A/N: I own nothing, yada yada yada... Sorry it took so long on this update, but thanks for being so patient with this you guys!
THIS IS MICK/JOSEF, SPLIT INTO THREE PARTS
PART ONE: MICK'S POV DURING YEAR
PART TWO: JOSEF'S POV DURING YEAR
AND PART THREE: MICK'S POV IN THE PRESENT
CHAPTER NINE:
YOU DID WHAT?! PART TWO
Previously on NOT A GAMBLE:
The unshed tears poured out now, leaving acid trails of fire down his face. "I know Beth, I know." She was gasping for air. She muttered something that neither Josef nor Mick could quite make out. "What, love?" He leaned closer to her and she whispered, "Turn me Mick." He looked at her shocked and then looked up at Josef. His only reaction was to nod. "What can it hurt?" Mick nodded then too and bit into his wrist, and put it up to her mouth, allowing her to drink from it.
"Let's get her to a freezer." Josef's voice cut through Mick's thoughts and the deafening silence that had enveloped the room. Mick only nodded, and stood up keeping Beth's small body clutched tightly to his, listening to her fading heartbeat. "Beth, please. I need you." He whispered to her, and for the second time that night, Mick St John allowed himself to cry.
I had finally gotten Mick and Beth into the car but I knew as well as they did that they were in no condition to stay by themselves so I drove them to my place. I looked Mick up and down and I knew that there wasn't anything that I could do for my friend right now. I thrived off of power, everyone knows that. And now, feeling helpless like this, not being able to help one of the people that I respected and loved the most- it was nearly as bad as the way I felt when… I shook my head, attempting to rid myself of those thoughts. I was almost happy that Mick was caught up in his own grief and hopelessness, because that way he couldn't feel mine.
Mick laid Beth gingerly in the freezer while I hovered over him like a protective Mother Hen. I had finally come out of my self pity some and I could feel his exhaustion from where she had fed, and from his emotions taking their toll on his body as well. "Come on, you need to feed." I saw him about to protest when I sent him a look, and then he nodded. That was what I lived for, no one questioning me. Even when I was an emotional wreck, I wasn't. He followed me downstairs into the kitchen and I tossed him a bag of pre-packaged blood. Mick looked at me and raised an eyebrow in question. "Gotta keep packaged just in case, friend." I smirked at Mick, who fell silent and drank the blood hungrily. And then I felt it pouring off of him. It was the connection. The link. "You're connected to her." I kept my voice quiet, trying not to startle him but breaking the silence once again. Mick once again raised an eyebrow at me, silently asking me to explain. "When you turn someone, and they drink your blood, you're forever connected. And yes, I can feel her." Mick seemed to catch his tone and simply sighed, so I laid what I hoped to be a reassuring hand on his shoulder. We remained like that for a moment, until I felt the exhaustion hit me. It was rolling off of his body in waves. "Come on, you look like crap." That got a small chuckle out of Mick who followed me through my home. I led him into a freezer room with a single freezer, and by the look on Mick's face, he felt the presence stronger than ever. I silently walked to a door I doubted Mick had seen and opened it slowly, revealing Beth's freezer room connecting to his. Mick smiled sadly at me as I turned to leave.
I went downstairs and picked up the phone. It was time to quit being such a baby. I dialed the number quickly, not giving myself time to talk myself out of it. "Hello?" I breathed in for a moment before I started speaking. I could feel her. I could have hung up right then, but that wouldn't be right. "Sir, I know it's you. You installed Caller ID last month, remember?" I chuckled then, and I could feel her surprise. "Yes, Janie, I remember. I apologize. I was trying to gather my thoughts." I felt her smile. "It's alright, sir. She's doing fine. No change today though. Doc's been by this week and says that she's making progress." And with those few words I felt my heart swell up like a balloon. "I'll take her the phone." For a moment, I thought that might mean she would speak, but I knew this ritual all too well. Janie would sit the phone on the pillow next to her, the connection was stronger that way and I could check her for myself. I would sit there often times for hours until finally, I couldn't stand how strong the connection was anymore.
And when Janie set down the phone, pain rolled over me. Out of the woods my ass! She was hurting! And then I realized, she was dreaming, dreaming about turning and I could feel her pain. Suddenly, I felt every emotion she had felt, the ecstasy to the searing, blinding pain. And then he heard her thoughts. I know it's not supposed to be this way, or else Josef wouldn't have tried. We love each other, and he would never put me through this. It was her voice, and it comforted me to know how much faith she truly had in me. Half an hour later, she stopped dreaming and I decided it was time for Mick to wake up. And as soon as I saw him, I knew it would be like looking into a mirror. "You saw it." Mick nodded, and all I could do was heave a heavy hearted sigh. "They last until she wakes up. But I knew you wouldn't sleep anywhere else that wasn't as near to her as you could be." Mick smiled a half smile at me. "Thank you Josef." I simply shrugged and handed him a robe. Mick slid into it and went into Beth's freezer room. I watched as he looked down at her, and noticing her state he looked up at me, and again I shrugged. "What's the point in male freshies?" That made Mick laugh. The first time since the accident. And I could feel it. Mick was going to be okay. "You're right I guess." He took one last longing look at Beth's face, and then moved out into the next room again so that we could both feed.
A week later, she still hadn't woken. Mick was going stir crazy though, cooped up in that place, knowing that she might not wake up. The doubt got stronger every time he came out of Beth's freezer room.
After six months of her being comatose, I knew that we had to do something, anything. Mick had been continuously giving her five injections a day to keep her alive and would watch over her for hours at a time. Mick looked so lost without her and I couldn't help but wonder if that's what I looked like when this had happened with Sarah. When I myself could only sit around, hovering over her, waiting. And then I started to feel Mick lose hope. "I think it's time." At first, I could tell he was confused. "To move her Mick. You need to go home." Mick nodded. "I'm not kicking you out friend but if I'm right, it's going to be a long wait sill." Mick nodded. I called for Danita to dress Beth and Mick carried her to his car, gingerly putting her in and driving them home.