Blood Donor
Chapter 19
Frank is sick, and I can’t help but feel like it’s my fault. I took too much blood from him, so his immune system wasn’t able to keep up. He insists that his immune system is shit anyway and he’s surprised he hasn’t gotten sick before now, but that just makes me feel worse. I took a guy who’s prone to illness and made him even unhealthier.
I’ve been taking care of him for three days, and he still has a high fever. He can’t keep anything besides broth down, and he sounds like death when he talks. I stay by his side nonstop, except for when I need to get him something. I just can’t stand to see him like this.
He’s sleeping now, occasionally mumbling in his sleep. I think I’ve heard my name a couple times, and it makes me pretty happy. I stroke his hair and hum softly, not wanting to wake him. Unfortunately it doesn’t work. His eyelids flutter before he gives a small groan and opens them. His eyes have that sheen to them that only sick people have. I lean down and kiss his forehead.
“Sorry I woke you up. I was trying to be quiet.”
He smiles a little, “It’s okay. I wasn’t in a very heavy sleep anyway.”
His voice is clearer than it has been. That’s good, I guess, “Still, you need your rest.”
He coughs and winces, “What I need is a couple Advil. I hate being sick.”
“I’ll get them.” I get up and walk into the bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet above the sink and shaking two of the little pills onto my hand. Then I walk back to him and let the pills fall into his hand.
He smiles and swallows them with the glass of water that is on the bedside table. Them he looks at me, his face morphing into worry. I raise an eyebrow at him, and he reaches up to touch my neck.
“Gee…That doesn’t look like it’s gotten any better.”
That’s because it hasn’t. A whole week has passed and it still hurts like a bitch. And for some reason it won’t scab up. I constantly have to dab at it to remove the disgusting black liquid that seeps from inside. Just another reminder of what a monster I am. I’ll deal with it, though. I can’t drink from Frank in his condition. It would be morally wrong. I shrug and gently lift his hand from my neck.
“Just let me give you some blood. I’ll be fine, promise.” It’s the same line he’s been feeding me since it happened. I don’t even justify him with an answer. He knows what I’m going to say. A pout slowly crawls onto his face, “You worry about me, but you won’t let me worry about you.”
I kiss his bottom lip, “That’s because I’m a lot stronger than you. I can take a little cut. If you got hurt like this you’d be dead in a matter of hours.”
“But I didn’t get hurt like that. I have a cold. Why won’t you just…”
He’s cut off by the ringing of the doorbell. It’s such a rare sound that we both freeze before I get up to answer it. I find the bushy haired guy on the other side. What was his name again? Ray? Yeah, that’s it.
His eyes widen when he sees me, “Whoa, you look like shit.”
I shrug, “A guy can get like that when he has poison shoved against his throat. What’s up?”
“Is Frank home?”
“He’s sick, but yeah. He’s in the bedroom.”
Ray pushes past me, not even bothering to ask permission. I would have let him in anyway, but that was a little rude. I guess he’s just worried about Frank, though, so I follow behind him. He falls down next to the bed and chuckles lightly when he gets there.
“You need to take better care of yourself, Frank.”
Frank rolls his eyes and sits up, “I’m fine. You know as well as I do how often I get sick. It’s Gerard I’m worried about.”
Ray shrugs, “Not to offend anyone, but a bloodsucker’s a bloodsucker to me. Whether he’s your boyfriend or not, I can’t feel much sympathy.”
“Obviously,” I mutter, causing them both to look up at me.
Frank holds up his arms like a small child, “Come here, Gee.”
I decide to freak Ray out and use my full speed to take the two steps across the room. To him it must have looked like I teleported. I lift Frank into my arms and snuggle him close. He’s kinda cute when he’s helpless like this.
“Ray…Can you do something for me?” He looks at the other man with big eyes.”
Ray rubs his head, “Anything for you, little guy.”
“Can you feed Gee? Just a little? He needs it to get better.”
In seconds Ray is off the floor and against the wall, “Whoa, Frank. Everything does not include sacrificing myself to a blood sucker. No way.”
Frank’s face morphs into a pout, “But I can’t get better when I’m so worried about him. Please Ray? I really doesn’t take much, half a cup at most.”
“Yeah, half a cup that’s gonna get my taste in his system. Then what do I do when he snaps one day?”
“But he won’t. He…”
“Hey,” I cut him off, tired of them talking about me like I’m not here, “I get a say in this, and I say it’s a bad idea. The guy’s right. Nobody that gives me their blood. That includes you; you’re just too crazy to realize it.”
“Crazy in love.” He grins and kisses me, “But I’m tired of looking at that wound. You need to do something about it.”
I shake my head, “Frank, you’re too stubborn for your own good.”
“Thanks.” More of his cheesy grinning. It always gets to me, and now I’m the one kissing him.”
A gagging noise comes from across the room, “Okay, I’ll give you my blood if only to make that stop.”
I look over at Ray, “What’s wrong with this?”
“I’m watching one of my best friends have a gay make-out session with a vampire. There is a lot wrong with that.”
I shrug, “I don’t want your blood, dude. I mean no offense. I’m sure it tastes great. I just prefer Frankie.”
“But you won’t drink from me! I demand that you find a way to heal this instant! If that means drinking from Ray then do it!” Frank’s voice has raised a couple octaves. He’s in full tantrum mode. And it’s fucking adorable. I can’t say no to it.
“Fine,” The word id out before I can second guess myself. Ray walks over and stands awkwardly next to me.
“So…How does this work? Do you just bite me, or….What?”
I chuckle, “If you value your life, you will not let me just bite you. I haven’t fed in a week. Go get a cup from the kitchen. I don’t think Frank’s letting me go.”
“Nope,” Frank proves his point by shuffling farther onto my lap and pressing his face in my neck as Ray walks away. I wrap my arms tighter around him.
Ray comes back not long after with a small, thankfully opaque cup. He looks at me questioningly.
“Right, you have a knife, right? Hunters carry knives?”
He turns white, “You want me to cut myself?!”
“No. Frank wants you to cut yourself. Don’t worry; I have some freaky healing power. Just fill that cup about a fourth of the way while I hold my nose.”
I hold my breath as I watch him put a small cut in his wrist. He then holds it over the cup. I see the red liquid trickle slowly. My mouth is watering. It looks so tempting. I almost get up, barely managing to hold myself back until Ray walks slowly forward with the cup. Before I drink what I’ve been given I grab his wrist and lick the wound, effectively sealing it off.
He stares at his wrist in wonderment as I down the precious substance in two gulps. It’s not half bad. I mean, I didn’t expect it to be bad. Blood isn’t like food. None of it is unappealing. Ray’s just doesn’t quite meet the standard of Frankie’s blood. It’s kind of salty, yet sweet. Like a chocolate covered pretzel, but it’s blood. I find myself licking my lips.
In moments I can feel the wound on my neck healing. It starts gradual, with some tingling around the worst of it. Then I see black flakes of skin falling onto Frank as they’re replaced by new layers. It all feels pretty weird, but it’s not painful. It’s mostly itching. By the time I reach my hand up to scratch it, though, the process is done and all that’s left is soft, unbroken skin.
Frank has a smile in his eyes and on his lips. Ray looks really freaked out, “That’s…Incredible. And weird. And…How did you heal my arm?!”
I stand, lifting Frank in one arm because he won’t let go, and place my other hand on ray’s shoulder, “It’s a mystery to me, too. It keeps Frank alive, though. That’s all that matters.”
He stares at me for a good couple of minutes before speaking again, “You know, maybe you aren’t that bad after all.”
I smirk, “That’s what I try to tell people.”
I’ve been taking care of him for three days, and he still has a high fever. He can’t keep anything besides broth down, and he sounds like death when he talks. I stay by his side nonstop, except for when I need to get him something. I just can’t stand to see him like this.
He’s sleeping now, occasionally mumbling in his sleep. I think I’ve heard my name a couple times, and it makes me pretty happy. I stroke his hair and hum softly, not wanting to wake him. Unfortunately it doesn’t work. His eyelids flutter before he gives a small groan and opens them. His eyes have that sheen to them that only sick people have. I lean down and kiss his forehead.
“Sorry I woke you up. I was trying to be quiet.”
He smiles a little, “It’s okay. I wasn’t in a very heavy sleep anyway.”
His voice is clearer than it has been. That’s good, I guess, “Still, you need your rest.”
He coughs and winces, “What I need is a couple Advil. I hate being sick.”
“I’ll get them.” I get up and walk into the bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet above the sink and shaking two of the little pills onto my hand. Then I walk back to him and let the pills fall into his hand.
He smiles and swallows them with the glass of water that is on the bedside table. Them he looks at me, his face morphing into worry. I raise an eyebrow at him, and he reaches up to touch my neck.
“Gee…That doesn’t look like it’s gotten any better.”
That’s because it hasn’t. A whole week has passed and it still hurts like a bitch. And for some reason it won’t scab up. I constantly have to dab at it to remove the disgusting black liquid that seeps from inside. Just another reminder of what a monster I am. I’ll deal with it, though. I can’t drink from Frank in his condition. It would be morally wrong. I shrug and gently lift his hand from my neck.
“Just let me give you some blood. I’ll be fine, promise.” It’s the same line he’s been feeding me since it happened. I don’t even justify him with an answer. He knows what I’m going to say. A pout slowly crawls onto his face, “You worry about me, but you won’t let me worry about you.”
I kiss his bottom lip, “That’s because I’m a lot stronger than you. I can take a little cut. If you got hurt like this you’d be dead in a matter of hours.”
“But I didn’t get hurt like that. I have a cold. Why won’t you just…”
He’s cut off by the ringing of the doorbell. It’s such a rare sound that we both freeze before I get up to answer it. I find the bushy haired guy on the other side. What was his name again? Ray? Yeah, that’s it.
His eyes widen when he sees me, “Whoa, you look like shit.”
I shrug, “A guy can get like that when he has poison shoved against his throat. What’s up?”
“Is Frank home?”
“He’s sick, but yeah. He’s in the bedroom.”
Ray pushes past me, not even bothering to ask permission. I would have let him in anyway, but that was a little rude. I guess he’s just worried about Frank, though, so I follow behind him. He falls down next to the bed and chuckles lightly when he gets there.
“You need to take better care of yourself, Frank.”
Frank rolls his eyes and sits up, “I’m fine. You know as well as I do how often I get sick. It’s Gerard I’m worried about.”
Ray shrugs, “Not to offend anyone, but a bloodsucker’s a bloodsucker to me. Whether he’s your boyfriend or not, I can’t feel much sympathy.”
“Obviously,” I mutter, causing them both to look up at me.
Frank holds up his arms like a small child, “Come here, Gee.”
I decide to freak Ray out and use my full speed to take the two steps across the room. To him it must have looked like I teleported. I lift Frank into my arms and snuggle him close. He’s kinda cute when he’s helpless like this.
“Ray…Can you do something for me?” He looks at the other man with big eyes.”
Ray rubs his head, “Anything for you, little guy.”
“Can you feed Gee? Just a little? He needs it to get better.”
In seconds Ray is off the floor and against the wall, “Whoa, Frank. Everything does not include sacrificing myself to a blood sucker. No way.”
Frank’s face morphs into a pout, “But I can’t get better when I’m so worried about him. Please Ray? I really doesn’t take much, half a cup at most.”
“Yeah, half a cup that’s gonna get my taste in his system. Then what do I do when he snaps one day?”
“But he won’t. He…”
“Hey,” I cut him off, tired of them talking about me like I’m not here, “I get a say in this, and I say it’s a bad idea. The guy’s right. Nobody that gives me their blood. That includes you; you’re just too crazy to realize it.”
“Crazy in love.” He grins and kisses me, “But I’m tired of looking at that wound. You need to do something about it.”
I shake my head, “Frank, you’re too stubborn for your own good.”
“Thanks.” More of his cheesy grinning. It always gets to me, and now I’m the one kissing him.”
A gagging noise comes from across the room, “Okay, I’ll give you my blood if only to make that stop.”
I look over at Ray, “What’s wrong with this?”
“I’m watching one of my best friends have a gay make-out session with a vampire. There is a lot wrong with that.”
I shrug, “I don’t want your blood, dude. I mean no offense. I’m sure it tastes great. I just prefer Frankie.”
“But you won’t drink from me! I demand that you find a way to heal this instant! If that means drinking from Ray then do it!” Frank’s voice has raised a couple octaves. He’s in full tantrum mode. And it’s fucking adorable. I can’t say no to it.
“Fine,” The word id out before I can second guess myself. Ray walks over and stands awkwardly next to me.
“So…How does this work? Do you just bite me, or….What?”
I chuckle, “If you value your life, you will not let me just bite you. I haven’t fed in a week. Go get a cup from the kitchen. I don’t think Frank’s letting me go.”
“Nope,” Frank proves his point by shuffling farther onto my lap and pressing his face in my neck as Ray walks away. I wrap my arms tighter around him.
Ray comes back not long after with a small, thankfully opaque cup. He looks at me questioningly.
“Right, you have a knife, right? Hunters carry knives?”
He turns white, “You want me to cut myself?!”
“No. Frank wants you to cut yourself. Don’t worry; I have some freaky healing power. Just fill that cup about a fourth of the way while I hold my nose.”
I hold my breath as I watch him put a small cut in his wrist. He then holds it over the cup. I see the red liquid trickle slowly. My mouth is watering. It looks so tempting. I almost get up, barely managing to hold myself back until Ray walks slowly forward with the cup. Before I drink what I’ve been given I grab his wrist and lick the wound, effectively sealing it off.
He stares at his wrist in wonderment as I down the precious substance in two gulps. It’s not half bad. I mean, I didn’t expect it to be bad. Blood isn’t like food. None of it is unappealing. Ray’s just doesn’t quite meet the standard of Frankie’s blood. It’s kind of salty, yet sweet. Like a chocolate covered pretzel, but it’s blood. I find myself licking my lips.
In moments I can feel the wound on my neck healing. It starts gradual, with some tingling around the worst of it. Then I see black flakes of skin falling onto Frank as they’re replaced by new layers. It all feels pretty weird, but it’s not painful. It’s mostly itching. By the time I reach my hand up to scratch it, though, the process is done and all that’s left is soft, unbroken skin.
Frank has a smile in his eyes and on his lips. Ray looks really freaked out, “That’s…Incredible. And weird. And…How did you heal my arm?!”
I stand, lifting Frank in one arm because he won’t let go, and place my other hand on ray’s shoulder, “It’s a mystery to me, too. It keeps Frank alive, though. That’s all that matters.”
He stares at me for a good couple of minutes before speaking again, “You know, maybe you aren’t that bad after all.”
I smirk, “That’s what I try to tell people.”
@MayMayChan
Oh its fine! Sorry it took 6 months for me to reply, this website is messing up for me so much.
4/1/17