Chapter 6
As I leave Marie I feel a sense of peace. Today I have alleviated some of her pain. The emotions that she stirs in me are strange. I desire her blood, her body and her acceptance. No woman has ever made me come with no stimulation before. Her blood does smell amazing but I sense there must be more than the fact that it is AB- and she is still untouched by a man. I was also disappointed that she didn't try and touch me but on further reflection it occurs to me that she probably did not know what to do. Tonight was the first time she has been so intimate with a man. When she is turned I will have time to teach her but now I must convince her to let me turn her it is something that I know that she doesn't want but I want her to see the benefits of being with me forever. She has made me see that there are humans who are willing to work with us. I have faith again in humanity and in myself. Godric went to rest making a mental note to call Andrew for an update tomorrow on his research into Kathryn's blood.
The following night Godric went to his nest to summon Andrew only to find two of his underlings fighting over some human. They had destroyed his sitting room, injured two other humans and created chaos in his nest. He had been hoping to see Marie and go with her to see Alf but he would have to stay and deal with this mess. As neither vampire would let this human girl go to the other they tried his patience. Neither had had first claim to her as she had played them both. When he was about to pass judgement on them as their Sheriff one of the vampires attacked the other and he had to separate them by their throats.
"Enough" he said. "We are trying to live amongst humans but you are no example. Neither of you will touch this human again and you will not feed for one month and you are banned from this nest for two months. Now leave."
Having passed judgement he debated going to see Marie. But for the second time he was having second thoughts about getting further involved with Marie.
"Sherrif?" Isabelle appeared. "Did you want to see your human tonight? I can takeover if you do"
"She is not mine Isabelle and no I will not see her tonight. I will not see her again."
"Godric. I have not seen you like this over a human before. Why are you hesitating?"
"I will admit I have feelings for Marie but I cannot subject her to what happened here tonight. She is dying. She deserves to live out the short time she has left in peace. I would only bring pain"
"Would you like me to speak to Marie and explain your absence?"
"No Isabelle that will not be necessary she is an intelligent girl she will be able to work it out herself."
"But Godric…"
"Silence Isabelle this subject is closed."
Isabelle nodded and turned away. She did not think that Marie would just let Godric go if she loved him like he loved her but she may if she was preoccupied with her illness.
Marie was disappointed that Godric had not come like he said he would. She was sure he would have if he could. He was a Sherriff after all. She had never expected to trust someone as much as she trusted Godric so quickly. She marvelled at the effect one person can have on another. Even if he never came again he had at least shown her what being touched felt like. She hoped that he would come again but she appreciated that he could not be comfortable with the idea that she was dying and that she did not want him to turn her. She hoped that he would understand and respect her reasons.
Marie waited as long for Godric as she could before she had to leave to see Alf. He always had evening appointments being a vampire and all so she left alone. Alf never let Marie wait when she came to see him. Part of him felt extreme guilt about what he had done all those years ago. She had been the first person he had not been able to help and to save and that guilt had never left him. The first part of the Hippocratic Oath had been to do no harm and he had made her physically disfigured. Marie had never really blamed him he knew that. She thought that he did so much good in the hospital that he should not stop because of her. When she was little and before the second accident their visits had been taken up with the fact that she wanted to be a doctor and when she had been older she decided that she had wanted to be a doctor for children. He had given her as much help as he could she worked for him in the summer and she had volunteered on the children's ward in her free time.
After the second accident she had become depressed and talked less about the future. She had stopped volunteering and didn't want to work for him anymore. He had asked her once if she regretted saving the little girl. Marie had told him that she hadn't because she didn't want any child to live with injuries she had lived with.
Marie's appointment with Alf was pretty standard he did the same tests every time and monitored the results slowly watching the steady decline.
"Marie you are slightly anaemic and your blood pressure is low. Have you been doing anything different?"
"I am working with the Sheriff of area 9 on expanding the v menu at Hell. He drank from me twice. He said I smelt bad and got some of his underlings I think that he called them to do some science stuff and he gave me some medicine in lemonade and then said I smelled like a normal human and he had a thing for AB- humans. The first time he drank he glamoured me and put me to bed and the second time I let him as i realised he had done it first time."
"Marie you can't let him drink from you again you are too weak. I will speak to him and make sure he understands."
"I am dying anyway. If he wants to drink from me I don't mind letting him. Besides the first time he glamoured me so he could just do it again and there would be nothing i could do about it. By the way are you allowed boss him around like that. Isn't he like in charge?"
"I imagine he would respect my opinion as your doctor."
"I doubt it."
Marie did not understand or know what Alf knew. He knew the Sherriff better. The Sherriff had not fed on human blood to his knowledge for several years. If he did it was merely a sip to sustain himself. It was clear to Alf that Godric had drunk extensively from Marie. He doubted that Godric would back off if he asked because the Sheriff liked getting his own way.
"So how long do I have left?"
"Well it's impossible to predict Marie but I would say that you would need to think about going into the sunshine hospice if that is still where you want to go in about 2-3 months"
"That's not long I was hoping for six months."
"Based on the rate of decline of your organ functions I would say you would probably have 3 months. If Godric drinks your blood it may speed things up."
"I'll ask him not to but I doubt he will like it much."
"That's the best I can hope for. So tell me about this business venture."
Marie went on to explain about the v food. She was the most animated that Alf had seen her in a long time in fact since the second accident. She had something to focus on which was not limited by her disabilities or her body's weakness. He understood why she wanted more time and he knew that he could not give that to her. It would take a multiple organ transplant of someone with AB- blood to die and give her everything and even then it wouldn't stop the cramping. He turned away, as much as he wanted to save Marie he knew he couldn't he had studied so many cures and research over the years and he had been frustrated when he had not been able to find anything and had resigned himself to the fact that Marie was one person he couldn't save and Marie had in turned resigned herself to the fact that not even vampire blood could save her. The problem was now Godric. Alf knew that Godric would insist that Marie had his blood and that he would have to try and convince Godric not to make Marie have it. He had seen the after effects of it on Marie before Godric had not. He hoped that it would not be something that Godric would have to see for himself because then it would be too late.
Marie didn't see Godric for the rest of the week but he had had such a positive effect on her relapse that she had got out of bed and was back in the kitchen. Marie had managed to create some crisps out of True Blood basically by boiling it until it thickened and pouring it into Florentine moulds and cooking it. She wanted to show Godric but wondered how he would feel about crisps vampires were liquid diet kind of creatures.
M to G
Hey have some stuff for you to try. Are you free to come over?"
G to M
No
M to G
Ok do vampires like to chew?
G to M
No Why?
M to G
Have created some crisps things and wanted your opinion on them
G to M
Try them Hell I am busy
M to G
Godric r u ok?
G to M
Yes I am busy. Is there anything else?
M to G
No thanks
Talk about being blown off. Marie knew Godric liked her if the night he came over was anything to go by he did like her. Why was he being so cold? Cassie walked into the flat one evening to find Marie staring a magazine.
"How long have you been staring at that magazine?"
Marie glanced up at the clock "about 90 minutes"
"What's up?"
"Godric is being cold again and I am not sure why. I had been thinking about going to his nest but I don't know if it is allowed."
"I wouldn't" Cassie replied "things can be a bit crazy sometimes and it might undermine his position if you turned up to speak to him about you and him. Why don't you write to him? I can take a letter for you."
" Well I am not entirely sure if there is a me and him. I am confused. I need answers" Marie replied
"Then I will wait for an answer. Write the letter now and I will take it at sunset it's nearly time anyway and Paul will be up soon. "
So Marie wrote Godric a letter which Cassie took with her when she went to the nest. On arriving she kissed Paul and explained she had a letter for Godric and he went with her to Godric's study. He looked up as they entered.
"I have a letter from Marie" she said handing the letter to him " she was going to come and see you but I talked her out of it. You can thank me later."
He took the letter and looked at it and looked at Cassandra. " She wants a response Sherriff and I am not leaving without one." He hissed at her in anger and Paul grabbed her arm and dragged her from the room. Godric opened the letter fully expecting to see a love letter pining for him. It wasn't.
Godric,
I have changed my mind. I want to be paid for V food. I have three months to live at most before I need hospice care and I would like to spend some of that time with you. That's is all I want in return for making you a lot of money your time and your friendship and it won't cost you anything.
Marie.
Godric read and reread the note. So Marie wanted a response. What could he say?"
Marie,
Please know that you have given me encouraged me to believe that there are vampires and humans who believe that we can co exist peacefully, I am grateful to have met you and that you reaffirmed this belief that I had long thought lost.
I cannot give you what you want. I will only bring pain into your life. I have had violence in my nest recently and I cannot and will not subject you to that.
Vampire blood cannot save you yet although my underlings are researching any way to help you and you will not let me turn you. You are not safe amongst my kind more so than any other human. Humans are fragile Marie and you are one of the most delicate I have ever met. I could not live with myself if anything were to happen to you because of being around me.
You deserve to live out the time that you have left in peace and happiness.
He gave his handwritten note to Cassie who disappeared with it. He received a text message about 30 minutes later.
M to G
You have 15 minutes to get here or else I am calling my lawyer. Glamouring is a crime.
G to M
You wouldn't dare.
M to G
Try me 13 minutes…
G to M
So is extortion and blackmail
M to G
There is no money involved and you made me sign a watertight contract. 11 minutes…
G to M
U r more capable than I give u credit for
M to G
Honor Roll school 9 minutes
G to M
I am not coming Marie & u know why
M to G
Yes I do and its bullshit. So what if being around u speeds up the process. Its going to happen any way no matter how much time you and I do or don't spend together.
NO RESPONSE…