Chapter Three: Memories
He was vaguely aware of the constant movement of his horse beneath him, as he rode up yet another hill. Blood seeped from between soaked fingers; a grim testament to how badly he'd been injured, and how much help he desperately needed now.
"D, your wound is festering. If you don't stop soon, you'll pass out." Left warned, somewhat unnecessarily, when the dunpeal doubled over a little and winced. D had realized this, of course; yet it didn't explain why he was now heading back to Ransylva.
"Why am I returning? What am I hoping to find here?" D wondered, as he struggled to right himself in his saddle, looking up just in time to see the Lang Farm appear before him like a mirage; taunting him with its promise of help, relative safety and…belonging? Briefly, D wondered why his mind even brought up the suggestion. Him? Belonging somewhere? Rubbish; and he knew it.
"My mind is rambling…..Going into shock, most likely. I've lost a great deal of blood, and heat syndrome is beginning to set in……if I don't get under cover soon, I will indeed pass out…." D mused, grimacing as a shudder rattled through him, and gritting his teeth when it aggravated the injury in his stomach.
"As I keep telling you, shoving that sword into your own gut had not been a good idea." Left commented, having guessed where D's train of thought now was.
"It was the only way to kill that particular mutant. If there had been any other way, believe me, I would have considered it." D grumbled, keeping his voice low, since even the effort of talking sent stabs of pain through him. Sensing that his host did not want to speak any more on the subject, Left wisely shut his mouth. Irking D to the point of getting the threat of him cutting off the hand he possessed was definitely not the wise thing to do. Finally, after what seemed to the wounded hunter like ages, D made it to the gates of the Lang Farm; just as the sun was beginning to sink into the west. On cue, Dan appeared from the side of the barn, blaster rifle in hand, chasing off mist monsters with some well-aimed blasts. He turned when he heard the sound of D's horse (it made a sort of 'whirring' sound when it was standing still. Something Left referred to as 'idling') and gasped when he saw who it was.
"D! You came back! I knew you…..would…..Oh! You're hurt!" Dan yelped, when D dismounted, and the wound in his midsection was in plain view to the boy.
"Dan, where is your sister?" D asked, his voice gaining a strained note in it as he leaned against his horse for support.
"She went into town for some supplies….D, you should come inside. That wound needs treatment." Dan said, concernedly, watching D's already paler than pale face for any signs that he was about to pass out. D offered him a ghost of a doubtful look.
"And you know how to treat such wounds?" D asked, skeptically.
"No. But I can try to at least stop the bleeding till Nee-san gets home." Dan stated. Reluctantly, D agreed to accompany the boy back within the barrier, and into the house itself.
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When D was situated on the couch in the living room, Dan rushed around the house; trying to locate all of the first aid supplies he knew were going to be needed.
"There must've been something on the sword that prevents vampires or dunpeals from healing as quickly as they normally can……I hope Nee-san gets here soon. She's the only one I know of that can stitch that wound closed." Dan thought, trying his level best to keep from panicking; he knew that panicking would only make matters that much worse. When he returned to D's side, he could tell that the Hunter was in serious pain; his face was almost chalk white, and his breathing was an unsteady wheeze that was barely escaping from between clenched teeth.
"Please hang on. Nee-san will be here soon…." Dan said, softly, as he gingerly unbuttoned D's shirt and got a closer look at the wound. He winced when he saw the neat slice in the dunpeal's flesh, and was glad that the sword didn't go all the way through.
"That jerk had taken at least half of the blade." Dan mused, bitterly, as he placed a cloth soaked in medication onto the wound, jumping when D uttered a soft cry of pain and gripped his stomach with his right hand.
"Dan, Doris is approaching the gate. Go and let down the barrier for her." D gasped, showing that his mind was still clear, despite the pain he was in. Dan hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded and dashed off to do just that.
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Doris looked up in surprise when the barrier shut down just as she reached the opening, and when Dan rushed outside to greet her.
"Dan, what's going on? Has something else turned up missing?" Doris asked. Dan shook his head and gave her an almost frantic look.
"Nee-san, D's back! He's returned! And he's hurt! Please, Nee-san, you've gotta help him!" Dan blurted, astonishing Doris with the news of D's return. Yet, when it had completely sunk in, Doris dashed indoors to see for herself how badly D had been injured. Shock settled in even further when she beheld the figure on the couch; there lay D, with a blood-soaked cloth pressed to his abdomen. His face was deathly pale, his eyes were closed, and his dark hair clung to his face and neck. Carefully, so as not to startle him, Doris approached the couch, then kneeled and placed a hand on his face. In response to her touch, D opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Now that he is here, I don't know what to say….." Doris thought, as she gazed at the piteous sight of the wounded Hunter.
"Do….you want me to leave?" D asked, softly, from between gasps.
"No. Not while you're this badly hurt. Do you think you can move? There's a bed in the back bedroom you can use while you recover." Doris said, gently, as she brushed his bangs from his face (he'd removed his hat shortly after entering the house).
"I can try…..but I can't guarantee anything…." D whispered, grimacing as he levered himself onto his elbows and sat up. Doris watched him with a look of pity and worry in her eyes.
"He was expecting me to throw him out!…….Well, I guess that is about all the 'kindness' he has ever received, until now." Doris thought, reaching out when she saw him about to try and get to his feet.
"Take it slow. Don't push yourself…..C'mon. I'll help you." Doris said, as she got on D's right hand side, wrapped an arm gingerly about his waist, and helped him stand. Doris was impressed by D's valiant efforts as they walked to the room; even though he was leaning on her, she was not carrying all of his weight. And, not once, did he utter a groan or whimper of pain. Yet, despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but sigh in relief when they reached the room and he was allowed to lie down again.
"You weren't trying to be 'macho' were you?" Doris asked, with a slight teasing tone in her voice. D opened one eye and gave her a wry look.
"Not at all……I just didn't want you to worry,……that's all." D murmured, looking away when Dan entered the room with a bowl of hot water, a washcloth, medicine, a needle and thread, and bandages.
"Thanks, Dan." Doris said, then returned her concerned gaze to D.
"Is he gonna be all right, Nee-san?" Dan asked, worriedly.
"Hai. I'll make sure of it. Now, if you don't mind, go and feed the livestock." Doris ordered, quietly. Reluctantly, Dan did as he was told; yet not without a final look back at the dunpeal on the bed.
"You didn't…..seem too surprised about the injury. Did Dan tell you?" D asked, as he levered himself onto one elbow and watched Doris get ready to treat his wound.
"Hai, he told me everything after we got back here. Even what had almost happened when I was under the thrall of the vampire." Doris said, giving D an ashamed look while she was at it.
"You needn't feel ashamed. Lee was a powerful vampire. Even your strong will at full strength wouldn't have been enough to stand up to him on its' own." D stated, quietly, laying back and allowing Doris to remove the cloth; uttering only a hiss of pain when she started cleaning the wound with the fresh cloth and the hot water.
"This wound is deep……and, from what I can tell, you have some other injuries as well. Did you get caught in the castle's collapse?" Doris asked, after she'd cleaned the wound, and then removed D's shirt; getting a good look at his chest and shoulders as she did so.
"In some ways, yes." D replied, looking a little self-conscious since his shirt was now off, and the scars from his many battles were in plain view. As Doris continued to treat the injury to D's stomach, she noticed the abnormal amount of heat rising from his skin, the sheen of sweat on his brow, and the faint rattling sound in his lungs as he breathed.
"He's allowed this wound to go too long without treatment….." Doris mused, as she cleansed her hands on a towel, then threaded her needle. She knew now how serious the situation was; D was on the verge of becoming seriously ill, thanks to his exhaustion and severe loss of blood.
"D, I'm going to start stitching the wound closed now. It might hurt a little, but try to lie still, okay?" Doris asked. D looked at her and nodded; his faith in her abilities surprising her. Without further ado, Doris got started. Her heart ached when she felt him flinch under her in response to the needle going into his flesh, but felt warmth when she noticed how valiantly D was holding off his discomfort in front of her.
"He doesn't want me to worry about him….But I'm afraid that will be impossible, considering how sick he already is. I cannot help but worry." Doris thought, as she continued closing the wound. She finished just as Dan returned.
"Perfect timing. You can help me bandage his wounds now." Doris stated, as she motioned for Dan to help her lift D slightly (since, by now, he was unconscious from the blood loss and illness) and began winding the linen strips around D's midsection.
"Nee-san, is D going to be all right?" Dan asked, when they had finished the bandaging and looked upon the sleeping dunpeal with a look of worry on his young face.
"I honestly don't know. Considering what he is, he'll probably pull through all right….But I found quite a bit of infection in the wound and he is already sick because of it….We'll just have to wait and see." Doris murmured, as she pulled the covers over the ill Hunter, brushed a hand across his fevered brow, and then started gathering the medical supplies.
"Please pull through, D." Doris thought, as she finished the task at hand, then ushered Dan out of the room; turning out the light and leaving the room behind him not long afterwards.
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With a soft moan, D found himself rousing up after what seemed an immeasurable amount of time.
"My head is killing me." D thought, wincing as his head pounded in time with his heartbeat.
"Are you awake, D?" Doris' voice asked, softly, as Doris herself appeared in his line of sight.
"Barely….My head hurts, and the rest of my body doesn't feel that much better….How long was I out?" D in turn asked, whispering since his throat was also protesting.
"Almost four days. You've still got a high fever." Doris replied, as she gently brushed a cool hand against his brow to prove her point. D sighed.
"I would have thought that I'd have healed by now." D murmured, coughing a little when his own breath scratched against his throat.
"Same here….D, was there anything on the blade of that sword that is making it difficult for you to recover?" Doris asked. D closed his eyes for a moment and sighed; the effort of even staying awake almost being too much for him.
"Normally I would put a sort of polish on the blade that makes it deadly for vampires…..But it has been quite a while since I'd last applied it." D said, softly. This got a nod from Doris in response.
"Maybe it's the residue that has made you so sick." Doris mused, aloud.
"Possibly." D agreed, tiredly. He flinched, and then stiffened, when Doris reached over and checked the bandages; the slightest amount of pressure sending lancing pain through his stomach. Doris noticed this and was quick to apologize.
"I'm sorry. I know how much this hurts. If I hadn't been so easily swayed by the vampire, then maybe this wouldn't have happened." Doris said, as guilt and self-loathing warred for supremacy on her pretty face.
"Doris, as I have already said, you had no control over it. You need to stop hating yourself and beating yourself over the head with this. The past is the past, and there is no changing it….Believe me, if I could change the past, I would have done so already." D said, his voice barely above a whisper. He was a bit surprised when tears started making their way down Doris' cheeks.
"Be that as it may, I was the reason you were injured, and I will see to it that you recover….No matter what people say about my decision." Doris declared, as she bent down and brushed her lips against D's; startling the dunpeal even further.
"Doris…..!" D gasped, taken completely off guard by her bold move. Even moreso by what she said next.
"I want you to know that I love you…. Despite who and what you are to others; to me, you are more of a man than any of those in the whole of Ransylva. You're honorable and courageous in the face of odds that would send them scurrying for the nearest hole….D, when you do leave us after your wounds have healed, please remember that, wherever your paths take you, you'll keep us in your heart." Doris whispered, gently. Stunned at first that she had said so much to him with such gentleness, D then collected himself, and nodded.
"I will. You have my word." D promised, unable to explain the lighter feeling that had taken up residence in his heart as soon as he had said that. Doris then smiled, wholeheartedly.
"Thank you, D. Now, get some rest. I've kept you awake long enough, as it is." Doris said, as she placed a cool, damp cloth onto D's brow. With only a slight nod in response, D allowed his eyes to flutter shut, and allowed deep slumber to take over. Since there were no more vampires in the area, he could afford to take such a risk….Besides, if he couldn't trust the two humans he'd nearly given his life to protect now, would he ever?
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"And the rest, as they used to say, is history." D mused, sadly, knowing that it was not too long afterwards that he'd recovered completely from his injuries, and left the Lang Farm (after some 'private time' with Doris, of course), not realizing that Doris was pregnant.
"Now I have to live with that decision. From what Dirk had told me earlier, his mother never did get married, while Dan later did and brought his own family into the home, knowing what Dirk was. It must have taken a considerable amount of courage on their part." D thought, watching as Dirk entered the room with a tray in hand. D arched an eyebrow when he saw what was on it.
"Spagetti? Or is it just the sauce?" D asked. Dirk's expression deadpanned.
"There's some noodles on the plate! You just…..can't see 'em." Dirk muttered, as he sat down across from his father and placed the tray in his knees.
"Right…." D and Left mumbled, at the same time, then gave one another disbelieving looks; they'd just agreed on something!
"So, I see he's awake. How do you feel, sir?" Belladonna asked, as she appeared in the doorway.
"Better, thanks to the attention you've been giving my wound. As it is, I almost feel ready to leave." D stated, smirking slightly when Dirk almost dropped his plate of food. Belladonna smiled and nodded.
"I'm glad you're feeling better, but I wouldn't suggest going anywhere for a little while longer. It'll probably take some more time for it to completely heal, so don't push yourself." Belladonna said, her own expression deadpanning when she heard Dirk noisily slurping the noodles out from under the sauce. He stopped when he saw that both D and Belladonna were now staring at him.
"Uh…….sorry….." Dirk said, sheepishly; getting sighs from the both of them.
"I'm looking through you, where did you go? I thought I knew you, what did I know……" Marv sang, loud enough to be heard, and off-key enough to be obnoxious.
It was enough to startle Dirk into dropping his dinner(?), and getting a scowl from him as well.
"Knew I should've left 'im in that lake where I found 'im……" Dirk growled, as he stomped out of the room, heading for where he'd stowed his sword; with the intent to give the offending piece of possessed metal a piece of his mind.
"D, are you absolutely sure this isn't Monty Python's Flying Circus?" Left telepathically asked, as insults and taunts came to their ears.
"You know, I'm starting to wonder the same thing….." D replied, dryly, as the shouting match continued, and as Belladonna merely sighed and parked herself in the chair on the other side of his bed; opening a book and attempting to ignore the noise….with some measure of success.
Author's Note!
Sorry about the long delay in chapters, but this chapter was particularly hard to write! Maybe now the story will start to 'come together' easier, since now the AU for 'VHD: Bloodlust' can begin……Please stay tuned, and thanks again for your patience!
Gemini14