Reflection (Book #2)

Chapter Fifteen

"Baba, wake up."

I peeked over to see Alex pulling on Ben's hand.

"Mm, what?" Ben asked in a sleepy voice.

"Come on. I want to show you what I learned at school."

"Okay. I'm getting up."

Alex smiled. "Think you can keep up with me, Baba?" 

"I guess we'll find out." They went downstairs, and I followed so I could get the laundry from the dryer.

I watched for a moment as they cleared a space in the living room and squared up with each other, then grabbed the laundry and went back upstairs.

I halfway listened as Alex tried out his new fighting moves while I folded. I heard their feet shuffle across the floor, and then a slamming sound.

"Baba, you're good!" Alex praised. "What about if I do this?"

They continued for awhile, giggling and challenging each other, followed by I assumed Alex getting slammed to the floor. I was happy Ben was realizing he didn't have to be as gentle with us as we did with him.

Every time, Alex jumped back to his feet, and went back to muttering challenges. My mind drew away from the sounds of them as I focused on the task at hand.

"What's this?" Alex asked as I was putting towels away in the bathroom. 

"Whoa, be careful," Ben cautioned, making me listen a little closer.

A soft thud was followed by a louder one. The clicking of metal made my stomach churn.

"Mama!" Alex screamed. 

Goodbumps appeared all over my body as the smell of blood reached me. I was beside them in a second. I dropped to my knees beside Ben, putting pressure on the wound in his belly that was gushing blood.

"I'm sorry, Mama. I'm so sorry. I dont-"

"Alex, take a deep breath, and call for an ambulance," I said calmly. 

Ben's eyes were frantic, but sorrowful, as he choked on blood.

"No, Mama. Listen," Alex whispered. 

I listened for Ben's heartbeat, and that's when the tears started. "Your heart is too slow. By the time an ambulance would get here, you'd be dead," I whispered to Ben.

He closed his eyes, as I weighed my options.   Do I feed him my blood and make him Zuri? I can't just wait for an ambulance and hope he survives until they get here.

"Fuck! What do I do, baby? Please, tell me what to do?" I begged him.

He looked at me again, calmly, and nodded, as if he could read my mind.

"Fine, fuck it!" I ripped open a vein in my wrist, and pressed it to his mouth. "Drink, baby. I can't let you go." 

He slowly sipped at my blood, seeming to breathe a sigh of relief, and then bit into my skin, pulling me closer. The hole in his flesh under my hand healed first, then the color started to return to his face.

"Alex," I breathed. "Call Wesley. Now." 

When the transformation started taking root in Ben's body, he released me, groaning. "Thank you," he grumbled. 

"Come on, get up. Let's get you cleaned up before you can't move anymore."

Ben got to his feet, but when he saw Alex standing against the wall crying, he held his arms out. "Come here, buddy. It's okay. You didn't- ugh- mean to." 

Alex squeezed him tightly, crying into his chest.

"Where is the pain?" I asked, pulling Ben's arm over my shoulders so I could help him upstairs. 

"I don't know. Everywhere?" He groaned, breathing hard.

"Then we need to hurry. I think it's going to be quick since you lost so much blood."  

He fell into the bathtub, and I pulled his torn, blood-soaked shirt off and started the water. 

"I'm sorry," I whispered, as I collapsed beside him. "I never thought this is how this would happen. I wanted to be prepared-" 

"It's okay." He put his hand on my cheek, and pulled me closer so he could kiss me. "There are some things you cannot prepare for." He bit his lip to try to contain the moans of pain as I rinsed blood from his skin.

"You're going to be asleep for a little while," I explained, needing the focus to keep me from panicking. "When you wake up, everything will be different. Just remember that I love you, and the pain will end." 

"The pain will end," he repeated. "How long?" 

"I don't know. A couple days, maybe?" 

"Mama, Wesley is coming," Alex announced sadly from the bathroom doorway. 

"Thank you. You did great. Unlock the door for him so he can get in." 

Alex disappeared again, his little feet padding as fast as they could  When he returned, I held my arm out so he could sit in my lap. "Hold Baba's hand. He needs you."

"I'm okay," Ben forced. "It's not so bad. You didn't know."

"You couldn't have known, baby. You've never been around guns. It'll be okay." I rubbed his hair back and kissed his forehead. I turned to Ben. "Can you still walk?"

"I think so," he gulped.

"Alex, go wait by the door for Wesley so you can show him what room we're in. I need to get Ben in dry clothes to lay in bed."

Alex looked scared for a moment, before putting on a tough face and sprinting to the front door.

I pulled Ben up into a standing position and helped him brace himself against the shower wall so I could strip his pants off. "It's all going to be okay. I'll be with you the whole time."

His elbow dropped to his side, as he tried to breathe through the pain that was no doubt sweeping through his body.

I lifted him back up, and helped him to the bed. I perched him on the edge of the bed. I sprinted to the dresser, grabbed a pair of his boxers, and sprinted back so I could slip them onto his legs.

His eyes rolled back into his head as he fell backwards onto the bed.

I was moving his head into the pillows when Wesley walked into the room, and put his legs into the bed. I kissed Ben's lips, and whispered, "It's okay. The pain will end."