Ever After (25 page)

“If?” was all Will said, his voice barley a whisper.

“I still need to review her blood work, which will not take me long Will, I promise.”

“Feel free to use my lab and my office Pratt, just make yourself at home old friend.” They both laughed at the “
old
” remark as none of them barley looked a day over thirty-five. I heard Doc and Pratt leave my room, Doc was sure to tell Will to try to let me sleep as long as possible.

I could feel Will at my side even with my eyes closed. He had some kind of magnetic pull on me, and both of use could usually sense where the other one was. I probably would never understand it, and really, I didn’t want to, it was strong and it was real and that’s all that mattered to me. I turned over to face Will, feeling good for once due to whatever Pratt had given me, just a bit light headed and groggy.

“I’m sorry you had to go through all this love.” Will said softly, as he stroked my hair back off my cheek.

“It’s ok don't be sorry, this has to be done William it didn’t hurt at all anyway, whatever they did. Pratt seems like a really nice guy, and smart too, between him and Doc they should figure it out… I think.” I smiled up at Will, who seemed to be analyzing me. “I’m not giving up ok; you’re not getting rid of me so easily!” I laughed softly, trying to make him relax.

“I just can’t bear the thought of losing you, that’s all.” He sighed as he bent over and kissed my forehead. “I just can’t help but think if that night at the Halloween party would never have happened you wouldn’t be here like this now, fighting for your life. I should never have let them tell me you would be ok, from letting me take your blood. I should have known you were too weak!”

“Stop it Will, did you forget I was sick before the party? I was already dying and according to Doc, I would probably be nearing death right now, with or without the Halloween party incident! My fate was already sealed at the hospital after the stupid brain scan came back showing the tumor. I would probably be bald right now, and weigh like fifty pounds and be on life support!

I have a chance now Will, even with all the pain. I have a last chance to beat this and stay with you. I don’t care how much pain I have to go through as long as it means we can have our future together, I love you, and we will make it through this!”

I could see Will was overcome by emotions; he often tried to hide that. He quickly wiped a stray tear out of the corner of his eye as he took a deep breath looking away.

“Pratt has to make this work, without you, I just can’t even think of being here. You are everything to me. I have waited my whole life just to find you and I can’t lose you now or ever!”

“Will, I will beat this. I refuse to go, and I will not leave you!” I lay my head onto his shoulder and he rubbed my back, we sat in peaceful silence for a long time, watching the snowfall.

It seemed like forever before Doc and Pratt got back to my room after looking over my blood work and lord knows what else. I was feeling drained when they came back in, engrossed in a conversation, flooded with medical terminology. William got up and greeted them, and told them I had been stable while they were gone, just sleeping mainly.

Will began to ask a million questions, and Doc told him to wait and let Pratt explain what they had learned. I heard chairs pulled out as they all sat around a small table in the corner of the room, papers were spread out all over its marble top. Pratt’s expression was serious as he was reading a paper he had in his hand.

The mood in the room was tense as Pratt prepared to explain what he had discovered after my exam. Pratt smoothed back his wavy brown hair, he looked much the same age as Doc did, and they could have been brothers. He had the same brilliant green eyes, and perfect facial features as many of the vampires. He seemed to be slightly shorter than Doc was.

“I’ve studied this phenomenon for years, and it always seems to find a way to amaze me. I’ve researched the conflict of venom and the human system in great detail. As I’ve said, Corrine basically has a war going on in her body.” I groaned loud enough for them to hear me.

“You’re telling me?” I said as I pulled the blanket up next to my face.

“Yes, I know Corrine it is difficult, but as it is a war of sorts we have to get one side to call a truce somehow. One side has to surrender or pardon me for being blunt, but if not it will be a battle to the… death. We have to figure a way to get either the venom to stop or the cancer. Or Corrine will pay the price.”

“What’s our course of action then Pratt?” Doc asked, his face serious.

“That’s the tricky part; rest of course is a must and no stress of any kind. We cannot halt the venom; all of us here know that. Vampire venom is highly concentrated and nearly impossible to contain. This leaves us with only one option; we must stop the cancer, and heal what’s left of her human cells, and let the venom complete the change.”

“Pratt, you know there is no cure for cancer, my god we would have cured her to start with when I diagnosed her over the summer.” Doc said, his voice shocked at Pratt’s un realistic treatment plan.

“I know…I know, calm down I’m well aware of this I spent all those years in the rain forest looking for a cure to the damn disease. The thing I’m trying to explain is, there is no cure for human cancer, but technically, Corrine is no longer fully human. The changes she has made, although they have stopped, have changed some of her cell structures in the last few weeks. I believe if we use some of the serum I discovered many years ago in Brazil, we might have a chance.” Pratt sounded very confident to me about this serum.

“Is this the same serum you used for Emma?” Will questioned him.

“Yes, the very same one, and it’s probably much stronger than the one I had at the time of Emma’s illness.”

“It proved to be lethal though, didn’t it?” I asked.

“Well yes, to humans more than likely, we never got to do extensive studies. It cured three humans, but later it proved lethal to some of our lab rats. What gives me confidence is Corrine is not fully human any longer, so this serum may be exactly what we need.” Pratt smiled slightly, as he was very confident in his theory.

I looked at him; he was as all the coven members naturally handsome, with his sandy blonde hair that just brushed his neck. His Romanesque facial features could have landed him a modeling job just about anywhere. I had to wonder what his wife Emma looked like, more than likely a super model no doubt. I quit daydreaming, when Pratt spoke again.

“I was in the Brazilian rain forest forty years ago give or take a year. I think Doc has told you. I won’t bore you all with the long story, but the discovery of a rare flower there, ultimately led me and a group of other scientists to the country. The natives had said it had healing powers many said it could repair tissue, and even cure some disease.

I led this team of very well respected scientists for years, we did extensive research and study’s. Of course being a vampire time was not an issue for me as it was my colleagues, so when they returned to the states, I stayed in Brazil to further study the plant’s ability’s. I felt it could be used in some other ways and set out to discover just how to use it.”

“Did anyone who took it live, or any of them cured?” I asked softly seeming to have lost my voice, I figured my mind was next to go.

“Yes, Corrine three of the tribes members with Lymphoma, were cured and they had no side effects and none of them were vampires or even half bloods. The serum stopped any further cell damage and it healed the areas of the body the cancer damaged. It was not long after those miracle cases that the lab rats began to die, so we were forced to stop testing and all trials on any humans.”

“That’s a shame it may have proven to be a cure to many human ailments!” Doc said as he picked up the research papers from the table and shook his head.

“Indeed, but the FDA would have had our medical license’s in no time. We would be banned from ever practicing in the states if we would have continued.”

“Yes, I have had issues with them before.” Doc said, not looking up as he scanned the lab reports. “So Pratt, do you feel we have a shot here, using the serum?” Doc’s voice was upbeat now I figured that had to be good.

“Yes, I have a very good feeling that this will save Corrine, with rest and steady doses of serum her body will heal. Then we will administer a small dose of vampire venom when she is strong enough. This should push her body to complete the change over and become a half blood as she wishes to be.” Pratt winked at me, a coy smile on his face. “You still wish that do you not Corrine?”

“Of course I want that, I want nothing more Dr.Pratt. I want to be like William and belong to the coven.”

“You already belong here Corrine; you just will be a full fledged member, that’s all.” Doc chuckled softly. I saw the intense look on Will’s face finally ease as he accepted Pratt’s detailed plan and explanation of how they would try to heal me.

“I want to begin treatment’s immediately, as once we start them we must never miss a dose or her body system will quickly go back to where she is now. The doses must be exact and at the same time each day, four times a day. If we miss any her system will quickly shut down, and we aren’t going to talk about that, as it will not be allowed to happen under Doc’s care and mine.

Chapter
9

Transition
and
Revelations

The next week was long and very pain full for me, as I expected it to be. Pratt began the treatments, and the serum as he expected conflicted with my body’s system. I had more intense pains and the pain medications barley even took the edge off. William was at my side every step of the way, through it all.

He mopped my brow when I ran insanely high fevers and fed me ice chips. He held me close and wrapped me up like a burrito when the fevers broke and my body temperature nosedived into un human lows and I was freezing. I was a giant mess and he never once complained as he helped me hang on, he brushed my hair and read to me every day to make things easier for me.

Lydia told me in confidence one afternoon, that she had hoped for decades that William would find his match, his one, and only soul mate. She told me how happy she was that we were together, she had worried he would be alone his entire vampire life. Lydia and I spent many hours together, when she could coax Will out of the room only by promising to not leave me alone under any circumstances. I learned much about her life and the coven’s very long history, not to mention a little about Will’s own human past.

I was to return home to Cambridge to spend Thanksgiving with my family in one week. I had been in Maine at the “
treatment
center
” since October 31’st and it was now mid November. Doc had been in constant contact with dad and arranged for me to return home on his private jet. Doc and Libby my “nurse” would be coming with me.

I was a bit homesick, but as long as Will was with me, anywhere could feel like home. I missed Gran very much too, despite our long phone conversations and letters. I wanted to feel her warm hug’s and smell her lavender perfume. It reminded me of when I was little every time I got a whiff of it. I was thinking a lot about memories lately, and a lot about Will’s past too.

Lydia would not tell me the entire story about how Will came to be a vampire, she said it was his story and he would be the one to share it with me. I knew the circumstances of how he was changed, and that it was devastating to her so I didn’t push the topic. She respected Will’s privacy and feelings when it came to that touchy subject.

I had been reading when Will came in my room, it was two day’s now before we were to head back to Massachusetts. I was amazed as he carried a bouquet of brilliant red roses. I was speechless as he pulled one rose out and handed it to me, and placed the others in a vase next to my bed.

“Not one in these is more beautiful than you my sweet.” He smiled, giving me a wink as he leaned over and kissed my cheek softly.

“You spoil me Will, you do realize that don’t you?”

“Yes, that’s my job is it not?” He gave me an adorable grin, his deep blue eyes sparkling. He rendered me speechless as I stared in to them.

“Sounds good to me,” I smirked and smelled the gentle aroma of the single rose he had handed me.

I watched him adjust the flowers. I had wanted to ask him something since the day at the sledding hill, when he told me he was a vampire. I wanted to know what had happened exactly, the day he was turned into a vampire. I just never found the right time to ask. I did know of course Vincent was the vamp who turned him, how could I forget that.

Today seemed like the perfect day, it was a quiet Sunday. Doc and Pratt were busy preparing to return to Cambridge. Lydia and Emma (who I had not met yet) were out shopping. I decided that since we had some time alone, I would see if he felt like telling me about it.

“William,” I said softly. He looked up at me as he put down a magazine he’d been about to open

“Yes, love?” He gave me a warm smile.

“We know a lot about each other right?” I was starting to re think this. I didn’t want to upset him; he seemed to be in such a good mood today.