Thicker Than Water

Chapter Seven

Remus and the beautiful woman from the club sat across from me, concern plastered on their faces. They pulled out medical equipment from a black bag and took some of Apollo's vitals.

                "Why so surprised?" Remus asked me, tearing Apollo's black shirt away. It was wet- but with what?

                I looked down and held back a scream. Apollo's abdomen looked like he'd been hit with a shotgun blast at point blank range. Blood was flowing readily from the wound, but I could also see the inside of him. I didn't want to look too hard, lest I'd get sick. Remus shined a flashlight onto Apollo's face, forcing an eyelid open to check his pupils.

                "Hera, I need sterile gauze. I'm going to need blood as soon as we're back, too. He's losing it too quickly." Remus ordered the woman.

                Hera, I tucked away to the back of my mind. Hopefully I'd remember her name after all this horrible shit was over.

                Hera and Remus worked quickly, cleaning the affected area. Thankfully Apollo had enough skin around the wound that they were able to get him closed. While this wasn't a hospital, I knew time was of the essence.

                Once he was closed up and they'd wrapped him in plenty of gauze, Remus and Hera relaxed, sitting back against the seats. I looked down at Apollo's bloody figure, then back at the two vampires, who were cleaning themselves off with wet rags.

                "Is that it? Why did you stop?" I panicked. I leaned over him, trying to hear his heart beating. The sound was present, a slow but rhythmic thump thump thump. They barely looked up from their intense cleaning. Hera finally spoke.

"He is a vampire. We heal differently. We have prevented him from certain death. We will get him home, fed, and rested. He will survive."These were the first words I really remember her saying directly to me, and she certainly wasn't laying on the charm like she had with Apollo.

                

I took Apollo's limp hand and held it. He'd been so selfless, throwing himself in the way of that attack. He'd nearly given his life for mine, and for a moment, I believed he had. I would never forget the feeling of terror and heartbreak I felt when he collapsed on the ground. He was an amazing man, and I could no longer deny that my feelings for him were more than just physical- my heart was opening and blossoming wildly for him. I longed to touch his face, push the hair back that fell into his eyes... but my left arm still wasn't working, and I was not about to let go of his hand. Something finally clicked as I processed what they had said to each other earlier.

                "Wait-" I looked up at the two vampires, who were jotting away at what looked like medical files. "You said he needed blood. He once told me that fresh blood is the best. Can I help? Can I feed him?"

                Remus and Hera looked up from their work and exchanged an uneasy glance.

                "It would certainly help." Remus said to her.

                "There is no way I am agreeing to this." Hera snapped, an angry look crossing her face.

Why would it be up to her?

Remus looked frustrated. "His survival is critical-"

                "Don't you tell me something I already know." She snarled, her beautiful face suddenly looking less beautiful. She turned back to me and must have noticed I was holding Apollo's hand. "God damnit." She muttered, anger spreading far beyond her eyes. She was mad, but she also looked as though she had lost a battle. "Do it. Hurry. We'll be back to your home in about three minutes."