Sekhmet's Curse (Pearl Vampire Chronicles) (32 page)

“I had to come here and see you first before I
go and talk to Matt.  God, I missed you so much, Sarah,” he whispered as he pulled his shirt over his head.  I arched my back and groaned as he began kissing my
neck.

             
We both cried out and then collapsed onto the bed.  We rolled onto our sides and Carlos pulled me in close to him.
  I was blissfully happy….for a moment.  I tried to hold it in, but the crying couldn’t be stopped.  Carlos tried to make me smile by making a joke, “That bad, huh?  I’ll try to do better next time.”

I wiped a tear from the bridge of my nose and tried a feeble attempt at a laugh.  He quietly handed me the box of tissues that I now kept by the bed, ever since I started crying tears again.  I didn’t want to get the sheets bloody.  He kissed my cheek, “
Aww
, honey.  It’ll be okay.
  I’ll bring him back.”

“But what if you can’t, Carlos?
  What if he comes back different?  What if he doesn’t love me?
What if he hates both of us?  Or what if he loves me but isn’t okay with you and me anymore?”

“Sweetheart.
  You’ve got to stop doing this.  I will do everything that I can to bring him back the same as he was.  If he isn’t then we’ll deal with it, together.”

“Okay.” I said, choking back sobs, “Where, where are you going to talk to him?”

“In here.  I need him somewhere where there are a lot of familiar things around him, but also a place that I can keep him from escaping if he freaks out.  Do you know if he’s well enough to leave the clinic yet?”

“I’m not sure.  We had an incident yesterday.”

“An incident?
  What happened?”

“Well.  He peed.”

Carlos shot up in the bed, “Shut up!  He did not!”

I nodded my head, “Yes he did.  I was there.  He filled two and a half bed pans.”

“Holy shit.
  So he’s changing somehow?  Does Cameron have any idea what it is?”

“He thinks it might be because of all the
s
eraphim
blood that’s in him right now.”

“And you?  You’re feeding on Aquila.  Are you changing at all?”

“Well.  There are the tears.”

“Yeah.
  But that happened before all of this.  Is there anything else?”

I hesitated slightly.  Carlos crossed his arms across his chest.  “Sarah,” he said like an angry father, “tell me.”

“Well.  My boobs hurt. 
I a
lmost
feel
like I’m about
to get my period.”

“Have you talked to Cameron about this?”

I shook my head.

“So you’re going to talk to Cameron about this, today
,
”
he said.
  It was a statement, not a question.

I nodded my head.

He kissed my forehead, “Good.  Now
how about you introduce me to
my best friend, Matt
,
o
kay?”

I nodded, “Okay,” I said as I threw the covers off of me then I gasped.  The sheets between my legs were soaked with blood.  Carlos gasped
, “Dios Mio,” he muttered
.
.
 

“Honey, calm down.
  Could you please bring me a towel from the bathroom?” I said as calmly as I could.  He did and I wadded it up between my legs.  I pulled the sheets off of the bed and was glad to see that I had caught it before the blood soaked through to the mattress.  I took the sheet into the bathroom and rinsed the blood out in the sink then threw it in the hamper.  Then I climbed into the shower.  Carlos just stood in the doorway watching me.  “I’m okay honey.  Really I am.”

“Bullshit.  When you get out of the shower, you and
I are going to see Cameron right now.”

“But you need to talk to Matt.”

“Sarah.  You’re passing out when you stop yourself during feeding.  You throw up.  You’re crying bloody tears.  And now you’ve apparently got your period again.  You are not okay.  For a vampire, you are not okay at all.  I will talk to Matt
,
AFTER
we talk to Cameron
, understood?
”

I quietly nodded as I climbed out of the shower.  I dried off then grabbed more tissues to put between my legs, got dressed and we headed to the clinic together.

             
“Well,” Cameron said as he guided the ultrasound over my abdomen, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it appears that your ovaries and uterus are functioning again.”

“Oh is that all,” I said sarcastically.

“Well, not exactly.  I’m hearing digestive noises in your stomach and intestines too.”

“You are not.”

“Yes I am.”

I looked from Cameron to Carlos and back again several times.  Suddenly an idea popped into my
head, “Cameron, check him too, would
ya
?” I said as I tilted my chin towards Carlos.

“What?  Me? 
Why me?”
Carlos said.

“Because that shot that Cam gave you was a highly concentrated dose of mine and Aquila’s
blood,
was it not?  Matt’s peeing again.  I’ve got my period.  I want to see if you’re having any symptoms too.”

“Sarah’s right
,” Cameron said as he started rummaging through the cupboards.  “Here, Sarah.  I don’t have many of these around, but I do have a few for our human patients,” he said as he handed me a box of tampons.  “Gee, thanks
,
”
I mumbled as I grabbed them.

“Don’t mention it.  Now, Carlos, it’s your turn.”

“I’ll be right back.”  I ducked down the hall and into the restroom.  As I walked back in, Cameron was moving the ultrasound wand over Carlos’ abdomen.  “I really did not miss having to do that.  Hey doc, is it a boy or a girl?” I said, smiling.

“Ha
ha
,” Carlos said.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Cameron said.

“I’ll be damned, what
,
Cameron?” Carlos said.

“
Your s
tomach and intestines have blood flowing
through them again.”

“You mean, I could
eat
something?
  Yuck, I think I’m going to
puke
.”

“Welcome to the club,” I said then I turned to Cameron, “Are these changes permanent Doc?”

“I’m not sure.  But we do need to know how far they are going to go.  Let’s take Matt some breakfast this morning.  I want to see how he does with it.”

“Really?
  Okay.  And when can you release him?  Carlos needs to break the news to him that he’s a vampire in a controlled environment.”

“Why?”

“Why?  In case he freaks out and tries to escape.”

“No, I mean why do you have to tell him he’s a vampire?  Right now, he’s not exhibiting any signs that he is, so why tell him now?”

Carlos looked at me.  I shrugged my shoulders.  “I suppose you’re right.  But we do need him in a familiar environment, surrounded by pictures from his past, to try to help him get his memory back.”

“Okay.  You can take him for a few hours, but then I want him back here for more tests.”

“Thanks Cam.”

Carlos and I headed out.  I stopped by the kitchen and picked up some breakfast for Matt.  Surprisingly, it didn’t smell too bad.  Matt’s face lit up as I walked up to his bedside, “Sarah! 
So nice to see you again.
  And you brought me food.  Now you’re definitely my favorite person,” he said then he looked at Carlos. He stared at him for a few seconds, frowning slightly.  You could see that he could feel something familiar but couldn’t quite grasp what it was.
  Finally he said, “I know you, don’t I?”

Carlos
grinned
his familiar grin as he stuck his hand out, “You do.  I’m Carlos, Matt. It’s nice to meet you again.
”

Mat shook his hand, “Carlos,” he said, frowning as he tried really hard to remember, “Carlos, Carlos.”

Suddenly he shook his head, “No, damn it, no.  I’ve got nothing.  I mean, I can feel that I should know you
But
there’s nothing there.  I can’t remember anything.  Fuck!”

I put my hand on his shoulder, “Matt.  It’s okay.  You just woke up a few days ago.  Give it a little time.  It’ll come to you.”

“She’s right buddy.  Give it a little time.   It’ll come
back to you. 
Besides, with all of the crazy adventures that you and I have had, it’s probably best that it doesn’t come back all at once.  It might be a little overwhelming for you.”

Matt looked frustrated for a moment, then nodded his head and licked his lips as he looked at the tray that I held in my hands, “What have you got for me, Sarah?”

I pulled the lid off the tray, expecting to have to hide my grimace, but surprised when it actually smelled
goo
d,
“
I bypassed breakfast and went straight for the good stuff -
Hamburger and French fries,” I
said
,smiling
.

Matt sat up in bed as I rearranged the pillows behind him, “Thanks, Sarah,” he said, blushing slightly.  He pulled the tray a little closer, picked up the burger and licked his lips as he slowly moved it towards his mouth.  His mouth opened and he was just about to take his first bite, when he stopped.  He looked from Carlos
,
to my face and back again, “Ummm, is there some reason you’re staring
like that
?”

“Sorry,” Carlos said, “It’s just, it’s just that it looks so
freaking
delicious.”  

Carlos turned his surprised face towards mine.  I nodded my head then blushed as my stomach growled, “Sorry,” I mumbled.

Matt held the burger out towards
me
,
“Would you like a bite?”

I hesitated as I glanced at Carlos.  Cameron’s voice behind me made me jump, “Go ahead, Sarah,” he said
to quietly for Matt to hear
.

I turned around and looked at him, “You’re sure?”
I mouthed.

Cameron nodded and I turned back to Matt.  “You’re sure you don’t mind?”

He pushed it towards me again, “Not at all.  Please, go ahead.”

I could hear Carlos lick his lips as he watched me lean down.  I looked at Matt and our eyes locked as
I placed my hand on top of his but then m
y eyes
closed as I reached the burger and bit down.  My
tastebuds
exploded in my mouth. 
“Oh my God.
  That’s the best burger I’ve ever tasted,” I groaned.  I wiped a drop of catsup off the corner of my mouth and licked it off of my finger.  I finally opened my eyes as I swallowed and that’s when I saw them.  Both Matt
and Carlos were staring, no
, leering
, at me.  Matt had pulled his knees up on the bed and Carlos had moved so that he was slightly behind me.  Carlos’ voice popped into my head, ‘
Holy shit, Sarah.  That was so fucking hot.  I am completely turned on right now.’

‘
I can tell,’
I thought.

“How about I get us a couple of burgers too, then we can go have a picnic out by the waterfall.  Sound good?”
Carlos
said
.

I looked at Cameron, “Is Matt cleared to go outside for a little while?”

Cameron nodded, “For a few minutes, yes.  But don’t keep him out too long.”

“I won’t.”

“Am I allowed to go to the bathroom now or do I still need to use a bed pan?” Matt said.

“You can use the bathroom.  But don’t go by yourself.  Have Sarah help you, and don’t lock the door
.”

Matt nodded.  I pulled the tray out of the way.  I clasped one
of his
hand
s
in mine as I
slid
my other
arm around behind him as he tossed off the covers and turned sideways until his feet were hanging
down.  “Ready?” I said.

He nodded then slowly
stepped down.  His free hand moved back to the bed as his knees buckled, but it was
n’t
necessary.  I held firmly and kept him upright.  Matt looked a little stunned as he said, “You must work out.  You’re a lot stronger than you look.”

We slowly made our way to the bathroom.  As we got to the door, we both knew that he wasn’t going to be able to get himself the rest of the way
in
on his own, let alone stand in front of the toilet. 
His
legs had no strength at all.
  “How about if I help you sit?” I said.