Chapter 9
The sick feeling remained in her stomach and the terrible headache did not ease. She downed three aspirins with a glass of club soda and forced herself out the door.
The Louisiana sunshine hurt her eyes and she all but ran to her car which made the headache that much worse. As she drove through the route that would lead her to Shreveport her dread grew even more. How could she go and pretend nothing had happened? She'd been violated and what was worse she now knew what they were really trying to accomplish and she was helping them do so. Then there was Eric whose fate was as awful as she could imagine. She'd promised herself to help him but what could she really do for him?
She got to the lab and parked her car in its usual spot. Some fumbling with the glove compartment produced her little used sunglasses which she perched on her nose to help with the newfound light sensitivity. Whatever Luke had tried to do to her was especially powerful, the shielding had stressed her reserves greatly.
Just like any other day Sookie entered through the main door. She was dismayed to see Luke perched by the reception area wearing his usual lab coat. He smiled and motioned for her to come to come to him. Sookie's stomach rebelled and she thought that she might vomit in the middle of the hall.
"Good morning Sookie. You look particularly pretty tonight except for those shadows under you eyes. You didn't get a good night sleep did you?"
The bile rose in her throat. "I wasn't feeling well. Actually I'm still feeling slightly sick."
He patted her on the shoulder. His face emoted faux concern. "Well that's just too bad. Why don't you take tomorrow and the next couple of days off? I can call someone to take your shift. Actually why don't you take the week? You certainly deserve it."
Sookie nodded and continued on to the elevator and the basement. She had to lean against one of the metal doors and breathe deeply until her stomach calmed down.
She purposely left Eric's cell to the very last occupying herself with the other unfortunate residents of the lab. As per usual most did not react to her presence except to coldly glare at her. One particularly difficult vampire named Antoine Bonnett still hissed at her when she tried to run the cleansing wipe through his body. He'd managed to nick her once before and she would probably have a scar if not for Eric who had licked her wound closed.
He was in top form that day. She guessed that they had drawn blood recently. He really hated when the techs used their suctioning syringes to access blood that for the most part did not flow. Apparently he'd decided that she was a suitable scapegoat for his misery.
And her headache did not let up.
Sighing she braced herself and quickly ran the wipe across his caramel colored skin. His fangs elongated and if it wasn't for the band holding his neck to the gurney he would have bitten her again.
"Please stop Mr. Bonnett, I had nothing to do with what happened to you earlier."
The hiss grew even louder and she caught some Creole expletive directed at her. "I don't know what you said but my Gran would probably stake you for cursing at a lady not that I feel like one after yesterday."
He stopped and glared angrily at her. She did not know if he understood English but she continued to speak to him.
"Thank you. It's just that I have this headache and I'm doing my best really but everything is so wrong. I don't have a clue about what I'm going to do but I can't stay here and pretend that everything is fine when it isn't"
The vampire looked a little less angry but more annoyed. Sookie blinked back her tears and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry for taking advantage of a captive audience. I'll shut up now."
The fangs retracted and he shut his eyes.. In the lab the daily cycles of the vampires were all askew. Many vampires slept at night choosing to remain awake when the techs were using their bodies or the attendants were taking care of their needs. Apparently today Mr. Bonnet had chosen to go to sleep before he fed.
Sookie let him rest figuring she owed him after forcing him to listen to her. She would return later in the day with his bagged blood. Now it was Eric's turn.
XxXx
Eric twisted his neck in her direction as soon as she entered his cell. Sookie had his meal with her but his gaze did not leave her face. She thought he looked worried.
"Are you alright Sookie?" he asked softly.
Sookie nodded but at the same time a sharp pain shot up her temples. She grimaced and almost dropped the bag of blood on the floor. Eric's eyes narrowed and he motioned that he wanted her closer.
"Do you know what happened to you yesterday?"
She swallowed. "Yes."
He sighed loudly. "I thought so. I'm sorry that you had to go through that and I couldn't stop them."
"It must have been difficult for you too."
"Having Newlin that close to me and being unable to give him his due was as bad as the worst torture I've endured. However, all that paled at seeing you mistreated as you were. I will drain them for what they've done."
For some reason this gave her a warm feeling in her belly. "I'm alright. It's just that ever since then this headache has not let up. I feel sick and weak. I don't know what's wrong with me."
He licked his lips and she would later swear that he was debating whether or not to trust her. "I think I can help you with that."
"How so?" she said wincing at another stab of pain.
"Drink my blood."
"What?" she gasped.
"Your psyche has been overwhelmed and the damage is manifesting itself physically. My blood will heal you."
"But wouldn't that turn me vampire?"
"No. You need to have been drained beforehand to be made vampire Sookie. All my blood will do is make you feel better. Please let me do this for you."
She did not know why but she assented. His fangs descended and before she could say anything he punctured his own tongue with them. As his mouth filled with blood he beckoned to her.
As in a trance she leaned over him. His lips looked soft and delicious. She pressed her own against them as his blood filled her mouth. The rich, sweet liquid travelled down her throat and into her body enveloping cell by cell making each burst with energy. His wounded tongue explored the crevices of her mouth erasing all traces of Luke's forced kiss, claiming her. Sookie had never felt more alive.
At last she broke the kiss and stood over him with her eyes closed trying to gather her bearings. Crazy Sookie, lonely Sookie, it had been her first real kiss.
Much later when she returned to Mr. Bonnett's cell with his blood in tow she was surprised to hear him return her greeting in perfect English. She was even more surprised that he let her feed him without any incident.
"I'm glad that you decided that I wasn't here to hurt you" she told him as she was about to leave.
"I know that fanm. You belong to Northman now and I am not going to risk crossing him even if he is a prisoner like me."
She felt the blood insider of her turn to icy sludge. He'd lied to her.
TBC.
Just like I promised the more reviews I get the faster I write. Hold on to your metaphorical hats because next chapter is a big one and we finally move the story away from the lab at least for the time being. Thank you for reviewing and keep them coming.
