Beautiful Days

Chapter 19 -Blood-

Blood. We all need it. Vampires, humans, animals… It runs through our veins and makes us alive. As soon as it stops, we cease to exist…

Sounds. I heard them swirling around me without making any sense. I tried to listen, tried to understand the jumble, but couldn’t. Slowly the sounds formed syllables, words and then sentences. I could hear the talk of a mysterious condition, something they didn’t know. They talked about someone who they worried insanely about. I willed my lungs to take a deep breath and I was encountered with silence. I panicked as I feared I would fall back into that black nothingness. Every muscle in my body was disobedient; I couldn’t even twitch my finger. My lungs worked though and I could hear myself breathing rapidly in fear. The silence was interrupted then and I thankfully could hear people rushing near me. I felt a cold hand clutching mine and another pair of icy hands probing my wrist and forehead. “We should try…” a man said. I strained my mind to remember that voice. Edward! I remembered. “Esme?” the voice answered in return. Have I said that aloud? I wondered and tried to make them notice my state. “She’s conscious,” Carlisle whispered. A shock went through my body when I heard and felt that he was right next to me. “I have it…” Alice whispered gravely as I heard her advance. Something was placed near me and I could smell something revolting close by.

I turned my head away from that awful smell and encountered the scent of Edward. I willed my eyes to open and met his worried butterscotch ones. “Esme,” he sighed and smiled weakly at me. My eyes closed and it took more willpower to open them again. “Carlisle?” I whispered inaudibly, but he heard. “Yes? I’m right here, darling,” he soothed me and grabbed my hand firmer. I turned my head to my right and saw him watching me. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “It’s fine, you will be fine in no time,” he reassured me fast. “No… I mean…” I began but my voice disappeared. “I’m sorry for ruining your birthday,” I ended my thought. A small smile appeared on Carlisle’s face and he leaned down to kiss my forehead as light as a feather. “Don’t worry, Esme. Your gift was beautiful, but right now we have to focus on you,” he told me. “You sure had a dramatic finale,” Edward muttered. “Edward,” Carlisle hissed. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I’m so tired,” I whispered and could hardly see Carlisle through my eye lashes. Carlisle sighed in eternal sadness. “Sleep, Esme, we will fix this,” he soothed me and stroked my hand. As soon as these words were uttered, my eyes closed. I could still hear them talking quietly though and I wished I couldn’t…

“It is nothing compared to the pregnancy with Carlie. She was conscious even though she was in pain… I have no idea,” Carlisle murmured. “But you’re right….” Edward whispered deep in thought. “I think you’re right if you think it resembles Bella’s pregnancy. She, too, was like that,” he added even quieter. I shifted uncomfortably in my sleep in a useless attempt to shake off their words. They stopped talking for a moment before I could hear Rosalie. “She isn’t in labor, the baby is not ready yet and she was never so feeble. It couldn’t be…?” she thought out loud. “So you think Alice is right?” Carlisle sighed dejectedly. “I’d say we could try…” she answered cautiously. “Edward?” Carlisle asked. “I agree with Rose,” he replied quietly. “Very well,” Carlisle sighed. I couldn’t bear it anymore and slowly opened my eyes. All three pair of eyes landed on me. “Hi,” Carlisle smiled and walked to my side to hold my hand. “How do you feel?” he asked. “Not any better,” I sighed truthfully. Carlisle looked down and fidgeted with my hand. “We have a theory,” he began. I inhaled deeply and nodded to tell him he can go on. “You have been unconscious for two days, Esme. You might not have noticed but you get weaker by the minute. It seems to be a growth spurt again, but it happens too fast. Your body has no way of compensating. And your body unfortunately rejects every means of nutrition…” “It’s like with Bella,” I breathed. “But you’ll be fine again,” Edward said fervently and took my other hand. “We know better now, we won’t take that risk,” he told me. “Is the baby fine?” I asked. Carlisle buried his face in my hand. “He or she isn’t in a better state…” Rosalie explained as she stood in front of the night stand. I could only nod and looked at Carlisle. “We give you a moment,” Rose whispered and she and Edward left the room.

I watched Carlisle then. He still hid his face in my hand and I could hear him sobbing. My heart broke at the sight. I weakly lifted my left hand and stroked his hair. “Why are we always challenged, Esme?” he asked tired. “I…” I didn’t know what to say. Carlisle lifted his head and took my hand in both of his. “I pray every night that you and the baby are fine…” he mumbled. “Maybe we have to endure the pain now to appreciate the outcome,” I whispered softly. “I can’t bear to watch you getting weaker…” he sobbed. I tried to sit up but could only lift me up a bit. “Come here,” I whispered and he settled down next to me on our bed. “Everything will turn out fine as always. We have been in more fatal situations…” I argued softly. He nodded and kissed me softly. I felt the need for comfort, for warmth in that kiss and hugged him as close as I could. Ice against fire… “I love you,” he whispered and leaned his head against mine. “I love you, too,” I whispered back.

We lay there until we heard Rosalie and Edward walking towards the bedroom and a moment later they entered the room quietly. “We’re sorry, but…” Edward began. “We know…” Carlisle whispered and got up from the bed. “Alice has seen only a snippet and we don’t know if the result is successful or not, but if you agree we would give it a try…” Edward told me. “If it has the slightest chance of making us feel better then I am fine with it,” I murmured and stroked my stomach. Alice and Emmett entered the room then as well, but hovered in the back. “Where is Carlie?” I asked suddenly when I remembered. “She is with Bella, Jasper and Renesmee. Don’t worry, love,” Carlisle answered with a weak smile. “Ready?” Rosalie asked. I nodded and inhaled deeply. Rose walked to the nightstand and lifted a ruby red glass from it. I hadn’t even seen it there but someone had always covered it… I remembered the scent of the substance though and cringed away. Carlisle rushed to my side again and took my hand. “You don’t have to,” he soothed me. I looked from him to Edward and Rosalie. I knew that they would never force me to, but it could help me… “No, I’m fine,” I whispered and reached for the glass. The blood sloshed around in it and it made me sick as Rosalie cautiously gave it to me. Carlisle helped me to sit up and I watched the glass skeptically. I had never before smelled the aroma of blood as intense as now, as a vampire of course, but then again it smelled sweet, alluring. The allure was all but gone and was replaced with disgust. “Take only a sip,” Rosalie encouraged her.

I nodded and slowly lifted the glass to my lips. I had to stop breathing to not throw up at the scent alone… I took the tiniest of sips and the metallic taste clouded everything. I cringed and shuddered as I swallowed it. Carlisle already reached for the glass in worry, but I kept it. I closed my eyes and took another sip and then gulped the glass down as fast as I could so that I wouldn’t have to taste it as much. I kept my eyes shut and breathed evenly in and out until the taste wasn’t as potent anymore. “You did it,” Rosalie smiled. I smiled weakly but felt nauseous. I squeezed Carlisle’s hand to keep myself focused. “It doesn’t help,” Alice whispered. We all looked at her. “Look at her cheeks… Bella got her color back at once. Esme still looks… worn out,” she whispered. “Do you feel better?” Carlisle asked nonetheless. I shook my head. “Not at all,” I sighed. “Maybe it takes longer,” Emmett chimed in hopefully. “I doubt it. It should be an instant improvement, at least a tiny one,” Edward sighed. “We already took that blood,” Rose sighed. “What blood?” I asked. “Human blood,” Alice told me cautiously.

The nausea took over all of my senses and I scrambled out of the bed. “Esme?” Carlisle worried. “I need to go to the bathroom,” I whispered and held my mouth closed with my hand. He helped me up and steadied me as I rushed into the bathroom. I couldn’t stop the reaction anymore and threw up. I slumped down on the cold bathroom floor and cooled my face against the tiles. “I can’t do it,” I sobbed and held my stomach. Carlisle lifted me off the floor and into his arms. “It isn’t your fault. We have come to the wrong conclusion. You apparently don’t need blood. I’m so sorry,” he soothed me as he stroked strands of hair out of my damp face. “Oh my, Esme, you are boiling,” he gasped in shock and lifted me up into his arms. I lay my head against his cold shoulder and closed my eyes. I felt so weak again. What is happening to me?

-All rights belong to Stephenie Meyer-