Garrett / Reader - Part 5
- Hi Garrett! a blond, tall man said when Garrett stormed out from the emergency stairway into the top floor of the hospital where the man was working. Garrett's friend, the doctor, was wearing a long white doctor's coat and he was just on his way to change since it was morning and time for him to go home before the sun got any higher. "What are you doing here?" he asked with a deeply puzzled tone. He had not seen Garrett for many years and running into him like this was indeed a surprise. However the doctor knew that there was nothing random about this meeting; Forks was not a big tourism destination, its business circles were very limited and it was located in the middle of nowhere. No, there was nothing random about this meeting, there had to be something that Garrett wanted or needed from his old friend.
- Hey man, I really need your help. Garrett said with great urgency in his voice. The doctor checked Garrett out from head to toes, noticing immediately that he had bruises, his hair was covered with dust and he had blood stains on his clothes. However the doctor knew Garrett, how strong and tough he was, and he also knew that vampires healed quickly and therefore he was not that interested in being trapped for the day to his workplace. The fact was that if he did not leave immediately, he would be stuck until the sunset which was when his new night shift started.
- Sorry Garrett. he said and continued while walking towards the elevator which he was going to take to get to the staff's dressing room "My shift just ended and I must get home-"
- Please, there is someone, in my car. Garrett said and blocked the doctor's way just as he was going to enter the elevator.
- But the sun is already up, I must get home. the doctor said with a frustrated tone. It had been a hell of a shift and he really needed some rest. Garrett was a good friend and any other day the doctor would have been more than happy to help... but not right now. "Listen Garrett, come back after sunset and we'll talk" he said, gestured Garrett to step away and to let him enter the elevator.
- She might not live that long. Garrett stated with a tone that made it absolutely clear that he was not kidding. “I’m not a doctor but even I can see that it is bad” Garrett said desperately with a hint of frustration in his tone. Usually his friend was more than willing to help everyone, he was the kindest and the most generous person Garrett had ever met so why was he so defiant now!? Thinking about the doctor’s resistance was making Garrett almost angry but he managed to keep himself calm. “She’s been in and out of consciousness the entire night and if we’ll keep delaying…” Garrett said and paused as his voice broke a little. The doctor shifted his gaze to his friend from the clock on the wall, ticking away the seconds and reminding him constantly that he was already late.
- Please, I'm asking for a favor. the tall vampire said, his voice filled with desperation and sorrow. The doctor's expression changed from annoyed and bothered to concerned immediately; Garrett was not kidding, he was not asking for help for himself but for someone else and if her situation was even half as bad as Garrett made it sound, it was serious. The doctor nodded. Garrett pressed the button and the elevator doors slid open, he gestured his friend to enter and then entered the large, metallic box after him. The sight brought back some vivid memories from the previous evening and Garrett noticed his palms getting slightly sweaty.
- Where is she? the doctor asked and sighed. Garrett pressed the button that had a "P" as in "parking" and replied when the doors slid closed and the elevator started to move.
- She's in the underground garage.
Garrett and the doctor stood side by side in the elevator that seemed to move very slowly. Garrett had searched for the doctor from many floors and eventually found him in the top floor, just finishing his morning round. When the elevator stopped, they both stepped out, however Garrett had to stop for a moment to think where he had left his car. He had just driven in and parked it somewhere hidden so no one would find it by an accident. "This way!" Garrett exclaimed when he finally remembered the route he had taken. They ran through the almost empty parking area to the furthest corner and there it was; the black, old car that had some dents and had not been washed in ages. The doctor noticed someone sitting on the front seat, on the passenger side, completely still with her head just hanging there lifelessly. He ran to the door immediately, however it was locked.
- What's going on, Garrett? the doctor asked with a puzzled tone while he waited Garrett to unlock the doors with shaky hands. "Why do you have an injured woman in your car?" the blonde vampire asked, his voice shocked and deeply concerned.
- I have driven whole night to get her here. Garrett replied and then added with great desperation "Just tell me you can help." Garrett's reply didn't really answer the doctor's question but the doctor decided to ask again later; it was not that important and it would be a waste of time to demand for answers right now.
- You should have taken her to a hospital! the doctor exclaimed when he opened the door, squatted down by the seat and saw the nasty cut on your leg as well as the cut on the right side of your forehead. The doctor raised your chin carefully and guided you to lean to the back of the seat, feeling your neck quickly to make sure that it was not broken. You looked pale even in the somewhat dim, yellow lights of the garage and it was immediately clear to the doctor that you did not have that much time left. You were dying, perhaps not within few hours but you would die within a day without proper care for sure. Most likely you would go into coma and never wake up again and then your organs would just fail one by one as your body would shut down in stages.
- I did! Garrett exclaimed and rubbed his chin. The doctor placed his fingers on your neck once more and searched for a pulse; it was there but just barely. You had less time than he had estimated. It was only a matter of hours since you were not only suffering from blood loss but from hypothermia as well and the doctor estimated that your core temperature was well beyond safe limits by now.
- Okay, let's get her out. the doctor said and then asked "When did she pass out?"
- Perhaps fifteen-twenty minutes ago. Garrett said and unbuckled your seat belt so the doctor was able to pull you out from the car and lift you up.
- Right. the doctor commented, stood up and said with a determined voice "I will take her to the ER-"
- No! Garrett exclaimed instantly and shook his head defiantly.
- Why the hell not? the doctor asked, his voice filled with strong disapproval. He was a doctor, which meant that he had taken an oath to preserve life, to protect living human beings and to give best possible care and the best possible care was available at the ER. The hospital in Forks was not a big one, it did not even have a proper emergency unit but since he had done this job for many decades, he knew that he was capable of performing miracles even with the semi-sufficient equipment, but he needed the equipment!
Garrett took few seconds to decide whether he should or should not tell the truth to his friend. He knew that you needed proper treatment and that was only available at the ER, however he also knew that he couldn't take the risk of someone recognizing you. Your picture had after all been in the news nationwide when the police had declared you as the only suspect of the monstrous crime and warned everyone that you were a dangerous fugitive with serious mental health issues. The news had been a big story with many conspicuous headlines at the time and there had been even few attention-seeking and sensational crime documentaries about it afterwards. They had all painted a picture of a disturbed and coldly calculative individual who had gotten involved with satanic rituals and possibly was a leader in one. You had told Garrett this last night when you had explained to him why he couldn’t take you to hospital, any random one at least.
Garrett took a deep breath, explained the key details to the doctor who then immediately agreed that the best thing to do was to keep this between the friends. In a nutshell; Garrett told the doctor that your family had been killed by vampires but the fault had fallen onto your shoulders since there had not been anyone else to blame and you had already gotten in some trouble with the police during your nightly patrols. Yes, Garrett told his friend that you were a vampire hunter who had somewhat accidentally saved his life and then you had managed to escape, just barely though, from the shared enemy, the different kind of vampires. But for now that was all.
- There are old service tunnels under this garage. the doctor stated while carrying you to the elevator. “An old bunker that is very rarely used as a training room for new doctors” he continued and gestured Garrett to press the button of the elevator. The doors slid open and the two men entered the elevator. There was a button with “M” as “maintenance” right under “P” and Garrett pressed the button without any delays. “We have no trainees at the moment so it is fairly safe to assume that no one will use the room or barge in uninvited” the doctor stated, waiting anxiously for the doors to slide closed and the elevator to move.
- Sounds good. Anything is better than my car. Garrett commented.
- For sure! the doctor stated. "So what happened?" he asked when the elevator started to sink down.
- Have you heard rumors about different kind of vampires? Garrett asked with a tone that made it obvious that he was scared.
- Yes. the friend answered and then Garrett told the doctor everything what had happened during past few days.
The tall vampire told the doctor that he had wanted to scare these new dudes away but instead of scaring them, they had captured him and tortured him for a couple of days. Then Garrett had managed to escape just in time and you had found him laying on the ground. You had helped Garrett, saved his life and taken him into an abandoned apartment building to hide from the creatures. Then the next evening, right after sunset you and Garrett had left the apartment because he had managed to convince you that these creatures was an enemy that you couldn’t eliminate alone by yourself.
However the stairway had been completely dark and as a result you had stepped on a rotten floorboard which had given in and it had caused the cut on your leg. Then you had hit your head to a concrete wall and finally fallen three-four meters to a hard metallic surface. On top of everything you had breathed in dust which had made you cough your lungs out countless times during the night. The doctor shook his head and sighed; it was basically a miracle that you were still alive, however it meant that you were stronger and more resilient and tougher than you looked.
- She kept slipping and then she just... fell. Garrett described while following the doctor along endless, uninviting corridors. “There was nothing I could have done” he spoke with a barely audible tone. “I’ve never felt so… helpless and so…” he continued and then added bitterly “…Useless.” It was getting clearer to the doctor by every passing moment that this woman, you, was more than just a random mortal. Hell if you had been just a random someone, Garrett had probably had you for breakfast. Now he had driven the entire night to get here, just to save your life.
- Right. the doctor commented and asked Garrett to open a heavy-looking door that led into the bunker. “Okay, I must gather some supplies” the doctor said, put you on an operation table that was in the middle of the room and hurried to turn on the bright lights. Garrett closed his eyes for a moment to get adjusted to the sudden brightness and then took in what he saw; there was a sink, few tables, a closet and some equipment. No bed, just the operating table, which you were now laying on under the bright lights that made you look almost dead. Garrett walked to you and put his hand on your neck just to make sure that you were still alive. You were cold, too still and too lifeless but there it was; a heartbeat against his fingertips. The doctor went through the closet to get a clear picture how well or poorly equipped the room actually was.
- In the meantime, I need you to clean the wounds and the skin around them with warm water and some antiseptic liquid. the doctor said, walked to Garrett and handed him a pair of scissors. "I suggest you'll cut off the leg of her jeans first" he added with a tone that was filled with experience and professionalism. "But before that, get the water and some clean towels ready. Everything you'll need is in that cupboard" he said and pointed at the cupboard in the corner of the room, right next to the sink. Garrett nodded and hurried to the sink, turned the water on so it would get warm while he searched for a bowl and other supplies.
- Right… the doctor mumbled and then made a list of everything he needed. “…A portable X-ray... tetanus vaccination... stitches, intravenous drip feed” he listed and then turned to look at Garrett who was filling the bowl with warm water. "How much blood has she lost?" he asked.
- I don't know, man. Garrett answered. “A lot?” he added with a hesitant voice. He honestly and seriously had no idea because the wound on your leg had been open while escaping from the building, leaving a trail of blood behind.
- I cannot perform transfusion here. Hopefully she doesn't need one. the doctor stated with a nervous voice.
- What! Garrett said, put the filled bowl on a table and turned to look at the doctor with a puzzled and somewhat angry expression. “What do you mean you cannot perform a transfusion?” he asked with an accusing tone.
- Garrett, you are in Forks. the doctor said and after a quick pause he continued “We don’t exactly treat trauma patients!”
- What do you do then? Garrett asked and added “Play a doctor?” His tone was clearly getting increasingly irritated. It was apparent that he had waited for a miracle and now he was getting a reality check which he didn’t like so much.
- We treat mostly small injuries, such as twisted ankles, fractured bones, frostbites… mosquito bites… animal bites… the doctor listed.
- Bites-eh? Garrett commented mockingly.
- …And we forward the bad cases to the central hospital in Seattle! the doctor exclaimed. “The difference between this hospital and a family run healthcare practice is that this one is managed by the state and located in a four-storey building!” he spoke with an increasingly annoyed tone.
- Why can’t you work in Seattle? Garrett snapped. He knew that it was stupid to quarrel with his friend when he was depending on his generosity and kindness, especially when the friend was not anyway accountable for what had happened.
- You know why! the doctor said, knowing that he could have had a great career as a top surgeon in any respected hospital and he could have gotten paid ten times more, but he had settled with life in Forks because it was safe there, the forest was filled with wild animals and he had people’s respect which meant that they did not ask questions like why didn’t the doctor or his wife ever get older or why they never got out during the few sunny days.
Yes, Forks had been a good place to live because the sun very rarely shined and sometimes the sky was so heavily covered by clouds that it was safe to walk outside even during midday. On top of it all, the doctor and his wife liked peace and quiet that the vast forests as well as the sea nearby offered. Neither of them missed the hectic, restless life of the city, here they were more than comfortable and happy. Garrett however was different; he was not a family man, he did not care if people started asking questions because he had never gotten emotionally attached to any place. He was a drifter and had enjoyed the lifestyle greatly. He was rebellious and had never really dreamed about settling down with someone, oh no, Garrett liked to party and live his life dangerously.
The doctor stormed out from the room and left Garrett alone with you. You were laying on the table, breathing slowly in and out, not aware of your surroundings. Garrett lifted a small table next to the medical operation table and fetched the supplies from the cupboard; towels, antiseptic liquid and bandages to stop the bleeding. Then he carried the bowl of warm water there as well and dipped one of the towels in the water. He took the scissors and cut the leg of your jeans , pulled it off and gasped when he saw the cut on your leg. It was deep, long and quite wide. There were pieces of rotten wood and glass as well as dust in the wound and the sight made Garrett feel somewhat lightheaded even though he had come across some nasty things during his life.
He remembered seeing a pair of tweezers in the cupboard so he quickly got them and pulled out all the bits and pieces that he saw. Then he rinsed the cut with water to make sure that he missed none and poured some antiseptic liquid on the wound to kill the bacteria and stop the infection from developing as well as spreading. He wiped the skin of your leg carefully with the cloth, washed it in the bowl and repeated this until your leg was clean from dried blood and dust and the water in the bowl had turned grayish red. Then he changed the water and focused on the cut on your forehead. He poured some water on the wound and cleaned it with the antiseptic liquid and then he wiped your face clean from dirt and blood as gently as he possibly could. However when he did that, he discovered just how gray and lifeless your skin was; there was no blush on your cheeks, no color on your lips… only dark circles under your eyes and nasty bruises, all over your body covered by your clothes and a layer of dust.
Garrett lifted the hem of your shirt a little and gasped in shock when he saw that there, on the right side of your upper body from your waist to your armpit, was a huge, deep purple bruise which you had most likely gotten because you had hit the wall and cracked some ribs. Garrett sighed, put your shirt back down and took your hand. He squeezed it tightly as he leaned down to stare at your face from a close distance; you looked dead, however the only thing reminding him that you were not dead was your constant yet weak heartbeat and the feeling of your breath escaping your lips as you breathed in and out slowly although rather shallowly.
- Listen… he spoke softly and smiled, trying to sound confident and cheerful just in case you were able to hear him. “…I know this is sudden, I know…” he said and paused to press a soft kiss on the corner of your mouth. “…We agreed that this is only temporary…” he whispered against your skin. “…But I don’t think I can let you go” he admitted. “It was never about survival” he said and then added “I did it because I’m in lo-“. However his sentence was cut short when the doctor stormed in with the equipment and said assertively
- Move!
Hours, a day… days, a week and finally almost four weeks had passed since you had been taken to the hospital in Forks. During that time you had been in and out of consciousness but even when you had been awake, everything had been hazy and now that you stared at the ceiling of the dimly lit room, you realized that the last thing you remembered more or less vividly was the sight of the mountaintops bathing in golden morning light and you silently saying goodbyes to Garrett and this world. You had been so certain that you were going to die and therefore you had basically given up and allowed yourself to drift away into deep unconsciousness. Then after that there was nothing… until now.
- Where am I? you asked with a hoarse voice. There was a tallish, blond man in the room with you. He was wearing a doctor’s coat and instantly walked to the bed when he heard you talking. He and Garrett had found an unoccupied hospital bed and secretly brought it down to the basement after stitching your wounds and placing an IV-needle on your arm to make sure that you got hydrated and received nutrients as well as pain medication to speed up your recovery.
- In a hospital. the man said and smiled at you. He noticed your panicky reaction to the word and he instantly added “Basement. Don't worry, no one knows you are here.” You sighed relieved and closed your eyes for a moment. “Garrett has told me pretty much everything” the doctor stated with a kind tone and smiled emphatically. You shifted your eyes elsewhere as an involuntary reaction because you were afraid that the doctor thought that you were a dangerous killer.
- I recognized you, by the way. he said after a moment of silence. You turned your head again and shifted your gaze back to the blond man beside the hospital bed.
- It was in the news few years back. he continued, monitoring your reactions constantly. “I knew it instantly that you didn’t do it” he said and then added “I even told my wife, who agreed.”
- How? you asked, feeling an enormous wave of relief hitting you at that moment, like a huge weight had been lifted from your chest.
- I have seen hundreds of vampire attacks since I was turned. he spoke and sat down on a stool. He took a remote, pressed a button and watched the half of the bed rising a little so instead of laying in the bed you were now actually semi-sitting. “Easier to talk like this” he said and asked if you were comfortable in this position. You nodded as a response.
- I knew instantly when I saw some of the crime scene pictures and heard the description. he spoke and then said “One human would never have the strength and speed to commit a murder like that.”
- There were two vampires. you stated while staring at the gray concrete wall of the bare bunker-like room. “It all happened so fast and-“ you said and sighed. The memory was clearing making you stressed out and you did not really need any additional stress to slow down your healing process.
- Take it easy. the doctor said and smiled a little. “Garrett told me, I know” he stated reassuringly. “Just relax, everything is alright” he spoke, took your hand and squeezed it firmly yet gently, just like Garrett did.
- Where is he? Where is Garrett? you asked suddenly. “Is he alright?” you asked and then added with a desperate tone “Please tell me he’s fine.” The sense of urgency amused the doctor a little and made him chuckle.
- Why are you laughing? you asked with a confused tone. It made no sense that Garrett’s friend responded to a valid, reasonable and completely justified question with laughter.
- Do you realize that you have not asked if you’re alright? the doctor asked with a fascinated tone. You were silent for a moment and then stammered “Well… uhm-“ not knowing what kind of response was being expected of you. The doctor however smiled at you and commented “He is a lucky man.” The expression on your face changed from puzzled to deeply confused. What was that supposed to mean? Lucky how? And why didn’t he answer your question? The doctor took a small flashlight out from his pocket and asked you to follow it with your eyes. He moved the light in front of your face from side to side as well as up and down, put the light back to the pocket of his doctor’s coat and then placed his fingers on your wrist to check your heart rate. After counting the beats per ten seconds he took a notebook and made some notes with a black pen as he monitored your breathing as well as your mental state.
- Where is he? you asked again and this time the doctor answered immediately.
- Resting. he said and continued while keeping his eyes glued on his notes “He has been guarding your recovery and few hours ago I told him to get some sleep.”
- Are you his friend, the doctor? you asked although you knew the answer already.
- Yes, my name is Carlisle. he replied, put the notebook on the table next to the bed and began with a friendly tone “So, Garrett told me that you saved his life.”
- And then he saved mine. you commented and after a quick inhale added “I would be dead if I had not met him.”
- He would be dead as well. Carlisle stated, staring into your eyes quite intensely almost as if he had tried to read your mind.
- Yeah, I suppose. you mumbled. It was weird that Carlisle had brought it up because the way you saw it, Garrett had saved your life many times and the fact that you had saved his life once didn’t really mean that much. It wasn’t a competition but if it was, you knew you would have lost it, no doubt about that.
You watched Carlisle walking to the light switch and turning on the bright lights. He gathered some equipment, helped you to sit on the edge of the bed and checked the reflexes on your injured leg. He also checked the wound and smiled widely since he was very pleased that you were recovering so quickly. He looked young, twentysomething, and he was very handsome although in a different way than Garrett; Carlisle was sleek, his blonde, short yet slightly wavy hair was neatly combed and he had a clean shave. He was wearing a light blue shirt and a tie, the white doctor’s coat and dark trousers. He was pale and he had golden colored eyes that sparkled like citrines or amber whenever the bright lights hit them, so different from Garrett’s ruby-red eyes.
- Hey I have to ask you... you said hesitantly and then added “…Your eyes. They're not... red.”
- No. Carlisle replied and leaned closer to take a better look at the cut on your forehead. He had already removed stitches from the wound but he had to check the injury to make sure that it was healing. He removed the bandage and applied some medicinal cream on the skin. Then he shifted himself, supported your leg and removed the protective bandages. “There are three things that you must know about vampire's eyes” he began, took small scissors and started to remove the stitches from the healed cut. You swallowed nervously, expecting discomfort from the procedure but for your surprise you hardly felt a thing, well compared to what you had expected.
- They are golden colored like mine if the vampire feeds on animals. Carlisle stated, fully focused on the task at hand. “They are red like Garrett's if the vampire consumes human blood...” he continued, put away the scissors and removed the remaining strings with tweezers. “…And they are black or nearly black when the vampire is thirsty” he added. You followed his actions silently and memorized everything he said, every single word. Carlisle applied some of the same cream on the wound, helped you to sit on the bed again and quickly washed his hands.
- It is not safe for you to be around a vampire when he is thirsty. he spoke to you firmly yet calmly across the room while washing his hands. “You see, me and Garrett are pretty old and therefore we have learned to control our thirst but sometimes it is not that simple” Carlisle spoke, dried his hands and walked back to the bed. He sat down and stated “Another thing is that thirst and passion should never be confused-“
- Passion? you asked with a tone that was both confused and amused. “We're not... involved... and we're not going to get involved... like that” you stated. It was an awkward topic because the truth was that you were attracted to Garrett although you had known him for only a couple of days. Besides you had not seen him in ages although you had no idea how long it had been.
- Why not? Carlisle asked and handed you a glass of water. He helped you to drink it and then asked “Because you're a vampire hunter and he is a vampire?”
- Well, obviously. you responded and rolled your eyes.
- Garrett is also a man. Carlisle said and smiled. “A man with a big heart” he stated with a friendly tone. You shifted your head away from the doctor and rubbed your hands nervously together. Oh, you knew that he was a good guy despite the fact that he was a vampire and it was obvious that he had a heart made of gold even though it didn’t actually beat. “You should have seen him these past twenty five days” the doctor said and then continued “Never leaving your side, putting your well being above his...”. You felt deeply flattered for such attention and it made you blush a little. “…And making constantly sure that everything is fine with you” Carlisle listed with a calm expression on his face.
- We made a deal, kind of. you stated as a response. “He has my back and I have his... in theory” you spoke with a barely audible tone, cleared your throat and continued with a louder voice “We're stronger together since his enemy is also my enemy.” Then you swallowed once and added “That's it.” However there was slight hesitation in your voice whether you realized it yourself or not.
- So, it is only survival? Carlisle asked with a curious tone.
- Of course. you answered and nodded.
- Or perhaps Garrett is lonely. the blonde doctor said and scanned your expression with his attentive eyes. “Maybe he is longing for companionship...” he speculated and paused. “…And could be that he sees you as a potential mate” he continued calmly, with a friendly smile on his face.
- A mate? you asked and chuckled nervously.
- Yeah, a partner. Carlisle clarified because you looked so baffled. “Why not?” he asked and then continued “You're not going anywhere-“
- What do you mean? you asked, chuckled awkwardly and took a quick glance at the uninviting surroundings while you mumbled “Not going anywhere, does it mean to stay here?” Then you focused your attention to the doctor again and stated “We're not in danger anymore!” However you knew that you couldn’t possibly know that so you added a silent “Are we?”
- I'm ordering you to bed rest. Carlisle stated. “Two-three months” he said and then added “And even longer if necessary.”
- To stay here? you asked and rolled your eyes. This was the worst place to be and you did not like it at all.
- Oh no. the blonde doctor chuckled and then continued “I have a cottage and Garrett and I have already agreed that you will stay there for now.” You didn’t know what to say and therefore you just stared at the man with your mouth wide open. “With Garrett” he specified.
- That is absurd. you commented and turned your head away because you could feel a deep blush taking over your face.
- Doctor's orders. Carlisle said and smiled. “Now, tell me. Would you like to take a long, warm shower and eat a good meal?” he asked with a friendly, somewhat playful tone that made you feel slightly more comfortable instantly.
- Well that is an offer I cannot possibly refuse. you commented with a small smile on your face.
- Good. the doctor said, asked you to wait there for a moment and left the room. Soon he came back with a bathrobe and a small bag. He told you that in the bag there was a small bag was filled by his wife with some skincare products, shampoo and things like that and there were also some clothes for you to wear in case you didn’t want to hang out in the hospital gown.
Carlisle took off the IV-needle from your arm, cleaned the puncture wound with antiseptic liquid and put a small bandage on it, helped you off the bed and supported you while you took the first steps in twenty five days. Your body felt weak and you got instantly exhausted, but surprisingly nothing actually hurt, although walking was not pleasant either, but the lack of pain was gladly welcomed. You followed Carlisle into the staff’s dressing room and stepped into the shower. You went through the bottles and jars of skincare products so generously donated by Carlisle’s wife and then decided to save them for later; now you had energy only for washing your hair as well as your skin and that’s it. You would surely have time to exfoliate and moisturize later.
Suddenly Carlisle’s phone rang and he answered it immediately since it was his colleague who was calling him. You were just drying yourself with a large, soft towel, listening to the door behind the locked door; Carlisle’s friend was a ambulance driver and apparently there had been a big, nasty accident due to an approaching snowstorm and therefore Carlisle was needed at work. He ended the call and knocked on the bathroom door. “Yes?” you asked, put on the bathrobe and opened the door.
- Sorry, I really must go. the doctor said and continued “There is a storm approaching and an accident-“
- Yeah, of course. you said immediately. “Go, I’ll find my way back” you said and smiled reassuringly.
- I’ll call Garrett to come here, okay? he said while putting on his winter coat. He was supposed to drive to the accident site and help the first aid team to save as many as possible since it had been a bus that had driven too fast to an icy curve, slid sideways off the road and rolled down a steep hill.
- No need. He’s resting. I’ll be okay. you said and smiled. You were lying, partially at least but you knew that you couldn’t possibly require constant care from other people; Carlisle had to go and save lives and Garrett needed to rest, it was not like he had not gotten any injuries himself. He had been tortured for a day or two!
Carlisle took his medical bag and stormed out from the dressing room after giving you instructions how to get back to the room where your bed was. You sat down for a moment and rested with your eyes closed because you needed all the strength you could muster to find your way back to the bunker-room. After thirty minutes you got dressed in the warm spare clothes and left the room after making sure that you were alone. You took the elevator to the maintenance floor and headed to the left from the elevator. The corridor seemed to go on endlessly and soon you could hear the storm winds howling in the ventilation shafts.
The sound resembled the noises that the creatures had made. Then the lights started to flicker, leaving you into the darkness momentarily. You covered your mouth as you fought the panic taking over your mind; the concrete wall, the noises… the darkness… it brought back too vivid memories. The light flashed again few times and your feet stopped obeying completely. You leaned to the wall and slid down to sit for a moment. More flashes, the corridor continuing endlessly in both direction and you didn’t know anymore what the right direction was; where the elevator was? Where the room was? You had been walking forward, taking turns, taking wrong turns and returned back and perhaps taken too many wrong turns to ever find your way back to either of those two places, the elevator or the room.
The corridor went completely dark after the final flash. You closed your eyes and tried to focus on the breathing so you wouldn’t pass out. You could hear them, you could hear them getting nearer, talking in their weird language and growling like animals. You could hear footsteps getting nearer in the darkness, echoing in the endless corridor and getting mixed with the howling wind. Then there was another sound; electrical buzzing and suddenly the hallway got alight with green emergency lights when the backup generators kicked in. You opened your eyes and saw a form of a tall man walking towards you.
- (Y/N)? he asked and run to you. “Are you alright?” he asked and helped you up after making sure that you weren’t in any pain.
- Carlisle called me. he said, rubbed your arms with his hands and then guided you to walk back to the elevator with him. “I’m going to take you to the cottage now” he spoke softly and smiled at you a little. You were still in a state of shock and therefore unable to answer anything so you just nodded. Garrett asked you to wait by the elevator while he ran to the room, gathered some medication and other supplies and then he returned to you. You took the elevator to the parking hall, walked to Garrett’s car that was parked right outside the elevator door this time and after he had helped you to sit, he drove carefully to the cottage.
There was so much snow now and therefore there were cars getting stuck as well as driving off the road due to the poor driving conditions, ice and almost zero visibility. Garrett however handled the car effortlessly due to his sharp, inhumanly quick reflexes and after a half an hour you were almost at the cottage. You stared out from the window into the darkening forest that surrounded the cottage while Garrett slowly drove forward. It was late afternoon and the sun was surely up still but there were such thick clouds and such heavy snowfall that one couldn’t see it at all, which was the only reason why Garrett had been able to leave the cottage to get you.
He parked the car, got out and opened the door for you. He offered to carry you but you thanked him for the kind gesture and told him that you would try to manage by yourself at first. You walked slowly, the storm winds pulling your hair and clothes and making it so much tiring to move forward but eventually you managed to get to the front terrace of the cottage. Garrett opened the door for you and smiled when you stepped in, clearly happy to be there. You sighed when you were greeted with a welcoming sight; a fireplace with glowing fire, some candles here and there because the electricity was down most likely and there was a delicious scent of food in the air. Garrett closed the door after him, helped you to take off the shoes and then spoke with a soft, gentle tone “Welcome home.”