Kira slid one arm into her shirt, then the next.
"As far as your physical health is concerned, there is nothing unexpected." Doctor Sanders explained, flipping through test results on the clipboard.
She sat at her desk across from Kira, her office lined with shelves of books in the medical field both modern and the great great grandfather of modern. The vampire set the clipboard down, leaning forward, she rested her elbows on the heavy dark-stained oak desk, dropping her head on top of her folded hands. Her youngest and most vulnerable patient came after discreet complaints of growing persistence of throbbing in her neck. While the occasional pain is to be expected-an experience similar to 'phantom limb'-Kira's has shown increasing activity the last few weeks, more than in the last three years combined.
Stress would be the first initial cause, but Kira expressed no change in the normal level of 'doing everything I can to survive otherwise I'll be killed'. The doctor watched the human put on her shirt, covering the red that marked her body in numerous places. They were raised, a duller red meaning they are no less than two days old. Wider, shorter lashes, even number; not on top of eachother meaning no more than six rounds. The lashes were not deep, this was done by a practiced hand, one who knew not only how light to make it for a human, but knew Kira's pain tolerance very well. What was permanent were the scars on her lower right back and upper left shoulder. Eight long discolorations dragged deep into her torso, used as an anchor once to keep one's prey still. The doctor expected those to remain with her for the rest of her life, however they would fade and lower as discolorations than ugly scaring in the years to come.
Aside from the accident of her wrist, there was no other bruising, no evidence, of mistreatment or abuse...not of the physical level. The doctor looked down at her files. The emotional and mental damage done to this poor woman was unimaginable, but of course there was little the doctor could do. This was how Kira, a mortal survived in a world ruled by the immortal. What Doctor Sanders could do was be an ear, be the only one she could count on, as an ex-human she was able to understand humans better than those born vampires.
"But I imagine that is not why you came here today." Doctor Sanders said sitting back, grabbing a prescription pad, "I'm prescribing some stronger anti-inflammatories and pain relievers-"
Kira turned around, rolling her sleeves up, "No thanks."
Doctor Sanders frowned, "Offer stands, you don't need to set up an appointment just text me."
"She...how do I put this..." The patient rocked on her heels.
The doctor rose her hands, "I get it, don't have to explain."
Kira came around the chair and went to the couch near the window, across from the bookshelves. She plopped down exhaling loudly, folding her arms behind her head Kira looked at her doctor.
"Plans for tonight?" Kira asked casually.
Doctor Sanders shrugged, "It is the weekend, I was planning on going hunting. Young blood is always the sweetest when elevated by all kinds of-"
"Oh shut up you're a vegetarian." Laughed Kira, "Seriously you got any plans? Me, Jake and a few of his friends are going out tonight, wanna go?"
"Carmilla is letting you unsupervised into the city? I remember when there was a time you weren't even allowed out of the Palace."
Fifteen years for the immortal is nothing, it is a moment passing by, a second of time to their eternal existence. Many, especially those who never knew what it meant to be mortal, distance themselves from that which changes, which ages. Doctor Sanders has been Kira's personal doctor since she first arrived and it has been a wonder to watch her change, to watch a lamb in a den of lions survive all this time...but not without a price.
She remembers it as though it were yesterday: being summoned to the Palace seeing a feral, eight-year old human girl in a destroyed room. One would think a wild beast was unleashed in that room; furniture thrown and destroyed, sheets torn, tied against the door handles, tied against the counterweight of fallen dressers. Windows broken, draps all ripped down, pillows cut open. The doctor forced herself into the room, slipping through a small crack of the door pushed open. If the vampires wanted too they could have easily gone in and subdued the wild child, but that was not the goal.
Doctor Sanders entered the room finding the child in the back of the room, near a window broken and pried open. She could get out if she wanted, but it was quite a ways down, even with the sheets tied together and thrown out as rope. That was a last resort it seemed. The ex-human came in with a briefcase, going toward the bed, she brushed off fragments of glass and sat down.
"Tying the knobs with sheets then using the heavy dressers you can't move as the counter-weight. Smart." The doctor, dressed in scrubs and her white coat said.
Just as many other immortals there were no imperfections in her marble skin, but unlike the other vampires Kira had seen her skin retained its natural African American tone, more human-looking making her judge that the woman was an ex-human. She had black and cherry highlighted hair, dyed from her natural black and long Box Braids she allowed to grow out over the years. Shorter than Carmilla in height, the doctor was more muscular in her legs and arms. Kira knew to watch for these details, even in this state and cornered in the core of the enemy, she remembered what she was taught in order to survive. Her eyes were brown, Kira found it suspicious, she had heard about vampires hiding their eyes somehow. Regardless of what color her eyes, Kira could tell: fangs, posture, vocabulary; vampire.
The doctor remained on the bed, "I see you already have an escape plan, or at least attempt. Vampire gets too close and you go out the window with your makeshift rope, swinging down into the bushes. Well if you're aim is good, but I doubt it. Probably will hit the side of the building and break your shoulder or hand, maybe hit your head and lose consciousness, falling to the ground most likely to suffer internal bleeding."
She saw the child in the corner, clenching a shard of glass so tight her hand bled. Though dressed in fresh clothes she did quick work of dirtying and destroying them, the slave collar she wore still around her neck with a broken chain. The doctor stood up and slowly walked toward the child whose face bore an expression just as fierce and hate-filled as the vampire's own so very long ago. When the doctor was turned...she too held onto her hatred of the vampire like it was her life raft in the open ocean.
"You don't have to trust me, but I'm a doctor and you are a patient that needs to be treated." She looked at the girl's bleeding hand, "This can go two ways: you let me treat you, or you pass out from blood loss and vampires you like as much as I do put their hands on you...and I still treat you."
She watched the girl's eyes dart left and right in contemplation, looking repeatedly toward the window.
Doctor Sanders leaned against a flipped couch shrugging, "Your choice kid."
She could hear the rapid heartbeat of the girl, in panic, in fear, but she was not being reckless, she was not acting out of instinct. This girl was smart enough to think, even in a panic; she was trained to survive vampires and had been doing it for many years. Based on the little information she received this girl had been captured recently and was the only one to be captured.
The girl cautiously stepped away from the door, "You're Ex-human."
"Yes." The doctor nodded, "But unlike you I didn't have a choice." She held her hand out, "May I?"
The glass shard was dropped and the flow of blood was let free, dropping on the floor rapidly. Doctor Sanders opened her briefcase, showing the girl the contents she explained everything she was planning on doing and whether or not it would hurt. She first addressed the collar, taking it off, the doctor found deep ligature red that was rubbed raw and bleeding. The girl had fought and pulled so hard it broke the chain-impressive...and sad.
"My name is Doctor Emily Sanders." The doctor introduced herself, using tweezers to remove shards from the child's hand.
The girl opened her mouth-the doctor put her finger over her lips, "Don't." The vampire whispered, "Whatever name you were born with, don't let them know, don't let them use it against you."
When finishing cleaning the wound, which did not need stitches, she wrapped it, "Never forget it, from now on, it will be the only thing you can call yours. If you want to survive...this place..." The vampire gestured to the room, "Will only cause you more trouble. If you want to stay alive, stay human, you'll have to play by their rules."
On the couch Kira shrugged, "Learned to play the Game and I've played it well. Speaking of, you still haven't answered my question."
"I will have to politely decline, I have a meeting this weekend with a few colleagues."
"Damn Em you're always working, there is a thing called a 'social life' you know." Kira pouted rolling her eyes when sitting up, "I was hoping you'd hang out for once."
Emily smiled, standing she grabbed a lollipop from her jar and tossed it to Kira, "Come on." She said digging into her pocket, "I need a smoke break."
On the roof of the hospital they stood in the shadow cast by the entrance to the roof. Emily lit a cigarette, offering one to Kira, but was politely declined. There were enough things in the world trying to kill her, cancer was not something she wanted to add to the list.
"Now that we're out of the office, are you going to tell me why you really came?" Probed the doctor as she pulled her brown hair back, the sides of her head shaved into a pattern.
Kira leaned against the wall then slid down to her butt, "I needed to get out of that place." She relieved quietly, "I kept having that dream."
"About your attack?"
She did not answer.
"You nearly died, it's understandable and expected for there to be lasting trauma both physically and mentally." The doctor side of the human's friend came out, but she did not come for a doctor's diagnosis, but a friend's ear.
"I feel like I'm slowly losing my mind, that I'm starting to forget."
Emily took a long drag of her cigarette, blowing the smoke up into the breeze above, "Can't say I blame you, having Carmilla on you twenty-four-seven-I would have torn my own heart out if I had to deal with her."
"Honestly, she's easy. Once you get used to it, it's really not that bad, I could have ended up a lot worse places." Kira said touching the fabric of the scarf between her fingers, "I'm alive, I've survived this long."
"This isn't living." Emily growled throwing the butt to the ground and smashing it with her foot, "Humans being used like livestock, treated like trash, none of this was ever suppose to happen."
Kira chuckled, "Starting to sound like a Progressive."
"Those naive fools don't know anything. Equality is a myth, so long as one has power over another that's nothing, but a fantasy. Give boths sides power, that's fair, that's equality."
"Like that'll ever happen." Kira shut her eyes, Emily joined her on the floor and when she was settled, Kira rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder.
Jake and Kira were best friends, Emily too was just as close to Kira, if not closer. She had saved Kira countless times from when she was a child to when she almost died and instead of becoming one of them she runs around with an interesting conversation starter on her neck. Emily never forgot what it meant to be human and was the one person who treated Kira normal, as a normal human adult and for one certainly understood standing in the shadow of a Pureblood. After all, if a vampire is not born, the only way to turn a human into a creature of the night is to be bitten by a Pureblood Vampire. Kira is the only known person spared from that fate and the worst part...it was not even Carmilla who bit her back then.
"I don't want to forget them, but it hurts to remember them, to remember what things used to be...the people I lost." Kira's throat tightened, "I haven't even heard those names in years and i'm starting to forget their faces."
Emily leaned her head against Kira's, "I'm sorry I never found the cabin, I tried to look for records, but they were destroyed or someone made it so I couldn't find them."
"Its fine." The human woman said without care. She never expected the vampire to, she did not even try to hold hope she would have.
After minutes of silence, time Kira held onto with every ounce of strength, she knew she could not push her limits. She returned to the Palace, a car awaited her outside as usual, but it was not empty.
"Lady Carmilla..." Kira's open mouth showed her unexpected surprise, knowing for a fact the Lady was suppose to be asleep-not that vampires actually needed to sleep-but seeing her out in broad daylight was unexpected and very alarming.
"I had a meeting in the city and recalled you had an appointment with..."
Doctor Sanders walked from the hospital entrance to beside Kira, "Ah Lady Carmilla, what an unexpected surprise. I took you as a night owl." Said the ex-human with intended sarcasm.
The Pureblood Vampire bit back her annoyance of the doctor's loose tongue and lack of respect. She was an irreplaceable asset that she could not afford to lose and knew it. Doctor Sanders enjoyed testing the limits of the Lady's patience with her, the two of them bounding back and forth at another, one for the thrill of knowing she could not be touched and the other despising this audacity of the ex-human. Still, the doctor chose not to push those limits today, not with an innocent in between, perhaps innocent was a stretch of a word for even Kira, but it was nearly accurate.
"Don't forget to take it easy, no extreme physical activities. Let me know if you need a prescription for those anti-inflammatories we discussed." She turned to Kira, putting her hands in her coat pocket speaking obviously loud enough for the Pureblood to hear.
Kira nodded, taking the initiative to go to the Lady's side because that would lessen the irritation the vampire was beginning to have. Slipping inside the black-tinted car, Lady Carmilla surprisingly kept to her side of the car, leaning against the window looking as though she were in deep contemplation. She still had an air of irritation, but it did not seem to be directed toward Kira or Emily. The human looked at the vampire, trying to read her face and understand whether or not she was in trouble or how she would be involved with the Master's frustration later on.
"M'lady?" Kira cautiously called out, "Is something wrong?"
Lady Carmilla glanced at Kira's reflection, "Why would you think there is."
Kira searched for the proper way to speak without risking her neck...metaphorically and literally.
"You are not usually up at this hour. I was surprised to see you pick me up is all." Kira said quietly, fidgeting with her fingers in her lap.
"The meeting I had was unexpected and last minute. I thought it convenient to take you home, do you dislike this?"
There she went again. Manipulating her words in a manner that would have Kira dig herself into a hole with the only option to turned to the Lady for salvation. A trap that saying the wrong thing would have her punished while saying the right only tied her closer to the vampire. In this Game Lady Carmilla would win no matter what, those are the kinds of games she likes and when the odds were against her? She would cheat to gain the upper hand and favor.
Kira frowned, "Of course not, it's just-"
A hand touched Kira's thigh, causing her to blush. Lady Carmilla smirked, a fang displaying as she watched the other woman's expression reflected in the window.
"It's just what?" Asked the vampire, her hand travelling higher, "Do tell."
"Lady-" Kira struggled to say huskily as her heart beat escalated and a tingling heat began to gather between her legs.
"Yes?" Asked the vampire, turning her head to Kira, watching the arousal fill the human's eyes.
Kira clenched the leather of the seat, "Please...we're-" She looked up to the driver.
Lady Carmilla hummed, moving her hand from a sensitive place back to the center of the seat, "I do hope you enjoy your time with your friends." The vampire said, the statement making Kira tilt her head in curiosity. Lady Carmilla has never concerned herself with Kira's activities outside the Palace.
"Er...forgive me if this is out of line..." Kira adjusted her scarf, "Next time...would you like to go?"
The driver rose a brow himself.
Lady Carmilla turned, caught off guard. Now Kira had the cards. She leaned toward the human, taking under her chin and pulling it towards her, "If that is what you want." She kissed Kira until the human became flush, "Then I shall."
Kira followed after Jake, they had taken his family's car, but the oldest one so not to draw attention. The small group left the car, Kira was between three vampires, she looked to the end of the street seeing a street motorcycle round the corner to the ally just as they were entering the club. This place was popular, not top-class as the rich, powerful and famous would go, but popular for the local crew, especially the youth. It was the only club in the city that allowed humans with or without an escort. The club was happily neutral, taking money from its patrons whether human or vampire, money was money.
The sound of techno music pulsed throughout the building, vibrating the dancefloor and electrifying the night. Kira held no fear of being hunted in the club, the rules of which and the bouncers ensured that would not happen. She branched off from their group, going to the bar to grab a drink. A few drinks and she would be eased enough to dance, but not enough to be beyond buzzed. No matter how many people, no matter how clear, no matter how many witnesses, she was never safe. Though Jake would not do anything to put her in danger, nothing was certain and in a world ruled by the vampire everything was permitted.
Everything done and said was to survive, to make it to another day, but these outings allowed her to remember that even if it was out of reach, there was a life to be lived. Never if she forgets everyone...she won't forget the taste of freedom she once had and how she would fight for it for the rest of her life.
From the bar Kira ordered a light and simple drink, vodka with sprite and a splash of cranberry. Despite her choice of light drinks, despite her thin stature, she was very much a heavyweight. Something she learned to develop as soon as possible in order to avoid...unpleasant events. Thankfully Lady Carmilla had no interest in drunken stupor and was quite fixed on consent-at least when it came to certain aspects of their...'relationship'.
After grabbing hers and a trayful of orders she went to her group and played distributor, buying the first round of drinks with her given credit card. Though she promised herself to keep her wits about her, Kira was having too much fun to keep one-hundred percent on top of her bearing. A few drinks more than she planned and she was one more from breaking the line of Tipsy and drunk. At her next turn to buy drinks she opted for water, recognizing her error too late, though knowing it was never too early to work to avoid a hangover. As their friends danced in the club center, Kira kept beside another human talking with an ex-human and another human. It was a relatively safe place, when away from the others.
"And what is a beautiful woman such as yourself doing here instead of on the dancefloor?"
Kira turned to the woman who came beside her, a vampire, she had short blonde hair shaved on the sides of her head with her hair styled back. Wearing a black leather jacket opened to show her torn sleeveless shirt, her torn skinny jeans gave a 'biker girl' and certainly 'bad girl' appearance. Kira though she maybe the motorcycle rider she had seen earlier, which she admitted to herself was quite an appeal. Still happily buzzed, Kira indulged the mysterious vampire's desire for conversation.
"Catching my breath." Chuckled the human.
The woman smirked, "I can make you chase it all night if you want."
Kira choked on her water a bit, "Wow." She wiped her mouth. The vampire handed her a napkin, "Well played." Kira commended.
"Well, you did walk into it." The vampire shrugged still wearing a smirk on her face.
Kira nodded, "Yeah, but you're barking up the wrong tree with me."
"Ouch, not even going to give me a name?"
The human chuckled once, leaning back against the stool at the bar, "Look, you're better off trying to your luck with another gal. I'm off the market."
The vampire pulled a stool up, sat and ordered herself a beer, then asked if her amazing conversationalist wanted a pop.
"Who says I want another? Maybe I was just looking for someone to talk to?" The drinks arrived and she slid the unaltered glass of CokeCola to her barmate.
Kira looked at her for a moment, looking for signs; posture, hands movements, facial expressions, even how many times one would blink. She did this to every new person she met, less with those she knew because she was already well-versed in reading them. This woman...whoever she was...Kira felt that she could trust her, felt she was safe with her. That was something she has not felt in a long time. Maybe it was the alcohol, but she did not care, what was the worst that could happen? Lady Carmilla's scent was all over her, she was property already marked, no lower vampire was stupid enough to take a bite out of her. Kira being this reckless was only because of that assurance...then only thing that truly protected her in this world, was the very thing that cages her.
"You the one who rode on the bike earlier?" Kira began.
The woman nodded, "You like bikes? Built her myself, bit of a hobby of mine I picked up abroad."
Now Kira's interests were peaked, if anything could get her talking it was talking about the outside world.
"I was in Germany for a while, I stayed with my dad and went to school. During the weekend I could ride to four different countries in a few hours if I wanted to and the beer-" The vampire looked at the bottle, "The beer there was amazing, you humans certainly know your shit when it comes to that."
Kira bobbed her head, not that she would know. She knows less about human history in general than the vampire one. Not that it mattered. It was their world now and the losers are rarely remembered in history. Still she was alive, she was here and now to remember her own history and that of her family...she owed them that much, as long as she lives long enough to remember them.
"Why did you come back?" Kira asked curiously, taking the pop and sipping it.
The vampire's cheery demeanor lessened some, "I have a few things I need to take care of, get some things I left behind when I left."
Kira stared at her glass, "Must be nice to have something to go back to."
"K!"
Only one turned to Jake.
"Ready to head out? The others are well..."
Kira and Jake looked at their trashed friends. Kira threw back the pop and set it on the bar, "Yeah give me a second."
She turned to the vampire woman, "Sorry I have to go."
"Still no to a name?"
Kira gave a sad smile, "I'm sorry...even if I gave it to you I doubt we'd ever see each other ever again. My master...doesn't like me being friendly with...other women."
The leather-clad vampire smirked again, "Well then let's stop being strangers." She winked, pecking Kira on the cheek before taking her beer elsewhere.
Kira frowned a bit, she was thinking it would be good to be friends with her, but Lady Carmilla would never approve. Any woman around her were deemed threats, whether being protective or out of jealousy Kira could not have female friends whether straight or not. Grabbing her coat, Kira rushed after Jake to help carry one of their drunken friends out of the club watched by the biker vampire as she sat at the bar.
"See you soon."
