I realised that in the last chapter I wrote that that was chapter 4. Ooops. What I meant, though you've probably guessed, is thatthat was the fourth installment. So here's chapter 4! I can't stress enough how thankful I am for the lovely support I have received, waaa! You people are so incredibly kind.
--------------------
Seras was halfway through her sentence when suddenly she noticed Integra jolt sharply, her eyes widening considerably in an expression of shock.
"Sir… Integra?" she asked. She gave no response, but instead continued to stare with wild eyes and appeared to be in some state of distress. She had turned her head sharply towards the window, and so Seras followed Integra's gaze, although she saw nothing, not even a bird, that she suspected could have attracted Integra's attention. Nevertheless, Seras didn't neglect to notice the trickle of sweat running down the side of her face.
Integra jumped, startled, as Seras placed a hand to her forehead. "What are you doing, Police girl!" she hissed, her eyes now attentive and narrowed, suddenly making Seras feel embarrassed for having made such a presumptuous movement.
"I'm sorry." she stammered. "But… sir, I think you may have a temperature." An impulse came to her quickly, and before Integra could protest, Seras was heading towards the door. "I'll ask the nurse for a damp cloth to cool you down. I won't be long."
Integra just stared, dumbfounded as Seras disappeared behind the other side of the door, closing it carefully to behind her. The vampire clenched her teeth as the door closed against its frame, and she heard Integra expel the breath she had been holding in three drawn out syllables. "Al…u…card."
"Master…" Seras whispered, pressing her back against the wall. Her hair fell loosely over her forehead, concealing her anxious red eyes as she contemplated his sudden disappearance subsequent to Integra's attack. The look in his eyes when she had last seen him still burned her, it was hard to believe that there could be so much emotion in ones eyes. Especially in his, the eyes of one who was supposed not to be granted the ability to feel such human emotion. A devil's eyes, and yet they spoke of anger, humiliation, pity, and sorrow.
--------------------
She had been running towards the main house, saturated from head to toe from the rain, seeking anyone she could find in order to alert the paramedics. Her damp fringe kept on falling in front of her eyes as she ran, obstructing her vision. She pushed it back, agitated, and in doing so, suddenly became aware of Alucard ahead of her, slumped against one of the walls of the mansion, alarmingly still. He was without his red coat, which is why she had first failed to recognise him. With his dark hair hanging loosely over his face, he was almost completely eclipsed in the darkness. Against the darkness however, his face shone ghostly pale, his sharp dramatic cheekbones evidence to her that it was who she had assumed.
"Master!" she yelled. As she ran towards him, she watched with growing concern as he neglected to respond, either verbally or physically. She began to fear the worst and broke into a rapid sprint. As she grew closer, she saw that his eyes were shut and his arms were folded against his knees. She looked at him anxiously, absorbing his sorrowful appearance. His dark hair hung damply against his face, and despite his extraordinary height, he appeared vulnerable and childlike. His face was expressionless.
When she reached his side she fell to her knees. "Master?" she asked timidly. She reached out tentatively and touched his arm. Her eyes widened as she saw his piercing red eyes suddenly dart open in an expression of pure hatred, and in a furtive moment he brushed her aggressively aside like she were no more than a rag doll. His expression suddenly changed to one of guilt as he looked at her, her eyes large like a startled rabbit's, staring at him with a look of fear.
He had underestimated his strength. The force with which he had pushed Seras had given her a surprisingly sharp pain in her upper torso. She felt as though she had been struck with a sledgehammer, and tears brimmed in her eyes. She placed a shaking hand over her chest and looked up at him. It was then that she had seen the expression in his eyes and found that she didn't care for the physical or emotional pain that he had caused. She could see the pain in his own eyes. She realised abruptly that he already knew what she had been meaning to tell him.
"Integra…" she started, but trailed off, hearing the distant whirring of an ambulance siren.
Alucard closed his eyes, and as the wind brushed Seras's fringe once more, she brushed it rapidly aside, and saw him for the last time, leaping away from her at a rapid speed in the form of a hound. She could only sit and watch as the ambulance rushed past her.
--------------------
She suddenly jolted back to the present as she recalled what she had told Sir Integra she was to do. It would be rude to keep her waiting. Her thoughts were forgotten as she hurried down the corridor towards a room which she knew supplied amenities such as those she required now.
Meanwhile Integra was struggling to pull herself into a seated position. Her hands clenched in fists around the cotton sheets as she forced her chest forwards, rearing herself upright. She found the strain that this placed under her back muscles was agonising, and sweat gathered between her shoulder blades due to the stress this movement caused her, but compared to what she had already faced, these difficulties she was experiencing were minor, hardly ailments at all. The worst had already been done.
She had felt something. She couldn't describe the sensation she had felt a couple of minutes ago, but she couldn't misplace it. Some sort of force had caused her to feel panic-stricken and break out in a sweat. The comforting warmth of the duvet against her body suddenly felt heavy and oppressive, constricting the movement in her legs and making her feel trapped. She felt unbearably hot, and struggled to free herself of this additional weight on her small frame.
Nevertheless, it was agony to even move, and as she placed the wound on her stomach under strain she felt herself gripped with nausea, and covered her mouth to prevent her from crying out in pain. With her free hand, she steadied herself, and had just succeeded in sitting upright when the door opened as Seras carrying a small bucket. She gasped upon seeing Integra, evidently in more distress than when she had left her, and placing the bucket on the floor, hurried abruptly towards her.
"Sir!-"
"It's ok." She brought her trembling legs around the side of the bed and delighted in the coolness of the breeze from the window against their bare skin. She carefully felt the floor with her feet, and maintaining a grasp on her duvet, steadied herself so that she was able to stand without an aid. Once she was confident enough on her feet, she
calmly she walked the few steps towards the window and placed her two hands against the window sill. She forced a smile against her pain, absorbing the mid afternoon sun high in the sky, as well as the peaceful atmosphere that now fell over the gardens subsequent to the battle. She felt happy to be alive.
With her back turned, she stated in her usual authoritative tone, "That will be all, Police girl."
Seras wasn't sure how to respond, shifting from foot to foot awkwardly. She felt that the better thing to do would be to stay with her, in case she should take a fall. But an order had been ushered, and she was reluctant to argue.
"Err, the flannel-"
"Thank you."
"… right. Well… let me know if you need anything. Take care of yourself."
She looked concernedly back at Integra before making up her mind and walking towards the door. She closed it softly behind her as she left, allowing a silence to fall once again over the ward once Integra was left alone.
The gentle breeze from the window caught strands of her hair, which tickled her shoulders as they danced back and forth. She could still however feel the blood boiling underneath her face and back, the heat her body generated close to unbearable. She gripped the window sill more tightly as she raised one hand to wipe her brow, feeling the terrible heat of her forehead. Though her mouth curved in a slight smile, her large blue eyes were ridden with anxiety as they searched the vast blue sky ahead of her, as if for some source of coolness. She spent the remainder of the afternoon watching sorrowfully however, as the sun burned continuously, bolder and brighter than ever.
