Ice Cold

Chapter Twenty-Five

          I woke up the next morning, surprisingly, in my bed. I didn't go to school today, but it was obvious why I couldn't. Hayden was hanging around the house and had informed me that Connor would be stopping by later today. The image of Connor standing over me, giving me that murderous smile, popped into my head and I cringed.

          I got up off the couch with Hayden's help and he helped me walk to my room without falling. I made him turn around while I got changed since he wouldn't leave. Hayden didn't want to leave because he feared I would fall or hurt myself again. I grimaced as I pulled my shirt on and then looked towards Hayden.

          "You can turn around now, I'm done," I said.

          The side of Hayden's mouth lifted as he turned around, "are you going to brush that?" He asked and I turned and looked in the mirror.

          My hair was askew and knotty. I walked to my dresser and slowly sat down in the chair in front of it. I grabbed my brush and tried brushing my hair. I grimaced as the effort to pull the brush through my hair used muscles around my ribs.

          "Here, let me help," Hayden said and walked over and grabbed the brush from me.

          "Can you do this?" I asked, amusement clear in my voice.

          "It's just like brushing mine, but with more hair," he said with a grin and I grinned back.

          Hayden easily ran the brush through my hair and was even easier when he came to a knot. It took him longer than it would take me to brush my hair, but I couldn't blame him, he wasn't used to so much hair. He finished about five minutes later and then congratulated himself on the job well done.

          "Thank you," I said as I used my hands to push my hair away from my face.

          "Anytime," he said and helped me stand up.

          "How are you?" A voice said from my door and I looked up to see Connor.

          I stared at him for a moment, the image from my dream popping into my head, and after a few seconds he gave me a worried, yet curious look. "I'm doing better," I said.

          Connor sat in silence as Hayden helped me over to my bed and I grimaced as I sat down. When I looked back at Connor he seemed to be contemplating something with great effort. He looked back up at me and shook his head.

          "I can't stand seeing you like this, Hayden, follow me," Connor said suddenly and then walked into the hallway.

          Hayden gave me a confused glance before he got up and followed Connor. A couple moments later they came back in. Connor gave me a look of concern, but he also looked satisfied. Hayden was giving me a look of concern as well that was mixed with worry.

          "Connor and I have agreed to give you some of my blood to heal you. It's risky, but it's also worth it if it will stop your pain," Hayden said.

          "We have to be very careful so that nothing happens that you would become a vampire, since we know it's not what you want," Connor added.

         "How would I become a vampire?" I asked.

         "Well, it depends mostly on if your body can complete the change, but if I give you my blood and I get yours and then, if I were to bite you, and give you my venom as well... then that begins the process. If your body completes the change, then I have to go inside your mind and bring you back to consciousness or else you'll die. You still have a choice whether you want to wake up or not, though," Hayden explained.

         I sat there in silence for a moment as I tried to digest this new information. I looked over at Connor who was watching my every move. Then I looked at Hayden who was giving me a look of curiosity.

          "We decided that Hayden should be the one to give you blood since I am a full-blood which would make this situation even more dangerous, but I'm only letting Hayden give you his blood since your blood is now out of his system so that is another part of the process that isn't done," Connor explained and I nodded.

          "So I actually have to... drink your blood?" I asked.

          Hayden nodded and when I looked over at Connor he gave me a single nod as well. "I can't drink your blood," I stated.

          "You have to, you won't even go to a doctor about your ribs," Hayden said.

          "I hate doctor's offices and hospitals, plus they'll ask too many questions," I said and looked out my window.

          "Lex, you need to do this," Connor said.

          I looked over at him and he nodded once more. I sighed and looked at Hayden. I was dreading every second of this and I wasn't even sure if I could do this. Hayden's fangs then shot down and he bit his wrist.

          I stared at his wrist as dark blood started dripping down his arm. Hayden was beside me within a second and placed a hand behind my head and brought his arm closer to my mouth. I stared at his arm and the closer his arm got to me the more I began to panic.

          I pushed his arm back, "I can't do this," I said.

          "I'm sorry, Lex, but you have to," Hayden said and then he was behind me on the bed, a hand around my shoulders, holding my head still. He then brought his arm up to my mouth and blood started dripping into my mouth. I pulled and pushed at his hands, trying to talk through his arm and the blood, but nothing was working.

          Connor was beside me in seconds, grasping one of my hands, "calm down, Lex, it's for the best. Don't be scared, everything is okay," Connor said, comforting me.

          Once there was too much blood in my mouth I automatically swallowed against my will. Once I'd taken a few gulps and now tasted the metallic taste of blood that tasted slightly like something as well, Hayden released me. I shot off my bed and looked at the both of them. I felt a line of blood dripping down my mouth but I didn't care.

          "What was that?" I shouted the question. "I told you I didn't want any blood," I said, putting my hands on my hips.

          Hayden and Connor both smiled at me then and my anger faded away, "what?" I asked, now more levelheaded.

          "You don't feel any pain and you even look healthier," Hayden said.

          "Yes, the blood was a good idea," Connor agreed.

          I looked in the mirror and was surprised to see the dark circles under my eyes gone, the cut was gone, and I didn't feel any pain in my ribs. I turned back to Hayden and Connor and smiled. They were standing up now and I gave them both hugs.

          "Thank you guys for helping me... again," I said as I stepped back from them.

          "Always," Connor said, just as Hayden said, "anytime," they glanced at each other and then gave me a small smile.