The wind outside howled loudly, slamming the shutters against the windows.
"She was never a very healthy girl," the older woman said faintly, in a tired, hollow manner that spoke of having nearly burned out on worry. "Always anemic."
"That doesn't explain anything," the doctor insisted. "Speaking as her physician, I can say she was always tired, but always strong as well. This malady passes beyond my understanding, the only thing I can do is consult with my fellow doctors. One should be here shortly."
The sharp clang of a bell cut through the scene conviently enough and the doctor rose up and passed to the doors.
"That should be him now," he said as he opened the door to a grim faced old man and a young girl at his side.
The old man walked in swiftly, betraying a surprising amount of energy for someone of his apparent age.
"Dr. Van Helsing," the doctor said in a relieved tone of voice. "I'm grateful you could come at so short notice. Madame, I am pleased to introduce you to my good friend Dr. Van Helsing and his..."
"This is my grandaughter," Van Helsing said. "Integra. She is learning something of the family business."
"A woman doctor?" the older woman said, sounding scandalized. "Whoever heard of such a thing."
"Many cultures over many times," Van Helsing said. "But that is not important, show me to the patient. Integra, come along."
Integra watched closely as she and her grandfather were ushered up to the patient's room. The silent, light-haired girl couldn't help but feel a slight pang of pity as she looked on the girl, lying listless and weak on the bed, her breath wheezing weakly and loudly through her lips.
Her grandfather slowed as he saw the girl as well, and that caught Integra by surprise. Had he seen something unexpected? He usually went right to a patient's side in this case. She watched, curiously as her father kneeled and examined the patient, careful not to wake her up.
"The case is not hopeless," Van Helsing said quickly, "But we must be swift, I'll need to feed her first. Go to the kitchen, find a slab of meat and wring the blood from it."
"The blood...?"
"She needs the nutrients but she won't be able to digest the meat, no hurry!" Van Helsing explained to the doctor.
As soon as the other doctor had gone, Van Helsing turned to his granddaughter.
"This is a most dangerous situation we have walked in upon," Van Helsing said.
"What is different between this and the other vampire victims we've handled," Integra asked.
"This one was a vampire before she was attacked," Van Helsing said to the eternal shock of his granddaughter.
"What?" Integra said, surprised. "And you wish to save her?"
"Softly," Van Helsing said. "I'll explain shortly, but we must keep a low profile or our guests will hear."
"What's going on, grandfather?" Integra asked.
"Some thousands of years ago," Van Helsing said, wiping the sweat from the forehead of the victim. "A vampire defeated the curse of the undead in some manner. He came back to God and his flesh and blood were again filled with true life. He kept much of his vampiric abilities but no longer was tainted by evil or the urge to feed. And their were other things besides."
Van Helsing paused and looked seriously toward his granddaughter.
"That vampire had children afterwards and they shared some of his abilities," Van Helsing continued. "This continued for some time, and once or twice another vampire freed themselves from the curse in the same way. In time many such living vampires existed, and the majority became great hunters of the evils that try to leak into this world. This girl is one of those living vampires."
"Then why haven't the family done anything?" Integra demanded. "Why are they calling doctors if..."
"Probably because they do not know," Van Helsing said. "The girl is adopted, she herself might not know. It would explain why she was unpreparred for the initial assault, but this makes the situation more serious than anything we've had before. If this one dies, she'll become something that we do not yet have words for."
Van Helsing looked back across the room toward...
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(Posted Wed, 02 Feb 2005 20:05)
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