said, you know where I stand when it comes to abortion, but Bella's like a daughter to me and I can't bear the thought of… Look, talk to her, mention adoption, surrogacy or IVF and don't make any decisions until we have an ultrasound image," Carlisle stated.
"What would you do?" Edward murmured.
"As a doctor I'd say an emergency abortion is the best way forward but as your father I'd say… Well, I don't really know what to be honest. If it was Esme in this situation I don't know what I'd personally choose. I just want you to know that no matter what you do choose I won't judge you."
"I know and thank you, it's just Bella is so stubborn. She knows what she wants," Edward paused. "But that's one of the reasons why I love her so much."
Edward sighed. "I just can't understand why she would sacrifice her life for that thing. It's not a child. It's a monster…"