Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ A Matter Of Choice ❯ ...By Many Pairs of Eyes ( Chapter 31 )

… By Many Pairs Of Eyes

 

Jack Newman was on his way to the HDU to see his mystery patient. Well, she was no longer his patient, but he was curious, and he had no doubt in his mind that her chest drain would be ready to come out by now. It was a welcome excuse as he had become fascinated with her case. What she must have been through on that rooftop he couldn't even begin to imagine. The sedatives should be starting to dissipate now and she should be settling into a natural sleep. He logged in at the ward's reception desk and headed to his patient.

 

He slipped on a pair of gloves as he entered the space before picking up and inspecting her charts. They logged how much blood had been coming out of the drain, how much she had received as transfusion, her temperature and other such matters. It seemed that she had a settled night last night. He inspected the drain tubing that came out of her chest and the wound it that came out of. All seemed well, so he replaced the dressing and went to fetch the necessary tools to remove the drain entirely. She would need some pain relief and some stitches when he had finished. Putting his equipment on a small metal trolley he wheeled it to her side.

 

“Good morning Tegan.” He greeted her as he pulled the curtains around her bed. “I'm Doctor Newman. I'm here to take this tube out of your chest, okay?”

 

He didn't know whether she could hear him, but he talked to her anyway. He thought it only polite to presume she could hear every word he said and therefore to be courteous. Tegan on the other hand could hear him perfectly well, he had just woken her up, but she wasn't about to let him know that. She lay as still as possible. He was about to solve what had been an issue in her plan for her but she it would be best for her to seem asleep.

 

He drew a shot of morphine into a syringe before injecting it into the cannula in the back of her hand. He let it work for a minute, Tegan beginning to feel distinctly woozy within moments of the cold sensation entering her hand. Mind you, she would be grateful for it in a moment. Doctor Newman took off her dressing and gently began to remove the drain. Despite the morphine it was still uncomfortable, a soft moan escaping her throat. He looked up at her and watched her shift a little in her sleep. It did not matter as she had moved into a better position for him to work in.

 

He threaded his needle and began to close the wound. Tegan could feel the skin pulling as he closed the two sides together, the stitches tight. While she felt no pain, it took a lot of control not to twitch at the strange tugging. Another set, she thought to herself bitterly. They'll match the other side nicely. She gritted her teeth at a particularly sharp tug, but he saw her eyelids flutter in response to the pain. He was on the last stitch and so finished it before standing beside her, placing his hand over hers gently.

 

“Tegan, can you hear me?”

 

Tegan cursed inwardly, but it really had been impossible not to slip. She could really do without this but she supposed she would have to give him some response. A drugged sleepiness would have to do him. She moaned and ever so slightly turned her face to his voice.

 

“Do you know where you are?” He asked gently.

 

She moaned once more and slid her hand out of his grasp.

 

He nodded. She was staring to wake up, but was not really able to respond right now. He watched her turn to protect her left shoulder. He came round to that side of her.

 

“Tegan?”

 

Her eyes opened lazily and she looked at him with half focused eyes. He was pleased to see the pupils dilate in an even manner, despite the drugs in her system. He knew he had her attention, but she was sleepy, not fully conscious. Still she held her gaze, waiting for him to speak.

 

“Do you want me to bind that shoulder up now?” He asked gently.

 

He watched her for a minute until she slowly nodded her head before closing her eyes. He nodded and went out of the curtains.

 

“Nurse!” He called.

 

A young lady of twenty-five or so answered his call.

 

“Go and get some strapping and help me bind up this woman's shoulder.”

 

“Yes doctor.”

 

He went back into Tegan.

 

“Now we are going to have to sit you up a bit for this.” He said to her softly.

 

Tegan struggled to keep her eyes open. The morphine was making her woozy and sleepy. So much for the act, ow! He started to raise the head of the bed until Tegan was almost fully sat up, starting a throbbing pain in her shoulder.

 

“There, we'll soon have you sorted.” He said softly, his voice oddly soothing.

 

He started to disconnect her from the monitoring machines with care.

 

“Looks like you won't be needing these anymore. We'll try and get you on a ward later. Ah, good timing nurse. Can you help her sit up and support her arm as I do this?”

 

“Yes doctor.” She smiled at him.

 

Slowly the young woman sat her forward and Tegan could feel the strain on her wounds. Although she was growing stronger the morphine was sapping the little strength that she had, and she was a little floppy like a rag doll. Still she was steadied without a word of complaint, the nurse settling herself behind Tegan, laying her patient's weight against her in such as way that she would remain in position throughout the procedure. The nurse untied her gown and draped it across her breasts as modestly as was possible. Her left arm was held out in the desired position, and the two worked together in a practised manner. Slowly but surely the joint was securely strapped, supporting the broken ends of bone to aid their healing. Tegan was steadily falling asleep again as she was redressed. She hardly noticed when she was laid back onto the raised pillows and left in peace.

 

* * * * *

 

When she woke she found herself in a small side room and alone. She looked outside; the sun was just setting. She sat up slowly, doing her best not to aggravate her injuries. Her wounds hurt, but not so much that they were a problem. She had sat at home after a fight with worse pain than this. She wondered how long that would last. She had no doubt she was being helped by a cushion of pain killing drugs. She reached down and removed the catheter from between her legs, a stinging heat remaining in its place, but that could not be helped. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and slid her feet to the floor, testing herself. She was surprised when she was able to stand without swaying, feeling remarkably well. It seemed that she stronger than she realised.

 

She crept to the door, peeking through the blinds. The nursing staff was changing over shifts and a couple of policemen were talking down the hall. She scouted out all she could see from her limited viewpoint. The patient toilets would be the most useful to her as long as her belongings had been preserved. She located a bag at the foot of the bed, bending slowly and rifled through it. Her blood soaked and slit clothes were there but there was nothing in the bottom of the bag. Damn, this was not good, but then again… She rifled through her jeans and jacket pockets, sighing with relief when she managed to find her wallet, keys and lighter.

 

She smiled as she checked the wallet finding a hundred dollars and everything intact. All she should need for now. She pulled her trainers out of the bag with her bloodstained clothes. They were a little bloody but no one should notice in the dark, but the slit clothes were no use to her right now. She bundled her things into a pillowcase before taking her lighter in her hand and walking as fast as she could to the toilets. She kept her head down and her back to everyone as she went, sliding gratefully unnoticed into a patient toilet. There she found all the toilet paper and anything else she thought might burn and put them in a pile in the corner. She wondered about what she was going to do but rationalised it knowing that she wasn't going to burn the place down. This little bundle would easily be put out, but it should mean the ward would be evacuated.

 

She slipped unnoticed back into her room. Sitting on the bed she put her bundled belongings in her lap and wrapped the blanket around her. Then she waited. It wasn't long before the alarm sounded and a nurse came running in to guide her out of the building. It was a mass exodus of the walking wounded, trolleys and wheelchairs. The policemen were occupied in helping the nurses and Tegan went largely unnoticed in the melee, which was exactly what she wanted. As they got outside it became apparent that the smoke detectors couldn't pinpoint the fire and the whole building had been evacuated. Tegan gently drifted to the back of the crowd. In the chaos no one noticed as she slipped away, all except one pair of eyes.

 

Tegan found a convenient bush to hide behind and put her trainers on. She had no intention of walking down the street in bare feet. She hurried down the street keeping to the shadows, trying to look like a tramp or bum, trying to go unnoticed. Round the corner a taxi was parked. Hurriedly she slipped inside.

 

“Hey!” The taxi driver yelled. “Get out of my…”

 

“Shut it!” Tegan snapped. “Or you'll talk yourself out of a hundred bucks.”

 

The driver nodded and sat back. He took a good look at her. She was unkempt and seemed to be only wearing a blanket. Tegan pulled out her wallet, the driver watching closely. She took out fifty dollars and a business card.

 

“Fifty now and another fifty when we get to the place on the card. But you only get the other fifty if you don't ask any questions and you forget you ever saw me.”

 

“You're the boss lady.”

 

He looked at the card and once more at the money in his hand. He shrugged his shoulders and started the engine. The journey was quiet apart from the sirens wailing past them. Tegan sat with her eyes closed, trying to ignore the throbbing pain all down her left side. She felt every bump and jolt as a spike of searing heat that made her swallow hard as she tried not to cry out. On the odd occasion she couldn't completely stifle the cry of pain the driver looked back at his unusual passenger. The roads weren't too busy and it wasn't long before they arrived outside the apartment block. As the driver turned to her she stuffed the handful of bills into his hand and got out of the cab before he could say anything. She hurried into the building and headed for the lifts, only to find them out of order. She swore and took the stairs as quietly as she could, praying that no-one would come out and see her in this state.

 

The three flights of stairs seemed endless, the pain in her side and fatigue making every step harder than the last. When she eventually reached her apartment she was gasping for breath and ready to collapse. She fumbled with the keys but managed to get inside despite her shaking hands. Closing the door behind her was a huge relief. She had managed the whole ordeal and not been seen, though it had been tortuous in the least. She really shouldn't have left yet, but circumstances being what they were she could not stay either. Now she had to heal and rest here, she knew enough to take care of herself, the worst had already been done for her. She staggered into the apartment, suddenly feeling drained of all her energy. She was aware of tears falling down her face, the pain at the limit of what she could tolerate.

 

As she started to make for her bedroom her foot touched something. Looking down she saw a small brown envelope. Tegan bent down laboriously, picked it up and took it with her. She dumped the bundle of ruined clothing on the sofa and shuffled into the bathroom. She rifled through the various bottles of medication she had stored in search of the strongest painkillers she owned. She swallowed a couple before shuffling into the bedroom and collapsing on her bed. She kicked off the bloody trainers and pulled off the ridiculous hospital gown. Pulling the hospital blanket around her naked body she fingered the envelope. She opened it, slowly taking out the contents. Inside she found a small key and a note in a neat hand written italic script.

 

Box 273. Take some time off, I think you deserve it. Good hunting.

 

Although unsigned Tegan knew it would be from Torin. On the back of the note was the address of the safety deposit box. Smiling she put the note and the key on the bedside table. Immensely grateful to finally be home, she laid down in the comfort of her own bed. It didn't take long for the pain and exhaustion to take over her, and she slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep.

 

* * * * *

 

Torin smiled to himself. He had watched Tegan's escape and marvelled at her audacity. The girl had a fortitude that went beyond anything that could be expected. He had rather enjoyed the walk back to the mansion, chuckling to himself at the prospect of the fight to come between them. It was going to be the most interesting meeting of his life. Though if he was honest, he had no desire to kill her, but seeing how far she could really go… that was another matter. He arrived back at the mansion in good spirits only to find Demetriov waiting behind the door.

 

“Good hunting?” He asked.

 

Torin noticed the suspicion in Demetriov's voice, his mood dropping at the tone. He wondered what he had to be suspicious about.

 

“Bird watching actually.” He replied with a smirk.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I watched a little injured bird fly home to safety.”

 

Demetriov caught his meaning.

 

“So Tegan has escaped the attention of the police.” He breathed a sigh of relief as Torin nodded. “This is good news indeed.”

 

“She was in no fit state to do it mind, but I guess there was a matter of urgency.”

 

“Before too many questions were asked.” Demetriov finished, thinking for a moment.

 

“Yes, involving the authorities would put us both at risk.”

 

“Both?” Demetriov wasn't sure what Torin meant.

 

“If they believed her story and in vampires then we would be at risk. If not, Tegan would be at risk of spending her days in a straight jacket.” He voiced the thought that had been on his mind ever since he had spoken with her at the hospital.

 

“Not a fate she deserves I think.” Demetriov mused.

 

“I couldn't agree more.”

 

The two walked into the downstairs salon, where thankfully there was no one to disturb them.

 

“So we can expect her to continue where she left off.” Demetriov broke the silence that had fallen between them. Torin was not pleased to see that Demetriov smiled as she talked of the prospect.

 

“Not for some time.” He replied. “But eventually, yes, I expect so.”

 

Demetriov smiled at the thought. So all this hadn't been in vain. After all he still had a hunt to begin, and what's more to enjoy. He intended drag out the hunt for a while, revelling in her fear as he did so. He took a deep breath, thinking for a moment.

 

“I don't like to say it but we have underestimated her Torin. She is strong, very strong, much stronger than certainly I had anticipated.”

 

“Dangerous.” Torin replied darkly. “Both to underestimate her, and to face her I think.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

The two thought about this. No one had expected her to succeed, but she had. Recently she had been killing vampires with an astonishing rate of success. She wasn't fast but there was not one among them that hadn't noticed the dwindling numbers in the mansion. Once she made the decision of who and how she was going to kill she didn't fail. She was getting stronger and stronger with each kill, a fact that was slightly alarming. Certainly something would have to be done about it all.

 

“I think it is time the elders took an interest in her activities.” Demetriov mused out loud. “The young ones are increasingly at risk. She is getting too strong.”

 

“Do you plan to kill her, or do you still want to keep your promise?” Torin asked nervously, he wasn't sure that he wanted either outcome.

 

“I would like to keep my promise to her. I am a man of integrity. The chase will be exciting but if she becomes too dangerous to the group I will kill her.”

 

“You will kill her?”

 

“Oh yes.” Demetriov replied matter-of-factly. “If I can't make her one of us she will die. And I shall make sure that it is at my hands.”

 

***************************************************************** *****************

 

Author's notes:

Well, now things start to get interesting, or they will once she recovers, poor girl, I put her through the grinder, she needs a break for a while… though not long. After all she is my little plaything. Mwa ha ha ha ha!