Evolve Two: Vampire Stories of the Future Undead (9 page)

A chair sat empty beside her door. The guard was no longer needed because she was no longer a threat. She hadn’t been out of that bed for months. She wheeled past it, away from the nurse’s station — she didn’t want to attract their attention.

Her feet tangled and she almost fell. She clutched the walker and glared down until both feet faced forward again. She had four doors to check. Just four. If she didn’t find a way to feed on this floor, she was done.

She pushed against the first door and glanced into the room. Two males. No one was being given blood. The door snicked shut as she shuffled to the next room. A woman, alone. The wonderful metal smell of fresh blood wafted over Roslyn. She checked to make certain no one saw her, and then walked through the door, pushing it closed behind her.

The woman was hooked up to every machine known to man, as far as Roslyn could tell. Her eyes, half open in her badly beaten face, looked more dead than alive.

“Hi,” Roslyn said, ready to back out and find another room if the woman answered.

The woman didn’t react.

Roslyn shuffled up and reached out a shaking hand, touching the IV bag that hung from the stand by the bed. Full of blood.

“I’m just going to borrow a bit,” she said, as she disconnected the plastic tubing from the woman’s arm. When a small drop of blood fell, her mouth flooded with saliva and she rammed the plastic tube between her lips, closed her eyes and sucked, sighing as the blood touched her tongue then flooded her mouth. Her gums felt warm, and then began to ache. She groaned, sucking and swallowing, feeling warmth slide down her throat into her belly, then expand everywhere inside her.

With the warmth came strength. Her arms and legs stopped feeling wooden. She knew if she drank it all she’d be caught. She took one more long pull on the plastic tubing, filling her mouth before she reconnected the tube to the woman.

“Thanks.” She grabbed the walker and tugged it behind her as she headed out the door and back to her room.

Gina. It works,
she chortled as she jumped into bed.
It works way better than I would have believed.

We all need to do this, and then get out,
Gina replied.
Find some place to hide. All of us, together.

Roslyn paused. She didn’t know if she wanted to run away. Maybe some of what Erickson told her was the truth. Maybe she could still have her old life back. Maybe, for her, it would work.

I just want to go home,
she thought.

Don’t we all.
Gina’s thoughts were filled with such remorse, Roslyn wondered if she had kids. She didn’t ask. Nobody talked about the family they left behind.

Every night Roslyn went to the woman in the coma, stealing sips of blood from the plastic tube. Then she walked, to rebuild her strength. At first all she could manage was the hallway, but soon she tackled the stairs. Up to the roof, and then down to the basement. She moved more and more quickly, taking the stairs two at a time, running up and then down them as though she was on flat ground. It felt glorious.

The second night on the stairs, she went on the roof. She stood in the cold dark, drinking in the sight of the stars and the swollen harvest moon and wishing she could just fly away. She said that to Gina, who replied flatly,
We can’t do that.

How do you know?
She stared longingly out over the parking lot. Just one step. That’s all it would take.

Raymond couldn’t.

Oh.
Roslyn backed away from the edge of the roof. Raymond had been the first to disappear, even before the artificial Link had been disconnected. Before they’d all been caught.

He’d jumped off the roof of his apartment building when the police came to pick him up. Splattered his brains all over the sidewalk in front of his condo. And they’d all seen it. Felt it. Roslyn shuddered.

Did you ever figure out why he did that?

He killed his wife. Felt bad about it.

Her thoughts touched on Terry, then skittered away.

You do realize you weren’t the only one, right?
Gina said.
We all killed someone.

Roslyn stared out at the cold starlight. They’d never talked about it, but it made sense. Funny she’d never connected that particular dot before.

The media dubbed us vampire killers.

But we don’t kill vampires—

It’s not funny, Roslyn. We have to be careful when we get back out in the world. That’s all I’m saying.

Roslyn stared up at the stars, feeling a twinge of anger. That was probably why her mother left. Hadn’t had anything to do with Terry at all. No, dear old Mom wouldn’t have been able to stand the embarrassment of media attention.

Thanks for looking out for me, Gina,
she thought, impulsively.
You would have made a good mom, know what I mean?

Gina broke the connection without answering, leaving Roslyn alone, staring at the cold stars, impossibly far away.

Gina did not communicate with anyone for three nights. When Roslyn felt her thoughts finally curl into her mind, anger and relief washed over her in equal measure.

Where were you? Everybody thought something happened. They’re all acting crazy. Are you all right?

I’m fine.
Gina sounded strong, blood strong, and relief flooded through Roslyn.
Did you know Erickson and the rest were coming here? To the university?

Roslyn frowned.
No. Why would they do that?

They’re having a frigging symposium. Trying to figure out how to deal with the Link issue.
Gina laughed, smoke angry.
We’re an issue now.

Roslyn kicked her legs to loosen the blankets and got out of bed.
So what are they going to do?

They’ve decided to speed up the experimentation. It’s not just you next. They’ve chosen ten of us. Same ‘therapy’ they used on Roger and Cassidy.

Because it’s working?
Hope touched her faintly.

No. I saw Cassidy’s autopsy report.

But Cassidy survived!
Roslyn felt sick and wished she could puke.
Erickson told me she survived.

He lied. They’re killing everyone. Everyone. We have to escape. Go somewhere safe.

Roslyn heaved once, but there was nothing to vomit and hadn’t been for months. She padded back and forth between the door and the foil-covered windows, feeling like a caged animal.
Where’s safe?

Gina was silent so long, Roslyn was afraid she’d disappeared again.
I don’t know yet,
she finally thought.
But soon. I’ll find someplace soon.

Roslyn reached out and touched the foil over the window, felt warmth, and knew the sun was just on the other side, ready to burn her to a crisp.
Just don’t leave me.

I won’t.

Promise?
She pulled her hand away from the foil and looked down at it, half expecting to see blisters. There was nothing.

I promise.

The woman in Room Three died, but it was all right, because Roslyn didn’t need her anymore. She moved around the hospital silently, feeling like a ninja or something, taking blood where she found it. She felt stronger with every sip, and chafed against being trapped in the hospital. But Gina said she had to wait until they were all strong enough to leave, so she bided her time, and continued to work out.

Up and down the stairs she ran every night, reveling in the return of her strength. She moved more quickly, taking the steps two at a time, then three, then four. Leaping and landing, light as a jungle cat.

“I think Gina might be wrong,” she whispered. She tried jumping a flight of stairs. Landed. Took the next flight, laughing joyously. “I bet we can fly, if we try hard enough.”

She turned to head back down the stairs, and leapt. Her toe caught on the top step and she fell, crashing down the whole flight and half of the next before she finally stopped, stunned.

She heard a door swing open on the floor above her and knew she had to move or she’d be caught. She opened her eyes, and then slammed them shut as the staircase whirled around her.

Steps, slow at first, then a quick rat-ta-tat down the stairs to her side. “Are you all right?” a man’s voice asked.

“I slipped,” she whispered, opening one eye and then, carefully, the other.

A janitor stood a step up from her, staring stupidly. “Maybe I should get a nurse.”

The last thing in the world she needed. She shook her head, and then slowly began to move body parts to see what damage she had done to herself.

“I’m all right,” she said. “Really. I just slipped.” Everything seemed to be in working order, except for one broken toe. It hurt like a bitch.

“Are you sure?” the janitor asked. He still didn’t look convinced, so she pulled herself to her feet and smiled, even though the pain was horrendous.

“Absolutely! Sorry if I frightened you.”

She walked down the stairs until she heard the janitor leave the stairwell, then groaned and hobbled back to her room, feeling like an idiot. Flying was definitely out.

Her head started to ache as she climbed into bed and attempted to contact Gina. She didn’t feel the usual warm click, and frowned. “What the hell?”

Tried again. Nothing. She felt the first flicker of panic, but steadied herself and tried again. Still nothing. She touched the scar and felt a spot of pain where she’d obviously hit her head.

“Oh my god!” she whispered. Almost without thinking, she grabbed the emergency button clipped to her bed and pressed it over and over again, as though it could do some good. She’d disconnected herself from the V-Link! She was all alone.

The nurses added sedatives to the chemical stew they pumped into Roslyn’s body and for days she couldn’t pull it together enough to even get out of bed. The truth was, she didn’t know if she wanted to. She couldn’t hear a whisper from the Link.

“I’ve lost everything,” she muttered.

“What was that, dearie?” A nurse stood on the other side of the room. Roslyn hadn’t realized she was there.

“I think I’m going to die,” she whispered.

“Oh no, dear,” the nurse said. “Just three more days and you’ll be right as rain.”

“Three more—”

“Your procedure, remember? We had to wait for the swelling in your brain to ease.”

Roslyn closed her eyes and swallowed. Her throat hurt. How long had it been since she’d fed? Then she frowned. “Swelling?”

“Why yes. You took a tumble. Hit your head. We had to put off your procedure until the swelling eased.” She walked to Roslyn. “Can’t you remember?”

Actually, she couldn’t, but she was not letting the nurse know that. “The drugs are muddling my head,” she replied, using the young girl cadence in her voice that seemed to calm all meat. “But I remember now.”

“Just rest,” the nurse said. “Soon, you’ll be back with the rest of us. Dr. Erickson is a miracle worker.”

“Yes, I’m sure he is.” Roslyn muttered, trying to keep the smile on her face until the nurse finally left the room.

As soon as the door clicked shut, she kicked off the blankets and got out of bed. She was weak, but not debilitated. And her foot didn’t hurt anymore. Healed. Maybe her head had healed too.

She closed her eyes and focused on connecting. She tried not to think how much she needed it, just cleared her head and waited for the warmth. She thought she felt something, but couldn’t be sure; her head was still fuzzy from the drugs.

Anybody there?

Is that really you?
The thoughts winding into her head were so weak she barely believed they were real. But they had to be.

Yes, it’s me.

A flood hit her. Thoughts, from all over the country. All of them saying,
Thank god you’re back! We can’t lose any more!

Gina?
Roslyn hadn’t felt her thoughts in the cacophony.
You there?

The sudden silence made her panic. Had she been cut off again? One small taste, then back to black?