Love Bites

What's done is done

Tasha was feeling a little better but a lot more guilty. She'd put her grandparents, her friends and Cal through so much heart ache and pain. For that, she was truly sorry, but she couldn't take back what she'd done. Her thoughts drifted to everything she'd been through and she realised that she'd always be known as the girl whom death stalks. Let him stalk, she thought. I'm not going to give into him again. I'm never going to be that weak again.

"Hey, you're awake!" Izzy smiled at Tasha from the doorway, a coffee in hand. Tasha reruned the smile and tried to push herself up into  sitting position but pain seared through her arm and she cried out. "Whoa, easy!" Izzy rushed forward.

Tasha gasped again as the agony washed over her in waves. The clean, white bandages around her wrist began staining red.

"I think I better call the nurse," Izzy gulped eyeing Tasha's bandage.

Tasha tried to take some deep, steadying breaths but spots began to dance before her eyes and her vision tunnelled.

"Let's have a look at you then," the nurse bustled into the room. She was a portly woman with short, cropped hair. Her demeanor was business-like, a quiet authority. She seemed fairly old yet her fingers were spritly as she removed Tasha's bandage. "You've managed to pop a few stitches," she tutted. "Soon have that sorted." She left in search of supplies.

Tasha was panting to try and keep the searing pain at bay, sweat forming on her brow with the exertion. She was grateful when the nurse returned quicker than anticipated. She injected a clear liquid into her I.V line and Tasha felt a warmth seep up her arm and around her body. In seconds she was floating.

"Morphine for the pain," the nurse told Izzy who was stood by the window looking panic stricken, unable to tear her eyes away from the wound on her friends arm. Moments later she was securing a clean bandage. "All done," she smiled at both girls and left.

Izzy watched as Tasha drifted in and out of consciousness, floating on a cloud of morphine. The image of that jagged wound running up her arm would not leave Izzy's head. The blood, the way it seeped through the bandage consuming the pure, white linen.  How could she do that to herself? How had she not seen her friend was so low? Tears slid down her face, tears for her friend and tears for herself, for her own failings.

"What happened?" A voice asked from the door, the figure rushed forward, worry etched on his pale face.

"It's okay Cal," Izzy reassured him. "She just bust a few stitches is all."

Cal sagged and dropped into one of the vacant chairs next to Tasha's bed, and cradled his head in his hands. He blew out a breath, "Her eyes were closed and you were shaking...I thought..." he stopped unable to voice the notion running through his head.

"Are you okay?" Izzy asked after a beat. "No offence but you look like shit."

"Cheers," Cal snorted, lifting his head to look at her. He realised that her eyes were full of pain as much as his own.

They held each other's gaze a moment. "Wanna talk about it?" She asked him. "It doesn't look like Tasha will be a great source of conversation for a while."

Cal laughed a little, leaned over and gently brushed away a few strands of hair the had fallen into Tasha's eyes.

"Come on, let's grab a coffee, let her rest." Izzy said softly, but Cal knew she wasn't asking but telling. So he rose from his chair and followed her to the canteen.

"Talk." She sat back, pulled one foot up onto the chair and rested her chin on her knee, cradling an anemic looking cup of coffee.

He wasn't sure what to say. He'd always been around vampires, who knew instinctively what was wrong, who could read minds and moods as easily as humans read a book. He didn't know how to share like humans did. But, that being said, he needed to offload. All this emotion was crushing him with its weight, on his now seemingly lonely shoulders. 

He took a deep breath, "When I went home my...maid was waiting to see me." Cal paused, not really sure how to put this without giving too much away or making it all seem unbelievable. "My father and my sister...they've been killed in a car accident."

Izzy's hand flew to her mouth, "Oh my God! When? Where?"

"They left yesterday morning to go and visit my aunt. They were about and hour out when their car collided with a truck. They were both killed instantly." He deliberately kept the details vague. With a renewed wave of grief tears began to fall and he looked down, embarrassed. Suddenly, he felt warm arms encircle him and he was surprised to find Izzy hugging him. What's more he was surprised to find himself sinking into her embrace, letting his pent up emotions come tumbling out.

"Shhhh," she soothed motherly as he cried. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise."

"Thank you," he whispered and he meant it.