Chapter 3 Lumen...Atrum

"Hey, Lucinda what are you doing?"

Lucy looked up from her stack of case files and glowered at the ruddy-cheeked sweater vest-wearing man standing over her desk. Barry was her supervisor, and he was good at what he did, supervise others working. "Morning Barry, I'm just getting some paperwork into order. Can I help you?" Resettling her glasses on her nose, Lucinda waited for the inevitable rain of useless directives that were sure to follow.

"As a matter of fact, you can help me. I'd like to pick up a couple of files you won't be needing anymore. Let's see." Barry squinted down at a yellow post-it on the back of his hand. "The Fillmore case, Georgina Tuttle, the unknown Alex, and Deborah Fielding."

Lucinda sighed deeply and placed a possessive hand over the stack of files in front of her. "Deborah Fielding, you can have. I'm not finished with the rest of those." She didn't just mean the paperwork either, though Barry would assume that. Lucinda did her best for these kids, including making sure abuse came to light, addictions were dealt with, and unknown Alex's became individuals with real last names.

"Now don't think I don't know that you hound these cases after you're supposed to be moving on. I'm here to tell you that it has to stop. It's hurting our efficiency rating, and I'm responsible for keeping that up. Hand over the files Lucy, and head over to the home to help with the annuals." Barry placed a hand on the files and did his best to look imposing.

Lucinda smiled sweetly and tugged her files out from under Barry's sweaty hand. "Now, you know these are useless until I finish the forms. I'll be down to review my kids at the home in a few minutes. Thanks." She hated the way he referred to the children in the group home as annuals, as though they had no meaning except for their annual paperwork. "Seriously, I'll be down in a few minutes." Lucy tried to convince herself that Barry was just too focused on the details of his job to see the spirit of it most of the time. If she let herself believe he was as short-sighted and callous as he acted, she'd have lost it years ago and decked the smug cockroach.

As soon as she had her office to herself again, Lucinda abandoned her paperwork and scooted over to her computer. She'd uploaded half a dozen pictures of her case, Alex, to the AVIS national directory. She needed to add a couple of sentences to his biography and the new listing would be ready for viewing. With a little luck, someone would see the listing who knew the kid before she had to submit her final report. If someone didn't come forward before the hospital discharged him, they would have to turn him loose to fend for himself. Alex insisted that he was eighteen, and though he didn't look it, without proof otherwise they weren't legally able to hold him.

Moving her mouse over to the publish now link, Lucinda clicked once and rolled the dice for the latest in her stack of pet projects.

How long could a social worker hold someone hostage?

Alex stared at his hospital room's foam tile ceiling and counted the indentions in the rectangle right over his head. Maybe he looked like a fifteen year old, but he wasn't. When he happened to get his throat torn out, yes, he'd been fifteen, but explaining the concept of vampirism and its effect on human growth and development wasn't likely to help his case for getting out of the hospital and out of social services' custody.

Alex wasn't above just running away. If he thought he could make it from his bed to the door, he might already be gone. But he was exhausted, aching in every muscle, and he didn't think his legs would support him on an escape attempt. A smile tugged at his lips despite the pain. Pain was good, an affirmation of the heart beating a regular rhythm in his chest. Ekimus had been right it seemed. Life was possible if a bit of an excruciating experience. Not that he was complaining...

For the first time in nearly five years he'd eaten real food and had really tasted it. Sure it was hospital fare, but he'd relished every bite, even the orange Jell-O. The doctors still had a drip running into his arm, but they'd promised to discontinue it if he drank everything they sent him with his meals. The nurses kept coming with needles and pills and tests. Alex couldn't help wondering if those tests were coming back normal. He didn't feel normal, not that he knew how that was supposed to feel anymore. What did he feel? It was hard to explain, even to himself.

But the hunger lingered.

Like a half-forgotten pleasure itching to be revived, it nibbled at him in his waking hours and haunted his dreams with the memory of warm coppery liquid flowing down a cool dead throat. Alex hated the urge. He hated knowing that it wasn't over. More than anything he was afraid. What was he, some living, sudo-vampire? Ekimus's holy grail brought him back to life, but it hadn't done its job perfectly. Now he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. The hunger wasn't something a vampire ignored. Alex learned that lesson the hard way. It could drive you mad, short-circuit your brain, and you became the hunger without conscience or soul to guide your killing.

It had been two days and nights now since he'd dealt with that particular vampire-need, and under normal circumstances, he'd have been half mad already, losing his human form along with his mind. Maybe the lack of effect was a good sign that he could ignore the vampire craving and not suffer the old consequences. Maybe he was supposed to ignore it now?

The bottom line was that he needed to figure those little details out before he could consider lingering in polite company for any length of time. Alex grimaced and tried sitting up straighter in his bed. The effort left him panting breathless. He'd just have to get some strength back, and make an escape when he was capable. Hopefully he wouldn't vamp out unexpectedly and hurt anyone in that process.

His room was private, but it didn't have a window. Alex wondered quietly how the sun would greet him now? Was he more man or vampire?

Unseen by Alex or any of the attending hospital staff, two angels inhabited the vinyl visitor's chairs inside Alex's room. The female, an ethereal beauty, with flowing red curls watched the patient with a kind smile. Her male counterpart with his blond hair and blue eyes stared with a harder, colder expression.

"You are being foolish, Gabriel," Michael growled. "If we had let him die, vampirism could have died with him. As things stand, he's an epidemic waiting to happen. Our very own typhoid Mary, and you insist on cultivating his future."

"He won't spread his affliction. Alex is strong enough to live this life we've left for him. I think he's proved an ability to stand against darkness," Gabriel said. She shot Michael a tense smile. "Besides, it's too late to let him die. What happens now is out of our hands. If he can't handle his darkness, if he falls back into the night, I'll kill him myself. It will be my last gift to him."

Michael didn't answer for a long moment. Gabriel could be entirely too kind hearted. Killing Alex would wound her heart, and she should have saved herself the pain. They should have let Alex die. It was safer, easier, less painful in the long run. But Gabriel wouldn't let it happen. She was relentless when championing a cause, seemingly oblivious to his own higher rank or his superior wisdom. "How are we supposed to even explain his situation to him? He can't see heavenly beings anymore. Without knowledge, he's doomed to fail."

"You're not going to like it, but I asked our brother to talk with him. He owes me one, and he's always liked this child," Gabriel said. She looked away from Michael's darkening expression and lifted her head regally. "Alex will have his chance."

"You asked our brother?" Michael hissed. "We only have one brother who can appear to humans without direct assistance from God himself, and you know better than to ask him."

"Lucifer agreed to help, and it's too late not to ask him,' Gabriel said. She couldn't ignore the waves of hot anger boiling off Michael, but she didn't have to respond to it. His hatred of Lucifer lowered him in her eyes. He couldn't let his hate go and just love and pity his fallen brother. "What would you have done differently?"

"I don't know, but I would not have involved him. Lucifer would love Alex to fail. He'll be doing his best to sabotage him," Michael said. "You've doomed your pet project with this scheme. If you don't kill him when he falls, I will."

Without waiting for Gabriel's response, Michael abandoned the hospital room in a flutter of feathers and light. Alone with Alex, Gabriel approached his bedside. "Be strong my little paladin. I believe in you, and so does God. Lucifer comes with the information you'll need. You understand his kind. You'll understand his message. Good luck Alex. We will all be watching, and praying."

Author's Note

Well, it's been a long time, and I can't say when the next chapter will be ready. I have too many WIPs and extremely limited time. Thanks for the constructive comment, btw. If I ever finish and go back through rewriting, I'll try to apply it.

Well, peace and love!