Chapter 8 – Returning
"Ah…Ah….Ah…AH!" Kain sighed as he prepared for the inevitable, "AH CHOO!" Mioko screamed from the lord of Nosgoth's bed. Kain took a piece of cloth to her and wiped her face as her face wrinkled, preparing for another sneeze. "Ah choo!"
Mioko groaned as the cloth returned to her face, "Don't feel well," she mumbled. Kain nodded and put an arm around her,
"I know," he sighed, giving her a loving squeeze, "You'll get better soon," he told her, making a silent prayer for her at the same time.
Mioko frowned at the covers, "I don't want to stay in bed," she said, struggling against the vampire's strength in an attempt to free herself from the confines of the covers.
"Tough," Kain said, decisively, holding her firmly under the quilt, "You are staying in bed until you get better."
Mioko glared up at him, her face full of fear, "But what if I never get better?" she cried, "What if I stay ill forever and ever and ever, I'll have to stay in bed forever and ever and ever!"
Kain felt weary, the efforts of looking after a sick, seven year old were proving more exhausting than anything Kain had done thus far.
Mioko gave up her futile attempts to escape and settled, snuggling under the bed. She pressed against the vampire's side, wrapping her little arms around him, as far as she could. If she had to stay in the bed, he would stay with her.
Kain leaned back and relaxed, slightly, determined not to fall asleep before the child did. A hissing pain snapped him out of his daze as he snapped his head down to look at the child. Silent tears were trickling from her eyes and sliding onto the vampire's bare skin.
"Mioko?" Kain asked, gently, "What is it?" Mioko looked up at him with upset eyes,
"Chibi Kain's gone," she croaked. Kain jumped as though he had been struck with something, leaving the child for a moment, he fetched her beloved toy for her.
Mioko's eyes lit up when she was presented with the doll, but the excitement soon faded,
"He's filthy!" she exclaimed, snatching the toy from the vampire and examining, with anger the dirt that clung to Chibi Kain's once bright red robes and ghostly flesh. Looking up at Kain, she demanded, "He needs a bath!"
After much debating and arguing, Kain gave in and a while later, he found himself, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching Mioko dunk the doll in his image, into a basin of hot water. He flinched every time the water splashed onto the bed and every time he watched her plunge the his image into the dirty water.
Mioko sang to herself softly, taking a more aggressive tone every time Chibi Kain took a plunge.
"Mioko?" Kain asked, suddenly, Mioko ignored him and continued humming her sweet song to herself as she started running her fingers through the doll's wet hair, "Mioko?" Kain repeated softly. Mioko looked up at him, innocently.
Kain's eyes gestured to the basin, where Mioko had been holding Chibi Kain's entire body under the water, while she sang her now sinister song. "You're drowning him," Kain muttered, looking down at the blank expression the doll was giving him from beneath the water.
Mioko chuckled, "It's alright," she laughed, sweetly, "He can swim."
Kain sighed and shook his head, "Alright then." Mioko continued to bathe the doll until she decided he was clean enough to dry.
Kain sat with Mioko, looking up at the doll who was hanging by the neck, over the balcony to drip dry. Something about seeing the image of himself hanging loosely there filled the vampire with unease.
"He should be dry soon," Mioko said, knowingly before she snuggled back under the bed.
Kain sat with her, unable to tear his gaze away from the hanging doll. A knock at the door, brought him back to reality.
"Come!" Kain barked, unable to escape from the girl's tight grasp around his waist. A young vampire servant entered with a soft smile on his face,
"My lord, the lady has a visitor," he said, happily. Mioko and Kain both looked up at the vampire in surprise as he stepped to the side, allowing the visitor entrance.
In a flash, Mioko abandoned Kain and had leapt from the bed, throwing her arms around the visitor,
"Daddy!"
TBC