This was a submission for the Writers Anonymous All/No Dialogue Challenge (deadline April 15, 2018)
Obviously, I chose all dialogue for this, and a challenge it was!
topic/2872/169407887/1/
"Yes Alice, what is it?" Edward asked.
"Edward, finally! I've been calling you all day."
"I'm aware."
"Where are you?"
"I'm headed to Montreal. To the airport."
"What? To go where?"
"Anywhere. Anywhere away from here that is. France, maybe."
"No! Edward! No! Do. Not. Get. On. That. Plane."
"Alice, I know you mean well, but—"
"But nothing. Aren't you in pain?"
"I—How did you know that?"
"Silly. That's what happens when mates are separated. Which you should know, having been around so many of us—and it gets worse the longer you are apart and the further you go."
"Yes, but Alice—How did you know?"
"You need to come back, Edward."
"What? NO! I am not coming back. I will NOT subject her to this life. She doesn't need to know anything about it, it won't affect her."
"That's where you're wrong Edward. It has affected her."
"What? No, no, that's not possible. She's human. And we barely even spoke. She can't—No Alice, I don't believe you. You're just trying to get me to come back."
"No Edward, I'm not. I'd get Jasper to talk to you, but he can't. He's too busy trying to keep your mate from panicking so badly that she goes into cardiac arrest."
"Ri-ight. Now I know you're making it up. It couldn't be anything like that bad. And why would she be panicking? She doesn't even know me—she wouldn't care where I am."
"Maybe she wouldn't, not consciously, but her body would. She's human Edward. Her body can't handle it. Wait—Here's Carlisle. You'll listen to him."
"Edward. Alice is right. You need to come home, and the sooner the better. I'm not sure how long her body can take this."
"What? Carlisle, what's going on? Alice said Bella is panicking and…"
"Have you turned around? Are you headed home?"
"No. I'm driving towards Montreal at the moment. If I need to head back, it's probably quicker if I fly from there."
"Is Montreal further away from us than you are now though?"
"Yes. I'm a little over half way from Ottawa."
"Then no, I don't want to risk that. It might take longer to drive, but you will be getting closer instead of further. Just turn around at the first opportunity."
"Carlisle, you're scaring me. What's happening there? Does Bella—does she know? About—about us? About me?"
"No, she doesn't know. She just knows she's in unexplained pain. I've had to admit her, Edward. She's not in a good way."
"What?! What do you mean? I don't understand. She's human. Carlisle, how is this even possible? Are you sure it's not something else? Have you checked her out completely?"
"I have, Edward. There's no other explanation for it. Her body is flooded with adrenalin right now, putting massive pressure on her heart. Her blood pressure is through the roof, heart rate is up, she's sweating and shivering… but there're no pathogens in her system. And Jasper says her emotions exactly mirror those of forcibly separated mates, even though she obviously has no idea why she's feeling the way she is."
"Oh god, I had no idea. I thought she'd be fine. I thought she'd be better off without me."
"I know, Edward. She's okay for now. Jasper's keeping her sedated. She thinks I gave her a sedative, but I don't want to do that if I can avoid it. I'm just not sure how it will interact with the mating bond—it's not as though her problems are normal human health issues."
"Okay, I've turned around. I'm on my way home."
"Jasper, are you okay? You don't look well."
"I'm fine, Bella. Whereas you sound like you've run a marathon. Are you having trouble breathing now?"
"No, not really. I feel...better, a bit, since Dr Cullen gave me the—the sedative—I'm, uh—sorry—I'm half, I feel like I'm...The pain's still there, but I...I don't feel like my heart's about to explode now. But I can't...my tongue seems...I can't talk properly."
"Breathless, I think is the word she's looking for...or maybe just exhausted," Alice said.
"Yes, thanks...thank you both. For staying I mean."
"It's fine, Bella, we're happy to be here," Alice replied. "Edward will be home soon."
"How soon?" Jasper asked.
"A few hours. I just talked to Carlisle, he said Edward had called from Montana, he's nearly to the Idaho border."
"Thank god!" Jasper said.
"Edward—he's your brother, right?"
"Yes, and I promise you'll feel better when he gets back."
"What? Why? I don't—I don't think he likes me actually. He—Oh—!"
"Bella! What's wrong? Jasper, what's wrong with her?"
"I'm okay. Sorry, I just—sudden pain. In my chest. Stronger than before. Gone now."
"Okay. Maybe I should get Carlisle. Jasper—is she? What do you think?"
"I think she's okay, maybe we should talk about something else though."
"Oh. Oh, yes. Okay."
"I think I just—I need to rest. You talk. I'll just listen. 'Kay?"
"Jasper, is she even conscious now? I thought she'd get better as he got closer, but she doesn't seem to be at all."
"Shhh...keep your voice down. I'm trying to keep her asleep."
"Okay. He must be close though."
"When Maria separated mates as punishment, during the wars, the further apart they got, the worse it was, but coming closer again didn't make any difference—not until they touched."
"Oh, he has to touch her? What's going to happen then? He nearly took out that whole classroom of students the last time he smelled her blood."
"You're right. I think we should get Emmett in here, and maybe Rosalie too. I'm going to feel his blood lust and his pain on top of hers when he gets here. I don't think I'll be able to stop him if she goes for her."
"I'll call Emmett."
"Bella? Are you okay?"
"Oh, hi Alice. I didn't—I forgot you were here. I was dreaming. Why...why did your brother leave? Was it...was it because of me?"
"Is that what you were dreaming about? Don't worry about it now. He's coming back. He'll be here in a few minutes."
"What? What do you mean, here? Not—here, here?"
"Yes silly! He's coming straight here. Which reminds me, have you met my other brother, Emmett? He's right behind you!"
"What? Oh, sorry, I didn't see you."
"Hi Bella!"
"Alice, you're making her blood pressure go up," Jasper said.
"Sorry! Bella, this is Emmett. I know he's huge, but he's just a teddy bear really."
"Oh. Hi. Sorry—I can't...I can't turn around."
"Would you like some help sitting up, you're all curled up there," Alice asked.
"No, I—thanks, but I don't think I can."
"Oh, he's about to come through the door...and three, two, one...Hi Edward!"
"Alice. Bella! Are you—Oh! The smell...so sweet...I can't, I can't—I have to go!"
"Oh! Oh god, oh, I think I'm going to—"
"Emmett! Quick—get her that bowl, she's going to throw up! Edward! Do NOT go out that door!"
"Edward," Jasper said, "you can't say things like that! Can't you see what she's feeling?"
"Okay," Edward said. "I'm stopped. Okay?"
"You can do it, Edward," Alice said. "It's going to be alright. And Emmett's here to make sure, though the smell of vomit might be enough to do that anyway."
"It's not."
"You can do it."
"You haven't seen that."
"Because you haven't decided anything! Just decide to walk over to her and touch her, then I'll see what happens."
"I'm right here, Edward," Emmett added. "I won't let you hurt her."
"What's going on? I don't—oh, I just...I think I need—"
"Open your eyes Bella," Alice said. "It's all going to be okay. Edward?"
"Bella," Edward said, "is it okay if I come over there?"
"I—sure, I guess. I'm sorry I threw up...I don't know what's—"
"Shh, don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for. This is all my fault."
"I don't understand."
"I know. I'm just going to walk slowly. Emmett?"
"Ready, Edward. Just...maybe...Bella? Can you reach out your hand to him?"
"I—"
"Just do it, Bella," Alice said. "I'll explain everything afterwards, I promise. Or, Edward will anyway."
"Okay," Bella said.
"Okay," Edward said. "I'll just—Ah!"
"Oh!"
"Oh! Oh my god!" Jasper said. "Their pain's gone. Both of them. And the blood lust. His blood lust is completely gone!"
"Bella," Edward said, "can I—may I sit down?"
"Of course. Let me move over a little."
"Don't let go of my hand!"
"I won't. I—I don't understand it, but—the pain's completely gone."
"I know. Mine too."
"You were in pain too?"
"I was. It wasn't the same for me though, because I'm—Well, I'm...I'm different. I'll explain everything, I promise, but—I just need to sit here for a minute and soak up your presence. Can I help you sit up?"
"Yes, please."
"Alice, can you just help me so the cords don't get tangled?" Edward asked. "There, is that better? Just lean against the pillows."
"Yes, thank you," she said.
"God, you're so beautiful, Bella...I'm...I'm so sorry I left."
"I didn't—I don't...thank you. I really don't understand..."
"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't understand either, but I do now. I promise I won't run again. Can I—Can I just hold you for a minute?"
"Yes." She said. "Oh. I—"
"Don't pull away."
"Sorry, I just—I want to be able to look at you. You're beautiful, too. Can I...may I...may I touch your face?"
"Yes."
"I think we should leave now," Jasper said.
"Look at them! They can't stop staring at each other!"
"Let's go."
—finis—
A/N
All dialogue is hard to write! I guess that's the point of the challenge, lol.
This is an idea that's been in my head for a while, and I might expand it. Or more than likely re-write it to NOT be all dialogue and then expand it. Or not. But not until I have finished Repetitive Dreams (which is going to take a while!).
(Edited later to fix a lot of missing commas, or commas in place of full stops. Goodness, I must have been in a hurry when I wrote this!)