Wings of Blood and Cruelty
A Hemlock Grove fanfic by Glamoured By-Eric
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.-Friedrich Nietzsche
Chapter 23 - Infected
"Peter! Peter!" Roman called as he watched Peter collapse to the gravel. He rushed to his side, lifting him up by the shoulders so that Peter rested in Roman's arms.
Michael rushed after him and went down on one knee beside them.
"What's wrong with him?" Roman asked Michael.
"I don't know. She didn't bite him did she?"
"No. I didn't see her bite him."
Michael felt his forehead. "He's burning up, Roman. We need to get him to the hospital."
"No! No hospital. His blood... it's rare blood. They'll just want to test him and shit. He wouldn't like that." Roman felt around in Peter's pockets and retrieved his cell phone. He scrolled down until he saw Destiny's number. He selected it.
"Destiny," she answered.
"Destiny, it's Roman. Something is wrong with Peter. He's unconscious and feverish. I didn't want to take him to the hospital."
"No, not the hospital. Bring him to me. We'll talk when you get here."
As night started settling in, between them, they managed to load Peter into the back seat of the SUV and drove quickly across town after Roman gave Michael directions.
"I'm sorry," said Michael to Roman. "I should have checked my facts out before taking Bishop at his word. I didn't know he was your new business partner. It is no excuse, but I've been pretty upset over my sister's disappearance. Went a little nuts over the news."
"You help us take Bishop down. That's all I ask." Roman looked to the back seat to check on Peter. "He doesn't look so good."
"Don't worry. We're almost there."
They pulled up beside Destiny's shop and got Peter out of the vehicle, getting on either side of him and hauling him up the metal stairs in the back of the brick building that led up to the apartment.
Destiny opened the door when they got to the top of the stairs and said, "This way." She led them through the beaded curtain and into her bedroom.
Lynda, rounding up the rear, looked at Peter's ashen face and went pale. "Oh my poor baby."
Roman and Michael sat Peter up and removed his jacket and shirt, laid him down on the bed, then took off his shoes.
While they did this Destiny asked, "What did you do tonight, Roman?"
Roman answered, "We killed the vargulf."
"You took on the vargulf again? Are you insane?" asked Destiny. "You could have been killed!"
"Yeah," said Roman wryly, feeling guilty over Peter. "Someone had to do it."
"Did she bite or scratch him?" asked Lynda.
Destiny was sitting on the bed, looking Peter over and noticed the makeshift, gauze bandage on his swollen hand. "Lynda, hand me the scissors over there on the dresser."
Lynda passed Michael on the way to the dresser and asked, "Who are you?"
Michael looked at Roman before answering, "Smith, ma'am. I'm Roman's bodyguard."
"Call me Lynda. You there when this went down?" questioned Lynda, handing the scissors to Destiny on her way to the bathroom.
"Yes," replied Michael as he watched Destiny use the scissors to remove the gauze.
Destiny took a sharp intake of breath as she saw what was on the palm of Peter's left hand. It was sliced open, puffy and bright red, very angry looking. The cut itself had turned black. A streak of red ran from the black to Peter's wrist.
"Jesus!" exclaimed Roman. "That shit looks serious."
"Did you see how this happened?" asked Destiny, leaning over the wound and sniffing it.
Roman answered. "He said something about cutting himself on my axe during the attack last night, but it was just a scratch from what he said."
"Well it is not just a scratch now. Do you have the axe with you?" said Destiny. "I need to see it."
"It's in the SUV," answered Roman.
Michael offered, "I'll go get it."
"Lynda," asked Destiny when Lynda walked back into the room with a wet washcloth, "could you stay with him while I go get some supplies from the shop?"
"Do you need to even ask?" she answered, sitting down next to Peter and placing a cool, wet washcloth on his forehead.
"What can I do?" asked Roman, feeling like a fifth wheel.
"Well, you can go into the kitchen and find a bowl, fill it with water and put some ice in it. We need to get his fever down."
"Okay, I can do that."
In the kitchen, Roman leaned his head forward until his forehead touched the cabinet, closed his eyes, and swallowed hard. He moved back and then looked for a bowl. Finding one, he retrieved the ice and added water to the bowl, taking it into the bedroom and setting it down on the night stand.
"Thanks, hun." Lynda dipped the washcloth into the bowl, wrung it out and dabbed it around Peter's face and neck.
They heard the door open and close, and Michael walked through the beads with the axe.
Lynda's mouth dropped open when she looked up. "Damn! That's what hurt my baby? Where did you get that, Roman?"
Roman flinched slightly. "A gift from my mother."
Destiny arrived in the kitchen and called out, "Roman, I need your help."
Roman passed through the beaded curtain again and said, "What can I do?"
Unloading her arms, setting jars and plastic bags on the counter, Destiny replied, "Fill the tea kettle up with water and set it to high on the stove then fetch the white basin under the sink." She pulled down her mortar and pedestal and said, "When you are done with that, could you bring me the aspirin in the medicine chest in the bathroom?"
"Sure," said Roman. While she worked, Roman carried out his tasks and then set the bottle of aspirin on the counter next to where she was measuring out her medicines.
Destiny opened a cupboard and pulled out a mug, setting in on the counter. Taking out several aspirin, she crushed them with the mortar and pedestal, then sifted the powder into the mug. Then she fashioned a tea bag with the herbs she had measured out and fastened it with a twist tie. She added some honey to the mug and took the whistling kettle off the stove and poured hot water into the mug, stirring the honey and aspirin until it became liquid then added her tea bag. Moving to the basin, she poured in some Epson salts, ran the water until is was very warm, and then also added some other dark powder, stirring it around until dissolved.
"Okay, while the tea steeps, let's get his hand soaking. Can you carry the basin for me?"
"Yes," answered Roman.
They both walked back to the bedroom, laden with their burdens. Destiny set down the tea next to the cold bowl of water on the night stand along with a covered item and some gauze. She pulled up a straight backed chair from the corner and motioned to Roman to set it down.
As Destiny started to position Peter's hand in the basin, Roman said, "I wouldn't if I were you. You may want to place some extra bedding under him before doing that. He might piss himself."
Lynda agreed, "Yes, better safe than sorry. Where are your extra bed linens, Destiny?"
"In the armoire. The drawer," she answered.
Lynda retrieved them, and Roman rolled Peter to his side while she placed them under him. Peter groaned as they laid him flat on the bed once more. Destiny went back into the kitchen while his hand soaked. She came back a short time later, declaring that the tea should be ready and asked that Roman raise Peter up so that Lynda could get him to drink it. He choked on it but managed to swallow at least half of it.
Roman took the basin back into the kitchen and dumped the contents into the sink and went back to the bedroom where Destiny was examining the wound again. It actually looked a little better to Roman. She uncovered a jar full of wriggling larvae and unfastened the lid. Using her fingers, she retrieved a number of them and placed them on Peter's hand where they squirmed around.
Roman found himself getting ill at the sight. "What are those?"
"Maggots. They'll ingest the bad flesh and make it pink and whole-looking again."
"You keep maggots on hand?" asked Michael, looking as disgusted as Roman felt.
"Yes, doesn't everyone?" Destiny replied matter-of-factly. She covered the maggots with a square of gauze and then used a roll of gauze to wrap the maggots in. "Now, let's see this weapon of yours."
Destiny took the weapon from Michael, touching her tongue to the edge of the metal blade.
"Oh, that's just..." started Michael, visibly repulsed.
"Nasty," finished Roman. "You realize there is vargulf blood on that, right?"
Destiny frowned and said, "The edge of this is coated with silver. Peter has silver poisoning. I can treat the fever and the wound, but the silver poisoning is out of my league."
It had been a long day, and Norman was heading to the mansion, planning on going to bed early when Roman called.
"Norman? It's Roman."
"Roman, to what do I owe this call?"
"We've got a situation with Peter. He's been poisoned with silver."
"Is he at the hospital?" asked Norman as he pulled to the side of the road to talk and put his vehicle in park but left the engine running.
"No, he's at Destiny's apartment. Peter's cousin is helping him, but she has nothing to treat this kind of poisoning, and the hospital is out of the question."
"Roman, you can't just say someone has silver poisoning. Has he had a work up somewhere to determine the presence of silver?"
"Destiny has her own test for it."
"Does this Destiny have a medical degree?"
"No, she's more into naturopathy. He's going to die if you don't bring him an antidote. Please, Uncle Norman."
Roman paced back and forth in Destiny's living room while he waited for Norman; he was fighting his hunger again. He went into the bathroom, closed the door and got out his tin, removing the clear, glass container. He sat down on the toilet, placed a drop in his right eye, re-stoppered the container and barely managed to get it back in his tin and into his pocket before the wave of euphoria hit him hard. He stayed there until he heard a knocking at the door.
"Roman, your uncle is here," called Michael.
"I'm coming," said Roman, shaking his head, as he tried to pull himself together.
Roman emerged from the restroom to see his uncle carrying an IV stand to the far side of the bed. He watched him hang a bag from the top but was too stoned to hear what he was saying to Lynda and Destiny. He shook his head again and saw Norman inserting the line into Peter's arm and then starting the drip. Roman heard Norman say something about a saline solution and selenium but could not shake the haze settled over his own head. He staggered into the living room and collapsed onto the couch.
"Roman!" said Michael for the third time. "We should get you home. We can't do anything more here tonight. We'll let the medicine go to work."
"What?" said Roman. "No, I should stay with Peter. He needs me."
"What he needs right now is rest," said Norman, coming through the beads. "You should go home. You have responsibilities there now."
Roman said, sobering up a little. "Right. Michelle." He shook his head to clear it, got up and went to the door with Michael behind him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Norman."
Norman walked back into the bedroom again to check on Peter. Everything appeared to be in order. Destiny was curled up beside Peter on the bed, and Lynda was applying the cool cloth to his forehead, cheeks and neck.
"Lynda, you should get some rest too," suggested Norman. "He's stabilized."
"I know I should. It is just hard to leave him like this and take time out for myself."
"You need to stay strong for him. Rest will do you good."
"Okay, I'll lay down on the couch for awhile. You staying?"
"Yes, I stay for a bit to make sure he doesn't have any problem with the selenium treatment."
"Thank you. I really appreciate you coming over like this. Just... thanks." Lynda smiled and patted Norman on the arm as she turned to exit the bedroom.
"Night," said Norman.
"Night."
AN:
The music for the closing credits would be Eyes Set to Kill: Infected.
Now that Season 2 has aired, I'm going to continue this story but it won't be strictly canon any longer. I'm not going with the mercury hurting werewolves from the story but going with the traditional gothic silver hurting werewolves.
For fans of "Hemlock Grove" who are on Facebook, there is a Hemlock Grove group there that would love to grow it's membership. Just look for 'Hemlock Grove, PA' on Facebook and ask to join. All are welcome.