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A Better Tomorrow

Chapter 5 We Escape

Sookie watched Eric take flight at the entrance of the store. She didn't know why he would not stay with them but then again, Bill and Pam always insisted on being hidden during day time hours. Bill had explained that vampires were vulnerable during the day and Eric had no reason to trust her, Tara or Alcide.

She looked at Alcide who was still passed out. His skin was pale and clammy and he was sweating profusiously being in a state of shock. She sat beside him but stopped dead in her tracks. She had felt a shooting pain coming from her leg. She didnt want to take a look scared of what she would find. She knew she had not been bitten so she would not turned into one of those corpses but she could feel the wound getting infected and promised herself to take care of it when she would get back in Bon Temps. She didn't need to worry anyone with it. She managed to sat down without anymore pain and settled Alcide head on her lap. She mechanically started massaging it letting his hair pass between her fingers. She sighed and silently prayed that Alcide was going to make it. He had led the community to survival and she couldn't imagine it without him.

Tara came in carrying a container full of water, some snacks and a towel. She silently sat beside Alcide and lifted the jacket that was lying on his lap. The big gaping hole on his thigh looked infected which Tara pointed out.

"The infection is spreading out. I don't know how long he has Sook"

Sookie looked at her friend and saw the concern in her eyes. "There is not much we can do other than to attend the wound and pray for Sam to come back as soon as he can with the doctor. I am not sure if she had any of the required herbs left since Debbie had the infection. We were supposed to go for a run once we came back from this one remember…"

Couple months ago, Alcide's girlfriend Debbie, who was also a werewolf, had been attacked by a horde of corpses and was infected by the virus. The virus had a different effect on the supernatural. Sookie knew it had none on vampires other than not providing the food they required but they had witnessed for the first time how it affected a werewolf. At first, the infection slowly spread from the entry wound; the arm in Debbie's case. The wound turned greenish blue slowly reaching her neck while leaving her unconscious for a couple of days. But the more the infection spread, the more aggressive Debbie became. She first awakened attacking the nurse that was attending to her. When Alcide and Marcus forced her down to tie her up, she was clawing them, cursing them as if possessed by a demon of some kind. Once she was safely restrained, she got worst, threating to kill them all and slowly forgetting who she was and where she was. Dr. Lugwig had ordered amputation of the source of the infection while she gathered up herbs she thought could save Debbie. After many failed attempts, an amputated arm and a long list of different ingredients both magical and natural, Debbie was cured of the infection and came back to her senses although she was never the same.

Tara removed all clothes that was surrounding Alcide's wound and after cleaning it with water and alcohol she had found upstairs, she used the towel to tie a knot right on the wound to prevent further bleeding. "we need to keep pressure so he doesn't bleed out. It's still early in the infection, I am sure the doctor can save him"

Sookie agreed with a nodded while she kept her mechanical massage. She was exhausted from the night and wondered if she could sleep for a little bit

"is it safe here? Maybe we should check the door in case more corpses come along?"

Tara got up in silence and walked to the door to check it. Making sure it was locked and pushing a desk in front of it, she was confident that unless they make too much noise, they would be left alone for a while. She came back to find Sookie asleep still holding Alcide's head on her lap.

Sookie opened her eyes slowly. Both Tara and Alcide were asleep beside her. She got up in silence and looked in the store front's direction. She could tell it was later in the day by how much sun light was coming through the windows. There was still no sign of corpses or Sam and the doctor. She grabbed one of the snacks Tara had brought earlier and quietly ate while staring at her friend. Tara was a fighter and Sookie was proud to have her by her side. She had saved her life countless time and her friendship was invaluable. She could hear some of Tara's thoughts slowly forming in her head but she quickly dismissed them putting her shields back up. It was always exhausting to have them up but she couldn't afford being distracted by other's thoughts or fears.

After her snack, Sookie got up and decided to head upstairs to look out the balcony she had spotted coming in. Once she reached it, it was easier for her to assess the time of day. The sun was slowly coming down which meant Sam was probably in Bon temps and maybe even on his way back to the grocery store. She looked down the empty street which was paved with truly dead corpses from their altercation with Eric. She could smell them from where she was standing but she was accustomed to the putrid odour. She spotted a clothing store down the road where the front display case seemed to be intact. It wasn't part of their excursion to bring back clothing but she made a mental note of it. She wouldn't be against having a new pair of jeans and maybe some t-shirts.

The sun was rapidly setting and it wasn't long until Sookie couldn't see it anymore. She looked down the street one more time in Bon Temps' direction hopeful that she could catch a glimpse of Sam or the doctor without success. She was afraid the doctor didn't have the right ingredients and was the cause of their delay.

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice the shadow slowly walking down the street until something shiny caught the moon light which was slowly coming up illuminating the street. Eric was casually walking towards her. He had had time to change into different clothing which made Sookie wondered where exactly he stayed during the day. He was wearing a pair of black pants and a black t-shirt but it is the sword tied around his waist that had caught her eye.

Once he reached her building, he jumped high enough to land on the balcony where she was standing. She didn't look at him right away but instead she looked at the sword. It seemed really old, and the handle was wrapped in leather. She wondered if it was made out of silver knowing that Bill had an aversion to it and was not able to handle silver without being burnt. After starring at it for a while she regain consciousness that she wasn't being very polite with him so she looked up ready to apologize but the apology died in her throat when her eyes met his.

He too was staring at her. She couldn't read any expression on his face which she was accustomed to because of Bill and Pam. Vampires never really showed any feelings. She couldn't help but blush and look away with a weak attempt to make conversation.

"Where did you find that sword?" she asked.

"It belonged to my father" he replied without much help to carry the conversation.

" Is it silver?"

"Yes"

"I thought vampires couldn't handle silver?"

"The handle is wrapped in leather" he simply explained. Sookie looked up at him and smiled. Clearly he did not understand that she was trying to make conversation or maybe he didn't care but she kept on going.

"The doctor is not here yet"

"My child is on her way"

Sookie frowned at the remark. She didn't understand how he would know that and Eric noticed the question marks in her eyes but before she could ask anything, something caught her attention inside the grocery store.

"They are here" Eric stated following Sookie who was already on her way back to the bakery counter.

Thank you for reading :o)

Xox

Z