Forks Hospital, late March 2005 [for themidnightson]

[yesthatbella]

At least they'd let her get closer to home; it was a step in the right direction.

Bella mentally added it to her list of things that didn't suck; it helped distract her from the things that did, like hospital food, and trying to concentrate on anything for more than five minutes right now. She was currently trying to look over some notes that Jessica had brought over earlier, though it wasn't going so well. How did they expect her to catch up on anything when it seemed like just when her head cleared enough to focus, it was time for more painkillers.

Bella was starting to feel like she was getting off kind of easy in the pain department, considering. Most of the time it all blended together into a dull, entire-body ache. She couldn't really pick out whether her leg or ribs or head hurt more except when she tried to shift positions too often. She was learning that holding still was a really good strategy.

"I just want to stay awake for a little while," she complained, letting the notes fall onto the bed. "Is that so much to ask?"

Comments

[themidnightson]

Edward, walking in the door carrying a tray of food in one hand, with a backpack strap across his opposite shoulder, said with easy teasing. "You won't be grateful then. You'll turn to asking for something else, like wanting to walk."

The tray is deposited on her bed table, with multiple counterfeit foods like raspberries and cheesecake cake yogurt (It wasn't as though he needed to check with her doctor.)

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

"I won't be grateful when I flunk Trigonometry, either," Bella groused, but was promptly distracted by more interesting arrivals.

"Oh my God, food. You are amazing. Have I said that?" She beamed at him, as much as one could be said to beam when one has been stuck in a hospital bed for what felt like ages.

[themidnightson]

The urge was already there to lean over and kiss her forehead or her hair, but he settled for rolling the bed tray table so it was over her lap and between them. Even as much as it pained him to still see her here, with her smiling and sounding happier even for a second, it caused his lips to twitch toward a smile.

"What is the problem with your homework?"

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

"Either my math got broken along with everything else, or Jessica's notes have issues. Check out number four."

She passed the notes (annotated with her own scribbles in the margins) over to him and picked up her yogurt and spoon. Food, at least, she still remembered how to work.

[themidnightson]

His expression doesn't shift for her own shot at her condition, studying the paper she hands him. That she's eating get a small glance, here and lost in milliseconds, for mostly reading.





"Only two of these are right."

Who actually expected Jessica to be good at Maths?

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

"Great. Remind me to make friends with someone who actually pays attention in class at some point?"

Bella sighed and then winced at the twinge in her ribs that reminded her why she'd given up on sighing, or really breathing very deeply except when asleep.

"... also remind me not to do that."

[themidnightson]

Edward's features knit, not a wince but beyond simple concern, when she winced. With his free hand he reached out and very gently brushed back the hair against her cheek, cursing the situation that had brought her to this.

But only said calmly, "You were saying you were tired."

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

"What? No, I wasn't. I never said that!"

Bella very determinedly sat up a little more. She wasn't going to sleep now when Edward had only just gotten here.

"See? Wide awake."

[themidnightson]

Perhaps said was too strong a descriptor.

She had complained about not being able to stay awake.
Which came with the implication of the prior as it's cause.

Still, her sudden movement and exuberant forceful showing of wakefulness made him chuckle in a humoring fashion that had far more affection written across it than he'd note.

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

Mission accomplished!

"You have to stay and tell me all the completely fascinating things I'm missing at school."

By which she means: he has to stay here and be Edward at her, which is completely fascinating.

[themidnightson]

Edward's eyebrows as though obviously checking her sanity for that. As though anything fascinating happened at Fork's High School (and the assumption he was dutifully attending throughout her entire stay in the hospital).

"You haven't missed that much." He nudged the bed table, with food, just enough. "Anatomical models of small animals. The first act of Macbeth. Two days of dodge ball."

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

Bella took that as a hint and popped a raspberry into her mouth.

"Wow, dodge ball. That could've gone really badly for me."

Another thing to add to the list of good things about staying in the hospital.

[themidnightson]

Edward shook his head, half rolling his eyes. Something of an amused, but outlandish patronizing in it. The same as with her needles and IV's originally.

"The things that actually worry you."

Homicidal vampires -- no. Dodge ball -- yes.

And they wondered why he hadn't calmed down yet.

[yesthatbella.livejournal.com]

"With good reason!" Bella insisted, indignant.

"It took three separate, um, incidents, before my old gym teacher let me sit out dodgeball."

She made a face, praying that he wouldn't actually ask her to elaborate on any of those incidents.

[themidnightson]

He didn't need to ask. He was aware of her ability to maneuver quickly over flat spaces, without the addition of dodging moving targets. And still -- she survived far worse. What no one ever did.

And that is the thought the curves the almost-smile.

"They'll be on some-" tedious, boring, challengeless "-thing else by the time you return."