Did I really need anythin' more to make my life miserable? I can't even stay in a deep sleep no matter how tired I am with these coughin' fits wakin' me so often. It's like I can't even get a full breath in without one. An the pain...it's all I can focus on. There's been a time or two I knew someone was in the room with me, but I have no sense a time. I don't care, I just want this to be over.

"He's gettin' worse, Major." I'm pretty sure that voice belongs to the Major's officer, the one that helped me in from the pasture. The Major just grunts in response. "Unless ya plan to jus change him, I think I might be able to help him. Otherwise he'll probably develop pneumonia if it ain't already started."

"Weren't ya some sorta witch doctor or somethin' before this, Arthur?" the Major asks.

Arthur chuckles. "I grew up on a sliver a land between two Indian tribes...I picked up a few things along the way."

"It's worth a shot, an ya got time. He's yer patient, doc. Jus don't kill him."

"Yes, sir. I oughta be able to find most a what I need in the lil' store, but there's a couple plants I may have to do a lil' travellin' for."

"Understood. Go anywhere northeast a here. Ya know not to go any other direction 'till ya get outta Texas," the Major replies, the sound a his footsteps bangin' in my head as he goes to the door.

"Yes, sir."

Arthur is alright. I like Arthur.

I doze off again, only to be woke up by Arthur, who helps me to sit up some an puts a cup of hot liquid in my hands.

"Sip that 'till it's gone. It's got a lot a honey in it, so it'll help soothe yer throat an ease that coughin'." I nod an take a sip, thankful it don't taste horrible. It's real sweet an has both flavors a tea an whiskey, but more tea than whiskey. "Good. I'll be back in a lil' while with somethin' that might jus help clear it up altogether. An don't lie down flat, keep yerself propped up a lil'."

My throat is too raw to even attempt a "thank you", but I don't have time anyway before he's gone. I jus do as I was told an sip from the cup 'til it's gone, tryin' not to doze off. Once the cup is empty, I slide back down jus a lil', but not all the way, keepin' m'self propped a bit. I could be sittin' straight up, probably wouldn't keep me from dozin' off. Now that my throat feels a lil' better an I ain't constantly fightin' a coughin' spell, it's easier to do.

I don't know how long I'm sleepin', but I think it's been awhile by the the time he comes back an wakes me. Sittin' up, I see a big iron pot filled with steamin' water an some kinda crushed up plants. Since the pot can't come up on the bed, I gotta move to the floor, an he used my blanket to cover both me an the pot.

"Alright, I want ya to lean over that an breathe it in as deep as ya can. Jus slow, even breaths in an out until there's no more steam. Should last aroun half an hour or so."

Witch doctor. Now the Major's words are kinda funny…

I hear him leave, once again leavin' me alone to follow his instructions. I feel kinda silly, all covered up on the floor with my head bent over a pot, but if it works, that's all I really care about. I ain't real sure what kinda plants he's got in the water, but the smell is strong enough I can taste it. After a short time, I start to feel sharp lil' pains in my lungs with every breath I take in, like someone is rollin' a small cactus around inside my ribs, an I feel lightheaded, but I stay put until Arthur comes back and pulls the blanket back.

"Back in bed," he says, an I'm more than willin' to comply. Then he grabs my cup from earlier an dips it into the pot. "This ain't gonna taste good at all, an ya don't hafta take yer time drinkin' it, but ya need to get it down."

With that, he hands me the cup an I look at it, grimacin' at all the lil' green plant junk floatin' in it. Be best if I not think about it too hard, though, so I hold my breath an take it all down in one shot, gaggin' as I set the cup on the table. "That's disgustin'," I rasp weakly, an he chuckles an nods.

"I told ya. It'll put ya out, too, but yer probably gonna feel a lot better by mornin'."

"Thanks, Arthur," I tell him, my eyelids already gettin' heavy.

"Yer welcome, Pete."

That's the last I hear before fallin' into a deep, dreamless sleep. It's a lil' after daybreak when I finally wake up again, an it's the urgent need to take a leak that rolls me from the bed. I ain't been this close to pissin' m'self since I was jus a kid an Mama wouldn't let me get up durin' a church service that went long. I gotta go so bad, I don't care if anyone sees, though I do try to get outta sight the best I can behind the stables.

A few minutes later, I come stumblin' back into the stables, feelin' a couple pounds lighter. Arthur is there, laughin' his ass off.

"Yuk it up, ya bastard. What the hell did ya give me?!" I ask, floppin' down in a pile a hay. I still feel a lil' too weak to stand for long.

"Ah, don't bellyache. It worked, didn't it?"

"That was the longest an worst smellin' piss I ever took." Seriously. It was like rotted pig piss. I don't know if it's what I said or the look on my face, but Arthur jus laughs harder. I can't help but chuckle m'self. "Well, whatever it was, it sure enough worked, so thank ya, Doc."

Once he calms down, he nods. "Yer welcome. I done spoke to the Major an got the okay to tell ya not to work t'day. Get out and get some sun an fresh air, but nothin' strenuous. Ya don't want that sickness to flare up on ya again."

"No, I sure don't. I'll take it easy."

He points an I look across the room to see a small basket with a few eggs in it. "Came across 'em last night while passin' though a farm. Should help ya get some a yer strength back." Now that I've had a chance to think about it, I am starvin'. "Alright. I got me a few new ones to go tend to, so I'll see ya around." With a tip a his hat, he strolls out an I stretch and yawn, relieved to know I shouldn't be bothered t'day.

Now, as good it feels to be stretched out in the hay, my stomach ain't gonna be ignored any longer, so I groan an get to my feet, scoopin' up the basket with my fingers as I walk by an head down to the store. The mornin' sun feels good on my back, makin' me glad I didn't concern m'self with puttin' my shirt on.

There ain't a soul to be seen nowhere, an I hate to say I'm just gettin' used to the ghost town feelin' a this place. It don't even give me the creeps now. The bell at the top a the door rings when I go in, alerting no one in particular but me, an the first thing I do is go straight through to the back where the lil' fire pit is, an get a fire goin'. When I'm sure it's started, I turn to go back in the store, nearly fallin' back when I about bump into a lil' female with bright red eyes.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" she says, takin' a step back. "I'm Emily."

I nod nervously, tryin' to regain my composure. "Uhm...nice to meet ya, Emily...I'm Pete….Should you be-"

"Oh I know, I remember you from the other day." She's a hyper lil' thing, curiosity an excitement dancin' in them red eyes a hers. She looks so...young. I can't fathom why a vampire would want to change such a young girl if her purpose is for war. Men go to war, not young girls. She couldn't have been more than sixteen. "May I do that for you? The Major wants me to do things to learn to control my strength, and I used to love cooking. Please?"

I know I'm such a sucker, but I can't say no. I just chuckle an nod my head. "Sure thing, sugar, so long as ya don't try an take a bite outta me...an ya ain't gonna get in trouble for bein' around me, right?"

She claps her hands an giggles. "Thank you! I would hug you, but I'm afraid I would break you." She grins and turns to go inside, talking as she does. "He said not to hurt you, I think I can manage that. Just don't bleed, okay?"

"I'll try not to," I mutter, findin' m'self a seat with my back to the wall.

She soon returns, carryin' an iron skillet, some potatoes an a knife. I watch as she moves slower than even a human like me normally would to place the skillet over the fire. She looks pleased with herself, droppin' some lard in the skillet an pickin' up a potato. She's a lil' too hasty with it, though, an crushes it to oblivion in her palm. I try not to chuckle at her growl of frustration, but she notices anyway.

"Just you wait, you'll see it ain't easy!" I hold my hands up in apology, an she tries again, this time biting her lip an taking great effort to hold the potato an knife without destroying both. Slowly but surely, she manages to get it cut up into the pan, then does another.

"Two is plenty, sugar," I tell her, not wanting her to have to struggle for more than I'll eat. She nods her head an sits back a lil' to let 'em cook a bit before adding any eggs. "So, Emily...how long have ya been a vampire?" Add that to a growin' list of questions I never thought I'd ask.

"I think it's been almost six months," she replies, twirlin' her brunette hair in her fingers. Six months an she can barely handle things without breakin' 'em? Fantastic. That's what I get to look forward to. "I'm getting better at controlling myself- my strength and my temper. The Major helps, but he can get kinda impatient. And I try to stay away from Maria altogether."

Can't say I'm surprised at all that she's afraid a Maria. "Ya say the Major helps ya?" He don't really strike me as the helpful sort, but she nods her head enthusiastically.

"He has this gift. He can control emotions, so our army isn't as out-of-control as most of the ones we go to battle with. I've only been in a few battles so far, and I stayed behind him at all times. You don't want to be in his way when he unleashes that gift of his in a bad way...and because no one gets around him easily."

"Ya talk like ya got a lot of respect for him…"

She carefully lifts the basket a eggs as she nods her head. "Anyone with any sense learns quickly that disrespect is severely punished. He teaches us well...teaches us how to survive."

I snort, rollin' my eyes. "To survive a war ya didn't ask to be brought into. I can imagine ya were ripped away from yer family as well?"

She frowns, shuggin' a shoulder. "I guess. I don't remember a lot about them. Mostly I remember being in the kitchen with my mother."

"Ya don't remember?"

"Not really. I lost a lot of my memories during the change. That happens to a lot of us." This time it's me who wears a frown. I don't wanna forget my family or my life. "Pete? Could you...I know I'll break them."

I look up to see her still holdin' the basket an I chuckle. "Yer s'posed to break 'em. B'sides, there's at least eight in there, an I ain't gonna eat that many. Go ahead an give it a try, sugar."

Her first attempt is a failure, her fingers goin' right through the shell, an she growls in response. "I told you! I can't."

She sets the basket down an crosses her arms and I can't help but laugh. "Ah, c'mon, ya can't give up that easy, it was jus one egg! Try again." She shakes her head an I pout a lil', givin' her the same puppy eyes I'd give Mama when I wanted somethin' or tryin to get outta trouble. "Please?"

"That's not fair! Fine." I grin at gettin' my way an she huffs, very slowly reachin' for another egg. This time, she's able to pick it up without breakin' it, but doesn't quite get it to the skillet before breakin' it.

I can see her eyes turnin' darker as she grits her teeth, an I should probably just do it m'self, but instead, I scoot over closer to her. "Take it easy, ya almost had it. Lemme see yer hand." I hold out my hand for hers an she lays hers palm side up in it. Pickin' up an egg, I lay it in her palm. "Let me move yer fingers, but pay attention to the pressure." Usin' my fingers to move hers, I wrap them around the egg an move her hand to the skillet, tappin' the egg on the side jus enough to crack it. Turnin' her hand loose, I smile as she's able to do the rest herself. "See? Now do one more on yer own."

The next one she picks up an cracks into the skillet all on her own, squealin' excitedly. "I did it!" It's funny how somethin' so trivial can be such a big deal, an this has been a learnin' experience for me, too. If somethin' as tiny an delicate as her has taken this long to be able to handle an egg without breakin' it, what's it gonna be like for me? "I would hug you if I weren't afraid of crushing you! Thank you!"

I chuckle and lean back into my spot, shakin' my head. "No need to thank me. I might need yer help once I'm changed."

She seems to like that idea, noddin' happily. It ain't long before the food is done, an she manages to get it on a plate an hand it to me without incident. It's amazin' how much confidence she's gained from that one lil' thing, an it feels good to have really helped someone. Emily is a sweet kid, an easy to talk to. Even after I'm done eatin', she walks with me down to the creek where I wash my face an get a drink. We talk about the few things she remembers a her family an I tell her about mine. Talkin' about 'em makes my heart ache to go home, an I think she can see it in my eyes b'cause she lays a hand on my shoulder an whispers an apology.

"It's alright. I just don't wanna forget 'em. I don't wanna forget my life, even if I can never go back to it."

"I know they must miss you terribly," she sighs, hoppin' up to sit on a tree branch over the water. I jus nod an look down at my fingers pickin' at the grass. I don't really wanna think about the heartache my disappearance has to have brought to Mama. Another son...lost. "Hey," she chirps, obviously tryin' to brighten the conversation. "Do you like to swim?"

What? Swim? I chuckle and nod. "Yeah, why?"

"There's a lake not far from here- too far to take you like that," she says, gesturing to my whole self, so I assume she means my human self can't go that far an it not be considered 'not far'. "-but it's deep and clear. When you're a vampire, I'll take you."

"I'll hold ya to it." I grin up at her, an jus as she's about to say somethin', her mouth snaps shut an she perks up, as if she's listenin' to somethin'.

"We're being called," she's says, hoppin' from the branch to the ground b'side me. "Well, not us, the newborns. Probably training...I have to go. Thanks for talking to me, Pete. It's nice to have a friend around here."

I grin up at her and nod. "I agree. It was a pleasure meetin' ya, Emily. I'll see ya around, alright?"

"Of course!" she giggles an just like that, she's gone.

"Be careful, lil' one," I murmur after her, then lay back in the grass to enjoy the sun an air like Arthur told me to. Doc's orders and all that…

I pretty much spend the whole day like that, layin' in the grass by the water with very little movement to speak of. Might as well enjoy the hell outta it since there ain't no tellin' if I'll get another day like this one.