His eyes widened “But AIDS takes years to develop.”
“Not always, the virus has a rapidly mutating genome that dramatically changes its behaviour from person to person. It is possible to have several different strains within the one person.”
He sat there completely crestfallen, he had always been so careful his entire life. Always using protection and always getting both himself and his partners tested. That was up until he had been date raped.
It was so unfair, it wasn’t his fault, he had always been careful, and now because he had been drugged and raped, he was paying the biggest price.
“What can I do?”
The doctor sighed “There are several different drugs treatments you can be placed on. They can extend your lifespan far longer than it would be untreated but there is no cure for AIDS Kyle. Unfortunately, you are paying the price for someone else’s actions.”
“If I take the course how long will it give me?”
“It is hard to tell exactly but Kyle you have to understand the strain you have contracted is incredibly destructive, your immune system is already dangerously low. If I didn’t know better, I would say the tests belong to someone at the very end of their struggle with AIDS.”
“I’m going to die soon.”
He sighed again “Yes Kyle the cards you have been dealt are completely unfair.”
Tears started pouring out his eyes, he was only twenty years old, and he was going to die soon. He was already dying of AIDS. There was so much he wanted to do with his life, he hadn’t finished college, he hadn’t really been in love, he hadn’t gone to Europe, heck he hadn’t even told his parents he was gay.
It was so unfair.
A box of tissues was pushed towards him, great consoling skills.
“There is something I can suggest considering the uniqueness of your situation.”
What the Hell did he mean the uniqueness of his situation?
“There is a new hospital that for some reason or another is highly selective. Have you heard of the Imperial Hospitals?”
“It sounds vaguely familiar.”
“They are controversial hospitals being set up all over the country, by some mysterious benefactor. Medically they’ve attracted some attention for choosing who they treat, non-medically they’ve attracted a lot. Many claim they’re part of a cult, and their loudest critics are the Church. However medically they appear to be making great breakthroughs, though not without controversy.”
“What has that got to do with me?”
“The San Francisco Imperial has recently had many patients discharged apparently cured of AIDS.” He hurried on before Kyle could jump to any conclusions “These have not been greatly substantiated, but tests by independent clinics and laboratories are supporting their claims.”
“They could cure me?”
“Only if they admit you, as I have mentioned they are surprisingly selective for whom they treat.”
“Those who can pay,” how on earth was he going to afford a cure for AIDS?
“Surprisingly no, indeed many are being selected from the gay community. Whoever the mysterious benefactor of the Imperial Hospitals is, they certainly support the gay community.”
Kyle left his doctor soon after, not really sure if his life could take any more turbulence. AIDS, he had AIDS.
Yet there was the possibility of getting rid of it if the hospital would admit him. Only one way to find out.
The Imperial Hospital of San Francisco was not as he had expected. It stood imposing on the hillside, hugging well to its contours. Despite only recently being opened there was an abundance of plant life, the trees certainly did not look like they were new saplings.
The main drive circled around a peculiar fountain. A beautiful woman stood holding a wide shallow bowl with a real fire burning away. Strips of black material and red ribbons had been thrown into the bowl to burn, though some had slipped out onto the marble steps leading up to the bowl. Spurts of water rose around the woman and the steps leading up to her.
It certainly seemed like the rumours of curing AIDS was true, he recognised AIDS symbols.
The place seemed oddly deserted as he walked through the electric doors, the soft voice of Enya playing through the empty corridors. The desk seemed strangely ornate for a hospital, no imposing. It was grand, meant to intimidate those approaching it. Kyle certainly felt very intimidated as he walked up to the desk, under the dismissive glance of a brunette woman. She seemed cut straight out of a magazine, she seemed far too perfect, she almost looked like she glowed.
She focused her stunning grey eyes on him “Can I help you?” she asked in a completely pretentious and dismissive manner.
Taken aback he stared blankly at her before answering “My doctor recommended I come here for treatment.”
“We have a very specific clientele here” she dropped a clipboard onto the wood, before pushing it across with a perfectly manicured hand “fill out these forms.”
She promptly turned her attention back to the shiny silver screen in front of her.
He was used to gay men, but she brought abrupt dismissal to a whole new level.
He grabbed the clipboard before looking around for a seat, finding none he settled for leaning against the wall. What kind of hospital was this anyway?
The first question simply asked about his medical condition. The pen was a dark purple, the paper was a light gold. This place seemed more like a high flyers spa than a hospital. The second question asked him about his religion. Why was a hospital asking about religious beliefs?
Then he remembered what Doctor Patterson had said about them possibly being a cult.
The third question asked him about his sexuality. He wanted to demand why this was relevant but remembered about them being quite pro-gay, and the black strips that had once belonged to pride flags burning out the front.
The next question was his date of birth, then any allergies he had.
That was the whole sheet
Only two of the five questions had been significantly medical.
“Done,” he pushed it towards her.
She flicked her eyes towards him as she snatched the paper out of the clipboard and slid it into a small slit on the desk. There was a slight whorl and a blue light illuminated the opening.
“Mr. Cho this way thank you.”
He jumped out of his skin at the voice. He spun around to find a mature woman in a doctor’s coat. Her brown hair had the slightest streaks of grey, her impassive face slightly lined, but her eyes they were old and studious.
“Excuse me?”
“I presume you want treatment? We can’t very well treat you in the foyer.” She turned abruptly on her heel and started walking without checking if he was following. He hurried after her to find she was talking to him “If you have any commitments for the next few days cancel them, your cell phone will need to be turned off once your treatments begin. You will have limited access to the outside world until your risk of contraction is eliminated. Your early treatment will make you highly contagious, and we cannot risk you infecting other patients.”
“But AIDS is only passed on via fluids.”
The look she gave him could have peeled paint “Are you a medical professional, developing an experimental cure for the world’s current pandemic?”
“No”
“Then don’t question me. Our treatments dramatically alter the behaviour of the virus allowing your body to effectively track it down and eliminate it. Hence, why you become contagious.”
Could this place be any worse at its bedside manner?
She led him to a room and bade him enter “Shower and change into the provided clothes, you’ll receive yours again once you leave. You have the next hour to contact anyone and cancel prior arrangements. Then your diagnosis will begin.”
“But you already know I have AIDS.”
She just looked at him before leaving.
His room was surprisingly spacious, with its own ensuit
e. It was sterile, practical and yet comforting all at once. There was a bed, a TV, a bookcase with a selection of books, a table with tubes coming down from the ceiling and a couch. All were white. The only colours were the green or violet lights of appliances.
What had he gotten himself into?
She lay in the massive bath, allowing her wings to flex under the water. She could make them disappear but because of her transformation they were now as much a part of her as her arms or legs. She supposed she could re-sculpt her body if she wanted to, it had been vogue at one time to re-sculpt Divine bodies. The Egyptian Gods had all done it as had the Erotes, it was this genetic re-sculpting that had resulted in the Angels, Naga and many of the Monster offspring of the Gods.
But the process was painful, despite the Divine immunity to physical pain. It was also a lengthy process and a waste of magic in her current predicament. It was something the Gods had done to reinvent themselves or distinguish themselves at the height of their power.
She was neither at the height of her power nor looking to reinvent herself. She was just trying to survive.
Besides, there was a novelty in having six brown wings. None of the Angels had brown wings, and none of the Gods had six. She supposed it made her some kind of Angel/Goddess hybrid, she certainly had powers she had never had before, and many of her lesser aspects had been greatly enhanced.
She was also getting used to having them there, sleeping was a bitch with wings, but she loved being able to fly. So simple but so wonderful. She now understood why the Angels had always returned to Heaven, they were creatures of the sky.
She wondered if her children would have wings, and if she had any demigod offspring if they would be Angels.
She pushed such thoughts from her mind as she glanced at the clock. An amazing invention, Humans, were so ingenious. They were far more reliable than sundials. She stood up, letting the water run down her body before snapping her wings several times. She absently dried herself and the sopping wet room as she walked up to the full-length mirror to look at herself.
She was pale skinned like the pantheon she had come from and the people who had worshipped her. She had been tall for her time, but now was average height, she would have to fix that she liked being taller. Her long hair fell as a curtain of rich, warm brown, glowing from her divinity. Her eyes were greener than she remembered, but they adjusted before her own eyes into the richer dark brown she remembered. On a whim, she changed them to bright emerald.
She felt sure she was far more beautiful than she remembered, this modern age was so vain. Even their perception of the past bled through with vanity. She loved this era. It was amazing. Even her body had taken on a changed physicality, everything was more toned. She looked less the warrior she had been and more like a delicate princess.
Her silken dress slid up off the floor, rippling across her smooth skin and conforming to her figure effortlessly. She was glad she had changed her eye colours, her dress matched them perfectly. The dress was low cut at the back, but more conservative at the front. She touched her neck, and an emerald choker grew around it. She lightly brushed her wrists and golden bracelets grew. As a final touch, she added a touch of green eye-shadow.
She smiled at herself in the mirror as there was a knock at the door. “Coming” she yelled snapping her shoes and purse into existence. Magic was just so convenient. How did Humans live without it?
She hurried to open the door, remembering at the last second to vanish her wings, to find Ryan standing at her threshold looking very handsome in his tailored black suit. His mouth and eyes flew open when he saw her. She felt fantastic as she tapped his mouth closed “could your eyes grow any wider?” she laughed.
“I’m sorry, but you look incredible.”
She flashed a smile as she flicked her hair “Why thank you, you look very handsome yourself.”
He stared at her slightly dazed as she linked her arms into his “Come on you, we’ll be late for dinner.”
She walked with a spring in her step. She had never felt this amazing before, she had always felt in the shadow of so many of the other Goddess’s beauty. It was odd how one mortal man’s delight and attention was worth more than the devotion of thousands she had once enjoyed. She didn’t understand it, but she was certainly enjoying it.
The night had been wonderful, the food had been amazing, an explosion of flavour and spices. But more than anything it was Ryan’s company that made the evening for her. It had been so long since she had any real sense of companionship. Her captivity had afforded her very few chances of socialising, other than the occasional Angel coming to gloat. There had been Patrick though who had given her some small companionship, and there had been Sariel whose innocence had touched something in her. Her time in Sydney had been mostly spent alone reacquainting herself with the world and all its new wonders.
But now she was back amongst society, and she had a man that delighted her. Now he was walking her back to her room, conversing about the Goddess Brigid and her progression into Saint Brigid. It fascinated her to hear about herself from the Human perception. Humans had a great many perceptions about their deities, and such perceptions had incredible control over them. Mortals had never comprehended the power they wielded over the Gods. This modern fascination with the past and correcting misconceptions had changed not only her. She felt sure any of the surviving Gods would all have been changed.
With a quick flick of the card the door was opened, technology was its own magic. She turned back to him, he was busy admiring her figure before he flicked his eyes back to hers. She smiled mischievously before leaning forward to kiss him, there was surprise before he surrendered to the kiss. Such fire and passion, she felt her loins stir and her pulse quicken. When had she ever felt like this, she struggled to think of any, Divine or mortal?
Finally, they broke apart, both breathing heavily. She smiled as she instantly regained her breath “would you like to come in?” His kiss was all the answer she needed before she pulled him into the room. Suddenly dynamics changed, he had her against the wall, holding her hands above her head. His mouth moved from hers over to her neck, and she gasped in pleasure. He was in control, though it was but a ruse, she could break free of his hold and rip his head off with her bare hands, but the woman in her submitted to his grasp.
It was incredibly arousing, but as soon as she felt his hold waver, she had him up against the other wall. Such a simple act that awakened all the primal instincts in her, the woman in her was more alive than she had ever been. She moved her lips to his neck, resisting the urge to bite him, keeping her touch gentle. She was rewarded with a sexual moan. She let go of his arms and slide her hands up to his collar, slowly unbuttoning his shirt as he shrugged out of his jacket. Her mouth followed her hands down his chest, and his breathing picked up a hitch.
The dance changed and once again he was in control. He picked her up and carried her over to the bed, lowering them both onto the bed as she wrapped herself around him. She groaned in surprise as his hands slide up her legs, before flying to her shoulder. They gently pulled down the zip and slide the straps off of her shoulder. The silk dress slid off of her as she pulled him out of his shirt. She straddled him as his hands ran up her back, slow and warm leaving a trail of heat in their wake. He unclipped her bra, and she moaned in pleasure as his mouth closed over her nipples. She lost herself in a haze of pleasure as his mouth and fingers trailed all over her body. But for all she received she gave in return, his moans often in unison with hers.
She didn’t remember when their underwear came off, but the next thing she knew was the increased pleasure of him sheathing himself in her. After that she had no time for conscious thinking, there was only basic instinct. For every drop of pleasure she gained, she returned. They rolled back and forth across the bed, neither of them staying in control for long. Power was a fluid dance between them. Magic swirled uncontrolled around them, seething in her every pore.
She felt her body start to shud
der, her pleasure peaking. She felt something stirring deep inside her, more than just pleasure.
As she lost herself in her orgasm, something shuddered deep beneath her, resonating with her own shudders. If she hadn’t been so distracted, she would have trembled in fear and longing. But she didn’t notice the swirling Lifestream surging beneath Delhi, nor the latent powers being awakened all over India. If she had, she might have been more careful when delving into the powers of India later.
Kyle stared at the glittering pool before him confused. He had been led to this room, told to enter then the door had promptly locked behind him. They weren’t ones for social niceties in this hospital.
The room they had led him to once again looked like it belonged to a science fiction spa. Marble floors and columns, with metallic and glass tubes leading in and out of the pool. The down lights above filtered through different colours as he moved across the room. The water itself seemed to have a changing iridescent sheen. Healthy looking plants sat in marble containers giving the room a faint scent of perfume.
A blank TV screen on the wall blinked into life with instructions to remove clothes and climb into the pool. He waited for a few minutes to see if anything else happened but it didn’t.
He removed his strange white clothes, loose pants with a loose gown on top. He suddenly felt highly self-conscious being completely naked in the room. Especially after the instructions changed from remove clothes and get in the pool to just get in the pool. He walked down the steps encircling the pool, pleasantly surprised to find the water wasn’t cold. It was strange, the water touching his skin started to turn black, slowly diffusing away. The more skin in contact with the water the more black that drifted off him.
He stood with the water up to his chest watching as the water around him turned first smoky then solid black, with drifts of black spreading outwards until the whole pool was black. He had no idea what was going on, but it was freaking the crap out of him.
The Angels' Pride Page 19