Blood Land, J.R. Lawson [electric book reader .txt] 📗

“Why not?” Kale now asked.

Nora now looked up and scoffed. “Are you kidding me?  Why not?  Because….it’s almost dark…that’s why not!  You’re about to…change.  You can’t take me to the hospital while I’m bleeding!”

Kale stood in silence for only a small second before he then responded, “You’re scared of me.” He said this in more of statement than a question.

Nora looked away from him and tried her hardest to fight back the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

“You’re fucking scared of me?!” Kale now shouted and it definitely sounded like a question this time.  “After everything…after the Vinculum…you really think I’m going to eat you?!  How the fuck could you think that?!”

“You ate you’re dad!”

It was immediately silent after Nora’s shouted statement.  Kale just stared in somewhat disbelief at Nora who still refused to look back at him.

“What the fuck…” Kale cursed at her. “Why would you bring up that shit?  I was a god damn fledgling then!  You don’t think I have more self-control now?  Jesus Christ!”

“You’ve already tasted me!” Nora now yelled back, now finally looking straight at him.

Kale just looked back at her with a slight bit of confusion.

“Oh come on, you don’t think I’m stupid do you?” Nora said in response to his expression, “I know more about vampires than you think.  I know once you’ve tasted a human’s blood it’s harder to resist it afterwards.  I already gave you some of my blood once.  And I can see it already on your face.  As soon as you walked in here!  I saw how you’ve been trying not to smell it.  You can barely control it!  And when you’re in your hellion form….” Nora couldn’t finish her sentence.  Her voice seemed to cut off as being on the verge of crying was creating a lump in her throat that was making it hard for her to speak.  She looked down as she wiped the few tears that had seemed to escape her eyes off of her cheek.

Kale let out a huge sigh and rubbed the back of his head with his hand. After a couple seconds of silence between them, he took two steps toward her.  Nora looked up, obvious tear streaks shown on her face.  “Look…” Kale now said calmly, “I know you’re scared.  I guess you have every right to be.  But you have to know that I’d never do anything to hurt you.  Not now.  Not while this Vinculum bonds us. If you’re not going to trust me, at least trust in that fact.  I have more self-control than you think.  I can do this.  You need to let me take you to the hospital.  You can’t stay here.  You know you can’t.”

Nora sighed heavily as she kept staring up at Kale.  The seriousness on his face gave a bit of comfort to her but sadly, she didn’t feel like it was enough.  “I…I’m too scared…”

“Nora…” was all Kale said as he gave her a look that almost said it all.  Nora knew he was right.  She knew she couldn’t stay here but deep in her heart, even after all they’d been through, even after she was actually finally starting to feel safe with Kale, she just couldn’t come to terms with letting herself be in the arms of him in his hellion form.  Not while she was bleeding and after he’d already tasted her blood.  It was too risky.  She was too afraid.

“Just trust me,” Kale then said as more of a demand than a request.  Nora put her hands to her head and ran her fingers back through her pulled back hair.  “God…” she spoke softly as she then let out a big sigh. “O.k. take me.”

It didn’t take long before Nora and Kale were now out of the house and flying toward the hospital afar off.  Kale held Nora in his arms and cradled her against his chest as he flew but Nora kept looking down at her foot which was now wrapped in bandages; something she had demanded be done before they left.  She tried her hardest not to think of what might happen if Kale were to change into his hellion form.  She just tried to stay brave and kept the hope that they would get to the hospital before that even became an issue.

“It’s gonna be o.k.” Kale now said to Nora as he kept his gaze ahead of him while he soared through the sky. “We’re almost there.  It’s gonna be o.k.”  He repeated that last sentence a couple of times, some of them a little quieter and to himself.  He realized he was mostly repeating this statement for his benefit more than for Nora’s.  He had to keep concentrated.  He had to ignore the tempting smell coming from Nora and suppress all of his predatory instincts until they made it to the hospital.  He just had to.  There was no other option.

Finally, after a flight that seemed like it was going to last forever, the two of them landed in front of the hospital.  However, it was immediately noticed by the both of them that the interior metal curtains on the windows of the building were beginning to be shut by the nurses inside.

“No!” Kale shouted as he then ran, still carrying Nora, up to the front door of the hospital.  A nurse on the other side of the glass door looked at him as she began to reach up and grab the curtain and start to pull it down.  Kale briefly set Nora on the stoop before he then banged on the window a few times to get the woman’s attention.

“Hey!  Let her in!  Please!” he pleaded through the glass.

The nurse on the other side just shook her head. “I’m sorry I can’t.”

“No, you have to!  She’s cut.  She’s bleeding!  Please just take her in!” Kale continued to shout.

“I can’t,” the woman repeated. “I’m sorry but we aren’t allowed to take in any more patients.  We’re closing up.  It’s protocol.  I’m really sorry.”  She then turned her head to look away and began pulling down on the metal sheet to cover the window.

“No wait!  Please, she can’t stay out here! Please!”

The woman just ignored Kale and continued her actions.

“You’ve got to open this door!  Open this god damn door!!” Kale now angrily raged as he pounded the door with is fist, almost hoping to break it.  The nurse suddenly stared at him briefly with widened eyes as she then hastened in her act of pulling down and finally securing the metal curtain, now making it very impossible for either Kale or Nora to enter.

“God damn you!  You fucker!  Open this door!  Open this fucking door!!!” Kale kept shouting and pounding on the protected door.  Nora, on the other hand, was more focused on the sky above her.  Especially the sun, which was soon disappearing, and the darkness was now beginning to make itself very apparent.  It didn’t take very long for Nora to come to a sudden conclusion.  She hated the thought of it but she knew what needed to be done now.

“Kale,” she said very sternly.  Kale suddenly stopped his pounding and yelling and turned to her in acknowledgement.

“Kale you’ve gotta go.” She now formally stated.

“What?” Kale asked in disbelief as he then made his way in front of her and kneeled down to where she was.

“You’ve got to go.” She repeated.

“No.  I’m not going anywhere,” Kale argued.

“You have to!” Nora now shouted.  The tears in her eyes were returning now, but she hadn’t the willpower to hold them back this time.  “You can’t stay here!  You’ll turn any second!”

“But what about you?  I’m supposed to just fuckin leave you here?!”

“You have to!  You know you do!” Nora pleaded.  She looked up at Kales face.  The transformation was already starting.  His face was becoming more demonic; more bat like with every second. “It’s already starting.  I see it.  You have to go and hunt.  Then come back.”

“I’m not leaving you here, Nora.” Kale disputed.  He, however, could feel the transformation as well.  Along with it came the heightened smell and the aroma of Nora’s blood became ever sweater and harder to resist with each passing second.  He squint his eyes in frustration as he tried to control his urges.

“You can’t be here when you change,” Nora said as she looked at him with sadness in her eyes, “I’ll be o.k. here for the time.  Just until you come back.  I’m probably safer here right by this hospital than out in the open.”

Kale just kept his eyes shut tightly and shook his head in defiance.

“Kale!” Nora now shouted at him, causing him to suddenly open his eyes and stare right back at her. “Get out of here!” Nora screamed again as she then leaned forward and forcefully pushed him with her hand, causing him to stagger backward only slightly. “You know you have to!”

Kale reached up and ran both of his hands through his hair in frustration and quickly got to his feet. “Shit damn it!” he cursed as he then kicked the pavement in rage. He paced a couple of steps impatiently before then turning back to Nora. “I’ll be right back.  I’m just going to go get one….someone…and be right back.  I swear. O.k.?”

“O.k.” Nora tried her best to confidently state, but she could feel the nervous tears falling down her face.

It was then that in a huff, Kale turned and began to run away from her.  As he ran, the entirety of the transformation flowed through him instantly and his giant wings jutted out and he took off, flying into the darkness.

It didn’t take long after Nora watched him fly away for her to become utterly terrified by her surroundings.  Complete darkness surrounded her and only the rustling of nearby trees and faint cries of night-flyers in the distance ran throughout her ears.  All she could do was shut her eyes tightly and hope with all hope that Kale would return shortly.

All of a sudden, a loud noise startled her and a flood of light coming from behind her quickly encompassed her.  She turned around to see where the light was coming and found herself staring up at one of the nurses in the hospital.  The nurse stood in the doorway and the light from inside almost blinded Nora as she blinked her eyes a few times to finally notice that the woman was reaching out a hand to her.

“Hurry, come in!” the nurse urgently insisted.

“Wha--?” Nora confusedly questioned.

“Come on!” the woman urged again as she looked around them nervously.

Nora didn’t have to be asked another time.  She almost instantly grabbed the woman’s hand as she was then pulled to her feet and the nurse put her arm around her waist and led her into the hospital.

After setting her down briefly on a nearby lobby bench and re-securing the metal curtain to the front doors the nurse turned to Nora again.  “Are you alright?” she asked her.

“Y-yeah,” Nora hesitated to answer, “I…don’t understand. Why did you help me?”

The nurse now stood right in front of her. “I saw that other nurse turn you away.  I was on the second floor securing the windows up there and I saw the vampire with you. I saw him leave you.”

“He had to,” Nora corrected.

“I know,” the nurse reassured.  The woman now smiled down at Nora and offered her hand again.  Nora took it and the nurse helped her into a nearby wheelchair where she then proceeded to wheel her down the hall. “Please don’t tell anyone what I did,” the nurse now began to say as they went, “I could get fired for letting you in.  I just…I couldn’t leave you out there—”

“It’s o.k,” Nora reassured, “I promise I won’t tell.  Just…thank you.”

The nurse nodded to herself, “You’re welcome,” she said as the two of them continued their journey down the halls of the hospital.