by Cindy Winget
“Garlic? Whatever for?”
“It has been known to have healing properties.”
Lucy shrugged her gaunt shoulders and agreed to wear them. As the others began to converse once more, Van Helsing pulled Victor aside. “In reality, garlic is one of the rumored folk remedies thought to keep vampyrs at bay. Grab some more of those cloves and help me rub the smell into the windowsills and doorway of Lucy’s room.”
Victor did as Van Helsing requested and grabbed the nearest wreath. He rubbed the essence of the plant on all the specified areas until it was saturated to Van Helsing’s exacting specifications. Then he checked to make sure all the windows were shut and latched properly.
When they had finished safeguarding Lucy’s room, they walked back to the parlor. Victor was glad to see that Lucy already wore the silver cross, along with her always present diamond pendant attached to the black velvet ribbon.
“Well, my dear, let’s have a look at you,” Van Helsing said, walking toward Lucy. He placed a hand on either side of her face and gazed into her eyes, checked her pulse, and then grabbed his monaural stethoscope from his bag and listened to her heart and lungs.
“How have you been feeling?”
“Good,” Lucy was quick to say.
Van Helsing glared at her pointedly. “I can’t help you if you aren’t honest with me,” he said severely.
Lucy ducked her head. “Forgive me. I hate to worry my husband and friends. In truth, I have felt perfectly wretched. Some days, I feel a bit stronger and like I am recovering, but then I will wake up the next day and feel too weak to stand. During these times I suffer from deep lethargic sleep wherein I have very vivid dreams. Dreams that frighten me. I can never remember what I dream about upon waking, but I am left with a terrible dread.”
“At times, in the middle of the night, she will wake up gasping. She sucks in air as though she is having difficulty breathing. Like a drowning victim,” inserted Mina.
Van Helsing frowned at this.
“I sense that you are anemic and have lost a lot of blood. I would like to try a somewhat new procedure called a blood transfusion.”
“Lost a lot of blood? What do you mean? I haven’t lost any blood!” said Lucy.
“I can assure you that you have. You have simply been unaware of it.”
“You can’t mean those two small pin pricks on my neck. Why, they hardly bleed at all!”
“Don’t over excite yourself, love,” said Jack in a calming voice. He looked at Van Helsing. “Is the procedure safe?”
“I admit that it is a bit controversial. Sometimes, the procedure goes swimmingly, with no complications whatsoever. But at other times, the patient inexplicably dies soon after. The procedure is not without its risks, but I feel strongly that in your case, it is the only way.”
Jack’s face paled. “Are you sure there is nothing else you can do?”
“I am afraid not.”
This was met with silence. The room was full of tension as they all mulled over Van Helsing’s words. Victor, along with Mina, realized that it was up to Jack and Lucy to decide what was best, so they wisely remained silent.
“If we are to do this, then I insist on being the donor,” Jack finally said.
Lucy gasped. “No! What if this is dangerous to you as well?”
“I can assure you that Jack will be fine,” Van Helsing told her. “He is still young and strong and so long as I don’t take too much, he will have little side effects other than perhaps feeling a bit faint for a time.”
Lucy nodded. “All right. Let’s do it. I am willing if he is. I trust Jack with my life and if he trusts in your judgment, then so do I.”
Lucy gazed beatifically into her husband’s eyes. The trust and love contained in that single look made Victor feel as though he were trespassing on holy ground. He looked quickly away, not wanting to intrude upon such an intimate moment between a man and his wife. He could feel his cheeks redden and was grateful when Van Helsing entered the kitchen and returned a moment later with the rubber tubing and syringes that he had brought in earlier, breaking the spell between Jack and Lucy.
“Lucy, you come lie down over here on this couch. Jack, grab a chair and sit down next to her,” Van Helsing told them.
They did as he requested and in no time at all, Jack was giving his blood to save the woman he loved. The symbolism was not lost on Van Helsing who said, “It is truly heartwarming to see that Jack would give his life blood for you.” Van Helsing’s eyes became misty.
Lucy smiled angelically and glanced proudly at her husband. At that moment, Mina burst into tears and left the room. Victor followed.
“What is it? What is wrong? I am sure Lucy will be all right,” he tried to comfort her.
“It isn’t that. I am just missing my Jonathan so much. Even though you say that the monster you created is here, I still can’t help but worry about him! What if Dracula had already killed him before coming here to England!?”
The thought had not occurred to Victor. His stomach tightened at the thought. He wouldn’t put it past Dracula to have done so, but he didn’t say this to Mina. Instead, he told her that he felt sure that Jonathan was safe and that she would see him soon.
“Why doesn’t he write then?”
“What?”
“He always writes to me every week. It has been over a month! I have received nothing from him!” Her eyes leaked tears once more.
Victor was at a loss for what to say and was saved from having to reply by Van Helsing entering the room.
“It is finished.”
“Will Lucy be all right?” Victor asked.
“It’s too soon to tell, but so far, there have been no ill effects. Already she has a healthier glow to her sallow cheeks. I feel confident that if we can keep Dracula at bay, she will be fine.”
Mina let out a breath of relief. “Thank you so much Professor Van Helsing, for coming to our aid.”
“Of course. Anything for an old friend.”
As they helped Lucy to bed that night, she wrinkled her face in distaste. “It smells in here.”
“It’s the garlic,” explained Van Helsing. “Remember that you promised to wear a wreath of it around your neck tonight.”
“Yes, yes,” Lucy said dismissively.
“I can promise you that you will sleep much better with it on,” Van Helsing said as he handed her the wreath. “You may even find that your nightmares are gone.”
Lucy smiled at that.
Chapter Twenty
The next day, Lucy looked much improved. Her fair cheeks now had a rosy glow to them. Her eyes looked bright, but not in a feverish way as before, but rather with a look of vitality and happiness. The dark circles previously under her eyes had lightened. She accompanied them to breakfast and Victor was glad to note that she appeared to have more energy and could walk of her own volition, without help from Mina or her mother.
“Oh, Professor Van Helsing, thank you so much for helping my child!” exclaimed Mrs. Westenra ecstatically. “I can’t tell you enough how fortunate we are that you have come to help Lucy.”
“Think nothing of it, Madame.”
“I slept ever so much better last night!” Lucy squealed in delight. “I feel as though I could run a race!”
“I am glad you are feeling better, but I would advise you against running any time soon,” Van Helsing chuckled.
Jack walked over and placed a kiss upon her alabaster brow. “Perhaps I will take you on a picnic today to celebrate,” he told her.
“How wonderful! Let’s all go!” Lucy invited.
“Sounds good to me. I could use a day outside this stuffy old house,” Mina teased.
They spent the morning playing cards, talking and laughing about past memories and plans for the future. Mrs. Westenra helped the kitchen staff pack a hamper for their picnic and both she and Van Helsing insisted that Lucy take a nap before heading out.
“Remember to wear your cross and wreath of garlic while you
lie down,” said Jack.
“Oh, Jack, really? The cross is one thing, but that garlic stinks to high heaven!”
“Please, darling, for me,” implored Jack, wanting to take every precaution necessary to ensure that his young bride remained healthy and un-afflicted.
“Oh, all right. If you insist,” pouted Lucy.
“Thank you, dearest.”
Lucy slept for a time and the rest of the group talked of their relief that, for the time being at least, Dracula’s intentions seemed to be thwarted. They would continue to ensure that Lucy remained protected as she slept and would not leave her alone while she was awake. With any luck, she would make a full recovery.
“Any idea how exactly a vampyr is destroyed?” Victor thought to ask Van Helsing.
Van Helsing shook his head regretfully. “Now that Lucy appears to be out of any immediate danger, I shall begin to research the matter.”
When Lucy awoke, they grabbed the hamper and a blanket and set out to a nearby meadow. Mrs. Westenra had elected to remain behind, claiming that sitting upon the hard ground was not agreeable to her old bones.
“You young folks go on ahead. I have plenty of things to occupy my time. I am woefully behind on my knitting.”
They easily agreed, eager to get out of the house and have some fun and fresh air.
“Wait. I want to stop at the cemetery first. It has been ages since I have visited my father and grandfather,” proclaimed Lucy.
They all consented and changed course. Lucy sat down upon her favorite bench and patted the empty space next to her, inviting Mina to join her. Mina recoiled as she thought about the tall and sinister man she had seen standing behind Lucy. Looming over her, ill-intent written upon his devilish face. She knew that her imagination was filling in details that weren’t there before. In reality she had not gotten a good look at the man’s face, but now that she knew it was a vampyr, this Dracula, who had been leaning over Lucy, drinking her blood, she distinctly recalled his evil features. Her mind conjuring up the image she should have seen that night.
“Why, Mina, you are trembling. Whatever is the matter?” asked Lucy.
“I guess I just find the cemetery creepy is all,” Mina lied.
“It never bothered you before. You’ve always commented on how beautiful you find the cemetery, with its sprawling oak trees and foliage.”
Mina was at a loss for what to say. She didn’t want to frighten the poor girl, especially in her weakened state, by telling her that when she had found her sleepwalking that night, she had been under attack by an undead creature. Sensing her unease, Jack came to her rescue.
“We really shouldn’t be out here for too long, darling.”
Lucy looked about to protest, but then only sighed in resignation. She bent down and pulled a few yellow wildflowers growing out of the ground near the bench and approached the grave of her grandfather, who had been one of her favorite people before his death when she was only seven years old. They all backed up a bit and pretended to be interested in other grave markers, giving Lucy a bit of space and privacy. Lucy then stepped a bit further along the path and placed the remaining flowers in front of the Mausoleum where her father was interred.
When Lucy was satisfied, they resumed their journey to the field, which was full of more wildflowers of every shape and color. Bees buzzed lazily in the bright summer sun, flitting from flower to flower. The call from Robins, Starlings, and goldfinches filled the air. A babbling brook made its presence known as they approached, and Lucy declared that this was a good spot to lay the blanket down.
Mrs. Westenra had outdone herself with the hamper. There was more food than they could possibly eat. Ham sandwiches, apples, steamed vegetables, rolls with jam and butter, rice pudding, lady fingers, and even Germanic potato salad made with herbs, olive oil, and bacon, just for Victor. A flagon of cold water completed the meal and they tucked into it, devouring the food as though they were famished, and had surprisingly little left over.
It wasn’t until most of the food was consumed that Lucy quietly spoke. “I have the feeling that something is going on that you aren’t telling me.”
Victor stopped chewing and glanced at Jack, silently asking whether they should tell her about Dracula. Jack ever so slightly shook his head.
“Not at all. Why would you think that?” Jack asked her.
“First, the wearing of garlic wreaths, and then Mina’s reaction to the bench in the cemetery. I have seen you whisper to each other when you thought no one was looking.”
“The garlic is a folk remedy to promote healing,” Van Helsing said.
“And the loss of blood?”
“That, I fear, is a bit harder to explain. I have a hard time elucidating such things in layman’s terms. I fear that the medical jargon would only confuse you. Suffice it to say that the blood transfusion has worked wonders and I believe you are out of any immediate danger.”
Lucy seemed less than satisfied with his answer, but she nodded.
“I am afraid I have not been forthcoming with you about the cemetery,” Mina said. “I am worried for Jonathan’s safety and looking upon graves, when I fear that he may soon be in one—if he isn’t already—has left me a bit bereft. I did not wish for you to worry about me when you should be focused on getting better,” replied Mina.
“Oh Mina! How careless of me! I should have known. Forgive me.”
Mina waved her off. “There is nothing to forgive.”
“I fear that the whispering is my fault,” said Victor. “I am struggling with a personal matter at the minute that I have been requesting help to solve from your husband and Van Helsing. If you remember, he was once my teacher as well. It’s the reason I came to England. I am not comfortable revealing the reasons at this time.”
“I thought you came in response to Jack’s letter. To help celebrate our new marriage.”
“That was, indeed, part of it, I assure you,” Victor said with a smile, “but it, unfortunately, wasn’t the entire reason.”
“Well, you are entitled to your secrets,” Lucy begrudgingly conceded.
“No more of this depressing talk. Let’s just enjoy this beautiful day!” Mina coaxed.
The rest of the afternoon and evening passed pleasantly in each other’s company. Lucy and Mina picked wildflowers to bring back to Mrs. Westenra while the men watched on in amusement as a Blackbird hopped around the meadow, following after the girls. As the sun began to dip below the distant hills, the little band of friends headed back to Whitby.
“Mother! We are back!” called Lucy as they entered the front parlor. Mrs. Westenra came bustling in from the drawing room, tucking a stray hair behind her ear as she rushed to Lucy, throwing her arms around her.
“I was beginning to worry! You have been gone so long, and in your condition no less!”
“I am quite all right, mother. Here. Mina and I have picked this bouquet of flowers for you.”
“How thoughtful!” Mrs. Westenra took them from her daughter and left the room, presumably to find a vase to put them in.
“Now, love, I think you ought to head straight to bed,” Jack said.
“But we haven’t even had dinner yet,” Lucy protested.
“I will bring you a bite to eat in a little while, after you have rested.”
“Stop your fussing, dear husband. I am fine.”
“I hate to say it, but I agree with Jack,” Van Helsing spoke up. “You don’t want to overdo it. Our outing was no doubt taxing for you. And remember—”
“Yes, I know. Remember to wear my cross and wreath of garlic.” Lucy sighed. She appeared troubled. She was about to protest again, even as she stifled a yawn.
“You are obviously tired. Why fight it? Go on up to bed,” Jack said fervently.
“I am afraid to sleep,” Lucy quietly admitted.
“What? Whatever for?”
“It’s always after I sleep that I feel the most sick. Sometimes, I go to bed feeling a bit stronger but by the time I w
ake I feel weak, to point of death! And the nightmares…” She shuddered.
“I will watch over you tonight. And if it appears that you are having a bad dream, I will wake you immediately,” Jack said.
Lucy smiled and nodded.
“That a girl. I know this hard for you,” Jack said, placing an arm around his wife’s slender waist. “We all just want you to recover to full health.”
“I know. I appreciate it, I truly do! It just makes me feel like a child or an invalid.”
“Give it a day or two and I am certain you will be right as rain.”
This statement proved to be false as Lucy’s health began to, once again, deteriorate. That night, with Jack acting as guard upon a chair just inside Lucy and Mina’s room, dozing fitfully at times, she seemed to retain her health and he had gone back to his own bed the proceeding night.
Apparently, this had been a mistake. Back were the dark circle beneath her eyes and the accompanying lethargy. The blood fleeing from her lips—and even her gums—gave her a disquieting pallor, as though Lucy were more specter than person. The bones of her face became more prominent, giving her a skeletal appearance.
All eyes focused on the puncture wounds situated just over the external carotid artery on Lucy’s neck. Most of the time they were obscured from view by the velvet ribbon she wore, but at times—as Lucy shifted and moved—the puncture wounds would appear, looking all the more livid by their contrast to Lucy’s pale skin. They had a bruised quality about them, as though in his eagerness, Dracula had crushed poor Lucy’s throat to his ever-hungry mouth.
“I don’t understand,” said Jack, as Lucy took yet another nap. “We have taken every precaution!”
“I have not been watching her as diligently as I should have,” a dejected Mina admitted. “I thought she was doing better so I have allowed myself to sleep more deeply than I previously have.”
“This isn’t your fault, Mina. If it’s anyone’s, it’s mine!” Victor spoke vehemently.
“It isn’t fair that you should always be the one to watch her at night,” interjected Jack. “I myself will watch over her once more tonight.”