Chapter 14: Fun Time with Oprah

Chapter 14

BPOV

33 weeks along…Monday

"Ugh, this stuff tastes like crap!" I moaned. I poked my fork at the stuff the hospital called food. I heard a chuckle and looked over at my brother who was munching happily away on one of my mother's post-Thanksgiving ham sandwiches. I glared at him while he rolled his eyes and kept eating mockingly at me. He was in heaven, while I was suffering through my own food hell.

The day after I was admitted to the hospital, my blood pressure sky rocketed for no apparent reason. The doctors had to fight for at least fifteen minutes to lower it before I would be rushed to the OR to do an emergency C-section if the babies became distressed. Luckily, it went down and the ultrasound showed that the babies were safe and sound.

The doctors didn't know what caused my BP to sky-rocket ,but reasoned it to be from too much salt in my diet. I didn't think so, but they insisted, so to prevent this from happening again, I was now on a strict low-sodium diet. My blood pressure was to be monitored bi-hourly with an ultrasound every four hours. Because of this, Thanksgiving food was now a big no no. My mom had even offered to make me a few of my favorite dishes without all the added salt, but the doctors pushed against it. It was better for them to monitor what went on with me and the tuplets without any outside factors. I really craved a nice jar of pickles and peanut butter at the moment, but I knew I couldn't have it and at this rate I wanted anything.

Eating without much salt wasn't really a problem, but considering what they serve us here at the hospital, it was quickly becoming one. This stuff tasted like cardboard. Today's lunch was meatloaf, that looked slightly green alongside some green stuff that looked like peas and potatoes. I even had to have my daily supplement of prune juice alongside my daily dishes to make sure I did you know what.

My mouth watered at the sight of Liam's food and hell if I didn't have the urge to get out this bed and grab it from him, but I knew I couldn't. Even if I wanted to, my body wouldn't let me. Getting up was a hassle, let alone trying to sit up. I was in one of those wide beds, so I could alternate sides and prevent myself from getting bed sores, because let's just face it; that would totally suck.

"Uh, don't look at me like that baby sis. I have my food and you have yours." He mocked, exaggerating his facial expression as he took another bite into his sandwich; mayonnaise smearing across his lips.

"And yet you couldn't eat it before you got here instead?" I grumbled, rotating to my side to look at him, careful not to disturb my IV.

"Nope, I left Mom and Dad's to come straight here, and you know I don't allow eating in my car; the seats are just too good for that." Liam grinned. I rolled my eyes at him and we rambled off into random conversation.

"Are you really staying here all day?" I asked. He gasped in offense.

"Geez booger, am I really that bad of company?" Liam asked. Much to my amusement, I nodded my head in response.

"That hurt right here booger, right here."He gestured towards his heart. I snorted and waited for him to continue.

"But to answer your question, I am your only company for today. Everyone else is off at work or taking care of kids, etc. Edward wanted to make sure you have someone with you at all times and since I'm not doing anything, here I am. Besides, Seth had to work and I needed someone to entertain me." He laughed. I glared at him and felt my bottom lip quiver. I did not find that funny at all.

"Well isn't that just lovely." I muttered; the water works beginning to start. "My one and only brother only wants my company because….because I…I... amuse him." I cried, big fat crocodile tears beginning to fall down my face.

"Crap." Liam muttered, consoling me. I didn't even know why I was crying. I guess with the raging hormones, exhaustion, and the fact that I couldn't eat what I wanted was beginning to wear down on me.

"Sh, it's alright booger." Liam cooed in my ear, carefully settling himself beside me on the bed. He wrapped his arms around me and began rocking me back and forth.

I ached for his arms to be Edward's, but I knew he didn't get off work for another couple of hours. He wanted to stay with me, but he was closing the deal with the Volt Co. and I couldn't let him miss that out.

Eventually my sobs subsided, and I fell into a soft slumber.

….

"On today's show, we're here with Isabella Cullen; divorced mom of the infamous Washington sextuplets and ex-wife of pharmaceutical tycoon Edward Cullen. Let's give her a round of applause." The fake/real Oprah announced. Why in the hell was I on the Oprah show. You know the weird feeling that you know you're dreaming and yet are looking on at yourself as if you're some innocent bystander? Yeah, that's exactly how I felt at the moment.

I saw myself walk out towards the stage and I gasped at my appearance. I was older, much older. My once long hair was now cropped at my ears in an almost pixie cut that was even shorter than Alice's. My eyes were tired and almost resigned. I was dressed in a nice dress and I was surprised to see that I had a nice looking figure and that my boobs were now twice the size they originally were. I wondered what in the hell happened to me and who was this person I was looking at?

"So Isabella," Oprah started.

"Bella." I answered back automatically.

"Bella." She grinned. "So how are you?" She asked.

"I'm good. Enjoying the single life and my kids." I grinned.

"I bet it is. I've know I've asked you this a while back when you were first on this show. But how does it feel raising multiples?" she asked.

Each day is adventure, I'll tell you that. My kids are just amazing. They're personalities are just so different and they like to dabble in just about anything." I rambled, and the faux Oprah continued with her interview.

"So about your show "Seven is Heaven" on TLC, which follows your life as you raise kids, is up for another season?" she asked. I nodded my head.

"It is. I was really surprised that it got so much attention in the first place. I mean the tuplets are just turning four and they already got a Facebook page and Twitter profile dedicated to them. Not to mention the rambles you'll find on gossip websites." I added.

"I hear they even have a few profiles dedicated to you." Oprah grinned.

"So I've heard. I try to stay away from some of those pages, because I know there are people who are going to praise me or dislike me, thinking I just want my fifteen minutes of fame, but it's not like that. It's never been like that."

"I can tell." she agreed.

"It must be such a struggle to try and raise those kids. I mean you are one of 37 cases of sextuplets in the U.S.*. That alone is astonishing." She rambled. I nodded my head.

"Astonishing statistic indeed." I agreed.

"And you're also apart of another statistic as well. Only two years ago, you and your husband of eleven years decided to split up, am I right?" she asked.

"Sadly, yes. The hassles of life got to us and we just grew apart." I acknowledged, trying not to grimace.

"And is he involved much in the children's lives?" Oprah asked.

"Oh yeah, he's a great father. He and his girlfriend," I blanched on the word. "take care of them. I have them primarily but he sees them every other week." I blinked. Since when did I become such a plastic doll? My body language seemed a little off and I looked like I was about to lose it any minute.

Oprah continued to ramble on with her questions, but it looked like I wasn't listening. Suddenly the eye of my fake self looked over towards my direction and it was like she knew I was there. I was offered a coy smile and suddenly it was like ringing in my ears.

I wondered if my life was going to be like this. Was I going to be the next Kate Gosselin? Was my marriage doomed to be like the next Ethan and Casey Jones? Questions were coming in from everywhere and my vision was becoming hazy. The fake me stopped looking at me and turned back towards Oprah who was oblivious to it all. Suddenly everything began fading to black and I heard my name being called.

"Bella. Bella. Bella. Booger wake up!" Liam prattled in my ear. I groaned and shifted over so I was back on my side. My back was killing me. Trying to roll over, I nearly popped Liam with my stomach.

"Easy there tiger." Liam grinned. I glared and hollered at him for interrupting my sleep.

"You only been asleep for about an hour and a half, grumpy. Besides, my legs were going numb from you laying on them. You were knocked out so I figured I would splurge on a little television and guess what I found." He gestured towards the television where an episode of Kate plus Eight was playing. I motioned for him to turn off the TV and tried to shake the images from my mind. At least I knew where my dream came from.

"Your hubby called, he's on his way over here, so you won't have to worry about seeing me any longer." Liam grinned.

"Finally. No offense, you're my brother and all, but nothing beats the arms of Edward." I apologized.

"None taken booger. None taken." He laughed in a high pithed voice. I began laughing with him, but stopped when I felt a sharp pain in my side.

"Ooh." I grumbled out. Liam hurried over to my side.

"What is it booger?" Liam quickly asked, as another sharp pain hit me. The once dull sensation in my back was coming back now full force and I was in agony.

"Call someone." I breathed. Liam began frantically pushing buttons himself and seemed to be on the verge of tears. Another sharp pain hit my side and I cried out.

"Yes, nurse something's wrong. I don't know. She's in agony. Yes. Please. Hurry." Liam rambled. My stomach felt like it was on fire as various doctors rushed into the room to aid me. As the pain became worst, I vaguely remembered hearing Edward's voice and the hushed tone of a doctor urging someone to get an OR ready, before nothing.