Fighting Temptation

Chapter Thirteen: Playing Doctor … Literally.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are property of me, Dobber17. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

This chapter has been edited by CherryBerry12.

Edward Cullen

I started at the screen, re-reading her text. I haven't been feeling well. I'm sorry.

I'm on my way. I typed back, throwing my phone and water bottle back in my bag. It was the final break of the day; we would be done soon anyway but this couldn't wait. I hung around long enough to tell Emmet and Jasper I was leaving before embracing the swirling wind outside.

I knew. I knew she wasn't feeling well ... and I still left. I was the biggest asshole of the century, letting her be stubborn instead of taking care of her. I should have stayed. Instead, I let my frustration get the best of me. Reid had tried to kiss her, luckily no more than that, but I was fuming. By the time I got to the gym I was ready to give Reid a piece of my mind – consequences be damned – but he was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Lori. Jasper and Emmett didn't know much, only that Reid said he wasn't coming in today.

I kept my pace just shy of a run. I'm coming, I promised into the wind. I'm coming.

Bella was awake when I entered the room, her eyes red-rimmed and her form curled tight on top of the covers.

"It's not as bad as it looks," she promised, her voice as small as she looked.

"Why did you lie?"

"I didn't want you to worry," she answered quietly. "If it makes you feel better I've been sleeping in the tub most of the day."

My face softened. "No," I replied, my voice hoarse. "It doesn't. You should have told me. I would have stayed. I would have taken care of you so you didn't have to sleep in the tub."

I eased the blankets down around her, coaxing her under the covers. She complied and I crawled in after her ignoring the way the sweat made the shirt cling to my back. My hands slid to her shoulders and I pressed down with my thumbs, wincing at the knots in her muscles.

"Flu?" I asked.

She sighed and relaxed into my touch. "Probably."

"Did you get your flu shot?" A small shake of her head was her only response. I bit back the lecture threatening to fall my from lips. "What time did you wake up this morning?"

"Just after three."

"I'm assuming both ends?"

"Jesus," she breathed, making a move to get off the bed.

I held her tight. "Bella," I gently coaxed.

"Yes," she ground out through gritted teeth. I pulled her closer, working my hands into the muscles in her lower back. A sigh loosened from her lips. She was silent long enough I thought she may have fallen asleep. I was sorely mistaken as her shoulder shook and a sob broke free.

I jolted from the bed, making my way to the other side to see her face. A steady stream of tears streamed down her face. "What's wrong?"

"I hate being sick. I feel so useless and it hurts and I'm so frustrated and I just want it to stop."

She drew in a ragged breath that seemed to trigger more tears. "I'm. So. Tired," she managed between sobs.

I dropped to knees, gently pushing away the strands of hair on her forehead. "I know. It's okay. Everything's alright."

She sobbed harder. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she chanted.

My gut told me the tears were from more than just the flu. The last few days were already chipping away at Bella, piece by piece. I pushed away my thoughts as I wiped away her tears. "It's okay, Bella. Please don't cry. Please."

And she stopped crying. For the briefest moment her tears stopped before a look of pure horror crossed her face. She lurched up, moving so fast her legs nearly tangled in the blankets as she lunged to the bathroom. The sound of retching reached my ears before I even made it to the bathroom. Wordlessly, I sank to the ground behind her rubbing soothing circles until she was no longer bent over the toilet. I shifted so my back was against the tub, gently pulling Bella back until she rested between my legs.

~!~ FT ~!~

I had no idea how Bella did it. Just leaning against the tub for half an hour had me gritting my teeth. She was asleep against my chest and I didn't have the heart to move her. I hated to admit it, but I was thrilled when Mike and Tyler came in. The sound of the door roused her enough that I didn't feel guilty leading her back to our bed.

Tyler halted mid-stride as he took in Bella's weak form, still dressed in my oversized shirt and shorts. "Are you okay?"

"Flu," she mumbled, her voice muffled by the hoard of covers she pulled over herself.

Two pairs of eyes slid over to me. I nodded in confirmation. Tyler's face filled with pity while Mike flinched with disgust. Faster than I'd ever seen him move, Mike was in the bathroom, mumbling something about showering. Tyler removed his bag but stayed near the door.

"Do you guys need anything?"

I shook my head, grabbing my jacket. "Nah. I'm just going to head to the store quick and grab some crackers and Gatorade."

Tyler waved me off. "I'll go. Take care of her. Bella, do you have a preference of — "

Her face emerged from the blankets. "Blue."

My heart clenched as hope, pure hope flashed across her face over something so small. I fished my wallet from my bag and tossed it across the room to Tyler. He tossed it right back.

"Take care of her," he repeated before disappearing out the door.

With just the two of us in the room, I fished my phone from my bag before taking my spot next to her on the bed. Bella barely stirred. I dialled my dad, relieved when he picked up after a few rings.

"Hey, Edward. How's Seattle?"

"Overall pretty good. Um, I'm calling because Bella's sick and I'm positive it's the flu but wasn't sure if I should bring her to a clinic or something."

"Bella ..." he trailed off. "The one you've done a few projects with at school? She's the one your mother adores, right?" I prayed Bella couldn't her anything from her cocoon of blankets.

I scrubbed the back of my neck, dragging my hand through my hair. "Yeah."

"Is she still throwing up?"

"A bit. Not nearly as much as before."

Bella shuddered so hard the bed shook. I shifted so I was under the covers and rubbed my free hand over her arm, trying to warm her up as best I could. She shifted into my warmth, burrowing her face in my chest.

"Okay. Overall how is she feeling?"

"Weak, sore, frustrated, and moody," she mumbled into my chest. Apparently she could hear the other side of the conversation just fine. I couldn't fight off the warmth in my face as I repeated everything back to my dad.

He let out a short laugh. "Well, it seems like a typical run of the flu. She'll feel better if she can keep down some fluids. Make sure she stays out of the gym until she's eaten a few good meals."

"Will do dad. Thanks."

"No problem, son. Keep Bella comfortable and encourage her to drink. If she doesn't keep anything down by tomorrow afternoon give me another call."

"Alright. Thanks again, dad. Tell mom I said hi."

"That won't do. You know your mother. She's right — "

The phone cut out before my mother's voice rang loudly through the speaker. "Hi, honey!"

I pulled my phone away to lower the volume a few notches. "Hi, mom."

All things considered, it was one of the shortest phone calls with my mom. When I hung up a few minutes later I had to check to see if Bella was still awake. She was. Barely. Still burrowed in my chest with her eyelid only half drooped, she tilted her face toward me.

"Thank you. For taking care of me. For letting me wear your clothes. For everything."

I cracked a smile. "You can wear my clothes anytime you want. Lord knows you look much better in them than I do."

Her hand softly thudded onto my chest in a weak attempt at swatting at me. A tired smile spread across her face as her eyelids fell further. My heart clenched as I took in her sleepy face and her hand over my heart. I quickly realized two things. There was no way I could fight my feelings for her any longer. And playing doctor was worth every second with her.

A/N: Is anyone else's heart melting over here?