A/N Guess what! I got over 50 reviews! Sooooo… I decided to post this newest addition today rather than waiting until Sunday. I never thought that would happen, I'm so shocked and honored, and thankful. I can't believe that not only are people actually reading this story, but everyone who has reviewed actually seems to like it!
And here I planned on making a much shorter A/N this time. Wupps.
Disclaimer: My name is Lauren, not Stephanie. Never have I been so sad about that fact, because S.M is my hero for writing her wonderful stories and creating her wonderful characters. No I don't hold her accountable for me wasting so much of my life on this site, but I'll go ahead and give her credit for the characters, underlying plot, and interesting ideas all of which are based on Twilight.
I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 16 – EPOV
I was up and running toward the door before the vision had even finished. The lone human in the room didn't notice me stand or tear toward the door, but he looked up curiously when Emmett and Jasper collided with me, sounding far too much like boulders crashing down a cliff.
"Edward, what the Hell?" whispered Emmett furiously as Jasper tried to calm me. There's a damn human in the room, do you want to blow our cover?
Jasper, Esme, and Rosalie's thoughts were also concerned with the human, but Alice was simply starring at me with her mouth agape.
When I saw her, my anger exploded to the surface. "Why didn't you tell me?" I screamed. The human hadn't lost interest yet, but he had already written us off as a group of obnoxious and hormone driven teenagers.
"What could you have done Edward?" she countered, Bella wanted this, she wants to save Christy. I thought you had already accepted… her thoughts trailed off as she took in my furious, devastated face.
Emmett and Jasper still grasped me tightly, restraining me. Jasper had figured out what was going on quickly. He knew that Alice had been hiding something from me, and based on my reaction coupled with my horrified emotions, it wasn't too hard to connect the dots. He still was attempting to prevent me from doing something stupid apparently, much to my chagrin.
"There has to be something," I pleaded, already feeling like I had lost her, Esme looked as though she could have been sick as she started to catch on as well.
Alice's downtrodden expression and thoughts gave me no comfort. "Care to tell us what's going on?" asked Emmett, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
"It's Bella," explained Jasper quietly so that the human wouldn't hear, "She's not going to make it out of the surgery," he informed stoically.
With that, Emmett's restraining arm dropped violently and he turned to stare at Alice. "You're sure?" he whispered, pain littering his voice.
Alice didn't acknowledge, but allowed her face to fall just the tiniest bit as Esme reached over to comfort her. Emmett collapsed into the seat next to where Rosalie had been seated just moments ago. Now it was my turn to stare in confusion, "Where's Rose?" I asked at the same moment that Emmett realized she was no longer present.
A vision filled Alice's mind, then mine less than half a second later. Rose was charming the male nurse named Bradley into allowing her entrance to the surgical operation area, just outside of Bella's room.
Alice and I were out the door to the waiting room and heading down the hall almost before the vision had finished. Jasper was on our tails, never one to question Alice's motives after a vision. Emmett followed, in search of Rose, and Esme made up the caboose of our fast moving procession, indecisive about the next course of action.
Bella will not die today, she kept chanting in her head. Before long I was chanting it in mine as well. We came to a halt just outside the doors to the corridor which housed Bella's room. Esme made her way to the front of the family and typed her pass code so that the door would open in the exact place Alice and I had seen Rosalie in the vision.
Esme swiftly grabbed my arm and instructed the others to wait behind so we wouldn't look too suspicious. Alice looked as if she had been asked to cut off her own arm, She can't expect me to just wait here!
"Esme, you can't be serious," Alice begged.
Esme encircled her in a strong hug and apologized with all of her heart. "If you have another vision, make sure to concentrate on it so that Edward might be able to pick up on it," she instructed.
"But—," Alice tried to argue. It was effectively the first time I had ever seen Alice lose an argument and I knew it was only because she was so upset. Jasper wrapped an arm around her and tried to lead her back toward the waiting room. Alice didn't budge, but I had no time to wait. I closed in for a quick hug and apology of my own, don't let it come true, she pleaded silently.
"I'm not leaving here without her," I vowed as I turned to leave with Esme. She led the two of us down a short hallway and made a left at the end. We stopped in front of an ordinary looking swipe key access door. I could hear the thoughts of Carlisle and several of the other nurses within.
From around the corner, I could hear Rosalie's thoughts as she tried to figure out a way to charm herself into the room. I followed her thoughts around the bend and came to a large window with a rear view of the operation. I gaped for a moment at what I saw before I was able to speak. Carlisle was now working on Christy while Dr. Minor assisted. A female nurse I didn't recognize was using an electric pump on Bella so I was left to assume that Bella's heart had already been removed.
"What should we do?" I asked her as Esme finally approached and stood beside us.
What, you actually want to keep her around now? Rosalie scoffed and I easily stifled my growl. Now was not the time. "How should I know, I don't even know how to get into the room without simply breaking down one of these walls."
I eyed the walls for a moment, calculating. I knew exactly how much force to exert to break through the wall, but I didn't want to scare away the attendants who were working on Bella. I needed her alive, "I don't think we should do that," I said, unhelpfully.
I wonder if Carlisle can hear us, thought Esme. I eyed her meaningfully for a moment, then tapped on the glass. Carlisle flinched the slightest bit but didn't turn to face us, his mind registered the sound but he chose to ignore it because humans were not supposed to hear those sorts of sounds.
"Yes, he can definitely hear the knocking," I concluded.
"Carlisle can you hear us?" Esme said in a voice that was slightly louder than conversational. I saw him twitch the littlest bit once again and heard the affirmation in his thoughts.
"He's wondering who 'us' is, in addition to Esme," I answered for him.
Was that Edward? He thought in the part of his mind that wasn't occupied with the surgery. We watched in mortification mixed with awe as Carlisle finished removing Christy's heart, then reached for Bella's without a moment's pause.
"Yes it's me," I said, using the same number of sound decibels as Esme, "Rosalie is here as well," I added.
Rosalie's here? What's wrong, how did you get in here? Did Alice see something? He wondered, clearly worried. His worry was too deep though, he was not simply worried that Bella would not survive. Carlisle was worried about something else altogether, I couldn't tell for sure, but was it being found out?
Disregarding his inner turmoil for a moment, I searched for the ability to speak. "It's Bella," I croaked, "She's—," but my voice trailed off, I just couldn't finish, the words were too dark.
Luckily Rose was able to say it for me, allowing the panic in her voice to reverberate in the room, "Carlisle, she's not going to make it. You have to do something!" she finished. A nurse eyed us suspiciously after Rosalie's outburst, but kept walking. She was late and didn't have time to question the fact that we were here inside the ICU.
Rose eyed me tentatively for a moment when all had grown silent again. She wrapped a supportive arm around my shoulder and I was once again shocked by how absurdly motherly she had become, how caring she had become. Esme's thoughts were flowing down the same path as mine and her heart elated the tiniest bit with her daughter's display of kindness.
I have a plan, Carlisle thought purposefully as he imagined a metal syringe in his pocket.
"He says he has a plan?" I conveyed with confusion to the rest of my family. I allowed the details of the dreadful vision I had first seen in Alice's head to fill my mind once again as I considered Carlisle's intentions with the metal syringe. Milliseconds before the beeping had started in the vision, Carlisle had injected Bella's chest with the metal syringe filled with some unknown liquid.
Augusta Christianson walked up just as I realized that the metal syringe might have in fact lead to the beeping of the monitor indicating a failed heart. Regardless, I assumed there had to be some sort of connection. I couldn't speak to Carlisle directly because Augusta was there, but I had to figure out this plan he had hatched.
A few torturous minutes passed while Rosalie, Esme, Augusta, and I stared on in silence, all placing our trust in Carlisle as he worked. What are they all doing here anyway, I didn't think anyone but employees or legal guardians were allowed back here, Augusta wondered halfheartedly. She was too concerned with her daughter to really focus on us so she only thought about the three of us dismissively, and of that at least, I was glad.
We all waited impatiently as Carlisle made quick work of stitching Christy back together with Bella's heart in place. I watched as her heart monitor stabilized and Carlisle turned to Bella, mentally preparing himself for whatever was about to go wrong.
I'm not going to let her die, he thought, I simply won't do it. Again he pictured the syringe in his pocket and my brain began to swirl. What was in the syringe?
At that point I had to speak, I had to let him know, "Save her Carlisle," I called desperately through the glass. Augusta was too relieved with the status of her daughter to even care that I was talking to somebody who supposedly couldn't hear me. "Do everything in your power," I begged cryptically, knowing he would understand. I remembered Carlisle claiming earlier today that he would indeed do whatever he could to save her, but now I was asking for something different and I hoped that my choice of words would alert Carlisle to my change of heart.
The words, in fact, were very similar to the ones my mother had spoken to Carlisle before she died. It had been these words which had made him decide to bring me into my new life as a vampire. And now I was asking the same for Bella.
The slight smile on Carlisle's face didn't mesh well with my mother's memory as it replayed in his mind. However, it did mesh well with the one on mine when I realized he had understood. Perhaps he had understood all along. It seemed everyone in my family, save for me, had understood from the beginning that I was physically unable to let her go.
Rosalie's grip on my arm tightened nervously as we watched Carlisle move toward Bella. "Forceps please," we heard Carlisle ask so quietly of the nearest nurse. She handed him the tool and he began.
The next half hour was unbearably tense as Carlisle put Bella back together and stitched her up. Her pulse never steadied the way Christy's did and I realized as Carlisle began working feverishly over her that the scene from Alice's vision was beginning to play out. The mycophenolate didn't work, Carlisle thought sourly. But I can't let her die, I have to save her. I'm so sorry Bella, I hope that you don't regret this decision.
I studied him carefully and desperately as Carlisle whipped the metal syringe out of his pocket faster than a lightning strike. None of the nurses questioned him as he inserted it directly into her heart. At that moment I felt a new vision fill my mind and cloud my sight, accompanied by Alice's thoughts. I was surprised I could pick them up for as far away as we were, but I didn't question it.
The vision was one I had seen before, Bella standing arm and arm with Alice, their skin matching tones of alabaster white. It was the clearest I had ever seen and I gasped out loud, garnering the attention of the three women around me. I almost missed it when Carlisle unhitched the heart monitor from Bella's finger and tied it to his own, it was that fast. I gasped again as the monitor began beeping loudly signaling a lack of pulse.
Things continued happening quickly after that. Nurse Woodson and her assistant Nurse Grayson were scrambling around the room doing whatever Carlisle asked. He continued working over her as the monitor beeped, but I knew he was not doing anything productive. He was putting on an act.
Dr. Minor grabbed the pace maker from the corner of the room and rushed over to Carlisle's side, preparing to restart her heart. With a morose shake of his head and an extended finger though, Carlisle stopped him. Even with my strong ears, I could hardly make out the doctor's words, so instead I listened to his mind. Such a brave little girl, I guess I sort of knew she wouldn't make it, he thought sadly, such a shame.
I continued staring tensely through the window. Rosalie and Esme, like all of the humans around hadn't noticed the slight movements of Bella's painfully slow breaths. Nervously I listened to Carlisle's thoughts, verifying what I had just witnessed. Carlisle had just faked Bella's death.
It's done Edward, there's no going back, he thought, knowing I would be listening intently. The syringe was filled with venom which I injected straight into her heart. She has enough Propofol and fentanyl in her system to keep her quiet for a little while, but we need to get her home as soon as possible. I'm not positive of the effects of the drugs with the venom, but I sincerely hope the fentanyl will fight off the pain, at least a little bit. I wish there had been another way, he sighed internally and I agreed wholeheartedly as the realization of what we had just done began to sink in.
I felt ill all the way to my core. I couldn't believe I had been so selfish. I had just stolen my Bella's last chance at Heaven and forced her to spend the rest of eternity confined to this Earth. I realized that she would surely resent me, if not hate me now. I deserved to be hated, there was no doubt about that.
My hands were pressed to the glass in my guilt and Rosalie and Esme's arms were still wrapped around me, trying to comfort me. They had fallen for the charade and they still thought she was dead. Augusta's hand was placed firmly over her mouth, thinking the same. No, she thought. No! Rachel! Oh no, no, no, I'm so sorry Rachel. Oh Rachel no how could I have let this happen? Augusta lamented in her mind as she realized that 'Rachel' was no longer alive. Thank you so much, you saved my daughter's life. I only wish I could have saved yours, she finished sadly, I'll never forget you.
Esme and Rosalie were staring at Carlisle's still form by Bella's bedside. A mixture of tortured regret and pained sadness filled their minds. I should have done something, thought Rosalie. We let this opportunity pass, and now we may never see her again. And oh what of Edward? How will he ever survive this time?
Oh no sweet Bella. I'm so sorry Edward. Esme's thoughts choked off with silent sobs from within her soul. I carefully placed my arms around each of them in turn and whispered so that only they could hear, "It's alright. Carlisle saved her," I finished.
Esme's gasped and actually sobbed out loud this time, Oh he must be in denial, she thought morosely.
"I'm not in denial," I answered again almost silently, "The metal syringe he injected into her heart was filled with venom," I explained, "Her heart monitor is attached to his finger right now, not hers.
The three of us and Augusta continued watching the activity on the other side of the glass as two nurses wheeled Christy out of the room and the other two began preparing to report 'Rachel's' death. You're certain? Asked Rosalie.
I nodded in response, and spoke almost silently again, "Look closely at her chest, she's still breathing," I instructed. As they did, their thoughts exploded with happiness but I remained stoic. I couldn't bring myself to smile right now for so many reasons. Assuming everything went successfully, Bella was about to go through the worst pain she had ever felt or imagined. I had just denied my heroic love's straight shot to Heaven, and instead forced her to face Hell. There was no doubt in my mind that she would hate me.
Rosalie and Esme didn't seem to have the same qualms as I did, however. They were trying unsuccessfully to hide their excitement as we watched Carlisle swiftly place the heart monitor's extension back together with the machine as he turned it off. Next he signed off on all of the electronic paper work which Nurse Woodson presented to him on one of the clip board laptops.
In the meantime, the other two nurses prepared to leave the room. From their thoughts I could hear that they were anxious to get away from this traumatic and heartbreaking scene. Augusta left us without a word as well, hoping to catch up to Dr. Minor and the nurses which had taken her daughter.
Rose, Esme, and I remained still while we watched Carlisle ask for a minute alone with Rachel's body. Nurse Woodson gave him a questioning look and he simply explained that she had been like a daughter to him. Her thoughts grew even sadder and she wisely stepped out to give him some peace. In reality he needed to get Bella out of that room and out of the hospital and that would be impossible with the nurses hanging around.
Alright Edward, you know what to do, Carlisle thought as soon as Ms. Woodson was gone. Esme, Rose, and I were back at the door waiting for Carlisle to let us in before he had even finished his thought. "Alright guys, I've got another gurney down the hall in the stock room. I swiped it earlier from the cancer ward. Unfortunately Edward felt the need to punch a hole in it," he said quickly. He didn't even pause to give me a full look of disappointment after calling me out about the broken gurney.
Esme and Alice went to retrieve the gurney and a list of other medical supplies which Carlisle had stashed in there and I followed him back into the room to see my Bella. The first thing I heard when I entered the room was her incredibly slow heart rate which caused me to cringe and smile at the same time. I was relieved to hear it at all, but the slowness made me nervous and at the same time I knew that the remainder of her heartbeats was numbered, but I tried not to think too much about that, I had more pressing issues to deal with at the moment.
"So you just happened to have a syringe filled with venom in your pocket as well as a gurney and medical supplies waiting for us?" I asked Carlisle sarcastically.
"Please Edward, now is not the time. We need to get her out of here. I need to change some of this paperwork to show that her body was already taken to the morgue. Start detaching her breathing mask and the IV," he commanded evenly.
I finished the task in no time at all. Esme and Rosalie returned with the gurney and supplies soon after and in less than a minute Bella was loaded onto the partially repaired gurney and we were on our way out toward the elevator. Bella made no movements besides the shallow intake of breath, and I felt as though my nerves would kill me.
Suddenly we heard a loud crashing noise behind us and the four of us stopped and searched for the source of the noise. I heard Emmett's thoughts, Keep moving Edward, Alice saw some nurses walking your way and she sent me to distract them. Alice and Jasper are down in the parking garage, you shouldn't have any more trouble the rest of the way, get going!
I quickly relayed the message to Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie and we continued our journey at a much faster rate now, more assured that no humans would intercept us. The elevator ride was slow and daunting, but once we made it to the bottom we followed Carlisle down a seemingly deserted hallway to a back entrance of the garage.
Stop! Shouted both Jasper and Alice in their minds, motioning toward a video camera overhead. Edward, you need to take Bella and run along the side wall there until you find the exit, then don't stop running until you get home. Tell Carlisle he needs to sign off from his shift, otherwise he will raise suspicion. Esme and Rosalie will wait for Emmett and ride with Carlisle back to the house. Toss me your keys, Jasper and I will sign your car out of the lot and meet you at the house.
Once again, I relayed the unspoken message to my three companions, then carefully lifted Bella from the gurney. What about her supplies? Wondered Carlisle, I have some extra Fentonyl and an IV bag here, ask Alice what she thinks.
"Carlisle has some medical supplies for Bella," I whispered to Alice and Jasper across the garage. They stood in plain view of the camera, but it didn't look like they were speaking to anybody, I knew we were safe.
It's unnecessary, Alice thought in response, Bella won't need any of those things. Tell him to stash that stuff in the nearest store room and get home as soon as possible.
"Get rid of the supplies, she won't need any of it," I told Carlisle quietly. I didn't wait for a response this time though, I had Bella in my arms and it was time to get home.
I sprinted out of the garage at a speed that would be nearly invisible to a human. The breeze blowing through my hair helped distract me from the dried blood on my Bella's body and helped me to escape the terrifying moment I was living in. The partially cloudy skies from earlier today had cleared, but fortunately the sun was already below the horizon so I didn't have to worry about my skin's diamond like luminosity drawing undesired attention.
I didn't worry too much about being seen while I ran through the cool evening. Bella and I were covered by the magnificent blue tint which melted out of the sky and soaked into the ground just before nightfall. I could see the faint light of the recent sunset to the west and I felt the state of rushed panic I had found myself in gently being soothed by my surroundings. It was Twilight, that blue hour in between day and night and I reveled in it. This was my favorite time of day, but I knew the night which stretched out before us would not be over until I could be certain that my Bella would be alright.
I cringed again at the thought of the pain she must surely be suffering and felt the need to apologize to my poor Bella. In less than a minute's time, my worries had returned in full force because she was so quiet and still, it made me nervous. I knew she would be screaming if the pain had started, I remembered watching Rosalie, Esme, and Emmett go through the torture of transformation. Those were not good days, but they were exactly what was in store for Bella.
I couldn't bear to imagine any longer what she would be going through thanks to what we had done to her. I remembered with perfect clarity the fiery Hell which encompassed me during those three longest days of my life when I was transformed, but I also remembered that I had been anything but silent. So why was she so quiet now? What if something had gone wrong in the operating room? I wished more than anything that I could hear her thoughts, if she was going to suffer I wanted to suffer as well. She must unquestionably hate me.
My worrying only served to increase my speed as I tore through the near night time darkness. I silently prayed and hoped that Carlisle had been right about the pain killers. Perhaps they were helping her evade the fire which would be otherwise swimming through her veins. Maybe the combination of the painkillers and anesthetics in her system were keeping her quiet. I could smell the Propofol and fentanyl still present in her bloodstream. I hated how the drugs altered the flavor of her blood, yet at the same time I was grateful for the added incentive not to bite her. Even now I found my self control being tested as I rushed home, the monster in me almost growling in frustration because the scent of her blood would soon be gone forever.
Oh what a horrible person I was. Bella, the love of my life, had nearly died today, had lost her chance at Heaven, and was about to experience pain beyond imagine for three days nonstop. Yet I selfishly continued to think about my own thirst and the pain I was feeling in the back of my throat as I carried her home.
"I'm so sorry Bella," I whispered, expelling all thoughts of thirst from my mind. I lithely prepared to leap over the small stream near the beginning of our property and I leaned in once again to whisper in her ear, "I just couldn't live without you," I said more loudly, hoping she would understand.
When I finally reached the house, I threw open the front door and carried her upstairs to our bedroom. As I placed her as gently as possible on the bed, I heard the distinctive sound of my nearly silent Volvo engine parking in the garage out front.
Less than a minute later Alice and Jasper were in the room with me, each toting some of Bella's possessions which had been in her room at the hospital. Jasper quickly excused himself when he smelt the dried blood on Bella, but Alice stayed behind to get her cleaned and changed.
Having nowhere else to go, I followed Jasper out into the living room to allow Alice and Bella some privacy. Please Edward, you're making me so nervous. You have no reason to be this anxious, everything will be fine, thought Jasper moments before he focused with all of his might on being calm and allowing me to feel some peace.
"Jasper, how can we know that for sure?" I questioned, "She's so quiet and her heart rate is so low still. What if something has gone wrong, I've never heard of venom being injected with a needle? What if something happens with that heart, it isn't even hers! And what if she hates me?" I continued, despite the waves of calm Jasper kept releasing for my benefit.
"The fact that her heart is still beating right now is proof that the venom has taken effect, and the surgery was successful, for our purposes at least. I cannot explain the silence, but if you honestly think that Bella will in any way hate you when she wakes up, then I have no choice but to doubt the fact that you have ever even met her," he stated confidently. But I suppose if I was in your situation and it was Alice, I might be a bit more anxious, he thought emphatically.
"How is Alice dealing with the latest turn of events," I wondered, effectively changing the subject.
"Much better since she saw the vision of Bella as vampire again," he responded with hints of hopefulness shining in his voice. That vision had gotten a little hazy for a while when you were so determined to keep her human. Throughout the past week, Alice's vision has been undulating back and forth between weak and strong as each member of our family decided they were going to try to keep Bella. Apparently it has never been as strong or as imminent as it was today.
"So I assume you will be putting your faith in Alice?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"Always have," Always will, he trailed off when we heard the sounds of Carlisle and the rest of the family pulling down the driveway. Rosalie came bounding gracefully through the door moments later. She wrapped her arms around me, and very nearly let out an Alice worthy squeal. Her happiness was so complete.
Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme followed shortly thereafter, triumphant thoughts filling their minds as well. We did it, we saved her! Edward, you have your Bella, everything is going to be okay! And soon we can finally leave this wretched town and move on to somewhere we can actually inhabit during the day time. Rosalie's thoughts were more joyful than I had ever heard from her since the time we saved Emmett. She was eager to point out the parallels in this situation, saving the one you love by changing them.
Though Jasper easily picked up on and relished her mood, I couldn't bring myself to smile. "Yes, but at what cost to Bella, Rosalie?" I asked pointedly. "Bella was at the gateway to Heaven and we effectively tore her away and forced her to face three days of Hell and an everlasting purgatory instead," I admonished.
Esme answered this time, "Edward honey, do you honestly think you will still consider this eternal life we face a purgatory if you get to spend it with Bella at your side?" she asked, allowing her thoughts to linger on the happiness she felt with Carlisle.
"But, she will hate me!" I argued, knowing better than to answer that question, "How could she not?"
Alice answered me from the top of the first flight of stairs this time, "Because she loves you Edward. Probably a lot more than you give her credit for. By the way her heart rate is beginning to sound much more regular, and you're welcome to go up now if you would like," she smiled as she danced to the bottom step and grabbed Jasper's hand above her head as she pirouetted in happiness.
I still refused to smile in return, but I dashed up the stairs immediately with Carlisle on my heels. I knelt by Bella's bedside and took her hand in mine as Carlisle examined her, listening closely to her heart rate. I can't believe it worked. A diseased heart and it is working with the venom nonetheless. What a miracle!
I had to agree with him, despite my view on the situation. It was a complete and total miracle that Bella's body had not only accepted the new heart but that it continued beating. "How did you come up with the idea to insert the venom through a syringe?" I finally asked.
He chuckled then finally responded, "I was thinking about the possible uses for mycophenolate this morning as I tried to imagine every possible and impossible way I could to save her when I found out we would be performing the surgery today. Basically, I realized that I needed to use creative and unorthodox methods to save her just after I came up with the idea for the mycophenolate injection prior to the surgery as compared to afterward. The injection idea spurred from that, and I figured that if I inserted it straight into the heart, the veins and arteries connecting the heart to the rest of the body would be fixed first."
"Brilliant," I muttered, believing nothing less, but unable to place proper enthusiasm behind my words.
"Hardly," he responded, modestly.
"So the venom injection was a backup plan?" I asked curious again about his readiness for the whole situation.
"Indeed. I decided a Plan B would be most prudent because I had no intentions of letting her die today," he admitted.
"I see," I stated vacuously, now much more concerned with watching Bella's every breath than continuing our conversation.
Several minutes passed and we did nothing but stare in reverent silence at the beautiful girl before us. I could still smell traces of the drugs in her bloodstream, and that stirred another round of questions.
"Why is she so quiet? Will she be alright?" I demanded, doubting that Carlisle actually had an answer.
"I'm not sure, but I suppose it has something to do with the Propofol," he mused.
"Most likely," I agreed flatly, "How much pain is she in?" I begged to know.
"We don't know for certain she is even in any pain. Modern medicine has come a long way, perhaps it is effective even against vampire venom," he tried to assure me.
I wasn't convinced, but it was a nice thought. Maybe she wasn't in any pain whatsoever. I examined her body once again, searching for physical manifestations of her pain. She looked lovely as always in the outfit Alice had dressed her in. I sighed, Thank God for Alice, what would have happened if Alice hadn't had those visions today? I shuddered to think that we might have lost my Bella today without her. I broke the state of silence in the room once again, "Thank you Alice, for everything," I said softly, knowing she would hear me, Carlisle smiled.
"You're welcome," she whispered as she opened the door and reentered the room to watch and wait with Carlisle and I. She's my sister, I would do whatever it takes to save her.
"And Edward," she said out loud for Carlisle's benefit, "Everything is going to turn out alright, so you can quit freaking out," Just look, she commanded with her thoughts. I watched as a wonderful vision took over my mind. We were all standing around this very room. The sun was on the eastern Horizon, and it was a clear day outside. As soon as the bottom edge of the sun crossed the horizon, Bella's eyes opened.
Finally I smiled, "Thank you for that," I said softly.
"She's going to be perfect," Alice continued.
"She always has been," I almost growled, causing Alice to giggle.
A/N Slightly better ending then last chapter? ;) I know you guys are excited about what finally just happened. So leave me some love! (aka Review)
About our game, ("Alice!") most people guessed Jacob, and I'm sad to say that's not it. I had one really, REALLY close answer, so if you want a hint, just look through the reviewed answers for the one that is not Jacob lol.
And for those who are curious, HECK NO THIS IS NOT OVER! ;)
When did my A/N's get soooo long?