Chapter 54

Tilting

Intro song: Bleeding Love, Leona Lewis

"This food is wonderful, Marguerite" Simone scraped up the last of the homemade hollandaise sauce that had covered the Eggs Benedict the housekeeper had served, smacking her lips as the spoon touched her lips. She looked up in time to catch Beth's amused look. "What?" she demanded.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that I always pictured you as one of those women who had will power and just picked at celery sticks in order to stay so thin. I don't know whether I feel better - or worse - watching you pound that food down."

Both women started laughing and, after a moment, John Spector joined in as well. The mood of the humans around the table, enjoying their meal on the broad slate veranda, was light-hearted, almost giddy with relief and joy.

"Pound is, I believe, the operative word here," Simone managed to squeak out when she stopped laughing. She had attacked the delicious breakfast in a way she'd not treated food for years, even stripping off her heavy gold bangles and designer watch in order to have fewer encumbrances as she scooped up her meal. Finally finished, she could sit back and enjoy her coffee at the beautiful table that had been set for them, the yellow linens picking up the hue from the colorful Mexican pottery dishes. Smiling at the housekeeper who hovered nearby, she repeated, "It was a wonderful meal, Marguerite. Are you absolutely sure Mr. Kostan can't convince you to stay on?"

The trim older woman shook her graying head at the trio gathered around the table. "I'm very happy you liked the food. But no, Miss Simone, there will be no more Moonlight Vineyard for me after this next week. I just can't..." She lowered her eyes and busied herself with picking up the plates from the table and spiriting them away.

Beth looked after her with a frown. "I feel terrible, Simone. Not just because Josef is losing his housekeeper..."

"And her husband, I heard her say," Dr. Spector interrupted as he reached for a fresh raspberry from the bowl in the center of the table.

Beth grimaced. "And her husband. He's losing them, but they're losing their jobs as well, not to mention their home, since they live on the grounds. I just feel so responsible-"

"Beth!" Simone set her mimosa down with a thump. "You can't take on responsibilities for all the world's problems, my dear. You certainly didn't have anything to do with Mick getting shot! Now, I get that the state of the kitchen was a lot to take, but they did know that Josef is a vampire and it was an emergency. It is their choice to leave and, frankly, I'm a little surprised that they are reacting this way."

"I suppose," Beth sighed, picking up her own champagne glass to sip the tart liquid. "Still, I can't help feeling badly for them."

"Well, I think Josef has a plan up his sleeve - something to do with her husband, Dave. It's never over till the fat lady sings with him." Simone smiled fondly. She had seen the billionaire turn more than one set of negotiations around with his quick mind... and his money.

"I imagine that Mr. Kostan can be quite... persuasive... when he wants to be," Spector interjected, thinking of the vampire who had thrown him against the wall in a choke hold two days ago. His neck still bore the bruises from that encounter.

"You don't know the half of it!" both women chimed in simultaneously, then burst into laughter again.

Clearing his throat, the balding physician stood, carefully folding his yellow linen napkin over the back of his chair. "Ladies, this has been a great pleasure, but I must get back to my patient."

"I'll go with you," Beth blurted, jumping up. She winced as her quick movement accidentally put pressure on her injured wrist as she leveraged herself out of her chair.

"You'll do no such thing, young lady," he countered. "I want you sitting out here in this sunshine with Simone for at least another hour before you poke your nose back in that freezer. Mr. St. John is going to be sleeping for quite some time, anyway. I can finally say that he should recover – but the process is very uncertain."

"That sounds ominous, Dr. Spector."

"I didn't mean it to be, Beth. I just have no way to know definitively how much silver is left in his system, nor what that will mean for his long-term health. But I do think he will recover. At least, he will if he takes the proper precautions. Right now, with what I'm seeing so far, I have to assume it may take as long as it would a human to recover." He patted her on the shoulder. "Finish your coffee warm up, relax a bit. I'm going to get Ryder to have prescriptions filled for you for more painkillers and antibiotics for that arm - don't think I haven't noticed how much it's still bothering you. I want you to take some high-potency vitamins too - give your body a little help in recovering from all this. In the meantime, get some rest. Mr. St. John will be ready for you soon enough." With a nod to Simone, Spector walked away, vanishing into the house.

Beth watched him go. "I'll never be able to repay him for what he's done. Or, any of you, for that matter." She reached over to squeeze Simone's arm. "I know you were a huge help, Simone."

"I was happy to do it, Beth - we all were. Mick's a good guy and no one should have to go through what he did. Or what you went through, either," the lawyer added. Draining the last of her mimosa, she reluctantly switched back to coffee. She gazed at the young woman over the top of the coffee mug. "Is Dr. Spector right? Are you going to be okay?"

Beth tucked her hair back behind her ears with her good hand, balancing her own heavy coffee mug between her knees as she considered the question. She knew that Simone was referring to much more than just her wrist. "I think so. It's a lot to process, though. I'm not even sure it's sunk in yet that he's really going to be all right. I just want to get him home where he'll be safe…"

Simone had her doubts about the safety of the penthouse – or anywhere else - for vampires, but for now, she kept her gloomy thoughts to herself. Beth had been through enough for one week.

The two women settled back to enjoy the morning sunshine.

John Spector finished checking the new IV and stood for a moment, his eyes traveling down the cut that ran the length of Mick's torso, noting spots where the incision seemed to be a little less raw. It was not yet beginning to knit together but he had looked at enough surgical incisions during his years of practice to know that should start soon. He shook his head. Even with the evidence in front of him, it was hard for him to believe that St. John was recovering.

Was it Gasol's determined efforts to remove so much of the silver quickly before he even arrived? Or the constant infusions of blood? His own surgical efforts? The fact was, he had no idea what action or combination of actions had saved Mick St. John - and, he wasn't at all sure that he could replicate the outcome. But I did it this time. His lips curled up into a smile as he watched the vampire sleep. Spector looked up as the door opened, tensing when he saw the trim form of Josef Kostan framed there. Quickly he zipped his parka closed and flipped the hood up to cover his balding head.

"How is he doing?" Josef walked up beside the bench and nodded at Mick, raising his eyebrows questioningly at the sight of a second IV line.

"Better, I do believe," Spector responded. "Thanks to Logan and Ryder, I am now able to administer morphine. Astounding what those two have been able to procure..." He shook his head in amazement. "That is why I started an additional IV line again. He was quite restless before - I'm sure because of discomfort. But now, as you can see... barely a twitch."

Josef nodded noncommittally. "Any danger to him? I'm assuming this is a very high dose of morphine."

"Massive, absolutely massive," the physician responded almost gleefully. He froze when he saw the look of displeasure on Josef's face. Stammering, he tried to make amends. "I- I apologize, Mr. Kostan. I'm a scientist by inclination, which makes facets of vampire physiology endlessly fascinating to me. I sometimes forget myself. Forgive me."

"Well, don't you forget that, first and foremost, Mick is our friend." Josef emphasized the last word and noted that the physician seeming to shrink away from him. He was immediately ashamed. The guy had brought his best friend back from the dead - hell, as Mick had once pointed out to him, not just his best friend but probably the only friend he had who didn't care about him only for his money and connections. And the man at least partially responsible for saving Mick was scared to death of him. I need to fix this.

"John," he began, noting Spector's eyebrow raise at the use of his given name, "did you finish breakfast?"

"Yes, I did, thank you," the physician replied guardedly, the sudden change of topic - and attitude - catching him off-guard. "Eating on the terrace... the view was spectacular. Marguerite is an excellent cook."

"She is. I will be very sorry to lose her - not so much for me, but for my human guests."

"I heard her say that she gave you her notice. I gather all this was too much for her." Spector looked down at Mick's still form.

"We didn't have time to clean up the kitchen before she saw it - I guess she doesn't feel like she signed on for that. I can't say I blame her. The worst part is, her husband is my vineyard manager. He will be very difficult to replace. But, in the total scheme of things..." He shrugged.

"That would be a great loss - I had a sampling of your wine yesterday evening and I was very impressed." Spector smiled tentatively. "And, I'm very particular about the wine I drink."

"Then, you've got a free supply of the best I can produce - for life," Josef said impulsively.

"Why, thank you Mr. Kostan. That's a very generous gesture!" Is he actually extending an olive branch?

"Please, call me Josef. John, I don't believe I've thanked you properly for saving Mick - nor have I apologized for my behavior. I'm not in the habit of either, so I'm afraid I'm not very good at it." Kostan held out his hand to the physician, his preternatural senses detecting a quick increase in the man's heartbeat as he reached out to him. He really is freaked out by me. "I'd like to rectify that and do both right now."

"Thank you, Mr. Ko- , I mean Josef. I really appreciate that. I know we've had our differences..." Spector carefully shook the offered hand.

Josef waved his free hand. "All forgotten. I didn't make your life any easier."

"The things I see when I don't have my camera!"

Both men jumped at the sound of Gabrielle's voice. Josef dropped the physician's hand as if it were red-hot and moved away from him, embarrassed at having been caught with his guard down. Frowning, he groused, "Gabby, it's polite to knock first when entering a room."

"Let me point out that this is not your office or study, Josef. It isn't even your bedroom!" She grinned wickedly. "Come to think of it, I'm actually kind of disappointed that I haven't seen your bedroom since I've been here."

Josef boldly eyed her up and down in an obvious bid to fluster her. "I have been remiss - and that's not like me. I blame Mick. Consider yourself invited."

Gabrielle told herself that she had handled much tougher men than Josef Kostan. However, his age, power and position - combined with his impish good looks - did throw her off her game, she had to admit. Show men no weakness, Gabrielle, no vulnerabilities. Wasn't that the first lesson taught her by both Durin and Victoria? One of the few things the two of them had ever agreed on, in fact...

She lifted her chin defiantly. "Just name the time and place, Josef... now, in the meantime, I have a message from Victoria."

Kostan groaned at the mention of the New York vampire's name. He turned to Spector, who had been watching the exchange with an amused look on his face, and appealed to him. "How is it that Victoria is capable of spoiling my fun even when she's on the opposite coast?!"

Before the physician could speak, Gabby jumped in. "You don't know how right you are, Josef. I called her to let her know that Mick is going to be all right - and she needs us back in New York right away. Both of us, John," she added, shifting her gaze to the physician.

"You see, Josef? I am at Victoria's beck and call as well." The lone human in the room shrugged his shoulders apologetically.

Kostan frowned. The idea of John leaving so soon after Mick regained consciousness made him uneasy. Spector had admitted that he didn't know what course the injured vampire's recovery would take. What if something went wrong? Josef felt like he had as a small child when his father was teaching him to swim and he demanded that his son release the lifeline tethering him to an overhead tree. He heard the voice in his head that he had not recalled for many years. You won't drown, not if you try hard. You have to be tough, boy. No one can save you but yourself... He shook his head to clear it. The voice disappeared, but not his feeling of unease. "Is it wise for you to leave so soon?" Josef turned to Spector, voicing his concern outl oud. "I mean, are you sure Mick is going to be all right, John?"

"Oh, John now is it?" Gabrielle teased. She sobered, and crossed the room to take Josef's arm. "I wouldn't leave unless I was sure that Mick is going to be all right, Josef - and I certainly wouldn't take Dr. Spector. What do you think...John?"

"Well..." the physician began, "I think, if Mr. St. John follows my instructions to the letter, he will likely be well eventually. The incision shows improvement, he is no longer in a coma, and the silver 'halo', as I call it, in his eyes is beginning to recede slightly. All those signs point to his having turned a corner in overcoming the silver poisoning, which has been keeping his body from healing. Ideally, I would not leave - but from talking to you, Gabrielle, it appears that Victoria has a bit of a crisis on her hands."

"A bit," Gabrielle said dryly.

"I haven't talked to Victoria since our conference call with Elijah Lucas early Wednesday morning. Tell me what's going on," Josef demanded.

"No, Josef, I won't." Gabby took her hands away from his arm and responded to his raised eyebrows by scolding him. "You have owed Victoria a call for over a day now - she hasn't heard from you since that conference call you just mentioned. I made allowances for you because I thought 'Josef's best friend might be dying' gave you a bit of a pass. Well, you heard John. Mick isn't going to die - and Victoria has a shit storm on her hands back in New York. She is the one who could use your help now."

Josef had the good grace to feel ashamed. It was time he made amends to Victoria and he said so.

Gabby nodded, but said nothing. She turned back to Spector. "Will Mick be in any danger if you leave now?"

John hesitated. If I'm wrong, Kostan will come after me... "If Mr. St.-, err, Mick, does exactly as I say, I believe he will continue to recover. It is a not-inconsequential miraclethat he has survived and I don't know exactly what to predict for his recovery, so there can be no margin for error. I suspect he will take much longer than you might think to recover from this.

He ticked the points off on his fingers. "He stays in this cold room for another forty-eight hours. Doesn't leave it. Then, he can begin to venture out in small increments of time as his comfort level dictates. He appears to be healing very slowly, more like a human would, instead of quickly, like a vampire, so do not be surprised if he really isn't able to get around much for a while. I'm actually surprised that he can move as much as he does."

Spector paused for a moment to look at Josef to affirm to himself that the vampire was paying close attention, before continuing. "When he does start being more active, if he gets tired or starts to feel ill, back in here he goes. No exertion, none of any sort. Not that he will feel much like it anyway. And, he has continuous transfusions for another forty-eight hours. He can begin to take regular nourishment by mouth. Ifhe can successfully drink a quart or more per day, the IV can be removed. Only then," he stressed before continuing. "Certainly no sunlight, whatsoever. Your vampires bodies, I believe, are stressed any time you are out in the sun and then you must work to counteract the damage sunlight causes at the cellular level. I don't think he can take any kind of physical stress right now."

The physician's bright eyes peered at Josef from under salt-and-pepper brows. "He must do everything I say. No deviation. I can't be certain that his system won't just collapse if he doesn't. Even with all these precautions, I really can't say how long it will be before he is back to normal. There is a chance he may never fully recover his former strength since we can't know how much silver remains in his system. But without taking these precautions, I believe that his chances of a full recovery are very slim. Understood?"

"Oh, I understand. And, he will too." Josef growled, looking down at his sleeping friend. "I'm not letting him put me through anything like that again anytime soon."

"Quite so," John responded. "He is certainly my greatest achievement to-date. I don't want that to be undone." His tone was joking, but his eyes were serious.

Josef frowned inwardly. Why did this man still set off alarm bells with him? He spoke of Mick more as an object than as a person. But then, how could the physician be expected to have any deep feelings for him - after all, he'd only met him once in New York. Besides, wasn't that the way of most doctors and scientists? To distance themselves from their patients? Spector had worked diligently to save Mick... and Victoria. You are an idiot sometimes, Kostan. Just be grateful that your friend is going to live and stop tilting at windmills...

End Song: Yesterday Is Gone, Lenny Kravitz