Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ A Matter Of Choice ❯ Infection ( Chapter 41 )

Infection

 

Tegan shook, not violently, but the muscle tremors were more than a tremble, not that she was aware of them as she was asleep, but the movement was enough to wake Torin. For a moment he wondered why he was awake before the sun had set, by now knowing instinctively where the sun was in the sky. Then he noticed Tegan shaking as she lay against him. He bundled her up into his arms, feeling the heat from her body through her sweat sodden clothes. She burned with a high fever, shaking even as she slept. He held her to him, holding her tight not sure what to do to care for her. He did the only thing he could think of to make her more comfortable and took a towel, wetting it and mopping her brow with it tenderly. The sweat and water washed away the plasters that covered the wounds at her throat as he worked, the sight of them made him angry. They reminded him all too well of the reason why she was in this state. His attention seemed enough to calm her body some and keep her comfortable so he kept her in his arms until the sun had set, gently soothing her in her fever.

 

She was still asleep as he carried her into her bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. He drew the curtains that shut out all the daylight, as well as the world outside. He sat next to her trying to soothe her as she had begun to fret in her sleep again. He had to do something about her sodden clothes. Slowly he started to take them off, Tegan stirring as he struggled to take off her wet jeans. Suddenly she sat upright, wide awake and breathing hard. It took her a moment to realise where she was and what was happening.

 

“Tegan?” Torin asked cautiously not wanting to startle her.

 

“Hot. I'm so hot, so thirsty.” She panted her breathing laboured.

 

“I know, let's get these clothes off you.”

 

The job was a lot easier with her co-operation. Eventually they got her into a pair of shorts and a baggy t-shirt, though it took a lot of effort on her part. She lay back, trying to catch her breath. The whole process had put her in a lot of pain; her broken bones sending waves of pain up her arm.

 

“God it hurts.” She hissed through clenched teeth, fighting back tears of pain.

 

He put his arms around her, trying to provide some small comfort. She looked as she might cry at any moment.

 

“We have to take you to a doctor. You need help.” He said gently.

 

“And how do we explain my temperature or what is happening to me? They will be able to tell something is very wrong just by looking at me.”

 

What she said was true. Her skin was pale, ashen. She seemed almost grey. Her eyes were bloodshot, the wounds at her throat angry and inflamed.

 

“There are a few that ask no questions when given the right motivation.” He said quietly, his gaze on the floor.

 

Tegan looked at him shocked. These were not the types of people she thought that he might know. Then again, he had admitted to having his DNA analysed, why the hell would this come as a shock?

 

“Vampires can find strong painkillers useful. One of the few things we can digest.”

 

“I won't ask how you found that out. Something to do with your DNA guy or whatever.” She muttered put out by all this and not knowing how to react.

 

“That's wise. Still, we have to do something. I can't stand seeing you in this much pain.”

 

“If only Demetriov had thought of that.” She spat angrily.

 

“You are wandering off the point.” He chided softly.

 

They sat in silence for a moment, Tegan realising she couldn't lie to him.

 

“It sounds a little unsavoury. I have to admit I don't know if I really trust such people to know what they are doing.”

 

“They do, they just have other concerns like gambling debts or drug habits. I never asked in this case, sometimes its better not to know.”

 

“Well if I have to I will.”

 

“Let's sit you up.”

 

Tegan managed, but it was hard. Why did doing the simplest tasks make her feel like she had just run a marathon? She tried to stand but it was too much and she fell onto Torin. He sat her down again as they waited for the dizziness to clear.

 

“I can't do this. I can't even stand up.”

 

“Then I'll have to carry you.”

 

“We'll look strange.” She laughed at him.

 

“No one will see.”

 

“I can't wait to see how you are going to manage that.”

 

“I think you might not enjoy it as much as you think.” He smiled at her cheekily holding up a blanket. “You'll need this or you'll catch a chill. The last thing you need is to catch your death of cold.”

 

Tegan laughed. Catching her death of cold. Right now the idea seemed utterly ridiculous, but deadly serious. He wrapped her in it before lifting her effortlessly into his arms. Before she knew it they were outside in the cold night. The chill of it shocked her, huddling into his chest. She had this sensation of rising and falling and found herself trying to see what was happening. When she managed to fight the blanket out of her face she watched as Torin leapt from rooftop to rooftop. Suddenly she decided it was better not to know what was going on. Torin laughed as she clung tightly to him.

 

Soon it was over and they were in an apartment block across town. As they walked into a warm corridor she started to feel hot again. He set her on her feet Tegan leaning against the wall for support.

 

“Are you alright my love?” He asked concerned as she stumbled.

 

“I will be. Let's get this over with.”

 

He nodded. He knocked on the door next to her. Sounds of life came from within. After a moment or two the door opened a young man appearing in the doorway.

 

“Ah.” He said. “You again.”

 

“I have a patient for you.”

 

“Someone else!” He was stunned. “I can't have all and sundry knowing about this.”

 

“Oh believe me, your secret is safe. She has secrets of her own that she has to keep.”

 

Torin turned to reveal the burden in his arms and saw the bundled up figure of Tegan. He looked into her eyes and didn't like what he saw. She could tell he thought her to be dangerous.

 

“Your secret will be safe with me.” She panted.

 

He paused, and then nodded. It wasn't like he had much choice anyway.

 

“You'd best bring her in.” He hissed to Torin.

 

He stood looking up and down the corridor as Torin bundled her inside, making sure no one had seen or heard what had just occurred. Torin set Tegan down on a chair, brushing her hair out of her face and helping her out of the stifling blanket. The young doctor set himself in front of her.

 

“That is some infection you have there.” He said gently as he looked her up and down a worried look on his face.

 

“That's not why we are here.” Torin replied.

 

He looked up puzzled.

 

“Believe me doctor; this infection is something you can do nothing about. It's my arm I need you for.”

 

She presented her right arm gingerly. The doctor eyed up the sodden splint quizzically. Still, he started to remove it, careful of the obvious pain she was in.

 

“You are going to need some serious pain relief. And call me Matt”

 

“I'm not sure I've heard such sweet words in my life.” She smiled round gritted teeth, the final effect looking quite feral.

 

Matt laughed, knowing that the gesture was from pain and she was trying to push past it, and with that attempt he found himself relaxing in their company.

 

“It needs setting, but I don't have the stuff here. We'll have to go to the clinic. I'll take an x-ray while we're there. We'll take my car.”

 

Torin started to wrap the blanket back round her. He picked her up and they hurried to the car anxious not to be noticed. Soon enough they were at the clinic and the x-ray was taken. Matt held the film up to the light.

 

“Well it's good news. The bones are well aligned and all they will need is time.”

 

“That's a relief.” Torin sighed.

 

Tegan replied with a weak smile.

 

“You will need to rest while you heal.” Tegan got the double edge to his point. “Let's get you into a cast.”

 

And so began the slow, messy process of applying the cast. By the end of it Tegan was exhausted, her eyelids drooping, her breathing coming in heavy pants.

 

“Will you be able to get her home okay?” Matt whispered to Torin.

 

“I'll be fine. And you can be sure that a nice deposit will be made into your account tomorrow.”

 

“I'd have done this for free you know. She looks seriously ill.”

 

“Believe me she is, but there is nothing you can do for her, except to perhaps ease her pain.”

 

Matt reached inside a drawer.

 

“Take these. If she can't swallow them grind them up in a drink. They will work just as well. Make sure no less than four hours apart.”

 

By this point Tegan had fallen unconscious once more. Torin bundled her up and carried her out of the clinic door. Matt watched as they walked into the shadows. He found himself wondering what was happening to the young woman. He only hoped that he had helped in some fashion. From what he had seen he was certain she was dying.

 

* * * * *

 

Torin laid her once more on her bed. She looked so fragile. He was amazed by the amount of sweat that poured out of her body. He had to get her to drink. He fetched a glass of water and crushed a couple of the painkillers into it. He shook her gently.

 

“Tegan.”

 

She stirred sluggishly, everything was just such an effort and she easily fell into a half asleep daze to let her body rest unless Torin roused her.

 

“Come on Tegan. Just have a drink and you can go back to sleep.”

 

She struggled to sit up but co-operated as he tipped the glass to her lips. She gulped it down greedily and soon it was gone. Torin smiled. That should help things a little. She lay back down heavily and fell into sleep once more. He looked at her and all he could think about was Demetriov. The twin wounds at her throat glared accusingly at him. Anger rose in an uncontrollable wave inside of him. He wanted to hurt him for doing this to her, for having seen right through him last night, and in a sense used him to get to her. The whole situation frustrated and angered him beyond belief and finally he could hold it back no longer.

 

It took him minutes to be back at the mansion. He stormed in, forcing the door to Demetriov's rooms open, leaving it hanging on one hinge.

 

“What an entrance Torin. I presume there is some point to your impertinence.”

 

Demetriov was on his feet quickly and expecting trouble, though the gesture reminded Torin how easily he was beaten yesterday and if he didn't want the same thing happening again he had to not rush in and most of all have better control of his temper. At this precise moment, that was an impossibility.

 

“I hope you're happy.” Torin was fuming.

 

“Excuse me?” Demetriov was flummoxed.

 

He had been expecting Torin to launch at him with all of the anger he saw in his eyes and rage he heard in his voice. For him to not have done so was a little off putting. When did Torin get so sensible?

 

“It was bad enough that you made me suffer. I can cope with that, I can heal.” Torin snapped, the sharp retort enough to shake Demetriov from his confusion.

 

“I never wanted to do that.” No breaking her arm had not been necessary, but breaking her down had been quite enjoyable. “It was merely necessary.” He tried to brush it off.

 

“The delight you took in drinking from me wasn't necessary. The pain you caused Tegan wasn't necessary was it?” He shouted.

 

“Its not my fault that you taste so good.” Demetriov quipped. “I never meant to hurt her.” He added quietly.

 

Well it was the truth, hurting her like that had not been in the game plan, but he had rather gotten carried away with it all in the heat of the moment. He had lost control to tell the truth and enjoyed it all the same.

 

“That's why you have left her with two broken bones is it?” Torin's stinging question brought him from those thoughts.

 

“She never takes the easy road, you know that!” He retorted his voice rising with a little anger. He forced himself to calm down. “I understand you are angry Torin. You love her, and I know what you are like when you are in love.” He smirked.

 

“Don't start on that.” He spat

 

“What you and I had was good Torin.” He said softly, almost soothing his tone deliberately selected to be like a soft caress, just as it had been during their pillow talk in the past.

 

Torin recognised the attempt for what it was and sneered at him.

 

“And you threw it away on exciting and dangerous affairs. You and I are over Demetriov.”

 

“Pity.” Demetriov smiled wryly.

 

“Don't act like it's me you want. I know you better that that. You are obsessed with her, ever since that night years ago. You haven't been able to let go of the idea of having her at your side. I knew you'd try to make her one of us at some point and I was resigned to that. I know you want her and after all that you've done to her you'll be lucky.”

 

“She'll come round.”

 

“You sound so sure.”

 

“I can engineer things.”

 

“She has to survive what you did to her first.”

 

That last little snappy comment stopped Demetriov in his tracks. He had been enjoying tormenting Torin, but that one sentence cut through his amusement like a hot knife through butter.

 

“What do you mean?” He was now genuinely concerned.

 

“Because the job wasn't finished I'm not sure she'll live. She is seriously ill, you didn't do enough and she is suffering the consequences.”

 

“You can only blame yourself for that.” Demetriov retorted.

 

Torin turned to reply his anger at its peak, but then sagged, his anger dissipating. He felt defeated; he had come to confront Demetriov and found he could not. He was overwhelmed with guilt, knowing that her current plight was his fault. Demetriov finally moved from his defensive stance he had taken by his chair and stepped up to his ex lover.

 

“Now if you don't mind, I'm going out to feed.” He said pointedly as he pushed past his lover.

 

Torin balled his fists at the contact, all set to lash out, but knew he shouldn't he had Tegan to get back to after all. Though Demetriov paused in the corridor behind him.

 

“Just one thing, look after her.” He said to Torin firmly. “Whatever it takes. I never intended for this to happen to her. I never wanted her to suffer. I thought the change would at least heal her arm. I can only imagine what she is going through.”

 

All pretence was dropped from his voice now, all the games forgotten. Torin knew Demetriov well enough and he knew he was speaking honestly at last.

 

“Whatever you imagine, believe me, its worse.”

 

He knew Demetriov spoke the truth and watched him go with heaviness in his heart. He thought of Tegan, lying alone. Why had he left her? This confrontation seemed so stupid now all was said and done. He had gone to exact some kind of revenge on Demetriov to find himself impotent and wanting when it came down to it. If he wasn't going to follow through on it why had he come at all? He should be there now, looking after her and doing all that he could to make her comfortable. Chastising himself for his own stupidity he rushed back to her side in a few short minutes. He smiled at her as he stepped into the room and found her exactly as he left her. He gazed on her sleeping countenance with a sigh, gently stroking her cheek. He was surprised at the texture of her skin, finding that it was dry, papery and thin. As he stroked flakes of skin floated onto the pillow. He sighed. Changes were happening to her so quickly. He mopped her brow with a cold wet towel until the sun began to rise, then he too started to tire. As he succumbed to sleep he wondered what change he might see in her by nightfall.

 

* * * * *

 

Thirst woke Torin. An all encompassing thirst. For the first time he realised he had not fed in four nights. Now his body was punishing him for his laxity. He turned to see his tormented lover. The changes in her skin had continued throughout the night. It was patchy, in places preternaturally pale, in other ashen and thin. In these places the skin had split, blood clotting slowly in small rivulets from these lesions. The smell of the blood almost sent him into frenzy, infusing him with the desire to lean over and lap at the blood, to bare her neck and feed from her tender throat. He fought to get his hunger under control, but he was dangerous to her when he was like this and he knew it.

 

Breathing hard he took another look at her. She slept on, shifting gently in her sleep. Sweat mingled with the blood as the fever still burned inside of her. Streaks of blood stained her clothes and the sheet that covered her. He tried to clean the blood away but hunger threatened to overcome his self-control. Despite his promise to look after her, and his desire not to leave her side, his own physical needs were pressing. Indeed if he waited to feeding much longer he might become a danger to her himself. It was a situation that worried him gravely but necessity decided the course of action. Despite his misgivings he had to feed.

 

He checked on her before he left her. He had resolved himself to be as quick as possible, and to be back before she woke. He stroked her hair one last time before leaving the apartment to hunt.