Blood Ties (NaNoWriMo 2015)

Seven

Doc's office turned out to be a tiny version of a doctor's office and after performing what he called a "neurological examination" he diagnosed that I hadn't suffered a concussion and nor did the cut on my scalp require stiches.

"You're lucky Miss Hawthorn," he told me. He rummaged around in a little maple desk and pulled out a pair of teal scrubs. "Attacked by a vampire and barely any injures to speak of, very, very lucky." He looked me over again and winced a bit. "Though your clothing didn't get so lucky, I'm afraid it took quite a hit." He handed me the scrubs. "You can change behind the screen, we'll get the problem of clothing sorted out for you later, these should do for now."

I accepted the clothes but I shook my head. I wasn't going to give them up, they'd just dump them somewhere. Stacy gave me this jacket, I didn't want to lose it. "No thanks."

Doc raised his eyebrows. "No what?"

"I don't want to change clothes," I answered. I looked away from the doctor down at the scrubs. I traced lines in the fabric. Scrubs, my mom wore these to work. Mom, I saw her face in my head then. Picture perfect, her long hair was pulled away from her face, smile lines around her eyes, a baggy sweater on that belonged to Dad. Against my will, hot, salty tears burned in my eyes and though I hated crying in front of people with a passion I was unable to stop the tears from flowing. "Mom," I whispered.

I felt Doc's hand on my back. "There now, it's going to be alright."

I made some sort of whining sound back and I thought that I said something like "No it's not." I wasn't sure, it certainly didn't sound like actual words.

"I know it seems that way now, but don't you worry. Everything works out alright in the end." A pause and for a moment the only sound was that of my tears. That was easy for him to say, he hadn't just escaped death by vampires only to get abducted by another vampire who claimed to want to keep me safe. His entire world hadn't just been destroyed and he wasn't the one facing the prospect of never seeing anyone he loved ever again. I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up to see the doctor holding a handkerchief out to me. "Here, dry your eyes and blow your nose if you feel the need to."
I took the baby blue cloth and wiped my eyes, but I did not blow my nose. Using a real cloth for that job rather than a disposable tissue grossed me out. "Thanks," I whispered.

"No thanks needed, and you don't have to change your clothing if you don't want to. I just thought you might like something clean to wear."

"Thanks but no thanks," I said and I tried to hand the scrubs back but he just shook his head, a few of his sliver hairs fell forwards out of it's combed back style. "Keep them, in case you change your mind. Are you still feeling the sopor or do you think it's worn off?"

I lifted my arms experimentally, they felt normal again. "I think I'm okay." I stepped down from his little table and was steady on my feet once more though various parts of my body ached quite a bit. "What is sopor?" I asked, Lockwood kept tossing the term around but I didn't understand it.

"A gas we vampires can produce, it renders our prey unconscious, or at least that is the theory behind it." He added quickly when he saw my face. "We of the Robur coven do not attack humans, nor do any of the Twelve for that matter. It has effects on other creatures besides humans as well, you just feel the strongest effect."

"What does it do to vampires?" I asked, amazed I was able to form the question. Everything that was happening made no sense at all.

"Slows us down," Doc answered. "Sends us in a sort of daze, I'd compare it to being mildly intoxicated."

"It's been used on you?" I asked, feeling my eyes widen. Had he been attacked once?

"Yes," Doc replied, removing his round glasses from his face and cleaning them with a cloth from his pocket. "I told a friend to use it on me once when I was young, not one of the smarter choices I made. While the effects we feel are milder than what a human undergoes, they last far longer."

"How long was I out for?" I asked, suddenly aware that it might have been hours. I could be hours away from Sunview, hours from where I was taken. Hell I could have been across state lines! Why hadn't I thought of that before now?

"Not long," Doc told me. "Just an hour. But when I had sopor used on me I was loopy for three days straight. Mr. Lockwood was not pleased with my actions, can't say I blamed him for it. It was a reckless thing to do." I said nothing and Doc looked side-long at me before offering me his arm, a very old-fashioned gesture. "Come, I'll take you to Mr. Lockwood, he's been notified of your coming and wishes to meet you."

Notified? He was the one who brought me here! I thought perhaps Doc was referring to my finally coming back to myself now that I could move again but something about his tone of voice told me otherwise. I wanted to ask what he meant, correct him and remind him that Mr. Lockwood already knew I was here, he'd brought me here! However, my words were lost as I was led down the halls. They were long, covered with more ornate reds, red in color with designs swirling through them. Painting, mostly landscapes and still-lives hung on the walls in polished wooden frame but one stood out to me. It was a painting, but a portrait. An older-looking white man with pepper-grey hair was sitting in a plain chair, a stern expression on his face. A woman stood behind him, she too, appeared a bit older with some lines around her small, almond-shaped eyes, but I saw no grey in her long black hair.

"Just through here now," Doc told me as he led me away from the portrait. We walked a bit farther down the hallway, and then came to the end where a lone door stood. He knocked on it once and I heard a gruff voice say. "Enter."

"I think it's best if you go alone," Doc said as he released his arm from my grip which I then realized had tightened quiet a bit. "You have nothing to fear from them, they're good people."

They're vampires, I thought, heart beating faster with each passing minute in my chest. They aren't people. I swallowed hard, hands clammy as I opened the door. Instantly I was stunned. It was just a parlor-like room, the sort I'd seen in Pride and Prejudice movies. Decorated mostly with antique-looking furniture and lit with another crystal chandelier. The old look of the place, however was not what startled me. It was the people there, the man and woman I'd seen in the portrait earlier where sitting on a couch holding hands. Standing behind them was Mr. Lockwood.

"Please sit down," the woman said. "We have a lot to explain to you."

*****************************************

Tiny cliffhanger, seemed like a good place to cut off, couldn't resist! What'd we think of this chapter? Of Doc and his little story about being dumb enough to let his friend's use sopor breath on him? Who do you guys think the man and woman are?

I'd love to hear what you think so please do COMMENT and VOTE if you enjoyed this chapter!

Write on! =D

Dedicated to Smilies because she's awesome! And if you're looking for some PRN reading material, slip over to her profile and start reading Furtive Affairs Ivanna Harper will restore your faith in PRN female leads. And you're gonna fall in love with Lucian but back off, he's mine ;)

Write on! =D