Well, that was something, James thought and taking some comfort in that. “Is she awake? Can I go see her?”
The doctor’s expression softened when he looked at James. “She was awake the whole time. None of my sedatives worked on her. However she can’t speak or see you,” he explained.
James’ gut clenched and he felt that sickly feeling again. “Sorry to cut and Run,” he started to tell Nick.
“Go, I’ll take care of things here.”
Lily wasn’t sure how long it had been since the explosion, but she did know that she wouldn’t be able to stand being like this for much longer. Pain radiated throughout most of her body. It was like being stuck in that moment of death, the moment of endless pain right before the body shuts down and numbness takes over. The ever growing blood lust was just making it worse. The doctor and the nurses were lucky it hurt so much to move or she might’ve attacked them.
As much as she hated to admit it, Lily needed blood. She tried to tell the doctor and nurse that, but they only thought she was spasming. Lily never wanted to scream so badly in her life! The sound of the door caught her attention as one of the nurses came back into the room. Her scent made Lily’s teeth ache with the need to feast on her blood.
This was all that leech’s fault, Lily thought and anger trickled into her veins until it burned throughout her whole body like the silver. This was his fault! Her body started to shake. Despite, the pain, Lily sat up and slammed her fist into whatever was in her path. The sound of ceramic breaking on the floor told her it was a lamp. The destruction seemed to please some dark part of her and she brought down her fists where she assumed the table the lamp sat on was.
She felt the table give way and splinter into pieces. I’ll find that son of a bitch, she vowed. And I’ll rip his heart of his chest! Something dark and primal awoke inside her. Then I’ll feast on his blood! Yes, I’ll drink every last bit of it! Lily decided, the idea of his cold vampiric blood on her hands bringing her more pleasure than she’d ever thought possible. He’ll make me stronger than ever!
The nurse shrieked, catching Lily’s attention. “Ma’am, please lay back down on the bed. The doctor says you’re still in a bad condition,” she said meekly. With a deep sniff, Lily could smell the other woman’s fear. Prey. She turned towards the nurse, using scent and sound as her guide. Delicious little prey. With a beastly roar, Lily leapt at her causing the nurse to gasp in surprise. A gasp that quickly changed to a scream when Lily sunk her claws into her flesh.
My prey. Delicious prey. She jerked the woman’s head to the side while holding her tightly. With a hiss, Lily prepared to feast when another scent hit her suddenly. “Lily stop!” Someone demanded. Someone familiar. Gripping the prey by the neck, Lily lifted her nose to smell the scent. Familiar… very familiar… James! Like a cloud gliding through the afternoon sky to reveal the sun, Lily came back to herself. “Let her go,” James ordered.
Realizing she was holding the woman, Lily let go as if burned. She heard the nurse coughing and trying to get away from her as quick as possible if the sounds she heard were to be the judge. With that darkness, whatever it was, gone Lily felt all the pain. She managed a groan and felt herself sway. Strong arms caught her when she started to fall and set her back on the bed. Was he alright? He smelled alright. The only blood she smelled was hers and the nurse’s.
James took her hand in his as he asked, “Are you okay now?”
Am I okay? James Lacrosse, have you lost your mind? She wanted to yell at him but the only sound she managed to make was a gurgling sound.
“Right. Ask a dumb question…” he said with a quick dry laugh. “Have they given you blood?” He asked and she squeezed his hand twice. “Is that a no?” He asked again and she squeezed it once. “Okay, gotcha. God, I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now,” he said and this time, she squeezed his hand as hard as she could. “I have a feeling that’s not a good squeeze. Do you think you could drink? I can give you some blood.”
Lily squeezed his hand for yes, she could drink then hesitated. She needed blood, but Lily still wasn’t happy about drinking from live people especially James. After what had just happened with that poor nurse, she didn’t have much of a choice. If Lily didn’t drink, she’d end up attacking someone again. So, again with hesitation, she squeezed his hand a second time. She felt James help sit her up so he could move in behind her.
Resting on his chest, she felt his wrist press against her lips. The warmth and his scent enticing. Her blood lust spiked and took over as Lily grabbed on to James’ wrist. She shoved it into her mouth, biting down hard and taking long pulls of it so that she could get the blood quicker. She couldn’t get to it fast enough! Warmth spread through her, followed by tingling pin pricks.
Lily heard James groan and she could tell it was a pained sound. Horror, quickly followed by guilt bubbled up in her when she realized that she was hurting him. She pulled his wrist away from her in disgust. Feeling very much the monster, Lily tried to get up and get away from him when the pin pricks turned into stabbing knives of pain. She tensed, falling back against James, with a silent scream.
Having the tissue rebuild itself and burns heal over hurt almost as bad as when she got hurt. Lily could hear James speaking but the pain of her body beginning to rebuild itself took over all her senses. That leech is going to pay! She vowed as white spots danced before her eyes, growing larger until her vision was now a blobby mess of greys. Slowly the pain receded until it was a dull throb. Lily sighed and relaxed.
“Lily… Lily, talk to me,” James said, the worry evident in his voice.
“I-I’m okay,” she rasped, sounding like a lifetime habitual chain smoker. Not exactly in the mood to be in more pain, but tired of being the vampiric version of Heller Keller, Lily started shifting the balance back to the beast. She stiffened as the painful pin pricks spread through her body.
As she groaned, James took her hand in his. “Are you healing or is there still silver somewhere?”
“H-healing,” she rasped, gripping his hand tightly as she tried not to focus on just how much his touch was helping her. When it finally receded, Lily slump against James feeling exhausted. “How do I look,” she asked tiredly.
“Beautiful,” he said in a soft tone that sent warmth spiking through her.
Sweet talker, she thought with a smile. “You’re wasting your breath, James. I don’t have enough energy for sex.” James’ chest vibrated against her back as he laughed.
“I wasn’t thinking of sex,” he told her. “But in brownie points. I figure I can stockpile them and cash them in later for sex.” It was now her that was laughing. “Lily, I…” James started, emotion now filling his voice.
Lily laced her fingers with hers, the mismatch of their skin tone a striking difference yet appealing to her on some level. “I know James,” she told him. Lily hesitated for a moment, but remembered the feeling of panic when she was in the car and didn’t know if James was alive or dead. “I, uh… you know, you too,” she said, feeling like a coward.
James’ arms wrapped around her, holding her close and making her relax in a way she wasn’t sure she’d ever been able to before. He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Yeah, Lily. I know,” he told her and Lily, unable to resist any longer, fell asleep.
Stretching as she woke, Lily felt as if she’d been hit by a semi truck. Groaning, she shambled into the bathroom to take care of nature’s call and the most disgusting morning breath she had ever smelled… and tasted. A glance in the mirror showed not even a scar or any sign that Lily had earlier been country fried and coughing her lungs up, literally. Well, that’s a plus I suppose, she thought while leaving the bathroom.