Disclaimer: Don't own, don't earn. Just fangirling.
Author's notes: PLEASE HEED THE WARNINGS, there will be a lot of disturbing stuff in this chapter in regards of medical issues and alcohol abuse. Obviously, I am not a doctor - and although i have done research, I don't claim everything described is true to life. It's fiction.
To all of you who have read and left reviews, thank you so much ;) In regards of one person who mentioned Alucard's tears, I couldn't leave a reply on the page so I leave it here. Yes, I know that Alucard cries with regulat tears, it was shown in the series. I take a different approach and to underline his current condition, depression and thirst I made him cry tears of blood, to show his vampire half resurface as he becomes more and more will be elaborated upon in the future chapters.
Warnings: graphic descriptions of alcohol withdrawal, seizures, delirium and serious medical condition, emotional and physical suffering.
CHAPTER 3
The merciful sun rays found its way through the dark, dusty corridors, threadbare carpets and old oil paintings of some distant no-names of history, as Alucard slept in his wolf form curled in on himself, on the floor next to the door of Trevor and Sypha's bedroom. The sun crept up on him, tingling his big, wet nose, spilling in wide blotches of warmth over his thick fur. The wolf breathed in; even as an animal, thinking simpler and in a more primal way, he felt a sting of unease, or reluctance to move at all. After all, what could the new day bring, if not more of the same.
More pain.
The sun was so warm on his fur. It must have been already quite high on the sky. Must have been late.
Hurry, the wolf thought and in an instant the animal form changed into that of a man, laying on the dark hardwood, his cheek pressed to the dirty boards. Alucard did not want anyone, the least of all Trevor, to find out that he would rather spend a night curled on the floor guarding his door than sleep in a bed, but he couldn't force himself to enter his bedroom again. He could simply switch rooms, but for some reason he felt reluctant to do it. An idea of sleeping in a bed was somehow repulsing, and he felt better just as a wolf sleeping on the ground, never mind the cobwebs or grass.
He listened in for a moment, but there was no sound coming from the room at all. Trevor and Sypha were still probably asleep. It was not that surprising, as they both needed rest, injured as they were, but if he could see sun in the castle corridors it meant that it was about ten o'clock. The hour was late.
He spent too much time here as it was. Alucard got up quietly and made a quick work with patting the dust out of his clothes before he moved to the nearest window to take a look at the outside world. He squinted at the brightness of day, his eyes still teary and sleepy; he saw Ksenia emerging from the forest, crossing the meadow in a slow, uneven hobble, carrying something in her hands outstretched to the sides. After a while he realized it must have been the birds she had shot; It looked like her hunting was fruitful.
He was ashamed of himself. The way he behaved yesterday was inexcusable. He felt pathetic. An evening ending up in a temper tantrum, a bout of tears, and a night spent on the floor under his friends' door. He was sure it couldn't get any lower, so he decided he might as well go downstairs and face the music. He raked a hand through his matted hair, which he didn't bother to comb or wash in days.
He met Ksenia outside, crossing the plane, halfway to the castle. Upon seeing him she stopped in her tracks and froze there, not sure what she should do; one of the ducks fell from her hands on the ground, as she was carrying too many. She saw it, but didn't move to pick it up.
Alucard kept walking steadily until he came closer to meet her. He offered a hesitant 'good morning', but there was no reaction. She was just staring, tense as a bowstring.
He sighed and hung his head. He didn't know what to say.
"...allow me to help?" he offered finally.
Ksenia clicked her tongue silently and handed him two ducks, which she was holding by their feet.
"Glad you asked," she said and bent to collect the bird that fell from her grip. "Thanks. Let's go."
They walked in silence, Alucard adjusting his pace to the rhythm of her steps. Upon entering the sunny, but empty kitchen, Ksenia took a surprised look around.
"They didn't come down yet?" she asked.
"No, still sleeping" Alucard put the hunted ducks into the sink and wiped his hands in a cloth. "So I guess… my turn to bring some food home. A doe? Anything else?"
Ksenia bit on her lower lip, obviously worried about something. She reached for a kitchen rag laying on the wooden worktop, hesitantly glancing towards the ducks; she shook her head suddenly.
"No, it's not normal. You should check on them, Aucard." she said. Her brow furrowed in concern.
"They are tired. And after days of travelling, it's not surprising they would want to sleep in."
Ksenia did not look convinced. "I have a bad feeling. Please, Alucard."
He relented; he washed his hands quickly and dried them in a clean towel, and left to wake his friends, taking with himself a pitcher of cold water and two glasses. Ksenia relaxed visibly seeing him go, and went about preparing some tea and breakfast.
/*/
"Are you awake...?" he asked quietly, gently knocking at the mahogany frame. The door opened almost immediately and Alucard saw Sypha's huge eyes staring up at him, wide awake and obviously worried. She held the door open for him as he carried a small tray in.
"God, it's good you came," she said quietly. "He doesn't look good at all. He's feverish. I can't wake him up," Sypha all but mewled. She wrapped her arms around her middle, treading barefoot on the dusty carpet.
"Calm down, Sypha, everything will be alright," Alucard said kindly, but his brows knitted in worry. He did not suppose that Trevor's wound might be infected; he made sure to tend to the shoulder to the best of his ability and disinfect it thoroughly. Nevertheless when he reached down to touch Trevor's forehead it was hot and clammy, and the hunter did not even stir.
"Alright, prepare a cold compress for his forehead, will you? I will examine his shoulder," Alucard said, seeing her hover above them, clearly in distress. He instinctively understood that it's better if she has something to do; Sypha nodded and disappeared in the bathroom immediately to find a small towel. Adrian shook Trevor gently, but he was unmoving.
"Wake up, Belmont" he muttered, patting his face. No reaction. "Trevor?" Nothing.
Alucard raised his brows and smacked Trevor's face non-too gently. His eyes flew open at that and he made a desperate, panicked attempt at sitting up and lashing out at the unknown opponent, but the dhampir held fast and pinned him down to the bed, trying to avoid his bad shoulder. "W-what the actual fuck…?" Trevor stammered, not aware of his surroundings or time of day, but recognizing Alucard.
"Calm down, you're in the castle with me and Sypha," Adrian explained and soon felt Trevor's muscles relax as he stared at the well-known face for a while longer and understood he's not under any attack. He sighed with relief and slumped back to the mattress.
Trevor's eyes rolled back in stupefaction. Alucard let him go and brought a hand to his face again. To his ultimate surprise, Trevor leaned in to the touch and almost nuzzled his palm.
"Your fingers are so cold..." he muttered in a languid voice, swallowing thickly.
Sypha came back from the bathroom, carrying a bowl of water and a small washcloth. She put it down on a nightstand and conjured ice cubes out of thin air.
"You're awake," she said with some relief. Trevor's head tossed on the pillow, his limbs slack and lifeless. Adrian begun to undo the bandages on his shoulder, but judging from their clean state and the absence of any smell, the wound was not infected. Sypha begun to wipe Trevor's face with cold water and he immediately turned towards the pleasant sensation.
"What… what time is it?" he asked, taking a deeper breath.
"It's past ten," Sypha told him. "I was so worried, you slept like a log."
"Did you take any more laudanum yesterday?" Alucard asked, his voice tinged with fear. "Trevor. Focus. Did you take any more?"
"Nnno, you... dickhead," Trevor slurred. "You told me not to."
Alucard sighed with relief. He recalled leaving his bag and medical supplies unattended in the room yesterday, and for a second there he froze with terror, as he realized in his stupidity Trevor could have downed all of the tincture and seriously harm or even kill himself. He felt cold sweat on his own face as he realized how dangerous and careless it was of him, to abandon a patient like that, to discard the medicines and instruments and just leave. He forced himself under control, stilled his hands from shaking by sheer force of will and inspected the wound. It was as good as it could be expected to be. There were no other wounds which could be the source of infection, Trevor's lymph nodes were normal. His heart rate was off the charts, and the blood pressure spiking, but that was clearly a stress reaction. Alucard went over to the bag to go through the list of medicines he applied yesterday, to check for any possible side effects or cross-reactions; everything seemed to be in order. He took out a glass thermometer and instructed Trevor to stick it under his armpit.
"Everything seems to be within reasonable margins," Alucard said slowly, going once again through his mother's notes. "It's most probably just your body's reaction to finally slowing down. Your brain stopped pumping adrenaline through your veins, you relaxed, allowed yourself to rest and… it finally caught up with you how heavily battered you are," Alucard said, putting the notebook down. "Raised temperature can appear even as a stress factor, or indeed with broken bones. Besides…" Alucard glanced at Trevor carefully, something occurring to him all of a sudden. "Sypha, how long was he drinking for?"
Sypha hesitated, looking down at Trevor, who shot her a look of mute plea.
"Well, almost all of the time we were on the road," she said sadly, enduring the stare. "And we spent eight days on the wagon. Most of which you were knocked out, with breaks only for peeing and stealing more alcohol."
Trevor groaned. If he could, he would just melt into the bedcovers and disappear, away from their scolding faces.
"So who was holding the reigns?" Alucard asked, coming closer again to lean over the bed and reach for the thermometer.
"He was," Sypha blurted out. "He wouldn't stop. We were travelling for eight days straight. He would only allow Ksenia to take over when he was too shitfaced to sit up straight."
Alucard saw that in an instant Sypha's eyes started welling up with tears and she had to move aside to calm herself a bit. Trevor closed his eyes and shoved his face in a pillow as far as he could; it was clear to Alucard that he just wants to evaporate.
Adrian dared to cast a look at Sypha, who was standing with her lithe back to them, wiping at her eyes. She looked so minute, so fragile, without her baggy robe to cover her from head to toe, she was so petite and delicate. Stark discrepancy, considering the amount of power she wielded, how much brute force she could give out when handling the elements. Alucard came to an abrupt realization that he has never seen her in so little clothing before; she was wearing a simple, sleeveless white shift, which was reaching to her knees only, and standing barefoot on the rug. Her shoulders shook slightly.
Alucard caught himself staring and immediately turned his attention to the thermometer. The temperature was high, but not threatening. All things considered, Trevor's feeble condition was probably caused by mild alcohol withdrawal; Alucard shook his head at the man. He would eventually be alright, even if it will take more time than normal.
"Look, you are going to be fine. Fever is a fairly common symptom given your injuries, you just have to rest. Are you in pain right now?" Alucard asked. Trevor opened his eyes with a telling expression and nodded. His jaw was clenched shut. "I see. Come, I'll help you up," he said taking his right hand in his and slipping an arm under Trevor's back to maneuver him into a sitting position.
Sypha was next to them immediately, propping Trevor up with more pillows and settling behind him so that he could lean on her; upset as she was, she still would prioritize his well-being over their differences. As they were certain he was comfortable, Alucard went to prepare some medicines, and she resumed her patient administrations with the washcloth, wiping away the sweat which pearled on Trevor's brow and nose, cooling his forehead, swiping his rigid jawline and heated, sweaty neck. Alucard expected he will tense up further, avoid her touch or tell her to stop; Trevor all but sunk into her helplessly, pushing his face into her collarbone, as if he could apologize by his gestures only, without having to say anything.
"Take this first," Alucard passed him a small glass like yesterday, but this time it contained a white powder mixed in with water into a cloudy solution. "It's an antiseptic. Just to be extra careful. And this… for the pain."
Trevor gulped down the medicines without question. His face shriveled at the bitterness and he clenched his teeth at his stomach revolting at the unpleasant taste and texture, but he didn't complain. Alucard passed him some water next.
"You need a decent breakfast," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "And you have to drink plenty of fluids. I mean it. You're dehydrated, you stripped your body of nutrients, vitamins, any useful bacteria cultures, you just flushed them all away. Your stomach must be rebelling and your liver is overstrained. Your body just can't heal properly, it has to get rid of the toxins first. So you need water, first and foremost. Once you stop sweating, once the last of the alcohol leaves your system and the fever breaks, you will be on your way to mend."
"I… are you speaking in Adamic again or…?" Trevor's head lolled on Sypha's shoulder, his eyes closing involuntarily.
"I will keep an eye on him… make sure he drinks a lot." Sypha said quietly. She settled Trevor down gently, fixed the compress on his forehead and sat more comfortably next to him, still clutching his hand, which he held like a lifeline. "Thank you, Adrian… If it wasn't for you, I don't… I don't know what I would do."
Alucard stared at the prostrate man on the bed and couldn't find a suitable answer. His ailments understood separately were not particularly severe, but taken together it was enough to knock Trevor down. If they had been on the road, it could indeed be a life-threatening condition. The worst part of it was that he did a lot of it to himself, in a blatant display of a very self-destructive behaviour. Alucard watched as the planes of his chest rose and fell in a more steady rhythm, as his strong arms with corded muscles were now laying so defenseless against the white bedsheets. It looked somehow wrong and out of place; it looked concerning.
"...Everything will be alright," Alucard said quietly, shoving this sting of anguish down not to alarm her. "Don't worry, Sypha. We'll get him back to full health."
She nodded, sniffling and giving him a small smile. Her eyes were so blue, so huge. Adrian couldn't help but smile back for her.
"I'll better go," he said. "I have some hunting to do. Ksenia organized restocking the kitchen, I promised I will arrange some venison."
Trevor barked with a short, strained laugh. "Not 'that woman' anymore, huh?" he mumbled.
Sypha smiled at Alucard, taking his cold hand in hers. "I think it is the first time you used her name," she said with approval. Alucard just refused to answer and stood up, taking his leave. He met resistance. The small hand refused to let go.
"Wait… Adrian," Trevor joined in, reaching to catch the edge of his sleeve. "One more thing… it's important. We've been talking with Sypha…"
A sting of unease pierced Adrian through and through. All sorts of images came to his head, the most prominent being the back of their disappearing wagon again, but he forced a muffled 'yes?' from his throat.
"We think you are unwell," Sypha took over, her voice serious. "You are hurting. It's not like we're the only ones who need help, and yet you do everything in your power to help us, foregoing your own needs. Adrian, I know you haven't been feeding. So please, take my blood." She said gently, never letting go of his hand and giving him a reassuring squeeze.
Alucard stood there, paralyzed.
"What?" he choked out.
"It probably wouldn't be wise if you took Trevor's blood, even though he was obnoxious about it. But he's unwell, he has taken medicine, it could affect you, it wouldn't be any good. So it's probably a better choice if you just take mine," Sypha explained with unabashed honesty. "Please, Adrian. You need it. And it's not a big deal. Please, allow me to do at least that for you."
"You're hurt," Trevor said, tightening the grip on his sleeve. "You look sick. Once I get better, you can bleed me dry, but for now... listen to her. Come on, Alucard."
Alucard could not believe it. He stood there, both of his friends holding him captive, Sypha by his right hand, Trevor by his left sleeve, both of them looking at him with worry and compassion, unsure of what he'll say. It's not like he should be surprised that they understood he must need blood now; he had never been hiding his nature from them, and they had never condemned it, rather they would treat it as any other necessity of life. The fact that he never took human life or done permanent harm to a human just to quench his thirst obviously was a factor in this. Alucard could even remember Trevor ask him once, respectfully and in a matter-of-fact tone, if he is on top of his game, if he had fed enough to fight and use his magic to full capacity. They were all forced to be pragmatic and non-sentimental; it was sometime in the Belmont Hold, just before the battle, when they were about to face their archenemy. But even then, as pressed by the circumstances as they were, Adrian never would have thought there will be a day when one of them would offer their blood, even to help him recover.
He shook his head at this improbability. He felt very uncomfortable with that offer. It went against the self-preservation instinct and they must have been more scared than they let him see. Besides, he couldn't bring himself to hurt any of them any further. Sypha's brows knit together; she made a face as if she anticipated what he was thinking and stopped him in his tracks.
"You're not going to hurt me, it's alright, I know what I'm doing. It's very simple, you need nourishment just as we do, it's just of a different kind. So take it, I'm offering freely," she spoke softly. Alucard tried to back off, but they held him; Sypha shifted to a kneeling position, her eyes pleading, her thin neck exposed, small bosom rising more frequently as her heartbeat went up. She was pulling his hand, pulling him towards her, soft, and warm, and inviting. She was barely dressed, Adrian suddenly remembered and his eyes widened at what he saw; the thin cotton shift hardly concealing the perfect outline of her narrow waist and her slim thighs. Alucard caught a whiff of her scent, her scent, scent of her blood which was circulating rapidly now. She pulled him again and he was forced to take a step forward or he would fall; she inched towards him on the bed, her head moved to the side, exposing the perfectly sharp point where her clavicle joined the shoulder. She was all but offering herself up.
"Sypha, stop…" he whispered, feeling a void spreading from his abdomen upwards, a gnawing feeling tearing at his insides and pulsating in his chest. It was thirst. "Just stop, please… I couldn't in any possibility drink from you, so please stop, Sypha…" she inched closer again and he knew he has to tear away from her, he has to snap out of it now or he won't be able to control himself. "Sypha, don't. No, just stop, NO!" he yelled, yanked both of his hands free and took a couple of steps back, gasping for breath which he was holding all of this time.
"You don't even understand, Sypha! I can't," he mewled. "It would hurt you, but not because I would hurt you, but because you're ill. You have anemia, I could smell it from the start. That's why you're so exhausted, that's why you've been fainting," he said quickly, not looking at her, because he was afraid that he'd crack and yet reach for the sweet life in her veins. "It's an ailment stemming from malnourishment and exhaustion. Your iron levels are far too low, your blood is being produced fast enough. So if I was to drink from you, it would be dangerous." He brought his shaking hands to his face, raked them through his matted hair. He needed to calm down.
"You… fainted again?" Trevor asked quietly in the dead quiet that followed. Sypha lowered her eyes and sighed heavily.
"A couple of times," she whispered.
"And you didn't even tell me? When?"
"I did not want to worry you. You... had enough on your shoulders." She said, her voice suddenly colder and with a sharp, categoric edge to it. "Besides, I am not that stupid, you know. I know what anemia is, this happens to women, I just need to rest and replenish. Eat red meat and legumes. I'll be fine."
"It's a bit more complicated than that," Alucard sounded from afar, more composed now and ready to face them again. "And it can be a very serious condition. You need to understand, you have been operating with enormous amounts of energy, elemental power, the very strength needed to contain and direct it is sourced from your own body. It is a matter of willpower, yes, but it takes a toll. Must have been… some fight."
"You have no idea," Trevor scoffed. "Well, shit. So it's back to me, then. Alucard, take mine. Take my blood."
"Don't be stupid, Belmont."
"I wanted to offer yesterday, but you ran out on me and didn't come back!" he shouted and forced himself to an upright position with a painful grunt. "Well, tough luck, princess, now bite me!"
"You 'bite me'! You're weak as a newborn baby, you could pass out just by standing up!"
"Don't lecture me," Trevor grunted, scowling. "Just do it, for fuck's sake. I'm gonna be alright. Come on; we both know you need it."
Alucard suddenly felt a burning emotion flare up within him, a feeling that refused to be ignored or postponed in any way. His nostrils flared as he turned to Trevor.
"What exactly are you trying to do here, be a hero?" he asked, his voice slow and full of venom. "What is this supposed to be, sacrifice? Or is it just another self-destructive mechanism that you refuse to recognize?" he sneered.
"Whoa, I just want to help!"Trevor lifted both hands in the air. "Why do you have to be a dick about it?"
"Because you're involving me in a suicide, Belmont! You want to get killed, by all means, just continue what you're doing and you will drink yourself to death eventually!" Alucard yelled.
"Calm down, both of you! No one is hurting anybody and no one is commiting suicide!" Sypha lifted a hand as if she wanted to touch Adrian, calm him down, but he abruptly turned away from her. "If Adrian says it's not a good idea, then he's right, we should just think of some other way to solve this," she said towards Trevor, but she was all but ignored.
"Get off your high horse, Alucard," Trevor yelled back. "Look at what you're doing! Walking around all broody, parading these wounds that do not heal for everyone to see, making her feel like shit while she watches you suffer!"
"Trevor, I'm still in the room, and don't use me as an argument! It's misplaced." Sypha forced her voice to be adamant. "This is going completely wrong. Let's stop shouting and act like adults," she said, looking from Trevor to Alucard, who scoffed and turned to the door.
"There is nothing to talk about. This idea is ridiculous. And it's not like he is capable of acting like an adult anyway, Sypha."
"Sure, leave, it's easier," Trevor barked. "Leave like yesterday, just run away! You don't want to talk because you know I'm right."
Alucard spun around in an instant.
"Don't even get me started on leaving! It's you who left! You left me!"
Sypha gasped. Her eyes flew to Alucard, wide open and terrified, her face shrinking in a hurt expression. It was obvious that his blow landed, but not exactly where he wanted to.
"If you asked us to stay, we would," Trevor countered quickly, lifting a hand and stopping Sypha before she could fall to pieces over the topic. "But you kept avoiding us. You even had a plan to go back to sleep in your coffin, what were we supposed to think?"
"Trevor, shut up," Sypha mewled, lifting a hand to her forehead. "We completely misread what you wanted, Adrian. You were grieving, you weren't yourself, how could you possibly be alright? We should have stayed, or we should have left together!"
"But it would have been so hard to admit that you needed someone, right?" Trevor scoffed, wincing in pain as he tried to sit up more straight. "God forbid you show any human emotion. We would have helped you, but you didn't want it."
"I didn't …?" Alucard was completely taken aback. "What...? I can't believe you, Belmont! I can't believe the vastness of your emotional impairment, you wouldn't notice suffering if it hit you in the face!"
"I do notice! I know you're hurting, I want to help, but each time I try, you fucking run! And you do the exact same thing with Sypha! So why you do it, just for show? Do you want everybody to feel sorry for you?
"I don't have to listen to this," Alucard hissed, anger welling up inside him and the ominous red shine flashed in his eyes again.
"Oh, there we go," Trevor scoffed. "You want something else, you want everybody to fear you. Like you tried to prove yesterday, you're evil Alucard now, so you expect us to behave like assholes, only to prove your imaginary point! You think I cannot recognize what you're doing, but I can! I've been doing it!" Trevor pointed to his own chest. "You're mad we left? Fine! But don't take it out on her. If you want to take it out on somebody, take it out on ME! So go on! Bite my neck! Take it all! You know you want to!"
"Trevor, you don't mean it," Sypha shook her head at his fallacy. "Why are you goading him? You don't even mean it, so just stop it! Both of you!"
"Oh, he means it, alright!" Alucard snarled at him, baring his fangs in a reflex. "He's a Belmont! He learned all there is to know about vampires and he knows ME so fucking well! I *must* need blood, I am a predator after all, so a little blood will fix me, right?! It will make me feel better!"
"You are twisting what I say! I only wanted to help you!"
"This isn't helping! Offering your blood to me *isn't* helping! You have no idea what it even means! And I am more than what my body wants, I'm not an animal!" Alucard made a wide gesture, cutting Trevor off.
"Adrian, please…!" Sypha was caught in the middle, unable to get a word across and completely horrified that it turned into a shouting match.
"You simply think you know what's best for me and you want to make decisions for me!" Alucard started pacing again. "Because you saw that for once in my life I am anything but collected! What is it now the two of you are doing, parenting? What gave you an idea that you are qualified for that, Belmont? When you clearly can't even take care of yourself?"
"Adrian, it's not like that, we would never patronize you," Sypha pleaded, yet Alucard all but ignored her, staring into Trevor's determined eyes with the unbridled need to lash out.
"Speaking of parents, yours indeed must be very proud. The prodigy of the Belmont clan, the last son of the proud dynasty of monster hunters, offering his neck to a fucking vampire! What would your family say?!"
"YOU ARE MY FAMILY!" Trevor bellowed, leaning out of the bed so far that he would fall on the floor. His eyes bore into Alucard's, who simply froze, his eyes wide.
In complete silence that befell them Sypha covered her face with her hands, unable to watch them any longer, shaking in barely-contained distress.
Trevor looked like he was going to pass out.
"You are my family, I don't have anyone else except you and Sypha," he said with effort. "I don't give a shit about a bunch of dead people and what they're gonna think, because they're dead! There is only you two, you're the only family I got," he panted. "I don't care about this monster-hunting bullshit, you are not a monster, you do not fucking apply! And I don't care you're half-vampire. You're my friend. So don't make me watch you like that...!" Trevor panted in short, shallow breaths, his expression changing, wringing under the pain and stress.
Still, he continued. "I screwed up, we both did, we left, we fucked it all up! But you're my family and I can't…" his voice broke. "And I cannot lose you too. And... I'm gonna throw up."
That stirred Alucard like a zap of electricity and in two steps he was with Trevor, lowering him down on the bed, holding both sides of his head as the man was trying to fight the waves of nausea and breathing erratically, his good hand fisted aggressively in Alucard's shirt.
"No, no, no, keep it down, you're gonna waste all the meds," Alucard said, kneeling next to the bed and trying to calm him down. Sypha crept up to them, her face blotched with red patches, wet from tears.
"I'm gonna barf all over you, you fucker," Trevor growled through clenched teeth, not opening his eyes and panting heavily.
"You better not. Breathe, just breathe." Alucard tentatively moved his hand to Trevor's forehead, brushed his hair away from his eyes, and then slid to Trevor's chest, where it rested above his heart. "Breathe, Belmont. It will pass in a minute."
A couple more inhales and Alucard felt Trevor's muscles relax a little, his expression changing as the breaths came a bit more steady. A while more and he opened his eyes to look at the dhampir; he was still furious, but a bridge has been crossed, a barrier broke, and they suddenly felt like the air was a bit lighter around them, like some menacing, hovering dark spell has been lifted. Sypha sniffled next to them and Alucard grabbed her hand to include her in this, to press her lithe palm along with his above Trevor's heart. Belmont's right hand abandoned the shirt and covered their interlaced fingers with his own.
"Better?" Alucard asked tentatively, and Trevor answered with a barely perceptible nod, still focused on breathing and keeping the medicine down. Sypha sniffled loudly.
"I am… I'm sorry," Adrian started. "We should all… calm down. Sypha... please, forgive me. I never meant for you to cry."
She gave him a wet, sad look and bit down on his trembling lower lip, then glued herself to his arm. Her grip was like a vice.
"It's okay," she mewled. "It was a disaster, all of it, all of… us. We never meant to hurt or anger you. Nor force you to do anything. It really is not like that. We just… we wanted to help."
"I know."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm just… sorry." she whispered. She pressed her cheek to his arm, trying to get as much contact as possible now that Alucard allowed them to get close.
Adrian glanced at Trevor, who was laying absolutely still, clutching at their joined hands as if terrified of breaking the contact. He probably wanted to say something, but had to keep his jaws shut. Alucard sighed, feeling overwhelmed. What was he even doing these days, these outbursts of anger were so beyond his control, so destructive. It's not like he even wanted them to happen, but somehow they just did, time and again. He relented; not moving his hand and allowing Sypha to hang on his shoulder, he turned to the hunter.
"Trevor… I will be able to endure a couple more days with no bigger discomfort. Once you get better…" he trailed off, observing his expression. The man exhaled with relief and nodded.
"Once I get better," he repeated, relaxing completely.
They kept staring at each other. Counting breaths, and holding the three hands clenched together as if their lives depended on it. Alucard willed himself to relax. He was with friends. They came back. Came back for real. Marked their presence, managed to aggravate every inch of his being, but also… came back. To him.
They cared.
Alucard moved to lean on Sypha as well. She accepted him gladly.
Anger evaporated completely from Trevor's eyes, and was replaced with concern and a dose of regret. As usual, he would be sorry for the things he had said, things he had done. He kept looking at Alucard intently and the dhampir knew this is the closest to 'I'm sorry' that he's going to get. He took it anyway. Gratefully, even.
"Will you stomach any breakfast?" he asked him.
Trevor grimaced, but nodded. "I'll try," he offered. "Are you… going?"
Alucard squeezed his hand tighter. "I promised to deliver that venison. It would really do you both some good. But I'll check on you as soon as I come back. I promise."
Trevor nodded and squeezed his hand back. Sypha raised her head from Alucard's arm.
"I should go get that breakfast," she said. Trevor's hand on top of their own clenched down suddenly, to the point of his fingers going white, and he looked at her with a very weird expression on his face, one that Alucard has never seen before.
"Sypha…"
"Let go. I still love you, you idiot, but I'm mad at you," she said through the nose, obviously still upset. "Why it is never possible to just talk about things with you two, why does it always have to be a dick measuring contest? This is beyond me," she muttered and went to the dresser to wrap a shawl around herself and find some shoes. "I'll be right back."
The door clicked shut behind her.
"She will fucking fry me later," Trevor mumbled. Adrian couldn't help a tiny chuckle at that.
"Not like you didn't deserve this, Belmont," he said.
"You weren't any better."
" *I* am not her boyfriend."
"Fuck you, Alucard."
Trevor still refused to let go of Adrian's hand.
"Erm… wait until she comes back?" he asked quietly, looking up, an unknown note creeping up his voice. Alucard sat still, observing how cold sweat started to pearl on Trevor's forehead again, in little sparkling droplets.
"Alright," he said in agreement, and the man gave out a small, tired exhale, closing his eyes with relief. His head relaxed further into the pillow. He must have been exhausted, and the medicaments must have been taking effect, making him drowsy.
Adrian reached for the washcloth to wipe Trevor's brow. The man simply let him do it, welcoming the cold sensation. The hand gripping Adrian's palm twitched and loosened.
When Sypha came back, Trevor was back asleep.
/*/
Alucard stepped into the warm, sunny kitchen, where clouds of hot steam were furling upwards from the sink. Ksenia stood there, elbow deep in duck feathers. The smell of scalded fat and bird feathering was unpleasant, but she didn't seem to care, making quick work with tearing the soft plumes out and tossing them to the basket prepared beforehand. She looked over her shoulder and noticed Alucard, standing hesitatingly in the entrance.
"Oh, it's you," she said with a small smile. "Where is the last survivor? Or is he more of a... casualty, now?"
"Belmont is alright," Alucard said, returning the smile. "Alive and.. kicking."
"Oh, I heard," she shook her head. "Probably they heard you in Arges," she laughed, making a wide gesture as if to point to the whole area which might have been affected by their yelling. Alucard sighed, approaching her and looking into the sink.
"Maybe it was a good thing. It… kind of cleared the air."
"I thought as much," Ksenia said serenely. "You three really needed that. I mean, Sypha is probably a fair bit upset, but she was glad that you managed to… well, at least yell about it. "
Alucard hummed in response. He was quiet for a while. "She was... We made her cry."
Ksenia shrugged, tossing more feathers to the basket. "She will be alright, she's not a porcelain doll. It's just she cannot comprehend you have a… vastly different problem-solving strategy than she has. Her family was always good with words." A small smirk followed.
"Yes, I get it." Alucard muttered.
"But apart from the argument, how is Trevor? Any improvement?" She asked.
"Well… no. It worries me." Adrian sighed and started shaking his head, dispirited. "The shoulder is healing perfectly fine, but I don't like how he is getting worse in general. He looked better yesterday."
Ksenia shook her head knowingly. "That poor schmuck was dislodging a wedge with a wedge for so long that I really would not like to be in his shoes now. He shaking yet?" Ksenia asked, pouring more boiling water on the duck.
"Erm… no," Alucard answered, still observing the movements of her hands, feeling slightly alarmed. "A wedge with a wedge? What do you mean?"
"Oh, right... you probably have a different expression for it," Ksenia arched an eyebrow. "We say someone is dislodging a wedge when a drunk person is on the verge of sobering up, but drinks even more alcohol to avoid or alleviate the hangover," she explained. "Trevor has been doing exactly that for over a week."
"You must be referring to 'the hair of the dog that bit you', I think," Alucard answered with a polite, but humorless smile. "Indeed, a vastly different cultural reference. But what are you trying to say exactly? What is going to happen to him?"
"I am trying to say that he will get delirium tremens," Ksenia said somberly, looking up at Alucard. "And we better prepare. I thought for a while that he may yet avoid it... he has an absurdly strong system. But… I guess he got battered bad enough."
Alucard hesitated.
"In my experience, limited as it is, but still based on medical books and some field practice, I assumed it won't be as dramatic," he said slowly. "Withdrawal, sure, but alcoholic delirium…? He would need to drink for months to get himself into that state."
Ksenia raised an eyebrow at him. She wasn't smiling.
"How much do you know about Trevor from the times before you met?" she asked.
Alucard hesitated. Shit. He had said it himself, 'are you the son of a warrior dynasty or a lucky drunk?'
"Not much… but, well… he used to be a drunkard," he said quietly.
"So you see. Without knowing his exact history, we have to assume the worst. And he is not acting like someone who doesn't know what's going to happen. In fact, he has anticipated it. I can tell he had had delirium before in his life; and it only increases the chances of it appearing with every following alcohol abuse."
Alucard's thoughts run rapidly. If what she was saying was true, then the worst was still to come, and Adrian wasn't sure how is Trevor going to cope with yet another peril given his injuries. Were there relevant medicines in the lab? Will there be enough information on it? And what exactly should be done? Alucard would sometimes help his mother in her work, prepare medicines with her, visit her patients or discuss diagnosis with her, but although he was able to grasp the basics of medicine and grow a liking for it, he was hardly an experienced medic. The uncertainty must have showed on his face, because Ksenia frowned in suspicion.
"You… don't have much experience in this particular ailment, right?" she asked.
Alucard sighed. "I am… underprepared. I have never seen it, I don't know how to proceed. And I cannot seem to find anything of real help in my mother's notes. I guess she was just more preoccupied with describing diseases and inventing medicines; a doctor of her position wouldn't handle drunkards. But you, apparently, have some knowledge about it?"
"I do." She confirmed, struggling to remove the big quills from the duck's tail. "It was well over the half of all the cases I had in my life. It's pretty common where I come from."
"Please, explain." He asked simply.
Ksenia braced herself on the edge of the stone sink. "The delirium usually appears about 48 hours since the alcohol supply stops. Though it's not a rule, every person is different. And it all depends on various factors, how strong is the patient, how old, how much and how long they were drinking, you know. It can last from one night to three days, usually; in the most serious, veteran cases it develops into permanent…" she stopped, seeing Alucard's expression. "You don't need to know that, it's not going to happen."
She paused for a while, and returned to plucking the bird. Adrian felt cold dread creep up his spine; he wordlessly spurred her on.
"The body goes into shock, because it doesn't know how to function without alcohol. It used to affect everything: sight, muscle movement, heart rate, perception and feeling, how the brain works, how much water there is in the body, just... everything. On top of that, in big quantities alcohol is simply poisonous. So the stomach, especially the liver, are affected, all of those toxins have to go somewhere, they need to be flushed out, but the liver and kidneys cannot keep up, as there is not enough water in. In short: everything goes to shit, because the body forgot how to function normally."
Alucard nodded, trying very hard to follow her explanation and not to smash something in the process. She was describing agony. He listened intently and kept comparing her words with what he had rationalized on his own; he needed to do something and quick, but the only thing he came up with so far was to recall titles of several different tomes in the library he could consult.
"So what happens with the patient?" he asked in a voice which wasn't his own.
"There is a possibility of... convulsions, where he can hurt himself. Trouble breathing, heart palpitation. Nausea, which is a bitch, because he needs to drink a lot of water, but he won't be able to keep anything down. Hallucinations are very common. Seeing or hearing things that are not there, talking nonsense. Anxiety or full-blown panic attacks. Sleeplessness. Fever. You name it. It's pretty spectacular, and we are in for a ride, because he is a big boy and trying to keep him still will be a challenge."
Alucard felt dizzy. He turned his back to the sink, leaning his weight on it, pinching the bridge of his nose with a shaky hand. Trevor has just called him family. He has included him on the list of people closest to him, he was afraid to lose him like he had lost everyone else in his life. Adrian felt the world rapidly shifting; now it was him who was afraid of losing Trevor.
"Alright, you scared me enough," he whispered. "Now what exactly can be done to help him?" he asked, balling his hands into fists.
Ksenia shook her head, and turned her attention to the mostly deplumed bird.
"Usually the healing aspect of it is pretty straightforward. You observe the symptoms and counteract. You wait until it's over, mostly. You keep watch, so that he won't injure himself, you give him water, keep the bowl ready. Comfort him. Let him know he is safe, that he is not alone. What have you been giving him for pain?"
"Laudanum. It's a tincture based on a drug acquired from poppy seeds."
"Mhm… I don't know what it is, I've never seen it... But poppy is not a bad choice; I can also brew some hawthorn, or even better, belladonna root. If you have it."
"I think I might, in my mother's lab. What does it do?"
"Relaxes the muscles, mainly. We can give him some if he's shaking too much. It's also anti-inflammatory and it helps with the pain, so it's kind of useful; on the other hand, it may induce hallucinations on its own or just help them come sooner, so… well, you don't get simple answers in medicine. It's always one thing or the other. On the bright side, we can do a lot before certain symptoms appear. We can prevent a lot of damage. He really is in a better situation than a man who has been brought in from the field, after he suffered alone for who knows how long and has self-inflicted injuries."
Alucard was silent for a while. Ksenia gave him a hesitant smile.
"Adrian, look at me," she said. "He will be alright."
Alucard cleared his throat. He had a hard time believing it, but her eyes were offering comfort and certainty.
"Have you been… studying medicine?" He asked quietly and it elicited a short, but sincere laugh.
"No, Alucard. I'm no doctor. I'm a witch."
"You're not a witch." Alucard winced. "Don't say that."
"But I'm exactly that! Didn't they tell you?"
"They only told me that they have rescued you in Sybim. From what you yourself told me, I figured you were prosecuted for alleged magical practices, healing people, dealing in herbs and potions, that sort of thing. And I think it was because you are not from around here. You stand out, you were an easy target. So far… everything you say seems to confirm that."
Alucard was still standing next to Ksenia, supporting himself on the stone sink filled with stinking steam and feathers. She was looking at him intently, trying to read his exhausted, but nevertheless beautiful face; she let the duck fall into the water with a wet plomp and braced herself on the stone edge.
"So you believe I am something of a harmless village quack, who was caught, trialed and wronged, and then rescued by a lucky chance." She asked, eyeing him carefully. Enduring her intense, vividly green stare, he wondered where is the catch.
"...More or less, yeah." he answered.
She bit on her lip, as if thinking something through. Finally she nodded and picked the duck up to finish.
"Fair enough. And you want me to help Trevor. You trust me enough to do it? Even though you're wrong, because I really am a witch?" She arched an eyebrow at him.
"I'll take my chances," Alucard rolled his eyes. "You're not a witch. And he saved your life, so I think he's safe in your hands."
Ksenia just chuckled and gave Alucard a sincere, good-natured smile. "Well, that he is. Don't worry, I'll help you handle it. I've been doing it enough to know what to do. He'll manage, he'll pull through; but I feel sorry for him."
"It's... not like he didn't know what he's doing," Alucard muttered, after a while of silence. staring into the depths of the sink. If Trevor had known what can happen if he keeps getting himself drunk and did it anyway, Adrian could not for the life of him understand his reasons. The price was just too high to pay. "I… I can sympathize, but… ultimately, he brought it onto himself."
Ksenia clicked her tongue with skepticism.
"Whatever his reasons, he had enough brains not to stop drinking during travel," she said. "If he had fallen ill on the road, he might have been done for. And if we were attacked… I don't even want to think about it."
There was a while of silence between them. Aucard kept observing her nimble fingers as she was turning the duck around in search for small feathers that escaped her attention.
"So that's why he was hurrying so much," the dhampir muttered.
"Partially," Ksenia said. "The main reason was you."
Alucard felt his heart clench, but he didn't answer, carefully schooling his features into a steady mask. He felt himself rapidly fall out of control, going to pieces when processing this information and everything that happened upstairs; he had to collect himself, he had to go to the library and gather more knowledge, check the lab for the belladonna root, rethink the dosage of laudanum...
"Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes." Ksenia said suddenly, looking him straight in the eye. His name spoken so slowly and calm sounded so out of place that he gasped and focused at her. "Take a deep breath. One, decent, deep breath. You are not alone in this; I'm going to help you, and everything will be alright."
Alucard nodded slowly, taking her advice and breathing deeply; he could feel calm, warm confidence seep from the woman's eyes, and though he couldn't understand why would she be so calm, or where her poise is coming from, he knew that he needs to stay calm too.
"I didn't lie to you. It's not going to be a nice view. But he'll be fine eventually. Trust me on this."
She gave him a reassuring smile and he could only nod at that; her hands were dirty, so she elbowed him gently on the arm and he nodded again, more confidently this time, realising her clumsy effort to put him at least a little bit at ease.
"That is a hell of a lot of work," he consciously changed the subject and pointed towards the remaining ducks. "How many total?"
"Four," she answered, putting the bird aside. "And I have set up a couple of snares in the forest. I will need to check them for any rabbits later. You know… maybe let's focus on what we have already and forego the hunting? This is enough to keep us going for a couple of days at least."
Alucard agreed. "I'll go some other time. Besides… preparing all this and potential rabbits is plenty."
Adrian moved to the table, as if wanting to sit down, but he changed his mind and turned back to Ksenia.
"Um, have you… I was thinking, maybe you would like to share a meal with me?" he asked suddenly. "We all are going to need our strength today."
A genuine smile appeared on Ksenia's face as she agreed. "Sounds nice. What would you like?"
"No, no, I'll prepare something," he said quickly. "You have your hands full."
/*/
As the morning bled into the afternoon, there wasn't much of a change in Trevor's condition and Sypha dared to leave him alone for a moment, sneaking down to nibble at some impromptu lunch prepared by Alucard. The dhampir was orbiting around the kitchen, apparently not bothered by Ksenia's presence, watching her work and going through some of the medical books he managed to pull from his mother's lab. He would discuss some issues with the woman, who was now eviscerating the ducks, cutting two of them into portions and preparing the meat for storage. She would answer to the best of her knowledge; the general overlap of her experience and the information in the books was quite substantial, so Adrian grew more trustful towards what she was advising, but more than once he would be forced to dispute or doubt a notion she was quite adamant of.
Sypha listened to their conversation with moderate interest, sometimes putting forward an example or an illustrative story which she knew from the vast repertoire of Speaker oral tradition. She was sipping on an earthenware mug of tea, holding it in both hands and taking comfort in its warm weight on her lap.
Adrian noticed that she's trying to distract herself from everything she had been told about Trevor and what is going to happen tonight. She had listened to them with a calm face, not a single twitch of a muscle betraying her fear; she asked a couple of questions, confirmed a couple of issues, but didn't let them see how upset and distraught she really was. Now Sypha was doing her best to mentally prepare, drawing strength from the presence of her friends, who both knew how a thing about healing, and gathering all the strength, patience and resolve she had left.
And so Sypha actively tried to participate in the conversation and act normally. As open-minded as she was, she had plenty of arguments for and against any point they would like to make, so the discussion quickly steered away from two sides with opposing worldviews exchanging claims; it was more of a debate between scholars of almost equal expertise, focusing on comparison of various healing methods rather than their evaluation. It did something to alleviate Sypha's unease; they did their best to focus on the positive, on the aspect of getting better and exemplifying the treatments with real-life cases and successes.
Apart from getting insight on Ksenia's point of view, which stemmed from a completely different background, encompassing a different landscape and plant habitat than Wallachia, both Alucard and Sypha had a chance to entertain their linguistic interests, as the unfamiliar names for well-known herbs would be spoken about at length. After lunch Ksenia started to brew her concoctions, which roused a discussion of its own, as Alucard was inquiring about measurements and weights and substance quantities, a set of needed tools, which in Ksenia's case was very limited, and in his experience should be much more elaborate. Sypha watched them as they argued about the necessity, or lack thereof, regarding precision in combining medicaments.
When the brews were ready, dry herbs collected and additional boiling water prepared, Ksenia ordered everyone upstairs. Sypha looked at her, doubt resurfacing in her eyes, doubt about what is going to happen, how will they cope, how will she cope. Ksenia gathered her close with one arm, whispering something to her reassuringly and reaching to stroke her head with a motherly gesture; Alucard went ahead, not wanting to disturb their moment. It was not meant for his ears.
/*/
Trevor was still asleep, laying still and prostrate against the pillows, almost in the same position that Sypha left him. He was woken up and coaxed to drink as much water and herbal remedies as possible without inducing nausea.
He was brave at first. Tried to joke at the presence of all three of them, made remarks about how pesky they are, fussing over him and not letting him sleep, how this attention is misplaced and if Alucard will be the one to empty the chamber pot. He assured them, in his typical brazenness, how all of this will just pass without much of a problem and how he just wants to sleep it off without any audience. He was in pain though, and still perspiring a lot even if the fever subsided; but once the first waves of nausea hit him with overwhelming power, he realized that this will be happening after all and his mood darkened drastically.
The first couple of times when his stomach rebelled he got up himself, just with some help standing, and went to the bathroom alone. He adamantly refused any help, and each time he would come back finally and assure them he is fine. Sypha coaxed more water into him, but soon he wasn't able to drink any more, as the mere thought of food or drink upset him.
The perspiration transformed into sticky, cold sweat glistening on his forehead like morning dew, and as he emerged from the bathroom for the fourth time, he swayed on his feet and caught the wall to steady himself. His eyes were cloudy as he swept a look around the room, not really seeing; Alucard, being the fastest of them, appeared by his side in seconds and wrapped an arm around his middle, preventing the fall. Trevor's head fell down on his chest; he was barely moving his legs during the short trip back to the bed.
"So I'm screwed after all," he managed to say, staring at his hands, which started to tremble.
Even if he could appreciate that he is in a warm room instead of the back of a drafty wagon, that there is a soft bed he can rest in and medical assistance he can rely on, Trevor started to realize what does it really entail and how big of a mental wall his friends were about to tear down, simply by being in his presence. From the time he was twelve no one would feed him water with a spoon, wipe cold sweat from his brow or help him through a fit of vomiting. Now that all of this was happening, he felt terribly self-conscious.
Sypha's first attempts to console him or help out were met with dismissive remarks and cold resistance, then straightforward anger and rejection. But there was no way out now. As Trevor was lowered back on the bed again, completely exhausted after heaving his stomach out to the point of nothing more coming out, as he felt a thread of saliva cooling on his cheek which he simply didn't have the strength to wipe, his brain finally clicked. He understood that it will only get worse, that it will get ugly, and everybody, including Sypha, will be there to witness it.
Anger gave way to anxiety in an instant. Trevor's limbs started to shake; it wasn't just a tremor now, he was shaking, and as his heart started to beat frantically in his chest, pumping his blood much quicker. Resulting high blood pressure caused his vision to blur. Red blotches appeared in front of his eyelids, regardless of closing them or not. Serious dizziness settled and he seemed not to remember where he is, or how did he get here.
Maybe half an hour more passed and he was reduced to a feverish, sweating, shaking ball of misery. He was shooting panicked, pleading looks at Sypha. He tried to reason with her and convince her to leave the room, to walk away, so that she wouldn't see him like that. He argued that this will be better, that he will feel more at ease, that she doesn't have to see this. His speech started to slur, he was losing track of thought or argumentation. He was laying curled on his good side, unable to look towards any source of light, his hands clenching at the pillow in an erratic, but incessant rhythm.
Sypha patiently explained she will not be leaving him, that he needs help, that this is nothing more than an illness, that it does not affect her image of him, that she loves him. She kept hugging him close, stroking his head, holding him steady through the escalating fits of tremors. Even if physically he was leaning to her touch as if he was starved of it, her gentle administrations didn't seem to help his mental state. If anything, Trevor was only more exasperated, now simply begging her to leave; the pleading looks switched to Alucard and Ksenia, in mute hope they could handle this somehow. Alucard contemplated talking to Sypha, because calming Trevor down would be beneficial for the spiking blood pressure and heart palpitations, but before the dhampir managed to open his mouth, she hissed at him to shut it.
"I am getting him back," she said only. "I am getting him back, today. And I am helping him through it."
She hid her face in Trevor's hair, holding him fast and kissing the crown of his head. Alucard could only admire the strength of her spirit. The evening had only started to wane, and he was already emotionally drained and clearly uncomfortable to watch Trevor like this.
Ksenia was burning various herbs in the fireplace, changing the cold compresses and whispering something in her strange tongue in different set of varying melodies. She decided to administer another portion of her concoction, as shaking was only gaining on intensity and Trevor started to have trouble breathing.
He uncurled from his position, now laying flat on his back taking up almost all of the space on the bed, kicking the covers off. He would catch short, laboured breaths, in between which he would try to speak or warn them about something; it was mostly nonsense, string of mismatched words in sentences without much of a grammar structure, but they were able to discern what was on his mind. The old house, his tree. Something he forgot to take from his room. Horses whinnying, stomping in agitation. Something coming, something approaching. Even if Trevor shut his eyes and kept them closed with the whole of strength he could muster, he could still see things or hear sounds, as his eyes would abruptly dart to the sides, as if looking for the source of offending apparitions. He kept his mouth open and his lips were dry and bitten as a result; Alucard was seriously concerned that he will hyperventilate.
At some point Trevor's eyes widened in complete fear and his attention focused on the door, which were left slightly ajar.
"Father…?" he rasped, trying to lean out of the bed.
"Trevor, there is no one there," Alucard said loud and clear, trying to get his attention. "There is no one near the door."
"Nno, ii-t's him," Trevor raised his hand to point at an imaginary person. "It's mm-my father. Wh-why is… is he here?" the man asked, his brow furrowing, his mouth agape. "Is… is s-something bur… burning…?"
"Panic attack," Ksenia said quietly, gesturing Sypha to move behind Trevor to catch him, as he suddenly started to get up. His strength returned all of a sudden and he tried to stand, possibly to come closer to the unseen person at the door. Alucard was forced to hold him down, while Ksenia blocked the view to the entrance, positioning herself between Trevor and the door.
Trevor wouldn't have it. He tried to push Ksenia aside with his good arm, fought Alucard with surprising force, as distraught cries started to escape him; he was convinced there are people coming, that in a while this room will burn, that they are in danger. He kept pointing towards the door, where he saw his father, kept screaming that the house will burn down. Alucard had a hard time trying to keep him still, as there were cracked ribs and a broken collarbone to look out for, so without giving it much thought he just straddled Trevor and pinned him to the bed. Not understanding why is he restrained, struggling and failing miserably to save himself or even convince anyone else of the upcoming danger, Trevor started wailing.
Sypha grabbed his good shoulder and held fast, explaining that they are safe, that no one is coming, but her voice made Trevor realize that she's in the room with them, and that stunned him into sudden stillness; he looked at her with a terrified stare of a slaughtered horse and tears welled up in his eyes.
"Alucard… just take her and leave," he said completely clearly, his limbs going slack in Adrian's grip and his eyes moving to his face, which Trevor apparently recognized. "Save her… just go… take her and leave," he repeated, his articulation slow and legible, his eyes wide open, unblinking, stunned.
"Seizure," Ksenia said and took off her belt just in time to put it between Trevor's teeth before his eyes rolled back into his head and he started convulsing. She held the belt down on both sides of his face to press his head to the pillow, enough to steady him, but without causing asphyxia. Adrian braced himself on top of Trevor, distributing his weight over his legs, which were jerking on the mattress with sharp, irregular patterns. Sypha was holding down his chest, sobbing, closing her eyes shut.
After a short while the convulsing muscles started to calm, now only shaking in rough, second-long intervals, with longer and longer periods in between. Finally he stilled under them.
Ksenia let go of the belt. "Alright, you can let him go now, slowly," she said, reaching to lift Trevor's eyelid to assess the pupil. She huffed something and put two fingers to the side of his neck, searching for the pulse. It was still erratic, but calming down. After a moment Trevor's jaws unclenched a tad and she was able to gently pull the belt out from his mouth. There were deep indentations in the leather.
Sypha was crying.
Trying very hard not to hurt him, Adrian climbed off of the man, who was now laying perfectly still, as if dead.
"He's reliving the fire," he stated the obvious, completely shocked. Ksenia gave him a questioning look. "All of his family was murdered in the fire of Belmont Estate, over there," he explained. "When the bishops decided to excommunicate and denunciate the Belmont clan. He was twelve. Sole survivor."
Spyha keened from the bed, brushing sweaty hair from Trevor's forehead. She looked like she was hit by a carriage.
"He is stuck in his own, personal hell." Alucard whispered, sitting heavily in the armchair by the fire. He felt exhausted, like he could faint any minute; a memory of himself, curled naked and wrapped in a bloody sheet on the carpet of his childhood bedroom stroke him, but he purposefully, fiercely threw it out of his mind, or else he would just go mad. He focused on watching the flames in the fireplace.
"You said this brew will prevent seizures," Sypha lifted her head from Trevor's chest and looked up at Ksenia. "But it's not working. Is there anything else we can do?"
"It is working," Alucard offered tiredly from the armchair, not looking at the women. "It would be far worse without it."
Sypha gave him a hurt look, sniffled, and reached for the washcloth to wipe Trevor's face again.
"Sypha, dear, I know it doesn't look like it, but all in all, it's not too bad," Ksenia said gently. "The seizure lasted less than thirty seconds, he is breathing relatively easily and he reacted to the drugs pretty well. Him being unconscious now is a blessing. It's better than insomnia and pain," she explained. "He is strong. With a bit of luck the seizures will not happen again."
Sypha's lips were pressed into a thin, dogged line. She looked up at Ksenia.
"Tell me what can I do."
The woman shrugged sadly, sitting down on a small chair.
"We have to wait." She answered.
Alucard stared into the fire. He tried not to look at Sypha, who grabbed her head with both hands and cried, horribly, without a sound, without a single movement, bent in half on the bed next to Trevor.