C4 Chapter 4

So I'm not a vampire after all. Derek kept his word. But I'm not human anymore. I'm a werewolf, apparently, but I'm not sure I believe it.

A werewolf, indeed.

The day began routinely enough. Dr. Scott came over and informed me that I'd done such a good job with my Jell-O and applesauce supper that he was promoting me to solid meals. And what about my broken arm? It's almost healed. He believes the cast will be removed tomorrow. He said I'd be allowed to shower later today since my knee was as good as new. I asked him how long I'd been in the hospital, and he skirted the topic once again. It enraged me to the point where I let out a serious-sounding roar. That was a little frightening.

He removed the bandage from my neck. Dr. Scott hesitated when I asked for a mirror to see it.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Elizabeth. Right now, your neck looks awful. That man ripped you to shreds. You have many stitches that will fall out in a day or two. Just trust me when I say that the scar will disappear and you won't be able to tell anything occurred. Just allow it some more time to heal before looking at it. The shower will help remove the iodine, making it appear a bit better. Just be cautious, please. It will mend more slowly than the rest of you."

He went after promising me something more substantial than Jell-O for dinner, and I strained to keep my eyes open. I was concerned about how much I was sleeping, but Dr. Scott told me that it was entirely normal.

"You're healing. Your body is burning all kinds of energy to make that happen. Resting is the best way to make the healing go faster. Don't worry about sleeping so much, you're fine."

Lying bastard.

"Fine" apparently includes growing fur and a tail. But Dr. Scott didn't mention that little detail. No, I learned that when I talked with Derek later that afternoon. After Dr. Scott left, I fell asleep while waiting for lunch to show up.

Derek Michael was sitting next to my bed, watching me sleep when I awoke from my nap. It felt strange waking up and seeing him looking at me. His look seemed strange. It took me a while to figure out what it was. Tenderness and irritation. I had no idea why.

"I had no idea you were coming back today. I didn't intend to sleep and keep you waiting."

"I've just been here a short time. Don't be concerned."

"Is it just you today, or will David be here as well?"

He gave a rueful smile "No, it's just me. David had to return home. With your office burning down a week ago, he's got a lot on his plate right now."

My workplace caught fire a week ago. What? Why?

My system went into panic mode as a result of the shock, and my hands began to tremble. He leaned over and gently patted my arm "I apologize. I should not have said something to you. I haven't had much sleep recently, and I'm having trouble thinking straight."

I wanted to ask him all kinds of questions about the fire, but I was scared I wouldn't like the answers. As the shock faded into numbness, I concentrated on his last words, "Why haven't you been sleeping?"

He pushed his hand through his tangled hair and took a step back. He started to pace about my room, his hands in the pockets of his well-worn jeans.

"I haven't been able to sleep because I've been worried about you. I have a lot to tell you, and I'm probably going to botch it up. Just try to stay with me, please."

I nodded, trying to ignore the slight curl of panic in my stomach.

"Do you recall being in the basement? You overheard us discussing after David staked the bastard who attacked you. Even though you were dying in my arms, you summoned the courage to open your eyes and urge me to stake you as well, rather than allowing yourself to become like him."

Yes, I did recall. He'd brushed my hair away from my eyes and pledged not to turn me into a vampire. My throat was clamped tight with fear, so I nodded at him.

"Do you remember when I slashed my wrist and forced you to swallow my blood? So I took some of yours?"

I nodded once more. I recalled.

"Can you recall what occurred next?"

I did. I wasn't sure I could say anything. My voice broke as I tried. Derek gave me a glass of cold water, and after a few swallows, I felt ready to speak.

"A wolf. In the basement, there was a wolf. I passed out when he bit me on the shoulder. After that, I don't recall anything."

He nodded and said, "There was, indeed, a wolf in the basement. He attacked you to assist me in saving your life. My blood was insufficient. You have to get bitten by the wolf as well. We were scared you'd die regardless since you were so far gone."

I was still perplexed. What was the point of being bitten by a wolf? Surprisingly, my shoulder didn't ache at all. Shouldn't it also be healing?

"Why? I'm not sure I understand. Why did being attack by a wolf save my life?"

He sighed, his face filled with both grief and regret. "Elizabeth, you did not get bitten by a wolf. You were bit by a werewolf. David is the one who bit you on the shoulder. I provided a connection to enable you to remain on this planet by swapping our blood. But, to combat the vampire and keep you alive, David transformed into a wolf and bit you. He bit you a lot, but you were unconscious at the time."

David was a werewolf?

I was utterly paralyzed. Well, a vampire attacked me. If I believed that, getting bitten by a werewolf wouldn't be that different. Was it? But it still surprised me. I assumed vampires and werewolves were simply folklore. Horror tales are told over a campfire to frighten children. People are entertained by movies and literature. Such nonsense does not exist in reality.

Yet, here I was, clearly in a hospital, while someone attempted to persuade me that a vampire was trying to murder me. I would never have thought this if I hadn't seen the fangs and felt them slice into my neck. I had also seen the wolf. I concentrated hard on what I had seen and attempted to recall that section.

Was David still standing there, or had he left? Gone. David, no. It was only Derek and the wolf. Wait for a second...