Paradigm Shift

Against all odds

They borded a private plane to fly the 4,255 miles from America to England but they forgot about the time difference between the two countries as they travelled towards her address in their car. It was coming up to 11pm and the street she lived on was completely dark, apart from a street light that was lighting up the avenue of thatched roof houses. They knocked on the door and waited for a few minutes before ringing the doorbell.

"Maybe she's gone out?" Roman suggested 

They were about to knock again when a light was switched on behind the door; the door was opened slightly but a security chain was in place, stopping anyone from accessing the house

"Who is it?" 

Her voice sounded weak and Dean was surrounded by several emotions at once. Fatigue, pain, fear, anxiety 

"It's us, baby girl. Open the door" Roman replied.

* * *
Dean

The chain was unhooked, and Jasmine opened the door. She looked frail and as soon as she saw us stood there; she cried. I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around her as Roman and Seth stepped inside the house, shutting the door behind them. She sobbed in my arms and I held her until she stopped. 

"I'm s-sorry" she mumbled against my chest

I could feel her exhaustion, so I led her into the next room and helped her into the nearest chair. 

"Can you get the light?" she asked. "I can't see in the dark lik-like you"

I did what she said and as the room lit up, I could finally get a closer look at her. There was no colour to her skin. Her eyes were sunken, and she had dark circles underneath her eyelids. She had a woolly hat on her head and, just like Roman's had, her skin was covered with tiny red spots.

"Why didn't you tell us you were ill?" 

I was going to ask her the same thing but Seth beat me too it

"Because I be-believed I could beat this" she said sadly 

I sighed as I listened to her. The tumor was affecting her speech, causing her to stutter.

"But why did you come back here?" Seth asked.

"I haven't lived in America long...e-enough to have any health i-insurance and I can't afford to pay for the treatment m-myself, so I ha-ad to come back home." She explained "how did you k-know I was he-re?"

"I had a vision of you hooked up to a machine with some kind of helmet on your head" Seth explained. "So I convinced Stephanie to tell me where you were"

"It's a cancer cap. It's su-posed to help reduce b-balding" Jasmine sighed as she removed the wooly hat from her head "not that it's he-lped"

Her hair was short and patchy from hair loss and her eyebrows were already gone 

"Has the chemotherapy been working at all?" Roman asked

"No" Jasmine replied sadly. "They tried b-but it's too ag-gressive. They have given me p-pills to slow it d-down"

"There must be something they can do. Something they haven't tried" I suggested "How about I go with you to see the doctor, we can discuss options" 

"They can't o-operate. It is too r-risky and they've done e-everything they can. I'm running o-out of o-options" Jasmine explained 

I took hold of her hand and she felt clammy. ''I'm gonna stay here with you. Look after you. You don't have to worry about anything. I'll take care of everything." 

She shook her head. "I don't w-want you t-o do that." 

"I want to. I want to be here for you" I insisted 

She moved to stand up, and I helped her as she lost her balance. I supported her weight as she climbed the stairs and I helped her into bed. I realised what time it was as I looked at the clock on the bedside table. 

"Lay w-with m-e" 

I kicked off my shoes and led down beside her.

My hands shook as I touched her face

"I don't want to lose you"

She leant forward and kissed me. "I d-don't wan't l-lose you e-either...are you stay-ing for a while?"

I nodded 

"Then we can talk m-more in the m-morning" she said as she wrapped her arms around me, resting her head on my chest

The bitter smell of cancer masked her natural sweet scent, but I would put up with any smell if it meant could be with her.

I stayed with her until she fell asleep, then I made my way back downstairs. Roman and Seth were in the kitchen transferring the blood bags we'd packed into the fridge and Roman passed me one as I leant against the counter.

"Is she alright?" Roman asked 

"She's asleep" I replied

"Now I understand how you must have felt when you changed me" Roman mused as he looked at Seth

"She's worse than you were" Seth mumbled. "I think we got here just in time"

I was in my own thoughts as I drank and I didn't realise that Seth was talking to me until he waved his hand in front of my face

"What?"

"Have you asked her yet?" Seth repeated

"No" I replied

"She's dying Dean" Seth urged. "We don't know how much time she has left"

"Would you give me a break!?" I asked. "I feel like my entire world is falling apart and all you can think about is changing her into a vampire"

"If you won't ask her, then I will" Seth threatened. "She can hardly talk. How much longer are you planning on waiting!?"

"Seth!" Roman warned "Leave him alone"

I stepped outside and reached into my jacket pocket for my cigarettes, only to realise I hadn't packed them. I'd been in such a rush to get here that I completely forgot. I sat down on the bench in a garden and looked up at the sky. Seth was right, but it wasn't an easy conversation to have. I couldn't just go up there and say 'oh by the way, if you wan't I could make you a vampire and then you'd be healed' I had never been a religious man but I said a silent prayer to every God I knew, begging them not to take her away from me.