Stranger Love

21

Everyone froze when Eleanor stood up. She looked down at the warm feeling on her legs and almost forgot to breathe. Her voice was slightly broken. "Jacob..."

Jacob was instantly on his feet, shaking his head. "This isn't happening. Everything will be okay, El. I promise you. Breathe. We'll take care of you. Sarah is going to be okay."

"Seth, take Renesmee home," Edward instructed. "Jacob, we should get her upstairs. Carlisle shouldn't be long. I'm not sure we have time to get to the hospital."

Eleanor couldn't tear her eyes from the blood dripping down her legs. She knew something wasn't right. This wasn't supposed to happen. Even if bleeding was normal, she knew it wasn't supposed to be this much. She didn't feel anything but fear as Jacob took her upstairs. Eleanor was paralyzed by the fear of losing her little girl. The words of her husband had done nothing to comfort her.

"It's too early," she whispered. "She isn't ready. Jacob, she can't come yet. We aren't ready for her. I'm not ready. I can't do this. I can't be a mom. Jake-"

"Shh, honey," Jacob tried to comfort. He placed her on the table and held her hand tightly in his. "Everything's okay. Sarah will be perfect. She's strong like her mother."

Eleanor was caught between crying and not breathing altogether. Carlisle walked in quickly. "Edward, help Esme downstairs. Emmett took Jasper out already."

"She hasn't been bleeding long," Edward said quickly, almost too fast for Eleanor to catch. "But there's a lot of blood."

"I have this taken care of," Carlisle assured. He was moving too fast for Eleanor to see him, but she could feel Jacob's tense body close. "Eleanor, talk to me. What are you feeling?"

"Get her out," Eleanor managed, pain and fear taking over. "Carlisle, don't let anything happen to her. Save my little girl. Please."

"I'll have to do a cesarian," Carlisle told her. He had an IV set up and already in her arm. "The medication will make you feel a bit off. That's normal. Tell me if there's any pain at all. You'll feel a bit of pulling."

Eleanor blinked and a curtain was over her, blocking whatever Carlisle was working on. She thought she heard him talking, but the medication was beginning to take effect on her mind and body. She turned her head to look at Jacob standing next to her. "Jake..."

"I'm not going anywhere," Jacob promised. He quickly glanced across the room at something Eleanor couldn't see before looking down at her again. "I promise. Both you and Sarah will be fine. I won't let anything happen."

"Everything's ready, Jacob," Carlisle said. "This is the best I could do with the time we have. If I don't get started, things may not turn out the way we want them to."

"Then stop talking and do it already," Jacob snarled. He smoothed down Eleanor's hair in a way that contradicted his tone. "Don't let them die."

Eleanor felt a faint pulling sensation but had a hard time paying attention to where it was coming from. She felt suddenly calm as the full effect of the drugs hit her. She knew doing all this in Carlisle's office wasn't the best thing to do, but she couldn't think clearly enough to say anything. Her only concern was Sarah. She only wanted her daughter to live and grow up to be a healthy young woman.

"Eleanor, can you hear me?" Carlisle spoke. "Do you feel any pain?"

Eleanor shook her head. Her voice was almost silent and her eyes fluttered. "No."

It was seconds later that a baby's cry filled the room. Eleanor smiled and Jacob gasped lightly. Carlisle smiled. "Jacob, would you like to hold your daughter?"