Love Left To Lose

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

Laura enters the room and is shocked at what she finds. It's been a couple days since the mishap with the parasite. She had told Carmilla about the iratus parasite and gave her a vague description of how it had affected her. J.P. surmised that it must've latched onto her when she was hunting the wendigo in the forest, since it prefers that kind of environment, and was probably only there because it was drawn to the power of the lophiiformes to begin with.

Carmilla seemed satisfied with Laura's explanation, which is why she's so surprised when she walks into the room to find Carmilla huddled over Laura's desk and–– holy fish sticks, is she crying?

"Carm? Are you okay?" Laura rushes over to see that Carmilla is watching an archived video of the livestream from that day. It's at the part right after Carmilla has realized that the camera was left on and her yelling is heard down the hall. She pauses the video.

"I was so mean to you," Carmilla says with a sniffle, her voice cracking. "Why didn't you tell me how bad it was?"

Laura shrugs. "I didn't see a point. It's not like you meant it, right?" She feigns shock. "Unless you slipped up and I really am your next meal?" she teases.

Carmilla doesn't laugh and just turns away and sniffles.

"Hey, Carm," Laura says softly, gently making the vampire face her by her chin. "Did you mean any of what you said?"

Carmilla shakes her head immediately. "God, no, Laura."

"Then you have nothing to feel bad about." Laura hugs her girlfriend, resting her chin on the top of her head. She feels Carmilla let out a long, shaky sigh. "Because if you don't come visit my grave, I'll haunt your grumpy butt for all eternity."

Carmilla lets out a half-sob, half-laugh and squeezes Laura. It's a bit too hard because Laura flinches a bit, but doesn't pull away.

Carmilla notices, however, and lets go. "Did I just hurt you?"

Laura laughs and sits down on her bed. "I think I'll survive, Carm."

"I never meant to hurt you. Not now, and not the other day, either." Carmilla runs a hand through her hair. "I don't think of you as my next meal, or as a mortal I'm waiting to outlive." Her eyes widen. "Wait. After LaF zapped me with the jumper cables, but before I passed out, I remember..." She swallows hard. "I remember noting that you were hurt." Her eyes struggle to meet Laura's. "Was that me?"

Laura bites her lip. "I mean, you came into their room angry that the camera was still recording. And I was trying to divert your attention from LaF so they could do whatever they needed to do to get the parasite off you, and you had me pinned against the wall, and you kept pressing harder and harder." She clasps her hands nervously. "And you may have reopened some of the wounds from the wendigo."

Carmilla buries her face in her hands. "I'm a monster."

"Hey, no," Laura says immediately. "No, you're not."

Carmilla doesn't move and Laura seems to be at a loss for words.

"Look, Carm, maybe you being stuck in here all day is messing with your mind. How about we go out for a walk together?"

Carmilla removes her hands from her face and looks over to Laura, tears welling up in her eyes.

"We can see who's slower–– me after a wendigo attack, or you after being electrocuted," Laura says with a wink. Carmilla lets out a small chuckle and follows her out of the room. They walk for almost ten minutes before the vampire visibly relaxes and takes a deep breath.