Another week passed without much change.

I was starting to get used to the nasogastric tube. It was uncomfortable, but I didn't have the urge to rip it out as much as I did before. I was grateful that Carlisle sorted most of my feeds and fluids out whilst I was asleep because I honestly couldn't think about how fat it was making me. Carlisle had briefly mentioned the possibility of me learning to do the fluids and feeds myself, but I was not ready for that yet. I would have happily taken over it if no one was around because I would be able to control how much food was going in, but with the Cullen's around, I would never get that chance.

I was still trying to figure out ways on how I could hide things from them, but I always had someone watching me whilst I was awake. I concluded that I needed to work on them trusting me more first so that I had opportunities to be alone.

My chest still felt tight, and it hurt to cough every now and again. I still had quite a bit of phlegm from the pneumonia, and it didn't help that any sort of physical activity still made me feel exhausted. I hated feeling vulnerable and I just wanted to feel okay again.

My stomach was starting to make horrible gurgling noises and I was getting painful cramps. I pressed my hand to my stomach to help ease the pain, hoping that it was just gas.

I knew better. My mouth started to salivate so I got up quickly from the couch and nearly ran to the downstairs toilet.

Esme was close behind me and moved my hair out of my face just as I threw up. She was about to stop me from moving my hand to my face but stopped when she realized I was pressing the nasogastric tube in place because I was worried it would come out from the force of my vomiting. I really couldn't be dealing with the pain of that when I already felt so sick.

Everyone was in school, so I was just at home with Carlisle and Esme. I could hear Carlisle making his way down the stairs and it wasn't long until he joined us in the bathroom.

"It's just a stomach bug," I mumbled; refusing to move from the toilet just in case I was going to be sick again. I wanted to reassure them so that they didn't panic. I didn't want them hovering over me all day just because I was unwell again.

My life had just become a constant sickness. I was starting to feel better from the pneumonia but now I had a stomach bug. It was just too much.

Another bout of sickness was coming. I pushed myself closer to the bowl as I was sick again. I felt lightheaded and I could feel my heart in my chest.

I tried to breathe deeply to clear the nausea but then my world went black.

Carlisle

I could hear Rosalie vomiting in the downstairs bathroom. I made my way there slowly so that she wasn't suspicious of my movements.

"It's just a stomach bug," she said as I rounded the corner into the room. I smiled lightly although she couldn't see me. Rosalie was trying to downplay the situation even in the middle of being sick. She was likely right – her immune system was weakened, and she was susceptible to common human illnesses at the moment. My only worry was that her physical health was still fragile and any extra strain on her body could have a detrimental impact.

She pushed herself closer to the toilet as she vomited again, and I could hear her heartbeat grow faster as her body tried to cope with the extra stress.

She swayed lightly on her knees and then fell forwards – catching her face on the corner of the bowl. Esme, who was standing closer to Rosalie than me, caught her just before she fully hit the floor and picked her up in her arms.

We went to the living room and Esme laid Rosalie down onto the couch. She would come around in a couple of seconds and lying down would help her with the nausea.

Rosalie eventually opened her eyes and moaned quietly. She shifted position so she was slightly sitting up and groaned harder when she saw Esme and me.

I laughed a little at her reaction and quietly assessed her vital signs. Her heart sounded more settled now she was lying down. Her chest still sounded raspy as she still hadn't cleared the pneumonia. Her complexion was pale and sweaty, and her breathing was slightly labored, but it wasn't enough to need any extra oxygen.

"Can I have a look at your face, Rosalie?" I asked quietly. She had closed her eyes again but opened them when I spoke and nodded.

I felt her face gently to make sure it was okay after hitting the toilet. Thankfully it was fine, but it was likely Rosalie would get a bruise from it as she bruised so easy. She was already sporting a range of tri-colored bruises all over her body. Whilst looking at her face, I had the chance to feel her skin. I placed my hand against her forehead and the back of her neck quickly. She was definitely starting to spike a fever. "Your face might bruise, unfortunately." I told her out loud. "And it seems that you have a stomach bug. We need to make sure you keep your fluids up and you get plenty of rest."

Rosalie nodded. "I thought as much. It's always something." She didn't seem annoyed; more so amused than anything.

"We will get through this, it's fine. I'll increase fluids and give you some medication to help. We need to keep on top of the stomach bug because we're still fighting off the pneumonia." I headed to collect what we needed from my office. I usually kept anything to do with the nasogastric tube until Rosalie was sleeping in order to make it easier for her, but it was important she had fluids during the day and medication, so she wasn't so uncomfortable. It was a positive that she had held her tube in place whilst vomiting in fear of it coming out – that was a good sign for me that she was starting to accept the tube. Even just last week, Rosalie would have definitely used the vomiting as a chance to pull the tube out.

We were making progress every day, surely but slowly.

Rosalie surprised me even more when it was time to put the medication and water through her tube. She reached for the syringe just as I was about to do the last of the water and at first, I was hesitant that she was trying to stop me, but instead she pushed the plunger herself to help put the water in her tube.

I didn't say anything in fear that it would put Rosalie off, but this was massive. Esme shifted position next to Rosalie on the couch and smiled. Her eyes were glistening, and I knew if Esme was human she would be crying. She was so proud of Rosalie and saw her like a daughter.

I wanted Rosalie to be in control of her fluids and food, but I knew we were likely quite far away from her feeling comfortable with the feeds. My hope was that she would start to drink and eat without the tube soon, but we needed to take it at her pace and work with her. The biggest priority was her physical health at the moment.

After the fluids, Rosalie soon curled up with Esme on the couch under a blanket to watch a movie. Rosalie was a lot more aware these days and seemed happy spending time with Esme and me. It hadn't been too difficult for us to spend time with Rosalie so much though it did make hunting complicated. We usually aimed to do it during the night when Rosalie was in a deep sleep. Initially, things were easier for our family as Rosalie was often disorientated and not so aware of her surroundings, but as she was getting stronger, the time that she was awake during the day was much longer.

I needed to head to work at midday, so I left Esme to care for Rosalie for a few hours until everyone else got in from school. Esme was more than capable but I knew she got a little anxious in case Rosalie suddenly become ill.

When I left, Rosalie had fallen asleep on the couch and Esme was singing softly to her.

It was a beautiful sight for me to see.