Ch 11: Conversations
Constance was back in the infirmary, glad to be working again after a long week of recuperating. Things had been quiet for the Hellsing organization in the last few days, a welcome respite from the fallout of the failed mission. As Constance tended the wound of a soldier that had been injured in training, she thought about all that had transpired so far since her arrival at the Hellsing organization. During her recovery, a few members of Hellsing had dropped by to see how she was doing, including the police woman. Ceras struck Constance as a kind hearted person who was struggling with a great burden. Ceras had knocked lightly on the door of Constance's room two nights after the incident in the dungeon.
"Are you up for a visitor?" Ceras asked shyly as she stepped into the room.
"Of course, come in" Constance had answered, pressing the button on the remote control to turn the television off. She had grown weary of watching television and was glad to have some company.
"Are you feeling better?" Ceras asked, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed.
"A little sore, but I should be on my feet soon. That was a hell of a sucker punch." Constance said, remembering with some irritation the cheap shot Alucard had taken to win the battle.
"I.I'm sorry about that. My master fights to win, not to be fair." Ceras mumbled as she looked at her shoes.
"Your master, eh?" Constance mused. "How did that come about?"
Ceras' eyes were downcast as she told the doctor about the incident in Cheddar. It had been less than a year, but that year had seemed much longer. Constance studied Ceras' face while she talked. She saw regret struggling with gratefulness that she was still alive.
"Are you sorry that you took him up on his offer?" Constance asked gently.
"I.I don't know. I'm not sorry that I'm alive, well sort of, but sometimes this place is a bit much."
"I can relate to that." Constance said with a gentle smile "Detroit was nothing compared to this place."
As the night wore on, Ceras found herself telling the doctor more about her life since coming to the Hellsing organization than she had planned on. But once she started talking, the months of frustration and loneliness she felt bubbled to the surface and were impossible to keep bottled up anymore.
"I hate how everyone here treats me as though I were a monster!" Ceras cried, tears now spilling down her cheeks. "There's no one here I can talk to. Certainly not Sir Integra."
"What about your master?" Constance asked. "Can you not talk to him?"
"I don't want him to see me being weak. He thinks little enough of me as it is." Ceras replied. The tears on her face were gone, replaced by a look of stubborn pride.
"What about Captain Bernadotte? He seems to like you." Constance had witnessed some of the conversations between the two when she was called to the training range to assess the odd injury. Their squabbling reminded her of arguments that she had had with her brothers back in Montana.
Ceras was incredulous. "Are you kidding? All he does is give me a hard time!"
"In my experience, when someone teases you mercilessly, it means that they really like you. As for your master, I imagine that he would not have allowed you to become what you are if he thought nothing of you."
Ceras nodded as she pondered the doctor's words. "Perhaps you're right. I should go now." she sighed as she rose from the chair. It was getting late and Ceras was sure the doctor wanted to go to sleep.
As Ceras walked to the door, Constance called to her "If you want someone to talk to, you can talk to me."
"Thank you, Dr Williams" Ceras said, looking back as her hand reached for the doorknob.
"Call me Constance."
Ceras leaned briefly against the closed door of the doctor's room. She felt much better after having visited her, like she had a new friend. She smiled to herself and made her way to the training range, full of new determination to prove herself worthy of her master and of the Hellsing organization.
Alucard smirked as he saw his apprentice head to the firing range with a determined stride. It seemed that her talk with the doctor, which he had heard every word of, had done far more to boost Ceras' confidence than all the teaching that he had done so far. Perhaps it was time to take her training up a notch; she seemed far more ready for it than before.
Constance was back in the infirmary, glad to be working again after a long week of recuperating. Things had been quiet for the Hellsing organization in the last few days, a welcome respite from the fallout of the failed mission. As Constance tended the wound of a soldier that had been injured in training, she thought about all that had transpired so far since her arrival at the Hellsing organization. During her recovery, a few members of Hellsing had dropped by to see how she was doing, including the police woman. Ceras struck Constance as a kind hearted person who was struggling with a great burden. Ceras had knocked lightly on the door of Constance's room two nights after the incident in the dungeon.
"Are you up for a visitor?" Ceras asked shyly as she stepped into the room.
"Of course, come in" Constance had answered, pressing the button on the remote control to turn the television off. She had grown weary of watching television and was glad to have some company.
"Are you feeling better?" Ceras asked, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed.
"A little sore, but I should be on my feet soon. That was a hell of a sucker punch." Constance said, remembering with some irritation the cheap shot Alucard had taken to win the battle.
"I.I'm sorry about that. My master fights to win, not to be fair." Ceras mumbled as she looked at her shoes.
"Your master, eh?" Constance mused. "How did that come about?"
Ceras' eyes were downcast as she told the doctor about the incident in Cheddar. It had been less than a year, but that year had seemed much longer. Constance studied Ceras' face while she talked. She saw regret struggling with gratefulness that she was still alive.
"Are you sorry that you took him up on his offer?" Constance asked gently.
"I.I don't know. I'm not sorry that I'm alive, well sort of, but sometimes this place is a bit much."
"I can relate to that." Constance said with a gentle smile "Detroit was nothing compared to this place."
As the night wore on, Ceras found herself telling the doctor more about her life since coming to the Hellsing organization than she had planned on. But once she started talking, the months of frustration and loneliness she felt bubbled to the surface and were impossible to keep bottled up anymore.
"I hate how everyone here treats me as though I were a monster!" Ceras cried, tears now spilling down her cheeks. "There's no one here I can talk to. Certainly not Sir Integra."
"What about your master?" Constance asked. "Can you not talk to him?"
"I don't want him to see me being weak. He thinks little enough of me as it is." Ceras replied. The tears on her face were gone, replaced by a look of stubborn pride.
"What about Captain Bernadotte? He seems to like you." Constance had witnessed some of the conversations between the two when she was called to the training range to assess the odd injury. Their squabbling reminded her of arguments that she had had with her brothers back in Montana.
Ceras was incredulous. "Are you kidding? All he does is give me a hard time!"
"In my experience, when someone teases you mercilessly, it means that they really like you. As for your master, I imagine that he would not have allowed you to become what you are if he thought nothing of you."
Ceras nodded as she pondered the doctor's words. "Perhaps you're right. I should go now." she sighed as she rose from the chair. It was getting late and Ceras was sure the doctor wanted to go to sleep.
As Ceras walked to the door, Constance called to her "If you want someone to talk to, you can talk to me."
"Thank you, Dr Williams" Ceras said, looking back as her hand reached for the doorknob.
"Call me Constance."
Ceras leaned briefly against the closed door of the doctor's room. She felt much better after having visited her, like she had a new friend. She smiled to herself and made her way to the training range, full of new determination to prove herself worthy of her master and of the Hellsing organization.
Alucard smirked as he saw his apprentice head to the firing range with a determined stride. It seemed that her talk with the doctor, which he had heard every word of, had done far more to boost Ceras' confidence than all the teaching that he had done so far. Perhaps it was time to take her training up a notch; she seemed far more ready for it than before.