Running for My Undead Life

Chapter 9: The Change Part 2

Artemis' POV

I laid there, watching her sleep, so thankful to have survived the change. I knew she could tell something was different, but I hoped like hell she wouldn't be able to figure anything out, for her safety. Out of everyone in my family, my transition took the longest. Typically, after five days, if you haven't woken up yet, you won't. I wasn't lying when I told Lena I wouldn't have survived if I wasn't fighting to come back to her. My mother said my body gave up several times over the course of the past couple of weeks, but I always pulled through. I actually woke up yesterday but needed a day to adjust to my new life before venturing back out into the world. Bloodlust usually causes new transitions to need more time to adjust, but my mother has created medicine to counteract those urges, allowing for me to continue my life more seamlessly than those before me. Lena stirred next to me, breaking me away from my thoughts. I stroked her face lightly with my fingertips, tracing the black circles under her eyes and the crease etched into her eyebrows. I can't stand that I couldn't be there for her when she needed me most. I can only imagine how rough this time of year has been for her. The only thing I can do now is be there for her and try my best to not leave her on her own again. She stirred in my arms again, this time I noticed a shift in her breathing. I looked down to see her peeking at me through slanted eyelids. "Hey," I whispered, wondering what she was doing. She opened her eyes fully and gave me a heart stopping smile, "You're real... and you're still here." I forced a smile, not at all happy at the fact that she thinks I'm not going to be here when she wakes up anymore. "I'm here now," I held her close and buried my face into her neck, trying to reinforce the idea that I'm not leaving her. She tried to say something, but her voice was muffled by my shoulder. I pulled back to look at her, "What was that?" "Are you hungry? I'm kind of starving," she smiled cheekily as her stomach rumbled. I finally cracked an actual smile and let a laugh slip out, "Let's go grab some food."

We walked downstairs, hand in hand, just as Derek walked through the front door with Jake and Lily. "ARTEMIS!" Derek exclaimed, running towards me and almost knocking me over with a hug. I hugged him back, surprised at his reaction, expecting it from Lily and possibly even Jake, but not exactly him. "We were so worried about you," he pulled away and began examining me from head to toe, looking for anything out of place. Lily came over, stealing me from him to give me a tight embrace of her own. "We really have missed you," she said quietly in my ear. She pulled away and I could see tears glistening in her eyes, the relief of seeing me alive evident all over her face. I quickly filled them in on what had happened and answered their dozens of questions as honestly as I could. My mother had prepared me for this specific occasion seeing as they're both doctors and would need extra convincing details. Finally, they ran out of questions and we started to migrate towards the kitchen to prepare for dinner. As I followed behind Lena, Jake, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke to me, "Artemis, can we talk privately?" Lena gave him a confused look, but let go of my hand, reluctantly. I gave her a reassuring smile and a peck on the cheek before walking back to the living room with him. "What's up?" I asked quizzically. He didn't answer for a minute or so, seeming like he was trying to figure out how to say what was on his mind. "First, I'm glad you're okay," he looked at me for a second, but quickly looked away again, "second, you can't do that again." I let out a small, humorless laugh, "Don't worry, not planning on being on my deathbed again, bud." He met my eyes once again, unamused, "I mean you can't leave her. The girl that you left behind was not my sister. She's not weak, but she can't handle the pain of losing someone she loves, not after Jason." "You know about Jason?" I asked surprised, seeing as he would have been pretty young when that happened. "I know that he did something wrong, that he hurt her. And I know that you make her better. Just don't leave, not without telling her first." I sat there bewildered, unable to find words. Who knew that a ten-year-old pays that much attention to the world around them? "Like I said Jake, I'm not planning on it. You're a great brother, you know? She's lucky to have you." He gave me the smallest of smiles, "Just don't tell her what I said. She'll get all mushy and weird." I stuck out my hand for our secret handshake, "You got it, bro."