Disclaimer- The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, not me.
BPOV
I fell asleep quickly, but sometime in the night, I woke up screaming and crying and clutching my hair. Edward was there, comforting me as if he expected it. "What was your dream about?"
"I was standing there, I didn't have my clothes on," I said, wiping my face. "I was screaming because the water Jim put me in was too hot, so he pulled me out and took off his belt- I was scalded because he made me sit down in the water- and I had blisters after that- and Victoria came up behind me and told me to shut up and-"
"That's the night she cut off your hair?"
"Yes," I said, twisting my own locks into a ponytail over my shoulder. Edward lifted the rope of my hair and kissed it protectively.
"Nobody will ever do that to you, again."
"She called me... she called me a cunt," I stuttered, blushing in the darkness. "I was a child, naked in front of two adults, and she hacked off my hair- it was humiliating and- and-" He grabbed his tuxedo shirt and slid it over my shoulders. "I'm sorry, Edward, I didn't mean to wake you up-"
"You didn't do anything wrong."
"I woke you up!"
"So what?"
"I love you," I muttered, sliding into his arms, kissing his shoulder. "I'd do anything for you."
"I'd do anything for you," he said.
We tried to sleep, but I couldn't. Every time I got near sleep, I jolted myself out of it, grabbing my hair to make sure it was still there, waking Edward. We finally got up and took a long, hot, relaxing shower together.
The shower stall was dark, swirled marble with nine shower sprays- you walked in, and there was three in front of you, three on either side. It was operated by buttons.
He washed my hair, paying a lot of attention to my roots. He very carefully rinsed it for me, keeping the suds out of my eyes. By now, he had figured out that I liked conditioner in my hair. As it set in, he rubbed Dove body wash into my torso and limbs. I felt so safe, suddenly, so comfortable.
"Are you sore?"
"A little," I said, as he rinsed me off. "It's not too bad." He pressed kisses along my shoulders as the hot water jets sprayed off the body wash. My back felt so good under the power of the jets. I stood up on my toes and kissed his lips.
After we were done, we got out of the shower stall and he ran a bath for me while he finished packing our things. I sat in the heat of the water, warming up from the chill of Chicago that had sunk into my joints, trying to think about other things. I guess I was officially a woman. I had had sex for the first time. That was a major milestone in any woman's life. My hair started to dry I sat in the bathtub so long. When I finally got out, our things were packed- I pulled out my clothes for traveling home. He had gotten some coffee for us.
Ted and Liz were downstairs when we went to check out and have breakfast.
Edward went to check out and I got some food.
"I'm so glad you came to visit, Bella," Liz said as I sat down and had some scrambled eggs with her. They were rubbery and overcooked. "I hope you come again."
"Chicago was an adventure," I said. In more ways than one.
Liz smiled and chuckled. "I'm sure it was."
Edward sat down with a plate full of food. "So, we're checked out. Bella, you didn't forget anything, did you?"
"No, I think we got everything."
"I think we should come visit when Bella graduates," Liz said. "Bella, we really want to come visit Edward in Seattle, but he's never home."
"I told him medicine would be a demanding profession," Ted said, sitting down with a plateful, too. "He didn't listen to me and become a yacht racer or pianist."
"Dad, I never had any interested in sailing," Edward said.
"You could have gotten into the Julliard," Ted said.
"I love medicine. I love seeing children on their death bed come back to life," Edward said. "And I love knowing that my hands had something to do with that. Music and pianos are still my passion, but only as a past time."
"Do you even have time to write your music anymore?" Liz asked knowingly.
"He wrote a lullaby for me," I said.
Liz's and Ted's eyebrows flew off their heads.
"So, let's hear it," Ted said. "There's a piano right there."
"Okay," Edward said, getting up.
"Let's see if he lost a note or two," Ted muttered to Liz.
Edward proceeded to play my song- brilliantly. Everyone in the lobby stopped to listen and comment. The concierge ran over to him as he got up and they had a conversation. Ted just laughed. "It happens every time!" he cried. "Whenever he plays publically, somebody asks him to play at their business for something."
"Could he really have gotten into Julliard?" I asked.
"He got a full scholarship offer," Liz said. "Turned it down to go to medical school."
"That's something I didn't know about him."
"He's a bit embarrassed by that," Liz admitted. "We never had to pressure him to practice."
"I can only imagine how he's going to raise his children," Liz said. "One instrument each, I'm sure. And a sport."
"His was yachting?"
"Yes," Ted said. "He used to love boats. If he had time, he'd probably do it, now. Something else takes up all his time."
Liz winked at me. "He loves you a lot. You're really special to him," she said.
The flight home was excruciatingly long. We took a cab back to Edward's apartment and did our new favorite thing before unpacking. I climbed on top of him and he grabbed my hips, holding me over him. "Ready?" he asked.
"Mmm-hmm."
He gripped his member and pushed in. "Oh!" I cried, still surprised by the feeling.
It was still a slightly uncomfortable stretch, but I was beginning to get used to it. "Love, you feel so good," he moaned. "Move for me." I began to move up and down on him, his hips arching up to me, I could see his clear-defined abdomen muscles flexing with each one of my thrusts. We found our rhythm much more easily this time. "You look so good, Bella," he muttered. "I love you..."
"I love you more," I whispered.
He gave me that sexy half-grin with his eyes half-closed. "Oh God," he muttered, panting, gripping my hips, his thumbs rubbing circles in my lower stomach. I ground against him. "Oh God, oh God oh God, ohGodohGodohGod- oh, Bella!" His hips arched into mine and I realized he came inside the condom without me. "Sorry," he muttered.
"It's okay," I said, bending down to kiss his lips. He sighed as I pulled back and off of him. He rubbed his forehead. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just sleepy," he said. "I always get tired after you make me come." He tweaked my nipple.
I got up out of bed to make a protein shake and sort some laundry for Edward and myself. I was going to get better, I knew it. I wasn't going to let myself succumb to this disease. Edward was going to do another three-day shift starting tomorrow morning, so I thought I might as well take his stuff home and do it for him. He was trying to find a position to sleep in.
"Should we tell Alice or just let her wonder?" I asked.
"I think we should let her squirm," Edward said, as I got back in the bed. I was going to do laundry with Alice tomorrow night.
"That'll be fun," I said, resting my chin on his chest, playing with his nipple. He liked that spot.
He yelped. "Isabella, how do you expect me to sleep when you do that?" he asked.
"Okay, I'll stop."
I let Edward sleep, although it took a while for me to stop thinking and close my eyes. In the morning, I was sleeping so hard that Edward sneaked off and showered without me. I woke up to the smell of coffee. I saw him, dressed, his hair drying.
"You showered without me!" I cried, sitting up.
"Yeah, you were sleeping so soundly," he said. "I couldn't bring myself to move you."
"You suck!"
He chuckled. "Have a cup of coffee with me before I go to work," he said.
I put on his robe and we had some breakfast together. I still had a hard time eating, but I was determined to get past it all.
Edward kissed me good-bye and left for work. I had to catch up on some reading for my classes. I had one this afternoon. I packed up Edward's laundry and mine and went home. Alice had already left for work.
Alice's books and my rocket called my name. God, how was I ever going to get my degree finished, now that Edward was in my life?
That night, when Alice got back, she looked at Edward's laundry.
"You're kidding," she said. "You're doing his laundry for him?"
"No, I'm not kidding," I said. "He's never home, I thought I'd do something to help him out. Free up some of his personal time."
"Are you ever going to have sex with him?" she asked. "Because if you haven't done it with him and you're doing his laundry, that's like asking why buy the cow when you're getting the milk for free?"
"You'll just have to guess," I said.
I got most of Edward's laundry finished with mine. Jasper was out with the boys tonight, so Alice and I sat around the living room, folding clothes and playing with Dizzy, who had gotten out of boarding.
"You know, I was thinking about moving in with Jasper, if Edward asks you to move in with him," she said.
"Really?" I asked. "I don't know if Edward wants me to live with him, just yet. But, if you want to live with Jasper, let me talk to the office, there's a one-bedroom opening up in a few months. I could probably afford that."
"I'm sure Edward wants you to live with him," Alice said. "Why wouldn't he? You're over there most of the time that he's not at the hospital."
"I'll just have to bring him over here sometime, then."
Edward and I messed with Alice for a nice, long time- almost a whole week. I wouldn't give up the secret until Alice and I went home to Forks and visited Angela in La Push. We stopped at Charlie's.
"Bella, is that really you?" he asked when Alice and I came in the door. "I almost didn't recognize you!" He stood up and hugged me- hard.
"Oh, Dad," I said.
"I can't even feel your ribs!" he cried, squeezing me. "What's happened, here? What's gotten into you?"
I heard Alice smirk, almost imperceptibly. I shook my head at her over Charlie's shoulder. He was exaggerating- I had only gained two pounds. He let me go. "Things are going really well for me."
"Do you want to go out for dinner in Port Angeles?" he asked. "Just a father-daughter dinner?"
"Sure," I said. "I'm gonna go see Angela in La Push with Alice, okay?"
"Where are my manners? Alice, honey, I didn't even see you!" He hugged Alice.
"Your daughter's appearance is pretty surprising, lately," Alice said. "I don't blame you."
"We're going to get going," I said, taking my bag upstairs.
In La Push, at Jacob and Angela's house, I got out, and there were other Quileute women getting out of their cars with kids about Will's age. It was Angela's day to watch them. Once Angela got the kids outside, playing, and Wendi was nursing, she said, "You cashed in the V-card."
"Yes, I did," I admitted.
"I'm gonna kill you!" Alice cried. "How could you keep it from me all this time?"
"I could tell just by looking at you," Angela said. "You've physically changed, Bella. You're happier."
"Really? Everybody's saying that."
"I knew it!" Alice cried. "Damnit!"
"How was it?" Angela asked.
"A little painful, but after that, it started to get fun. I just like being close to him."
"This sucks," Alice said. "I was holding out that you'd wait until after Christmas!"
"How much money are you out?"
"Oh, it's not money," Angela said, grinning. "Not money."
"I'm baby-sitting," Alice spat out. "Jasper and I have to baby sit twelve total hours for free for Angela and Jacob."
"That's awesome," I said. "What if Alice had won?"
"Jacob would be putting the tinting in the windows of Jasper's car and a new stereo system over the weekend," Angela said.
"Ang, can you set up a video camera in your living room?" I asked. "I am laughing at the very idea of Alice and Jasper trying to wrangle your children."
Angela laughed. "Good idea."
"That's evil, Bella," Alice said.
We sat in silence for a few minutes. "Hmm… I need to think about getting Edward a Christmas present…"
"Oh, you need to outlaw dick-in-a-box," Angela whispered so the kids couldn't hear. "Ben Cheney did that to me while I was still a virgin. He had no penis whatsoever to speak of."
Alice and I burst out laughing. "I forgot about that!" Alice cried.
"Me too!" I cried.
"I didn't know at the time," Angela said, shrugging. "I'm so glad I've only been with one person. And I really lucked out." Wendi began to fuss a little. "She's just tired, she needs to be put down for a nap."
"Gee, I'm really tired, too… from lugging this rock around!" Alice said, changing the subject, holding up her left hand.
Angela gasped, seeing the ring. "Let me see!" she cried. Alice stuck her hand under Angela's nose so she could see a little better. Wendi gurgled. "Baby, shut up," Angela said sweetly, to her baby. Alice and I giggled. "Wow! So, it's going to happen?"
"Yes. You'll be one of my bridesmaids, right?" Alice asked. "I asked Bella to be my maid of honor, you can be my second in command, just incase anything happens, God forbid. I'm going to ask a girl from work to be one, and Jasper's little sister to be the other bridesmaid."
"Of course!" Angela cried. "When is it?" Wendi decided to start crying. Angela had to put the baby down for a nap, finally.
"We haven't decided exactly, yet," Alice said. "But, we're talking about a June wedding."
"That's plenty of time to plan a wedding," I said.
"No, that's really not, not with the budget my parents are talking about," Alice said.
"I don't know anything about planning weddings," I admitted. "Where are you having it?"
"Dad wanted to have the reception in the backyard, under a giant tent with a chandelier, but Mom doesn't want to go through the stress of our house having 350 people in our house and having to set up all the lighting and tearing up her backyard and risking having somebody fall in the pool, drunk," Alice said. "There are a few places in Port Angeles, but they're kind of tacky, so we're probably going to go with Seattle. It'll be easier for Jasper's relatives from Texas to fly in and stay, there are better venues."
"Are you going to invite Thea Nicky?" I asked.
"Who's Thea Nicky?" Angela asked, coming out of the house, sans Wendi.
"Nicki Pappas was this crazy little old Greek lady-"
"Who was Edward's neighbor growing up," I added.
"She found out that Jasper and I were engaged, and she said that I should have the wedding in Chicago and she started planning it for me," Alice said. Angela laughed.
"What's even better, is she walked in the house with Ouzo and started spitting on Edward. Really," I said.
"Spitting on him?" Angela cried.
"She was pretending to spit on him, Edward said it was spitting on the devil, that's what Greeks do when they start to think good thoughts about somebody they love," I said. "It's warding off the devil. It's also good luck."
"Oh," Angela said. She started laughing.
"She even read my coffee cup on Thanksgiving to tell my future, supposedly," I said. "She even called Edward 'Little Edward' because his father is Edward Senior,-"
"Tell me, Bella, is that what Edward call his penis?" Alice asked.
Angela and I almost fell over laughing. Angela had to run back into the house to pee. "There's nothing little about Edward," I said, sticking up for my man, once I had my faculties back.
"Oh, how would you know?" Alice scoffed.
"You know what else is weird? I think Liz is a little bit psychic, too," I said. "I think she knew I had come to Chicago a virgin but left a woman."
"I don't believe in that stuff," Alice said.
"I do," Angela said. "You should see some of the stuff accomplished on the Vision Quests that our teenagers see in the tribe."
"Well, I'll never forget the date of Rosalie and Emmett's anniversary," I said. "That's for damn sure."
I called Edward from Charlie's house. He was working a weekend shift. He had to be exhausted by now. He sounded happy to hear from me. "I can't wait for you to get home."
"Yeah, one day," I said. "Do you want to tell my Dad hi?"
"Sure," he said.
"Let me put the phone on speaker," I said, holding my phone out.
"Hi, Charlie!" he yelled.
"Hey, Edward," Charlie replied.
"He's watching the recap of the game," I said. "I couldn't tell you who."
"Guess who asked me to be a groomsman at his wedding?" Edward asked.
"No way!"
"Yep," he said. "Look, I gotta go, but just know I love you."
"I love you more,"
"I don't know if that's possible."
"Bye, Edward."
"Bye, love."
"Can you two get any more gag-worthy?" Charlie asked. "Are you ready to go to La Bella Italia, Bella?" His idea of a joke.
"Yes."
I got in Charlie's car and let him drive. "Well, your best friend is married and has a kid. Your other best friend is planning a wedding," Charlie said. "How serious are you and Edward?"
I groaned. "Dad, I don't think it's going to be a problem."
"I need to know so I can start saving for a wedding, if needed."
"If the subject comes up, I'm just going to suggest Vegas," I said. I knew Charlie didn't have it in his retirement fund for a big society wedding. Masen's friends wouldn't smile at a backyard barbeque in a redneck town like Forks with white crepe paper and carnations and Party City decorations. I could only think of how smug Rosalie's expression would be at that.
"Don't do that!" Charlie cried. "Get married by Angela's dad, at least!"
"Edward's parents would probably contribute," I said. "Dad, I know you wouldn't want to accept any money from them."
"No, I can pay for my own daughter's wedding," Charlie said darkly. "Don't go to Vegas. That's what your mother and I did. It was the kiss of death and I regret it so deeply. Have a long engagement and get married for the right reasons."
"Alright," I muttered.
"So, now you've met his parents," he said. "What were they like?"
"Really nice people," I said. "They... understood."
"What happened?"
"I had a really bad panic attack the night before we left," I said. "I thought I was going to die."
"But, what were they like?" Charlie repeated. "To you?"
"They were really nice to me, actually," I said. "Edward didn't tell them about all my problems."
"How was Thanksgiving dinner?"
"Thanksgiving dinner…" I sighed. "Bad."
"I'm sorry, baby."
"Edward said they didn't know."
"They know, Bells, trust me," Charlie said. "By now, they know." I groaned. "I know, it's just part of the disease. I never thought I'd have to understand something like an eating disorder until my daughter had one. But, I can't believe you're doing so well. It's like that weekend in Chicago did a lot of good for you."
"It did," I said, smiling to myself.
"I didn't think that Edward would be so good for you," Charlie said. "He spends all that time in the hospital, but you come back, looking like this. Something's changed."
"Dad, I want to get better, now," I said. "I had to really want something more for myself."
"Like a family, a house, a big wedding?"
"No, Dad, to be normal," I said. "To be a photographer, to have friends, to be able to go out to eat and have a normal conversation and not have to take a Xanax. I don't think that's too much to want, but it seems like it."
"I know," Charlie said.
In the restaurant, I sat down with Charlie. My efforts to eat like a normal person were even harder. I had a hard time when my food started to touch. Charlie just asked the server that I get an extra large plate so that my food didn't touch each other, but the juices started blending together, and I just couldn't finish it.
Charlie took me back home and I finished some of the cooking for later that week for him.
The next morning, I finished cleaning the bathroom while he was doing some Sunday morning fishing and I did some laundry before Alice picked me up for Sunday brunch with her parents.
"I can't believe that's you," Carlisle said when I walked in the door.
"Why is everybody saying that?"
"Because you're carrying yourself completely differently," he said, hugging me.
After brunch, Alice and I went back home to say good-bye to Charlie and pick up my bags and cook some of his fish last minute and stick it in gladware containers. Charlie hadn't caught anything, so he as in a bad mood. "Have a good trip home," he said. "Take care."
"I will. I love you, Dad," I said, stepping out the door.
"I love you, too. Don't forget- reheat on medium heat, not level ten, okay?"
"Okay, let's go," Alice said, turning over the engine of her Volkswagon Beetle.
Charlie gave me an extra squeeze. "I love you so much, Bella."
I climbed into Alice's car. "I've got things to do before Edward gets home," I said, thinking about school.
"Me too," she said. "Do you feel like we had a good weekend?"
"Yes."
"Christmas is going to suck without you," I said, standing up under the showerhead, wiping my mouth.
"I know," he said. "We'll have our own Christmas." He patted my butt and I jumped- he hit the bone. "Sorry."
"I've got something special saved up for your present,."
"Please, don't let it be embarrassing," Edward muttered as I soaped him up with his Dove body wash. He didn't use poufs because of the mildew that grew in them, which was nice, because I could use my hands. Normally, that was very sensual and exciting, but I just wasn't excited at all tonight.
"It's great," I said, softly. I realized how unenthusiastic I sounded. But, I really meant it. My back really hurt, lately. "Really."
"Did Alice help you pick it out?" he asked.
"No," I said. "She didn't have anything to do with it."
"Okay, can you stop focusing on my ass?" he asked. He reached over and turned up the cold water on himself. I realized I was cupping his perfect, firm ass a little too much.
"Sorry," I said. I put heavenly-smelling body wash away and got under the water to rinse out the conditioner out of my hair. He helped.
"Love, you feel a little feverish," he said. I never talked to him if I was feeling sick or tired, because he tended to over diagnose me.
"I'm in the shower with you and it's burning up in here."
"Well, I guess so," he said. "You just look really tired."
"You wear me out every night we're together," I said. "Hey, I got my grades for this semester this morning," I changed the subject.
"How'd you do?" he asked.
"Really well."
"That's my girl," he said, kissing me. "One more to go."
"I don't know what I'm going to do after this," I said. "Maybe teach high school English or something somewhere. I said I'd take a year off from school."
"We've talked about photography."
"Photography doesn't pay health insurance," I said, ringing the last of the conditioner out.
"Maybe if you got pregnant, I could get you on my insurance."
"Very funny," I replied. It was becoming and inside joke between us. "Charlie and Jacob would hunt you down and kill you. Us rednecks in rural Washington like our guns."
"Rednecks," he muttered, shaking his head. "What about Jasper?"
"He's too liberal and anti-gun," I said. "But, he'd still be pretty upset. One of his own groomsmen. Well, maybe he'd borrow a gun from Dad."
"Shotgun wedding," Edward muttered. "We'd beat Alice and Jasper to the altar."
"I don't think Alice would appreciate that," I said, squeezing out my hair.
"You know I'm just kidding."
"I know," I said, I climbed out of the bathtub, careful not to pull back the shower curtain.
I was driving out to Forks tonight, alone. Alice and Jasper were at his parent's house in Olympia. My phone was ringing- it was Charlie, wanting to know if I wanted to go Christmas Caroling with the Police Department and their families. Although I wasn't much for music, I said yes. I was supposed to go wedding dress shopping with Alice in Port Angeles on Friday, too. I wished Edward was coming to Forks. He had such a beautiful singing voice.
"I can't wait to see you," Charlie said, sounding excited. "You sound a little tired, though."
"Don't worry about me. I just got done with the semester. I'll be better when I get home," I said. "I love you, Dad."
"I love you, too, Bells."
I tugged my clothes on and began to dry my hair so it didn't frizz. My lower back hurt so much, it was difficult. I just left the ends of my hair wet. Edward shaved and got out of the shower by now. I went into the bathroom and did his Windsor knot on this tie for him. "I'm going to miss you, Bella," he said, kissing me. "I can't wait until I'm done with these three-day shifts."
"Me too," I said softly. "When are you doing to get to take a vacation? Let's plan one for my graduation- somewhere quiet, cheap-"
"Quiet doesn't come cheap, Bella," he said. "Unless you want to go camping."
"No," I said. "I am not the outdoor type."
"Okay," he said. "I'll do some planning before you get home."
He kissed me before picking up his briefcase and putting on his coat.
I stopped by my apartment to pick up Dizzy to take with me and a few presents and a few bags. I had to pee really bad before I left, but when I got to the bathroom, I didn't actually have to. I felt a little shaky by the time I got all my stuff and Dizzy's carrier into the car. I got a diet coke and got on the interstate. Dizzy curled up into the back windshield and curled up defensively. She ran off when I turned on my iPod through the cassette player and focused on driving through the rain. The speakers were vibrating. My vision started to blur a bit. I needed to get my vision checked, again, it was already horrible. I was told my eating disorder was making it worse. I stopped a few times to go to rest stops, but nothing seemed to come out.
I turned off the interstate and got onto the highway to get to Forks. My pelvis was killing me by now, the vibration of the road was making it worse. The rain was turning into sleet and the roads were slippery. The pain was distracting me.
Dizzy got into the front seat beside me. I reached over to pet her- she was finally calming down. "We're almost to Charlie's," I said. Dizzy purred. "I really want to get there, too." She climbed into my lap while I drove.
I just wanted to lay down and nap for a minutes, but I had about fifteen minutes before I'd get home. Then, I'd crash on the couch.
The pain in my pelvis was worse and worse. I rubbed my lower abdomen, hoping it would provide relief, but it didn't. I groaned, my vision blurred for a moment, as I crossed a small bridge. My car fishtailed on the black ice- and I lost control.
It all seemed to happen in slow motion. The car spun around in a circle into the shoulder, hitting a tree. My pelvis screaming in pain. I screeched, as did Dizzy. The car slammed into a tree, and I heard a crunching sound. Oh god, my car!
Shaking, I assessed the situation. Where was my Xanax? No, I couldn't take one, now. I had to keep my system clean until I got to the hospital of I'd get charged with DWI. My phone was on the passenger side floor. I undid my seatbelt and picked up the phone. I picked up my phone, dialing 911.
"I just wrecked my car," I said, shaking, tears running down my cheeks. "I just crossed the Aris Creek bridge and I lost control."
"Are you alright?" the operator asked.
"I'm not bleeding, I don't think any bones are broken," I said. The idea of my car- my mode of transportation was destroyed. I didn't have the money to buy another one. Oh God, how was I going to get through this semester without a car? How was I going to get to Charlie's house every other weekend?
"What kind of car are you in?" she asked.
"A Brown 1992 Honda Accord."
"We'll have someone out there in a few minutes."
I sat in the car and cried for a few minutes. I picked up a scared Dizzy, stroking her. My car insurance rate was going to go up like crazy.
"Miss?" A light was being shined in my eyes. A man in an EMT uniform was standing outside my car door. "Miss, do you know your name?"
"Yes," I said, sitting up. "Bella Swan."
"Charlie Swan's daughter? What day is it?" The light came out of my eyes. He opened my car door for me.
"December 24th," I said.
"Good, do you know where you are?"
"I was driving from Seattle to Forks."
"Good," he said. "We're going to take you to the hospital to make sure you're okay."
"What?" I cried. I had a major disdain of hospitals due to my condition. They blamed everything on my eating disorder. "No, I don't need it!"
"It'll only take a while," he said. "You might have whiplash, so we just want to get you checked out."
"What about my cat?"
"We got him," he said. "We'll take him to the hospital until somebody picks you up. We got the carrier."
I called my father while they strapped me into the gurney and loaded me into the ambulance. Dizzy was meowling in the carrier. I groaned when they tightened the straps around my stomach.
"What's wrong?"
"My stomach hurts."
He pressed against my stomach. "Here?"
"No, lower," I said. He lowered his hands and pressed lower. I gasped.
"There?"
"Yes," I said. "And my lower back. How soon are we getting to the hospital? I have to go to the restroom."
"You're running a slight fever, Bella," he said. "Have you taken on a new sexual partner, recently?"
"Um… yes…" I said. "Don't tell my father."
He chuckled. "You might have a UTI."
"A what?" I asked. It sounded familiar.
"A Urinary Tract Infection," he said. "It's normal in girls who've taken on a new sexual partner, recently. We call it 'the honeymoon syndrome' because virgin brides get it in the first year of marriage, usually."
I groaned. "What's going to happen if I have this?"
"You'll take antibiotics," he said. "Are you on any medications?"
"Fluoxitine, Xanax, Yaz- you know, the birth control," I said. "And I take Roserem occasionally, for insomnia."
"Just remember that antibiotics make birth control ineffective."
"You're kidding!"
"No, I'm not," he said. The ambulance siren went off.
Charlie and Esme were waiting in the ER for me. "It's Christmas Eve, and you do this to your poor father?" Charlie asked, throwing his arms around me, kissing my temple. I knew he was just trying to joke to make me feel better.
"I'm fine, Dad- really," I said. "Esme, you're probably skipping out on all sorts of stuff that you need to do today-"
"Bella, you were in an accident, I need to be here," she said sharply.
"We just need to examine her," the EMT said, helping me through the Triage.
In the examining room, Charlie, Esme, and I waited and waited and waited. They sent me for a CT scan. Carlisle came by to check on me while we waited on the results. I was surprised they were letting the resident Pediatrician see me and not the resident ER doctor. Most of the doctors around here traded off to help each other out, since there were so few. "So, what happened?" he asked.
"I was almost home, and I went over the bridge over the Aris Creek, and it had ice on it," I said. "I fishtailed, and lost control of my car. I'm okay, though, just a little shaken up."
"You don't look okay," Carlisle said.
"I bumped my head," I said.
"She's running a fever," Esme said. "I can feel it when I touch her."
"Charlie, can I examine her alone? Esme, honey, you might want to be in here for moral support. Is that okay, Bella?" Carlisle asked, making it sound like he needed to examine me without my hospital robe on. I nodded.
"Sure, of course," Charlie said, picking up his jacket, slipping out the door.
"Bella, do you know what a UTI is?" Carlisle asked.
"Kind of," I said, rubbing my face, embarrassed.
"I'm looking at the report from Kenneth," he said, referring to the EMT. "Your symptoms indicate a UTI. You know what causes it, right?
I blushed. "Yes, too much sex," I said, covering my face.
"Just making sure you knew," he said. He sounded so understanding. Esme was trying to conceal a smile. I groaned, avoided Esme's eyes.
"Bella, we're relieved," Esme said, smiling. "Normal people in their twenties have sex. You weren't. We were worried your body dismorphic disorder was keeping you from having relationships."
"We let Alice and Jasper sleep in the same bed in our house when they first started dating," Carlisle said. "Why are you so embarrassed?"
"We really like Edward, you're really changing for the better being around him," Esme said.
"I hope so," I said. "Charlie doesn't know I'm sleeping with him, yet."
"You'd be surprised what an observant parent notices," Carlisle said. "You said you're on Drospirenone," he continued, "I'm going to prescribe a five-day antibiotic. Just know that your birth control isn't going to work this month." My face burned. "You know to get tested for STDs every six months, don't you?"
"We're monogamous," I said.
"You never know," Carlisle said. "Especially when you're not using condoms." I seriously thought I was going to die. Esme patted my leg. I looked at her, and she smiled, comfortingly. "Didn't you tell Edward about your symptoms?"
"No, he tends to over-diagnose me," I said.
"I don't blame him," Esme said. "Carlisle did the same thing to me when we first started dating." Did that mean… Oh god, it was embarrassing to think about my surrogate parents having sex at all.
"What are we telling Charlie?" I asked.
"I'm not bound to tell him anything," Carlisle said, shrugging. "You're a legal adult, over the age of 18. You tell him something."
"I'm not a doctor!"
"Okay, you can tell him you've got strep throat if you're going to lie to your dear old Dad," Carlisle said. Leave it to Carlisle to put a guilt trip on me.
"What he doesn't know isn't going to hurt him," I said.
"Strep throat doesn't always hurt," Esme offered.
"Okay," I said.
Carlisle went over the different ways to keep from getting UTIs (even more embarrassment) and finally let Charlie come back into the examining room. "She's good to go. Enjoy your Christmas Eve, Charlie. Come by tomorrow night for some drinks."
"We will," Charlie said. "Merry Christmas!"
I told Charlie that I had strep throat. "Caroling is out of the question!" Charlie declared. Big loss.
After filling my prescription, I laid down while Charlie went to get my bags out of my wrecked car and to wait on the wrecker to tow my car away. That night, Charlie let me sleep while he went to the Forks PD Christmas party. I went downstairs to watch TV and work on my knitting. I called Edward and left a message on his voicemail.
"Hey, it's me, just calling to let you know that, um, I've got a UTI. Just letting you know for fun, because, I'm having a blast right now," I said. "I got into a car accident today, and Carlisle, of all people, examined me in the ER and we had a talk about safe sex. Don't worry, they still like you, even though you're banging their surrogate daughter. I'll call you in the morning, I'm just a little stiff. I love you, bye."
Then, I called Alice.
"I've got a UTI."
"A UTI!?" Alice howled.
"Say it a little louder, Alice."
"Honeymoon Syndrome?" Jasper asked in the background.
"Yeah, yuk it up, you guys."
"It's okay, everybody's drunk downstairs," Alice said. "Do you remember when I got it with… Never mind…"
"Nice, Alice," Jasper said.
"Just drink cranberry juice," Alice said.
"Your parents had a sex talk with me in the ER," I said. "Can this day be any worse?"
"Oh man, I bet you almost died!" she cried, gleefully. "What did Charlie do? Is he polishing off his old gun?"
"He thinks I've got strep throat."
"Step throat of the vagina!" Alice snickered. She was a little more smashed than I thought.
"Okay, Alice, I'll catch up with you tomorrow."
"Okay, I love you, bye."
I curled up on the couch with Dizzy and watched A Christmas Story for a while, and got out a warm water bottle to press against my lower abdomen.
Charlie came home while I was asleep on the couch.
"How was it?" I asked, waking up.
"Good times," Charlie said. "Good times. We're going bowling on New Year's Eve."
"Good, so you've got plans."
"Yeah, so you can stay in Seattle, do something with Alice and Jasper, and if Edward's not working, do something with him," he said. "Bella, do you need some Tylenol?"
"Tylenol? For what?" I asked.
"I just thought... The water bottle... Nevermind. Sorry."
"Oh," I said, my cheeks burning tomato-red- it was at my feet by now. He thought I was getting my period. If only that were it. "I'm going to bed. Good night, Dad."
"'Night, Bells."
I went upstairs and I had just taken a shower and gone to bed when Charlie came into my room with my cell phone that I had left in the living room. "Bella, Edward's on the phone," he said, handing over my cell.
"Bella?!" Edward cried. "You were in a car accident?"
"Yes."
"Do I need to come to Forks?"
"No!"
"Are you in pain?"
"Just a little," I said. Charlie watched me. "My neck and back are a little stuff. My lower abdomen is sore, too." I glowered at Charlie and gestured to tell him to leave me alone. He left the room.
"Does he know? Has he said anything?"
"No."
"Then I'm fucked," he said. It was the first time I had ever hear him use that word- ever. He never used vulgar terms. I sat, slack-jawed. "There's a chance Charlie's going to kill me for deflowering his only daughter."
"Just trade him the Aston Martin."
"Are you drunk?"
"No!" I cried. "Look, I haven't confirmed anything. He doesn't know it, yet."
"Wasn't he in the ER?"
"No, it was just Esme and Carlisle," I said. "He thinks it's strep throat- that's why I'm on antibiotics."
"Well, that excuse will last for a while," he said. "I get so overeager with you, I'm sorry, Bella."
"It's okay."
"Just get some rest, take it easy, and drink cranberry juice."
"That's what everybody says," I replied. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he said. "Merry Christmas, Love."
"Merry Christmas, Edward."
I hung up and fell asleep.