Prophecy: Tome of Blood

15. A Thousand Ships

She could hear her name being called from miles away, and though she was already with a patient she excused herself. It wasn't like Nina could help it. She tried hard to be professional, to not show favoritism, but she knew that deep down she always had a tendency to put the gang first. They were her friends-her family, and that was why she gravitated to the sound of her name, which was louder now that she approached. The voice that called out to her belonged to Toby without doubt, and she feared the worst as she rounded the final corner to find him. The look on his face was one of panic when he spotted her, and he made his way to where she was.

"What happened?" She was the first to engage, glancing from him to Austin. It was obvious that Austin was the reason for the visit, and he hung off of his fiancé-pallid and weak, unable to say a word as he tried to even out his breath.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" Toby growled, the usual anger coming out to mask the fear. "We were at work and he just collapsed. I almost couldn't get him to wake up."

"There, put him in the wheelchair and follow me," Nina paused, keeping her demeanor as she watched her instruction played out. Then she twirled on her heels, marching back down the hall to the closest available room. "Now help me get him on the bed."

"What's the matter with him, he's going to be fine, isn't he?" Still the irascible hybrid rattled on behind her, a measure of ensuring his own sanity rather than hers. But she had been through this a million times before, and she knew what she was looking at-she also knew exactly what to do.

"Toby, listen to me," her voice was completely calm as she turned back around and smiled. She needed to get him calm, make him believe. "I'm going to get him stabilized in just a minute, that's the easy part, okay? Take a deep breath, we're alright for the time being. Now, what I need from you is a small favor-an errand, really. I need you to go get Blair for me, can you do that?"

"What do you need the damn nun for, Nina?" He asked, running out of breath before he could get it all out because he indeed needed to calm down. But even though his lover lay pained over on the bed, her calm had the desired effect and made him think that it might not be that bad. "I can't leave him."

"Did you not hear me? I got this, you go, he'll still be right there when you get back-I promise." With a smile she watched him turn and leave, off to do her bidding. When she turned back around to Austin she found him looking at her. He knew that she was lying, that she didn't need Blair. It was only a convenient excuse to get Toby out of the way so that she could work. She also had lied when she said things were going to be alright. No, they both knew what this meant, and she didn't dare look him in the eye as she went to retrieve the demon blood she knew she needed to inject him with. She'd do what she could for her friend.

And she wasn't the only one. Lorelei also had her friend's best interest at heart, and she waited patiently outside the door after knocking. From within she could hear some ruckus, and when a few more moments had passed she could hear him on the other side of the wood before he opened up to greet her. Even though she had been through hell, and even though she had been cut to pieces inside, she still wanted to make sure she was there for the people in her life who were hurting. That was exactly what Cliff was-hurting-and from the moment she'd seen the pain in his eyes she'd resolved to check in on him.

"You ran off pretty quick from our group meeting yesterday," she smiled, continuing to wait politely in the hall until he invited her in.

"Did I? We were finished, I wanted to get home and catch the game." His response was hesitant, and he finally remembered his manners, "oh, come in."
"Let's just cut the crap and get right to it, okay? What's up, what's going on with you? I'm not stupid, I can clearly see the way you've been moping around, acting all distant." Her candor did not shock him-that was simply how she was-and after checking him over her shoulder she smiled and sat on the couch, waiting.