Blood of a Werewolf

by T. Lynne Tolles

  After about an hour, the doctor really did come and Devon had to go through the same array of dumb questions he had already answered about fifty times. What is your relationship with the patient? Does she have any allergies? What was she doing when she went unconscious? To avoid getting strapped to the psych ward gurney, he had opted to tell them that she was meditating when she went unconscious. He couldn’t think of anything else that would tell them she was concentrating very hard for a very long time, without telling them about the bubble and all the psychic stuff going on.

  When the doctor was done with his questions he started to give Devon some information. Most of it Devon barely understood. So many medical terms with Latin origins were thrown around the curtained room that he thought of punching the doctor, but he wasn’t sure it would solve anything.

  Devon asked, “So in layman’s terms, what’s wrong with her?”

  “Well, we’re not sure yet,” the doctor answered.

  “Then why didn’t you say that when you came in, instead of all that other stuff?”

  “Well, I…”

  “Never mind. What’s next?”

  “Well, they are setting up a room for her upstairs. We’d like to run some more tests and have an MRI done.”

  “What’s the difference between the CAT scan we just did, and an MRI?”

  “The CAT scan is a quick look for anything large or obvious. Ms. O’Rielly’s CAT scan was clear. An MRI is more like an X-Ray; it will give us a more detailed picture of her brain. I just want to rule out any lesions or abnormalities. I also want to get her on an IV. Hopefully she will wake up soon. The longer she is unconscious, the more we tend to worry about something more serious.”

  “When will she have the MRI?”

  “Later today. You can go with her. You just need to make sure you take off anything you are wearing that’s metal.”

  “Okay.”

  The doctor scribbled something on the chart, handed it to the nurse and went out the curtain.

  Blake sat there as parades of nurses came and went, drawing blood, putting in IVs, and writing on the chart. Rowan couldn’t possibly have any more blood to give. How many tests did they need to run? Still, not one person would tell him how she was. Tests, tests, tests, that’s all he heard the nurses say. He couldn’t possibly remember all the different types of tests or what they told him they were for. All the while, the beautiful, fragile girl lay there unconscious.

  He felt like he was going to go crazy. When would somebody tell him something of importance? Is she in a coma? Or was she just unconscious? What’s the difference between the two? Is she going to wake up soon? Tell me something, please.

  By the amounts of antibiotics they were giving to Rowan, you’d think she couldn’t possibly develop any ailments whatsoever for the rest of her adult life. His brain told him to hold his tongue and let them run their stupid tests, but his heart was screaming in agony at not knowing anything.

  “Rowan, please wake up! I miss you! I need you! I love you, Rowan. I know this is a lousy time to tell you this. You’re not even awake, but I do. Please, Rowan, please, wake up!”

  He had never admitted he loved anyone, aside from his family. This was the first time, and she wasn’t even awake. How anti-climatic. In the movies, they always kiss after a declaration of love, but this was reality and there were no hugs, no affirmation, and definitely no glorious kiss. It didn’t change the way he felt, but it certainly was not how he had pictured his first admission of love to play out. I wish Darby were here, she’d know what to say. She always knows what to say and do. But Darby too, was hurt. Poor Devon. I wonder if he’s getting any answers from the doctors?

  Devon followed the orderly from the curtained room, down a long hall, around two corners and into a room with a huge white machine. It looked like something from the space station. Again, the orderly and the technician moved the fragile Darby from her gurney to the bed of the machine. Then the orderly took the gurney from the room. As the technician prepped her for the machine, she said to Devon, “This is going to be very loud. Here, take these,” and handed him some earplugs. “She will go entirely into the machine, but you can put your hand on her foot, just to let her know you are here. There will be an LED clock that will tell you how much time is left for the particular scan. She’ll be okay. The machine is loud, but it never touches her. I will be in that room over there, behind the glass. If you have any concerns just wave at me and I will stop the test. Okay?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  After a minute or so, the technician spoke to him over the speaker. “Okay, this first scan will take about five minutes. Are you ready?” Devon nodded.

  The machine started and the LED clock counted down. The sound was deafening even with the earplugs. Thank God, Darby was unconscious. The five minutes counted down so slowly that Devon felt sure the clock had to be wrong. The voice came over the speaker again. “Okay, this test will be about three minutes and twenty seconds.” Again, Devon nodded in acknowledgement. This seemed to go on for fifty or sixty tests, when in reality there were only eight scans total. Devon was glad when the technician finally announced she was done and the orderly came back in to transfer Darby back to the gurney. This time, however, instead of going back to the room with the curtains, they went upstairs to the room that was finally ready for Darby.

  The room was on the same floor as Rowan’s room, but nowhere near her. As they arrived in the room, there was a flurry of nurses and orderlies. They moved her off the gurney and got her comfortable. Blood was drawn and an IV was administered. This room had a window seat that looked like it was a makeshift bed for overnight visitors. Finally, the last nurse was about to leave when Devon asked her, “Will the doctor have the results from the MRI tonight?

  “Yes, but I don’t think you will see him until his morning rounds,” the nurse answered.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said and left.

  Alone again, finally. He pulled his chair close, trying to avoid all the equipment that they had everywhere around her. He brushed the hair away from her forehead and out of her eyes, bent over, and kissed her forehead.

  “Come on, Love! Wake up! Rowan needs you! I need you!” He stroked her face one more time and sat down pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. He started to text Blake.

  We r finally in a room. 215. Same floor, other side of bldg. Any news?

  No news, just more tests, IV and antibiotics. What about Darby?

  She had a CAT and a MRI, but she is still not awake.

  How r u doing?

  Scared man, really scared. U?

  Same here.

  Chapter 14

  The nurses came in every half hour to do whatever it was they do. It was absolutely impossible to sleep and Devon was really starting to feel it. After spending the previous night on the plane and that night in the hospital, he was totally spent. He tried to play a game on his phone, and found he had no patience for that. He had read everything there was to read in the room including labels on the IV, signs on the wall, stickers on the equipment. He even started to play with some of the buttons on the machines, until something he touched set off an alarm and the nurse ran in and reprimanded him.

  He texted Blake out of boredom, and Blake did the same. If nothing else, it was nice to have a comrade in the same situation to talk with.

  So what happened back @ Paine’s? Devon texted.

  What do u mean? Blake texted back.

  I mean where’s Paine?

  He’s @ his house.

  And?

  And what?

  I think u no what I’m asking.

  O that! He’s dead.

  U?

  I don’t think that was the original plan, but yes.

  What was the original plan?

  U really want 2 no?

  Yes, I wouldn’t have asked, if I didn’t.

  OK. Turn him, inject him w/ serum & leave him 2 die, I think!

  You
think?

  Not sure, but that’s my guess – didn’t really get 2 have that discussion w/ her, but she asked me 2 bring a syringe of the blood w/ me. Wouldn’t that be your guess? A little dose of his own medicine.

  No way!

  Yeah! Idk (I don’t know) what was said, but she was livid when we spoke on the phone.

  Wow!

  No kidding!

  Since the plan didn’t happen, how did it happen?

  Umm I’m not sure u want 2 go there. It was pretty ugly – I kind of lost it.

  So u….

  Yeah. It got a bit messy. Darby saw the whole thing, but I’m not sure if she’ll remember any of it. She was pretty out of it.

  U shouldn’t have done that. You could have lost control & hurt her.

  Ya. I no. I almost did.

  What?

  Ya.

  Geez Blake. U no when vamps get like that, they can’t control themselves. How could u have put her in that kind of danger?

  U weren’t there Devon. I no I screwed up, but nothing happened 2 her. She seems to no how 2 talk me down & then I snapped back.

  U’re right, I wasn’t there. Y didn’t she ask me?

  Idk, man. Maybe she didn’t want u 2 see her that way. Maybe she wanted u 2 watch over her sister. Idk, but I’m glad I got 2 do it.

  Hmmm!

  Would u have done it Devon, if she had asked u?

  Idk!

  Maybe that’s y.

  What do u mean?

  Maybe that’s y me and not u. Maybe she thought u wouldn’t b able to do it.

  Maybe.

  She certainly didn’t do it 2 hurt u – that I no.

  How do u no?

  U may b the big brother, but u r dumb as a doornail, if u don’t no Darby would do NEthing 2 protect u. She luvs u, man. No doubt she’d walk on coals for u.

  Dumb as a doornail? Where do u get this stuff?

  Idk! Darby??? She really is great, Devon. It’s kind of nice 2 have a big sister looking out 4 me.

  A big brother isn’t enough 4 u?

  Not if she’s the big sister. : )

  Ha! Ha! LOL

  Somewhere around 4:30 A.M., Devon woke up. Must be time for a nurse again, he thought, but there was no nurse. He stretched and looked around and Darby was smiling at him.

  “Oh my God. Darby, you’re awake!” Devon said excitedly jumping to her side.

  “Yes, I know. I can tell! Where the heck am I?” Darby answered.

  “We’re still in Maine, but you are in the hospital.”

  “Why?”

  “I think you over did it with the bubble-thing. You were bleeding from your nose and ears. Blake said he found you on the floor.”

  “Huh! I do remember having a terrible headache and wishing Blake would get there soon. Where’s Rowan?”

  “She’s here too, in another room, but on the same floor.”

  She started to get up and said, “Well, let’s go see her.”

  “I don’t think so. You’ve been out now for about 15 hours. You are not going anywhere until the nurse checks you out. Plus you’ve had a CAT scan and an MRI today. You can wait till the doctor sees you on his rounds in the morning.”

  “Yes, Mother...”

  “Ha Ha, very funny! You’re almost as funny as my brother.”

  “Well, can you at least tell me how she is?”

  “No news yet. A bunch of tests, but no results.”

  “Is she awake?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “Ooooh, that can’t be good.”

  “Let’s not worry about something we don’t know for a fact yet. Okay? How do you feel?”

  “Fine, bit of a headache, but nothing like before.”

  “No more bubbles for you!”

  “Speaking of bubbles, where do we stand with Paine?”

  “Blake took care of him.”

  “Good. I don’t remember much about Blake showing up. What did he say to you?”

  “Blake said he was pretty sure what your plan was.”

  “He told you, did he? Yes. I wanted Paine to feel what he had inflicted on Rowan. He was a scary, awful man.”

  “Well, he won’t bother us again.”

  “No, but the pain he’s inflicted hasn’t gone away. Rowan is still suffering.”

  “I know, Darby. I know. Try and get some rest. I’m going to text Blake and let him know you are awake. He seems to think of you as his big sister and he’s been awful worried about you.”

  “How sweet! My little brother, the string bean giant.”

  “I’m sure he’ll love that pet name.”

  “Come here you! My doctor told me I need very special care - as many kisses as I can stand, but only from you.”

  “And when did he give you this prescription? I’ve been here all day and the doctor has yet to come to your room.”

  “While you were asleep he snuck in here and told me. He didn’t want to wake you.”

  He stood up and kissed her. “You really scared me, Love. Really, really scared me.”

  “I’m sorry! I promise to make it up to you!” she said with a devious smile. He leaned in to her and she grabbed him, and pulled him on the bed with her, ravaging him with kisses.

  “Why, Miss O’Rielly, I do believe you are feeling better.”

  “You think?”

  Chapter 15

  Around 10:00 A.M. the doctor finally came to visit Darby. All her tests came back negative and the MRI was clean. The doctor gave her a clean bill of health and told her she could be discharged by noon.

  For Darby though, discharge just meant that she didn’t have to wear the goofy gown and would be sitting instead of lying in a different room. Darby asked Devon to take Blake to the hotel and get some sleep. Darby had been asleep for almost a day, and the guys looked like they were about to drop. They argued with her, but in the end, she won. It wasn’t like she was over exerting herself. She was just sitting in a chair, waiting for her sister to wake up.

  Darby talked to her sister, held her hand, and read to her from a fashion magazine from three months ago that had been well read by probably every patient and visitor that had passed through this room in those three months. The nurses came in and the nurses went out, and no matter where Darby was, she seemed to be in the way.

  Finally around 4:00 P.M. the doctor came in to see her. He asked a ton of questions and then said to her, “Not all of the test results are back yet, but so far the ones that have come back are negative. Her white cell count is rather high and we have put her on a wide range of antibiotics. Whatever it is, she is fighting it, so we are just helping her body do that by making sure she is hydrated. We can’t seem to find any reason why she hasn’t awakened and that, right now, is our biggest concern. We couldn’t find any sedative traces in her blood, so that is not the cause. For now, though, all we can do is wait for her to wake up.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” she said as he left the room.

  She looked at her sister’s pretty face. So young, sweet, and so much life still to be lived. What would her mother say to Darby if is she were here? She supposed she’d be pretty upset with her for letting something happen to her baby. Darby brushed the hair away from Rowan’s closed eyes and held her hand.

  “Hey Sweetie, it’s Darby. You need to wake up, Honey. You’re giving Blake a heart attack, you know. He’s been by your side through all this. He’s very sweet.. I’m not sure if he’s said it or not, but he loves you. I can see it in the looks he gives you, and his protectiveness. There’s not a nurse in this place he hasn’t reprimanded for lack of gentleness with you. You need to fight this, Sweetie, for him, for me. Please wake up, Rowan,” Darby said.

  Under Rowan’s pillow she put a little pouch of herbs and crystals to help her heal. She continued to talk to her all through the day and into the night. She tried singing a lullaby her mother had sung to them when they were little girls. She tried getting mad at her using her middle name – “Rowan Margaret O’Rielly, wake up right now!” Nothi
ng worked. She went back to reading aloud the articles from the old magazine, just to let Rowan know someone was with her.

  She was glad that she had made the guys get some sleep. They must have been exhausted. She was so glad she had them to play tag team with. It was like having a family again. It had been just the two of them, for years and now, it felt good to have a shoulder to cry on. But mostly, it was nice to not have all the responsibility for everything all the time. She liked being a big sister, but it was lonely sometimes. Now, with Devon to share the weight and the string bean giant to tease and baby, it felt very good. If only we could get Rowan out of the hospital and get back home, it would be perfect.

  She thought about all this as the clock ticked overhead to 2:54 A.M. She was still reading and her voice was getting hoarse. She looked up at Rowan’s face and thought she saw her eyes flutter. She tossed the magazine into the seat of the chair as she stood up and leaned in next to the bed and grabbed Rowan’s hand.

  “Honey, can you hear me?” Darby asked. “Rowan, it’s Darby. Wake up, Honey!”

  Rowan’s eyes started to open.

  Darby’s eyes welled up and started to spill over in joy. “Oh Sweetie, we were so worried. How do you feel?” Darby said.

  “Groggy! Where am I?”

  “You’re in a hospital, in Maine.”

  “Maine? You mean like across the continent?”

  “That’s the one. Does anything hurt?”

  “No. I feel hot though. So what am I doing in Maine in a hospital?”

  “It’s rather a long story, I’m afraid.”

  “I don’t seem to have anything going on at the moment. Maybe you could oblige me?”