There were hardly any cars on the usually busy streets as David rip-roared towards the monumental building that was St. Michael's hospital. As he turned right at the last major intersection, he could already smell the sharp, antiseptic scent that hung around the hospital like a fetid stench. It was one of those smells that you couldn't help but shudder at. David was bosom bothers with death but he always felt uneasy whenever he was around hospitals, hence the reason why he constantly avoided them. He had know vampires that used to frequent the sick and dying in the terminal wards, delivering death to those who sought release from their hellish state of decay, but for the life of him he could never willingly set foot in those white washed walls that were bleak, barren and devoid of all hope.
David drove into the public parking lot and parked his bike in the first empty parking space that he came across. He sat there for a moment as he kept the Triumph's powerful engine running, debating with himself whether or not he should enter the building. Part of him willed himself to turn right around and drive off without a backward glance, leaving Fay to her fate, whatever it was. He didn't know if she was even alive, and if she was, he knew that Max would have had a field day working out his anger on her. It was the way of the vampire, nothing stood in your way and every opposition was dealt with brutality and savage cruelty. But he couldn't imagine Max leaving Fay alive, not after she had snatched his victory right out of his very jaws. If he went in, he would probably have to be the one to identify the body and seeing a mangled corpse that had once been a pestering thorn in his side was not something that he wanted to do. Sometimes it was better not knowing. But the other half of him wouldn't let him turn the bike around. Something was holding him back and it took him a few minutes before he realized that that something was guilt. God, the woman not only challenged him at every turn, but now she had gotten under his skin and was messing with his head. Would he ever be rid of her?
"Not if you turn your back on her. You owe her." A voice in the back of his mind whispered, a voice that made him cringe inwardly. If his conscience had been a small bug, he would have crushed it decades ago and torched the remains to make sure that it would never come back to haunt him. But sadly he had to admit that the voice was right. He did owe her, she had literally saved his life and now he was in her debt, one that he had no choice but to repay. Such were the ways of vampires and witches. Damn those underlying technicalities.
"Ok." He muttered out loud as he killed the engine and pocketed the keys. He would go in and find out if Fay was alive or not, he had no other choice. If he didn't he would be screwing himself over in more than one way. The boys would never forgive him and would most likely revolt, seeing that Dwayne and Paul were smitten with her. And no matter how you look at it, three against one was not an odd to turn your nose up at. Buttoning up his trench coat, David headed towards the emergency room at the side of the hospital where the doors were always open, accepting everyone who walked past them. When he entered, he blinked at the harsh neon light that blazed down from the fixtures in the ceiling, leaving him momentarily disoriented. A screech of tires and clatter of metal and running feet forced him to quickly step aside as two medics came running in, pulling a stretcher between them. A victim of a car crash lay immobilized on the stretcher and David knew by sight that the man would only last for a few more minutes, he was gone the moment the two cars collided. David watched as medical personnel came running from every direction and usher the injured man out of the waiting room. David's eyes lingered on the double doors that separated the emergency waiting room from the busy corridors of the hospitals crammed ER, lost in thought. A gentle tap on the shoulder brought him back to reality.
"Can I help you?" A woman in a pair of blue scrubs asked, the plastic name tag clipped on the pocket of her shirt telling him that her name was Nancy Albrite. She was one of the nurses working the night shift at the hospital and despite her professional face that was void of emotion, David could tell that she felt for every injured and ill person that was brought through those sliding doors.
"Yeah, actually you can. There was a woman that was brought here a while ago, around twenty years old. Her name is Fay Prima…I'm her boyfriend." He said as he avoided looking into the nurse's eyes. Under the harsh light he probably looked like death reincarnated. Neon did nothing to help a vampire's already pale complexion and if Nurse Nancy knew her stuff, she would instantly pick up on the fact that bleach white was not a healthy human complexion and the last thing he needed was for awkward questions to be asked. Nancy regarded him for a moment before she nodded her head.
"Wait one moment." She told David before she hurried off to the receptionist's desk and began to rifle through some papers, whispering with another nurse in hushed tones. David let his eyes wander around the waiting room, looking at all of those who have yet to be seen. He began to pick out those who were on their way to the grave by sight and smell and just as he finished dividing those who could be saved from those who were beyond help, the nurse came back.
"Please follow me." She said, beckoning David to follow her as she headed for the double doors, her pace swift and sure. David hesitated for a moment before he glowered and followed after her. There was no turning back.
"I'm Nurse Albrite," She introduced herself as they walked down the long hallway, past the rooms that were filled with patients in beds, groaning and moaning in misery as their family members and loved ones stood by helplessly. Nancy turned to look at David over her shoulder and when she saw the drawn, dark look on his face, she mistook it for a sign of fear and confusion. "You can call me Nancy." She said, offering David a small smile in hopes that she could put him partially at ease.
"I'm David." He replied as they walked past a room that reeked of blood and antiseptic. The overpowering smell made him falter slightly as it hit him like a sledgehammer, sending his heightened senses spinning.
"Are you all right?" Nurse Albrite said as she reached out and steadied him, studying him carefully.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Where are we going? Where's Fay?" He asked her, quickly steering away her interest in him as he played the part of the frantic-but-trying-to-hide-it boyfriend. Nancy didn't say anything for a moment as they turned a corner and headed down another hallway, this one a little less busy.
"I'm going to introduce you to Dr. Gordon and let him explain the situation. I'm not really sure how she is doing, but I'm sure that Dr. Gordon will be able to tell you." She said, the stale words sidestepping his question in a professional manner. David frowned but said nothing. This couldn't be good.
"If you can just wait here David, I'll go and get the doctor." She said as she led him to a small, out-of-the-way waiting room and vanished behind another set of doors before he could ask her another question. The moment he stepped into the room, David's eyes were instantly drawn towards the only other person in the waiting room and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Standing with his back turned towards David, there was no mistaking the rival vampire.
"What are you doing here." David demanded in a harsh voice as he instantly went on the defensive, tensing himself to spring at Max at any given moment. However, the older vampire calmly turned and regarded David with an almost amused smile. David's eyes narrowed as he glared up at Max, his teeth set on edge as the very sight of the vampire infuriated him to no end. Max snorted as he adjusted his blazer and sat down on one of the chairs that lined the wall, resting his right foot on his knee.
"The same reason you're here." He said calmly, watching David who stood rooted to the spot, fighting the urge to lunge at him. It would be amusing if he had, but Max knew that the younger vampire had a mort more self control than the other vampires that followed him around like a pack of dogs. Max sat there in a patronizing way which seemed to further infuriate David and he couldn't help but chuckle softly to himself. Boys had such hot-blooded tempers.
"If you're here then you didn't do as good a job as I thought you would. Getting a little sloppy are we? It must be the old age." David said, giving Max a cold smile as he remained where he was, reining himself in and clamping an unreadable expression on his face. The two vampires eyed each other in silence for a few minutes, the mental barriers up at full force as they tried to discreetly pry into one another's thoughts without seeming to.
"We'll see." Was all that Max said before he turned his head to look at the small man dressed in a white lab coat that came striding quickly towards the waiting room. This must be Doctor Gordon. In an instant the crafty leer was replaced with a look of pure concern and anxiety, a look that would have won the vampire an Oscar if it had been captured on film. David blinked, instantly catching on to Max's game and his own hard look automatically switched back to the anxious boyfriend appearance. And to add the finishing touches, David brought forth a few tears and wiped them away when the doctor entered the room. Oh woe is me, my girlfriend is dying…yeah right. Two can play at this game, so let the performance commence.
"Doctor Gordon?" Max asked as he stood up, adjusting his blazer as he held out his hand to the smaller man. Doctor Gordon, who was by no means a fool, quickly took in the situation without batting an eyelash. It looked to be the typical scene; the girl's guardian was a proper and well-off man while the boyfriend was the rebel without a cause type, nothing but trouble. However, the look on the young man's face caught Dr. Gordon off guard, even if he didn't show it. How he hated being the bearer of bad news, but it was all part and parcel of being a doctor. Clearing his throat, he decided to go ahead and grab the bull by the horns and get this thing over as quickly as possible.
"Yes I am. You must be the girl's uncle." Dr. Gordon said as he shook Max's hand, looking the vampire in the eye without flinching. Before Max could say anything, the small doctor turned towards David, giving him a hard look before he spoke up. "And you are?" He asked David, letting the young man introduce himself.
"David. I'm Fay's boyfriend. How is she?" David said as he nodded his head to the doctor before shooting Max an unreadable look. Max practically glowered but decades of experience kept him from betraying himself in the doctor's presence. Instead he answered David's look with a snort, drawing Dr. Gordon's attention away from the younger vampire. Dr. Gordon's eyes moved faster than one would give him credit for and he picked up on the hostile tension between the two, even while they were both doing an excellent job at hiding it. Ah…it was one of those kinds of relationships. Well, no matter, they both had a right to know and Dr. Gordon would inform them and let them fight it out at another time.
"Well, I'm going to get straight to it gentlemen. The condition is critical. Fay is currently undergoing emergency surgery in order to stop the internal bleeding she sustained. I cannot tell you any details because at this point in time, we are not a hundred percent sure of what the extent of her injuries are. We suspect a break in the spine, but I cannot tell you if it has paralyzed her. I am going to need to run more tests. Her left leg is broken and it will need reconstructive surgery in order to reset the bone into its proper place." He said, his voice steady and precise, making headway in order to get back to what he was doing as soon as possible. Fay wasn't the only patient in the hospital that was in need to emergency care, and his skills were needed elsewhere at the moment. There wasn't much to tell them because Fay's actual state had yet to be precisely determined. He did not want to burden the two with speculations and half truths and he did not believe in feeding people lies in order to make the truth easier to bare.
"Until she regains consciousness, we can do no more than guess at what the extent of the damage will be." Dr. Gordon finished, watching the reactions of the two men. Max let out a heavy sigh as he sat down on a chair, taking off his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose, seeming deeply troubled.
"Do you know how long it will be before she wakes up?" He asked the doctor, wearily sliding his glasses back onto his nose. David reacted to the doctor's words as any distraught boyfriend would, or so one would think. Dr. Gordon didn't even flinch as the chair was sent flying past him and came to a halt just short of crashing out into the hall. He calmly watched David as he paced back and forth like a caged animal, looking about ready to kill something.
"David, I know that this is not easy for you to hear but this is a public hospital filled with patients and sending furniture flying is not going to do you any good. As for your question sir, I would say in a day or so. She suffered some slight head trauma, but nothing too serious." Dr. Gordon said, his gaze shifting from David once the younger vampire had "calmed down". "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other patients to tend to. If anything happens, you will be informed immediately. But my advice would be for you both to go home for now. It may be a while before Fay gets out of the operating room." The doctor said just as his name was paged over the hospital speakers.
"Dr. Gordon to intensive care. Dr. Gordon to intensive care." The voice said from a speaker in the ceiling above them. With a final look, Dr. Gordon turned and hurried out of the waiting room, vanishing down the corridor as he hurried towards the intensive care ward, leaving the two vampires alone once again. Both Max and David allowed a few minutes to pass before they dropped their acts, reverting back to their stand-offish selves.
"Her uncle? I don't see the family resemblance." David chuckled darkly as he casually leaned up against the beige wall, watching Max carefully from halfway across the room. Max just smiled but didn't respond. Internally, David growled but outwardly, he was the picturesque figure of calm, waiting for Max to make his move. Max, on the other hand, had a slightly serious expression on his face, as if something was bothering, but not quite.
"Well David. You have two choices." Max finally said, sitting back in the chair with a small sigh. David blinked, taken aback somewhat, but he instantly recovered himself.
"And what would they be?" David asked Max, his eyes carefully guarded, knowing that if Max were going to strike, it would be now. He had to be ready for whatever poison this decrepit snake was going to spit at him.
"Well, you could walk away right now and we can continue to battle it out from here to eternity. I won't stop you." Max said, glancing down at his wristwatch, checking the time. "But if you do, the girl dies. Or, you could do the intelligent thing and submit and we can get this whole thing over and done with."
Max's frank proposition was enough to get David laughing, especially the part of him submitting to Max. There wasn't a snowballs chance in hell that he would ever willingly submit to the old tyrant, even if it meant risking his own neck. Max just watched David quietly, waiting for the chuckling to subside.
"And why would I want to do that?" David snorted, unable to repress the smirk that made its way onto his lips,
"Because if Fay dies David, do you honestly believe that the others will let you get away with it? As much as you hate to admit it, that girl has just as much influence over the other three as you do. Women can be very cumbersome when it comes to these sorts of situations. And I'm telling you this from experience." Max replied as he glanced down at the Rolex on his wrist, checking the time. "Well, unfortunately I am going to have to cut our little conversation short. My proposition still stands, so it's up to you to decide what you boys are going to do. Here's what I'll do. I will give you four let's say, two hours to decide on a final decision. I have a place by the beach that's about an eight minute drive from the Boardwalk going east. If you decide to do the smart thing, I'll be expecting you boys at four thirty sharp. And I wouldn't want to be late if I were you. I might just get the wrong impression and if that happens, I am going to starting writing up a eulogy. Planning a funeral is such a time consuming task, I don't know where I'll fit it into my schedule, but I'll manage somehow."
With that Max gave David what could only be considered as a fatherly, knowing smile and rose to his feet. Without another word, the old vampire walked out of the waiting room whistling under his breath. David stood there, his eyes staring distantly at the spot where Max had been a moment before, going over everything that had just happened. He blinked once when full force of understanding hit him head on like a freight train. He had just been beaten. Max had preformed the perfect coup de grâce and David hadn't even had the time to retaliate. With an unseen underhand movement, Max had unearthed the ace out from his sleeve and laid down a full house, all the while leading David on by the nose, keeping him distracted by stoking his ego which added fuel to the fire. And Max had done all this without even laying a finger on him. Oh, he was good.
"You have to be kidding me." He muttered out loud as he hurried out of the waiting room and stopped in the middle of the empty corridor, looking both ways to see if he could spot Max's towering frame. But the vampire was nowhere to be seen. He had simply vanished without a trace. David cursed violently under his breath as his hands balled into fists, his anger at his own stupidity and at Max's conniving mind rising to the point that he was about ready to erupt. He needed to get out of this place now before he let loose in front of hundreds of people. With his teeth on edge, David stormed out of the hospital, mounted his bike and roared out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell. Come this time tomorrow, the phones at the police headquarters will have been ringing non-stop throughout the day as people frantically called in to report missing loved ones and friends. It would seem that the death rate of Santa Carla had jumped quite a bit in one night alone. I wonder why.