Her Voice ✿ Emmett Cullen

Chapter 46

"Her rib is cracked." Carlisle informed as he analyzed the x-ray, "But there are no splinters. You haven't punctured anything." Carlisle turned to face Bella.

"Yet." Edward corrected.

"Edward." Lyra scolded from where she was leaning against the wall.

"It's breaking her bones now." He countered towards Lyra before looking at Bella, "It's crushing you from the inside out." He turned to Carlisle, "Carlisle, tell her what you told me. Tell her."

Bella breathed deeply before insisting, "Carlisle, tell me. It's all right.

Carlisle approached Bella with a grim look on his face as he told her, "The fetus isn't compatible with your body. It's too strong. It won't allow you to get the nutrition you need. It's starving you by the hour. I can't stop it, and I can't slow it down." Bella nodded in understanding, already accepting her fate despite the sliver of hope she held that she would survive, "At this rate, your heart will give out before you can deliver."

Bella didn't want the others to know that she knew her fate, she wanted them to believe that she was still hopeful so she told them, "Then I'll hold on as long as I can, and then—"

"Bella." Carlisle interrupted, "There are some conditions that even venom can't overcome. You understand?" Bella swallowed harshly, "I'm sorry." She nodded, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

Carlisle turned and left the room, Lyra following after seeing the way Edward clearly wanted to talk to his wife. She made her way to the living room, sitting down beside Emmett as she began to bite her nails, a nervous tick that had resurfaced recently. Emmett pulled her hand away from her mouth as Jacob handed her a piece of gum that she quickly began chewing in hope that she wouldn't feel compelled to bite her nails. She breathed deeply, wringing her hands before Emmett quickly took them in his own. He kissed the back of both of them before taking to massaging her hands gently as she began to dissociate. She stared off into nothingness as her ears caught Bella and Edward's conversation and her brain processed it instead of her thoughts.

"Edward, I'm sorry." Bella apologized.

"I can't live without you." Edward choked out.

"You won't. You're gonna have a part of me. He'll need you."

"Do you honestly think that I could love it or even tolerate it if it killed you?"

"It's not his fault. You have to accept what is."

"Because you've given me no choice!" Edward snapped, causing Bella to take a shaky breath, "Bella, we're supposed to be partners, remember? But you decided this on your own. You've decided to leave me." Lyra blinked a few times, breaking out of her disassociation as fury ran through her at Edward's guilt tripping.

"Don't see it that way."

"Well, I have no other way to see it. 'Cause it's me who'll lose you. And, I don't choose that. I don't choose that."

As soon as the door to Carlisle's office slammed shut, she was on her feet. Lyra met him walking away from the office, before she slammed him into the wall. Bella's cries could be heard from all over the house, as well as Lyra and Edward's growls. Emmett was fast in his movements as he pulled Lyra off, and stepped in front of her. He wrapped an arm around her stomach as he held her back.

"You're a piece of shit." Lyra growled, looking around Emmett towards Edward. He was back to his stoic face as he looked back down at her, "You're just going to leave her to face this on her own, huh? Trying to throw being a partner in Bella's face— what have you done to show your partnership?" He looked down at Lyra's words. "In sickness and in health, remember?" She mocked, "Or was that just a load of shit coming from your mouth? You were so focused on Bella becoming a vampire that you didn't stop to realize she's still human–"