* * * *
The doctor sighed as he set Tina's wrist, rearranging more bones in a hand than he had ever thought possible. She was in pain, that much was obvious by the agonized expression on her face. What the doctor found even more surprising was that her other hand was closed around Deacon Frost's fingers and she was squeezing tightly. The vampire occasionally patted her arm reassuringly and it marvelled the doctor at how he was acting. This vampire before him had to be an imposter. This was not Deacon Frost.
"Mind blowing," the doctor murmured, finally satisfied that he had realigned her bones properly.
"What is?" Tina asked, breathlessly.
"How so many bones could break." The doctor shook his head. "What could have done this to you? Whatever did has got to be very powerful."
Deacon grinned, "Why thank you Doc. I didn't know you thought so highly of me."
The doctor rolled his eyes. "Frost. I should have known it was you."
"She's a vampire hunter Doc, she would have killed me," Deacon explained.
"Ah, she hunts our kind?" The doctor asked. "And yet you have brought her into your home, have given her your clothes to wear and are giving her free medical attention."
Deacon sighed. "She's insurance. Blade sent her to kill me and if I keep her around I can guarantee Blade won't come after us."
Tina laughed. "You think that he cares about me that much? We're friends yeah, but if it comes down to my life in order to kill you, he'll sacrifice me for the greater good."
Deacon snorted. "The greater good. You make him sound like some kind of God. He's no God sweetie, he's a fucking scumbag. He's lower than humans because he could be like me and he chooses not to. What the fuck is that?"
Tina glanced away. "Lower than humans? What are we Frost? Cattle?"
He grinned, "Cattle. Good comparison."
She sighed. "Piss off Frost."
The doctor said nothing, just continued to put the cast on her wrist. The room fell silent and Tina slowly untangled her fingers from Deacon's. She couldn't explain why she had grasped his hand for comfort, but she had and he had let her. He was a twisted, sick animal and yet he was so kind to her. He could have left her tied to the chair, sticky with blood, her broken wrist throbbing angrily. He could have let her die like that and he didn't. He took precautions to make sure she was comfortable and Tina didn't understand why.
"Hey sweetheart, why do you call me Deacon sometimes and Frost others?" He asked suddenly.
Tina shrugged. "I think I call you Frost whenever you piss me often. Which happens to be often."
"In other words, I'd better get used to hearing you call me Frost?"
Tina nodded. "In other words."
The doctor just sighed and rolled his eyes again. He hoped that Deacon Frost knew what he was doing, bringing a vampire hunter into their midst. The elders would kill him if they found out and if she ever got loose after healing Deacon could kiss most of the vampires in this building goodbye.
As the doctor finished setting her wrist, he watched Deacon and the girl interact. There was something there, something more than their natural competitiveness. They understood each other, on some primal level and because of this understanding they got along well. They smiled at each other sometimes like they were friends even. The doctor didn't pretend to understand. He just kept his mouth shut and worked on her cast.
* * * *
The doctor sighed as he set Tina's wrist, rearranging more bones in a hand than he had ever thought possible. She was in pain, that much was obvious by the agonized expression on her face. What the doctor found even more surprising was that her other hand was closed around Deacon Frost's fingers and she was squeezing tightly. The vampire occasionally patted her arm reassuringly and it marvelled the doctor at how he was acting. This vampire before him had to be an imposter. This was not Deacon Frost.
"Mind blowing," the doctor murmured, finally satisfied that he had realigned her bones properly.
"What is?" Tina asked, breathlessly.
"How so many bones could break." The doctor shook his head. "What could have done this to you? Whatever did has got to be very powerful."
Deacon grinned, "Why thank you Doc. I didn't know you thought so highly of me."
The doctor rolled his eyes. "Frost. I should have known it was you."
"She's a vampire hunter Doc, she would have killed me," Deacon explained.
"Ah, she hunts our kind?" The doctor asked. "And yet you have brought her into your home, have given her your clothes to wear and are giving her free medical attention."
Deacon sighed. "She's insurance. Blade sent her to kill me and if I keep her around I can guarantee Blade won't come after us."
Tina laughed. "You think that he cares about me that much? We're friends yeah, but if it comes down to my life in order to kill you, he'll sacrifice me for the greater good."
Deacon snorted. "The greater good. You make him sound like some kind of God. He's no God sweetie, he's a fucking scumbag. He's lower than humans because he could be like me and he chooses not to. What the fuck is that?"
Tina glanced away. "Lower than humans? What are we Frost? Cattle?"
He grinned, "Cattle. Good comparison."
She sighed. "Piss off Frost."
The doctor said nothing, just continued to put the cast on her wrist. The room fell silent and Tina slowly untangled her fingers from Deacon's. She couldn't explain why she had grasped his hand for comfort, but she had and he had let her. He was a twisted, sick animal and yet he was so kind to her. He could have left her tied to the chair, sticky with blood, her broken wrist throbbing angrily. He could have let her die like that and he didn't. He took precautions to make sure she was comfortable and Tina didn't understand why.
"Hey sweetheart, why do you call me Deacon sometimes and Frost others?" He asked suddenly.
Tina shrugged. "I think I call you Frost whenever you piss me often. Which happens to be often."
"In other words, I'd better get used to hearing you call me Frost?"
Tina nodded. "In other words."
The doctor just sighed and rolled his eyes again. He hoped that Deacon Frost knew what he was doing, bringing a vampire hunter into their midst. The elders would kill him if they found out and if she ever got loose after healing Deacon could kiss most of the vampires in this building goodbye.
As the doctor finished setting her wrist, he watched Deacon and the girl interact. There was something there, something more than their natural competitiveness. They understood each other, on some primal level and because of this understanding they got along well. They smiled at each other sometimes like they were friends even. The doctor didn't pretend to understand. He just kept his mouth shut and worked on her cast.
* * * *