Chapter 3
(Caleb's POV)
"Damn it. That shit hurts."
I'm sure by now the whole hospital is aware that Reid Garwin has made his semi annual trip to the emergency room.
An ER nurse and Pouge are doing their best to hold him on his side so that Blair, a nurse we had met on our numerous previous visits, can remove the bits of glass from the left side of Reid's face. I sit in a chair next to the exam table facing him holding onto both of his hands to give him some support. It hasn't been going that well so far because Reid is the worst patient ever. Not only does he whine constantly, during and after, he has a bad habit of not laying still and trying to get way. Which makes Blair's job very difficult. He lets out another sharp cry of pain and clenches my hands so hard I think he's stopped the circulation.
"Ow. Just stop. Stop Blair. It hurts." Reid pants kicking his legs aimlessly.
"I'm so close to getting it out." Blair says picking up the tweezers again examining where a larger piece of glass is embedded around the upper part of his jaw.
Tears fill his eyes and he looks up at her. "Please let's just stop."
"Its okay Reid. She's almost got it." I say trying to comfort him. He glares at me but keeps his death grip on my hands.
"Damn it went really deep." Pouge says leaning over to observe. Reid eyes snap open and I let out an aggravated sigh, way to go Pouge.
"Please let me get up." Reid begs and starts struggling again. The other nurse loses her grip and he manages to role onto his back and pushes himself up so he's sitting. "Let me up."
I stand up to keep a grip on his hands so he doesn't get off the table and Pouge keeps his grip on Reid's shoulders but he won't quit struggling. Pouge finally closes his eyes and I feel the light sensation of him using to restrain Reid so that the assisting nurse and Blair can get Reid back on his side.
"Please don't say things like that ever again." Blair tells Pouge sternly then starts wiping away fresh blood from Reid's cheek. She's as tough as nails but has a huge heart and one of the few people who can somewhat control Reid while he's being, well Reid. "Reid, honey" She begins with a very forced calmness "please I know it hurts and I know that it is kind of deep but if you would just lie real still for me I can get this glass out and we'll be done. Okay, so just lie still please."
"I don't really have an option right now." He says glaring up towards Pouge.
Pouge laughs keeping his eyes closed. "It's for the best buddy."
"I don't want him in here anymore." Reid says making a face towards Pouge.
"Hey I'm helping them." He says.
"You're making it worse for me." Reid snaps back.
"Did they not give him anything?" I ask ignoring their bickering.
"They put some anesthetic gel around before I started." Blair says.
"It just doesn't seem like its working." I note aloud.
Reid looks at me and rolls his eyes. "Really now?"
"Hannah, will you get Mr. Garwin another anesthetic? And maybe something for the pain?" Blair asks the redheaded nurse. The nurse nods and then leaves the room leaving the three of us alone. "Now are you going to be good and let me try again to get this out?"
"Just make Po…" Reid begins then lets out a cry, as Blair finally is able to pick the large piece out.
"There we go." She says holding it up then dropping the dark glass onto the tray. Reid lies there whimpering, struggling to hold back tears.
"I'm sorry Reid. I really am." Blair says taking her penlight and checking the remaining bits of imbedded glass.
"How much more?" He finally asks.
"Not to much more. We'll take a break till Hannah gets back." She says and Pouge opens his eyes releasing Reid from the spell. "So want to tell me how this one happened?"
"A psycho bitch." He responds picking up a mirror lying on the tray beside the bed.
"You know just because a woman with taste rejects you doesn't make her psycho." Blair says jokingly as she dabs at a bleeding area with some gauze. "Though if she's the one who did this she might be."
"It was actually her boyfriend, Aaron Abbott that did this." He tells her bitterly pointing at the glass.
"Another run in with him Reid?" Blair says with a sigh. This isn't the first time that him and Aaron have gotten into it and someone had to be taken to the hospital " Are you ever going to learn?"
He frowns. "He's a dumb ass."
She laughs. "I don't doubt that. His father is just as bad if not worse. But maybe you should just stay away from him, like any other normal person would."
"Hey he was the one that bet me I couldn't make the shot and then we got into over his new slut." He says rolling his eyes.
"Reid." I say sharply. "You made another bet with him."
"Yeah, so what?" He asks casually tracing the outside of the cut area with his finger and I glare at him just as Hannah comes back in the room. We will talk about this later. I mouth and he rolls his eyes again.
"Okay." Blair says picking up the syringe. "First one goes in your hip."
"Let's do this then." Reid says slinging his legs off the side of the bed and standing up. He's in full cocky Garwin mode as he quickly unbuckles and unzips his jeans and lets them drop to the floor then next pulls down his boxers revealing much more of his hip and butt then anyone needed to see right now. He handles needles extremely well for someone who throws acts like a child about everything else and doesn't even flinch when they inject him.
Once Reid is back situated, Hannah leaves and Pouge goes to wait in the waiting room with Tyler and Sarah leaving just Blair and me with the sleeping Reid. Blair Whisenhunt was a tall, slender, blonde with a slight accent from being raised in England the majority of her life. I had once asked her just making small talk during one of our trips to the ER with Reid what had brought her to Essex County and she had just simply said it was somewhere her grandmother had always told her she needed to go to at some point in her life.
"I know this is a pointless question but his parents aren't coming?" She finally asks looking up.
I shake my head. "To be honest I didn't even call them this time. He got in a fight at Nicky's, that the last thing I want them to know about." Reid's parent's separated when he was fourteen causing a lot of tension between everyone. They've never actually divorced because they get back together from time to time. But the less interaction between Jude Garwin and Carol when they aren't together the better, that mistake has been before. When Reid wrecked his truck this past summer they showed up at the ER to argue about whether or not Reid should have had the truck in the first place. Reid was laying there strapped to a back board with Carol yelling at Jude for getting him the truck and Jude yelling back at Carol for being a self centered bitch until Blair yelled at both of them and then had them escorted out.
"Probably for the best then. I mean I can't believe those people." Blair says shaking her head.
I shake my head. "You should see them on the holidays."
She looks down at Reid who twitches in his sleep. "Poor kid."
Poor kid my ass. I roll my eyes. "I don't know how many times I've told him to stay away from Aaron and to stop getting in trouble like this. It's like nothing I say matters to him."
"Caleb, you aren't his dad." She says, her expression suddenly serious. "You can't try and be his dad either, that's not what he wants and of course he isn't going to listen. He isn't a child, treat him like he's mature and he'll act it. But either way you can't be responsible for him all the time so don't be so hard on him or yourself."
I sat there silently thinking as she finishes working. I let go of his hand and stand up to stretch a little bit.
"Cay." Reid whispers a couple of seconds later, blinking eyes his eyes open.
"Yeah?" I say turning back around.
"'m ready togo." He says slurring his words together from the medicine.
"You can just as soon as I'm done." Blair answers. "Which should be in just a couple of seconds. How ya feeling?"
"Sleepy." He says closing his eyes again wincing as Blair finishes with the last stitch.
She smiles. "Well let's get you bandaged up so you can go to Caleb's and get some rest." She looks up at me. "Just think about what I said okay? Because I don't ever want there to be strife between yall."
He opens his eyes into small slits to watch her gently put the gauze bandage down on his cheek. "I don't feel good Blair."
"I know sweetie." Blair said brushing a hand across his blonde hair. "I'm gonna give Caleb something that he can give you for the pain and to help you sleep tonight, okay?"
He nods groggily. "'kay."
"Okay. I'm going to get his meds and get everything ready for him to go."
"Thanks." I say sitting back down by him as she leaves.
Reid rolls over onto his side and closes his eyes then whispers. "She's back."
"Who's back?" I ask disinterested.
"Carmi." He mutters.
"That's nice." I say and he opens his eyes.
"No Carmi. She came back home."
Carmi. Carmilla. Carmilla Stein. The thought hits me suddenly; I can't believe I had forgotten about her.
"Carmi, as in Carmilla Stein?" I ask.
"Mmhm." He mumbles.
"She's one of them now." He says opening his eyes wider.
"One of them now?" I ask losing interest. We can talk about Carmilla tomorrow, when Reid isn't on pain meds.
"An enchanter." He whispers.
"What are you talking about Reid?" It's hard to follow what he's talking about.
"Carmi is… a… enchanter." He says slowing thinking about each word.
Impossible.
"But shh… I'm sleepy." He says rolling onto his back with a groan.
I shake him a bit. "Nah-uh Reid. Wake up for just a second, we need to talk."
"Na uh." He mutters pushing my hand away.
"What do you mean Carmi has enchantment?" I ask.
"Shee hurted me." He slurs touching the bandages on his face.
"Aaron did that." I tell him. "We need to talk about Carmi."
"Nooo." He whines.
I let out a frustrated sigh. I've read the Book; I know there are others. Daughters as well as sons but Carmilla Stein, was it possible? I look back up at Reid and his eyes are open again and he's just watching me.
"She's always had it." He whispers. "But shh not suppose to tell."
"Not suppose to tell who?" I whisper back, he looks at me confused for a second then shrugs his shoulders. I'm getting confused now, its hard to tell if this is the pain medication talking are if Reid is being serious.
"Why did you tell me that Carmilla did this instead of Aaron?" I ask him trying to get to him to focus. Ever since the Chase situation we have become super careful about the powers and keeping our covenant.
"Because she did. She made Aaron do it. I felt her Use and everything changed, but she couldn't control it." His voice is only just above a whisper but he's a bit more coherent.
"I don't understand." I tell him. "I felt someone use, but this is isn't making sense."
"Debbi Stein was an enchanter." He whispers struggling to keep his eyes open. "But shh."
A million thoughts run through my head. What is he talking about? "Reid…"
"It's true. Gorman said he wasn't sure, told me not to tell, so I didn't. But I'm sure now. Carmi did this." He says touching the bandage.
"How did Carmi do this? Aaron told me he did." I said getting frustrated.
"She can control minds. She made him." He says with a yawn then cringes as it pulls a little on his stitches. "I don't feel good Caleb."
I nod my head. "Alright. Blair should be back any minute and then you can go rest okay?"
He nods then rolls over on his side. "Happy Halloween."
I sigh and stand back up with a sigh and look at him. He has rolled back over on his side and his eyes are already closed. "Happy Halloween Reid."
TBC
A/N - Happy Halloween :) ... even though it's practically over
TBC
