Saving Me [MxM]

Chapter 18 (Part One)

Nathan had barely been gone a few steps before Varian’s stomach heaved and he scrambled awkwardly to the toilet to bend himself over it as he threw up. His whole body ached, his head the worst for wear, and it split with blinding white pain from the effort of puking. The pain only increased his nausea and he only had a few seconds to gulp down air before he was bringing up the contents of his stomach again.

 

Twice more this happened, each time hurting him worse, until he was whimpering from the exertion. He didn’t want to see what he’d thrown up, knowing it would be a bloody mess, but it was hard not to. Panting, he lifted his head from the toilet, hissing as it sent another hot lance through his skull and down to his stomach.

 

Immediately his stomach heaved again, but this time nothing came up, and Varian gasped, trying to stay quiet. He wasn’t very noisy to begin with, but Nathan already knew he’d be doing it; he didn’t need to know when, how long, or how badly. When the dry heaving was done, he tried once more to lift his head, the bitter taste of his own blood lingering in his mouth.

 

Slowly, ever so slowly he eased himself up and sat back, eyes catching the red contents of the toilet bowl as he did, and his stomach gave its best shot to make him heave again, but he swallowed past the urge, knowing nothing would come up anyway. It was a dangerous thing, to not have anything in his stomach.

 

A Changed vampire that didn’t have blood wouldn’t be able to digest any food, and therefore couldn’t take in any nourishment. Still, if there was one good thing about it, it was the fact that he had thrown up. It’d been inevitable for him to swallow some of his own blood when he’d been fighting to stay conscious outside, and he was eternally pleased to note that not only did his body reject his own blood, but it didn’t even give him a chance to absorb it this time, purging every bit before it’d had the chance to do damage.

 

Somehow he fumbled for the handle, flushing the toilet so Nathan wouldn’t have to see it when he came back. There was no way Varian would be able to move from the bathroom. His body trembled, and everything felt heavy and limp. The journey through the house to it had sapped what little bit he had left, and that’d been with Nathan’s help.

 

Carefully he turned, going to scoot back to the bathtub so he could rest against it once more. Again, his head, pounding incessantly inside his skull all but split open with the pain he felt, and he doubled over and clutched at it, a small cry actually leaving his lips that time.

 

So preoccupied with breathing as well as he could, Varian almost didn’t notice Nathan through the haze his pounding head provided. Not until he sat back down next to him on the floor, staying quiet. The haze was growing darker, and Varian blinked absently as he heard Nathan’s voice from somewhere near him. It was muffled, and he strained to hear what he had to say.

“...said they’d be here tomorrow morning….”

 

“What?” he asked, his voice slurring a little. Why was it getting so dark? The lights were on, weren’t they? But the dark was comfortable. It didn’t hurt his head so much.

 

"The Department of Fish and Wildlife. They're coming tomorrow morning." Nathan’s voice sounded a little louder, and Varian hissed, digging his hands into his hair as white spots exploded in front of his vision, lighting up the darkening haze.