AN: I apologize for the delay in updating. I've had major writers block this past year and then life gets in the way. I'm still not 100% happy with how this chapter went but I think I rewrote it like 5 different times.
Sookie woke up later to an aggravating beeping sound. Her arms and legs felt like they were pinned with cement weights. Her back hurt badly. It felt like something was pinning her to the uncomfortable bed by her chest. Her mouth was dry, it felt like sandpaper. There was a large tube shoved down her throat and it was impossible to breathe over it. Her eyes felt like they were too heavy to open but she forced them open anyway. She was lying in a hospital bed. The aggravating beeping was machines all around her. She was being pinned to the bed by Eric's heavy head leaning partially against her shoulder. She whimpered and his head flew up.
"Sookie!" He cradled her face in his palm. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.
"Shhh Lover, try not to move. You're on a ventilator. You collapsed and had a seizure. You're in the supe hospital." He leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"I'm going to go find Dr. Ludwig." She used all her strength to hold on to his hand. He looked down at her. The fear in her eyes tore him apart.
She didn't want him to leave her. She remembered seeing the witch. She'd been terrified for the babies and that Eric had been found in the parking lot.
"Lover, it's fine, you're safe here." Eric looked into her eyes and kissed her softly on the forehead. A tear slid down her cheek. Her hand slid to her belly. There was a large bump there that hadn't been there before.
"They're fine, strong and healthy." Eric promised, kissing her again. "Count to 30 in your head, I'll be back before you finish. I just need to stick my head out the door and get someone to call Ludwig." Sookie gave him another look that almost gutted him but she let go of his hand. Eric walked quickly to the door and opened it.
"She's awake!" He shouted at the nurse across the hall. She looked up and made eye contact before picking the phone up to call Ludwig. Eric quickly walked back across the room to Sookie. She looked like she was scared to death. She had wires and monitors everywhere. She had died twice in the ambulance and had to be brought back. Eric knew it was only for the fact she'd had Godric's blood that she was alive. His blood wasn't preventing her from having seizures though and every seizure was worse than the last. She had been having them more frequently and nothing they tried had worked. Ludwig told him it was because of the bond and the pregnancy. The bond was physically killing her from the inside out searching for him and her body just couldn't keep up with the rate that the babies were growing. The only way they could stop it was ending the curse. Godric had pleaded with the witch and the night before Eric had called his attorney to have the deed of Fangtasia sent over to him. Pam had been reluctant to sign. Eric had all but threatened to send her to the true death if she didn't.
Eric carefully took Sookie's hand in his and kissed the tip of her fingers.
Sookie felt herself begin to drift back into unconsciousness. She struggled against it but her eyes were too heavy and fluttered shut.
"Stay with me." She heard Eric beg and felt his fingers cup her cheek. "Sookie, please." He pleaded. The desperation in his voice broke her heart. She fought against the darkness that was trying to claim her. But it was too hard and she drifted away somewhere between unconsciousness and still being able to hear everything that was happening. The door opened behind them.
"Our girl woke up?" Eric nodded and slumped over and laid his head down on Sookie. "Yes." He didn't even recognize his own voice. He had never felt so helpless.
"Her vitals are looking a little better. If her blood pressure doesn't bottom out again, she should have a little more time. We can possibly take the ventilator out. That will make her a little more comfortable." Ludwig said.
As if on cue, Sookie's eyes fluttered open.
She reached up and touched his chin. He had stubble. He leaned over and kissed her.
"Eric, let me examine her for a moment." Ludwig said, stepping beside the bed.
Eric watched from the other side of the bed as she examined Sookie from head to toe. In the end it was decided Sookie should be ok to come off the ventilator but needed to keep all the monitors on. Ludwig had taken the oxygen down slowly until it was at zero and forty minutes later the ventilator was gone.
Eric sat on the side of the bed. "I'm here." He promised her as he helped her into position for Ludwig to check her belly.
"Everything is looking fine. It appears the growth has slowed down, which is a good thing. But right now the babies are measuring about twenty-eight weeks. They were growing at a rate of about two weeks everyday, Which could be part of what happened. Your body just couldn't keep up with the rate they were growing. How do you feel?" She asked, looking at Sookie who was clinging to Eric's arm.
"I don't know." Sookie said weakly, her throat was still aching from the machine.
"Twenty-eight weeks? Do we know what they are? Boys? Girls? Both?" Ludwig laughed and looked at Eric.
"Now aren't you glad we checked Northman?" Sookie's eyes met Eric. "Ludwig does, I couldn't stand the thought of finding out before you." Eric's voice cracked as he brought her fingers to his lips. It broke her heart all over again to see that much anguish wash across his face. She grabbed his hand tighter to let him know she was there.
Ludwig, very slowly, brought up the image of an ultrasound. Sookie could barely tell what she was looking at. " This Mrs. Northman is baby A. And do you see this little area right here? Ludwig asked, pointing to the screen. Sookie nodded, trying to look closer. "This little area right here would be Baby A's.." Sookie questioned , seeing it at the same time. "Penis? Is that a?" Sookie asked. She looked at Eric. He was watching her intently. "Correct." Ludwig confirmed before flipping to a second image. "And this is Baby B. A girl. She's much smaller than her brother but just as strong." Sookie stared at the screen silently, tears running down her cheeks. She looked back at Eric. He was looking at her. "Eric say something." Sookie pleaded. "I have no idea what to say." He admitted. "I just want all three of you to be happy and healthy." He squeezed her hand. "I really died twice?" She asked, looking at Eric. His eyes met hers for a brief moment before he looked away. She had never seen him look so desperate and defeated. He looked like he had aged ten years.
"Twice, luckily Eric happened to have a vial of Godric's blood. Though he had to fight like hell to get around the EMTs to get it in you." Eric looked at her. "Lover, I need you to shoot me with your light. Please." Sookie touched his cheek. "How long was I out?" She asked. Eric looked at Ludwig. "Two weeks. And it could happen again anytime. Next time you may not be so lucky. You really need to hit him with your light if you can." Sookie's eyes fell on Eric. Tears pooled in her eyes. Ludwig excused herself from the room and Sookie threw her arms around him. Eric climbed in the small bed beside her and held her. "I can't lose you Sookie." He said sadly, kissing her.
"You asked me for another sunrise. Can we atleast wait until then?" Sookie asked. "Baby, I really don't think we can. You died twice and I couldn't do shit about it like this. Our babies need me to be a vampire. Our son and our daughter, they're miracles Sookie, just like you. There never has and never will anyone like you. Now let me take care of all three of you. I can't lose you." Eric kissed her. Sookie focused all her energy into the palm of her hand. She was exhausted and didn't have much left. The purple light ball appeared. "You did it." Eric whispered against her lips. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Eric deepened the kiss and pressed her palm into his chest. Sookie's breath caught in her throat. Eric fell limp against the pillow. Sookie leaned against his chest and snuggled against him as close as she could. She was truly afraid that she had killed him. "Eric, wake up baby." She pleaded.
They stayed in that position for hours. Until Godric appeared at first dark.
"What happened, Sookie?" He asked, kneeling in front of them. She had cried herself out hours earlier. There was nothing left. The joy she had felt learning what the babies were was gone. She felt like she was drowning and Eric wasn't here to pull her from this nightmare she was in. He was dead in her arms. She had killed him. She knew she would soon join him wherever he was. Until then she refused to let him go.
"He wanted me to use my light to turn him back. Godric, I think I killed him." Sookie sobbed into the top of Eric's head. "I think I killed my husband." The anguish she felt in that moment was unbearable. She felt like she was going to die too. "Sookie, I need you to breathe now and calm down before you trigger another seizure." Godric said calmly, grasping Sookie by the shoulder.
Suddenly, Sookie felt the bond spring to life. She looked up at Godric as he watched them both.
Eric's eyes shot open and he pushed himself away from Sookie. He looked around the room like a deer in headlights.
"Eric?" Sookie sobbed. His eyes caught hers and he crushed her to his chest. " You did it." He whispered, folding her in his arms as she sobbed.
"I thought I killed you." Eric held her as he clicked his fangs into place. He pulled away just long enough to bite into the palm of his hand. He cradled her against his chest as she drank his blood. He looked up at Godric with relief. Godric nodded at him. "I'll come back in a few minutes." He said leaving to give them some privacy. Sookie had let go of his hand but was still sobbing with relief against his chest.
"Lover?" He whispered, tilting her chin up with his fingertip to look in her eyes. He brushed her tears away with his finger tips.
"I thought I'd killed you." She threw her arms around his broad shoulders and he helped her climb into his lap. She ripped the wires off of her as she straddled him as she deepened the kiss. He ran his hands up her back.
"Take me home." She moaned against his lips.