All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer; I just like to play with her characters.
No copyright infringement is intended.
HUGE thanks to darcysmom and twimom817 for beta'ing; EdwardsmyObsession1971 for pre-reading and huge HUGS to the three of them for their unending encouragement.
A/N: Just a heads up – this fic is NOT about cheating so you won't see that here. I know a couple people were concerned. I probably should have mentioned that earlier and I apologize. Also ... it was brought to my attention that I mentioned Edward was younger than Bella but didn't mention his age specifically. Again, I apologize. Edward is 26 and Bella is 29. I hope that clears up any confusion.
When You Least Expect It
Chapter Five
Sickness and Healing
"Kaden? It's time to get ready for school, little bear." I said, peeking in the door to his room.
"Mommy … no school today. Don't feel good."
"What's wrong, Little Bear?" I asked, feeling his forehead for a fever.
He was burning up.
"Does your tummy hurt?"
"Uhh uh."
"Oh, Little Bear."
It's always hard for a parent when your child is sick. You'd give anything to make them feel better; to take away their aches and pains – to put a smile on their sweet little face.
"Sit tight, baby. I'll get you some medicine."
I went into the kitchen where Dad was pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"Where's little man?"
"He's not feeling so hot this morning."
"He's sick?"
"Yeah. He's got a fever. I'm going to give him some Tylenol."
"Are you going in to work today?"
"I hate to leave him if he's sick …."
I filled up an oral syringe with Tylenol and wet a washcloth to put on Kaden's forehead. I picked him up and carried him into the living room to lay him on the couch. After I'd gotten him settled, I picked up the phone and placed a call to our pediatrician before calling Eric.
"Hey, Bella. What's up?"
"Hey, Eric. I'm not going to be able to make it in today. My son is sick and I need to take him to the doctor."
"Oh, gosh, Bella. I hope he'll be all right."
"Me too. Tell Edward I'm sorry. I know he's home tonight so I will make him something and drop it by this afternoon. There are muffins I made yesterday afternoon in a Tupperware in the bread box for breakfast and there is also a bowl of cut up fruit in the fridge."
"It's okay, Bella. You take care of your son and don't worry about Edward."
"Eric, I can still do my job, I just can't do it … there."
"If you insist, Bella. Just let me know if you can't make it over, okay?"
"Absolutely. Thanks, Eric."
I finished getting dressed and tried to offer Kaden some breakfast. I know he's not feeling well when he won't eat. My little man is a picky eater but he'd never turn down bananas and pancakes.
"No, Mommy. No nanas and cakes."
I sighed and went into his room to get some clothes to change him into. I came out with a change of sweats and his favorite Lightning McQueen sneakers.
"Come on, Little Bear. Let's get you dressed. Mommy's going to take you to see Dr. Bones."
Kaden had always been good about going to the pediatrician. We lucked out when we moved from Washington. I found a practice where an older doctor was retiring and his grandson was taking his place. I'd met with them both and I found that I liked their bedside manner and approach to children's medicine. Kaden liked "Dr. B." and that pretty much sealed the deal for me.
"Dotor B?" Kaden asked.
"Yup. We're gonna go see what he thinks about your fever, okay?"
"Can I have a sticker?"
"Of course you can, Little Bear," I giggled.
The mid-November air was still slightly warm, but I didn't want to chance it, so I bundled my son up and carried him out to my SUV. Once we got to the clinic, we didn't have to wait too terribly long. The nurse showed us into the exam room and promised that Dr. B. would be in shortly.
When he came in, I explained what I discovered that morning. He asked me several questions which I answered to the best of my knowledge and he went about examining my son.
"Honestly, Bella, it seems like it's just a fever for now. His chest is clear, and his nose, ears and sinuses look great. He's not coughing and his stomach is soft. It's probably just a virus that he caught from some of the kids at school. His temp is 99.2 right now, so it's not too bad. Keep an eye on him and if it spikes again keep alternating the Tylenol with Children's Motrin or Advil every four hours. If you're still concerned, give us a call."
"Thanks, Doctor."
"You're welcome."
He turned to Kaden and shook his little hand.
"And you, little man, you feel better, okay?"
Half an hour later, I was walking through the grocery store picking up things I needed to make a pan of chicken enchiladas for Edward. Since Kaden was with me, I tried to make it fun for him even if he wasn't feeling well. I tried to drop him at home, but he wasn't having it. Apparently a sick little bear was a clingy little bear.
When I got home, I got the chicken cooking and some green chilies roasting in the oven. I loved using fresh ingredients whenever possible. While those were cooking, I attempted again to get Kaden to eat something and he still wasn't interested. I did however, get him to drink a small cup of hot chocolate and I felt that was a small victory.
I watched him from the kitchen all afternoon as I cooked away, preparing the sauce and grating cheese. The only thing I didn't make from scratch was the tortillas and that was only because I didn't have the time. I made some Mexican rice as a side dish and got it cooking just before sliding the pan of enchiladas into the oven.
I checked Kaden's temperature again and it was back up to 102.1 again, so once again, I filled up a syringe with Children's Motrin and hoped that it would bring it back down quickly. Kaden was complaining again that he didn't feel good and he looked like a limp little rag doll just lying on the couch.
"I don't get it, Dad. If it's a virus, why can't they give him something to treat it? Am I just supposed to pump him full of ibuprofen every four hours until it goes away?" I complained.
"I don't know, Bells. Did you ask the doctor?"
"No. He just said if his fever spiked again to continue to alternate between Tylenol and Motrin every four hours. He said to call them if I was still concerned."
"Well, let's see how he does tonight and if he's still not well in the morning, take him back to the doctor."
I left Kaden in my Dad's care as I loaded Edward's dinner into my SUV. Kaden was sleeping when I left and I hoped he'd stay asleep until I got home. I didn't plan on being gone long.
I called Eric to let him know I was on my way and he said that he had gone for the day but to use my code to get into the gate and my key to let myself into the house.
"Edward's in one of his moods, but he knows you'll be by. If you don't see him, just leave a note on the counter."
The house was eerily quiet when I walked into the foyer. All of the blinds were drawn and only the light from above the stove was on. I made my way into the kitchen and set the temperature on the warming drawer, figuring that it was close to dinner time anyway and Edward would want to eat if he knew there was a hot meal waiting.
"Bella?" Edward asked from the darkness, his voice sounding tired.
"Yes, it's me, Edward. I'm just bringing your dinner. I'm going to put it in the warming drawer. It's still hot so you can eat it whenever."
"Thank you. Do you … can you … stay?"
I sighed. He sounded awful and I could only imagine the state he was in. I wanted to know how the evening before had gone, but from the sound of his voice – it painted a pretty good picture. Any other time and I would have gladly stayed and kept him company if it made him feel better, but with Kaden at home, I couldn't do it.
"I'm sorry, Edward. I can't. I have to get home. Kaden is waiting for me and I need to get back."
"Kaden?"
"Yes."
"Is that your husband?"
"No. He's my son."
"Your son?" He whispered.
"Yes. He's sick, that's why I wasn't here today. I'm sorry, Edward. I really do need to get home to him. I hope you enjoy your dinner."
"Yeah … umm, thanks, Bella. Will I see you tomorrow?"
"I don't know, Edward. I hope so. I'll call Eric again if I can't make it in. But regardless, I'll stop by with something for dinner again tomorrow night, and I'll pick up something for you for lunch as well."
"Thanks, Bella."
"You're welcome, Edward."
I walked toward the door and turned to Edward one last time.
"Edward?"
"Yeah?" He gasped.
"Eventually, it'll hurt a little less as time goes on. It may never fully go away, but it will get better."
I heard a groan as I turned back toward the door. As much as I would have liked to stay and comfort Edward, I did need to get back to my son.
That night was a very long night. Kaden's temperature would spike up to 102 and then come back down as soon as I gave him Tylenol or Motrin every four hours – like clockwork. He'd wake up sweaty and crying in time for me to help him to the bathroom to go potty and give him a cool bath and change his clothes. It took him a while to settle down enough to sleep and then I had a hard time going back to sleep because I was so worried about him.
The next morning, I woke up around seven after only being asleep for about three hours.
"Dad, I'm taking Kaden back to the doctor this morning, but I need to go to the store and pick up a few things for work. Do you mind staying with him? If he wakes up, tell him that I'll be back soon."
After showering and throwing on some yoga pants and a hoodie, I headed out to the store to pick up some fresh rolls and lunchmeat for sandwiches. I also picked up everything I needed to make some fresh pasta and Chianti braised beef for Edward for dinner. Satisfied with my purchases, I headed home to get Edward's dinner into the oven to cook on low all day. I called Eric again on my drive home to let him know that I'd be stopping by but wouldn't make it in again.
"No worries, Bella."
"I don't want Edward to be upset with me. I know he hired me for a reason and frankly, Eric, I really need this job."
"He's not upset with you, Bella. Edward's having a hard time right now, but he's not upset with you, although I think you shocked the hell out of him when you told him you had a son." Eric chuckled.
"Yeah … I was kind of surprised he didn't know that already."
"When we hired you, we asked him if he wanted to know about you and he said no so we didn't push it."
"Ahh. Well, that explains his reaction last night then."
"I hope you're not upset with him, Bella."
"No, not at all. I kind of feel bad, actually. I think he needed someone to talk to last night and I couldn't stay and be that someone for him. I had to get home to Kaden. Speaking of Kaden, I have to get him to the doctor again, Eric, but please let Edward know that I'll be by within the hour to drop off some fresh pastries and a sandwich for his lunch."
"Will do, Bella. Thanks again."
I carried the groceries into the house and began to prepare the beef. I needed to get it into the oven before I prepared the sandwiches. I found some delicious Italian Roast Beef and I decided a couple of sandwiches sounded good. I made a seasoned cream cheese spread in place of mayonnaise and I layered the meat on top of it on a soft hoagie roll.
"Are you making your famous roast beef sandwiches?" Dad asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Uh huh. I thought they'd be good for … work. How's Kaden?"
"Still sleeping, but he should be up soon. You taking him to the doctor?"
"Yep. I called them on the way home from the market. I'm supposed to bring him in at nine."
Dad nodded and carried his coffee into the living room. I threw a load of laundry into the wash before going in to wake up Kaden. He'd been through so many sets of clothes in the last day – not to mention sheets. I couldn't in good conscience put him to bed on sopping wet sheets. I was afraid he'd catch a chill and then I'd really be in trouble. Fighting a cold and this mystery fever was more than I wanted to think about.
I woke Kaden up and got him dressed.
"Come on, Buddy. Mommy has to stop by work and drop off a few things before we go back over to see Dr. B."
I gave him a sippy cup with some Gatorade in it and buckled him into his car seat. He was asleep again before I turned off of our street.
Edward's house was bustling with activity. The gardeners were out, the pool guy was there to clean the pool and the housekeeper was busy shaking out the rugs when I pulled into the drive. Eric was just walking into the house, but even he was busy chatting away on his cell phone. I left the car running as I opened the back and carefully lifted out the bag that carried Edward's breakfast and lunch.
"Good morning, Eric!" I chirped as I walked into the kitchen.
The house was a stark difference from the day before when all the blinds were drawn. Today they were all open and the house was filled with light. I pulled out a basket and filled it with the bagels and pastries I'd picked up at the market. I pulled out a pitcher of orange juice and set it in the fridge alongside the sandwiches I'd made.
I quickly explained everything to Eric and promised that I'd be back much later that afternoon with Edward's dinner.
Just as I was reaching for the door handle, I heard Edward's still tired voice.
"Bella …."
"Good morning, Edward. Breakfast is on the counter and lunch is in the fridge. I hate to run again, but I've got to get my kiddo to the doctor. I'm sorry. I'll be back later with your dinner."
"Thank you, Bella. Dinner was delicious last night."
I smiled at him softly before continuing out the door.
The next five days followed in the same fashion. Kaden's fever continued to spike and recede as I gave him doses of medicine. Every day I took him to the doctor, but unfortunately, the only time we got to see Dr. B. was that first day. The rest of the days we saw an intern or a nurse practitioner. Every day, I'd call Eric and let him know how Kaden was doing. Every day, he'd let me know that they weren't upset with me because I continued to do my job.
Frustrated and fed up because my son was still no better after a week, I called and asked to see Dr. B. again. He got on the phone and I explained that I'd been in nearly every day and there was still no explanation as to why my son had this mystery fever that didn't seem to go away.
"Bring him in, Bella."
The day before Thanksgiving, I took Kaden in to see Dr. B. again. He did another thorough examination and carefully read through the notes that the nurse practitioner and interns had put in his file.
"I don't understand it, Bella. They've done several tests on him and there really isn't an explanation for his fever. It's disconcerting to me and I'm sure you as well since he's had it for a week now. The only thing I can tell you to do now is to take him over to Children's Hospital to the ER and let them do a more thorough work up on him. I can call ahead and let them know that you're bringing him over."
"Is that normal procedure for a fever?"
"It is when we're not sure what's causing it."
I waited for Dr. B. to fill out the order while he called over to the Children's Hospital. He ordered an EKG of Kaden's heart alongside a long string of tests that would be needed to determine exactly where the infection was coming from.
I called my dad as we walked out of the clinic and I told him I'd pick him up on my way to the Children's Hospital. Thankfully, when we arrived there wasn't anyone ahead of us and they immediately took Kaden into triage where they took his temperature.
"Mrs. Newton, he's sitting at 102.6 right now. Has it been like this all week?"
"Yeah. I think he peaked at 105.1 last night. I called the doctor's office but they just said to keep doing what we'd been doing which is alternating between Motrin and Tylenol every four hours."
"Yeah … we've definitely got something going on here."
While we waited for the doctor to come back to see Kaden, I called Eric again.
"Hey, Bella. How's the kiddo doing?"
"Not great, Eric. I'm sitting with him in the ER so I definitely won't be there today. Tell Edward I'm so sorry."
"No worries, Bella. We want your son to get better. Edward's mom and sisters are coming in tonight anyway so I'm sure they'll cook and take care of him for the next couple of days. Just please keep me posted, we want to know that you and your son are well."
"Thanks, Eric. I will."
Three hours later, they admitted Kaden to the hospital. They wanted to give him some type of antibiotic that could only be administered by IV and they wanted to put him on saline to keep him hydrated since he really hadn't eaten or drank much in the past few days. I wanted to cry as they taped his little arm to a board to keep him from pulling out his IV. Kaden yelped as they inserted the needle and he held tight to me as they hooked him up to all kinds of tubes.
"We'll need to put him in either diapers or pull ups, Mrs. Newton."
"No," Kaden yelled. "Imma big boy!"
"Shh … yes, honey, we know you're a big boy but since you're in the hospital we need you to wear a pull up so you don't wet the bed."
It seemed like it took forever, but we finally got Kaden settled down and into bed. It helped that they had a flat screen TV in his room and they had DVD's to play. Once I put in Cars, Kaden was good to go and it wasn't long before he fell asleep – a sign that the antibiotic was taking effect.
"Dad, I'm going to run home real quick and put some stuff together so I can stay here with him. I don't want to leave him alone."
Dad nodded and told me to hurry so I'd be back before Kaden woke up.
I spent the next three days in the hospital with my son. I tried to leave a message for Mike to let him know that our son was sick, but I never heard back from him – not that I expected to. That first night in the hospital, I crawled into the bed next to me and I cried myself to sleep. Yes, I had my dad there to help me but it wasn't the same as having my husband – my son's father there to help.
The second day, which also happened to be Thanksgiving - a large bouquet of Cars balloons and a stuffed Tow Mater arrived and the card read:
Get well soon!
Edward
I knew that it was sent by Eric and I quickly shot him off a text thanking him for putting a smile on my son's face. I was shocked when I received a text in return.
I didn't send it, Bella. That was all Edward. He's worried about you, by the way. Are YOU okay? – Eric
I quickly replied.
That was Edward? I'm speechless. Please tell him thank you. Kaden LOVES it. Big smiles. I'm okay. – B
I didn't want to tell Eric how I really felt for fear that the tears would come gushing out again. It was Thanksgiving and I was in the hospital with my sick child. I still hadn't gotten a firm answer out of the doctors what exactly was wrong with my son – how was I supposed to feel? Honestly, I'd never felt more scared and alone in my life.
You're NOT okay, Bella. I know that and I'm not even talking to you. Edward and his mom are insisting that we bring you some decent food for Thanksgiving. I can even bring you some Starbucks if you like? – Eric
It warmed my heart to think that they wanted to bring some dinner over for me. My dad had been by but didn't stay long. He meant well, but he hates hospitals. He was planning on going over to the Legion for their annual Thanksgiving dinner which just made me feel guilty for not being able to be at home cooking our own meal. I even had a turkey sitting in the fridge defrosting.
The thought of a decent meal had my stomach rumbling and I realized that I hadn't had much to eat since my meager McDonald's meal the night before and I quickly texted Eric back.
Tell Edward and his mom that would be WONDERFUL and Starbuck's sounds amazing. – B
We're on our way. – E
Not an hour later, Edward and his mother, Esme walked into Kaden's room. Their arms were full of bags and they unloaded them as Edward introduced me to his mom.
"It's so nice to meet you, Bella. I'm sorry you're going through such an awful time with this sweet little one." She whispered as she peeked over at my sleeping son.
"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Cullen. Thank you so much for bringing dinner. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."
Edward, who was clad in black jeans and a dark blue hoodie with a baseball hat and sunglasses on, stood against the wall watching the entire exchange.
"Honey … where is your husband? Shouldn't he be here helping to take care of your son?"
I walked over to Edward and took the carrier with the coffee in it from him and set it on the table that sat at the foot of the bed I'd slept on the night before. I played with the lid of the cup that Edward pointed out as mine.
"Umm, I'm not quite sure where my husband is," I admitted sadly.
"What do you mean you don't know where he is?" Edward asked quietly.
"He … he left us about eight months ago. I haven't heard from him since. So, it's just me and Kaden."
Edward groaned and pushed himself away from the wall.
"I'm so sorry, Bella. That must be incredibly hard for you," Esme said sadly.
Edward shook his head and excused himself from the room while Esme busied herself with emptying out the bags of food they'd brought.
"I made a little bit of turkey soup hoping maybe you could get your little boy to eat it," Esme explained. "Edward used to love it when he was a little boy – he said it always made him feel better."
Esme sat and chatted with me for a few more minutes as she filled up a plate for me.
"Where did Edward go?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. Hearing about your husband probably didn't please him, so don't take it personally, Bella. Edward really does mean well. He seems fond of you. This …" she made a circular motion with her finger, "is new for him."
I nodded and continued to tuck into my food.
"Thank you for the food, Esme, it's wonderful."
"I'm sure it's nothing compared to your cooking. Edward says it's to die for."
I blushed.
"Well, I best be on my way. I'm sure I'll need to hunt down my son. Bella, if you need anything and I do mean anything at all – don't hesitate to call."
"Thank you. Umm … Esme … there is one thing …."
A/N: What could Bella want to ask Esme? We'll see Edward's POV next chapter! =) Have you missed him? I have to admit … I kinda flove him ;)
Couple things I want to mention … I will be at Tent City 2012 for the Breaking Dawn Premiere, however, I do plan on updating on the 12th. Several chapters have already been uploaded – all I have to do is post them. I just don't want y'all to think I'd leave ya hangin'. ;) (I know this one ended in a bit of a cliffie – I wanted to reassure you that you'll get it before the BD Promo stuff is over!)
Also ... I know I said I thought this story would only be about 25 chapters total but I'm afraid that may have been a VERY rough estimate. I've just completed chapter 20 and we still have a ways to go. I'm sort of writing in the dark ... I know the ending but these two characters are taking their own sweet time in getting there. ;)
Again, thanks for all your reviews. Even if I don't reply, I read and appreciate EVERY single one of them. They make me smile as big as Kaden when he gets a Tow Mater from Edward! =)