The Patient
by William Kenney
I could only partially open my eyes against the white glare above.
A blurry figure moved up alongside the bed and roughly touched my arm, encircling my wrist for a moment, then, releasing it. My mind was a jumble of thoughts, overrun by confusion. My eyes darted about as I tried to focus on the woman that attended me, but she remained a soft and formless, ghost-like figure, the darkness of her eye sockets staring back at me, hauntingly. Her stark white uniform shifted about like a hovering specter, the void of her hair, a black halo.
I assumed she was a nurse, the owner of the soothing voice that addressed me from above as I lie in the bed.
"It's okay," she said, her voice caressing me. Her breath was warm and sweet in my face. "We're going to take care of you."
How did I end up here?
I tried to speak, but couldn't find my voice, gurgling and choking instead. I felt cold and shivered a bit as the woman's movements kicked up a slight breeze. I noticed another figure, appearing like a shadow to my left. This person reached out both hands and there came a slight tugging in my abdominal region.
I was still far too groggy to lift my head and investigate the procedure that was taking place. Blinking repetitively, I tried to clear my vision, to no avail. Somewhere within the room, a machine beeped out a quick rhythm. My pulse, I assumed. It sounded much too fast.
What was wrong with me? Was this normal?
"Something wrong?" this new figure asked in an almost sing-song manner. It appeared as if I gazed upon her from the bottom of the sea, her face distorted and altogether disturbing. I could hear an odd thumping as she drew close and my stomach suddenly growled with hunger.
There was a loud banging sound as the door to the room burst open, the nurses turning and shouting in anger at the apparent intruder.
"What are you doing?" shouted one of them. "You can't be in here. This is a restricted a-"
Her voice was cut off then and I could hear the low, wet thump of her body hitting the floor. My thoughts were chaos.
Why can't I see? What is happening?
I heard the other nurse scream for security, then fall silent among a clattering of metal utensils and pans. A large form loomed over me, darker than the others had been, and exuded extreme cold. A long, pale face moved in close to mine with a ghastly smile and an ancient, musty odor. He turned and addressed someone across the room.
"He's fine, he's fine. Everything went according to plan."
He then turned back to me.
"It worked," he said with a whispered laugh as he searched my body with his eyes. "You were right all along. It worked. I didn't think it was possible. You were near death and look at you now."
"They did a fine job extracting you. If they had only known..."
He and the other unseen person began to laugh quietly, their voices echoing oddly in the small, white room.
"Come over, Matthias. Just look at him. The first Vampyr Lord to make the transfer, reborn in the body of a human newborn. He will reign for eons."
They wrapped me in a blanket and took me from the nursery, their leathery wings dragging the floor behind us.
