Ever After

by Heather McBride

  A knock on the door saved me from any more questions about returning home. Doc walked in, as confident and in control as ever, dressed in the traditional white doctor’s coat. He smiled at dad and Sara as he looked over to me and nodded. He was definitely cool under pressure.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore, so good to see you here today we have been waiting for you.” He said shaking my dad’s hand and nodding to Sara.

  “Good to see you again Dr. Parker, we have been looking forward to visiting for awhile now.” I could hear an edge in dad’s voice. He was still annoyed that he had to wait so long to come and see me.

  “Yes, I apologize for the delay Mr. Whitmore, but with many of these new treatments we like to keep the patient in a sterile environment and cannot risk outside infections. The common cold for example, well it could destroy all our progress with Corrine, so we are a bit strict on visitors.”

  “Oh… well I understand. I would never want to jeopardize Corrine’s recovery in anyway. I just can’t thank you enough for overseeing her care. You and the staff here have worked wonders for my daughter.” Dad squeezed my hand and smiled as he spoke.

  “We do our best. This is a new clinic and we are still laying the ground rules and such, but we are pleased with the progress of the few patients we do have so far.” Doc opened my chart and adjusted his glasses (which he did not need, they were only props to make him appear older). He began to give dad the medical report on me. It would make them happy and buy us more time to figure out my real situation.

  “If you would please step into my office, we can discuss Corrine’s treatment plan in more detail, and let her rest some.” Doc opened the door to my room, not really giving them an option even though he just asked them to go to his office.

  “Very well, I do have some questions for you.” Dad said as he kissed my cheek. “Be back to see you after the meeting sweetie, ok?”

  “Sure dad, I’m just going to hang out here.” I smiled and grabbed my cell phone, acting as if I was going to call some friends, which I was not.

  I was tired now, and glad I didn’t have to listen to the medical bologna Doc was going to be feeding them. I was happy to see dad but was so worried he would get suspicious of the clinic and my “treatments”. I closed my eyes and tried to take a short nap before they got back.

  I wanted to see William so badly, but I knew he had to wait to come down and see me. I was almost asleep when they came back from Doc’s office. I pretended to be asleep, as they became quiet when they saw my eyes closed. I could tell they were arguing about something, no doubt related to me.

  “Well I can’t imagine what this miracle treatment is. I think this place is just too good to be true.” Sara complained. I was glad Doc wasn’t with them.

  “Sara, Corrine’s thriving here. Dr. Parker’s confident she will be able to come home for Thanksgiving if she has no more setbacks. I’m not moving her now. He told us it was too dangerous and I’m not going against what he says. I will not chance her recovery because you think this place costs too much. Why you worry about money I will never understand anyway!” Dad snapped as Sara was getting under his skin as usual.

  “It’s insane John, they charge an arm and a leg here. They have satin bed sheets, in a hospital! That is crazy! I saw the insurance reports the other day. I’m only thinking of you dear, you work so hard for what we have.” Dad blew out loudly.

  “Sara, you are not thinking of me. You are thinking of the addition you want on the kitchen you do not use, or that new silver BMW at Pillions dealership you’ve been eying. Dare I forget your next fur coat from Niemen’s! Don’t lie to me. Corrine’s never been high on your priority list and never will be, so save your breath and my nerves.”

  “You are wrong about that. I just do not like this place, we should take Corrine home, and put her in the local hospital is all I was thinking!” I could hear her tap her fake nails on the dresser, she always did that when she was mad.

  “They can’t help her there or Dr.Parker would not have had her admitted here. That is his home hospital Sara. His practice is based from there. I trust Doc, he’s a sharp well-educated man, and if he thinks Corrine needs to be here, she will stay here, even if I go bankrupt to do it. She is all I have left of her mother. I promised her on her death bed I would care and protect Corrine and see to it she grew up into a strong healthy young woman.”

  “You keep your promises to your deceased wife? But exclude me? Well that’s nice!” Sara was fuming now.

  “I kept my promises to you; you’re the one who changed. I swear I don’t even know who you are now, and I’m not too sure I want to try to figure it out either. Doc will be back soon, so we will speak no more of this, it’s not the right place or time Sara.”

  I pretended to have just woken up, and not have heard the Jerry Springer show conversation they just had. I was proud of dad though, he didn’t let Sara run over him like he always used to do. He seemed to be seeing the woman, she really was.

  “Oh you guys are back?” I faked a stretch and yawn.

  “Yes we had a very good meeting with Doc, we all agree you being here is the best thing to do right now. “

  “I really have been feeling better, and maybe next week they will let me try walking around some. I’m so ready to get back to the real world, and school. I’m calling some of my professors later this week. I want to see how many credits I have for this year.”

  “I’m glad to hear that Corrine that would be wonderful to get you well and back to school and around all your friends again. Doc feels you will be able to come home for Thanksgiving at least for a few days anyway!” Dad smiled, as his words made him happy.

  “John should you be telling her that?” Sara whispered in his ear.

  “Why of course, Doc said she will be strong enough by then if all goes well!” I listened to them bicker again for 15 minutes before they realized what they were doing. It was nearing time for them to go, as their flight back to Cambridge left in an hour. Dad hugged and kissed me, and all the while, I fought another attack of pain building in my chest. They said their goodbyes and promised to call, as the door shut I gasped in pain, and doubled over. Doc came running in followed by William, Lydia and Libby.

  “Corrine!” Will said as calmly as he could, gently putting his arm around me. “Are you ok? Where does it hurt?”

  “My chest, it’s so bad!” Tears slid down my cheeks as the pain froze my body. Doc prepared a syringe; the pump was not strong enough I heard him tell the others. I could have cared less what he gave me as long as it stopped the pain before I died. I didn’t even feel the needle go in my arm, but the relief from whatever it was, was heaven sent for me.

  “It’s the changing process it’s trying to start again, and complete itself. The venom will keep trying till it either turns her, or...” He paused, reluctant to finish the sentence. I looked up at him. “It sends her into cardiac arrest; this is getting beyond anything I have seen. I’m so sorry Corrine. I want to stop all this pain for you. I’ve called Dr. Charles Pratt; he’s one of my closest friends and a fellow doctor. I have great confidence in him he’s a brilliant doctor and has done decades of research on vampire changing’s not to mention other things. He is flying in from France this afternoon, with his wife Emma. You remember him William, I’m sure.”

  Lydia smiled. “Yes, he and Emma are lovely, we stayed with them a few years ago, remember Will?” Lydia asked. Will seemed in shock but nodded and acknowledged her question.

  “I have known Pratt for century’s we worked together on many projects and studies. I have spoken to him in great detail and he feels he may have the remedy to help Corrine. I have complete confidence in him and would trust him with my own life.”

  “Are you sure he knows what he’s doing? I won’t allow you to experiment on her!’ Will snapped.

  “William, I would never allow that. I would never jeopardize Corrine’s life. She is of our coven now, and one of us, we will see her through this.”

 
; Chapter 5

  Going down hill

  I slept fitfully waves of pain wracked my body. The painkiller Doc was giving me was having less effect on me now. I was trapped in hell or at least it sure seemed like it. I figured this had to be pretty darn close. William held my weak shaking body as I tried to keep breathing through each progressively worse pain episode. I would collapse like a rag doll, into his arms after each spell. I gave up trying to talk now.

  Will sat next to me holding a cup of ice water to my dry lips, as I tried to drink. He would wrap me in blankets when I had chills and turn on the fan Doc had brought in when I was burning up. This was like the flu but one hundred times worse, it wouldn’t go away and it was getting worse with each hour.

  I slept for a few hours after a double dose of pain medication. I woke hours later and I learned Dr.Pratt or “Pratt” as the coven called him would be here later than planned, due to bad weather. The flight he was on had a two-hour delay and the snow was getting heavier. Maine and the whole east coast were getting pounded by a huge blizzard.

  I watched the snow falling outside my window late that night. The clock on the nightstand said one a.m. The heavy wet snow coated the trees outside; the house was in the middle of a thick woods, so it looked like a fairy tale scene to me. It was all a fairy tale here, except the part where I was dying.

  I looked at Will, he was asleep, although he required less sleep than a human did he still needed a few hours. It did seem like he had been sleeping more than usual though. The last few days he sat with me, nonstop keeping watch over me. I figured he was worn out from that. He was curled up now next to me, one arm around my waist. I was deep in thought and thankful to be pain free for a while.

  “Are you ok?” He asked as he gently pushed a lock of hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear.

  “Sort of, just thinking about stuff and watching the snow fall.” I laid my head back onto his shoulder.

  “Sorry I dozed off.”

  “Don’t be you haven’t slept in days.” I smiled at him always amazed by his perfect face.

  “Can I get you anything at all, are you thirsty or hungry?” concern filled his eyes.

  “No I’m ok. I just wish I was stronger, and that I could have just changed like I was supposed to do. I hate to bring all this on the coven; making fake cancer treatment centers and having humans visit and nose around. I hate that everyone had to set all that up just for me, I feel like a big jerk!”

  “Corrine don’t be crazy, you’re a member of his coven now, we protect our own, and you are one of us. The coven is a family unit. You should never feel that you’re putting anyone out; they would do the same for any member that had some sort of difficulty. They all love you anyway; you are very well liked here and trusted.”

  He smiles at me, making my heart do a flip as usual, even though we had been together for a year almost, the feelings we had were still intense and strong for each other. That’s how I knew we were soul mates and that everything Will said was true. If he said the coven cared about me, I knew it was true. I trusted him, completely.

  “Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better I just hope we can figure out how to get me to change completely soon!”

  “Yes I wish that too,” he said softly to me kissing the top of my head. I drifted off to sleep again after we watched the big fluffy snowflakes falling into the night sky.

  Chapter 6

  “William’s Point of View”

  I watched her sleep, knowing this peace she had right now would soon end. The medication would wear off, and throw her already worn out body into waves of pain that cannot be described in words. I knew the pain, but not on such a level as she was having. My own change had been hellish.

  I spent days wishing I would die, my body drained by the spastic waves of gut wrenching horrific pain. I could hardly bear to see her go through all of this. If I could have taken the pain from her, I would bear it myself in a second to spare her the agony. I worried she was getting too weak to take much more; she seemed so frail and fragile now. The battle going on in her body was draining her each day.

  Doc had told me not only was her body fighting the venom and the changing process, but also her human illness was not gone. The fact she was still technically human and her system was too, meant her cancer was far from gone. It was a factor in all the pain she was having, not just the venom. Doc worried the cancer would take over the remaining human part of her system and shut it down, causing her death.

  I pulled her small weak body closer to me as I feel her shiver, as she sleeps. I was thankful she was getting some much-needed rest now. The past few days she seemed to get worse by the hour. The glow from the full moon and the snow shadowed her angelic face as I watched her sleep.

  I could never have imagined I would ever love anyone as I did her. I had not really ever loved anyone before, when I thought about it now. I had girlfriends of course before Corrine, but none that were serious, especially since I became a vampire. Many girls from other covens approached me but I didn’t feel right dating.

  I mean really how do you go about dating as an immortal. I just decided years ago to bypass all that, and be like Doc and find an area to work in, maybe medicine and focus on that. I wanted to help cure human diseases as he did. Corrine had come into my life like a thief in the night and stolen my heart. I had forgotten all my plans when I met Corrine, she changed everything for me.

  That day by the river when she looked into my eyes so innocent and trusting, I fell for her right then. The feeling I had known her in another time, was too strong to ignore. I knew if she did not survive this. I could not live without her. I hated myself for allowing her to sacrifice herself to save me that night at the Halloween party.

  I knew how stubborn she could be and I knew she would have found a way to get me to take her blood anyway, I’m sure. I had to put my faith in Doc. I knew he would do everything in his power to save her. Dr. Pratt was a genius and I knew it. He would know what to do, he had to.

  Dr. Pratt was one of the head elders of the Follower coven in France, there were quite a few in Europe. Pratt had always been kind to my mother and me on our “visits” when Vincent was becoming too nosy about where I was. It was a regular thing for us to go to Europe to keep him guessing, and avoid him trying to contact me, or do something worse.

  I knew Pratt had spent century’s doing research on various topics and in-depth studies on vampire change. The fact he was being delayed by the weather was un nerving to us all. Time was not on our side right now, each hour Corrine’s body got weaker and closer to death. If he was delayed much longer it might be too late for him to help her at all, that was my greatest fear.

  Pratt’s wife was the one reason I had a really good feeling he could help Corrine. Emma had much the same problem as Corrine as Doc had explained to us. It was well known it was Pratt’s hours and years of studies, that helped save her. Emma was proof he could save one who was failing to change over to a vampire properly.

  Emma had been the victim of an attack by none other than the evil Dark Coven. Doc had told me the story years ago. Emma had been walking home from shopping, and was pulled into an ally way and brutally attacked. Two members of the Dark Coven left her for dead. Pratt was never sure why they didn’t kill her, as they typically did all their human victims. Emma was for all intensive purposes, dead already and a human doctor would have pronounced her so. Human medicine would not have saved her.

  Pratt took her back to his home, laboratory to try to save her if he could. As a Follower, he upheld the rule of trying to protect and save human lives, if possible. He had devoted most of his “vampire life” to finding cures for devastating human diseases. It was not unusual for him to try to save random people he found that were attacked by Dark Coven members.

  Emma had suffered greatly, and much like Corrine, she was near death. Pratt worked for days on end to save her. The fortunate thing was, he had just got back from a ten-year stay in Brazil doing research. Prat
t had stayed in a Brazilian rain forest with a tribe of natives, he and five other American scientists and doctors made their home there.

  The basis for the study was an exotic and rare flower that only grew deep in the southern end of the rainforest. Pratt and his colleagues did extensive studies with the flower extracts. Their ultimate goal was to create a serum to cure various cancers and diabetes. The serum was showing promise, but proved to be too strong for use on humans as it was lethal after steady use on lab rats.

  Pratt returned to France very disappointed, but he kept the serum and brought it back with him to do more studies. He believed it had some sort of use and he just needed to find out what. The serum proved to be his last ditch effort in Emma’s treatment. He had studied it very little at his home lab, but felt it may help her.

  The serum stopped the destruction of her cells and pushed the venom to change her system, making her a half-blooded vampire. I knew the story and I hoped he had enough of that serum left to help Corrine. The only thing that worried me was Doc said because of her cancer the serum might not have the same effect it did on Emma. I had to hope it would, without Corrine my world meant nothing.