"Cole?" A voice echoes in the darkness of her mind. Slowly luring her back to consciousness. Cole opens her eyes partway to see a worried young boy leaning over. A plastic rod in his hand, he pokes at her thigh as if checking to see if she was alive. "Hey. Can you hear me?"
The patient tilts her head, looking through foggy vision to see there were others entering.
"What the fuck happened, Tuck?" Eris says when he sees the patient.
"I don't know, man. I just found her I swear." Tuck says.
"Fuck, I don’t need this right now." She hears Eris grumble while he steps away. Cole thought both of them were going to leave, when he re-entered the bathroom with a pink throw blanket. "Hey kid." Eris speaks softly, despite the clear annoyance in his gaze. "Let me help you up."
Cole's gray eyes peek to see Eris extend his arm toward her. His tall frame shadows Cole's smaller form as her eyes fill with dread. Cole's heart beats harder the more he neared. Reeling to the surface, the memory of their first encounter, and the dark look in his eyes when he aimed a gun at her face.
"I don't mind losing another patient."
"Don't touch me!" Cole quickly sits up, hissing in pain when she does. She stiffened, feeling tears surface as she felt pain sting through her chest again. "Oh god." She shivers out.
Eris could tell the small movement caused the patient great pain. "I guess that stuff wore off…" Eris observes as she curls up on the floor in agony. Choked sobs echoing within the bathroom. Tuck held a concerned look, while Eris just seemed impatient.
"Cole, you can stay on the floor, or you can let me help you up and I can give a dose for the pain." He offers.
"Go away…" Cole breathes out. "I don't want your help."
"I don't give a shit if you want my help or not, cão raivoso." Eris sighs, leaning closer to cover her with the throw.
“Get that off me!" Cole all-but snarls, kicking it off.
Tuck's eyes go wide after her movements cause the hem of her gown to shift up.
"Ahem." Eris turns to him. "Tuck, perhaps you should bring up breakfast for our patient."
Tuck gave a nod and left the room. While Eris knelt near, looking frustrated as he noticed a crimson stain on the patient's gown. "Listen, Cole…" Eris starts when they are alone. "You're going to make things worse for yourself if you get an infection. Let me tend to you, and then I'll leave."
"No. Go away." Cole says quickly, clenching her teeth as she suffers another wave of pain.
When Cole dismisses him again, Eris swept her up from the bathroom floor. She wriggled at first, but he picked her up with ease and returned her to bed. "You weigh lighter than a bucket of apples." He remarks as he lowers her onto the bed. "Does Isla feed her patients?"
"Don’t talk about Isla." Cole defends weakly, laying stiffly on the bed as Eris retrieved something from the nearby table.
"No." Cole says firmly when she realizes what he was about to do.
"Relax, it's not like that." Eris scoffs when she stops him from undoing her gown. "I need to change your bandages."
"No", Cole pushes away his hands. "Get out."
Eris looks at the writhing patient a moment longer. She shifted onto her right side, breathing feverishly as she grips fistfuls of the bedsheet. Clenching her teeth, Eris could see tears spill from the corners of her eyes. He was familiar with the pain all too well…
"Cole…" Eris was about to say something, when the door opens, and a tall form pushes past the plastic seal.
"Eris". A surprised look shows on Vincent's face. He enters looking freshly dressed. A clean outfit, fresh pair of gloves and a mask. Both men were of similar height and build. However, Eris's skin was bronzer, and he had a head full of black curly hair that's tousled over his forehead. A pair of thick black brows rest above his round eyes. Cole could not tell their color. Black eyelashes encircle his shimmering eyes. He has defined cheekbones, a dimpled chin, and a clean-shaven face with a freckle showing below the left corner of his mouth. Black ink of a tattoo showing near the crook of his neck. The rest of it hidden past the collar of his shirt.
"What happened?" Vincent speaks in a low tone, glancing between Eris and the patient.
"Not sure." Eris speaks honestly, "Tuck found her on the bathroom floor. I think she tried to go by herself, but then her condition got the better of her…"
"I see…" Went Vincent. "Has she had a dose?"
"No", Eris shook his head, a defeated look showing on his face. "She won't let me change her bandages either."
Vincent took a deep breath, approaching the bed where the patient lay. Cole could see the tired look he wore as he leaned close. Kneeling beside the bed, Vincent was calm and doesn’t try to touch the patient. Cole hid her face in the sheets the closer he got. Allowing her tears to soak into the sheets.
Dark circles are painted under his eyes, they are slightly puffy from insufficient sleep. He took another deep breath and folded his arms on the edge of the bed. Leaning there as he tried to think of what to say. After a moment, he speaks to the patient.
"Cole?" Vincent speaks softly, though his patient could tell it was because he was tired. His voice was gruff to her ears, but Cole found it was less threatening than the sharp and stern voice that belongs to Eris.
"I know what you're going through..." He began. "I know you're used to Doctor Isla and her people taking care of you. If you're not comfortable with me, I won't force you, but we are your only option right now. Until we can locate Doctor Isla... I promise you, if you let me, I can clean you up, get you into a fresh gown and you'll feel better. I'll give you something for the pain, then I promise I'll leave you alone. If that's what you want..."
"Cole...?" Vincent tilts his head, trying to see more of her face.
Cole took a shivered breath, moving her face from the sheet. Her gray eyes were moist and red from crying. A look of agony surfaces as Cole explained saying, "I- I can't move" she finally says. "I don't want to. It hurts so much."
A moment of silence passes as Vincent looks toward Eris, then back at his patient. "Here, look." Vincent extends his arm and rolls up the sleeve of his shirt. "Here, and here too." He points to separate scars on his forearm.
Cole looks at them, trembling as she eyed each of the scars. "Why are you s- showing me that?" She shivers.
"I got these months before the rescue. We were moving supplies to Sir Peters hospital. It was a lot of physical labor and not enough time to catch our breaths. My mind was deep in the work… Anyway, there was an ambush, about nine armed idiots tried to steal from us. I barely had time to react when the shooting started…”
Cole was silent while her gaze wandered over the pale flesh of his forearm.
"I have one here too". Vincent lifts the hem of his shirt, giving Cole a partial glimpse of his abdomen. "A few more on my legs…" He admits. "And there's this", Vincent points to the side of his neck, where a hideous scar ruined his smooth skin. It trails beneath his jaw and fades past his ear. "A graze from a bullet", he explained, adding: "If it weren't for Eris and the others, I'd be dead. Eris pulled me out of fire many times, and he'll do the same for you. I have no doubt."
Cole glanced toward Eris; distrust clear in her gaze when she does. Even now, Eris had a silver revolver holstered on his hip. He curiously followed her gaze to see what she was staring at. Chewing down on his bottom lip after he realized.
"Ahem…" Eris shifts uncomfortably under her gaze. "I'll head downstairs." He tells his colleague and departs from the room.
Once he was gone, Cole felt the tension ease in her shoulders. During a few moments of silence her breathing became somewhat normal again.
"You know he stayed up all night to make sure you were alright." Vincent tells her, while getting up to retrieve something from the nearby luggage. "Eris is a good doctor."
A quiet moment passes as Cole watches him retrieve a syringe and vial. "Eris is a doctor?" Cole struggled with the idea. A doctor always armed while caring for patients.
"Yes." Vincent confirms. "It's not uncommon these days for doctors to be armed." He adds. "It may not have been Isla's preference, but survivors like us don't forget."
Vincent set down the vial and approached the bed with the syringe in his grip. "A-Are you armed too?" Cole stops him, raising her palm as she forces herself to sit upright.
"I… I am." Vincent hesitates to answer. The look in Cole's gray eyes was brimming with fear. Doctor Lance's footsteps come to a stop in front of the bed. He lowered the syringe and set it aside.
"S-Show me." Cole demands in a weak voice. Adding in a softer tone: "Please…"
Understandingly, Vincent complied and turned toward a large trunk. He props his left foot on it, lifting his pant leg to reveal a sheathed blade strapped to his calf. "You can trust me, Cole…" He says, before letting go of his pant leg. He turns to retrieve the syringe again. Slowly, Doctor Lance approaches the bed, and, with a consenting nod, his patient receives a dose of pain medication.
"You'll feel drowsy but that's normal." Doctor Lance explains, going to retrieve clean bandages from the luggage. Returning, Vincent hesitates, deciding instead to kneel beside the bed. "We can wait as long as you want…"
"She's asleep..." Vincent whispers to a curious Eris, who re-entered the room with a tray of food.“Great", Eris sighs, "An hour in the kitchen and two flights of stairs...""Guess there'll be leftovers". Vincent whispers as he tucks in the patient. Carefully gathering her long hair with his hands, before slipping on a hair tie. This allowed him more access to her neck as he wipes away the perspiration on her pale skin with a clean towel. "She's got a temperature of 110." He tells Eris, wiping away the sweat from her face as well."Infection?" Eris wonders."It's too early to tell. For now, let's let her sleep." Vincent decides.The pair exit the bedroom, turning off lights as they went, and washing up in an adjacent room. A single bedroom made into two… Modified to fit the living requirements of a fragile patient and prevent the risks of a domestic outbreak. Time passes as the pair vigorously clean and prep for the next day.Only when they part from the purgative room and enter the h
Cole sat up in bed, her pulse beating wildly as her gray eyes look around the pitch-black room. Sweat leaking down her forehead. Travelling down the curve of her neck and soaking into the collar of her gown. She lifts her right arm, trying to locate the bedside lamp when the noise comes again.Bang!She jolts in her spot, and immediately recognizes the noise as a gunshot. This time there was no mistaking it.Dread poured over her body, flooding down to the tips of her fingers and toes. She trembled uncontrollably, her gray eyes watering as she could not think of what to do.Cole stayed put for the duration of the silence that followed. Until a multitude of footfalls echo past her bedroom. She finally slipped from bed. Sliding off the side of the mattress and onto the cool tiled floor. Cole shifted her gaze toward the bedroom window. Observing the ray of pale moonlight that filled a spot on the floor. Then to the right of it. She could faintly see the pile of luggage in the corner of t
Eris's voice comes from Vincent's radio as he says something in his native language. Cole listened curiously as Vincent responded, chatting back and forth until Eris finished. Saying: "Entendi, obrigado." "You're so quiet…" Vincent observes, while he carefully wraps her shoulder with new bandages. "Are you in any pain?" He wondered. A look of concern surfacing in his green eyes again. Cole secretly thought his round eyes resembled a timid stray pup. How can a grown man look so… adorable? She stares senselessly into the pair of eyes, admiring the lush green of them. "Cole?" Vincent blinks nervously as he stops what he's doing to look at his patient. "I want to know what's going on", he whispers, "but… it's kinda hard when you don't talk." Cole shifted her gaze at last. Pretending to find the bathroom floor interesting, before she comes up with an answer. "I… It's just… you're so different from Isla… More…" Cole struggles when the heat rises to her cheeks. "More… what?" Vincent's
"I- I am wearing gl-gloves." Cole barely manages to get out. Rambling: "It's only cards. Tuck assured me they were sterile. He even brought me this bed-tray, so nothing touched the sheets…" Vincent looks at his patient in silence. Shifting his gaze to the cards, which were set on a firm bed table, and Cole was indeed wearing latex gloves too… With a deep breath, Vincent set the food aside. "Alright…" He speaks softly, the crease between his brows slowly disappears as he neared. "Let me take that so you can have your meal." Cole glanced one last time before setting the cards down. The doctor seemed calm… at least that's how he appeared now. "Leave the gloves too." Vincent points with his eyes, to which Cole understood and discarded them. She watched as Doctor Lance took the table and set it with the other items. Then he brought her the food, carefully putting it on the bed where she could reach. "It’s not a five-star meal so… if you don't like it, don't eat it." He says, turning to
Before the sun rose on the horizon, Eris was up. He sat in his office chair, eyes glued to the current document he was reading. With his free hand he took notes on a pad. Listing all of Cole's past symptoms and the recurrences of them. After, Eris researched the incident reports written by Rue. He listed those by date and a brief description of the incident. Next, Eris began sifting through the patient's lab results. And finally, he reviewed Cole's cognitive tests. Which were performed daily as Cole never seemed to suffer the more severe symptoms. "She's strong, she wants to live." Doctor Isla says on a recorded log. Which Eris played out of curiosity. The conference video showed Doctor Isla in plain clothes. She was sitting in her own living room, while talking to an interviewer. Other unnamed individuals were a part of the virtual conference, but only their names appeared below. "What was going through your head when you took her in as a child?" An interviewer asks. "She needs m
Vincent slipped outside. The morning breeze cooled his skin as he finally placed the dog bowl. Sitting on the porch while Audi gobbled his food. Vincent let his gaze drift over the many vehicles parked on the lawn. Some of them were in poor shape. Though, it’s still a better option than walking. Beyond the collection of vehicles, a long dirt driveway curves into the distance. Surrounded by trees, and poorly maintained grass. "Oh my god.” Vincent lifted his head as voices echoed, followed by the sound of laughter. "Again?" "Hahaha, Tuck you're so bad at this game". A small smile stretched on Vincent's lips when he realized they were up. Not only that but playing their card games. "Come on. Rematch." Cole spoke. "But this time, if I win, you have to get me some of Doctor Blonde's secret stash." What? Vincent could hardly believe his ears. "Deal." Tuck quickly agrees. This time Vincent stood up. Stepping off of the porch, he looked up at the open bedroom window. Placing one hand
"Who told you my middle name?" Vincent questions, his right eyebrow twitching as a dark cloud forms over the green in his eyes. "It was on your -ahem". Tuck pulled out a familiar leather wallet. "State of Connecticut Driver's License.” "Tuck". Vincent warns as he starts opening the wallet. "Let's see. Date of birth -fuck- 2029?? You're like… OLD!". Cole stirred awake as Vincent set down the tray of food nearby and reached for his wallet. "Give me that back you little turd and go find Snow White and the other six dwarves.” “Ha, I think I hear Barbie calling you back to the Dream house.” Tuck smirks, jumping out of his spot when Vincent got close. Causing Cole to fall on the floor with a loud thump. "OWw". Went Cole, lifting her head up after hitting the coffee table. "What's going on?" She croaks out, her gray eyes still hazy with sleep. "Hey, Cola". Tuck smiles mischievously, holding the wallet out. "Guess what? Barbie’s boyfriend was born in-" "Enough". Vincent moved swiftly t
Cole finished her food and licked her fingers. Gulping the last of the orange juice before setting down the glass. Vincent stood in front of her, looking at the tray. "What's wrong?" Cole wondered. Vincent took the tray and answered. "You shouldn't eat so fast… Might get an upset stomach. Then I'll have to give you a shot". "A shot?" Confusion glistened in Cole's gray eyes. Her clear dislike of needles surfaces. "I'd have to get a shot?" "Yes". Vincent sighs, as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders and she just added more. Cole glances down at her lap, then slowly holds her right arm toward him. A nervous habit familiar to Vincent. He gently lifted her chin with his finger, coaxing her gray eyes to reconnect with his green ones. A grin formed on his lips as he spoke. "Kidding". Vincent's green eyes sparkle in the light. Cole blinked, confusion fading as she lowered her arm. Vincent gave her chin a light touch and then retreated with the tray. Cole chewed her lip in