Secrets Of Sanctuary Hospital Nightmare Of The Dark Shadows (38 page)

“She loves Lucas, she wouldn’t go after him.
She wouldn’t see him as a threat.”

“Maybe not when she is human, but this
conversion is new to them, maybe it is inbred in all werewolves
that vampires are a threat. I’ve heard rumors that they sometimes
work together and I have to say the friends you have working
together and the ones I hear about do tend to cross the lines of
understanding, but you have to consider that in her werewolf form,
her instincts would be like the majority of us and we do go after
and kill vampires.” He sighs and I can see concern in his features.
“I’m sorry, I have to go. Charlie is very anxious for Kayla and
Nicholas and I want to let him know that physically, at least, they
will be alright. I just hope that you can make them understand that
it was not their human fault. It wasn’t even their animal fault.
They instinctively felt a threat approaching and they did what we
do. You need to make them understand that. In fact, if Kayla hadn’t
knocked me down, I’m telling you that with the sense I got, I could
have very well bitten him before my ability to recognize him. I’ll
check with you later.”

“Let me know when you find Amelia. I know
that after her incident in England, Andrew was concerned about her
well being. I just hope she didn’t wander off and get sick.”

“That’s what Grant is afraid of too. She has
been keeping to herself too much since we got here. He’s afraid
that her refusal to let them continue to treat her may have made
her really sick and she wanted to get away from here, maybe even go
home. Paul is trying to see if she boarded a plane.”

“Call me as soon as you know anything, will
you?”

“No problem. If Kayla is feeling up to it, I
know Charlie would love to come and see for himself that she is at
least responsive and maybe he could even help her.”

“I’ll let you know when she’s awake. Jeff, is
there anything that can be done for Lucas? Did you ever come across
anything, even a rumor that might help him?”

“Mia, I’m very sorry, but I know that all of
our stories were that if a vampire bit a werewolf it was fatal and
if a werewolf bit a vampire, the same was true.” He turns to leave
and then whips around. “I don’t know if this will help you at all,
but it was rumored that David was bit ions ago before my pack
settled on the surrounding land and survived, but no one could ever
say that for sure and considering that he is dead now, he can’t
confirm it either. I will talk to you soon.”

As I shut the door, my mind is reeling with
all that occurred in such a short amount a time. So much of this
does not make any sense. Why would Lucas be anywhere near the
cabin? Everyone in the family knew how dangerous it would be to not
only them, but to the children. Knowing that even Andrew was
forbidden, Lucas would have never risked coming near there. It just
doesn’t add up.

My nerves are getting the better of me. There
is something that is nagging at me. I begin pacing trying to
decipher the information that is churning in my mind and becoming
too jumbled. Taking in a deep breath, I try to concentrate when two
things hit me. Jeff confirmed that they recognized Reginald as
being out there if he saw Lucas he would have made him leave and if
he is right that David was bit and survived, maybe there was
something in his blood that could give us the answer to this
problem. I have to confirm that David was bitten. The only one who
may be able to answer this for me is the one person I have been
avoiding since returning to Sanctuary.

Calling Martina to sit with the children,
Gabriel comes in with her. His response takes me aback and I
realize my thoughts must have registered with him. “He wouldn’t
have gone into the woods, Mia, he was feeling guilty enough; he
would have never risked them like that. Have you asked Reginald if
he saw him?”

“I’ll catch up with him after I see
Marlena.”

“Come on, we’ll go together I don’t want you
seeing her alone. Did Jeff give you any indication as to whether
they believed David got bit?”

“He said they hadn’t confirmed anything, but
I’m hoping he did.”

“She refuses to speak to any of us. The only
way we have gotten any information from her at all is my
eavesdropping into her mind.”

“Well then you will just have to eavesdrop
again. Although she can refuse to answer me, once I ask the
question, she probably can’t force her mind not to think of the
answer. Does she even know what you can do?”

“No, I don’t believe so. We have been very
careful around her, none of us even speak within earshot.”

“Good, then she won’t even have a reason to
block her thoughts.”

As we race toward the restricted building,
Gabriel calls Reginald to have him meet us.

Before we even stop walking, Gabriel asks
Reginald the question. “Did you see Lucas in the area before Kayla
came bolting out?”

“No, I didn’t see anyone in the area, at
least not in the front of the cabin where I was. I thought I heard
some rustling in the woods behind, but I was concentrating so much
on keeping the spells focused around the cabin and trying to hear
what was going on inside, that I wasn’t really focusing on the
outside. Despite that I would have smelled if Lucas or any of us
were in the area, I have become very attune to everyone here, I
could probably pick up your scents anywhere.”

Then he turns to me. “There must be something
much more important than your asking me if Lucas was in the woods
to get you away from the children considering what they are going
through now, why are we outside of this building?”

“I need to see if Marlena can confirm whether
or not David was ever bitten by a werewolf and survived. If he was
then I’m hoping that maybe there is something in his blood that can
save Lucas.” Without another word, he opens the door and we go up
to her room.

Forgetting that Marlena still looks like me,
I gasp as I meet her eyes. A shrewd grin crosses her lips. Taking a
moment to regain my composure, I don’t want to give her a chance to
think or throw me off so I throw the question out right away.
“Marlena I need to know if David was ever bitten by a
werewolf.”

Her face registers her shock at my question
before her expression turns impassive. Staring at her, I only hope
her mind is recalling the incident.

Gabriel touches my back gently and we leave.
He can’t contain his smile any longer. “You were absolutely
correct. Despite her stoic appearance, her mind raced to a time
when she was pleading with the others to help David. He was
bitten.”

Excited I turn to Reginald. “When you tested
his blood, you said there were abnormalities, could they be the key
to helping Lucas?”

Before he can answer, Gabriel’s hand is on my
arm. “Mia, Marlena was bit as well.”

“She survived too! We have to find out what
they did so we can help Lucas.”

“Mia, they didn’t do anything. Her mind was
still racing, that’s why I didn’t have you leave right away. She
was remembering how surprised she was when they were still alive a
few days after the bite had healed because normally vampires are
dead within a day or two.”

“If they didn’t do anything, how did they
survive?”

“It had to be something in their chemical
makeup when they transformed. Hopefully, whatever it is remains in
their blood.”

As he says this, an awful thought strikes me
and I sink to the floor. “Mia what’s wrong?”

“There chemical makeup has changed. I tainted
their blood and killed David. My blood could have destroyed
whatever allowed them to survive.”

Lifting me off the floor, he tries to sound
reassuring. “That may not be true. We have found things in their
blood that we cannot explain; things that are beyond what happens
after a vampire conversion.”

“Has their blood revealed anything?”

“Not yet, but as Marlena was thinking about
the incident, I had an idea. I need to get some of the blood that
we have stored from David and get it into Lucas. You should go back
to the residency in case the children wake up.”

Reginald interrupts. “You should also take
some of Marlena’s blood, it may be stronger since she survived and
where she did not drink as much of Mia’s.”

“That’s a good idea but I don’t have time to
fight with her, can you get hers so I can start Lucas on this
treatment quickly? He was not doing so well when I left.” Reginald
nods and Gabriel is off.

Entering the suite, Jacob is awake. “Were you
visiting uncle Lucas, how is he?”

“No I didn’t see Lucas. I went to see someone
else to see if they could help.”

“Did they?”

“We don’t if it will work yet. Uncle Gabriel
and dad are with him. I’m sure they will call us as soon as they
know anything.”

“Mom, can I tell you something?”

“You can tell me anything.”

“I know you don’t believe Nicholas that they
found uncle Lucas like that, but I do. When I was an animal, trying
to track Nicholas and Kayla, I knew what was going on, I could tell
their scents and feel the threat from the others. I would never
have confused Nicholas and Kayla as a threat and I know that they
would have never attacked uncle Lucas or mistaken him as a threat
either. They would have known it was him.” He hesitates, debating
whether to say something, and his voice drops. “I know that you got
hurt when you were with them, but that was when they were
converting back and you were in the way. Nicholas remembers his paw
swiping near you, but he didn’t realize that you were hurt until
dad tried to hide the lash.”

“Jake, I’m not disagreeing with you. Things
aren’t adding up. I’m hoping that Lucas will get better and be able
to give us the answers. Your dad may have even asked him about it
and may have some answers when he gets back, it’s just right now,
they are focused on helping him in any way they can.”

“I understand but how do we help Kayla and
Nicholas to see that everyone knows they didn’t do it. I know how
worried Kayla was about hurting someone. How upset even the thought
made her. Even though she changed into an animal she would have
held on to that fear and her aversion to hurting anyone, especially
her family. That wouldn’t have disappeared. Mom, I don’t care what
she turned into, who she is and what she believes is right and
wrong would not change. She was so lifeless when I saw her, I know
it’s because she fears that everyone believes she did it. We need
to help her.”

“She will be alright. We just need to give
her some time.” Hugging, him I wonder if he is correct. Can animal
instincts overtake their personality and overshadow the love that
is ingrained in them for the people here? I need to talk to Jeff or
Grant. I need to know whether when they turned, they kept any part
of themselves or if that only came later.

“Mom did you hear me?”

“Honey, I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked you if the wolf versions of Kayla or
Nicholas are big or small.”

“Why would you ask me that?”

“It’s just that Uncle Lucas is so tall and
strong, if Nicholas and Kayla are small wolves, wouldn’t he be able
to stop them?”

“Jake, if they both jumped on him or if he
realized it was them, he may have been too stunned to do anything
or may have been afraid that he would hurt them.”

“We didn’t jump him. We didn’t even see him
until we stumbled over him.” Nicholas says coming out of the
bedroom.

“Nicholas, when you changed form, do you
remember thinking like yourself?”

Sitting next to Jacob, I can tell from his
expression he is contemplating my question. “I remember being
afraid and trying to concentrate on you and Grant telling me that
it was alright and you were with me. I focused on fighting the fear
and tried to gain more control over myself, but I was thinking like
me. It feels like the way I’m thinking now. Mom, I knew exactly who
you were, even when I was feeling lost and I knew who Grant and
Jeff were.”

“How did you know what Grant was saying? All
I heard was grunts and growls.”

“I heard him talking not grunting.”

“What about Kayla, did you hear anything from
her?

“For a long time, all she kept saying is ‘I
won’t hurt anyone.’ She kept repeating that until you made her
wobble. After that, she kept saying to herself ‘Don’t move’
instead. I know that when she changed back to herself she says she
doesn’t remember, but I’m telling you that when she was in that
state, even when she was being a little more lively than me, she
was always concerned about doing the right thing and not hurting
anyone. Even if I hadn’t been with her to see that she didn’t do
it, I would know that she couldn’t because she never stopped
worrying about it and she never stopped telling herself stuff so as
not to hurt anyone.”

Something occurs to me. “Nicholas, I need you
to close your eyes and concentrate on only what you saw around,
nothing else.”

Sitting silently for a long time, I can see
from the way his eyelids move that he is envisioning the images,
scanning them carefully. “I see Grant and Jeff. They are standing
before Kayla and me. Kayla is lying beside me and you are sitting
between us.” His head begins moving as if panning the room. “I can
see the walls to the cabin and the board where the window broke.
Jeff is moving toward the door. He’s pacing and his nose is toward
the floor.”

I remember this. “That’s very good. What do
you see next? Remember concentrate only on what you see, nothing
else.”

His head whips sideways. “Kayla has gotten
up, her head is moving around, she is staring at the back window
and then her head whips around to the door. She bolts, knocking
Jeff over and is outside.”

He instinctively stands up but does not open
his eyes. Gently, I guide him back down. “It’s alright. What else
do you see?”

“I push past Reginald. Kayla is out in front
of me. She’s moving quickly through the trees and underbrush. I can
see the forest. It doesn’t appear as dark as it usually does to
me.” He’s up again, his eyes flying open. “I saw something ahead of
Kayla, but it was only a shadow. She was chasing someone.” He says
breathlessly.