Two Edges of One Sword (Carlisle Cullen/Reader/Charlie Swan)

XIV

"Morning, hon."

A stream of air floods into your nostrils when the sound of someone's voice hits your ears. You let out a groggy groan when you turn over from the side of the bed, a pulsing ache invading the side of your head every few seconds. In your dazed confusion, you let out a small, "huh?"

"Just here to check your morning vitals, won't be long at all."

You gradually begin to recollect and realize your surroundings as your eyes slowly flutter open. Above you is a nurse next to a tall, thin-looking machine. It beeps every now and again and with each beep you feel it interrupting your deep sleep-like state more and more. She drops down for a moment before reappearing with an arm-cuff, leaning over your lying figure.

"Let me see your arm sweetie," before you could refute, she takes a gentle grab of your arm and quickly slides the cuff on, "there we go! Now, don't move." She falls silent for a few moments as she clicks a pen open and makes notes on a clipboard, the machine continuing to drone results. "How are you feeling this morning, (Name)?"

You lie still for a moment, barely awake.

"Tired," the lulled words slip out of your mouth. Every few seconds you feel the arm-cuff conforming to your arm, tighter and tighter. The nurse softly laughs.

"I can tell. Tell you what, I'll give you a couple of minutes to wake up and get set before we get you breakfast." She turns away for a moment before clicking a button on the machine as it shuts off. "Your Mom's here to see you today."

That pulls you out of REM sleep immediately. You almost shoot out of your bed into a sit-up as an unruly feeling nearly overtakes you.

"My Mom?" You squeak out.

"Relax honey," she lays a hand atop your forearm as she finally snaps the uncomfortably tight arm-cuff off, "you've got plenty of time. She doesn't see you until you're ready to see her."

Your brain finally slows down at the sound of her words and you inhale a strong gust of wind, taking your time exhaling in relief. You begin to nod as you slowly think of how to go forward from here.

"Okay," you mutter as you let your face fall down to the view of your blanketed lap, your hands fidgeting together into a tightly-clasped knot, "...can I have a few minutes before breakfast?"

"Of course, we'll get you that shortly then, ok?"

You don't find it in you to answer her as she slowly bumps the door open with her hip, slinking out and quickly exiting, leaving it open behind her as the hospital's cacophonic ambiance of voice and machine begin to flood your room.

A reticent stillness wraps your ego for a moment as reality slowly begins to seep in. The last memory of your Mom camouflages your vision for a moment and a shudder fills you. Shaking your head, your lips quiver trying to practice what to say first.

"I... I didn't..."

The image of a casket pops into your head and you immediately squeeze your eyes shut, doing your best to delete the thought as quickly as it had appeared. Ideas of what could've happened slowly creep into your mind as you ponder the situation. You were lucky to be here as is, in the condition you were in. In your waking moments, you realized that tomorrow is never promised. It matters what you leave behind on your way.

There were two things you knew. You weren't gonna let this whole thing go away, and you weren't gonna let it turn into something else.

You raise your head a little, opening your eyes and straightening out your posture as you stretch. It had been some time since you had a moment just to yourself.