Cursed by the Fountain of Youth

Chapter 21

"She's lost a lot of blood," an unfamiliar female voice said. "We've replaced most of it."

"So, is it hemophilia?" another unfamiliar voice asked.

"No, it's something I've never seen before." The first woman spoke again. "But the transfused blood is doing its job. It's now clotting."

Who are these people? Where's Nick? Fae thought.

A warm, rough hand brushed her hair away from her face as a familiar scent of cologne breezed over her. Nick.

"When is she going to wake up?" Nick asked. Relief washed over her at the sound of his voice.

"Should be any time now," the first woman said.

I'm already awake. Fae tried to open her eyes, but it proved much more difficult than usual.

"Nick," she rasped, her voice barely audible.

"I'm here," he said. "Fae, can you hear me?"

"Yeah," she breathed.

"Fae," he said softly. "You've lost a lot of blood, but you're going to be fine."

Fae tried to nod, but she wasn't sure she succeeded. Darkness pulled at her. "He drank it," she said, her words slurring. "My blood."

"I know."

"It changed him," she said, not sure he even understood her. Why was she so exhausted?

"I know, sweetheart."

Sweetheart? Her heart, though weak, beat a little faster at the endearment. But then her brain finally processed what he said.

How could he know? Even as she asked herself this question, she didn't have the strength to speak as sleep overtook her once more.

* * * * *

The steady beeping of a monitor was the first thing Fae was aware of, but that was soon followed by the extreme discomfort she felt in her chest and hips. Desperate to find a more comfortable position to sleep in, she attempted to turn on her side and groaned as her body screamed in protest.

"Fae?" a familiar voice said.

"Yeah," she whispered and groaned again.

"Oh, you're finally waking up. You've been asleep like forever, and they won't tell me anything!"

Fae peeled her eyes open and attempted to swallow, but her mouth was so dry. Morgan's concerned face came into view.

"I'm not even supposed to be here. I had to wait for Agent Chase to leave before I could sneak in. That took a lot longer than I thought it would and I doubt he would have ever left—except for the fact his sister is here. I think she's dying."

"What?" Fae croaked.

"Yeah. I wasn't supposed to know that either, but you know, when you're hiding, you hear things."

Fae attempted to process this new information, but moving through her thoughts was like trying to sprint through knee-deep mud. And Morgan continued to speak a mile a minute—as usual. Fae only caught about half of what she said—something about school and then something else about Mason.

"How long has Becca been here?" Fae interrupted.

"She was admitted the night of our disaster date. Do you know Mason won't even talk to me now? I don't know what his problem is. It's not like I was responsible for what happened!"