Aaron groaned and opened his eyes. The familiar look of his hospital room welcomed him, and he groaned again. It was so boring being in a hospital. He'd been there ever since the car accident three days before, having undergone three operations and expecting lots and lots of physical therapy. Vlad had come to see him once, but other than him and Aaron's mother, Aaron had no one to visit with. He'd slept for most of his stay; escaping the pain for short amounts of time, but it was always there to greet him when he awoke again. He had suffered a broken right leg, a fractured left arm, internal bleeding, and a concussion. The doctors were surprised when he woke up; they'd expected him to be unconscious for days, maybe even over a week. But Aaron had woken up just hours after his operations… something that rarely happened in the hospital. He looked at the small table next to him, and noted with disgust that there was a tray of that horrid hospital food. Pressed turkey and cheep potatoes. Disgusting. He pushed it away, and grabbed his book. That was all there was to do, since there was no television in his room. He was re-reading Frankenstein for the fourth time, a story he'd loved for years. It had been made into several great movies, all of them better than the last, progressing through the years. But as his eyes scanned the words, his mind went somewhere else. What he had seen the day of the accident still haunted him, flitting through his thoughts, and though he tried so hard to get it out, the image stayed planted in his mind. Vlad and his two teeth. His two, very large, very long teeth. It could have been a dream, something that he happened to think of while he was unconscious during surgery, but something deep down in his gut told him it wasn't. He forced his eyes to the words, but still, nothing came. His mind wouldn't take in the meaning of the things he was reading, not soaking in the words. Not seeing a point in reading anymore, he put the book down and closed his eyes. He wasn't willing to go back to sleep, he'd had too much of it lately. He simply rested his eyes, his mind wandering the thoughts of his imagination. Everything seemed calm, happy, and dark. Then, Aaron heard the door open and footsteps entered his room. He opened his eyes again, and found his mother sitting in the chair near his bed. She smiled at him, looking weary and worn. "You looked tired mum," Aaron said quietly. She just smiled again and reached up, moving a stray hair from Aaron's forehead.
"I'm fine dear. Don't you worry about me; it's you that's lying in a hospital. It's you that was hit by a car. It's you that needs rest." She patted his forehead lightly, as if she were afraid of hurting him. He rolled his eyes and looked out the window. It had a beautiful view of the town square, the people bustling around in their everyday rushes, unknown to others around them. He watched them sit and talk, others driving together or just walking alone. He wished so badly that he could be out with them, walking with his father, just like old times. When things were better, happier. He looked back at his mother, who was watching him carefully. He shifted, uncomfortable that his mother worried over him so much. He'd felt so sorry about all the pain he'd caused her, all the tears she'd shed over him. Right after the loss of his father, she had so much to worry about, and now Aaron is in the hospital, refreshing her pain all over again. Guilt washed over him, burning to his core. He closed his eyes again, and laid his head back, sleep washing over him. He heard the door open again, and thinking his mother had left, he opened his eyes. There stood Vlad, looking very serious, standing over his bed. Aaron's eyes widened, but not with fear, with surprise. He'd forgotten about Vlad for the time being, thinking only of his past and what was now his present. Aaron smiled at Vlad, who grinned back, but only briefly. His smile slipped, and his face turned hard once again. They stayed and chatted for a while, Vlad asking how Aaron was, and Aaron's mum telling stories. After about ten minutes, she looked at her watch, and announced that she had to go back to work. Once she'd left, Vlad took her spot, looking at Aaron very seriously.
"Aaron we need to talk."
Aaron nodded, understanding exactly what it was that they needed to speak of.
Vlad took a deep breath, as if he were trying to postpone what he wanted to say.
"About what you saw the other day…" he started.
Aaron cut him off, "You're a vampire Vlad. I'm not stupid or barmy or whatever. I saw them Vlad, I saw them. And you know that I'm right, so there's really no point in arguing." Aaron raised an eyebrow, awaiting Vlad's reply.
Vlad's eyes had widened in surprise, but he didn't speak.
Finally, he took another breath and said, "That saved me a lot of explaining."
Aaron laughed out loud, and smiled. "It's all right with me Vlad. I could really care less. I just wanted to know the truth. And if you don't want me to say anything, I won't." Aaron said honestly. It really didn't bother him at all. He'd thought a lot about it, and decided that he shouldn't judge Vlad, vampire or not. He'd been the only one Aaron could talk to, the only friend Aaron had. The only one who understood about loss. Vlad looked immensely relieved, and shook his head, "You can't tell anyone Aaron. Please, if this gets out in public, in dead meat." He looked at Aaron pleadingly, and Aaron nodded, "I won't. Trust me."
And Vlad smiled, the tension in the air simply melting away. Aaron just nodded, "Everyone has secrets Vlad. Including me. And everyone deserves the right to keep their secrets. Everyone."
Vlad just nodded, and sighed. "I guess I can't know your secret?" he said.
Aaron thought about it for awhile, "Maybe one day, possibly one day soon, but that day isn't today.
Vlad nodded, and got up. "I've got to go. Can I visit tomorrow?"
Aaron nodded, the pain slowly returning to his arms and legs, and he winced as he spoke, "That would be great."
Vlad nodded his goodbye, as he always did, and walked out of them room, his head held high, the air around him full of… Aaron didn't know how to explain it. It was confidence, but it wasn't. It was sophistication, but it wasn't that either. It was air full of knowledge, Aaron decided on. That was it. It was the only word that could fit.
He slowly closed his eyes, and fell asleep, once again escaping the pain, but still expecting it for when he awoke.