The Virus Within (Original rough draft)

Chapter 100

I finally looked at Nicky and spoke quietly, "I am not entirely sure you will be able to get close to me if I get light blinded. I will be reacting more than I will be thinking."

Nicky nodded slowly, "I am pretty sure I will be able to tell if I can touch you safely. Just give a good snarl and I will back up."

I gave her a level look, "You do realize that you could get slashed, right? You aren't fast enough to dodge such a strike either."

Nicky shrugged, "I am willing to take the chance. I doubt you will actually kill me."

Nina started digging around in a drawer and pulled out a handful of small vials that were individually sealed in sterile packets. She started to open one and I spoke, "Let Nicky open them, otherwise your scent will be on them."

Nina looked startled, but nodded in sudden understanding and passed three packets to Nicky. Nicky glanced at me, "Anything I need to do or should know before we attempt this?"

I moved my gaze to Nina and Daniel, "It would be easier if you left the room for a while." Nina looked sad, but nodded as she got up to leave. Daniel wasn't surprised, he knew that his presence was always an irritant to my instincts. He left the room with Nina and closed the door behind him. That left me with Nicky.

She looked at me, "Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to let them pressure you into it if you don't want to."

I exhaled gustily, "Part of me doesn't want to, but another part of me has its reasons."

Nicky nodded in understanding, but didn't pry. I got up and moved to a bench in the far corner. My instincts would be less worked up if they knew that my back was protected. "You might be better off sitting beside me. It might be easier for me than if you approached afterwards."

Nicky took a seat beside me and finished unwrapping the vials. The extra bright fluorescent lights above provided plenty of light for working with microscope slides. This was going to be hell. I rolled my shoulders, I was not looking forward to this. I looked up at the lights as I reached up toward my welding glasses and my muscles tensed at the expected pain. Here goes nothing...

Light lanced painfully through my half closed eyes. I snarled and closed my eyes tightly as my fists clenched. My instincts flared and heat rolled through my blood as my heartbeat surged. Light was the worst method of torture ever invented for a Nightstalker. Even the deep cut on my arm had been less painful.

I swiftly put my sunglasses back on as a growl continued to rumble through my chest as a warning to anything that might be within earshot. This was far worse than my tiny glimpse in the very dim light of the boarded up gas station when the bandits took my sunglasses. My eyes watered fiercely and a few tentative blinks only revealed dancing black spots across my vision. I was blinded.

My senses swiftly focused on scent and sound. I knew something was beside me and my instincts clamored to land a preemptive strike and take whatever it was by surprise. The rational side of my mind, the human one, remembered who sat beside me even as my nose told me the identity of the potential threat.

Anything that could possibly move was a potential threat at this point as far as my instincts were concerned. This was the reason that the feral had attacked even a rolling rock or remote toy car. I fought with my instincts to remain in control and not lash out in reaction. It was like trying to control yourself in the middle of the worst fit of rage you ever had while you were still furious.

Being light blinded was far worse than when Nina had torn that scab off of my shoulder. A Nightstalker was built to be able to clearly see during the darkest night and in the deepest caves, the pain that the bright fluorescent lights caused simply had no comparison unless you counted the pain caused by sunlight.

I was breathing heavily, but slowly sat up straighter as I got the upper hand on my instincts. Now for the hard part. Nicky somehow intuitively recognized me sitting up as her chance to catch the tears that were leaking below my sunglasses.

"Easy... I am going to touch your face. It is just me, honest I won't hurt you." Her voice was very soft and soothing, although it did little in my current state. She must have taken notes from her own counseling sessions. My growl deepened as I heard the rustle of her clothing as she leaned toward me. It was all I could do to not lash out at her.

The smell of her breath was easy to pick up and allowed me to ensure that it was indeed Nicky and not someone else who was so close to me. My eyes blinked furiously and were starting to clear, but everything around me was just fuzzy outlines.

I tensed as something came into my view, close to my face. I grabbed my knees with both hands to avoid striking out at the one reaching toward me. A touch of cold against my cheek made me jerk my face away in an automatic reaction, like when someone puts a snowball down the back of your shirt.

I snarled lightly as I fought for control. My head slowly turned back to where Nicky could see it. I could see better now, although my eyes were still watering. I felt the glass once more touch my cheek, but managed to hold still. My low growling still resonated around the room. My instincts were still extremely high and I felt like striking out at something just to vent.

A few moments later something approached the other side of my vision. My muscles tensed as a second vial touched my other cheek. I was still blinking rapidly to try to bring the world around me back into focus.

My sight slowly recovered over several minutes and my eyes stopped watering. My growls had faded into silence as well. I exhaled gustily and Nicky was perceptive enough to know that I was done with this. She slowly pulled her hands back and carefully capped the vials. She leaned back against the wall and simply relaxed while waiting for me.

I closed my eyes tightly before lifting my sunglasses up to wipe away the lingering moisture away from my eyes. I ensured that my sunglasses were snug against my face before carefully reopening my eyes. Nicky spoke quietly with a faint grin, "Well, I am alive and even unharmed."

I snorted quietly, "You probably just used up your allotment of luck for the year."

"Yeah, I know." There was no trace of jest in her voice. At least she knew just how thin the ice had been where she was treading.

I shook myself hard as I got to my feet. I could see fairly well now although I was still blinking much more than usual. My irritation was quite pronounced, but I was back in full control at this point.

Nicky also got up and followed me as I headed toward the door. I took a quick sniff in the hallway and headed to the room closest to the stairs. Nina and Daniel were watching the door as I entered it, Daniel had obviously heard Nicky's footsteps. I wasn't feeling generous enough at this exact moment to let him hear my footsteps.

Nicky went over to Nina to hand her the two small glass vials with the clear liquid inside. Nina looked over at me in concern, "Are you okay?" My snarls would have been easily heard from here and Daniel's hearing was far too sensitive to have missed my growling.

I exhaled heavily in irritation, "I'm fine, but I do not want to repeat that again."

Blood and saliva were easy and nearly painless to part with. As far as tears went, what I had just done was my contribution limit. If she wanted more, she could torment Daniel. I turned and went out the door, "I am heading to my room for a while."

I wasn't in a mood for company and my temper was still on the wrong side of the intent to harm. Nicky also dismissed herself from the lab, "I think I am going to find something safer to do, like juggling butcher knives."

I smirked for a split second as I climbed the stairs. Nicky's pace was much slower than mine as she gave me the space that she knew I needed at the moment. For the first time ever, I was grateful that it was such a short distance between the lab and my room.

I climbed up the staircase and walked down the hallway without meeting anyone. From the smell, no one had even opened up my bedroom door since I was last here. I locked the door behind me as soon as I closed it. I really did not want anyone to enter. I lowered the blinds and stretched out on my bed as I tried to take a nap. Hopefully it would cool my temper.

I still didn't plan to stir from this room until the sun had set.