Bite Shift

46

The alarm woke me up at 6:30pm. For a few moments, I couldn't remember where I was or why I had set the alarm. I rolled over and saw my bedroom walls so I knew I was in my bedroom. If I set the alarm for this time, I figured, I must be on night shift.

That's when it came back to me. Night. I am night shift forever.

"Fuck." I said to the middle of an empty, dark room.

Everything that had happened, replayed in my head, right up to the shocking revelations last night. I repeated what Will had told me in my head. I replayed each word and tried to explain away the series of events.

How had Rhys saved me? How had he known I was there, being attacked, and saved me before I was killed, but not seen the attacker? Why was he so nice to me? Why would he buy me so much and offer me his home? Why was he teaching me some things but not others? Who were the "other girls" who had not been "worthy"? Was I the one he had been watching? Could this all be a plan? Is that why he took me to Sorin's so quickly? To show me off? What had been truth and what had been lies?

There was a tightness in my chest that wouldn't let go. I knew I had to get up and get ready for work but I couldn't make myself move. I thought about calling off but that would only bring Rhys here to check on me. Eventually, I had to go back to the hospital and face him, my co-workers and patients. If I couldn't pull it off, and they noticed something different, it was better to find out sooner. It was still soon enough that I could blame it on my new diagnosis. I would make sure that Alex's card was in my pocket and his number was handy if I needed him.

But, what about Rhys? How do I look at him without him knowing something is up? How do I find out if I can trust him?

I thought about searching his office, his home, his computer but, quickly scratched it off the list. I didn't know how to hack a computer and was no spy. If he caught me, I would have to explain why. Then he, and Sorin, would know that Will had talked. I didn't want to think about what Sorin would do to Will.

How am I going to continue an investigation with him? Go back to his house alone? How do I tell the person that I am stuck with for eternity that I wasn't sure about him anymore? How do I answer when he asks me why?

Thinking about the investigation triggered something inside of me. Maybe, I could use the investigation to find out more about him. I could ask him about the series of events that night again; ask him to tell me everything he remembered. Maybe he can tell me something that explains how he was there but didn't see anyone.

It doesn't tell me anything about what he said to Sorin, though.

I knew, if I wanted to learn more about that, I would have to talk to Sorin. That thought made me shiver. Not only did I not want to go anywhere near him but, I had no clue how I would bring up a conversation that I shouldn't have known anything about.

"Stop, Kate!" I held up my hands, like I was stopping an oncoming attacker, and spoke into the empty room. "You have to stop."

Get up and get ready for work.

Fifteen minutes later, I had on light blue scrubs and my hair was in a ponytail. I looked into the mirror and, for the first time, tried to make myself look less beautiful. The foundation and lipstick did tone down my glowing skin. The blush made me look a little less pale. I reviewed the results in the glass before me and figured it was the best I could do. Without contacts, my eyes were too blue to not stare at, but I didn't have a choice. I had to go to work and face whatever would happen.

Getting out the door is easy when you don't need to eat; no making eggs or packing lunches. I just got dressed, toned down my face, and walked out of my house. Locking the door behind me, I glanced into the sky. A small sliver of orange remained at the bottom of the grey horizon. It was all of the sun I would ever see again.

It occurred to me that I would never have to worry about shivering while scrapping ice off my van and waiting for the car to warm up. I could shovel the driveway, in a snowstorm, donning only my bra and underwear, and never shiver.

I wouldn't do it, But, I could if I wanted to.

The night was silent. Only the sounds of a rabbit hopping through someone's yard and a faraway car filled the air. Everyone was in their homes, wrapping up the dinner dishes, and getting settled down for the night.

I was heading into work.

As a nurse, working night shift is a normal thing. Being up when the world slept was, sometimes, lonely but never "odd". I had the thought that more vampires should become nurses but brushed it away when I remembered that nursing school is NOT night only.

Sliding into my van, I took a deep breath, and tried to focus my thoughts on what lie ahead. I would have to see Rhys, there was no way around it. I would have to face my co-workers and, while none of them really cared, Monica would definitely notice the changes. The shift ahead of me felt like a death sentence. My walk up to the floor was my walk to the electric chair.

I was crazy to think this would work.

With that thought, I turned the key, put on my seat belt, and pulled out of my driveway to face my first night shift as a walking corpse.

And you think you have problems?