A/N: Today's chapter title: Three Days Grace's 'Time of Dying.' Well, that sounds ominous, doesn't it? It's a rather short little chapter, but I'm working on the next one already. It will probably be up tomorrow. Hopefully. I'll try really hard.
Disclaimer: I've said it seven times already. You know what I mean.
Chapter Eight: On This Bed I Lay, Losing Everything
Tesla had been unconscious for three days. After the first two, Helen had, out of sheer compulsion, done what she had first done over a century before. She had sworn that she never would again, after what they had done to Ashley. She was using the source blood.
She asked herself why, but she couldn't admit the real answer to herself. She told herself it was out of the need to do something, anything constructive. And that was what she told anyone who asked.
Alice's voice came over the intercom. "How does this… oh. Uh, Dr. Magnus, your presence is… requested in the infirmary."
"Requested?" Helen said to herself. She set down what she was working on and hurried out of the lab. When she walked into the infirmary, the first thing she noticed was Alice sitting on one of the empty beds. Then Helen's eyes went to who she was talking to. "Nikola," she said with mild surprise.
Tesla attempted his usual grin, but it seemed much more worn out than normal.
Alice rose and turned towards the door. "I'll leave you two…" she said, trailing off as she left.
"I would have thought you'd be happier to see me," Tesla said. "I'm told I've been out a while."
"No, it's not that," Helen said. "It's just, I'm more surprised."
"What, because of this?" he asked, indicated the heavy bandages under his shirt. "This is nothing. I'll be fine."
Helen swallowed and looked at the floor.
"Or not?" Tesla asked uncertainly.
Helen sat down on the edge of the bed and took his hand in both of hers.
"Helen?" Tesla asked, beginning to look concerned.
"I'm so sorry," she said quietly.
His eyes drifted from her and stared into empty space. "I can't… I don't…" He looked back at her. "You can't just let me die like this!"
Helen closed her eyes for a moment before she answered. "I've done everything I can." She tried to keep her voice even. "There is too much internal damage. I managed to slow the hemorrhaging, but I can't stop it completely."
"So how long before I bleed to death?" Tesla asked, uncharacteristically quiet.
Helen looked down to where she still held his hand. "A few days, maybe more."
"And you're just carrying on, business as usual, while I die here?" Tesla demanded.
Helen stood abruptly and took a step back from him. "I would have thought you'd know me better than that," she said, turning and leaving the room.
Halfway back to the lab, she had to stop and wipe away the tears blurring her vision. Taking a deep breath, she continued on her way. She knew what she had to do, and she knew why she was doing it.