Third person
Two security guards circled the perimeter just as the sun was peaking up. 4:15 a.m., their shift would be over, and they could return to their families.
A scream broke the peaceful early dawn, looking towards the ruins. A red crimson light lit the abbey. Glancing at each other, they sped off.
They took a shortcut through the fire escape. They could hear another, a male, shouting. It was muffled.
The flashlights lit up three faces huddled around a fourth. They were all crying.
“All right. The party is over; you can do your drama scene elsewhere.” The male approached the group, and the red-headed girl looked up helplessly.
“Err, Frank?” asked his colleague.
“What, Gail?”
“I think you should call an ambulance and grab the defib.”
Gail rolled up her sleeves and motioned the lad to put the blonde on the ground. Her head lolled to the side; she was covered in bite marks, and blood trickled from her mouth, nose, and ears.
“We got another vampire attack,” she stated and checked for a pulse and breathing.
Frank’s face went pale as he fumbled with his phone, running to the nearest defib.
Gail quickly started to perform CPR. Breaking a few ribs was part of the routine, but it felt sickening after many times.
“What’s her name?” Frank asked in a gentler tone now.
“Lexi,” Quinn whispered in a broken tone.
“Do you remember what happened here, Quinn?”
“I-I was taken. She came to find me, and I nearly d-died,” Quinn cried, blubbering onto Lathen's shoulder.
Quinn still did not fully understand what had occurred. All she knew was that she felt exhausted. Then she woke up and saw Lexi next to her fading away.
Leo wouldn’t leave Lexi’s side. He watched Gail press the button on the defib, feeling helpless. He thought of nothing, not even pleading with the gods; he was frozen in time.
He said not one word other than uttering his name.
“Stand clear… Shocking…” Came the robotic voice.
His eyes snapped to her chest–he felt the pull. He swore she took a small breath by herself.
Gail continued to pump her chest as directed by the defibrillator.
Then paramedics arrived and took over. Looking at the public defibrillator, one of them listened to her heart and lungs, squinting in concentration.
The woman paramedic nodded and said, “Hook her up to ECG; I think I hear a heartbeat.”
Hope bloomed in Leo’s chest. He could feel the fate line pulling. He sat, eyes trained on Lexi’s face, picking at his fingernails.
A minute to him felt like hours.
Quinn placed a hand on his shoulder. She, too, was staring with bated breath; instead, she pleaded with the Goddesses to anyone who would listen.
Slowly, the paper trace printed. Black ink waved in regular and small peaks.
“Well done.” The woman turned to Gail, “She is alive.”
Leo breathed easier; fresh tears fell as he closed his eyes.
Only one could go with Lexi to the hospital. It was an easy decision as to who would go. Leo climbed into the back and held Lexi’s hand all the way.
Quinn and Lathen finally arrived back at 5:00 a.m. Devan was knocked out on the sofa, and Seri slept soundly upstairs.
They decided not to say a word. It would do no one good to panic. They could only visit Lexi once she was fully assessed. Only one visitor is allowed.
They shuffled to bed, waking up a few hours later at 8:30 a.m. by a crying Seri.
On the way to the hospital, Leo was questioned by the paramedic in the back. Take as much detail down as possible. His leg bounced erratically on the way while he answered the questions. She had not yet opened her eyes.
He followed her bed to the intensive care unit. Waiting around made his thoughts wander; she was in the operating theatre. His face portrayed nothing while his eyes focused on the floor. He wasn’t paying attention to the doctors words.
CTs, X-rays, ultrasound, surgery, internal bleeding, haemorrhage – are the only words he picked up on.
His fingers nearly bleed as the skin was picked, and his lip was bruised from chewing. Every time the door opened; his eyes snapped up only to return to the non-existent hole his eyes bore into the ground.
Two hours later, the bed was wheeled out of the O.R. Leo jumped up, seeing a painfully familiar face. He wandered, following the bed into the room. Lexi, still looking deathly pale, was given blood transfusions. Multiple.
Taking a bated breath, he sat beside the bed and held her purple hand.
Her ribcage was bandaged from the fractured ribs, and bruises started erupting. She was covered in bruises, bites, and cuts on her hands, legs, chest, and neck. He swallowed thickly; he had no more tears to cry.
His thoughts turned to blame himself as he buried his face into her small hand, caressing it: He should have stayed with her, gotten to her quicker, he should…
Blaring alarms snapped him out of his inner thoughts.
“Code blue!” shouted a nurse, and she came rushing in.
Pulling a handle, the bed flattened, and the nurse started CPR as others came in to wheel Lexi out. Leo stood, hopping from foot to foot.
“Wait, wait! What’s happening?” Leo pleaded.
“They are taking her into the Operating Room; please stay here. Can I get you a drink?” said a nurse behind the station.
“I don’t understand. She just came out,” he said in disbelief.
“Ah, you must have been out of it when the doctor talked to you. He said you were away with the fairies… come, sit.”
He collapsed in the chair, covering his face with his hands. The nurse kindly gave him a cup of water and started to explain.
“She has internal bleeding; her organs are–were in failure. Doctors also suspect a bleed in the brain. Due to how long she was without oxygen, they don’t know if she will decline further. If she does come around, there might be brain damage.”
Leo’s eyebrows scrunched, and putting a hand to his brow, he squeezed: he did remember some of this from the doctor. Lexi wasn’t out of the woods yet. She still could die.
“Take your time; if you have any questions, let me know.” She retreated to her station while he sat in the empty room.
“Poor lad,” she sighed, walking back around the counter to her colleague, “He’s heartbroken.”
They both looked over. His face was grim, eyes unfocused. His leg bounced once more, shaking the cup in his hand without it spilling over.
“Hm, it makes you want to know more about what happened, those bites. Geez!”
“No doubt it will be on the news later.”
“Hm, let’s hope she makes it out.”
Leo was startled awake in the chair. The doors opened again making a bang against the wall. He blinked tiredly and watched helplessly as the bed was wheeled back to the same spot. He didn’t know how long he had been asleep. He grabbed the back of his neck, rubbing it hard.
Leo looked at the person walking towards him. They were scrubbed up in blue. He could see some specs of blood on his person.
“To update you,” the male said calmly, taking a chair closer to Leo, “She is in a coma.”
Leo’s face scrunched up, and he tipped his head down, pinching his eyebrows; it was the same with her father. Her mum is going to be devastated.
“As suspected, she did have a brain bleed; it also caused her to flatline earlier. We have drained it and reduced the pressure. It is up to her now to wake up. We will continuously monitor her over the next 24 hours. So please don’t be concerned if nurses come every hour.”
“Doc. Please, don’t give me false hope. How likely?” Leo asked, looking up at the doctor pleading before returning his eyes to Lexi.
The doctor looked over at her, thinking and referred to the notes at the end of her bed.
“It is still touch and go. However, the internal bleeding has stopped, and she continues to breathe unaided. Compared to her situation when she first came in, she has…improved.”
“Hopefully, her magic will start to recuperate, and I can aid in the healing process,” the doctor announced, it was neither good nor bad.
Leo blinked, taking a moment to analyse what the doctor said. Leo looked up to him, and with a knowing look, the doctor pulled his mask back up, winked and left.
Witches are hidden indeed.
Leo watched the monitor; the lines peaking and dipping were much stronger now and more defined. He noticed the other numbers were also up – he didn’t know if that was good or bad.
His phone disrupted his scrutinising.
Looking at the screen, I saw it was from Seri in the group chat.
[No rush. Please update us when you can.]
Leo’s finger tapped the armrest; he was afraid to leave her alone but knew he couldn’t risk using his phone in the hospital. Sighing, he kissed Lexi’s hand and got up to make a few difficult phone calls.
Starting with her Uncle Keiron.
