Better Than Blood

Part 8

"Ah and here we have the Siren. She was a beautiful half fish, half human creature that lived in the deepest parts of the ocean. Legend says that they were responsible for the wrecks of hundreds of ships that now lie on the ocean floor. They used to sing beautiful songs to lure sailors to their deaths."

Jack hated this dream. It was one that he had often had and one that his unconscious mind chose to show him when he was under stress.

"You don't really think that's true, do you Uncle Henry?"

It was a dream of him when he was a young man and his Great Uncle, an elderly man named Henry Grey who Jack had been in the care of since his own parents had died in a car crash when he was very small. Uncle Henry had been a Law Guardian as well and it was no surprise that Jack had followed in his footsteps once he was old enough because he admired and loved the man so much.

"You'd be a fool not to believe in such things. After all, where do you think the stories stemmed from?"

In this particular dream Jack was roughly around the young age of 15 or 16 and he was hunched over a small wooden desk with a very large and frayed book open in front of him. Henry was always standing over Jack, watching him closely and drilling him about the creatures in the book. Young Jack had become a very smart pupil and could answer any questions that Henry fired at him.

"Well, the human mind is a rather magnificent thing so I wouldn't be surprised if one of these sailors didn't just see a dolphin or a whale and, being dehydrated and malnourished, think he was seeing a half fish, half human creature."

Jack was quick and sometimes had a sharp tongue but the old man laughed and clapped his pupil on the back and Jack only grinned widely up at him.

"Right smart lad you are! Alright, now flip through the book again and tell me what page you land on." Henry instructed Jack and he did as he was told.

The fluttering sound of the book pages echoed through the small shop front where lessons were often held and when the sound ceased, Jack stayed silent as well as his eyes took in the information on the new page.

"Well, don't be shy. Tell me what page you have there."

This was a creature that Jack had often been curious about and had brought up in a few conversations with Henry but the man would wave his hand to get Jack to stop speaking and tell him that they weren't at that part of Jack's lessons yet. Clearing his throat, Jack read the large print at the top of the book.

"Lycanthrope: Werewolf...."

Jack's cool, smooth voice read the words slowly and carefully. In the middle of the page was an illustration of a large wolf like creature, maybe seven feet tall. It held a woman tightly in its grasp, its large jaws firmly clamped around the woman's slender neck. A soft chuckle could be heard from Henry as he walked around the table and took a seat across from Jack. The old wooden chair creaked under the old man's frail form and as his warm brown eyes met with Jack's bright blue ones there was a glimmer of something behind them. Henry made a small movement with his hand, urging Jack to continue reading the page.

"A werewolf is often a cursed being, one that has been bitten by another of its kind or born to a woman who has been infected with Lycanthropy. It is forced to become a slave to the full moon and cannot resist the urge to shift when the light of the full moon is upon it. It can take the shape of a true wolf, albeit larger than natural wolves, and at times taking the shape of a half human, half man hybrid with the upper body of a wolf and the lower body of a man. It's only natural enemy is the vampire. The wolf can remove the curse by killing the one that bit him and can only be killed by a silver bullet..."

~*~

It was the pain in his neck that caused him to stir. The throbbing was just consistent enough to make the dream fade away. Jack could see the brightness of the overhead lights through his eyelids and for a moment he wondered if he had died in the warehouse but as his discomfort grew he realized that in death there would be no pain.

"Mr. Nolan," a soft voice spoke, "can you hear me?"

Jack slowly shook his head, still trying to get rid of the terrible feeling that was caused by the dream. "Hmm?" He couldn't seem to do much more than that.

"It's alright, Mr. Nolan. I wouldn't try to speak," the person said again, this time placing a hand gently onto his. Jack opened his eyes, blinking away the sleep and trying to focus on the person holding his hand. Slowly their face came into focus and Jack found himself staring up into a serene face with wide hazel eyes and long dark lashes.

"Mr. Nolan, I'm Dr. Bellamy Everson, the attending physician here at St. Catherine's." Dr. Everson squeezed his hand once more before letting go to flip through the papers on her clip board. Jack continued to watch the doctor as she read over her notes and he was suddenly aware of how in need of a shower he was. He tried to push himself up in the bed but the discomfort of his injury didn't allow that and he cried out and fell back onto the pillow.

Dr. Everson dropped her clipboard on the bed so that she could assist Jack in bed, taking a hold of his upper arm and then stuffing the pillow behind his back. "I'd be careful if I were you. That wound of yours is pretty nasty. Whatever got you did a number on your shoulder and neck," Dr. Everson grimaced and reached up to gingerly peel back the tape that held the bandage on Jack's neck, her head bent close to his while she examined him. The tape pulled at the fine hairs on Jack's skin and he sucked in a breath. "Sorry. I know, sometimes that's the worst part, isn't it?" she chuckled softly. She smelled like lavender and it was the sweetest scent Jack had smelled in a while. He waved a hand to let her know he was alright and when she revealed more of his wound, she made a small 'tsk' sound before putting the bandage back in place.

"It's OK?" he barely managed to whisper, glancing up at Dr. Everson. Her lips pressed into a thin line and she was hesitant. "Well, that depends on what is OK in your eyes," she said and walked over to close the door before coming back to the bedside, her face very serious. "I assume you have a vague recollection of what happened to you last night since you were unconscious when we found outside the ER entrance," she held onto her clipboard, her face full of concern. Jack tried to figure out the last thing he remembered. He remembered Nathaniel clawing his way through the fence and confronting him, then there was the fire and smoke and then Nathaniel lunging at him...yes, he remembered it all except how he arrived at the hospital.

He glanced up at the doctor and shook his head, choosing to lie to her. He knew what happened but he didn't want any more harm to come to the Church pack by letting the authorities know what had happened to him. Dr. Everson took a step closer, "you were bitten, Mr. Nolan, but I'm not sure by what. You will heal, of course, but there will be a scar. I'd like to keep you for one more night and then you may go home in the morning but I'd like to see you again in a week, if possible, just to see how you're healing. Until then, please get some rest." She smiled kindly at Jack before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.