Perspicuous (J.HALE)

18

She looked horrendous.

Her eyes were sunken and ringed with purplish black. Her hair was limp and greasy, skin sallow and discoloured, and she'd lost a lot of weight. Her stomach was domed as if she'd been pregnant for three or four months already, and she moved so slowly, breathless at the slightest activity. She was hardly recognisable compared to the night of the wedding—no brightness in her eyes, no flush in her cheeks.

She hobbled through the door, supported by Edward's arm around her waist, and immediately toppled onto the couch, taking a moment to catch her breath. Rosalie was at her side in an instant and took her hand, muttering to her in a soothing tone. Emmett came and stood by Jasper and I, Ethan wriggling in his arms, whilst Carlisle, Alice and Esme swarmed around Edward.

"Bella, how are you feeling?" Carlisle asked, looking at her whilst he placed his hand on Edward's shoulder in comfort.

"Sick," she breathed.

"Any other symptoms?"

"My back hurts," she gasped, adjusting her position. "I can't keep food down. But that's normal, right?"

Her eyes flashed up to meet mine and I froze. "Uh..."

Ethan let out a small, high shriek, and Bella's attention shifted to him. Her face changed—softened—and she didn't look so queasy anymore.

Edward's face was thunderous, and he stared pointedly at the floor beneath Bella's feet, as if refusing to even acknowledge that any of us were there. "Carlisle, what do you know?"

"We need to act quickly," he said. "I know enough that it's still early enough for us to terminate the pregnancy safely-

"Terminate it?" Bella interrupted, eyes snapping up to meet Carlisle's.

"Bella," Edward hissed.

"No!"

"We don't know what it will do to you, Bella," Alice said through gritted teeth. "I can't see it, and I can't see you while it's still in there."

"That's not its fault," Bella protested.

"You could die, Bella," Emmett said.

"We don't know anything about it," Carlisle said, attempting to mediate. "We can't keep you safe with that much uncertainty."

She paled even further and looked at Rose. The two women locked eyes for a short moment, before Bella's expression turned resolute.

"No," she said simply.

Alice's nostrils flared. "What do you mean?"

"I'm healthy," Bella said. "I'm strong. It's growing faster than normal, but-

"Health might not have anything to do with it," Carlisle interrupted, tone growing more clipped by the second.

"I can do it," she insisted.

"Bella, please..." Edward's voice came out almost as a whimper, and my heart clenched.

"I didn't plan this," she snapped at him. "But it happened, and it's my only chance. I'm not throwing it away."

"It could tear you apart from the inside out!" Alice's voice climbed an octave, strained.

"Please, just..." Carlisle knelt down in front of her, holding eye contact. "Just think about it. Think about the danger you're in, and what you're risking."

"Only if you think about how good this could be," she said, eyes twinkling. "It's kind of a miracle, if you think about it."

I scoffed and turned my head, biting down on my lower lip.