I cant really say sorry enough times to convey my feelings at this point, so...here's an update that isn't so much a chapter, more like a segway into the rest of the story.. Rest assured, the other stories are being worked on. The one that'll most likely update the soonest is Caged Animals, I just needed to finish this chapter cause it was burning a hole in my drive.
Thank you for remaining patient with me, I'll see you in the next update!
He hated hospitals. Truly.
Everything, from the smell to the awful decor just made the dapper vampire gentleman go "No." in a most impolite fashion very unlike himself. It wasn't that he was against the principle of the medical facilities-strudels, he invested and gave amounts to charity for the things to be built and run- it was merely the fact that he himself would rather not be in one of the florescent-drenched buildings.
This was for many reasons, both personal and non, (Though admittedly, mostly personal anymore.) not the least of which had involved his, ah, specific dietary habits for the past three hundred years or so. Oh yes, as with any of his night-life kin, the entire complex could with ease be compared with what a human went through walking past a scented candle shop or coffee bar in the morning. Though subtle here, nearly buried under layer upon layer of disinfectant, cloying air-fresheners and the general oder of sickness, that same salt-and-iron scent Vlad had become so well acquainted with wafted almost mockingly about, tickling the senses of the old fang and putting them just that more on edge.
It was not the fact that the smell drove him quite to distraction whilst in one of these places, it was the fact that tonight, it didn't.
After all, he'd already had his meal.
Sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose (it was beginning to ache a bit from the overuse of the action over the last few hours,) the old vampire merely shook his head, determined not to think about it and the reason the scent left no impression upon him; not just yet. He still had time, and that time was going to be used for calming his ceaseless thoughts on the matter before actually having to confront the consequences of his actions. Refusing to sigh again as the exact thoughts he was trying to steer clear of resurfaced with a vengeance and utterly disobeyed any order to evacuate his head, Vlad continued to pace slowly in the waiting room just outside of the Emergency medical bay. The line of which the vampire walked was along a clear section of wall (clear being it was not lined with the unnecessarily uncomfortable plastic chairs that creaked if an eight year old sat on them) that was mostly made of plain glass windows, giving Vlad a full view of the icy downtown streets just now beginning to fill up with the few early-morning commuters who had the misfortune of having to work the day after New Years. Pausing for a moment to flip open the silver cellular phone in his right hand, he hmmed lowly, noting it was now nearly four-thirty in the morning; nearly an hour and a half after the Incident, some detached part of his mind supplied.
Resuming the unhurried gait, Vlad let himself relax, however much he could given the situation unfolding about him, contenting his ears with the steady tip tip tip his lined-leather boots made on the industrial tiled floor. Yet another thing he'd have to put up with for a time, now. Waiting. With all places that involved heavy amounts of back-checking and filing and near-literal mountains of paperwork, it was an endless hurry-up-and-wait situation. Bah... Vlad just hoped he wouldn't have to wait to long. Morning, or just day-light hours in general were not what one would consider pleasant for he and his ilk. Now, don't get the wrong impression, burning up in the sunlight, thankfully, was not something many vampires were prone to doing. (Though Vlad had known of a few special cases in his time, but those were few and far between.) He did wonder some nights though just what attlebrain had come up with such a ridiculous theory, even if it helped lead humans off the scent...
Vlad was broken out of his admittedly drifting thoughts by new sounds weaseling into his ears. Turing away from his pacing, the vampire moved away from the windows and towards the double doors behind the reception desk-the doors that lead to the surgery bay and...the hospital morgue. It appeared a conversation was being held just beyond them, and a rather involved one, too.
"-eally gruesome, this one, I tell yah. Man, why do we have to deal with all this shit, and in the middle of the night."
"Well, someone has to be here, ready for this kind of thing. It is...well, was New Years after all. Things happen..."
Two men, by the sounds of the voices. One younger, one older, the younger one having answered the elder's complaints. A small frown tugged at the old fang's lips. Shouldn't a doctor have more...sensitivity towards whatever or whoever he may be dealing with? Granted, working in an environment where illness was normal and death was, unfortunately, commonplace couldn't be that easy, but still, a little more tact with co-workers would no doubt be appreciated. Not that any of the doctors Vlad had ever been to in his short time as a human had even a notion as to what 'bedside manor' was.( none had, back then.) He did really know what he expected, though. People were people, no matter what profession.
The two in the adjacent hallway jabbered on some more about how it was unfortunate they had to be the ones working on the eve of the new year, and more inane, unrelated-to-hospital things. After listening for but a few moments, Vlad decided he'd heard enough, and was ready to go back to waiting in peace. Didn't really know what exactly he'd been expecting to hear, anyway. It wasn't like the whole bloody place would be in an uproar about what had happened to Vlad's um...newest life development, nor did he really think some random person would just up and start, oh who knows, discussing the latest in vampire politics right in human public. Perhaps he'd simply been looking for a distraction from everything...
Slipping away from the doors, (the bored looking receptionist was starting to raise her eyebrow at him) and back into the white-washed waiting room, the vampire elder forced himself to sit, and be silent. Not much else to do.
After a number of minutes far to extensive to care to count, the clicking of heels caught Vlad's attention, as any such (relatively) loud sound would given the quiet, as did the sudden blast of cold air from outdoors as someone walked into the building. Glancing up, he found the lady behind the desk speaking rather lowly to another who had joined her.
Vlad gaped at the sight of the new woman. No. It couldn't be...
With a gasp at something the new woman had apparently said, the previous receptionist had started to gather her things, in a very willy-nilly almost distressed fashion. Some neatly stacked piles of papers went askew, some even falling over all about the desk, but the receptionist took no notice, only content with grabbing her coat, her bag, and a few large three-ring binders, no doubt filled with patient information and such. Vlad watched the scramble in silence; no emotion played on his face to express what the old fang was actually holding at bay, save for a minute thinning of his lips; a narrowing of his eyes. The lady who'd started all of this appeared calm, unfazed. Even distantly amused, when in her new rush to get to the door, the desk-worker tripped and dropped half her arm-load of items. Doors swung open, allowing the poor conditions of the outside world make themselves known once again. Doors slowly, hydraulically closed with only a barely audible woosh of air as they did.
A moment passed, then two as the twin creatures stared each other down, in a game as primal and controlling as the Thirst itself; an unspoken challenge as to who would break first in this yet-unclaimed territory. Who's boundaries to mind... Cherry red lips quirked, causing tarnished-silver brows to do the same.
"You're looking well, Vladimir."
That voice...sweet and rich as melted dark chocolate, but still carrying that bitter under-flavor many forgot existed until it was to late.
"Penelope." The gentleman nodded once, politely. Nothing more needed to be said. Nothing more should be said, around this one...
An uncontrolled, wicked grin spread itself over the lady's face hiding nothing of what lay behind it. Well, Vlad mused, gliding slowly over to to abandoned desk and the...unexpected visitor, Penelope Sprectra was nothing, if not honest in every sense of the word.
"Someone's been a naughty boy tonight, haven't they?"
The elder gentleman forced the want to grimace away, and schooled his features once more into an uncaring facade.
"Being naughty would imply the guilty party had taken part in an action previously known to be wrong, or against the rules. One can't really say I've done anything particularly wrong, here."
The red-clothed woman merely smirked, shrugging her shoulders slightly, before redirecting her attentions towards what she clutched in her hands; Vlad did the same, the moment eye-contact was broken. Leafing through the stacks upon stacks of files she carried with her, Penelope Spectra 'ah-ha' ed triumphantly, pulling one in particular out.
Vlad was a bit thrown at first...Not that the sight of a plain manila folder was anything too confusing or difficult to understand-all vampires registered as a Dependent or Sire at one time (meaning all vampires period, once the vamp-legal system was in place) had them. Bank account codes, credit card applications (and cancellations) mortgage and rent records, drivers licenses and permits, traffic violations-hell's bells, even at times, grocery receipts- all kept in files, just like the one Spectra was clutching in her blood-red manicured-to-perfection claws.
A soured look flashed across Vlad's face before he could stop it, the sight of the file turning his stomach a little with the pure implications. It was a moment before he allowed himself to reach of out and take the folder from those grasping she-devil's hands.
This file was new. Still smelling faintly of paper-acid and cardboard, Vlad surmised it was one of the first from a fresh package-bah! He was distracting himself from the real issue yet again... The manila folder was thin-looking to be carrying fewer then four of five documents at the most, if any at all-and...was that a paperclip? Curiosity peaked at the odd attachment, Vlad glanced once over to the still smirking woman who'd taken to leaning (was it him, or was it in a seemingly provocative way?) against the desk, watching him. Well...he was going to end up reading this sometime or another he supposed...might as well be now.
Daniel James Fenton.
So. The mystery boy had a name, or so the freshly printed out birth certificate copy stated. Not a bad fit, either, Daniel. Short, and both commonplace and timeless enough that it would last the ages. Yes…calling up the picture of smooth crow-black hair and sunny-day-in-winter eyes, Vlad could easily call this person Daniel.
He largely ignored the rest of the mostly useless documents. Drivers licence, highscool (and college) grades. The only one he found himself even remotely interested in was the simple snap-shot photograph that looked to be a school photo or something, if the poor quality was anything to go by.
It suddenly occurred to him, gazing once more into those gem-like lapis eyes...this was his ward. This boy this...this 'Daniel James Fenton' person was no longer an intriguing stranger on the side of the road, just another face lost in the sea of his vast memory.
Daniel would be staying with him now. For..a year, at minimum as required by vamypyric law. Vlad would be responsible for teaching and showing and explaining...
everything.
His mouth was suddenly very dry, and the liquid so ill-gotten seemed to sit heavier in his stomach at the realization of what troubles the following weeks alone would bring. The boy - ah..Daniel...would need caring. He barely remembered his own first few days, but he knew his body had been weak, and not just from the illness. It had been hard to move, to even think properly. The sudden disconnect between mind and body didn't last long, but it was greatly disorienting. Vlad thought of the boy, how they'd...never even met.
The old creature's eyes darkened, much to the unnoticed pleasure of his counter sitting across from him. The boy had been run over for Christ's sake. Daniel hadn't seen Vlad coming towards him when the car hit him - even if he had, after sustaining such grievous injuries there was no possible way the boy would even remember most of that entire night, let alone one little snippet of time like that.
Vlad sighed, letting the long flow of air whistle between his teeth, releasing some, though not nearly enough of the pent up tension go, his form drooping subtly.
Well..this is what we sighed up for, isn't it, Vladimir? You knew full well what would happen when you allowed yourself to Curse him in the name of our kind, yes?
He might hate me for it...
Yes, he may very well just. However, should he find you an unsuitable Sire, he can apply to have someone else take him in. Someone better suited for actually sharing their lives with others, actually giving a damn about another person-
Vlad snapped the folder closed ( though the affect desired was somewhat lessened, being the folder itself was paper) and turned to glare at the she-creature still posed on the desk, lips quirked as if she'd been listening in to his mental debate. A sort of energy hung in the air, a if a decision had been made, some compromise had been agreed to. Spectra mused what might have possibly drawn up the sudden clarity in those dull slate eyes she'd known for years...a spark lighting their depths, oh so small, yet existing all the same. If she hadn't known him any better, she'd say it was anger. Or perhaps...determination...
Nothing was said as her clawed hands took back the information from him. She was thinking...never good. Rosy lips drew back, revealing ivory spears in what many an ignorant man would (and had) assume to be a smile.
"I assume you want to see him now?"
Indecision struck him momentarily paralyzed.
Of...course, he wanted to see the bo-Daniel...but...would it be right? It had, after all, only been four, perhaps five hours now. So little time for his 'gift' to actually do it's job. Surely his new charge's wounds wouldn't have even finished knitting themselves back together, never mind be well enough to be conscious. There wouldn't be much of a point to 'just check' on him either. The vampyric doctors stationed within the hospital knew their jobs, and would treat Daniel as he needed to be, until the time when he could be removed, and relocated into Vlad's custody. Which suddenly reminds me... Quick decision time then, if certain other business was to be attended to and arrangements made in good time.
A simple nod was all the vampire gave his associate, and turned to follow her through the double doors behind reception, down the overly bright florescent-lit hallway, and through another set of doors, a sign mounted on the wall above it in plain, neat print writing, stating;
'Amity Park General Hospital Morgue'