Bad Choices (Hypernaturals 8)

Deadline

We have a deadline. 

Regardless if Marvin is well or not, 'we' have to go back to Galveston. The 'we' and 'have to' is currently defined as Morgan and I, but I know that will not be all that attend. There is no way that Jessica or Helen would let us do this alone. When Vampires get married, the 'better or worse' part is not your normal, everyday kind of worse.

No matter who ultimately goes, we need to scout the location and we have to make a plan for how to infiltrate the meeting.

Marvin cooperated by only being in a coma for a little over five days. When he woke up, Morgan, Jessica, Skye, and Mom were all there and waiting because the monitors told us he is changing. Lifting out of the deep deep sleep of a turn. A turning Vampire cannot actually be buried, like in our fiction. A coma is not equal to death. Still have to breathe.

We brought the girls up to the clinic, except Nakoma, who is in school.

His eyes opened, and Morgan told him "Welcome back, Dad."

Marvin looked at the array. I am holding Diana. Morgan has Laura. Jessica held Rachel Helena. Helen, Rachel, Skye and Mom are empty-handed. There were a lot of eyes on him.

"Hello. Everyone." Marvin looked around, saw the clock, but it is a twelve-hour analog clock. He has no idea what it represents in terms of how long he has been out.

"So. I am awake. Good sign?" Marvin asked

"The best" Jessica assured him

"We have run every test. We have monitored you every hour. The best test? My wives nose. Morgan?" Jessica asked.

"You are fine, dad. Fine. Better than that: Whatever it was that you had in terms of a disease, it is gone. Completely gone. Eradicated. Erased. However you would like to put it. I can find no trace at all. Not even a molecule of bad humor, as they used to say. You are cured, to the degree that I can tell. My husband and fellow hyper agrees."

"Excellent! so: how long was I out. Feels like a few minutes?" Marvin asked.

Skye laughed with some edge. "Try five days, Marvin. Five long miserable days."

Marvin sat up and studied his plumbing. "Really? Because I feel fine. Better than fine."

"You probably better unhook him. They were pissed when I did all the unhooking at the hospital, but at this stage, all feels right with the world. As long as he stays out from under police cars and off meat hooks, he should be OK." I told Jessica and Mom.

Jessica and I grinned at each other with that shared memory.

Mom heard the story of course, but it took her a moment to snap to it the way Jessica did. Jessica was there. She lived it with me.

Mom began unhooking things,

"Be right back. Next comes eating. Lots of eating. I need to get to cooking. We need red meat, Cheese, protein of all sorts and a lot of it." I said

Jessica came with me, and we held hands on the way to the house. "We did it!" She enthused.

"We did, my love. First intentional Vampire turn in recorded Vampire history." Jessica heard my sarcasm about 'recorded history' and my happiness mixed together.

"You." She said and loaded it with affection.

Jessica and I cooked food. We have a crowd upstairs in the garage/clinic to feed. Our kids and adults and a freshly turned Vampire. I seared up some steaks. Jessica made a huge 'meat lovers' pizza and a cheese Pizza. We added fruit for our daughters and stacked everything together and carried it to the clinic.

We kissed a great deal during the process.

Jessica and I laid out the impromptu smorgasbord in the main clinic room, and let everyone pick what they wanted. When some things looked like they were more popular than anticipated, like the meat covered Pizza, one or the other of us would race to the main house to make more. 'Just in time' cooking.

I fed Laura fruit and a small slice of the cheese pizza and she accepted it from me. She studied the pizza carefully. I assume to be sure that is has no impurities? Who knows. It's Laura.