AN: So the second chapter is here. Took me a bit longer than I thought to post it, because I had exams. Hope you like it.
Chapter Two
Such a Vivid Nightmare
Edward's POV
I stretched my arm out, towards Bella, with a little, blue, satin-covered box in my palm.
"What is that?" She asked.
"That is a ring. But you can only get it if you'll marry me."
Bella's eyes welled with tears and her cheeks turned the beautiful crimson, which was brought out even more, by the blue colour of her dress. Oh, damn, I love that blush! But that's nothing compared to the blush that comes out when she's completely naked before me.
Ugh, Cullen! Get your mind out of the gutter and get to the point. I quickly shook away the thought, but not before promising myself, that tonight would be special in every way and she'd never forget it. Mmm, that dress. It fit her curves perfectly and I couldn't wait until we would go home to celebrate our engagement. (Dress picture on profile)
The thought of me peeling off the dress and said blush appearing on her face, got my little friend a little, ok, a lot exited.
Damn it, Cullen! You can't have a sex fantasy when you're proposing. I chastised myself. Think of something gross. Suddenly I remembered Emmett in a pink tutu at his bachelor party. The memory worked perfectly, and so I got on one knee in front of her and asked the one question that was choking me the whole day.
"Isabella Swan, will you become Isabella Cullen?" I wanted to keep it short, but not the ordinary 'will you marry me', because it always made me think of cheap soap-operas.
I took her palm, placed the little box in hers and slowly took the lid off.
"Oh!" Bella paused mid-breath and exhaled with a gust as she saw the three round diamonds in a simple white gold band with engraved "Forever" above the diamonds and "Always" below. (Picture on profile) The ring was simple, but by no means ordinary – just like my Bella.
Deliberately, she took a slow breath, and fear of rejection rushed though me.
What if she's not ready? Had I done this too soon?
The air got thicker by the second. Every person in the restaurant was frozen with anticipation. Seconds felt like hours as I was waiting for any kind of answer.
Her eyes darted from ring to me and back and she opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came over her lips. Right now I wished I could read minds. Especially hers.
Then, what felt like a lifetime later, she just took my face in her hands and kissed me so passionately, that I knew she had wanted this for a long time now. Hell, I think I've wanted this since I went with her to my senior prom.
Our lips moved in perfect sync, and the tension around us turned into joy. People burst into applause and cheers.
I felt her lips turn into a smile and when I pulled back I saw her blush again, but a huge grin spread on her face, lightening her eyes, and I knew that now we really were the two happiest people on Earth.
I slipped the ring on her third finger and kissed it.
"Forever and always." She whispered. "The ring… It's beautiful, Edward"
"Alice's design. But I gave her the guidelines of what I wanted."
"Alice knew?" Bella quirked an eyebrow. "And didn't tell anyone? Well, that's a first."
We both laughed at that. Usually Alice had no idea how to keep a secret. I just hoped that this time would be different.
The night continued practically just as before, except that the third finger of Bella's left hand now held the proof or my love towards her, and her promise to be mine forever and always.
All the time, while we were in the restaurant, people kept shooting us glances, and around 11pm Bella joked that now we've had enough attention for the rest of the year, and we decided to go home to tell our family the good, no, the wonderful news.
I really hoped that Alice had kept her mouth shut. These weren't her news to tell.
When we got in to the car I turned on the radio at the very moment when our song began to play.
Best thing 'bout tonight's that we're not fighting
Could it be that we have been this way before
I know you don't think that I am trying
I know you're wearing thin down to the core
I took Bella's hand in mine and as the chorus started began to sing to her
But hold your breath
Because tonight will be the night
That I will fall for you
Over again
Don't make me change my mind
Or I won't live to see another day
I swear it's true
Because a girl like you is impossible to find
You're impossible to find
Bella's eyes welled with tears.
This is not what I intended
I always swore to you I'd never fall apart
You always thought that I was stronger
I may have failed but I have loved you from the start
Even though the verse was not exactly about us, the chorus was exactly how I felt about Bella.
Oh, But hold your breath
Because tonight will be the night
That I will fall for you
Over again
Don't make me change my mind
Or I won't live to see another day
I swear it's true
Because a girl like you is impossible to find
It's impossible
The tears in Bella's eyes brimmed over; I quickly wiped them away with my thumb, and Bella leaned into my palm.
So breathe in so deep
Breathe me in
I'm yours to keep
And hold on to your words
Cause talk is cheap
And remember me tonight
When you're asleep
This was our song, because after I danced with Bella at this song at my senior prom, we shared our first kiss.
Because tonight will be the night
That I will fall for you
Over again
Don't make me change my mind
Or I won't live to see another day
I swear it's true
Because a girl like you is impossible to find
I didn't realize that I was crying until Bella wiped my tears away.
Tonight will be the night
That I will fall for you
Over again
Don't make me change my mind
Or I won't live to see another day
I swear it's true
Because a girl like you is impossible to find
You're impossible to find
As the song came to an end, I leaned closer to Bella and captured her lips in a soft and sweet kiss, just as our first had been. I didn't try to deepen it, because I wanted the feeling to be as close as possible to that first kiss. I wanted to bring back the memory at full force, and judging by Bella's erratic heartbeat, I had achieved it.
When I pulled back Bella was breathing heavily. "Are you okay, love?" I asked, chuckling.
"Yeah… I'm fine… great, actually… Wow. That was something… Umm, not that you kisses aren't always wonderful," She said when I narrowed my eyes jokingly, "but, that… that was something exceptional." I chuckled and gave her a light peck on lips, before starting the car.
On our trip home we held each others hand and just talked about all kinds of trivial things, and you couldn't even tell that we had just engaged. Though, Bella had folded her arms in her lap, and I caught her glancing at her ring every once in a while.
I took her left hand, kissed the ring and let our intertwined hands rest on her thigh.
We decided that we were going to see "Angels and Demons" next week in Port Angeles. Bella wanted to see "17 again" But I refused to look at Zac Efron more than it was inevitable.
Although everything seemed to be great, something in Bella made me uptight tonight – she didn't really pay attention to anything, her eyes glazed over, and this time she played with my fingers absentmindedly.
She acted somewhat weird the whole night, ever since I picked her up at 8pm. She drifted somewhere in her thoughts every once in a while, and I wanted to know what was bothering her. Well… Not exactly bothering – she looked happy. But I didn't push her. She'd tell me when she wanted to.
She snapped out of it and burst into laughter when I began to discuss the different shades of green in the few traffic-lights in the town, testing if she could even hear me.
When I had to shift, I unwillingly broke my grip on her hand, and she just turned her hand upwards, waiting for mine to return. I put it back and again she started to play with my fingers, again.
I gave her hand a little squeeze to get her attention. The tension was growing in me and I began to feel frustrated, so I asked her. "Bella, what's wrong?"
She looked at me and smiled. "Nothing's wrong." She answered still smiling and emphasizing the word 'wrong'. "I'm just anxious about telling everyone. Can we tell Carlisle and Esme first?"
"Sure, but that means we'll have to wait until morning. Dad has a graveyard tonight."
"You don't mind waiting?" She eyed me suspiciously.
"No. Because do you know what not telling anyone means?" I asked wiggling my brows.
"Oh, God!" She shouted and I immediately tensed, and almost slammed the brakes. Was there something on the road? She noticed my distress and laughed. "I'm sorry, it's just that, you're turning into Emmett."
"What? What made you to come to that conclusion?" I was lost.
She only wiggled her brows in response and I understood. Emmett always wiggled eyebrows when he was making sexual innuendos.
"Honey," she said, stroking my cheek with the back of her palm, since she was still holding my hand in hers. "May I remind you that we're staying at your parent's house? I respect them too much to allow you to turn into Emmett. Imagine how disturbing it would be for them."
"Oh, yes." I agreed in a very serious tone. "Though, probably, a bit less disturbing, than me hearing them, last night. I will never get up in the middle of the night to get some water again." I shuddered at the memory of hearing my parents having sex. I know they have sex, I mean it's important part of every relationship in every age, but having that kind of confirmation… That's just wrong.
As I had predicted, Bella burst into a fit of laughter. "A-are you se-serious?" She asked struggling for breath.
"It's not funny. I didn't need a confirmation that Emmett's loudness was inherited." As I finished the sentence, Bella's laughter was replaced by shocked silence.
"Seriously?" She scrutinized my face looking for some kind of proof that I was lying. I really wish that I was.
I just nodded.
"Wow, who would have thought of that? I always thought that Carlisle was the quiet type, considering he's always calm and composed."
"Oh, he is." I said, and barely could hold my laughter in because Bella's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as the realization sunk in.
"You know I have only one thing to say." She said in a very serious tone. "Just because we're not as loud, doesn't mean the sex isn't as good." I smiled at that and brought her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles and then the ring.
"And now," she continued "we have a proof of it". She said as she towed my hand back to her, but, before I could ask her what did she mean by it, a flash of white blinded me, I felt an impact, and the car was set spinning.
My head hit the window, and everything went black…
*-*-*-*-*
Flash. Scream. Flash. Screeching metal. Flash. Sirens. Light. The Light! BELLA!
I tried to open my eyes, unsuccessfully. The blackness still hovered over me and I lost against it again.
*-*-*-*-*
I was brought back by a light flashing in my eyes. I blinked a few times, before I realized that the light came from a light-pen, with which a paramedic was checking my eyes. I was lying on my back so I realized I wasn't in the car any more.
"Edward?" I knew had heard this voice before, but I couldn't recall where. My head was throbbing, and my arm was killing me. I wanted to look at the man, who had said my name, so I tried to turn my head, but couldn't – I was wearing a neck-brace.
The light!'I thought. Oh, no! "Bella?"
"Edward?" the man said again, leaning over so I could see him. I recognized him now. The bald, middle-aged paramedic, with salt-and-pepper goatee, was named Ivan. He was Carlisle's med-school-time friend, who moved to Forks a few years ago.
"Bella! Where's Bella?" I asked him.
"The girl who was with you?" He asked with a hint of Russian accent. I couldn't nod so I said 'yes'.
"She's taken care of by the other unit."
"How is she? I need to see her." I tried to get off the stretcher, but Ivan put a firm hand on my shoulder to hold me in place.
"Not right now, Edward. We're going to the hospital and so is she. You'll be able see her there." I knew there was no point of arguing, though, not seeing her, made me really nervous.
Just before they loaded me into the EMT van, I saw my car. It was a complete wreck. "SHIT! BELLA!" My heart sped up to thousand beats per second. I tried to get up, but again Ivan stopped me. "Edward, you can't help her now."
The whole drive to the hospital I desperately tried to calm myself down. She'll be fine I chanted in my head. But the other car, it collided into the passenger's side. This has to be bad.
We arrived in less than 5 minutes, and I saw Carlisle already waiting when they took me out of the van.
Ivan began his report on me. He was about to say my name when he turned around and saw Carlisle. He greeted him and, after Carlisle told them to take me to Trauma room. Ivan continued explaining my condition.
I was brought into one of the green OR-like room and moved to the gurney in the middle of it.
A nurse immediately hooked me up to a heart monitor and pulse-oxymeter. Growing up with a doctor has it's pros. I thought. At least I know what they're doing to me.
Carlisle came in after a minute. "Well, your oxygen level is fine, heart rate normal. Does your neck hurt?"
"No, I'm fine, apart from the back of my head and arm. You have to take care of Bella." She was so much more important than my minor injuries.
"As soon as she's here, I will. We're waiting for the other unit to come, everything is prepared." An expression of anguish flashed over his face. "But, until then, let me examine you." He slowly took of the neck-brace.
"It's bad, isn't it?"
"I really don't know much." He sighed. But he knew something. And I wanted to know, 'cos I didn't know anything at all.
"Carlisle, you know something. How bad is it? Please, tell me."
"Tell me if it hurts anywhere." He demanded, quibbling. "And don't try to downplay anything." Then he moved my head from side to side. It didn't hurt. As I said, I had no injuries besides few bruises, scratches and my throbbing head and arm.
"Slowly put your chin to your chest." I did so. But I had to know how Bella was, so I pressed again.
"Carlisle…" I began to plead.
"Right now it doesn't look so good." He answered knowing what I wanted to say. "But I haven't examined her, so I can't tell you what to expect."
My heart sank. 'Doesn't look good' did that mean that her life was in so much danger that she could leave me any moment now?
NO! She can't. I need her. I couldn't live another day if she weren't there with me.
Carlisle asked me to sit up and follow his finger with my eyes, without moving my head. Though as I set up, I winced at the pain in my right side, that weren't there before. Carlisle checked them and said that I had probably broken some of my ribs. After the eye-test, he did the usual reflex check and then I had to stand with legs put together, arms stretched in front of me, and close my eyes. I didn't notice that I'm falling until I almost hit the concrete floor, but Carlisle caught me.
"So, your eyes are a little twitchy and you have problems with your equilibrium. Do you remember what happened? Any blackouts?"
"No, I remember everything, apart from the time while I was unconscious." I replied trying to shove the terrible images of my wrecked car off my mind.
"Do you feel dizziness, nausea or headache?" Carlisle continued with well memorized lines of diagnostic questions.
"Just a bit dizzy and a little throbbing where my head hit the window." I touched the bump in the back of my head and winced.
"Okay, let's check this then." He said motioning to my arm. I heard him sigh when he took off the brace.
"I'll have to fix this. Reposition the bones. You'll need an operation. But first let's take X-rays.
He turned to a nurse. "I need X-rays for right arm from elbow to metacarpus, included, two projections, head – two projections, back and left side – and a chest X-ray. As soon as you have them, page me."
"Will do Dr. Cullen."
"And give him 3ml "Lasix" and ampoule "Almiral" as intramuscular injections." Carlisle said turning for the door.
I refused to use the wheelchair to go to radiology. I got back to the ER about 15 minutes later, with X-rays in hand. Nurse paged my father, and told me to wait in the Exam room 3. I began to freak out, because Bella wasn't here, yet. Well at least I hadn't heard any sirens yet. What could take them so long?
That's when I saw her.
She was on a stretcher, with a neck-brace, more braces on her leg and arm. She was covered in blood and her skin, where I could see it, was black and blue. The paramedic was squeezing a blue bag, which was attached to a tube that went down her throat. Oh, God, She couldn't breathe!
I barely saw Carlisle rush to her side and paramedics beginning to talk to him. I tried to hear something, but I felt like someone had turned of the sound. I couldn't hear anything apart from my own frenzied heartbeat.
Carlisle's expression was a mixture between, horror, anxiety and worry. He couldn't hide his emotions anymore. But I knew he would not allow familiarity and personal affection interfere with his judgment. And I trusted him with everything I had.
I stood there, in the middle of the ER, frozen as if my feet were welded into the floor.
Finally, I regained control over my limbs and ran to the room which Carlisle had entered. I went in and froze again.
There were two doctors and four nurses working on her. I felt like I was being submerged in a pool – my vision was blurry and sounds around me were dull, exactly like my ears were full of water. I saw the green line on heart monitor drawing regular pattern of her heartbeat. But that didn't make me feel even an inch better.
Right now I was looking at her hand – Carlisle was standing in front of her face. There was an IV in her upper left palm, red fluid dripping into it – she was receiving blood? – I couldn't stand the sight, and my eyes went lower to her fingers – I saw the ring, covered in blood, and freaked out. I was so scared. We'd been perfectly happy just an hour ago. How could this bee happening? I realized that I could loose her – right here, right now.
I saw Carlisle shot a frantic look to the right side. I followed his gaze and noticed the difference in the heart rate. The green line shoot up and down a lot faster than before. What was happening? I wanted to ask Carlisle, but I couldn't find my voice. And even if I could, I would keep quiet - he had to pay attention to Bella.
Carlisle took the defibrillator paddles from a nurse. And another nurse ripped her blouse open. Abruptly the green line went flat.
Oh, no! Bella, NO! She couldn't die. She mustn't leave me. Carlisle would save her.
He put the paddles on her chest and everyone stepped away. Bella's back arched and slammed back to the gurney. The line was still flat.
He shouted something, but I still couldn't hear. He put the paddles back on her chest, her back arched again, but her heartbeat didn't come back.
That was it… She was gone... I'd lost her…
"BELLA!" I shouted franticly looking around.
"Edward, Shhh… It was just a dream. It's fine. Calm down." I was in my bed, panting, my heart trying to rip its way out of my chest, in its frantic beat. Esme held me, rubbing soothing circles on my back. "She's the same as she was yesterday. It was just a dream."
"No, it wasn't a dream."
"Of course it was." Esme said as she shot me a confused look.
"Technically, yes, it was a dream. But actually, it was a memor-y" my voice cracked "of saturday."
AN:So there you go, that was the next Chapter. Review, please, no matter what you think. :) This is my first story and as I've said before English isn't my native tounge. Your oppinion really matters to me, positive or negative.
There could be some things slightly off with the medial stuff, as, probably, some of the medications, prosedures and all that, but thats partly because I'm not from US. It works different here, and also I'm not a doctor. :)
And I had some very bad mistakes in the previous chapter, but I've corrected the ones that I found.
