“It’s too early to tell. I’ll be back to check on you soon. Don’t give up hope.” The guard let me out, and I walked back upstairs before I said another word. “I need to talk to the Doc,” I said as I pulled my phone out.
“Not here. Call on your way back.” I left the building, walking a few blocks before I sat on a park bench and called Doctor Cortino. After describing the symptoms, he agreed with my diagnosis. “Under normal circumstances, I’d tell you to bring the patient to the hospital for a confirmatory ultrasound followed by a laparoscopy,” he said.
“Master will never allow that,” I replied.
“I know. The other treatment option for ectopic pregnancy is an injection of methotrexate. There’s a 24-hour Pharmacia near you; I’ll call in the prescription.” He briefed me on dosage and monitoring. “Run the hCG of your blood sample tomorrow at the hospital, then recheck her levels in a week. If the treatment works, the embryo will stop developing and dissolve before it ruptures her Fallopian tube. Monitor her bleeding as well; if she starts hemorrhaging, Master will have to decide if he wants her in the hospital or dead.”
“I’ll monitor her,” I said. “Thank you.”
I walked to the pharmacy, picking up the vial. Once I injected Vicki, this pregnancy would end. I didn’t know much about werewolves, but I knew how much they loved their pups. Vicki would attack me before she let me take her baby away, even knowing it could never grow without killing her.
Vicki and the others were sleeping when I returned to the building. “I need to see the patient again,” I said. The guard nodded and took me downstairs. They woke up when the lights came on. “Stay at the door,” I said.
Going in, I checked her and asked if she had eaten as I directed. While she updated me, I drew up the drug. “What’s that,” she said.
“Vitamins, your blood showed a deficiency,” I lied. I injected Vicki in the shoulder, then walked out. I waited until the cell door closed before I talked again. “Vicki, the news isn’t good. The pain is from an ectopic pregnancy; the cells didn’t make it to your uterus. If we don’t stop the pregnancy, you will rupture your tube and bleed out.”
The blood rushed from her face as my words hit. “My baby?”
“Your baby never had a chance, Vicki. The drug I gave you will stop the cell growth, and hopefully, your body will flush them out. Your friends need to watch you; if you see significant vaginal bleeding or your pain becomes more severe, have the guards call me. You can expect cramping and some bleeding, like a heavy period, in the next few days.”
I left her with her friends, who were trying to comfort her. As I walked up the stairs, I could hear her crying out her loss to her Goddess.
I walked back to my new home, remembering the dreams I’d had of finding a man and raising a family. All my dreams were stolen from me to ensure Master’s blood supply, and I resented the hell out of it.
I just couldn’t do anything about it.
I crossed the street to a cantina, taking a spot at the end of the bar. Vampires didn’t need human food; we could eat it to blend it, but we couldn’t metabolize it. Alcohol, however, worked for vampires as it did for humans. I ordered a tequila and looked up at the news, not wanting to go back to the compound just yet. The bartender brought me the glass, and I tossed it back, enjoying the burn.
I saw pictures of Vicki and the other girls; it was a press conference, and the big news was the five-million-dollar reward for information leading to their return. I memorized the number, running the possibilities through my head. The bartender brought me another tequila, and I raised an eyebrow. “From the gentleman in the booth,” he said.
Looking over, a handsome man in his twenties sat with his friend. What the hell, I thought; a girl has to eat! Tossing the second shot down, I put the glass back on the bar before walking over. His buddy took off, so I slid into the seat across from him.
Two hours later, I was sitting on a couch in his apartment as he snored away in his bed. He’d been a decent lover, and his blood was good. He’d wake up in the morning with a killer hangover and memories of hard sex. I couldn’t use my phone for this; I grabbed his phone off the table and walked into his bedroom. Using his thumbprint to unlock it, I called the number I’d memorized. A man answered the hotline, and I had questions. “The people who hold her are dangerous. How can I make sure they don’t find out I’m the one who told you?”
“We will give you a number, and that is the only way we ever know you,” the man said. “Once the information pans out, call us and give us your number, and we will transfer the reward to your account.”
I thought about it; it was dangerous, and I was dead if my Master read my mind and found out. Still, I was already dead, and I wanted my freedom. “The six girls are in Mexico City, in an underground cell.” I gave him the address and a description of the layout. “Their Master is not there, but three or four of his young are.” I was sure the man on the other end was a werewolf, so he’d understand what I meant by that. “If you see a young Hispanic woman who gives herself up, promise me you won’t kill me.”
“We have to verify your information and make a plan. You should know soon.”
“All right.”
“Thank you, miss. You’re doing the right thing.”
“You need to take him out. Promise me you’ll do that.”
“You can count on it,” the man said. With that, I hung up and headed back to the cells. I’d rather be diligent and stay with my patient than risk Paco would find me at the Coven. I disappeared into the night, praying that I’d done the right thing.