Being Human: When will my Death Begin?

By Ldynwaitin

Chapter Twelve

A Cure worse than the Disease

Josh struggled to concentrate as he drove Deanna back to the motel. Every breath he took was painful. Once he reached the motel Fidele had to help him carry Deanna into the room. He barely got her into her bed when he collapsed on the couch in the room. Fidele touched Josh's head, he was shocked to find he was burning hot.

"You changed, why didn't your wounds heal?" Fidel asked him.

"I don't know," Josh said. "Maybe it only happens with a full moon change, maybe the bracelet blocked it." He hugged his arms on his body, he was so cold he felt as if his heart was shaking. "I have no idea, Ffff..fidele," Josh stuttered. "I…ccc..an't think…" His head felt so light he closed his eyes and passed out.

Fidele looked from Deanna to Josh, shaking his head he said, "Sorry Deanna, but I can't do this alone."

Aidan blinked his eyes as the coffin lid was raised. He was unable to see, but hearing a familiar voice made him want to cry.

"Josh," he gasped.

Josh jumped into the coffin, he gently pulled Aidan out. "Aidan," Josh said. "Don't worry, we're getting you out of here."

Aidan felt his body lifted, two strong arms lifted him out of the grave. He was laid on someone's shoulder.

"Hurry," he heard Josh hiss. "We've got to get him out of here before Mother finds out."

Aidan was so weak, he couldn't lift his head, he hung loosely on the shoulder as he was carried away from his grave. Minutes later he was gently placed inside the backseat of a car.

"Let's go," Josh shouted as he slid in next to Aidan. He carefully examined Aidan, he now sported a full beard. His skin was so pale, and tight as a drum.

"How long?" Aidan choked.

"A year," Josh quickly answered.

"Was that all?" Aidan whispered.

"I'm sorry it took us so long to get you," Josh said. "Mother had a guard on you."

Aidan reached up, he patted Josh on the cheek. "I was never so happy to see that face," he sighed.

Josh laughed, "Sorry, can't say the same thing. You are a mess."

Aidan let his hand drop. "You get buried for a year…," he gulped, trying to wet his dry throat. "And see how you look."

"You got me there," Josh said with a grin.

Aidan closed his eyes, "Sally?" he asked Josh.

"Right here," Sally said. She was sitting in the front seat. "Hey Mister whisker, love the beard."

"Yeah," Josh said. "He kinda got that 'Joaquin Phoenix' look going."

Sally cocked her head, "You going to disappear on us for a year…oh wait, you did."

Aidan grinned, he was back with his friends. They saved him…he knew they would. "Where…where…" he tried to say, but his tongue was thick he just could not talk anymore.

"Relax," Josh said. "I bet you got a thirst for blood as big as Bill Gates check book." Josh proudly grinned, "We got a plan." He pointed up, "Tonight's a full moon. You can drink from me when I change."

"Yeah," Sally said. "Nothing better than Red-Wolf to give you the energy you need."

The car suddenly stopped, "We're here," Sally happily declared.

The back door opened and Aidan saw Randal. "Good to see you, Aidan." He pulled him out of the car. Looking up Aidan was surprised to see that he was already at the Carroll.

"Home sweet home," Randal said.

Josh and Sally ran ahead. Randal carried Aidan into The Carroll. He immediately noticed a huge change. There were lights in The Carroll. In fact it looked almost as good as the day he started working there. As he was carried up the stairs, he saw nurses and doctors walking by them. They seemed to ignore him as Randal carried him up the stairs to the second floor. Coming to a large room, Randal lay Aidan on a four poster bed.

Stepping back he checked his watch. "Almost time, Josh."

Josh let out a heavy sigh, "I'm ready."

Randal pulled on a heavy chain bolted to the floor. He locked an iron collar around Josh's neck. "Remember," he told Josh. "The more you hate your wolf, the stronger Aidan will be."

"Right," Josh said. "Hate my wolf, for Aidan."

Josh stepped up to the bed. Randal and Sally stood at the end. They waited for the change to begin. Minutes later Josh gasped and fisted his hands, the change was starting.

"Now, Aidan," Josh shouted. "Drink from me now."

Randal lifted Aidan up and placed him on Josh's back. Josh fought to stay kneeled on the ground so that Aidan could drink from him. Aidan could feel the bones on Josh's back moving, cracking. Opening his mouth Aidan plunged his teeth into Josh.

Josh moaned as Aidan took in a deep draw of blood. It was just as Aidan remembered, sooo sweet, sooo good. He could feel it going down his throat, into his stomach. He was so dry he could actually feel it going into his veins.

"Oh yes," Aidan slathered, his mouth covered in Josh's blood. "It's so delicious."

Tightly grabbing Josh he drank more, wanted more. It tasted so good he didn't want to stop.

Randal saw the signs on Josh for Aidan to stop. Grabbing his arms he tried to pull him off, but Aidan wouldn't stop drinking.

"No!" he snarled. "Not enough, I need more."

"You have to stop," Randal shouted. "You can't drink from the wolf."

Aidan was strong now, Josh's blood was flowing through his veins. He turned around and threw Randal across the room.

"Aidan," Sally screamed. "Stop, you'll die if you drink from the wolf."

He refused to listen, he had never felt a thirst like that before, and he never would again. Drinking from Josh, he felt so strong, so alive. He had to have more.

"Aidan," Josh moaned, "Please, you're hurting me." The pain of Aidan feeding on him was becoming stronger than the change. He could feel his fangs digging into his muscles, his bone. The pain was agonizing. He felt the wolf howling to come out, but it could not. Josh found himself stuck between changes, a wolf and not a wolf.

"Yes," Aidan slathered as he sucked the warm blood out of Josh. "More, give me more."

"Randal," Josh shouted. "Help me."

But he could not hear Josh, he lay unconscious on the floor. Just when it seemed Aidan would suck the very life out of him, he stopped. He flung Josh away, rolling Josh stopped where the chain was anchored to the floor.

Sally could see that Josh's change was stopped by Aidan's feeding. He had stubby fingers on his paws, his face, the nose had just started growing. He had one eye that was the wolfs, the other was Josh's.

Sally now saw a change in Aidan. His teeth grew longer and longer, his back arched. He began to scream in agony as he began to change.

"Oh my god," Sally said. "The blood, it's making him change into a wolf."

Josh looked up, he saw Aidan change. His nose did not grow as long as a wolfs, but it was not human. His canines grew sharp and long. His nails grew to sharp claws. He was still a vampire, but was now part wolf. His eyes, they stared at Josh with hunger, lust. Laying his head back he released a howl.

Sally ran to Randal, "Randal, wake up. Something's gone wrong, you need to wake up."

But she was to late. Josh saw Aidan lunge at him, he tried to run but the chain stopped him. He screamed in agony as Aidan raked his claws on his back. Falling to the ground he tried to protect himself, but he was to weak and Aidan was to strong.
Aidan had never felt so strong in his life. He never felt so alive! He didn't just want Josh's blood now, he wanted all of him. He had to have it all.

Josh tried to fight off Aidan's attack, but he was weakened by the blood loss. Aidan growled, and snarled at him as he slashed deep into his arms. Holding his hands up Josh closed his eyes and shouted, "No Aidan, it's me, Josh. Please stop….please stop…."

He faintly heard Randal say over Aidan's growls, "Josh, it's all right. Open your eyes."

He didn't want to open his eyes, he would see Aidan again. "Josh," he heard Nora say. "I'm here."

Nora, he heard Nora. She was in danger! Opening his eyes he couldn't believe it, Nora was there. He also saw Randal and Cecil standing next to her. Looking around he saw Fidele. Deanna was lying on the bed. He was back in the motel.

"A dream," Josh sighed. "It was all a dream."

"I'm here," Nora told Josh. "I'm here, darling, rest."

Smiling, Josh lay back, he was safe, he was finally safe.

Nora immediately pulled her jacket off. She was tired, it took them nine hours of driving to get there. Opening the door to the motel room, she saw Josh in a state that nearly stopped her heart. He was ranting, delirious.

Randal shook his head as he saw the condition Josh was in. "You were right to call me, Fidele."

"Randal, how did you find me?" Josh softly said. "Fidele erased your phone number from my..."

"Josh, Fidele and I go back a long way," Randal explained.

"Way back," Fidele said. "I haven't been truthful with you, Josh. You see I recognized Randal that first night after we left Deanna's place, it was on my reconnaissance flight. I saw him with a wolf and ghost. I listened in on their conversation, found out that they were looking for you. That's why I had to blank out your iphone, I couldn't risk you getting in touch with Randal."

Fidele looked at Deanna. "If Deanna found out that Randal was your friend, she would have taken us back to the cottage. I don't want to go back," Fidele whined. "I like it out here, she hasn't been out of the cabin in nearly a hundred years. This is the most fun I've had in decades"

He looked worriedly at Deanna, then at Josh. "But after what happened in the drug store, I realized that I couldn't take care of the both of you. I didn't know what else to do. I figured Randal was the best one to call, he wouldn't turn us into Mother."

"Fidele," Randal said. "You couldn't have called for a more qualified person. Nora is a nurse."

"Then I did good?" Fidele asked.

"You did very good," Randal said.

Nora began to examine Josh. "My legs," Josh told her. "Edema…infections." Pulling the blanket off she could see where the fever came from. The puncture wounds on his legs were festering. Touching them, she felt how hot they were.

"Oh Josh," she said, but he did not answer her. He had fallen back to sleep. She knew that was the best thing for him right now. "For once a full moon would be a good thing for him. Those wounds would heal quicker."

"The full moon isn't due for at least a week," Randal said. "I don't think he will last that long."

"You're right," Nora said, she threw the heavy blanket aside. "This is going to make his fever worse." She looked at Fidele, "I need ice, lots of it to help bring down the fever." When Fidele stared at her, she shouted, "NOW!"

"Wow," Fidele said. "Forceful little nurse-wolf." He snapped his heels, "Aye, aye, Mine Capitan." Grabbing the ice bucket, he swiftly left the room.

Cecil stood next to the couch, "He looks like he was put through a grinder."

Nora gently began to examine him, she saw him flinch when she touched his ribs. "Cracked ribs, septic wounds on legs, high fever, your diagnosis is about right, Cecil."

She quickly pulled out two vials from her purse. "When Fidele told Randal what happened to Josh, I knew he would be needing these." She held two bottles in her hands. "Augmentin for the infection and Chlorhexidine, it's a powerful antiseptic for the festering wounds."

Fidele came into the room carrying a bucket full of ice. "Special delivery from the North Pole," he declared. Nora took the bucket from him. It was then that she noticed that he had purple eyes. Randal told her about him on the way to the motel. He said that he looked like a young boy, but was really a very ancient supernatural being.

"Thank you, Fidele," she said, "For looking after him."

"He would have done the same for me, we're practically cousins." Nora gasped in shock as he changed into a small dog, then a wolf. The wolf morphed into a large raven. Each time Nora saw his eyes remained purple

"Show off," Randal said.

Changing back to a boy, he looked with concern at Josh. "Just make him and Deanna better."

Nora slightly nodded her head, "I'm going to try my best."

While Nora attended to Josh, Randal walked over to where Deanna slept. "She looks so…old."

Fidele stood next to Randal, his small hand reached out and touched her hand. "She used a lot of magic to save Josh, even used some dark magic, not a good thing." He gently stroked her hand. "Magic, it comes from within." He haltingly sighed, "She's so old Randal, I'm not sure if she'll be able to recover."

"She will," Randal said, "If I have something to say about it, she will."