Black Blood

21

"How are you, Laika?" I asked her. She blushed and backed up a little. I smirked at her and then laid back on my pillow. "I heard you were worried about me. I appreciate your concern." I told her. The little girl looked like she wanted to say something, but she wouldn't. "Laika, I just want you to know that every time you're around me or your brother, you can say anything. You don't have to be afraid anymore. Trust me on this one." I told her. The redhead nodded and took a deep breath. I saw tears forming in her eyes.

"I... I'm sorry! It's all my fault that you're hurt!" Laika yelled. I sat up and I hugged her in a way that was close but not to where it would hurt me. I pet her head and hushed her softly.

"Sweetheart none of this is your fault! It never has been your fault. Let me tell you something." I said to her as she looked up at me with puffy eyes. "It's going to be a long journey of recovery. I've been where you have before. I was raised there until I was rescued. You are going to have to learn to accept that the trauma that happened to you, has happened and that now you can be a new and better person... especially for the ones you love and the ones you've lost." I told her. She continued to cry and that's when Kieran came back.

"I see that you two are getting along." Kieran whispered as Laika started to fall asleep. I smiled up at him and he walked over to me. "Doctor said that you can leave in three days if your health proceeds to carry on like it is. They also agreed to the blood donation, knowing what we are." Kieran told me. I was a bit surprised.

"That reminds me... How do they know that we're not human?" I asked curiously. Kieran sat in the chair next to my bed and held my hand that wasn't cradling Laika.

"Even some of the doctors have managed to hide their true identities as a part of the supernatural society. I can tell just by the scent of their blood what they are. When you know what they are, it's easy to find your way around blood tests and DNA samples. My doctor, Dr. Kozku has been my doctor since I was little, so having him here helps. He was a part of my father's medic field back when I was younger." Kieran stated. I nodded and felt Laika cuddle into my shoulder. She was so peaceful and not in distress when she was asleep. I knew that these dreamless nights aren't going to last long for her, and I was determined to get her the help that I never had.

"I want to get her a therapist of some sort. One who deals with trauma like this, and one who is supernatural to better understand her. I want her to have that safe place that I never had." I said to Kieran. He smiled and took his hand and brushed the hair out of my eyes.

"She will when she's ready." Kieran said. I agreed and rested my eyes while cradling Laika with one hand and holding Kieran's hand in the other. Kieran smiled at me and rested his head on the bed and we all fell asleep like that.

~~~

A few days later, I was being discharged from the hospital, but I had to be in a wheelchair until I could walk without pain. Of course, that came with at-home physical therapy, but I had been told that because of my genetics, I was probably going to heal faster than any normal human would. This information gave me peace of mind about my condition.

I wheeled over to the kitchen where Kieran was making lunch to see Laika sitting on the counter, helping him make the eggs for the ramen that Kieran was making. I wheeled behind Kieran and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"I thought that you didn't know how to cook." I said to him. He snickered and Laika laughed under her breath at Kieran's expression.

"Just because I don't know how to make a lot of things, doesn't mean I don't know how to make ramen." He said to me. Laika laughed and hid her smile under her hand.

"That's because you don't know how to make it, silly! I told you the recipe!" Laika laughed. I tilted my head and smirked at Kieran with my eyebrows raised. Kieran flicked Laika's forehead and she giggled before going back to making food.

"Okay, okay! Laika knows the recipe by heart and I may have stolen it from her." Kieran told me. I held onto his hand as he turned around to face me. He handed me a bottle of coconut water with some of his blood in it. I sat it behind me on the island and he leaned down to kiss me. Laika gagged at the scene and took her spatula and started hitting Kieran with it. "Geez, Laika! I get it! Stop hitting me!" Kieran said to her, slightly laughing at her.

"Oh hey, Kieran? I forgot to ask... What happened to Kollin?" I asked him. Kieran turned back to me and Laika finished the food for him.

"He's been taken in by my father's kingdom for questioning. As far as I know, he had a change of heart and decided to help us get Laika back." Kieran said.

"He was the only one who was nice to me there." Laika's small voice said from behind Kieran. I was very surprised to hear this, considering he had no problem hurting me.

"What do you mean?" I asked the little redheaded girl. She hopped onto Kieran's back to get down from the counter and then she came up to stand in front of me.

"He promised me that he would get me out of that place. He said that I reminded him of his little sister who died in a fire a few years ago." Laika said. Kieran picked her up and looked her in the eyes.

"Sis, why didn't you tell us this before?" Kieran asked her. "That was very important information." He said with a calm, yet firm tone of voice. Laika looked down in guilt.

"I'm sorry... I was scared." Laika said. I had Kieran put her in my lap.

"What matters now is that you and I are safe and that nobody from that group can hurt us again now that your big brother is here to protect us." I told her. Laika hugged me and then looked up at Kieran.

"Yes, and when Talia and I get married, I will be king and have more power over the security system over you guys." Kieran said. I nodded and Laika smiled. It was silent before Laika's stomach growled really loud. We all laughed hysterically. I wheeled Laika over to the table and she sat down in her seat that was across from me and next to Kieran, who was at the end of the table.

"Let's eat!" I said before going over to the table and getting our plates of food and putting them on my lap, while Kieran got the side dishes and brought them over to the table. I guess Kieran had forgotten that I couldn't get up by myself from the wheelchair so I just sat by his chair until he got the hint. He smirked and picked me up and put me in an actual chair instead of the wheelchair. I laughed at him and we all sat down and ate lunch.