Chapter 34
Bill continued to spend his hours at the bar with Sookie whenever she was at work. He watched as she struggled through each day, and he was fascinated by her perseverance and optimism. She had a way of finding something good in just about anything, and he was enthralled at how her mind worked. She surprised Bill one night when she told him that even the nonstop headaches had a plus side to them – she got to spend not only her evenings with Bill, but a good portion of her workday with him close by.
Still, even with Bill nearby, she felt just awful by the end of each shift and it was a relief when she could go home with him. Being around him eased her headaches, and the quiet in her head because she couldn't hear his thoughts was another source of comfort. And then there was Bill himself. He did what he could to ease her pain, and Sookie was the grateful recipient of his ministrations. More often than not, though, what started as a warm, relaxing soak in his clawfoot tub or a massage to loosen her sore muscles ended up in a long session of lovemaking.
One evening after a particularly enthusiastic sexual encounter, Sookie playfully teased Bill about being "a messy eater" and licked her blood from his hand. That was when she discovered that her blood tasted like Bill after he fed. She reasoned it was because of the venom she received with each bite, and the idea percolated in her mind for some days after.
...
It was the lull before the dinner rush at Merlotte's and for the moment the place was empty. Arlene was about done with her break and was relaxing with her last cup of coffee in a booth near the front windows. She watched as an old Plymouth pulled into the lot and a rotund man in khaki pants and a short-sleeved, button-front shirt got out with a map in his hands. He unfolded it on the hood of the car and studied it, peering at it through his wire-rimmed glasses, then removing them and bending over it closely until his nose nearly touched it.
Lafayette walked over to the table with a cup in his hand and stood next to Arlene. "Who the hell is that, Arlene?"
"Beats me. I never saw him before."
"Well, I'd say he was a tourist, but sure as hell there ain't nothing in this backwater hole in the road worth making the trip for."
Arlene snorted in agreement, and the two of them watched as the man replaced his glasses and began to wrestle with the map, trying to refold it properly and having a difficult time of it.
"Would'ja look at him fight with that thing, Lafayette? It looks like an episode of the Three Stooges."
Lafayette sipped at his cup. "Somebody oughtta tell that fool about GPS. Well, just in case Curly manages to conquer the motherfucker, I'ma going back to the kitchen."
The man finally managed to get the map folded and looked up, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Turning toward the bar, he began walking toward the door.
The red headed waitress sighed and put down her coffee. "I guess my break is over."
...
Brother Bede walked into the bar with the map in his hand and a bewildered look on his face. Arlene approached him with a menu.
"Hi. Where'd y'all like to sit?"
"Hello, hello my dear. Anyplace is fine, thank you."
Arlene led him to a booth near the back by a window and handed him the menu. "Can I get y'all something to drink?"
"Do you have red wine?"
"Sure do."
"I'll have a glass, please."
Arlene left to fetch his wine, and Brother Bede looked over the menu. Having decided on a cheeseburger and fries, he took a moment to look around the bar, taking in every detail. He hadn't been back in the United States for years, since he first went to Rome after his education in the seminary, and he was thoroughly enjoying himself. The trip from the priory was refreshing, and he soaked up the sights of the countryside on his journey.
Arlene came over to take his order and, after telling her what he wanted, Brother Bede addressed her. "I'm afraid I'm a little lost. I'm trying to find Bon Temps..."
Without looking up from her pad while writing his order, she replied, "Well y'all found it. You're in Bon Temps."
"Wonderful, wonderful! I was afraid I had taken a wrong turn off 507."
"You came up 507? Where abouts you coming from?"
"Metairie."
"Well, no wonder... y'all can get here a lot faster than on 507."
"Oh, but it was just lovely, lovely! Such a pleasant drive. I enjoyed every minute of it."
"Uh huh." Arlene picked up his menu and headed back to the kitchen to place his order.
"Here you go, Lafayette. 'Nother cheeseburger."
Lafayette put one hand on his hip and brandished his spatula at her in exasperation. "What is it with white folks and their damned cheeseburgers? I got's a jambalaya on special today that's so good it'll make y'all's brains fall out, and all I do is stand here and flip fuckin' burgers..."
"Yeah, well this one's having wine with his."
"No shit? Now that's a new one...beer I understand, but wine with a hamburger?" Lafayette shook his head and turned to the grill, mumbling under his breath about cretins with no palate.
As the sun began to set and Brother Bede awaited his order, the bar started to fill and he spent his time in the pleasurable pastime of people-watching.
...
Sookie sat next to Bill on the old burgundy velvet and mahogany sofa in his living room with a thoughtful look on her face. She was off tonight, and she was looking forward to spending a leisurely evening recovering from the stresses of the week.
Bill combed his fingers through her hair. Through their connection he could tell that she was deeply concerned about something, and could feel her effort to sort something out in her mind.
"You're very pensive tonight, Sweetheart."
Sookie looked up. "Hmm? I'm sorry Bill. I wasn't listening."
He smiled. "Getting bored with me, Miss Stackhouse? Perhaps you'd rather be spending your time with Eric..."
"Oh hell no! Don't even joke about that, Bill. I'm not bored with you in the least. Just trying to figure something out."
Bill looked his question, and Sookie responded. "I'm just wondering what's going to happen to you when I'm gone."
"Excuse me?"
"I human, Bill. I'm not going to be around forever. With this venom thing, how are you going to feed? I mean, I know you can survive on TruBlood, but it would be like a human living on nothing but rice cakes for the rest of their life. I'm worried about how you're going to manage after I die."
Oh Sweetheart, there is no survival for me when you are gone...the day you die is the day I meet my true death... He left the thought unvoiced, and remained quiet for a moment before responding.
"We don't even know whether or not it has any effect on humans, Sookie."
"Yeah, well, it's been eatin' at me for the last couple of days, all the same."
"I'm not sure what we can do about it."
Sookie looked down. "I may have an idea, Bill, but I don't think y'all're going to like it much."
"So what's your idea?"
"Wait here. I'll be right back." Sookie got up and hurried upstairs to Bill's bedroom to rummage around in her overnight bag, then came back to sit with him on the sofa.
Bill took her hand in his. "What do you have there, Sookie?"
She opened her hand and showed him the item in her palm.
"A pocket knife?"
"It's the knife I used the night you got back from Rome."
He frowned at her. "You're right, Sookie. I'm not sure I like where this is going at all."
"A couple nights ago, when I teased you about being a messy eater, I could taste you in my blood, Bill. I kinda' thought it was from the venom getting in the wound when you bit me."
"And?"
"Well, I was wondering if my blood tastes that way when you don't bite me."
Bill raised an eyebrow in query.
"I mean, we've been trying to figure out if you can control the venom when you bite, but even if you can, how would we know? There's just been no way to check. So, I've been thinking...if my blood tastes different when I'm cut than it does when you bite me, maybe we can use that. If I can taste it, then we'd know there's venom in the wound. If I can't, then there isn't."
"You really are worried about this, aren't you?"
"Yeah, Bill, I am. It's been bugging me for a while, almost since we found out about you. Right now I'm the only person we're sure y'all can feed from safely, and that's dangerous."
"Well, it's obvious you've given this a lot of thought."
She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "The thought that y'all might not be able to feed...well, it scares the bejeebers out of me. I just don't want anything to happen to you."
"I understand, Sookie. But can we put this discussion on hold for a bit?"
"How come?"
"I need to head out to Fangtasia to get that blood sample from Eric."
"I still don't like the idea of you going there."
I know, Sweetheart. But I don't want to wait. I want to get it back to Dr. Ludwig right away. You're headaches are getting worse, and I don't like to see you in pain."
"I want to go with you."
"Sookie...'
"Please, Bill. I'd just be here alone worrying myself to death."
"With all those people at the bar...won't it be difficult to keep your guard up? What about all the noise?"
"I'll wait in the car for you. I should be OK. And even if I'm not, it's still better than sitting here worrying myself into a state."
"All right. Let's go. The sooner we get this done, the better."
"Thanks Bill. Thanks for not giving me a hard time about coming along."
Bill smiled at her and reached out to fondle her breast. "Well, I'm saving the hard time for when we get back..."
...
Brother Bede finished the remainder of his wine, then swirled ketchup on his last french fry and savored it. He wiped his mouth with a napkin as Arlene returned with his check.
"Was everything all right?" she asked.
"Oh my, my, it was just wonderful! I haven't had a real American cheeseburger in years...I'd forgotten just how good they are. My compliments to the capo cuoco."
"The what?" Arlene looked at him askance.
Brother Bede chuckled at himself. "Oh, forgive me! Force of habit, my dear. My compliments to the head cook, the chef."
"Right. I'll tell him. What language is that, anyway?"
"It's Italian. I've been there for nearly 20 years. This is my first trip home in all that time."
"Y'all are kidding me...you've been living in Italy and now you're here in this nowhere hick town? Who'd you piss off?"
He laughed. "No one, I hope. My superiors decided I needed a rest, so they transferred me to Metairie for a while. The only other place in Louisiana I've ever heard of, besides New Orleans, of course, is Bon Temps... so I thought I'd take a drive and see what it looked like."
"You couldn't find something more exciting to do?"
"More exciting, possibly, but hardly more interesting. By the way, is there a hotel in town?"
"In Bon Temps?" Arlene snorted in disdain. "Not hardly. None worth staying in, at least. But let me ask Sam if he knows a decent place. I'll be right back."
...
Bill pulled his car into the Fangtasia lot. Shutting off the engine, he turned toward Sookie. "You're sure you'll be all right out here by yourself?"
"Yeah, Bill. The noise isn't too bad. Y'all sure you'll be all right in there with Eric?"
"I'll be fine." Bill paused. "It's an interesting feeling, not being afraid of Eric anymore. He's still my sheriff, and I have to respect his position, but for the first time I feel like an equal and not a subordinate under his thumb. It takes some getting used to."
"He's still treacherous. So don't you get cocky. I want you back here in one piece."
Bill gave her a quick kiss before getting out of the car. "Yes, Miss Stackhouse."
...
Brother Bede was sitting amidst the remains of his dinner when a tall man with a thatch of thick brown hair approached and slid into the booth across from him.
"Howdy. I'm Sam Merlotte. Arlene tells me y'all're looking for a hotel."
"I am. However your waitress – that's Arlene?" Sam nodded. "She also tells me that there's not much to choose from here."
"Nope, none that I would recommend. I have some rentals, and it happens that one is vacant at the moment."
"Oh my, my...I'm afraid I won't be able to stay that long. At least not now. My superiors are expecting me back in a few days."
"No problem. It's just sitting there empty. Might as well get some use out of it. You can stay as long or as short as you want. It's furnished, so you'll be comfortable. We can work out the rate later."
"Oh my, my, how kind of you. It sounds just wonderful!"
"You got a name?"
"Oh please forgive my lack of manners, Mr Merlotte. I'm Brother Bede."
Sam raised his eyebrows. "Brother?"
"Yes, yes, yes. I'm a brother of the Order of Preachers. Most people know us as Dominicans."
Sam rested his chin in his hand and studied the man for a moment. "Y'all don't look like a brother."
"It's the clothes. I usually travel in mufti, especially when driving. I have a terrible habit – excuse the pun – of getting the habit tangled up in the accelerator. My abbot has strictly forbidden me to drive unless I am wearing trousers. Something about insurance liability and public safety." He shook his head and chuckled at himself. "Apparently, I am a menace behind the wheel when I'm wearing skirts.
"So what in the world brings you to Bon Temps? Y'all startin' up a church or something?"
"Oh my, my...nothing so grand. I am here to visit a friend, William Compton."
Sam sat back in the booth and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How do y'all know Bill?"
Surprised at Sam's sudden coldness, the brother responded, "I met him recently in Rome. He'd come searching for some information in the archives. I'm sorry...have I said something amiss?"
"You know he's a vampire?"
"Yes, of course. Am I to understand that you don't approve of vampires?"
"Let's just say church folk haven't been too friendly to 'em around here. He's a friend of a good friend of mine, and I don't want her upset."
"Oh dear...yes, Mr. Compton told me about the bombing, and the, the burning that was attempted by believers..." Brother Bede shuddered at the memory of what Bill had told him, and shook his head. "I still cannot quite wrap my mind around it...horrible. Just horrible."
...
"Well? Any ideas?" Dr. Ludwig plopped herself down in a chair as she addressed her brother-in-law.
"Ideas? Too many and not enough." Joseph Ludwig, the younger brother of Margaret's late husband, wiped his forehead and took a deep breath. "When you said there was something damned strange going on, I thought you were exaggerating."
"Hell, Joey. You ought to know me better than that by now. I don't have enough imagination in me to exaggerate."
"I wish we had an older sample of her blood to run a comparison with. Do we have the sample from the other vampire yet?"
"No. But I got the feeling that we won't have to wait very long. This Compton fellow is an oddball as vampires go. He's actually concerned about his human."
"Really? That's a new one. I don't think I've ever run into one that thought of humans as anything more than groceries."
Dr. Ludwig harumphed. "So. We got a vamp and a telepath. You can see by the tests why I was so baffled."
"Yeah. And this vamp is producing venom..." He held up the vial that contained the remains of the sample of venom. "I didn't know that was still possible."
"Goddammit Joey! Wear some fucking gloves when you mess with that crap, will you?"
"Sorry, Mags." He gingerly replaced the vial in the holder.
"That damned shit is toxic as hell."
"But you said it has no effect on her."
"Not one bit. I sat there and listened to 'em. She can taste it when she kisses him. Hell, she likes the stuff. In her words, he tastes 'more like himself.' She can fucking smell it. Crazy thing is, vampire senses or not, he can't. She's the one who first noticed it. He can't taste it or smell it."
"And there's no effect on her when he bites her with this stuff?"
"Nope. None. Apparently, she's actually taken it orally, full strength."
Joey scrubbed his fingers through his scalp vigorously, as if he were trying to rev up his brain. "And they're taking blood from each other? You sure?"
"Yep. The other woman there, the sensible one. She said they've been feeding from each other."
"But she's not a vamp..."
"No. Human. But there's this crazy eroticism going on between the two. Feeding from each other is a part of it. Funny thing is, neither one understands it."
"Not even the vamp?"
"Joey, I told you. It's stranger than hell. It's even sex in overdrive for him, and I sure never heard of that before."
"Geeze, Maggie. This stuff is so out there...I could spend my lifetime trying to figure out this mess. I imagine they're worried about what effect the venom is having on her. It wouldn't surprise me if they think he's making her sick with the stuff."
"That's exactly what they think. I wonder how they'll react when they find out that her blood is what caused the changes in him."