Chapter 9: Frightening Ordeal

"So, how's fatherhood treating you," Emmett asked with that fucking grin. "Don't ya just love those midnight feedings?"

We were having lunch in the cafeteria at work. I had just finished my first surgery of the day, a grueling four-hour ordeal, when he came out of his own OR and asked if I was hungry. He said he'd pay. Like I'd pass that shit up, even though I could afford it.

"She actually sleeps through the night now," I told him, smirking as his face dropped.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Ben still likes to wake me up sometimes and, of course, Rose makes me get him since she's taking care of him all day."

"What can I say? My kid likes me enough to let me sleep."

"What does she give you?"

"Five hours, sometimes six."

He stabbed his fork into his food. "That's bullshit. When Ben was fifteen weeks, I'd have to get up every night at least once, sometimes twice."

I laughed. "Well, I normally put her to bed in her crib at eleven, depending on if she slept enough during the day. Sometimes it's earlier if she doesn't take her evening nap. Still, I always get at least five hours."

"Let's trade kids."

"Fuck no. Little One is kind of great. She likes me now, so we get along better."

Little One just needed to get used to me, and me her. With sleeping through the night, all the laughing, smiling, and all around happiness, Little One was probably the greatest kid in the fucking world.

He shook his head. "Even if you didn't have the paternity test, I'd be positive she was your kid. I mean, who else would like you?"

"I'm an acquired taste," I said, taking another bite as Jasper came over with his tray.

He dropped it onto the table and sat down, sighing. "Alice is afraid your family won't like her, so she doesn't know if she wants to come to your parents vow renewal."

My parent's vow renewal was in two weeks on June second. Of course Jasper was invited and told he could bring a date, but it seemed Alice wasn't too keen on this.

"Well, that's what she's saying," he said. "I told her my mom was coming, and she really said she'd feel uncomfortable."

"She's afraid of your mother," Emmett laughed. "And I really don't blame her."

"My mom isn't that bad," Jasper said.

"She shot me in the ass with a BB Gun when we were kids."

"Well, we were sneaking out, and she thought you were a burglar." He smirked.

I laughed my ass off. "You were a six-foot fifteen-year-old, Em. It was an easy mistake."

"Jasper, you're my friend, so I think it's okay to say this," Emmett said. "Your mom's insane. Something is loose up there."

"Dude," I said. "She's still his mom."

"Fuck you, Emmett. She's not insane," Jasper said. "She's just . . . different."

"You should probably warn Alice about that," I said.

"Yeah," he sighed. "But I don't want to scare her off. You met her. She's great."

I nodded. "She is."

"Is Jasper joining the dark side of a committed relationship with me?" Emmett asked before shoving more food into his mouth.

He shrugged. "For her, I think I would."

"Good," Emmett said, still chewing. "Edward skipped that part, so I need someone who'd be willing to double with Rose and me. She's been asking a lot lately."

"I'll talk to Alice."

I put the cap back on my water. "You two . . . sound like chicks. Setting up a double date? Really?" I laughed.

"At least I'm not constantly talking about my kid," Emmett said.

"I don't constantly talk about her."

"Yes, you do," Jasper laughed. "And you call us chicks."

"Jazz," Emmett said, "he called his mom the other day when Rose and I were over to tell her Sofia rolled over all the way."

"Oh, he told me."

I stood up, grabbing my tray. "You know what? It's not my fault my life has resorted to this," I said. "Before you fuck Alice, make sure she's on birth control and the condom doesn't break."

"Lessons Edward had to learn the hard way," Emmett laughed.

"Fuck you both."

. . . . .

"Why are you so upset, Little One?" I asked as I tried to calm her down.

It was two o'clock in the morning, and I had barely slept. She woke me up, screaming her head off. That was probably what I got for rubbing her sleeping patterns in Emmett's face. I ran faster than I knew I could to get across the hall because she never woke me up like this anymore. Crying was one thing, but this eardrum-bursting screaming was entirely different. She sounded like she was in pain.

I gently laid her down on the changing table. "It's all right," I told her, undoing her onesie and diaper only to find she was completely dry. "Are you hungry? You didn't take all of your bottle earlier."

I put her in a new diaper and picked her back up, patting her back as we walked toward the kitchen. She kept screaming as her hands flailed. She managed to grab my hair in the back and pull.

Fucking painful. Her grip was definitely getting better. I pried her hand away and laid her down in the swing so I could get her bottle ready. She was even more pissed when I walked away to grab one of the bottles I had made last night out of the fridge. As I ran the bottle under the warm water, I looked back at the little one. She was tugging on her left ear. She never tugged on her ears.

"What are you doing?" I asked, eyeing her, confused.

She kept tugging and turning her head to the side to push it against the swing as if she were . . .

"Shit," I cursed.

I turned the water off and left the bottle in the sink before I opened the cabinet and found the digital thermometer. Please, fuck no.

"Please, don't be sick," I said, kneeling down in front of her and holding her right ear to slide the thermometer in.

She threw a huge fucking fit for the few seconds it took to get the reading. I knew it wasn't as accurate as it could have been, but her ear would work. I didn't want to traumatize the poor kid by doing it the more accurate way. Well, I didn't want to traumatize myself, either.

I looked at the reading and cringed. "One-oh-two point six . . . fuck," I sighed. "No wonder you're throwing a fit."

I picked her back up and tried to think. Tugging on her ear mostly likely meant she had an ear infection. Most likely, but what if it wasn't that simple? Shit. It was probably my fault if she had an infection. God only knows what germs I bring home to her every day.

"I'm sorry," I said, kissing the top of her head as I moved around.

The motion was soothing. She liked it when I moved around with her. She wasn't calming down, though. Not that I expected her to. She was in pain, and I felt really fucking bad. I didn't want Little One to be in pain.

Suddenly, someone started knocking on my door. Little One's painful screams probably woke my next door neighbor up, or New Girl. Was it wrong I was praying it was New Girl?

When I opened the door, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was New Girl. I had never been so happy to see someone . . . ever.

"She's sick," I said. "Please, come in."

She frowned, walking through the door. "Oh, no. What do you think it is?"

"I really hope it's an ear infection, but I don't know. I feel so fucking terrible right now. I bring home all kinds of germs to her."

"Babies get sick, Edward," she said, walking over to my couch and sitting down. "And a lot of babies get ear infections."

I swayed with Little One. "Yeah, but what if that's not it?"

"Well, are you taking her to her pediatrician?"

"I think I might take her to the ER and call my dad."

She looked up at me and frowned, looking sympathetic. "Does she need the ER, Edward?"

I shrugged. "I don't know . . . maybe?"

"Here, can I have her?"

I gently passed her the still crying little one and ran back into my bedroom to get my phone. I dialed Dad's number. He'd know what to do — whether I should take her to the ER or wait until morning and take her to the pediatrician. I just . . . I was fucking freaking out. I didn't know why, but I was. With everything I couldn't or still didn't know if I could offer Little One, this was one thing I should have been able to handle easily. Honestly, I was a fucking doctor. But in this moment, when I should have been collected, I wasn't. I was a damn basket case of worry.

"Edward?" Dad answered. "It's two o'clock in the morning. What's wrong?"

"She's sick," I said.

"Sofia?"

"Who the hell else?"

"Okay, calm down. Babies get sick. What's wrong with her?"

"She has a fever of one-oh-two point six, is crying non-stop, and I saw her tug on her ear."

"It's probably an ear infection then, son. Give her something for the fever and pain and call her pediatrician in the morning. They'll probably prescribe antibiotics for her."

"So I shouldn't take her to the ER?" I asked, pacing around my room.

"No. You have Children's Tylenol, right?"

"Yeah, but are you sure I should give it to her?"

"Yes, son. Do you know the dosage?"

"Yes."

"Then give it to her. It'll help with the fever and pain."

"I don't know," I said, running my hand through my hair. "Maybe I should take her to the ER just to be safe."

"She doesn't need the ER."

"Can you come over?"

"Son, listen to me. She'll be fine. Call first thing in the morning and make an appointment with her doctor to get her in as early as you can. You don't need me to come over."

I sighed. "I'm just . . . worried."

"I can tell," he chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because you sound like me the first time Rosalie was sick. I did rush her to the ER, but she didn't need it. She had an ear infection, too. I promise, Edward, it'll all work out just fine."

"But she hasn't stopped crying and it's not just regular crying. She's screaming in pain."

"I know that's what it seems like, but she'll be fine. Give her the Tylenol."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Fine."

"Good. Now, goodnight. Call me tomorrow and let me know what her doctor says. I'll have someone cover for you."

"Thanks. I will. Sorry for waking you."

"It's fine."

. . . . .

After giving Little One the medicine, I just held her. She eventually fell back asleep in my arms, for which I was thankful. The crying was getting to be painful to me.

"You can go if you want," I told New Girl, who sat beside me on the couch. "I'm sure you have to work tomorrow."

"I do," she said. "But I can stay."

I shook my head. "It's okay. Thanks for coming over, though."

She smiled. "It sounded like you needed some help."

I scoffed. "When don't I?"

"Everyone needs help sometimes, and I really didn't do anything this time."

I shrugged. "You came, so I'd say that was something."

"Well, you're welcome, I guess," she laughed softly. "She looks much more peaceful."

I looked down at the sleeping little one. She did look peaceful. "Why do I feel like I just had a heart attack?"

"Because you were really worried about her. I'm pretty sure that's normal. You love her, and you don't want her to be hurting. It's sweet."

"I uh . . . I love her?"

She looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "It sure seems like you do, what with all the worrying and obsessing."

"Is it obvious?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "To me? The most obvious thing in the world."

"She's . . . important to me, I think. I know I care about her, but I just thought, you know, I'd realize I loved her."

"Love is a tricky thing."

"Do you think she loves me?" I asked, looking up to see her smiling.

"I think she definitely loves you," she said, caressing Little One's cheek. "You're her daddy."

"Lucky her," I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"Very lucky her," she told me. "You're a good dad, even if you can't see it."

"I'm really glad you didn't know me before her."

"I don't think it matters how you were before. It matters how you are now. And right now, I think you're a great guy because you stepped up. You changed for her."

"Can I asked you a question?"

She folded her legs under her and nodded. "Sure."

"Why did your dad have to step up?"

She bit her lip and sighed. "I told you my mom died."

"Yeah, but why would he have to step up? He was already there, wasn't he?"

She shook her head. "My dad didn't know about me until I was four. Social services called him after my mom died. She had his name in her will, in case anything happened to her."

"Damn, I'm sorry."

She blinked quickly. She was starting to cry. "I don't like to talk about it, okay?"

"Yeah, no, of course, I understand. I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"It was a reasonable question after a comment like that," she said, wiping her cheek.

"I guess I can see why you uh, wanted to help."

She nodded. "I know both sides. Yours and hers. I lived hers and watched yours. If I can help, then maybe that's something."

"You're a huge help, Bella."

She smiled, and I realized I liked seeing her smile. I liked New Girl, and not just because she was hot. She was a good person and put up with me, even though I wasn't. She was a . . . friend. I had a girl who was a friend.

How was that for progress?