Ever After

by Heather McBride

  He wanted Will to be his successor and he also wanted to hide the fact he had created a half blood. The Dark Coven would kill him if they learned he created a half blood. He would be viewed as weak and unfit to be an elder or a leader if he created a weaker kind of vampire. William was proof that Vincent was in fact not as powerful as he wanted the members of the dark coven to believe.

  Vincent was either going to bring William back or he was going to kill him. You may wonder of course how that might be possible. One of the things I learned in the past year about Vampire life was that only one thing could kill them. This was dead blood, and that is the blood taken from a human whose heart has stopped beating.

  If a vampire bites a deceased human or is forced to drink the blood of one, they will die, very quickly. Vincent had forced William to drink a vial of dead blood that night, after a violent struggle. William had been on the verge of death, and if Doc and the coven had not come when they did, neither one of us would be here today.

  Doc killed Vincent, as he too had his own vial of dead blood and he forced him to drink it as the other coven members held him down. The only way to save Will now was for him to drink the blood from a human directly, and quiet a lot of it too. I offered my own. I would never let Will die when I could save him.

  Doc was reluctant to let me because, of my illness and weak health. I refused all arguments and Doc let me help Will, after he reassured Will he would bring us both through this safely. I would be changed into a vampire as a result of giving my blood to William. I would then avoid my own terminal death sentence, as my human life was slipping away, each second due to my cancer.

  I lay here now in this warm comfortable room, tucked into a massive four-poster bed. I was alive, at least for now. A small love seat in the corner next to a huge bay window is occupied by Lydia, William’s mother and Doc. The two are in deep conversation and not looking at me. Will is sitting on the edge of my bed, his arms wrapped protectively around me.

  “Corrine I’m so happy you finally woke up we were so worried about you.” Will said, as he looked deep into my eyes. You were out for over a week.” I was in shock.

  “A whole week, that’s crazy!”

  “Yes it was. You were so sick, we worried you might not come out of it. It was nerve wracking for us all watching you suffer.”

  “What happened? I don’t remember anything,” my voice croaked out as my throat was so dry. Doc and Lydia looked up both seeming very shocked that I was looking back at them. I could see Doc had papers in his hands. They seemed to be what he and Lydia were so focused on, when they heard me speak.

  “Corrine!” Doc jumped up quickly and smiled at me as he crossed the room to my bedside.

  “How do you feel?” He asked as he pulled out a thermometer tucked in his ancient black doctor’s bag. He always carried it with him. I looked down at my pale wrist; tubes ran to a fluid filled bag next to my bed.

  “Ok… I guess kind of stiff and tired.” I said softly.

  “You gave us a scare; we thought we had lost you several times.” I felt so groggy and tired I couldn’t ask all the things I wanted too. Doc told me he needed to examine me if I was ok with that. I really didn’t care if he did as long as I could sleep afterward. Will reluctantly moved back so Doc had room to look me over.

  “Temp’s one hundred and five point two, and heart rate is.” He paused to concentrate as he placed his fingers on my wrist and looked at his watch counting the beats. “This is not good at all.” He announced he became uneasy his eyes seemed to get dark.

  “What’s going on now?” Will asked, as he took my hand and tucked it into his own. I was tired and out of it but even I knew those numbers were really weird.

  “Doc what’s wrong with me? I should be ..” I choked up over whelmed by the sudden realization that something was really wrong here. “I should be like you. Like all of you!” I felt tears stream down my cheeks and I did not care.

  Doc frowned looking at his charts. Lydia took a spot on the other side of my bed she patted my arm. She gave me an apologetic look, and I knew what I was about to hear had to be bad.

  “It’s has I feared Corrine, the changing process was hindered by your illness. I believe the weakened state of your body due to your illness caused the change to stop before it was complete. It may just be slowed down or possibly stopped completely. I’m not certain about it yet I have not gotten the chance to research this. The fact your temperature is so high and your heart rate is dangerously fast is deeply concerning me.

  It was just all too much. I trusted Doc, and if he had no idea how to save me, I was out of luck for sure.

  “What does all that mean?” I asked in a whisper. I wasn’t even sure if I had said it aloud really. “Am I going to die?” Silence filled the room, I suddenly felt so hot, and my stomach flipped.

  “Well we don’t know yet, those papers there.” He pointed to my chart on the table next to the love seat. “They are medical charts. I have been tracking all your changes since we got here. The rest of them are research papers I have compiled over the years, on different medical issues. Many are cases of failed changes; many are cases such as William’s.” His voice trailed off and his expression was as if he wished he hadn’t said the last part aloud. Will flinched slightly at those words. It obviously bothered him. I only knew he did it because he was holding my hand.

  “Tell me what they say Doc.” Will’s voice was weak as if he already knew the answer. Doc sighed as he removed the stethoscope from his neck thoughtfully. He walked over to the window and looked out, trying to gather his thoughts.

  “Will, you know what this is.” Lydia said in a low sad voice as she placed her hand on his arm.

  “We have all seen this at one time or another in our long lives.” The tone of her voice was dead serious. Roth was standing in the doorway; he looked uneasy and wouldn’t look at Will or me.

  “I need to speak with William for a few moments. Might you give us some time to speak?” Lydia and Roth got up without hesitation. I closed my eyes for a few minutes. I felt so scared, but didn’t want Will to sense it. He was a ball of nerves as it was already. I took a deep breath to calm myself and pull it together. The breath meant to calm me, did nothing of the kind.

  I felt a burning in my lungs and pain ripped across my chest. I doubled over in agony. Will caught me as I nearly fell off the bed. He put his arms around me as my body shook. Doc quickly grabbed his doctor’s bag, and pulled out syringe. I closed my eyes as he pulled my wrist free from my curled up position. I tried to relax as he put the needle into my arm. I felt an instant wash of relief as whatever he gave me went through my body.

  “What did you give her?” Will asked as he held me close to his chest.

  “Morphine, I was expecting this; the pain she is feeling is enough to send her heart into cardiac arrest. If we don’t control the pain she will not make it.” I felt very tired as the drug seeped into my system. I closed my eyes and leaned into Will’s arms, as he gently laid me back down on to the bed.

  “She will rest now, but we must talk William.”

  “Are you sure she will be ok?” Will kept one hand on my shoulder, reluctant to move from my side.

  “Yes, for now, but we have to get this under control as soon as possible. It is critical.”

  “What does the research say Doc? How many cases of failed changes have you seen? How many have survived?” Will’s voice suddenly had an edge to it.

  “Will that’s not the point here, let’s focus on Corrine.”

  “No Doc, what do you know about failed changes is the topic. How many survived? One or two? What is it Doc? You don’t want to tell me do you because it’s bad?”

  “Will you have to...” William cut Doc off he was losing his temper.

  “I have to what? Tell me damn it how many died? You’ve been around long enough Doc, you know!”

  “Two!” Doc’s voice was raised now as well.

  “Who then, who are they?” Will snapped.r />
  “Well one is throwing a temper tantrum right in front of me, and the other is the wife of my best friend.” Will was speechless as he sat in the chair next to my bed.

  “Me?” He simply said it was not a question but an acceptance.

  “Yes Will it is you, and Emma Pratt. Dr.Charles Pratt’s wife you met him a few years back when he visited us in Cambridge. Also when you and your mother visited his coven in France many times.”

  “Oh yes, I remember him.”

  “Yes, he is one of my closest friends, and a very brilliant doctor. Will, you know only a very few vampires like you exist; I have told you that before. You seem to have forgotten how rare your kind is. I myself only know of two, but there may be more in the world, it’s hard to know. I do believe the Irish coven known as the McClain’s have some half bloods. My good friend, Dr.Pratt may be the answer to Corrine’s problem, as his wife is a half blood and he helped her get that way.”

  I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Doc’s words were making me feel sick inside. I trusted him and I knew he was a very experienced. If he did not know what was wrong with me, I knew I was in big trouble.

  “I need to examine all of her vital signs, and her blood panel. I will be able to tell a lot about how much of her has completed the change by that alone. I am seeing the canine teeth are very slightly elongated, of course to the human eye they appear almost normal. That is a good sign indeed; perhaps she will only need more time to complete the process.”

  I flinched as Doc pulled out a pen light, obviously to examine my eyes for any changes. I backed away as he shone the light directly in my right eye. It burned and felt like I had a giant eyelash stuck in there.

  I stuck my head pretty much into Will’s armpit; he jumped at my sudden reaction to the light. He laughed as I yelled out to Doc to put the damn light away or I was staying right where I was until he left the room.

  “It hurt please don’t do that anymore! “ I snapped. “Light is bad, very bad ok!” I slowly pulled my head up, after Doc promised to put the light away for good.

  “Light sensitivity is very good she has at least made two changes we know of.” Doc smiled at me patting my hand.

  “This is not how it was supposed to go Doc, you promised me!” Will’s voice had an edge of danger to it; he was clearly trying to control it.

  “Let me get in touch with Dr. Pratt and see if he can come out here and help us.”

  “Fine ok. I just want to get her better, and I don’t care what it takes.” Will’s face had a defiant look. “I did this to her you know, I did it.” He pointed to me, a pained look on his face. “I did that to her and you let me, you told me you would take care of her.”

  “Will I….” Doc tried to cut in, but Will refused to let him speak.

  “No listen, I saved her a year ago, and for what to do this to her now? You should have let me die damn you, you just should have let me die!” I could see his eyes tearing up; he wiped his eyes annoyed by the tears. “I am nothing without her don’t you understand? Nothing! I will not live in this world if she is not here, I swear it!”

  “Will none of us could have known this is what would happen. I did tell you my concerns that night. I worried her human illness might hinder the change. I just never expected it to stop it; cases like this are so very rare. It’s hard to even guess the outcome of such things.”

  “What about me? Why am I different?”

  “Yes, your half blood state is different, only because of Vincent’s inability to turn you all the way, but that your body had an adverse reaction to the venom. It was something in Vincent’s particular venom. I believe Corrine’s existing human illness caused this and the fact your venom may be similar to Vincent’s, since he is the one who changed you. Dr.Pratt’s wife Lydia had the same problem, when he saved her many years ago.”

  “Saved her?”

  “Yes, she was the victim of a dark coven attack, they left her for dead. Pratt found her in an alley barley alive. Pratt is a follower of course so he couldn’t bear to leave her to die all alone there. He took her back to the coven house and attempted to save her. The vamp that bit her did not give her enough venom to turn her, but just enough to kill her.”

  “What did he do then?” Will said softly. “How did he save her?” I could hear the desperation in his voice.

  “Well Pratt’s an inventive man; he has studied medicine for centuries. In his early days as a vampire, he spent ten years in the Brazilian rain forest. He discovered a plant there that has healing properties never seen before. The plant was meant to be a cure for human cancer, but it failed in trials as they found it was dangerous. Pratt kept the small amount he had for possible later studies. When he found Emma, he used it on her as a last ditch effort to save her life.”

  “What did it do?”

  “It was a miracle really.” Doc sighed. “The serum halted the deterioration of her human cells, and pushed the venom to complete the change. She became a half blood as a result, and she did not die.”

  “Is she still alive today though?” Will asked cautiously.

  “Oh yes, she is fine today. They fell in love and married now they even have a child together, a little girl named Abby.”

  “A child?” Will said softly. I could tell he was caught off guard.

  I wanted to go to sleep, but this news was amazing to me, maybe I would have a chance after all. I could at least hope now anyway... She became a half blood as a result, but she did not die. I had some hope at least maybe Doc could help me or maybe that Pratt guy, could come here, and try to help me. I felt so cold suddenly, but I was sweating too. I was a major mess. I could not fight whatever was happening to my body. I just had to accept the fact I was basically beyond help and maybe I might even die, if this friend of Doc’s couldn’t help me.

  “Will don’t blame yourself, Corrine would have never let you die, she would have forced us to let her give you her blood. I could see the look in her eyes, she would never allow that.” I could feel hot tears sliding down my cheeks. I was sinking in fear and sadness now. I just pretended to be asleep, it was easier that way.

  “I will call Dr.Pratt and ask him to come to Maine and help us. I know he will.”

  “I hope so, I just can’t take this. I can’t stand to watch her suffer anymore.”

  “We will stop all this Will. I will do whatever I have to do to get Corrine better.”

  I listened to them for a few minutes. Doc wanted me to rest and so they turned down the lights in the room and let me have some time alone. Doc had to reassure Will the monitors on my wrists would be watched and nothing would go wrong. He reluctantly agreed to leave me alone for a short time.

  I thought to myself, I’d pretty much messed up my whole fairy tale. I just couldn’t simply turn into a vampire or a half blooded one, as I should have. I sighed pulling the blankets up around my neck where Will, had bit me. I wanted to scream I was so mad, and cry at the same time. I really wanted to call Will back to the room, but I knew it would hurt him to see me this way.

  He had been my rock. He brought me back to life in the past year, when I had nearly given up and thought it was not worth living. I knew I would probably not be alive today if Will had not found me that fall day by the river. I had to be strong now for myself and for him, I had to beat this. I couldn’t just give up, even though it was going to be hard.

  I smiled thinking how amazing it was to be in love with William. He was so loving and caring; the bond we shared was so intense. He was all I had ever needed and all I ever wanted; he brought my soul back to life. I was so afraid he was going out of his mind right now over Doc’s news. I wiped my face off, pulled my hair back into a ponytail, and tried to pull myself together. I might be a mess on the inside, but I wouldn’t let him see me falling apart.

  The next few hours, I spent in waves of sheer pain. Doc kept me on a steady dose of morphine injections. That night Doc put a line in my arm so with the push of a button I could get instant relief from the
agony. Will held me in his arms all night; he whispered to me that he would fix this no matter what it would take. I could feel him crying when he thought I was sound asleep, he tried to hide it.

  The morning brought no relief, only more complications. This time it wasn’t me, it was my dad. Will told me the story about what Doc had told my dad at the Halloween party, after the biting incident. Doc told him I was rushed to the treatment center they had both agreed I would go to if things went bad. Doc said he was called out to the garden when I collapsed and sent me on to the center by ambulance. There was no time to tell him about my leaving.

  Doc had been giving my Dad reports since we left for his secluded home in Maine, which was where we are now. The fact I had been here for about a week was now the issue. Dad wanted to see me naturally, as any parent would. I doubted Sara cared a whole heck of a lot. I knew there was no way Dad would go much longer without seeing me.