Chapter 2: Waking Up

After the initial shock wore off, Dr. Cullen immediately moved into action.

"I need to get her on an IV," she said quickly, grabbing the supplies from her bag; the plastic tubing and fluid bag she ripped from the bag seemed to knock Beau out of his reverie.

"Do you think you even can?" he asked; he recalled how impenetrable vampire skin was to anything and everything, save for another vampire's teeth. Carine eyed Edythe cautiously as she continued to work.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, "But I need to try. I don't know what this is, but from how fast her heart is beating, the fever could very well make it worse." Beau didn't respond, but watched silently as she finished preparing the bag. Carine laid Edythe's arm out to insert the needle; gently, she pricked the skin, and despite the fact the two vampires could hear her heart hammering in their ears and could feel the heat pulsing against their faces, they were shocked to see the skin give, the needle sliding in easily.

Unlike a human, though, there was no flash of red, only a pale clear silver. Carine reacted on autopilot, removing the needle and securing the port to Edythe's elbow with tape. Cautiously, she took a spare syringe, placing it in the rubber stopper and pulling back. The syringe filled easily, the fluid coming back the same clear color, with a small hint of silver.

"What is that?" Beau asked quietly as Carine removed the syringe, moving it to a tube.

"It's her venom," she answered, "But it's not as it should be; it's normally more viscous, congealed." Beau looked at Carine's face, seeing the wonder as well as uncertainty in her eyes. After a moment though,

she added.

"There's also blood," she said, holding up the vial. Beau looked at it closer, seeing just the smallest tinge of red in the fluid.

"So…what does that mean? What's happening to her?" the human asked. Carine glanced at Earnest, who was equally as thrown.

"I am only speculating, but this is what I would expect to find if I pulled blood from a person who was at the tail end of the vampiric transformation," she said. Beau mer her gaze.

"You don't know? You've never tried?" Carine smiled at the question.

"At that point in the change, the skin is already too close to ours that a needle cannot pierce it. I also have to admit that there were more pertinent things on my mind each time I changed someone." Beau flushed slightly, a little chagrined at his assumption.

"But this…" Carine trailed off, not acknowledging Beau's fretfulness. "This is like nothing I have ever seen or heard of. It's almost like…"

"Like what?" Earnest prompted, and the doctor looked up to meet her husband's gaze.

"If I had to wager a guess, it's almost like she's changing back," she finished.

There was a moment of silence as they all process her words.

"Changing back? I thought that couldn't happen?" Beau asked, confused, "Edythe told me the transformation is not reversible."

"It isn't," Carine, "At least, as far as anyone knows. But what I hear—and smell, for that matter—is consistent with the ending of a vampire's transformation. But, instead of her heart rate increasing as time goes on, it's decreasing slightly. It's about two beats per minute less than it was when it first started."

The information brought Beau up short and he glanced down where Edythe still lay unconscious.

"What do we do?" he asked finally.

"Wait," Carine said after a moment, "I'm going to hook her up to fluids, try to see if the fever is something that can be treated. But all we can really do is wait and watch." With that, she started the IV drip, instructing Beau to carry Edythe upstairs. He obeyed, Carine holding onto the fluid bag as she followed him to Edythe's room.

The king-sized bed was there, a purchase made by Edythe this past spring, quoting Beau's handicapped state as the reason for its occupation in the center of her room. Beau had thought it unnecessary then, not to mention embarrassing. But he was suddenly relieved for its existence, gently placing Edythe on top of the gold comforter, laying her on her side with her head on the pillow. Carine hung the fluid bag on the post of the frame as Beau settled besides her.

The human teenager barely noticed as Carine took another sample from Edythe's vein, this time the fluid coming back a very pale pink. He nodded silently when she told him to call if Edythe started to gain consciousness or anything else out of the ordinary. He almost wanted to laugh at the statement—as if anything about this was normal.

He sat unmoving by Edythe's side, holding her hand tightly in both of his. His eyes never strayed from her face, trying to sort through all the crazy in his head. How did this happen? How could it happen? What even was happening? Was Edythe changing back, reverting from her vampire form? Could that even happen? Would it? None of his questions got answers and none of it made much sense; but it seems that Carine and Earnest were just as thrown as he was.

Besides the supernatural implications, other, more relatively normal questions were circling through his mind. If what was happening was what Carine postulated—and that was a big if—what did that mean?

Would it be permanent? If so, what did that mean for Edythe, for him, for everyone?

There were so many things to think through, but he chose to push the questions and possible solutions back, focusing instead on the most current problem. He was twitchy, unsettled by Edythe's state.

He was used to Edythe taking care of him, something that he had not altogether come to terms with. But, seeing her now, weak and vulnerable, the lump that formed in his stomach the moment he saw her slack body tightened further into knots.

He finally understood what it meant to constantly worry about someone else; not that he hadn't worried about Edythe before, but a small part of him was comforted by the fact that her nature made her stronger and more durable and, thus, less likely to be injured. But now, he could feel the odd texture of her skin, not quite the usual granite he was accustomed to, but not quite like anything else.

Beau was unaware of how much time passed, but he was aware it was passing. His eyes raked over Edythe without a pause, watching the changes before his eyes. Her skin gradually lost its hard texture, becoming more soft and giving, just like a human; it also tanned, taking away her chalky complexion, though she was still relatively pale compared to the average white-skinned human.

Edythe was breathing, but slowly, almost in a trance-like state, and not waking no matter how much he tried to rouse her. Carine informed him most people going through a vampire transformation had to be held down, the venom causing such pain they felt they were being encased in flames; they often screamed the entire time. And so, this visual was that much more unsettling for the matriarch, and even more so when she and Earnest began to smell the change in Edythe's scent.

They came to the doorway of her room at first, trying to convince themselves that their sense of smell was faulty. But they could not deny it, especially after Carine had taken another sample—she was taking them periodically, every thirty minutes—and found the sample a bright red, laced with silver streaks.

"It's human," Earnest said, his shock nearly tangible.

"It certainly smells that way," Carine agreed as she transferred the fluid to another tube. As the minutes past, the mix of blood and venom in Edythe's system altered her scent. The smell deviated from her normal fragrance, taking on a new taste on their tongues that was unique but undeniably human. It was only three hours into their wait that Carine was sure the life substance had overtaken Edythe's veins, a suspicion proved accurate when she returned for another blood draw. The dark red fluid was so familiar and normal in the context that it was jarring, because it was normal—for a human, but not for Edythe.

Beau trusted Carine's careful monitoring of the situation, choosing to spend the time watching as Edythe's body transformed in front of him, taking note as her features softened, the circles under her eyes disappearing. Her body still fit into the same shape, but it looked subtly different, something people wouldn't notice unless they watched Edythe as much as Beau did.

"Did she look like this when she was human?" he asked Carine as they approached the fourth hour.

"Yes, for the most part. But she was very ill when I found her," she reminded him. The uncertainty in his face peaked her own concern and she squeezed his shoulder comfortingly as she departed, retreating to her office in hopes of finding find some information that might explain this phenomenon.

Earnest, trying to distract himself, went downstairs to begin dinner; he enjoyed spoiling Beau by taking over the cooking when Beau was at the Cullen house. At first, Beau had protested, saying he could make his own food. But the Cullen father figure insisted, telling him that it was the least he could do for all he had given Edythe. There was no arguing with him, and he seemed to enjoy the task, despite the Cullens' distaste of the smell of human food, and Beau dropped it.

Well past four hours after Beau had first found Edythe, Carine returned to the bedroom, finding Beau in the same spot. He looked over at her, seeing her silver cell phone at her ear; he looked at her quizzically as she finished the call, placing her phone in her back pocket.

"That was Archie," she said, answering his unspoken question.

"He saw this?" Beau asked, hoping his psychic best friend would be able to have the answers to some of the questions swirling around in his mind. Carine nodded.

"He says he saw her losing consciousness on the side of the road. He sees many futures, but all of them as equally intangible and is unsure which will actually come to fruition. He does see her waking up, in approximately half an hour." Carine's words calmed and unsettled Beau, bringing some fears to resolution while opening up others.

"He didn't see how this happened? What caused it?" the human asked.

Carine shook her head. "Archie's visions can't see that, especially if it was done by something—or someone—that he's never met before. But at least we know Edythe will revive on her own. She may remember more about what happened."

"Do the others know?" Beau asked hesitantly, unsure how Edythe's siblings would react to this development. Carine frowned.

"No. He said it wouldn't be the best idea if he made them aware now; they would cut the hunting trip short if he were to tell them. And they need to be well fed in order to come home to this. He's going to wait until they are on their way back from their trip, sometime tomorrow afternoon." Beau nodded, not quite understanding, but trusting of Archie's judgement. His eyes returned to Edythe's face, his mental clock starting to count down as Carine left them to their privacy once more.

Exactly twenty eight minutes later, Edythe's breathing began to increase to a normal rate. Her fingers twitched as she felt Beau holding them and he squeezed them back lightly in response, murmuring her name quietly. Her closed eyes squeezed harder for a second before she opened them. Beau inhaled sharply, shocked into stillness. Her eyes, always so breathtaking to him in their varying shades of black and gold and amber, bored into his face; but this time, the irises were a bright, vivid green, like emeralds glittering in the sunlight. He couldn't speak, overwhelmed by the change. Edythe stared back at him, woozy and confused.

"Beau?" Edythe's voice, disoriented. She felt groggy, as if she had been asleep for a very long time, though that was impossible. She hadn't gotten even close to sleep in over a century. Slowly, Edythe made to sit up, but found herself caught on the IV. She looked at the needle in her arm, her eyes and mind trying to rationalize the sight before her. She lifted her hand to her head automatically, kneading her forehead as she remembered the migraine just before she passed out…Wait.

Passed out?

Edythe lifted her hand to her eyes, staring at her skin as if seeing it for the first time. She stared her no longer pale skin, feeling that the texture was no longer akin to granite, but to a down comforter, soft and smooth but squishy and comparatively weak.

Edythe lifted her eyes to stare at Beau; his eyes were wide and curious, but at the same time warm and gentle. Hesitantly, experimentally, she reached out to touch Beau's cheek. His face was soft and warm like it had always been and he pressed his hand on top of hers. Edythe inhaled at the temperature; Beau always had felt exceedingly warm to her, like first stepping into a hot tub. Now, his skin felt normal to her, and not as delicate as it had before.

"What…." she trailed off, unsure of what to ask.

"Edythe?" Beau asked, "Are you okay?"

Edythe looked at him for a second before looking around the room, still dazed before answering.

"I feel fine, a little tired. But…what happened? What…" Edythe trailed off, staring again at her skin with great intensity.

"We were hoping you would be able to tell us. " Earnest and Carine had arrived, triggered by the sound of Edythe's voice and increased heart rate. Earnest was the one who had spoken, his amber eyes appraising Edythe as if she were a hostage just released from long-term confinement.

Edythe looked up at them for a moment, as if her mind were working in slow motion.

Suddenly, she jerked backwards, her eyes wide and wild as her back hit the headboard of the bed.

Carine made toward her, her eyes on the IV that tugged at Edythe's skin as she pulled away. Thinking the same thing as Carine, Beau reached out to Edythe, catching her arm, and though she tugged with all her strength, Beau easily kept her still. Edythe's eyes were wide, frightened and Beau inched toward her slowly.

"Edythe, it's okay," he told her, his eyes wide, uncertain. He had never seen her like this, so fragile and scared. She looked more akin to her small stature than ever before, and Beau felt the instinctual need to protect her, her obvious terror conveying her vulnerability. Edythe's eyes were on Carine and Earnest behind Beau, her green irises wide with fear, like a deer caught in a pair of vehicular headlights.

Carine backed off after her first advance, her brow furrowing but her mind going a mile a minute. She recognized Edythe's reaction, the natural reaction of a human to a vampire, its natural predator. The fear was coming off Edythe in waves and both Cullens recognized it, predators as they innately were. Carine pulled her husband away from the bed, until they once more stood in the doorway. Edythe seemed to calm slightly as the distance between her and them increased but her hands were trembling. As the fear lessened, some of her mind came back to her control.

"Carine, Earnest, I'm sorry, I…." Edythe trailed off, not knowing how to explain her behavior. But they seemed to understand. Beau sat besides her, running his hand gently over her forearm, trying to calm her tremors.

"Edythe, do you remember anything about what happened?" Carine asked. Her voice was low, velvety, a tone used when soothing her patients. Edythe eyed her warily, but answered regardless, trying to convince herself that it was ridiculous for her to be afraid of Carine, her mother for all intents and purposes.

"The last thing I recall is pulling over because I had a bad headache," she said uncertainly.

"I found your car parked on the side of the road down the street from my house," Beau told her. "When I came closer, you looked passed out on the seat. I tried calling your name to get you to come to, but nothing worked, so I brought you here." Edythe took in the information without seeming to really absorb it. She looked down at her arm, where an IV needle was sticking out of her skin and clear fluid was being pumped into her veins.

"While you were unconscious, your body seemed to undergo a transformation similar to your change," Carine began. Edythe looked up at her, her expression still unnerved, but curious.

"But this time, it was in reverse. From what I can tell now, you are human," she finished slowly. "Your circulatory system and blood is completely restored; everything is within normal ranges. You have lost the extra chromosome of a vampire. All the components of your blood is consistent with that of a healthy human being. Somehow or another, you have turned back." The assertion, though obvious without needing verbal clarification, made the entire situation much more concrete. No one spoke, all their eyes on Edythe as she processed this. After a few moments, she spoke.

"I think…I need a minute," she said. Carine and Earnest nodded, both retreating from the room. To Edythe, it looked like they disappeared out of thin air, and she flinched. Beau didn't move, watching Edythe worriedly.

Edythe gingerly moved to the edge of the bed, planting her feet on the floor. Beau moved with her, standing up besides her. In one movement, she pushed herself off the bed and onto her feet. Vertigo hit her suddenly, triggered by the quick movement combined with being unconscious for so long.

She stumbled.

Beau caught her before she could fall, catching her on some instinct, surprised as she was by her lack of equilibrium. She clung to his forearms for support, unsure of what to do or how steady she even was, such a thing she never had to worry about before. Gently, he shifted her upright again, peeling back his hands cautiously as she maintained her posture. He kept a hand on her waist, unsure if she would fall again or not.

Abruptly, Edythe bent forward, her arm wrapped around her abdomen. Beau's hand held her, easing her gently on the bed while asking what was wrong. His eyes flashed over her body, trying to pinpoint the cause of her distress and finding nothing. She didn't respond, overcome by the strange feeling she had just felt. A moment later, Beau understood what had happened and he couldn't help a small chuckle escaping his lips. Edythe looked up at him, startled by the comical outburst while she was internally panicking.

"What is it? What's so funny?" she demanded, her arm still wrapped protectively around her stomach. Beau shook his head, a small smile on his lips.

"That's your stomach growling. You're hungry, Edythe. That's all," he told her. She took a minute to absorb that.

"Here," he said, pushing her gently back onto the bed, "Stay here and I'll go get us dinner. I'll be back in a few minutes." She nodded hesitantly after a moment and Beau moved quickly toward the door and down toward the kitchen. He was anxious to get her fed, considering how loud her stomach had complained.

Beau was also still in a state of shock, but also another feeling as another realization came to him with the short exchange they had just had. Edythe was human now—nothing could contest that she was anything but, for the moment—and she didn't seem to know what to do. It was the first time she had needed to pay attention to her body's needs outside of her thirst in over a century.

She had no idea how to be human, which both endeared her to him, while also worried him.

What if she missed something that her body was telling her? What if she got hurt?

Such questions brimmed in Beau's mind, but he shook them away. He would watch out for her.

She needed him to.