All Hail the Heartbreaker chapter 6
Disclaimer: i own nothing but my ideas.
A/N: Well sorry for how long it has taken me to update, and a second sorry as this is actually only half the chapter. I promised no whining so i won't tell you my tale of woe ;-). i do hope that i can type the rest of the chap up swiftly. Thank you again for all your comments and i am very sorry for not replying to everyone last time.
Thank you as ever to Aida for helping me with this chapter, her advise, insights and ability to put up with my mood swings and temper are invaluable.
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
Chapter four
Chapter five part one
Chapter five part two
Chapter 6 - I know a girl with a golden touch.
Rachel's POV
I hate hospitals. I hate the memories, the smell and I hate the staring. It's as if being in hospital turns you into some rarely seen exotic animal. My chest and face ached and each breath felt laboured, but I was at least sitting up now instead of lying on my back fighting to fill my lungs I shuddered at the memories of watching my father die like that.
Ivy hadn't been here when I woke up, but I could have sworn it was her who had woken me. Dr. Mape had resorted to letting Jenks along with Cali and Serena into the room in order to convince me that Ivy wasn't here. Mape was shooing them out as I clasped Ivy's coat. It had been beside me on the bed. I was wearing the latest in hospital fashion - the ever attractive backless gown.
"Who attacked you?" At least she waited till we were alone to start the questioning. Mape's voice was curious, her eyes pinning me in place as if readying a specimen for dissection. My fingers clenched the jacket tighter.
"I don't know. I didn't get a name" Oh yeah, covering up fear with bravado, a Rachel Morgan classic. Speaking hurt, a lot. I could feel something grinding in my cheek. My words sounded slurred as my swollen face struggled to cope with talking. The left side of my face felt the worst and I was sure I had at least one black eye.
"If you're in an abusive relationship I suggest you get out now. I doubt you'll survive next time, but then this is the second time I've treated you and both times I've been surprised by your ability to survive."
"Ivy didn't do this and we're not, our relationship isn't like that." Mape raised her eyebrows and looked pointedly at the jacket currently clutched in my hands. I felt my face heat up and I let go of the material. The leather had smelled of Ivy's ash and incense scent, it was comforting.
"You never did tell me why it was you survived the banshee attack."
My face felt like it was on fire. I didn't want to talk anymore, I just wanted to sleep. No that wasn't true, I wanted Ivy sat beside me while I slept. The first time I met Doctor Mape was after I had been attacked by a banshee and her baby. The banshee - Mia had attacked Glenn nearly killing him. Banshees are class A predators more than a match for any human, only vampires were able to compete with them, and even Ivy was nearly killed by Mia. The I.S didn't want to get involved and the F.I.B couldn't handle it. So Eden had called Ivy and me into help.
The situation had been complicated by the fact Ivy had given Mia a wish. In fact she gave her the wish from the leprechaun that I let go the night we decided to quit the I.S. That wish had allowed Mia to have a child, something which was rare and difficult for banshees. Legally banshees are allowed to feed off the emotions generated by large crowds. But that's a thin meal, what they really feed off is auras. And banshee children need a lot of food. It's impossible for them to become full and until the age of five they lack the ability to control their powers. Anyone they touch, they feed off and will normally drain a person's aura long after the point of death until nothing remained.
Not realising the danger, I had taken Holly when Mia past her to me, thinking Mia was surrendering. Holly had drained my aura as her mother stood impassively watching just as she had done to Glenn. However while Glenn slipped into a coma and took over a week to recover enough to leave hospital. I had been awake and escaping the hospital a few hours later - albeit in a wheelchair.
"It was nothing to do with me. I had a banshee tear in my pocket. When my aura grew thin the baby switched to the banshee tear because it was easier to draw on." I explained reluctantly. I had passed out and Mia had fled with Holly thinking I was dead.
She nodded thoughtfully. "And what was it that saved you this time? By the time you reached the hospital you should have been dead, not stable enough to wait around for a doctor to turn up."
I licked my lips, I couldn't taste Ivy's blood on them anymore. It had been incredible just like Ivy, scaring me and making me feel alive at the same time.
"Here take a drink." I blinked, Mape was holding a glass of water with a straw. I blushed sucking on the straw, I had zoned out remembering how good Ivy tasted. Thank the turn Mape mistook it for thirst.
"What did Ivy say?" it was always best to ensure your lies matched.
"She said you were still alive because you work hard at it."
I tried to laugh and ended up whimpering in pain and gasping for air. Crap on daisies, I hated being this weak.
Mape adjusted the drip and I grimaced as she brought out a syringe. "I've upped your morphine but that means you need another anti sickness injection." What was it with humans and their medicine always wanting to stick you full of needles?
I didn't really feel up to talking, so instead I tried to gesture towards my bag that Cali had brought in earlier.
"Do you want your bag?" I gave a tiny movement that might generously be called a nod. She looked at me with the deep suspicion of a doctor who knows the patient will run the first chance they get and made no move towards my bag.
The pain meds were making the world soft around the edges but I still winced as I tried to speak. "I have a pain amulet in there."
"I'm guessing you made it yourself?"
"mmhmm"
She strode over to my stuff and opened up my bag. Taking the charm out, she carefully examined it, weighing it up in her hands. I wished she would just hurry up and hand it over already. She met my eyes with that look of detached curiosity again. "You regularly carry around a pain charm?"
I tried to smile at her but quickly stopped at the pain in my face went from dull to agonising. "It's been a rough couple of years."
Her eyes flicked over me again. "Yes, I suppose it has. But I'm afraid I can't allow you to self-administer and as a human I cannot prescribe inderlander treatments."
My heart dropped as I realised there would be no pain relief that didn't involve needles or being as high as a kite. I wondered how long it would be before Ivy could get me out of here. The thought made me clutch Ivy's jacket close again. Screw what Mape thought I wanted my best friend.
"She brought me in, didn't she?" My voice sounded far away and I worried it was no longer connected to my body. Mape glanced at the jacket twisted in my fingers
"Ivy?"
I gave a half nod stopping as the movement caused the room to spin. And Mape was there, pushing me down as the bed moved back to being flat.
"Your blood pressure's dropping again you need to lie back down and try to stay calm. I need to check your stitches; you cannot risk moving your neck too much." Lying on the bed made my back twinge and it felt as if another weight had been placed on my chest. But it was the pull between my legs that had me fighting back tears. I wouldn't cry, damn it, I had sworn on my 7th birthday never to cry in front of a doctor ever again.
"Does she know?" I swallowed and starred up at the ceiling, "Does Ivy know everything that happened to me?"
"She told me you were raped." Her voice became soft, quieter, and somehow private. "I have treated the cuts and everything will heal." She paused as if expecting a response, I just kept staring at the ceiling, I could see streaks of colour moving across it now. "Miss Tamwood said you didn't want to press charges but I carried out a rape kit. If you want me to call the F.I.B I will."
I dragged my eyes away from the colours, my horrified eyes met compassionate grey ones. I felt sick. I wanted to shed my skin. The kits were in some ways worse than the rape. Cold clinical fingers running over everything. Taking samples of fluids, digging under your fingernails, sometimes even taking samples of your pubic hair. Exposing every inch of you to the light and photographing it. Oh Jesus, she had taken photos! My stomach heaved, a bowl appeared under my chin as pain blinded me and I passed out.
I came round as Mape was cleaning me up. "Give me the photos."
"You need to calm down." Her hands were on me trying to keep me still.
"Serena! Cali!" I couldn't shout properly and their names slurred. But they charged in, Jenks leading the way sword drawn. Three worried and confused sets of eyes swept the tiny room. "There's a camera, photos. I need to destroy them now."
Serena went left and Cali went right, searching the cupboards and drawers.
"If you just calm down I'll get them for you." Mape was still in front of me trying to stop me from getting up.
"What did you do to her you lunker?" Jenks flew protectively between Mape and me.
"Oh god." Serena was holding a large brown bag. She looked from the bag to me and I saw her nostrils twitch. I felt naked as she met my eyes. They held no pity only understanding and I felt stronger. I couldn't handle pity. I just wanted to pretend nothing had happened till I got back to the church and I could quietly lose it without anyone seeing. Wordlessly, she handed me the bag.
The memory card was in it along with my clothes and the samples Mape had taken. I tapped the line, grateful that someone had removed that bracelet.
"Celero inanio" the bag burst into flames. They burnt my hand and spread to the bed but it didn't matter.
"Rachel stop!" Cali shouted fear clear in her voice.
"Someone get a fire extinguisher." Mape ordered.
I dropped my connection to the line. The bag was nothing but a pile of ash, the spell had been a demon curse and I accepted the smut for it. I was so used to smut coating my soul that it didn't even hurt, or maybe it was just that there were so many painkillers running through my blood stream. My left hand felt swollen and tight, the skin shiny. Moving it hurt, everything hurt, and I wanted Ivy. I wanted to go home.
I pulled Ivy's jacket up, hugging it close to me as Serena put out the smouldering parts of the bed. Mape moved towards me her hand outstretched. "Rhombus." A lose circle erupted around me. An undrawn circle like this would never stop a demon, but it was good enough to push Serena away and stop a doctor. Looking at the golden black circle I was surprised it wasn't even a real circle instead it was an oval shape, conforming to the shape of the hospital bed.
"Where's Ivy? I want Ivy!" Everything would be fine if Ivy was here. "She's meant to be here. She's always here."
"Call Ivy, tell her she needs to hurry her ass up." Jenks wings were high pitched and I wished he'd stop, such a pretty pixy but my ears hurt.
I could see Cali outside my circle nodding and pulling out her phone. Ivy would come and then everything would be right, we'd go back to the church and eat ice cream and nothing would change.
The high pitched clatter of wings pulled my eyes away from Cali. "Rache, look at me." I blinked in surprise as I tried to focus on my friend, he was right in front of me. How had he got inside my circle? I had set a circle hadn't I? "Ivy's on her way. She's going to be here soon but you need to calm down. And drop this circle you know Ivy doesn't like it when she can't get to you. You know how badly your emotions affect Ivy. You need to be calm so that she can see you."
"Do you think she'll still love me Jenks?" My voice was barely a whisper, only meant for him to hear.
"Don't be silly, Rache. She will never stop loving you. Why don't you let the doc take care of your hand and I'll put you on the phone with Ivy, alright?" his fatherly voice was gentle and coaxing.
I dropped the circle and held out my hand, I wanted to hear my best friend's voice. I looked towards Cali eagerly but her face was white as she stood still and silent. Her tongue ran along her lips and she met my eyes with a look of sympathy that felt like a punch to the gut.
"Ivy's here. Something went wrong and now she's in the ER."
"You're wrong." Everyone looked at me. "Things don't go wrong on Ivy's runs, she plans the fun out of them. "
The door burst open, the harried looking nurse paused, blinking at the number of people packed into the room. "Doctor, Lipsky needs your help next door. The patients a vamp and he's panicking."
For a moment the room hung still and soft. Before suddenly becoming a frenzy of activity, Mape striding out of the door as Jenks wings blurred into nothingness as he sped after her, Cali and Serena glancing at each other before hurrying to catch up.
I lay alone on my bed staring at the open door. It wasn't Ivy, it couldn't be. I was the one that ended up in hospital and Ivy took care of me, not the other way around. But she could get hurt. I thought of finding her on the church steps after Piscary had abused her, of holding her in my arms after Mia had attacked us and fed of Ivy. And of watching her lie on the floor of the sanctuary as two white spells thrown by a coven witch sent to kill me slowly stopped her heart.
No. Ivy was fine and I would prove it. I would get up and walk into that room and show them it wasn't Ivy. I just had to get out of bed.
It had taken me several minutes to fall ungracefully out of bed but at least I had managed it. Thank the turn Mape hadn't put the safety rails up on the side of the bed or I never would have gotten out.
I was grateful for the handrails on the wall. Without them I wouldn't be upright. I clung to them as I tried to walk. My breath wheezed and whistled as I hauled in each lungful of antiseptic smelling air. I felt like I was seven again, stuck in hospital unable to move without help as my body fought itself. I could see my friends crowding round a set of double doors. I just had to make it there, and then I could rest.
I dragged myself towards them, watching as Jenks wings faltered and he sat heavily on Serena's shoulder as they stood silent and still. It didn't mean anything because that wasn't Ivy in there. I pushed myself away from the wall stumbling into Cali, her hands tried to straighten me and I batted them away, falling through the double doors.
Serena grabbed my arm, jerking me upright before I could face plant on the cold floor. My shoulder was screaming in protest at the treatment, and the world swam before my eyes. I struggled to see the bed so that I could prove it wasn't Ivy.
My eyes caught black leather boots and I followed them upwards to ripped leather jeans that glistened thickly before giving way to skin marred with large angry bruises. Blood spilled from wounds, there was at least one bullet wound and I was glad this wasn't Ivy.
Legs turned into a stomach of firm muscles, more bruises and angry blood filled slashes were here. The stomach became tempting breasts, a long slender neck and then finally a face.
My heart stopped, the air became thin and I staggered forward. Serena held me back and I watched as Ivy's body contorted, electricity pouring into her body.
"Nothing, it's not working. She is too far gone." The frustrated voice was male, an older man ran his hand through his greying hair. Holding the paddles of the crash cart away from everybody with the other hand.
"Charge the paddles, we'll try one more time." It was Mape's voice this time.
"Let her go. She's a vamp. Whatever we do she's still going to get up and walk away. We have patients who need us, patients who won't wake up tomorrow if we don't treat them."
"Get out. I don't want that attitude in here." Fire flashed in Mape's eyes as she glared at the older doctor.
"We both know we can't help her now. It's too late, that was the eighth time we've shocked her and there's been no response. Tell me how likely it is a ninth time will work?" Frost filled his voice as he refused to back down.
Mape's head dropped. "Fine. Time of dea-"
"No. no no no. Ivy isn't dead." I felt weak, the world was grey. I needed to be strong I had to keep going, I grabbed for something, anything to keep myself going. Ley line energy flowed into me unusually strong and warm. Embracing it gratefully, I wrapped it around myself.
"Ms. Morgan. Rachel. I'm sorry but" Mape was trying to be gentle.
"No."
"We did everything we could but in the end she was simply too gravely injured." She tried to reason with me.
"I don't know how to save her soul." Mape looked perplexed at my words.
"You mean you have been trying to find a way for her to retain -"
I staggered forward again and this time Serena didn't stop me, instead helping me move to the bed. It wasn't real. Ivy couldn't die, were would she live when she woke up? If she died then I could never go back to the church, it wouldn't be home without her. I couldn't look at the evidence of our entwined lives and know I would never see her sat at the baby grand in the sanctuary, sunlight pouring through the windows as she eyed the piano with naked love. We'd both be homeless. Maybe we could find a place together? Laughter threatened and I choked it down.
I leaned on the bed, my hands shaking and my chest protesting. I ran my fingers gently down Ivy's cheek and across silken lips.
"Ms. Morgan. You need to -"
"Leave her be." Jenks voice sounded broken.
The skin was so soft. My hand trailed down her neck and over the exposed flesh of her breasts. My fingers circled the painful looking burns from the defibrillator. Her chest was still, unmoving. Her heart didn't beat and her lungs didn't move. She would sleep like this until morning when she would rise undead. Unfeeling. Unable to live in a church with a witch and a pixy, I couldn't let that happen.
The ley line beat against my head and I forced it down, through my hands and into Ivy. The line ran through me like fire as I pulled more and more, trying to shove it into her heart. Ivy's body arched beneath me as I filled her with the line and willed her to live. I could hear the doctors and nurses trying to get past Cali and Serena, so they could stop me. It wasn't working, it had to work.
"Don't leave me, I need you. Please, Ivy, I promise things will be different. I love you." I leaned over kissing her, tasting my own tears. My heart stuttered as the line looped from Ivy to me and I forced it back into Ivy.
Her heart stuttered with mine.
I gave a muffled cry, pulling away and the loop broke. Her heart thumped once more and stopped. I crushed our lips together and tried to get closer. Hands helped me on to the bed, I ignored the agony in my body as I pushed myself flush against Ivy, my arms going around her holding her tightly. The power looped through us once more. It was almost like a power pull. Power pulls took two withes though, pulling the ley line energy from ones chi and then pushing it back as they pulled. It was intimate, more intimate than sex in some ways and witches often combined the two. The power roared between us, my heart stuttered and struggled to beat, and so did Ivy's. Her chest began to rise and fall with mine.
Slowly my heart found a rhythm and pulled Ivy's along with it. Hesitantly, I dropped my connection to the line, ready to grab it again in an instant. Gently my lips moved away from her and then giving into my desire I swiftly kissed her. Too tired to move I lay there half on top of Ivy, I knew I had to move off her. I was pretty sure if a demon turned up trying to drag me off to the ever after I wouldn't even have been able to set a circle. My whole body felt numb - something I was very grateful for. For some reason I didn't think this had done my battered ribs any good.
"Fucking hell she really is breathing again!" I didn't even have the energy to feel annoyed at the doctor pushing me out of the way slightly, so he could manually check Ivy's pulse even as the machine beeped away merrily. "Heart rates steady but high for a vamp. What the turn did she do?"
"My god they'd all been saying she was a black witch, I didn't belive'm but how else could she have done it." The voice was one of the nurses I felt a vague flutter of anger at being called a black witch but it was too much effort to act on it right now.
"Rachel." Doctor Mape's voice was coming from the left. Groaning slightly, I managed to move my head enough to look at her. I felt a hundred and fifty years old. Although if Al was right I'd only just be middle aged by then. A light shone in my eyes and I winced. The light retreated and short fingers pressed against my neck. "Are you in any pain?"
"Just tired."
"Do you think you can get up for me? We need to treat your … Ivy." Was it wrong that I felt a flash of pride at hearing her called that?
Mape's arm helped me up. The movement caused me to realise two things. The first was that the backless hospital robe had meant I had just flashed my ass to everyone as I lay on top of Ivy. And second, everyone included Ivy's mother.
Chapter six part two
My uncle died suddenly this week, (and unfortunately if you live in the u.k then you may have heard it reported on the news and have an opinion on it). My uncle was nuts and in a family of stubborn people he was renowned for his stubbornness. But the thing i learnt from him was that the risks are worth it, let people think your mad as long as you love what you're doing it doesn't matter. They judge you no matter what, so why not tell them to go fuck themselves and carry on doing what you want. While it's perhaps not the best advice it is advice I think everyone should follow every now and then.