FORTY-FIVE | AN HONEST OPINION
"For one thing," Doc doesn't miss a thing, her eyes flicker over my hands. "They won't stop the shaking. Not entirely. Your hands may be steady for longer periods of time, but you may find they jerk suddenly."
"Like randomly?" I frown, now rethinking just how much I need this stuff if I'm gonna be worried about smacking someone or breaking something. Then again...I'd have an excuse to smack Mikyle if he starts annoying me. Not too bad of a side effect, I guess.
"Yes." She agrees and comes to sit down beside me again.
"I think I can live with that for the time being." I allow. *What's one month compared to my sanity?*
"The more you use the, the faster your body will build up a tolerance." *You've gotta be kidding me*.
"Define tolerance." I narrow my eyes at the dark liquid in the vial.
"You may use one drop a day, then that amount may not work over a few days. Then you would need to use two, and so on...until the potion stops working all-together. Supernatural creatures like vampires and Wolven have healing abilities that interfere with some of the mechanisms of the potion."
"So how long will it work?" That information throws a major wrench in my plan.
"It's hard to say, considering..." She waves at my whole body with her free hand.
"I'm a hybrid." I finish for her. I massage my temples, feeling a little spike of annoyance ignite what I know is going to be a killer headache. But, no sooner than I begin to massage the soft spots, does my annoyance grow - because, of course, I forgot my fingers have turrets. "Seriously?" I breathe aloud, folding them, painfully-tight, in my lap again.
"Oh, and there could also be some nausea and irritability." Doc puts the figurative icing on the cake with those words. *Right*...
"Speaking of irritability, I've been having mood swings too." I suddenly remember the whole reason I came here. Doc's face freezes in a different way, her eye muscles twitching like she's trying to stop from giving away too much.
"Mood swings?" She asks slowly. Despite her holding back on me, I know I need to talk to her about this now so she can tell me what's going on with me.
"Yeah, like I'll be pisses off out of no where, or react really strongly to something I'd brush off before." I spell it all out for her, thinking of the last few days.
"That's...not normal." Doc mutters, blinking a few times, her eyes scanning the opposite wall like she's trying to solve a puzzle.
"That's what Hale said." I sigh, not thrilled by her response. *Still, what'd I expect?*
"Well if a who-knows- how-many-centuries-old vampire says that that particular side effect isn't normal, honey, I think you should be worried." Doc deadpans and I feel my jaw drop at her insincerity and lack of professionalism.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Doc." I grumble sarcastically, but I know she's right.
"I'm just telling you my honest opinion, Scarlett." She sighs, looking as tired as I now feel.
"Okay, well..." I fidget again. *Here goes nothing*. "Do you think it might have something to do with my Wolven side then?"
"What else haven't you told me about?" Doc's sounding borderline irritated now, and I can't seem to find it in me to blame her.
"I haven't been able to shift properly for a month now." I admit, carefully searching her face for answers. She gives nothing away.
"Elaborate." She's suddenly back to her usual, business-like, direct self.
"It took really long the last time I shifted, and then I was afraid I would get stuck somewhere along the way, so I stopped."She chews on that information for a few moments, her eyes distant again before she opens her mouth to respond.
"Scarlett, you really should go see the vampire's physician-"
"C'mon, Doc-" I cut her off, but she interrupts me with more acidity than I've seen from her.
"Listen to me, child." For the first time since I've met the woman, she raises her voice. "If you don't get professional advice, I don't know what will happen to you. This sounds like a possibly catastrophic set of symptoms-" *Geez, it can't be that bad.*
"Doc, really-" I feel panic starting to coil within me, seizing control of my senses and making me feel cornered.
"Scarlett, I believe you will die if you continue like this." She cuts me off.
I immediately shut up, my eyes widening as the shock of her words rockets through me. *Die? Like dead-die? Like really die?* I haven't even considered the possibility my genetics killing me until she said it. And now that she has, I feel like the ground's opened up and swallowed me whole and I'm just falling, falling, falling-
"Geez, Doc, don't sugar coat it." Mikyle sighs, suddenly kneeling beside me, his gossamer-gentle touch on my hand.
"She wasn't listening to me," Doc says, still flustered. "What was I supposed to do?"
"A little tact goes a long way, Doc." Mikyle scolds the woman. "C'mon, princess, let's get going." His tone is much softer when he speaks to me, dark red eyes locking with mine and coaxing a response from my frazzled mind.
"Yeah." I hear myself reply and let him wrap an arm around my shoulders, guiding me to my feet.
"Mikyle- Scarlett-"
"Thanks for the potion, Doc." Mikyle tells the woman, and it's not until then I realize he's managed to get the bottle away from the doctor. I swallow, looking at the swirling liquid in the glass bottle that's not black and not exactly purple but something in between. It looks like poison. And something in me believes it just might be a worse option than drinking blood.
- - -
"Mikyle," I say slowly once we're home. He was as silent walking me home as he was when we walked to the clinic.
"What's up, princess?" He asks without his usual taunting smirk. His face is serious in the dying light of the sun, painted a burnt orange until we get into the house. He doesn't rush me to speak, just calmly waits for me to talk. I'm holding onto the potion bottle now, wondering if I should start using the stuff now. *Is it even worth it?*
"Do you think I'll die?" I ask point-blank, staring at the vial in my still-trembling hands.
"Look, prin- *Scarlett*," I blink, looking up him in surprise. I'd almost forgotten what my name sounded like coming from him. He's serious again, eyes their usual dark-red, but a lot softer than usual. "Doc is used to taking care of Wolven hybrids, sure, but even she's never lived to deal with something like you." Despite his kind words, I still feel like smacking him for that last comment.
"That's not an answer." I grumble, rolling my eyes, but I can't help the small, sad smile that over-takes my lips. I'm starting to feel a little less shell-shocked, more like myself.
"I'll make you a promise, princess." He stops by my room, lightly pushing me into the room so we're facing each other. "None of us are going to let you die that easily. You're stuck with us, got it?" His hands are secure on my shoulders, their pressure grounding me to the present and forcing me to face this.
"Got it." I reply, a little stunned by the sincerity of his words. The nearly protective nature of them that's so out of character for him.
"Good. Now, get your ass in the shower. You're starting to stink." The moment's gone. But if I'm being honest, I'm relieved. I'm not used to this serious-Mikyle. Sincere Mikyle.
"Mikyle-" I hiss in annoyance but he stops me, smirking once again.
"I know, I know. I'm a jackass." He supplies half-heartedly. I study him for a moment, searching his eyes and finding them completely devoid of his usual perky nature. There's only concern there. Concern and something else...something warm.
"No," I shake my head, maintaining eye contact with him. "You're not." A flicker of blood-red flares in his eyes, making them glow for a fraction of a second. So short of a time I almost miss it. Almost.
"Go hit the showers, princess." He suddenly orders, looking away. His words are still devoid of any real bite. And maybe it's my imagination, but they sound almost...pleading. I turn away from him and go set the potion on the bedside table.
"You're not the boss of me." I shoot over my shoulder but going into the bathroom anyway. The smallest smile playing on my lips, and I'm not even sure why.
