Chapter 9
Could the Storm have Passed Already?
Charles
There were six strigoi in the alley with us. Oh god, I just knew this wasn't going to end well.
Roxie Sparred off with four of the strigoi leaving me with two. I didn't even have a stake.
One strigoi hit me hard and I went flying. They were so fast, and so, so, strong. I barley caught myself from falling when I was hit again. My right side hurt like hell all of a sudden and all i wanted to do was lie down in pain, but I couldn't. I got back up and tried to avoid their attacks as best as I could.
Part of me said that I would take my dad over a strigoi any day. This was why guardians were so strict, why they all had hardness to them, even Roxie. They faced death every day. I understood now, but maybe it was too late. If I wasn't careful I could end up dead.
"Charles!" I heard Roxie yell. "Get out, Now!" The sound of her voice scared me a little. I felt someone push me. It wasn't strong enough to be a strigoi, but it was strong. Roxie had pushed me towards a filthy dumpster. Why?
Then I realized what she wanted me to do. She wanted me to climb onto the roof and get away. I couldn't do that, not now. With strigoi attacking me.
"Go!" Roxie yelled again. She was blocking me from the four strigoi. I had to do this.
I grabbed the top of the dumpster. My side hurt like hell, even reaching up like this made it worse. I managed to get n top of the dumpster. Don't look down, just get away. Do as Roxie said.
With difficulty, I jumped up and got hold of the roof. It took a lot more effort than it should have because of my side. I got up onto the roof and looked down at the fight.
Roxie was fighting with a fierce fire, but it was different than her fight with Aurel had been. This was more desperate.
She dodged one of the strigoi that tried to grab her. The strigoi left his chest open and Roxie didn't miss a beat, she staked him.
Only, this left her open for one of the other three strigoi to hit her. She stumbled only a second, but they were too fast. One grabbed her shoulder.
Roxie must have been looking death in the eyes, because her face went blank for the smallest fraction of a second, then out of nowhere something changed in her.
She seemed to have a will to survive now that I was safe. She swiped her stake along the face of the strigoi that had grabbed her, he screamed from the sting of the stake. That was all Roxie needed to stake him through the heart like the other four strigoi that she killed. She didn't take the stake out of his heart right away though.
She used the body to block a hit from another strigoi. She pulled out the stake then and it went effortlessly into the heart of the strigoi that didn't have a dead body in his arms. The last strigoi was just recovering from his partner being thrown into him. But it was no use to him because Roxie's stake was in his heart too.
She let this strigoi fall. She looked around for more enemies, but there were none. She had killed them all.
Roxie looked relieved, as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her. She backed up to the wall and leaned against it. I noticed she was holding her left hand funny and didn't use it as she pulled out her phone. She dialed a number and sank to the ground.
"I know you're there Charles, you can come down." She called up to me. I took a second to register this. I mean we were just attacked by six strigoi.
I eased myself off the roof and onto the dumpster. I jumped down from the dumpster and felt pain in my ankle; did that happen just now, or in the fight? I didn't know. Roxie mumbled a few things into her phone as I limped over to her.
"How in the world did you kill all those strigoi by yourself? I mean I understand that you're a guardian and you've had great training since you went to school, but I still can't believe that you fought all of them off by yourself that was unbelievable!"
She hung up the phone after a few seconds. She closed her eyes. "I don't even know. Most of it was a blur..." that was all she said about it."Sit down Charles; let me check your ankle."
"So wait, you're worried about me when I'm sure that you possibly have a sprained wrist and you're trying to mask the pain by that guardian face that you're slowly putting on. The only way I'm letting you check my ankle is if I get to check your wrist."
She looked at me with seriousness. "I already know it's broken, I felt it break when I was pushed into the wall, "She explained."But I need to know that you aren't in any serious danger of injuring yourself further."
"Your right I'm sorry I shouldn't be so stubborn about my injuries like this but just don't try moving it so much it feels like someone just hit it with a crow bar with all the force that they could muster up" I told her
She half smiled and I sat down so she could examine my ankle. She only used her right hand, keeping her left still. She bent my ankle in all directions and made me press against her hand. "It's not broken, just sprained." She confirmed, "Do you hurt anywhere else? Besides the cuts and bruises everywhere."
"No besides the sprained ankle I'm fine, so who is that you were talking to on your phone? By the way, how the heck are we going to get back to the hotel or to the hospital no less, you know that your car is still their right?"
"We wait here until the person can get here." She said mysteriously. "I'll explain, I promise, but not right now."
"Uh okay then" I said, "so why don't we talk about something to pass the time before this mysterious person that you called arrives. I think it'll distract us from what just happened and the pain from these injuries."
"I dont suppose you want that manicure now?"
" Oh hardy har har! we've got a comedian with us now don't we? I'd rather you tease me about Alex then get a manicure which I bet would be quite difficult at this point and no teasing me about the person that I like even if I suggested it just know."
Roxie smiled a little, but it disappeared when we heard someone walk to the end of the alley. Roxie stood up and walked over to this person. I was startled to see that he was a human. Even weirder was the fact that this was the person Roxie had called.
She said a few things to this man, who did not seemed very pleased to see her. She held up her left hand and pointed back to me. What the hell is going on?
The man said only a few words to her. Roxie turned to me and motioned for me to come with her. I did.
"So who is this random person we're getting a ride from? You obviously know him so what's his name?"
"I don't know, I don't care," Roxie answered. "That man is an Alchemist. Humans that know about vampires, but are sworn to secrecy. They think it's their duty to protect humans from the evil ways of us creatures of the night. It is his job to clean up that mess in the alley, file reports, and take us to the hospital for help."
Roxie
I gave Charles the crash course on Alchemists. His face said everything
"Great we're getting a ride from some bizarre ass wizard awesome job Roxie but if he's our only ride then oh well I'll just suck it up and keep all the things that I'm thinking to myself since he's our only ride so let's just get to the hospital. I hope that my dad isn't still their but with my luck he probably is and will attempt to put on a concerned face and asked what happened? Are you ok?"
"We aren't going to run into him." I told him, "We will be in the Emergency Room, and then we are going back to the hotel and to bed."
"Right well I know this will probably be the third time that I said this but thank's for driving me up here. I know your probably going to say that it was the school that paid for the hotel and stuff like that but it was cool having you here instead of one of those other guardians that would have bossed me around and told me to suck it up with me freaking out twice so uh yea thanks I guess."
"What are friends for?" I asked him. I Was still jumpy from the alley so I didnt engage more of the conversation. The Alchemist came back to his car. He of course was not happy to have two vampires in his car, but at this point I didn't care.
We were admitted into the ER. I believe the Alchemist said we were in a car accident and he helped us. The hospital staff bought his lie and treated us.
It turned out that Charles had bruised ribs along with his sprained ankle. I had X-rays of my wrist taken to confirm that it was really broken in two places. The doctor tried to put a cast on my wrist, but I refused and lied that in my profession I had very little physical activity. He agreed unhappily to give me a brace that I had to wear at all times except for showering.
Both Charles and I were given pain medication and sent on our way. I read the directions for taking the pills aloud when we got to my car, I couldn't remember what Charles had named it. I'd have to ask later.
"Take two pills with food and water. Do not consume alcohol while on this medication. Do not drink coffee; this may lead to irregular sleep patterns."
Charles cracked up at this. " I'm very sorry that you can't drink coffee Roxie but it's going to be quite interesting to see what you're like without coffee I'm curious as to how that will go."
"Like hell I'm taking that crap." I said. "'Irregular sleep patterns', they wouldn't know irregular sleep patterns if it bite them in the ass." I made a point of stopping at a store that was open late to buy a coffee. I do not like medication.
"Well have fun with that pain I'm gonna be sitting over here trying to take annoying ass medication that will taste gross and have to take after dinner and with water. Great! Bring on the weird sleep patterns for me"
"The sleep problems only happen if you drink coffee." I told him. "I have a high tolerance for pain. While I was fighting I didn't feel a thing."
I made sure that Charles ordered room service so he could take his pain pills and left him to get some rest. I Knew he would be able to sleep after he took the medication. I sort of wished I could get some sleep myself, but I was too on edge.
I decided I would walk around the hotel to make sure that there was nothing suspicious. I know that I had to wait until we were back at St. Vladimir's to fully report what happened in the alley, but they already knew. The alchemist would make sure of it.
Maybe I should try to sleep some⦠or at least take a hot shower and lay down. I probably wont be able to sleep because of the events that took place tonight. Strigoi attacks could be hard on even the most seasoned guardians, but I still felt like I should be over this. I felt childish even.
Then there was the fact that I had been ready to die so that Charles could get away.
Charles
Roxie left me in my room with the food that I gotten from room service I wasn't exactly in the mood for food but it was the only way that I could take my pain killers and possibly get some sleep. I couldn't remember what I had eaten though as soon as I had taken my pills I started to feel drowsy I didn't have a time frame between changing into pj's before I passed out on the bed so I settled for walking towards the hotel bed and crashing onto it.
The minute I hit the bed I grabbed the extremely soft hotel pillow and went into the deepest slumber that I've ever been in since Roxie woke me up with that stupid whistle. I wish that I did dream of something that got my mind of all the events that happened today including the strigoi attack like maybe having another dream about Alex like I did sometime last week but I didn't dream about anything it felt like I was in limbo between reality and fantasy. It defiantly was not the medication that was making me feel this drowsy but it certainly made me pass out and apparently drool which I didn't really realize until the next day, best sleep ever.
When I woke up and changed into my last pair of clean close in my suitcase and washed my face of drool I got all of my stuff together and left my room and waited for Roxie there was no point in me searching the halls when she could pop out anywhere. So I decided to listen to my iPod this time at a medium level I turned it on and pressed shuffle the first song that played was One X by three days grace it reminded me of yesterday with what happened between me and Roxie and those strigoi's. Right before I could get to the guitar solo I felt a tap on my shoulder I looked up to see Roxie looking at me with her usual look.
Oh good you're up for a minute their I thought you were in your room asleep. So ready to go to the hospital for the last time before we have to go back to Vladimir Academy." I asked her once my headphones were off my ears.
"Yep," Roxie answered, she had her one bag on her shoulder and ole Betsy in the hand that wasn't broken. "We're checked out and we can stay at the hospital as long as we leave before dark."
"Okay then lets get a move on then Caroline is just waiting to get out on the open road." I said to Roxie once again she gave that weird look from the last time I mentioned the name for her car. I put my stuff away and got up from leaning against the wall we started walking towards the elevator and she pressed the down button their wasn't really any weird feeling while we waited for the elevator to come up it's just that neither of us didn't really feel like talking. Until it dawned on me that we were taking the elevator because of our injuries and all of those other times we could have used the stairs for some odd reason I found this quite amusing and started to laugh hysterically I must have been laughing for too long because Roxie gave me a weird look. "Sorry I just find it really funny that we're using this elevator because we're injured when all those other times we could have used the stairs instead of wasting our legs with this elevator. Though maybe I'm the only one that sees the weird humor in this."
Roxie smiled a little. "Well maybe you have to sit out of practice for a while, but I can still run." She motioned that her legs were just fine.
"Damn I kind of liked the running that we had to do but I guess that I would have to sit out some running till my ankle gets better." I said to her the elevator stopped at the first floor and we exited the elevator once the doors opened we left the hotel and walked and limped towards the car.
Once we had both put our stuff into the back we got into the car and she turned on the engine I have no clue how a person that just broke their wrist can drive with one hand one on the wheel but Roxie did it.
I wasn't looking forward to seeing the reactions that both my Aunt and Uncle were going to give me and not to mention all of the questions that would be asked it wouldn't be fun.
Once we had pulled into the hospital Roxie didn't drop me off at the entrance because she and I both knew no matter how fast she found a parking spot for the car that I would still be just walking into the hospital by the time she caught up with me. She finally found a spot for the car and both got out of the car and started walking towards the sliding doors inside the hospital.
"Just a fair warning there's going to be a lot of freaking out when they see us so be prepared to answer questions that they ask you." I told her just to give her a heads up. She just nodded.
We had finally made it inside and to the elevator and were waiting for it to come up since I had pressed the button this time. I took a deep breath and the elevator dinged open. We walked inside and I pressed the number two and the doors closed it then lifted us up to our destination and halted to a stop we both left the elevator and began our long journey to my Aunts hospital room.
I've never been that much of a fan for limping and I wasn't of it now especially when I was trying as hard as I could to distract myself from the pain that I was feeling just so I could get to a nearest chair possible. After a few minutes or so we had finally made it to my Aunts room I knocked for only a moment and then walked straight in if I could describe the expression's that were on my Aunt and Uncle's face I would have said it was impossible to describe.
"Hey Aunt Melinda, Uncle Jerry, you guys are probably wondering why I look like this and Roxie has all the answers to your questions." I said while facing Roxie, once I said the last part she looked like she wanted to slap me so hard by the glare on her face.
Roxie let her glare drop and went to explain what happened. "When we left last night, we were attacked by a pack of strigoi." I decided that the chair next to my aunt's bed looked too good to resist and sat down.
"Oh my gosh are you okay did you break any bones Charles? Are you going to be alright? They didn't bite you did they?" My Aunt asked me with fear in her eyes I feel like I shouldn't have come just by the look on her face. I hate when they're both worried about me. I know that they care but I hate making them worry over me like this, it makes me feel like it's my fault for running out of the hospital like that and getting myself in that danger.
"No I'm fine I just have a sprained ankle and a few scratched I've just got to lay off on the running for a bit I'm not all that sure about the sparring though. I probably won't be able to do any of that for a few days as well. But I've got pain medicine so I'll be just fine and to answer your other question no they didn't bite me if they did then I wouldn't be sitting here with you guys right now. It's all thanks to Roxie if she wouldn't have told me to get on the roof and killed all those strigoi I don't think that either one of us would be here right now." They were both so shocked to hear how brave Roxie had been in a situation like that but she is a guardian after all it's pretty much her duty but I guess they were so surprised to hear that she risked my life just to save me. My uncle spoke up.
"Thank you for doing what you did the other day that must have been a very stressful moment for you both and for you to have taken action like that is quite impressive. I would hate to imagine what we would do if Charles ever did end up like one of them or even dead I'd imagine his father would spit on his grave like the selfish ass that he is." Did my Uncle just curse? Wow and I thought that he wasn't the kind of person that didn't say one mean thing about people I guess that my dad gets under his skin just like he does with me.
"It was nothing," Roxie looked uncomfortable. "It's my job."
" So how exactly did you guys leave without this ending up on the news did you call a detective to clean up the evidence or something?" my Aunt asked Roxie.
I guess non guardian people don't know about the magical cleaning wizards that clean up strigoi guts so that no police go investigating and thinking that it was a murder or that their reason that humans don't know about the vampire world to them its just a fantasy.
"Yes, something like that." Roxie told them and took the seat next to mine.
"Well that's good I'm glad that your okay and that your injuries aren't that bad. I'm sorry to hear that you won't be able to do most of your classes but if it means that your ankle will heal then I'm not so concerned about your education at the moment than I am about your health. Your Uncle and I love you like our own son and would hate if anything ever happened to you." My Aunt said to me while touching my cheek I guess it's not so bad that they care about me so much they're the best parents that I've ever had.
"Your Aunt is right Charles we'll always be there for you no matter what you will still be our nephew and nothing will change that not even your asshole for a father." I couldn't help but laugh at my Uncle's choice of word to describe my father but it was true my dad is a jerk and he'll always be that way no matter how many anger management classes he takes if he ever does.
"I'm going to go get some coffee," Roxie stood up. "Does anyone want anything?"
"Would you mind getting me some apple juice please?" My Aunt said to her oh so politely now that I thought about it getting something to drink did sound pretty I don't think I've had anything to drink at all since last night when I took my medication and crashed on the hotel bed.
"Could I get water Roxie I haven't had anything to drink since last night," I told her
"Of course, one apple juice and one water coming right up," She said and left the room.
I waited until I heard a soft click so I knew that no one would be ease dropping on our conversation. "So theirs kind of something that I've been meaning to ask you guys since I came here today I just don't really know how to ask it without making it awkward for either of you guys." For the second time today I couldn't read the expression on either of their faces and it looked like they were trying to do the same with my expression.
"Well spit it out Charles we're not exactly mind readers here so you might want to spell it out for us old people here." My uncle told me with a straight face wow they really don't beat around the bush when it comes to asking questions about important matters I contemplated how I would ask them but the impatient look on my uncles face told me that I should just say what I feel without any hesitation.
" Ok fine what happened yesterday between you too and my mom and dad? I'm kind of curious as to what exactly it was that he said to you both." Once the words had come out of my mouth I didn't like the look on both of their faces it was a look of discomfort and it really outlined the crow feet on both of their faces I hope I don't get those when I'm old focus Charles you asked the question so you need to listen to the answer that they give you.
" Well once you stormed out your father pretty much kept bad mouthing you and that you would always be a failure in his eyes no matter what it is that you did and that your teacher or whoever you were with shouldn't have stood up for you like that he says that you didn't deserve it." This man just won't quit how in the hell do I have any of his genes I probably have all of my mom's and the only thing I have are his voice and maybe his hair.
" What about my mom did she say anything about me?" I asked them with curiosity in my eye's and then the awkward silence once again started up again and my uncle looked at the floor and shook his head to say no she didn't say anything not even a word she was probably to afraid that he would take her out of the room and slap her.
" Oh honey your mother loves you very much and I'm sure their were so many things she wanted to do yesterday and so many things she wanted to say to you when I first saw her walk into the room her eyes went straight to yours and they light up for a moment when she saw you, you will always be her child that won't change." My aunt told me and I wanted to cry, I wanted to cry tears of happiness from hearing that and tears of sadness at the same time because she's still with that abusive douche I allowed one tear to shed down my face.
"She's still with him thought I don't understand that at all is love really that ignorant someone can be in love with a man that beats his own child and his own wife? I know she was hiding something under that make up."
I heard my uncle take a deep breath and put a hand on my shoulder " I would love to tell you that love makes you do crazy things but this is beyond the level of crazy. We don't know why your mother is still with him when she should have divorced him when the beatings started but it's your mother's choice to want to seek help she needs to do it for herself."
I let my uncle's words sink in with my brain and realized that he was right she can't be forced into getting help. She has to do this because she wants to get help hell it took me all of the courage in the world to pack my bag and runaway to where my Aunt and Uncle live my mom has to be so terrified she just doesn't know what to do. " You guys are right when she wants to get help all we can do is be there for her and get her out of the horrible situation. Forcing her to do it would just make her more afraid and that wouldn't be a good idea"
I finally looked up to see the sad smiles that they had on their faces but they both had their arms outstretched for me so that I could get a hug from them. I must have really needed it by the look that I must have had on my face. I gave them both a hug and wiped away the rest of my tears before they could fall. "Thanks you guys for telling me all of the things that happened yesterday even if they weren't all that good I just wish that I could have given her at least a hug before I left." I said while wiping more tears away that were appearing in my eyes.
"You're welcome Charles and I'm sure your mother would have appreciated that very much from you." My Aunt said looking at me with tears in her eyes as well. Right at that moment, we all heard the door open and it was Roxie with our drinks by the look on her face it seemed like she walked in on us having a little moment.
Roxie tried not to let it show how awkward it was for her to walk into this. She handed me a water bottle and my aunt apple juice.
"Thanks for the water Roxie so what kind of coffee did you get?" I asked her so the awkward vibes in the room would disappear and so that we could be on to a happier conversation then the one that I just had with my Aunt and Uncle a few minutes before the door opened.
"Chocolate, with lots of sugar," She told us. "I'd offer you some but you can't have any with the pain medicine." Roxie gave me a thankful glance and sat down beside me.
"But it smells so good can't you just let me have a little sip of it? It would barely even be that much of a taste just a small bit there's no way that, that will mess up my sleeping patterns will it?" So half of me did change the topic so it wouldn't be awkward but besides that I really did want that coffee the sugar was just teasing my nose and begging me to drink some.
"Do you want insomnia? No. Trust me you don't." Roxie smiled at me slightly.
" I guess your right I value my sleep too much and I think I would be crabby towards a lot of people at Vladimir like I was with Alex and somehow the two of us became friends." I felt like I had this goofy smile on my face when I said Alex's name and I'm positive that my Aunt and Uncle and even Roxie were possibly giving me looks like they knew something that I didn't.
"Who's Alex? Is he a friend of yours Charles? Are you actually making friends at this school? That's terrific!" My aunt told me practically jumping for joy in her bed.
Roxie fought back her smile and took a much longer drink from her coffee than she needed to.
Sorry for the late update! And thank you for reading again. We haven't been eaten by Strigoi, and niether have Roxie and Charles, this time.
Chapter 10 will be The Best Medicine is a Kiss.
Please review! We love it when you tell us what we did right and what we did wrong. We'll try to fix any mistakes when we can.
