by K. Aten
Marie sensed her moment to escape had come and shoved Sarah off her. She was so preoccupied by her healing injuries and Sarah’s apparent weakness that she didn’t see the vampire that was rapidly approaching. Keller slammed into her with the speed of a train, though not quite the force. And once Marie was down, the vampire was going to make sure she never got back up. Keller knew that taking the emotion-fueled energy would merge with her own. And since she was feeling the same emotion, it would be multiplied exponentially. So when angry Sarah stole angry Marcel’s energy, Sarah was filled full of the resulting rage. However when an angry Keller took the power, she saw nothing but red. The rage had blossomed and completely taken control. Her rational mind was fading fast, and she knew there was only one way to get it back. She had to get rid of all the stolen power.
Keller climbed on top of a panicked Marie and pinned her to the ground. Then using the same technique that Sarah had so recently tried, Keller shoved her aura deep inside the blonde werewolf below her. Marie struggled but she was easily overpowered by the centuries old vampire. The screaming began when Keller started pumping all that energy into Marie, more than the wolf could ever hope to hold. Eventually, when all the rage was purged from her system, Keller became aware of where she was. When she came to her senses, she looked down at the now human woman below her and knew she’d never be a threat again.
Marie’s eyes were dead, vacantly staring at nothing, and there was blood coming from her nose, ears, and mouth. She reached down and carefully closed her eyes, and mourned one more death added to her history. Keller noticed Louve and Jill approaching from the farmhouse and could hear sirens in the distance and suspected that the screaming in the woods around the farmhouse must have prompted the nearest neighbors to call the police. She was also relieved to hear the distinctive sound of an ambulance siren. Keller stood up and looked down at the dead body at her feet, then looked at the wreck of a car right in front of her. In a move that surprised everyone watching her, she picked up Marie’s body and threw it with all her strength into the tree that the car had hit. It was almost exactly the way the werewolf had originally hit in the collision.
Sarah looked at her in shock. “Why did you do that?”
Keller pointed in the direction of the rapidly approaching sirens and addressed Sarah, Jill, and Louve. “They’re going to get here and ask what happened. They’ve got an official record that Annie has a stalker. Marie is her stalker and died when the car hit the tree. That’s what they’re going to think because that is what all the evidence will point to. We will have to get Marie’s body from the morgue before they can perform an autopsy or draw blood, but that shouldn’t be a problem. We only have one problem left.”
Sarah looked at her and received a solemn gaze in return. “What is that?”
Keller shook her head sadly. “Annie is pinned in the car and she has a large laceration on her head, and from what I know of car accidents her ribs are probably broken. I suspect her injuries are far more serious than I can tell here but there is nothing I can do about it. They will be here any second and if we lose her on the way, there is nothing I can do to save her, Sarah.” Jill made her way over to Annie and used the button down shirt she had over her tank as the scrap material for make shift bandages. She didn’t want to move Annie, in case there was a spinal injury, but she wanted to get the worst of the bleeding stopped.
Keller called out to Jill. “Can you tell if she was scratched by Marie’s claws?”
The veterinarian looked at the dozens of little cuts and lacerations on Annie’s body then glanced over her shoulder at Keller. “No, there’s too much damage.”
“Damn.” Sarah went over to help Jill, still in shock over everything that had happened. Keller could feel her lover emotionally shutting down but there was nothing she could do to help her at that moment. Too much had happened at once. As the ambulance turned into the drive, Keller looked at Louve. “Where is Jesse?”
The Frenchwoman spoke quickly, not wanting the response team to overhear. “She was injured by Marie and I left the twins with her to take care of her.” She stopped talking as the ambulance and police cruiser pulled up. They moved out of the way so the first responders could get in to stabilize the younger Colby sister. They also put a call in for the Jaws of Life, afraid they wouldn’t be able to get her right leg out from under the dash. Jill had to forcibly pull Sarah away when one of the medics said Annie’s blood pressure was dropping.
Keller was the one who spoke with the sheriff, explaining the accident when they found it. She also explained that Annie had filed a report about a stalker with the Columbus police department. She said that Marie had bothered her at work and other places recently but that they didn’t realize the woman was the one that vandalized Annie’s car and Sarah’s music instruction studio. After taking Keller’s complete statement, Sheriff Canerry left to confirm the reports of vandalism and stalking with Columbus PD. When he investigated the scene upon arrival, he had noted that the deceased was in possession of two switchblades, information that he passed along to the Columbus police as well.
When Annie was finally released from the car, they loaded her into the ambulance and told Sarah which hospital they were going to. The sheriff took down everyone’s names and contact information and told them that they may need to come down to the sheriff’s office and make another statement later. Sarah spoke up as the four of them where heading back up the driveway to the farmhouse. “They asked if I would donate some blood for Annie because we’re both O-neg.”
Jill looked at her and then looked at Keller. “Can she do that? What will happen to Annie?”
Keller ran a hand through her hair as they approached Jill’s Jeep. “Truthfully, I don’t know. They shouldn’t pick up the changes in Sarah’s blood when they test it because those changes are on a cellular level. Their tests aren’t that in-depth. However, I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty they won’t pick up any anomalies at all. I’ve only ever given my blood when the person was on the edge of death. And in all those instances, it was a much more personal donation. I don’t know what giving someone vampire blood would do to them if they weren’t dying, perhaps nothing. I would say err on the side of caution and only donate if they don’t have any of her type available, and only if she is going to need it.” Keller shifted her gaze when Ranier came out onto the porch and called out to the owner of the house.
“Louve! Romaric is awake. With his help, as well as Bastien and Beale, we have moved my father up to one of the spare rooms. Aric and I also wrapped Joseph in a sheet and placed his body in the garage for now. We weren’t sure what you would want done with him.”
A look of immense sorrow flooded Louve’s features. “That is fine. Thank you, Ranier. Is Jesse well enough to leave yet? They will all be going to the hospital because Annie was gravely injured when the car crashed down the drive.”
Jesse appeared in the doorway then stepped through the screen door when she didn’t immediately see Annie. “What do you mean she was injured?” Panicked, she scrambled down the steps, still weak from her injury. “We have to go, I have to get to her right now!”
Sarah rushed over to help steady the wobbly werewolf. “Easy, Jesse, she’s alive and she’s going to be okay. We’re heading there right now, let’s get in Jill’s car.” Sarah, Jesse, and Jill piled into the Jeep but Keller hung back for a few seconds. She glanced at the garage then looked into Louve’s sad brown eyes.
“I am so very sorry, my friend. I wish we could have prevented all of this.”
Louve waived away her words. “Non, it could not be helped. Alain was powerful, but so were the others. They simply made us play their game and it was a dangerous one. Now go. You need to be at the hospital with Annie. And I think Sarah needs you more than anything else right now. She is empty. I can feel it even through her shields.” Keller stared into her eyes for another second and then nodded. She got into the back seat of Jill’s Jeep and they sped away.
The ho
spital was a twenty-minute drive but it felt like an eternity to Sarah and Jesse. It was a quiet car ride because Jesse was full of guilt and self-loathing for not being able to protect her girlfriend. Sarah was feeling much the same way because she had left them alone to help with Marcel in the woods. Conversely, she was also feeling guilty because she wasn’t fast enough to save Joseph when they called her. And her only vengeance was literally snatched from her grip when Keller stole her anger.
The fact was, Keller stole more than her anger. There was no emotion for Sarah to push down, despite the fact that Annie’s life hung in the balance. The singer felt like she was hollow inside, like she would never feel again. When they arrived, Sarah was immediately taken to donate blood while Jesse, Jill, and Keller took seats in the emergency waiting room. The singer had just finished up with the last of her donation when one of the nurses came into the curtained alcove in a rush. She spoke briefly with the nurse who had taken Sarah’s blood then grabbed the blood and was back out the curtain in a flash. Sarah looked at the other nurse. “What was that about?”
The woman looked back at Sarah with sympathy coloring her features. “She’s taking it for immediate testing. Your sister has internal bleeding and is being rushed into surgery. Don’t worry, they will only use the blood if she requires it during surgery, just as you requested.” She pushed the curtain the rest of the way open and motioned with her hand toward the front desk. “Now if you can please follow me, I need you to fill out some paperwork. You said that you are her medical power of attorney, right?” The solemn elder Colby sister nodded and followed numbly behind her.
Fifteen minutes later Sarah returned to the waiting room to sit with the other three. She sat on the plastic chair with her cheek resting on the knees of her drawn-up legs. Her feet were resting on the edge of the chair. Jesse spent her time pacing the waiting room, working off a seemingly unlimited amount of worry and energy. Jill and Keller were bookending the shell-shocked singer. More than once Keller tried to send positive energy to her lover but Sarah wasn’t letting anything in or out of her walls. Jill looked at Keller over top of Sarah’s lowered head. “If she was rushed to surgery for internal bleeding, chances are they will give her Sarah’s blood. What do we do now?”
Keller shook her head. “Now we wait. And we hope for a miracle but at the same time we are hoping a miracle will not be needed. If she is infected by Sarah’s blood, then the questions and tests will never end and our lives here will be over.”
Sarah turned her head and looked at Keller with dawning horror. The realization of their situation had finally sunk in, and it wasn’t good.
Chapter Twelve
HOURS WENT BY before a doctor appeared in the doorway. “Sarah Colby?” He looked around, waiting for someone to answer.
Sarah jumped up and rushed over, startling the man back a step. “I’m Sarah Colby. How’s Annie?” His name tag read Dr. Reider.
“She’s stable right now, though we’re not sure how. As you probably know, her injuries were extensive. Her vitals began to drop in the middle of surgery and we were forced to use the blood you donated earlier. She leveled out almost immediately so we were able to continue. She had broken ribs on both sides, her right lung was collapsed, and she had some bleeding around the lungs. The blow to the head also caused a large laceration and some intracranial hemorrhaging. We initially thought her right ankle and leg were broken based on reports from the EMS team and the ER x-ray. But examination in the O.R. and subsequent x-rays show that it’s just sprained, though I wouldn’t rule out a hairline fracture. All in all, your sister is a very lucky woman for someone who hit a tree head on and wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.” His judgement was clearly written all over his face.
Sarah stifled a sob and hugged herself. “Wh—when can I see her?”
The doctor looked at his watch. “She’s been in recovery for about twenty five minutes now, so she won’t be waking up for a few more hours. It just depends on how fast the anesthetic works its way out of her system. You can wait in the recovery room until she wakes, but I ask that you limit it to two people at a time.” Sarah nodded and suddenly found herself flanked on all sides by her friends. “Do you have any more questions?”
Keller looked up at him. “How long will she be in the hospital? When can she be released?”
The man gave her a strange look. “Miss Colby has some very serious injuries. Ultimately, healing time is determined by the person’s body, but she could be here a while. For now she needs constant monitoring in case she starts bleeding again or suffers other complications from her injuries.” When they all nodded in acknowledgment, he tucked his chart under his arm again. “I’ll send a nurse to bring two of you back. Have a nice day, Miss Colby.”
He walked away and their little group went back over to sit down and wait for the promised nurse. “Shit!” Everyone looked at Jill. “I just remembered that standard procedure is to run a blood alcohol test in the event of an accident. Annie was drinking because I was the driver today. She doesn’t need the fallout of a drunk driving conviction on top of everything else.”
“She won’t have to worry about that.”
The group gaze shifted to Keller. Sarah cocked her head to the side at Keller’s emphatic statement. “But how do you know that? We don’t know when they took the blood sample.”
Keller ran a hand through messy blonde hair. “It doesn’t matter, no alcohol will show up now.”
“Keller?”
“When the doctor came out here he was confused, perplexed. I could read it on him. He was also excited. He also mentioned a few other things, such as the fact that her vitals were dropping until Sarah’s blood was introduced. And he also said they thought her ankle was broken, but the second set of x-rays didn’t show the break.”
Jesse sucked in a breath. “Are you saying that she was infected with Sarah’s virus?”
Keller sighed and scrubbed her face with both hands. “Jill, when would they have taken the initial x-ray?”
Jill looked at her strangely. “As soon as she got here she would have had chest, head, and ankle x-rays. At least that’s what I would assume based on the injuries she had. Why?”
Keller looked back with an unreadable gaze. “I was pretty sure that ankle was broken, weren’t you?”
Jill nodded. “Yes, I thought so too, it was quite obvious. So what does this mean? You think she was infected by Marie, and the werewolf virus kicked in and healed her ankle? But why would she crash in the middle of surgery?”
“Sonofabitch!” Jesse’s face wore a look of sheer surprise. “She has both!”
Sarah jerked her head around to look at her sister’s girlfriend. “What? But that’s not possible.” She looked back at Keller. “Is it?”
Keller rested her elbows on her knees and looked thoughtful. She tapped her bottom lip. “Hypothetically, you can’t catch the vampire virus unless you are near death. Since werewolves have rapid healing and higher energy, they would never be infected with what we have. However, if they suffer massive enough injuries, their rapid healing would not be able to compensate. It would be the rarest of events for someone infected with the werewolf virus to be near death and then be infected with the vampire virus. I would have said it was impossible before now.”
“So why isn’t she healed yet? I believe it only took about twenty minutes for Jill to come around, and you said the same for me. She got my blood in the middle of surgery and she’s been out for a half hour now.” Sarah looked at Keller fearfully, not sure what the two converging viruses would do to her sister’s body.
Keller shrugged. “I don’t know. This is something I’ve never even heard of before.”
Jill chewed at her bottom lip for a few seconds and then finally just said what she was thinking. “What if—Keller, you told me that both the vampire and werewolf virus work on the body and make changes at a genetic level.” Keller nodded and she continued. “How long did it take for Jesse to wake up after she was infected?”
/> Sarah answered. “Hours.”
The veterinarian continued with her thought. “Annie only has so many resources available to make all these changes. What if they are both working, but slower?”
Understanding washed across the nerdy werewolf’s face. “Holy shit, it’s like a computer!” When she got blank looks from the others she continued. “Computers only have so many resources to process information and programs. When you’re running one program, it will run at a certain speed. However, when you are running two programs, your processing speed slows down. If you’re running two giant programs, it all slows to a crawl and you probably need a faster processor for whatever you’re doing.”
Sarah looked up slowly. “I think I actually understood your nerd speak for once!”
Jesse, Sarah, and Jill all turned their gaze to Keller, to see if she agreed with Jesse’s thought. “It actually makes sense. At least, it makes as much sense as anything else right now. Like I said, this is all completely new. I’ve never heard of someone that had more than the werewolf virus in them.”
Jill looked at her curiously. “But you’ve heard of someone with more than the vampire virus?”
Keller’s face went blank and Sarah felt her lover’s shields tighten. “That is a story best left for another time.”
Before another word could be spoken a nurse came in. “I’m here to take Sarah Colby back to see Annie. Which one of you is Sarah?”
Both Sarah and Jesse had stood when they saw the nurse. Sarah looked at Jesse, then back at the nurse. “The doctor said two of us could go in.”
She gave them a serious look. “Yes. Two people, no more.” They followed the nurse back to the recovery room where they found Annie still asleep and swaddled in warm blankets. She had a large bandage on her head and multiple visible cuts along her face and neck. Jesse and Sarah each took a side of the bed and grasped one of Annie’s hands. Sarah couldn’t speak yet. When their parents were killed in the car accident nearly a decade ago, their deaths were instantaneous. So waiting in a hospital with what felt like a lead weight on her chest was new. The void that she had been feeling earlier, right after Annie’s accident, was slowly filling with dread. All she could do was keep it together and be here for Annie. That’s all she’s ever been able to do.