Y'all are the sweetest, and probably just as emotional as I am when it comes to some of these chapters!
We are *sniffles* reaching the end... I don't want this story to end, myself. I don't know about y'all.
So, let's see what happens with this chapter.
Grab a tissue, and then proceed.
Chapter 24 - Fear
EPOV
"EDWARD! Over here!"
"Edward! Are you going to be doing anymore projects like this in the future?"
"Can we get you to turn this way?!"
I'm having question after question hurtled at me, left and right, at the premiere of our Disney movie, Dreamer.
This shit's a little scary, not being able to see with all the flash bulbs going off, people everywhere wanting you to talk to them or take pictures or do interviews.
Being in L.A. for the premiere… right now, I'd really rather not be...
I almost said 'screw it, it's not happening' after what happened last month…
Flashback in BPOV
I'd been at home getting some things setup and put away for our little nugget to be born in a few weeks.
I've begun calling her 'my little nugget', and I'm not sure why. It just stuck.
Yep, I said 'her'. We're having a little baby girl, *Eeekk*, and Edward couldn't be more thrilled. I know he secretly wanted a boy, but having a little girl is a thrill he never thought he'd have.
We're planning to name her Maggie Grace Cullen.
I'd been having some back pain all throughout the day, which wasn't unusual. But it had started picking up in strength the last hour or so.
Braveheart, who had been by my side, nonstop, for the last several months, had been keeping a close eye on me today.
He could tell something was up.
I decided to take a breather and go downstairs and fix a small snack and get something to drink.
As I was making my way down the stairs, Braveheart on my heels, something happened. I couldn't tell you exactly what it was, but it was painful and felt like a gut punch that stole all the breath out of my body.
Thank God I was on the last step, because my body collapsed under me, and I had to brace myself on the handrail before I could hit the floor.
I held onto my belly where there was pain emanating from and lowered myself to the step below me as I started screaming in pain.
"AHHHH! SHIT! EDWARD! Edward! Something's wrong!" I yelled for him, thanking my lucky stars he was home for the day.
Braveheart started meowing in the direction of Edward's office, too.
He comes running in from the back of the house with a worried and panicked look on his face.
"Bells? Baby, what happened? Is it Maggie? Do we need to go to the hospital?" He fires off, looking me over to see what could be wrong, the fact that my hand is covering my belly is a huge indicator to him.
Another hit of excruciating pain shoots through me. "Ah FUCK! I don't know, but it could be contractions starting. But she's too early. We're supposed to have another three weeks before she's due. AHHH!" God, this is hell.
He gets a determined look on his face. "Alright, let's get you to the hospital. And I'll call the doctor on the way. Don't worry, baby. We'll get it figured out." He says as he helps me up off the steps. "Let me grab your bag from the closet and we'll go."
He runs back upstairs and grabs the duffle bag I had just packed the day before and was going to bring it downstairs to put in the front hall closet, but I didn't think we were gonna need it just yet.
"Ok, let's get you in the car." He says as he ushers me out of the house and into the car.
I spend the whole car ride trying to breathe through the pain and praying to every entity that our baby's gonna be ok.
I'm whisked into the hospital and to the labor and delivery unit, where Dr. Chase is waiting for us.
We give her the rundown of what happened, and she does an examination, then requests the ultrasound machine.
I'm not sure what's going on at any given moment, anymore. My vision seems like it's getting slightly blurry and I feel like I'm going in and out of consciousness.
EPOV
I don't think I've ever been this scared in my entire life.
Sure, I was scared for Bella when I found out about her attack… but this is a whole other level of scared shitless.
"Dr. Chase, what's happening?" I asked, noticing Bella become slightly out of it and not fully coherent.
Dr. Chase is using the ultrasound machine and I notice she has a furrowed brow.
"I think she's hemorrhaging. Part of the placenta has detached and could end up hurting the baby. We need to go ahead and deliver her." She tells me as she starts calling out orders to her nurses to get things ready for an emergency C-section.
"Wait wait wait… She's too early…" I try to start forming coherent thoughts, but things are just running through my brain at lightening speed.
"Edward, if I don't deliver the baby, it could be detrimental to both her and Bella. The longer we wait, the more danger they could both be in. She's at thirty-seven weeks. She should be perfectly fine to be delivered now. She's just past the preterm limit." She says as she starts prepping things to move Bella.
It's getting hard for me to breathe hearing all of this and I start feeling slightly light headed.
Hemorrhaging is not a good thing…
"What… What are their chances?" I ask, because I can't lose them.
Dr. Chase turns to me and grabs me by the shoulders. "Edward, we're gonna do everything possible for her and the baby. She's in the best hospitals in the state. There is a slight chance of fatality, but I need to get her into an operating room and get the baby out and take care of the hemorrhaging. I need you to go wait outside of the operating room and I'll come get you when we're done." She says calmly.
I try to protest leaving Bella but she tells me I can't be in the operating room for this.
She does let me go say goodbye to Bella before I leave the room.
I'm trying to hold back the tears as I grab her hand and kiss her cheek.
She looks over at me and I can tell she's wavering.
"I'm right here, Bells. I'm here, baby." I tell her, hearing the fear in my own voice as I rub my fingers across her hand.
"Edw-Edward… if something happens, make sure they save Maggie… Do whatever they can to save her… Remember that I love you…" She said in a groggy tone.
The dam has burst and I kiss her on the lips.
"I love you. They're gonna do everything they can… I'll see you soon, gorgeous." I tell her, then force myself to pull away and walk out into the hallway as they wheel her down to an operating room.
I bury my face in my hands and let the tears flow.
This can't be happening. It just can't. I can't lose either one of them. I just got Bella back in the last year and a half, and we just got married a little over seven months ago where she told me she was pregnant.
This has been the best year of my life, and God help me if I lose all of that in one go.
"Edward!" I hear from my left and turn to see my mom and dad both rushing over to me.
I called them and Renee when we were in the car on the way here and told them what was happening.
Mom was in a meeting here at the hospital and dad was already on his shift in the other building. Renee should be on her way, too.
Mom wraps me up in her arms when they reach me. "What happened? Why aren't you in there with Bella?"
A new wave of tears start falling, hearing her name.
God please don't take her away from me again.
"She's… uh, the doctor said she was hemorrhaging and they had to get Maggie out. So, they're doing an emergency C-section." My voice wavers as I tell them what's going on.
Mom covers her mouth with both hands and I see dad drop his head.
He pats me on the shoulder and tells me, "Let me go check her chart and see what it shows."
He walks over to one of the computer terminals at the nurses stations and signs in.
I turn back to my mom and run my hands through my hair.
"I can't lose them, mama. I'm so terrified that something's gonna go wrong and I'm gonna lose the most important things in my life. What am I gonna do?" I'm panicking now.
"Shhh, we don't know anything, yet. Let the doctors do what they can, and hopefully they'll both be perfectly fine. We just gotta pray, baby." She says as she pulls me over to the chairs in the waiting area and we both sit down.
After a few minutes, my dad comes over with a worried look on his face.
"That look doesn't give me any confidence, dad." I tell him as I stand up to talk with him.
He sighs, "Well, it's not good. I'm not gonna lie to you and tell you she's not in any sort of danger, Edward. The hemorrhaging is severe enough that it could cause fatal ramifications. If they can get Maggie out and stop the bleeding in enough time, she should be fine. But it's a very delicate situation, son. Now, I can't go in there and help because she's family, but I can go and check on the progress." I nod at him to do so, wanting someone back there with them that I trust, emphatically.
He walks back towards the operating room and disappears through the doors where Bella and Maggie are.
I slump down in the chair next to my mom, resting my elbows on my knees and bury my face in my hands. I feel my mom put her arm around me to try to comfort me.
I don't know if it works because the only comfort I think I'll have is when I've got news that both Bella and Maggie are ok.
"Edward? Esme?" I hear and look up to see Renee rushing over to us. "Where are they?"
Esme fills her in on what we know so far, because honestly, I don't know that I can do it again.
Renee's tears start falling, as well, and she sits down next to me, holding onto my hand.
We sit there for… I don't even know how long. Time seems to just drag on and I don't know what time of day it even is now.
What feels like hours later, I finally see my dad walk through the operating room doors. I can't tell what the look on his face means, whether it's good or bad, but I stand up and meet him halfway.
"How are they?" I ask him, worried to death that I've lost one, or both of them.
I feel mom and Renee standing on either side of me, waiting for word on them, as well.
He sighs and looks me in the eye. "Maggie's fine. They delivered her and cleaned her up and did all the tests on her. She's perfectly healthy and didn't have to be put in the NICU."
I let out a huge breath at that. I'm so thankful my baby girl is alive and healthy.
He's not saying anything about Bella, though, and that's what's started me shaking all over.
"Bel… Bella?" I stutter out, my breaths shallow.
He grabs my arms and shakes me slightly. "Edward… They're still working on her… The hemorrhaging was worse than they thought, and they're still trying to get it under control. It's gonna take a little more time. But I wanted to at least come and let you know Maggie was ok, and that you can go see her, if you want."
I only nod and walk back with him to where Bella's private room is, and see a nurse tending to a small bundle in a basinet.
"Mr. Cullen, come meet little Maggie." The red headed nurse says with a small smile.
I walk over and look inside the basinet, only to see the sweetest brown eyes looking up at me.
Bella's eyes…
She's got Bella's cute little nose, too.
"Oh, my sweet girl…" I whisper as I reach in and gently pick up my daughter. "You're so tiny."
I just keep looking her over, trying to memorize every aspect of her sweet little face.
I lean down and kiss her little cheek, then hear my mom and Renee come in behind us.
"Oh my goodness!" Renee gasps as she sees little Maggie. "She looks exactly like Bella when she was born!"
That, I can totally agree with. I've seen Bella's baby pictures, and she absolutely looks like baby Bella did.
Maggie starts cooing at me, and it's probably the cutest sound in the world.
"Maggie, you don't know how much I love you, sweet girl." I tell her as I start rocking her side to side.
I pass her off to Renee and my mom so they can have a turn holding her.
As we wait in Bella's room, I start getting more and more worried about her.
It shouldn't be taking this long. Something must have gone wrong.
I start pacing around the room, pulling at my hair.
God please, let her be ok. I can't lose her. I can't do this without her.
"Edward?" I hear from behind me, and turn to see my dad in the doorway of the room. He nods his head towards the hallway, beckoning me to follow him.
I follow him out into the hall and wait for what he has to say, with bated breath.
"Bella's ok, now. She's in recovery, and she should be brought back to her room within the hour or so…She did have a dicey moment in there, but they stayed on it and got the bleeding under control and kept her under watch until they were sure it was stopped. They got her stitched back up and have been keeping an eye on her. But she is stable and she should be fine. She'll have several weeks of healing ahead of her, and I know you guys have the premiere coming up… I know Dr. Chase is gonna want her to not be traveling so soon afterwards. She's gonna want her to heal fully before she does too much strenuous stuff. But I told her that I would personally keep an eye on Bella and let her know for sure whether I think she would be ok to travel. We'll revisit all that in a few weeks. Just know she's fine, and you can breathe."
I squeeze my eyes shut and blow out the breath I was holding and lower myself to the chair behind me.
At least I was banking on there being a chair there… thank goodness there was.
I sit there for a few minutes, just thanking God that she's gonna be ok.
I feel my dad rub my shoulder as he sits beside me.
"I'm gonna go back in there and check in on her again, and I'll come back and let you guys know her progress… She's gonna be ok, Edward." He reminds me, because I'm still trying to process this whole thing.
I make my way back to Bella's room and see mom and Renee cooing and fawning over Maggie.
We spend the next hour and a half sitting around and waiting anxiously for Bella to come back and see, with our own eyes, that she's ok.
Soon, she's rolled into the room and I can finally breathe normally.
I sit next to her when she's situated in place, and grab hold of her hand, kissing it, and see her turn her head towards me.
"We're not having any more kids if I have to go through that again…" She says, groggily.
I chuckle and reach up to kiss her on the lips, just so thankful I've got my wife and daughter, safe and sound.
End Flashback (Still in EPOV)
Bella had had a rough recovery, and we almost told the studio that she wouldn't be able to make it, but finally decided that we'd make the trip. It's gonna end up being just an overnight trip, because we weren't about to fly with a newborn, and we didn't wanna be away from her for too long.
So, Maggie is staying the night with grandma and grandpa. Both of whom were more than willing to babysit.
I spot Bella a few yards away, further up the red carpet and excuse myself to join her.
"Bella, Edward! How's the new baby?!"
"How's married life?"
We heard the continued shouts, and we just kind of ignore most of these questions.
We do stop for a few interviews along the red carpet, but both of us have our brains back home with our baby girl. And I can tell Bella is itching to get out of here and on a plane back home.
We sit through the whole thing and do all the obligatory stuff, but as soon as we're out the door, Bella looks over at me and I can tell she's done.
"Ok, I'll call and see if we can get a flight tonight." I tell her as I pull out my phone and call the airline.
"Thank you, Edward." She says as she lays her head on my shoulder, and I know she's exhausted from the day she's had.
We make our way back to the hotel, grab our things and rush to the airport to make our flight.
When we land and quickly pick up our car, we make our way to my mom and dad's.
My mom opens the door before we even step out of the car. "She's sleeping, but I know you wanna go check on her. I made up your room so you can stay here tonight. Go on." She says as she ushers us inside, kissing both of our cheeks as we pass her.
We run upstairs and check in the nursery that mom had decorated for Maggie.
Seeing her asleep and perfectly fine seems to ease both mine and Bella's nerves.
Maggie does stir slightly, but Bella coos at her to settle her down.
"Shhh, it's ok. We're home, sweet girl… we're home."
The End...
Or is it...
A/N: I know! I'm sorry! But I had to do it that way!
That IS the last regular chapter. I am still working on the Epilogue chapter, so, hopefully *fingers crossed* I'll have it done and posted sometime this weekend.
Sidenote; No, I'm not a doctor or nurse or anything. What happened with Bella CAN happen, and I've heard different stories, left and right, about how that situation can end. So, don't fuss that that's not something that actually happens.
Also, thanks for the birthday wishes for my dad! He had a good dinner, and a good day! Well, until the storm from hell came through and scared the ever lovin crap out of me. Seriously, everything was blowing sideways, lawn furniture and trashcans were flung around. I couldn't see out the kitchen window at one point because the rain was coming down so hard. I thought it was a gd tornado at one point. It even blew over most of the stuff in our garden. Corn stalks, squash and zucchini plants, green beans, tomatoes, all blow to hell. Even an old oak tree fell over down by our pond. That shit was crazy. But, he swears it was my mama and his daddy 'celebrating' his birthday since they're not with us any longer. And you never know. Things happen that we can't explain, at the weirdest times. So, who knows.
I will see y'all later!
Muah!