The Morganville Vampires: Safe and Sound

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"So, you see, Claire," Amelie said when she had a moment alone with her later in the day, "I understand the pain you're going through. Not in the same circumstances, of course."

Eve came barging into the living room with her big clunky black shoes that had a skull buckle attached to them. "What are we going to do about the whole bad-people-gonna-kill-Claire situation?"

"Claire, you will be here in the glass house - so you have extra protection." Claire felt the house practically hugging her. "Oliver, Myrnin and I will wait within the darkness for the correct time to attack. Your friends can be with you but it is better if they lay in wait as well. For their safety as well as yours."

"What do we do if they don't want to chat?" Eve asked bitterly. "What if they just come into the house and kill her?"

"Oh, thanks Eve. Give me some credit." Claire said sarcastically.

"No problem," Eve joked and then said seriously, "no, but come on. What if they do that? That means Claire would have died... Again."

Claire shivered, "I really don't want to die again. And no offence, Amelie but your son isn't one of the best hosts I've met."

"No offence committed." Amelie almost smiled.

The doorbell rung and Shane came out of the kitchen shouting, "I'll get it!" A few seconds later he ran back in saying, "Claire, your doctor's here."

The doctor from the hospital - the one that had happily delivered the bad news - was entered their living room. "Nice to see you again, Claire."

Not so sure I can say the same, Claire chewed her lip. "Thank you for coming."

"What seems to be the problem?" The doctor asked, with professional cheerfulness.

"Well," Shane answered for her, "she throws up everyday and is tired a lot."

"The tiredness can be from the lack of food. How many times a day do you throw up, Claire?" The doctor asked.

"I don't know;" Claire answered, "I don't keep count."

"Hey," Michael popped into the room, "does anyone want to finish off the turkey in a sandwich or something?"

"I recommend small foods," the doctor said before Shane could answer, "eat a turkey sandwich and see if you can hold it down."

Shane slipped into the kitchen to make her another sandwich. When she was left alone with the founder and the doctor, Claire whispered, "you know what's wrong with me, don't you doctor?"

"I have... an idea. But I am not allowed to say unless I have facts," he glanced at Amelie, "hospital policy, I'm afraid. If you're still throwing up by next week then come along to the hospital and we'll run some blood tests."

"She'll be fine by then," Amelie voiced her opinion, "you cannot tell her what it is but I can. It's as simple as food poisoning." Shane walked back in with her sandwich. "It's that or EBV."

"See, Shane? I told you it could be EBV." Claire smiled, proud of herself for predicting it correctly.

"Yes," the doctor nodded whilst staring at Amelie, "it could be either of those. But we won't know until we run some tests."

The smell of turkey hit Claire's nostrils and she didn't like it as much as she normally does. She took a bite as the doctor put his coat. "Urgh," Claire spat it out on to the plate, "something's wrong with the turkey!" Claire bolted upstairs and once again threw up into the toilet.

By the time she was done and cleaned up and back downstairs, the doctor had left. Shane was pacing, waiting for her and Amelie was sitting in the same chair she had been seated in since she first arrived. Eve and Michael came into the living room as Claire did in her pyjamas.

"Are you ok?" Eve asked before anyone else could.

"Yeah," Claire sighed, "just need a drink." Before she took one step, Shane was already in the kitchen pouring her out a glass of water.

"Here you go," he said when he came back in with it, "sit down on the couch." Claire did as her told and Shane sat next to her.

Myrnin made them all jump with a sudden, "ah-ha!" He had Claire's backpack in his hand, "there you are!"

"Myrnin, open that for me." Claire ordered. He didn't deserve the niceties since he kept a journal of her. "None of us really want to do it incase it's booby-trapped."

"Claire, that is nonsense but very sensible. I would never apply a trap by a booby that you so speak of. I do not know how to invent one. If only I had a woman that would allow me to examine..."

"Myrnin! That is not what a booby-trap is!" Eve gasped and if he wasn't a vampire, Claire was pretty sure, she would have slapped him.

"Just open it." Claire was fed up.

Myrnin obeyed and simply broke the lock with one finger. "This is humiliating, Claire. Must you look into my personal journal?"

"Yes, I must. And it's not so personal if it's about me." Claire glared at him and snatched the journal out of his hands.

She laid it out on the coffee table and began to turn the pages. There were diary entries from when Myrnin first heard he was having Claire as his assistant; there was a description of her: small; petite with dark hair and reasonably pretty. Then there was entries of things that she had been working on - including VLAD. Then there was a section about when Claire was leaving to go to M.I.T. Written in full descriptive detail was the night Myrnin kissed Claire - on the lips. I struck her that she hadn't told Shane about it. She felt so guilty and couldn't bring herself to read it.

Shane, who was sitting next to her, noticed her pause and tense up. "What is it, Claire?" He pulled the book into his lap to read.

"No, don't!" Claire cried.

"Wow, Shane Collins reading a book," Eve smirked, "you must be a good for him as a wife, Claire."

She didn't say anything. She knew she couldn't. She just watched his face as he read it all. Every word. She watched the way it registered in his mind and the way it broke his heart. When he placed the book down - very, very slowly - Claire finally spoke, "it's not like that."

"Then what is it like, Claire?" Shane moaned, his heartache leaking through his tone. "Because right here it says that you had a pretty swell time."

"No, I didn't Shane." Claire was reluctant to explain whilst they had an audience.

"What?" Eve asked, moving towards them. "What does it say?" She went to pick up the book and Claire looked horrified and ashamed.

"Eve, this is between me and my wife." Shane said bitterly. Once again he was saving her. "That book belongs to her."

"Shane, you have to let me explain but not like this." She gestured to everyone else. He was surprisingly calm about it. She turned to Eve, "could you and everyone else let us sort this out in private, please?"

"Um, Claire?" Eve chewed her lip. "You have blood in your mouth."

"What?" She raised her eyebrow, sceptically. But when she looked at Myrnin, his eyes had turned red and they were focused on her. Amelie looked uncomfortable and pulled Myrnin into the kitchen. She touched her teeth and blood was on her hand. "I'll be right back, Shane."

She ran upstairs and looked in the bathroom mirror. Her mouth was covered in blood, she assumed it was from her gums as she didn't have any cuts from anywhere else. She brushed her teeth to get rid of the blood and brushed them again just to make sure. She looked in the mirror one last time and her gums were slightly swollen and red. Suddenly, she wanted to go to the toilet and just as she was washing her hands, she heard banging downstairs and then there was shouting.