A/N: Sorry for spamming your notifications if you have 'em. :P This is definitely it for this week, though.

Chapter 3

Pam worked on Sookie's hair for a few minutes without saying anything. Frankly, she had no idea what to say. Eventually, she decided to just move on.

"Where were the other vampires kept?"

Sookie shrugged. "There weren't any other vampires."

"Sookie, there were one hundred and sixty vials per day in those refrigerators. Every day for weeks. Almost two thousand in total."

"Yeah. When Mama found out I made so much, she switched from twice a week to once a day."

"La Sangsue, you mean? The Leech?",

"Her real name is Michelle Stackhouse. Or was, I guess."

"And she was your mother? Your human mother? She did this to you?"

Sookie shrugged. Her tears spilled over again, and Pam handed her a tissue.

"Can you tell me anything about your maker?"

She shrugged again. "Not much, really. My mama was my maker's girlfriend off and on for a few years. Sometimes he got called away."

"And he turned you to be a blood slave?"

Sookie sighed. "No. It was an accident. We hadn't seen him in over a year. Mama was going to NA - that's Narcotics Anonymous - and had a pretty good job. I was still in school because I was held back in seventh grade, but I had a part-time job, too. Evenings and weekends. Mama'd sworn off men, and I couldn't date, because… Anyhow, we were finally almost getting along and doing ok for ourselves when he showed back up on Christmas night. He never really was much into Mama, but he always stayed around because he was into me. And especially my blood. He said I was sweet and delicious." She grimaced.

"Anyway, he came into my bedroom late that night and I just couldn't do it again. I'd thought I was free. I was starting to feel like things might be ok. So, for the very first time, I fought back. He enjoyed it. Got off on it, I guess. He forced me, and drank a lot of my blood, and then he beat me up and I guess he killed me and then brought me back."

"He didn't glamour you?"

Pam was being so nice, but… How could she ever trust anybody? Sookie didn't want to give too much away. Besides, it really was the truth. "That would have taken all the fun out of it, I think."

Her mother dated him for years, and then he was gone for another… "Sookie, how old were you when he started raping you?"

"I'd just turned twelve. The summer before I started seventh grade. Well, the first time around."

This poor girl had been through hell for more than half of her existence. "Are you sure that you can't tell me who he is? You weren't compelled to go back inside after Eric carried you out. Maybe he's met his final death."

"No, but my mama has."

Pam looked confused. "I don't understand."

"My maker commanded me to do everything she said. A while back, she started making me stay in there all the time."

"Did he know that she was using you as a blood slave?"

Sookie nodded. "He got her started. She didn't even know it was a drug at first. It was way before the Revelation."

"Why did she use the silver if you had to do what she said? Why did she keep you naked and trapped in a room?" Why did her mother hate her so much?

Sookie raised one shoulder, but she'd read her mother's mind enough times to know. Mama was jealous that Sookie's maker wanted Sookie and not her. She blamed Sookie for getting turned; if she hadn't fought back, it probably wouldn't have happened. And her mother had always been afraid of her, and after she'd been turned, Mama had been terrified. Even though she'd been fucking Sookie's Master for years, and he was so much scarier than she was. And then Mama had gotten addicted to V, blamed Sookie for getting her hooked, and then couldn't stop draining her because her mother needed a fix. And then the money started rolling in. She didn't want to give up her new lifestyle. And the more cash she'd made, the more she'd wanted.

At first, she didn't treat Sookie that bad. Well, comparatively. But Mama kept getting angrier and more resentful, and Sookie's treatment kept getting worse. And then things spiralled out of control. When the guilt started eating her mother alive, she figured that if she completely dehumanized Sookie, she wouldn't have to feel guilty any more. It hadn't really worked, but she'd kept on trying. Eventually, her mother had taken everything away from her except a place to rest safely and just enough blood to keep her supply up. And only those because she'd had to protect her investment. If the blood had dried up, her mother would have gladly killed her. She'd fantasized about it. So had Sookie.

"There. I thought we might have to cut it off, but I got it all combed out. It's beautiful. Almost exactly the same colour as Eric's."

"Thank you."

Pam put the brush back in her purse. "Now, we just need to figure out where you're going to stay for the day. You could rest here, but I imagine you've had enough of being alone for a while."

Sookie shrugged, but then nodded. Her mother had moved out a few months after Sookie'd been turned. When the money really started coming in. The only company she'd ever gotten was when she was being drained. Unless her master came to town.

"You can come home with me. Chow won't mind."

Sookie looked wary. "Chow?"

"Yes, we share a house. You'll love his tattoos!"

Sookie started shaking her head before Pam finished and seemed to shrink into herself again. "No. It's ok. I don't want to put you out. I'll just stay here."

"Sookie…" But Pam changed her mind. She sat on the couch and sent a text.

"Are you hungry? Felicia is coming in with some more blood." Pam wanted to test out a theory.

Sookie shrugged, and looked leery again, but she didn't cower. Not quite, anyway.

Felicia walked in with three more bags of blood and another glass. Sookie pulled her feet up onto the chair and pulled the T-shirt down over her knees and wrapped her arms around them. But she didn't hiss.

"Sookie, this is Felicia. She works here in the bar. Felicia, this is my friend, Sookie." What in the hell else was she supposed to say? This is the vampire we found naked and dirty and on the verge of death? The one who'd been tortured for nearly a decade by her mother, the drug lord? The one who's been single-handedly producing 90% of the V sold in ten states for eight years or more?

Felicia smiled at Sookie, but the pity was written all over her face. "Hi. It's really nice to meet you."

Sookie wouldn't make eye contact, but she whispered, "Hi."

"Pam, the doctor just arrived. She's talking to Eric, and then will be right in."

Pam nodded and took the blood and glass from Felicia. Felicia nodded back and went out into the hall.

"Let's have a little more blood. You can sit on the couch. The doctor might want you to lie down."

"Ok"

Pam refilled Sookie's glass again and then filled the other one for herself. Sookie only sipped on it this time. She looked absolutely exhausted - like she was on the verge of dying for the day, even though it was hours before dawn. Or just dying altogether. But she was still very jumpy, and any noises in the hall made her flinch.

The door opened and the doctor came in. She was extremely short with olive skin, wavy brown hair, and a large nose.

"Let's have a look at you, girl. Take off the shirt and lie down."

Sookie complied immediately, although she squeezed her eyes shut tight and clenched her fists.

"How long were you without blood?"

Sookie shrugged. "I stopped counting."

Pam said, "She was there alone without blood for a month."

"And up until then, you were drained every day?"

Sookie nodded. "Two racks."

"How much blood were you getting?"

"Two bottles of Red Stuff every day and a bag of real blood once or twice a month."

Dr. Ludwig grunted. "Based on your condition, and the circumstances, you should be finally dead, or damn close to it. It's going to take a long time to recover, but I think you might. You could speed it up considerably if you got some blood from your maker."

Sookie sat up and scrambled into the corner of the couch. "No!"

"Suit yourself. Drink lots of real blood, preferably right from the source. Vampire blood wouldn't hurt, either. And go to your rest as much as you can. You'll do much of your healing when you're dead. I can see how exhausted you are."

The doctor left and Sookie put the shirt back on. Pam felt Eric's call. "I need to speak with Eric for a few minutes. Would you like to come, or would you rather stay here?" Pam was counting on her to stay.

"Stay here."

"Very well. I'll be back shortly."

The bar had closed an hour before, and Eric was sitting in his booth with Dr. Ludwig. Pam slid in next to her maker.

Dr. Ludwig said, "It's incredible that she made that much blood with so little to replenish it. And mostly synthetic! It's astounding that she's still just dead the once. But she is in very bad shape. I've seen a lot of drained vampires, but I've never seen one walking and talking when they looked like that. Most of them turn to ash before I get a chance to see them. She's been on the verge of starvation for much longer than a month."

"Will she recover?"

"She's a tough one, despite how she looks. I think she might. Having her maker's blood would help, but she didn't seem to like that idea much."

Pam nodded. "Her maker started raping her and feeding from her when she was twelve. He beat her to death at eighteen. That was ten years ago. Her mother is La Sangsue, and Sookie's maker got the evil bitch draining her and selling the blood. Who knows what he did to Sookie after she'd been turned."

Eric put his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers. "How long will it take for her to heal?"

Dr. Ludwig shrugged. "Physically? If she does, I would say a few months? Maybe a year? Maybe more than that. Emotionally? Much much longer. And possibly never."

"She is terrified of me. She was from the very beginning."

Pam put her hand on his arm. "Eric, it isn't you. She seems to be terrified of all male vampires. She hissed at Longshadow and wouldn't even think about coming home with me when I mentioned Chow. But she spoke to Felicia and cooperated with Dr. Ludwig."

"Where will she stay?"

"Here alone, I suppose."

"No. I will stay at your house for a few nights. You can stay in mine. This happened right under my nose, for years, in my area."

Pam shot him a dirty look, "It wasn't your fault. How were you supposed to know?"

"It is my job to know. And when I find out who her maker is, he will be finally dead. After I'm through with him."

Dr. Ludwig hopped off the seat and then looked at Eric. "She needs lots of blood and lots of time. She may need to hole up for a week or two, but don't let her go to ground. She needs to feed every day without fail. A lot. And no more of that synthetic crap. Vampire blood would help as well."

"She has already had some of mine."

The doctor nodded once. "Good. Give her more."

Pam said, "As hard as it is to believe, she was in much worse shape when we found her. She could hardly move. She had unhealed wounds from a month ago or more."

"I'm not surprised. Call if you need me. Otherwise, I'll be back in a few days to check on her." The doctor left the bar.

"If she isn't comfortable here at night when the bar is open, she can stay at home and rest and recover in my bed. You won't need to come in. Felicia can cover for you at the door."

"I imagine Sookie will be too terrified to come. We can't keep all of the male vampires away from her forever. And we don't even know if she's afraid of human men. Or weres, for that matter."

"What will we do about donors?"

"Eric, I know what Dr. Ludwig said, but I don't think it's a good idea. Maybe make sure it's very fresh, but… Frankly, I don't think that she would. I wouldn't be surprised if she'd never bitten anyone. Well, except for you."

"And my maker. We were bonded before he turned me. And he made me bite him after, too, when he…" Sookie was standing next to the bar. She wouldn't look at Eric, although she was on high alert in case he made any sudden moves. "Should I just rest on the couch in the office?"

"No. Eric is going to stay at my house with Chow, and we are going to stay at Eric's for a few days. Just the two of us."

If it wasn't for her acute vision, Pam wouldn't have noticed Sookie relax a tiny bit.

"Ok."

"Can you walk to the car, or should I carry you?"

"I can walk."

She was stronger than she'd been in a very long time, but she was fading fast. And she needed to try to process everything that had happened tonight. Her mother was dead, and she was free.

Pam led her out to her Volvo and they got in and headed for Eric's. It didn't take them long, and Pam opened the garage door and drove inside.

They took off their shoes and walked straight through and down the stairs until they reached his bedroom.

"Would you like me to rest with you, or would you like some privacy?"

Sookie shrugged, but then took a breath and said, "Please stay."

Sookie climbed into Eric's bed and closed her eyes in pleasure at lying in one again.

Pam was about to ask Sookie if she wanted more blood, but she was already in her daytime rest. She would likely be dead to the world far more often than not until her body healed.

Pam thought that Sookie was likely quite attractive, at least when she wasn't downright skeletal. And if she found Sookie's maker before Eric did, Pam's maker was going to be sorely disappointed.