Night Ward: Welcome to Amity House

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Sitting on the floor of her room, Amy leaned her head against the wall with her eyes closed. For two days she had been holed up in her room. After she had beheaded Hughes she had come back, taken a shower to remove the blood, and just sank down on the floor where she was still sitting staring at nothing, but the wall.

Did I even cry? She wondered to herself as she tried to remember. It wasn’t that she was unfeeling or unemotional, she told herself, it was just that she really couldn’t remember if she shed tear. Why had she done it, she asked herself. Holding her hands in front of her she examined her perfect manicure, remembering how they had grown black with a knife like sharpness. She touched them, admiring how dull the tips now felt. She ran her tongue over her teeth as if to make sure they were no longer shark like.

What I have done? She closed her eyes once again and let her head just sag against the wall.

A little later, there was a timid knock on the door as it was pushed opened the tinniest bit.

 “Amy,” a blonde head appeared through the opening, “Are you ok?”

“I’m alive” came Amy’s weak reply.

“May I?” Misty asked reaching for the late switch.

“Don’t” Amy said not wanting anyone to see her in this state. Misty quickly removed her hand from the switch choosing instead to slide down the wall and sit beside her.

 “Dr. Vent has been looking for you.” She whispered, not wanting to upset Amy anymore. Misty couldn’t see it but she thought she could feel her boss smile for the first time in days.

 “What did you tell him?” she asked, sure that she had chosen the right girl to take over.

“That Stein wanted to see him.” Misty said with a wide grin on her pretty face.

Amy laughed. “I bet he was just thrilled with that.”

Misty cringed a little at the laughter; she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to act. Ever since she had entered the ward she had noticed that Amy was always put together and very independent. Seeing her just sitting in the dark made her insides hurt for her boss. Ever since she had come back from Hughes office Amy had been distant, and now that Hughes had gone missing Amy had seemed even more distracted. “Marge called down just a little bit ago” she said off handedly.

Amy’s head kind of rolled in her direction, “What did she say?” she inquired almost knowing the answer.

Misty became nervous before she spoke. “She said to umm,” she worried her bottom lip, “Well, she said to tell you, to stop hiding, stop crying and live up to it already.” Misty wasn’t sure how her boss would take this message, so she held her breath, waiting. Misty watched, mystified, as hysterical laughter took Amy over.

“Thank you,” Amy said as the laughter subsided. Taking a deep breath Amy placed both hands on the wall and started to walk herself up. “I think, I might want to get back to work?”

Misty jumped up smiling “That would be great. All the nurses are going crazy with-out you.” Amy smiled kindly at her and headed toward her closet. “Oh, wait, before I forget,” Misty stopped and turned back, holding one hand on the door. “They are bringing in a new patient. Goes by the name Amily, they just called down. Ok. So bye!” And with that she left.

“Amily.” Amy repeated to herself for a moment thinking how odd the name was. Picking out some jeans and a sweat shirt she was almost in the bathroom when remembrance dawned on her. “Oh s**t,” she said dropping her clothes and running toward the door. She was almost to the Nurses Station when she heard the shrill scream.

“Oh god she bit him...” one of the nursed called out, just as Amy came into view.

Amy skidded to a halt, frozen at the sight of  Drake holding his now bleeding arm. “I’m ok damn it,” Drake swatted off one of the nurses that was trying to help him. “Leave me alone and get her restrained.” She watched Drake as he barked out orders. As she watched the scene unfold she became aware of two things. The girl in question was growling and screaming obscenities, and Drakes blood looked almost blue, which was extremely odd.

 As Drake was giving orders the girl continued to jerk and move calling out to him in a sing song voice, “Oh how good you taste…. Do you know, I can see your death and nobody can save you.”

Before anyone could blink the girl was out.

All movement stopped as everyone turned to see what had just occurred. Drakes gaped as Amy stood over them holding a large medal clip board with a light trace of blood on it. “Oh like, what you were doing was so much better” she said rolling her eyes heavenward. Handing the clipboard to one of the guards, she straddled the unconscious girl. Drake watched as Amy put her hand out and one of the nurses immediately put a syringe in it. He watched as she rolled up her sleeve and stuck the syringe to a vein and began to drawl back. Drake was stunned as he realized that she was drawing blood from her own body.

“Did she feed from you?” Amy asked not bothering to look at Drake who was dumb founded. Since he didn’t answer right away she demanded again, “Did she feed from you?” Drake was still paralyzed as he witnessed Amy taking the syringe from her arm and sticking to the girls white throat.

 “Sh-Sh-she bit me,” he stammered out looking at his arm for the first time and began trying to wipe away the blue tainted blood before anyone noticed.

Sighing in aggravation Amy stated, “Yes I see that but did she feed from you?”

“What’s the difference?” Drake asked as she pushed the syringe deep in the girl’s throat and began to release the blood.

“One’s a biting process and the other is a sucking thing. Did she have a hold of you for long?” she asked getting up and handing one of the other Nurses the used needle watching unseeing as the woman went to dispose of it then turned to the guard with purpose. “Get her into isolation.” She ordered then watched as two men pick the girl up and began to carry her. “Do not stop by the other’s rooms, and make sure they can’t see her.” She called out absently. 

After ordering some bandages and antiseptic to Drake’s office she turned to face him with a sad smile on her lips. “So which is it?” she asked reminding him of the feeding question.

“I honestly don’t know.” He answered as he allowed her to lead him to his office knowing they needed to talk in private. She motioned for him to sit on the couch and waited until everyone had left before she joined him and began to clean the bite mark.

 “Oh, you are a mess. You shouldn’t have gotten that close.” She told him pulling up his shirt cuff.

“I’m so glad to hear it.” He retorted sarcastically pulling his arm back so she wouldn’t see his blood.

“Oh get over it; I already know you bleed blue.” Amy told him as she jerked his arm back. “She’s dangerous.”

“Hmm...You know I didn’t get that vibe from her.” He retorted rolling his eyes.

Looked at him with irritation, “Fine, next time I’ll let her chew on you… I was just saying…”

“What that she’s insane or a vampire?” he asked interrupting her.

 Amy eyes flashed with anger and she cut into the first mark with a black jagged nail. Letting it go in deep and causing a wince out of Drake. “What do you want from me?” she asked exasperated.

“Answers.” He told her simply.

“Like what? Why’s the world round? Is the sky really blue? Why did that lunatic just try to eat you? Or wait, here’s a good one, why does that hot Doc bleed blue and not red?” she finished digging her nail even deeper wanting to hurt him. When he didn’t flinch the second time she started to calm down.

“Amy,” he sighed her name, “I just want to know what’s going on.”

“Oh yeah? Well I want to know why you bleed like papa smurf; you want to let me in on that?”

“I seriously don’t know what you are talking about.” Drake protested and Amy lifted an eye brow.

“Really?” she asked then held up his blue blood stained shirt cuff.

Drake didn’t know what to say, no one had ever seen him bleed before and he was a little ashamed to have her see it now.” Please, I need to understand.” He pleaded with her.

 Amy stopped and considered him. She could see that he was trying to keep the subject off his strange blood. After thinking it over she made a deal, “If I tell you, will you tell me what’s up with this?” she asked motioning toward his shirt again.

“If they are truly vampires, then what is the big deal about if she “fed” off me?” he pushed knowing somehow, that she would answer, but not entirely prepared when she did.

“Two things…first is synthetic.” She said rubbing alcohol on the wounds her black jagged nail receding.

“What?” he asked surprised.

“For two centuries I have been giving them synthetic blood.”

“How is that possible?”

“Science is a beautiful thing and plus we have a long-term contract with most government agencies.” She said reaching for a bandage. “What you saw tonight, was a by-product of an experiment gone horribly wrong.” She was calm now as she wrapped the wounds and began to explain. “Amily Turner was originally fourteen when she came to us. Clara said that she was too young, while Stein argued that it was our job to help anyway. She was brought into the program by her father who insisted that we magically fix her. So for two years Dr. Robertson, who was the facility doctor at the time, starved her.” Amy grabbed another bandage and began to wrap the other wound.

Drake took this break to ask, “Starve her…for two years? Wouldn’t that kill her?”

Amy only shook her head in disagreement. “No because it wasn’t real food we were keeping from her, but blood. She’s not a full blood vampire…or well she wasn’t then. Amily, we found out, didn’t take too good to that particular program. At one the group sessions she stayed after claiming to want one-on-one time with Robertson. She said she was ready to begin the healing. What a load of…” Amy didn’t finish the statement and Drake watched as a tear slid down her pretty face. “Poor, Matt.” She said sadly taking a shaky breath, “I found him later that night with Amily on top of him his unbeaten heart in her hands.” She swallowed trying to get the sudden bad taste out of her mouth.

“After that I had her sent to another facility where they could monitor her more closely, and keep her separated from the others. I felt horrible afterward because not only was I responsible for Matt but I then became responsible for his pregnant girlfriend. Nurse Sara.” A light clicked on for Drake suddenly he knew the where her “Do not talk to my nurses” rule came from.

“Ok well why is she back here?” Drake asked moving his now wrapped arm back and forth.

Amy shook her head “I’m not sure, really. But I can tell you that if the other smell human blood on her they are liable to kill her.”

“Why?” Drake asked a little confused.

“Because they haven’t had human blood in over two centuries, not to mention that three of them where here when she killed Matt Robertson.” Amy had stood up and began pacing the length of the room. Finally she stopped and ran a hand thru her rumbled hair. “I don’t know why she is back. I don’t know what happened out there, but I do agree that you need to know.” She started pacing again. “Things are not what they seem and I think it’s time you began to see everything. You have choice to make right here, right now. If you chose to walk nobody will harm you, nobody will come after you. But if you chose to stay you are going to be shown way more than the stories of four people who need you.”

“But you said there was a second reason.” Drake pointed out causing Amy to smile.

“Oh right, that brings us to you Doc. Your arm and the smurf blood. I said that the others haven’t had human blood, but human blood is red.” She said putting her hands on hips in a waiting movement.

“Right….Well to tell you the truth a humans have blue blood, it’s the oxygen that turns it red.” He informed her.

“Really don’t need the lesson on blood, I work with vamps, and you’re stalling.” She prodded.

“Because I don’t have an answer for you…I’ve always bled blue.” Drake told her shrugging

“Ever see a doctor about it?” she asked   

Running his hands through his hair he looked around nervously. “Look, I was a pretty normal kid for the most part. I just have quirks. No doctors cause dad didn’t believe in them, and mom wouldn’t go against dad. End of story.” Her eyes were pretty Drake thought as he slowly stood up and came to face her. “You touched me, you know.” He said in awe.

Amy was taking back by his response, “You were hurt, I’m a nurse.” She told him as if that explained everything.

“No,” he said shaking his head, “Amy I have watched you. In the last few months that I have been here you have touched nobody. But today you touched me to clean my arm. Even though, how did you say it, I bled smurf blue. Today you allowed someone to get close to you when you brushed up against those guards” Amy took a shaky step back. “Everyone continues to tell me that I have to make a choice and today Marge tells me that it’s you I need to deal with.” He had gotten closer to her as he made his speech. “Tell me why?” was all he said coming toe-to-toe with her.

Amy felt her breath catch in her throat as she looked into Drake’s eyes. Her whole life she had been working alone and now just when she thought she was on the brink to making her personal choice, here was Drake offering her another choice ever so silently. Swallowing the mysterious lump in her throat she answered mildly. “Because I can’t do this alone anymore, I need people and in order to have that I need to allow contact.” Her eyes started to fill with tears has Drake slowly raised his hand to cup her cheek. Closing her eyes she savored the feel of his flesh against hers.

Drake didn’t know what he was doing, yet he continued to stare into her now dark purple eyes. All the frustration he had felt over the last few days melted away until he felt nothing more than the rise and fall of each breath they took. Slowly Drake leaned down giving her a chance to back away. Amy decided she wanted to know as she stood there barely breathing with Drakes lips just inches from hers. Licking her suddenly chapped lips Amy felt Drake lower his to meet hers fully. Right as they began to sink into the warm gentle feel of each other they were interrupted by a noise. The phone had started ringing….