Dragan's Redemption Book One of the Manor at Echo Lake Trilogy (3 page)

“I know
,
and that is to be expected for someone in your condition.  S
leep now
.
Y
our family will be very excited when they wake.”

Feeling lighter
,
he headed out the door.  This was one of the reasons why he was in the medical field.  The hope that lives could be saved and continue was renewed everyday for him by people like Peter Wallace.

Stepping out into the
early morning
air, he paused while breathing in deeply.  How many days
had in been since he had fresh air?
Walking toward the parking garage, he heard a siren.  Attempting to tune it out
,
he
failed
miserabl
y
as he heard the voices from inside the ambulance.  Turning back to the emergency room doors, he waited for the tires to stop before opening the back doors.

The paramedics looked reli
e
ved seeing him.

“Dr. Reynolds!”

“What do you have?”

“Victim
’
s age is approximately 6 years old.  He went through the windshield of his
drunken
father’s
car – guess he decided home was close enough
so he didn’t
strap the boy in.  He took the corner too hard, slamming into a tree in their front yard.  Father has hardly a scratch on him.
”

“Where is the
dad
now?”

The paramedic shrugged as he hopped out of the vehicle. 
“He refused treatment.  The police were more than happy to take him to the station.  The mom is hysterical
though
, so the cops are taking her the long way to the hospital to give us time.  We don’t think the kid is going to make
it
.”

Pushing the paramedic aside, Dragan continued the chest compressions as they wheeled him into a bay in the emergenc
y
room. 
Thinking of the father, t
he familiar rage welled up inside his chest
at the stupidity of some humans
. 
Refusing
to accept
the paramedic’s
diagnosis
,
Dragan barked
orders
causing a
flurry of activity
to build
around him.  This boy was
not
going to die without a fight.  An hour later, blood covering his clothes, he stared down at the lifeless body and conceded defeat.

“Doctor, you need to call it.”

He turned his head, face set as stone and devoid of emotion.  She took a step back afraid.

“Time of death
-
5:42 a
.
m.”  Pulling off the latex
gloves,
he threw them to the floor.  “I
will
talk to the mom as soon as I clean up.
”
Stroking
the boys head gently
,
h
is
voice cracked.  “Please take care of this child so the mom
can come
in to say goodbye.”

“Yes
,
Doctor.”

Returning to his room,
Dragan
quickly stripped the blood soaked clothes off his body
before stepping into the shower
.  The scent was in his pores.  He scrubbed his skin hard attempting to remove it from his skin.  Hearing movements from his room, he stood still listening then continued scrubbing as
he
recognized the sound of the nurse quietly placing his clothes in a plastic bag to throw away.
Placing both hands on the wall of the shower
,
he leaned forward to allow the pulsating spray to wash over him as he pushed down the waves of
nausea that
were
trying to over
take him. 
Unable to hold it back
,
he quickly stepped
out of the shower to the
toilet,
vomiting then
gagging as the acid burned his throat.  Leaning against the sink
,
he looked into the mirror
watch
ing
as the beginnings of red entered the corners of his eyes.  He
needed
to leave the hospital
but he still had one thing left to do
.

Quickly
dressing
,
he returned to the emergency room
entering the room where the little boy was.
  Stepping quietly
,
he viewed the tiny form lying now on clean sheets.
Staring at the tiny face, he wondered why
dead people look
ed
like they were
sleeping.

Out in the hallway, he noted the mom rocking back and forth in
agony
waiting for news on her son
as a nurse knelt by the chair rubbing her back
.
Steeling himself inside
before approaching her
,
Dragan
took a
shaky
breath as
she looked up
. 
Feeling her eyes
searching every inch of his face, h
e knew the instant she realized that her son was
gone
.

“I am sorry.  We did everything we could.”

She crumbled to the floor wailing loudly as he turned away towards the exit.  The emergency doors slid open automatically allowing him
to step through and then close
.

Stepping outside for the second time that morning, this time the air did not smell as sweet to him.  His hunger was raging through his system almost overpowering him.   Dragan knew he had waited too long to feed.  Picturing the police station in his mind, he willed himself into a cell with his remaining strength.  Dragan looked down at the man lying on the cot,
the scent of the fathers
blood stained clothes tickled at his nose.  Grimacing at the stench of alcohol, he knew he was going to regret this later.  Reaching down he grabbed the man by the neck, squeezing as he hauled him to his feet. 
C
ho
k
ing
sounds filled
the tiny cell.

Drunken e
yes
,
wide in fear
, stared into red ones.

“I just wanted to let you know that your son is dead and probably lying on a cold slab in the morgue as we speak
.  Strangers surround your wife
,
whose heart probably feels like it has been ripped from her chest because of your stupidity. Those
same
strangers are
attempting to console her
,
and all she wants is
to have her
baby back. 
I am in a bit of a quandary, for here you are sleeping off the beer and whatever crap you have in your system
,
and m
y first thought is to kill your
body ending your
pathetic excuse of a life
..
.
”  Dragan watched the fear rise in the man
’
s eyes.  “…
but that would be too easy for you and another
crushing blow for her.”

Seeing the man
’
s lips turn blue, Dragan eased up on his grip slightly.

“Who are you?”

“I am your conscious
,
and right now that would make me your worst enemy.” 
Dragan’s
face contorted before dropping his head to the man
’
s neck.  The father’s
scream
turned to a gurgle within seconds as his lifeblood was quickly and efficiently drained from his
veins
.
  After 300 years of being a vampire, Dragan knew the exact moment to pull away before causing death.  The beating of his
victim
’
s
heart would slow
until it was barely
audible
to him. 
Letting the
fangs
retract,
he
swiped
at the puncture
wounds
with his tongue, sealing them tight
,
before releasing the now unconscious body.  Swaying on his feet, Dragan felt the urge to vomit
again, this time from t
he alcohol
that
rushed through his system.  He disliked feeding
off
drunken
people. 
Checking one more time to e
nsur
e
that the father of the dead boy was still alive, h
e quickly pictured the hospital
in his head – within seconds he was heading to the parking garage
.

Dragan s
h
ifte
d
gears as the powerful engine roared around the
curve in the road
.  His skillful fingers too
k
the corner cleanly. 
Even
at 1
1
0
M.P.H
.
,
he did not brake
when he reached
the
bend
.  He knew this route
to the Berkshires
with his eyes closed.  Dragan shook his head
trying to get the little boy out of his mind, hearing the mom’s scream echo
repeatedly
.  Turning the next bend he slammed his foot on the brake hard
causing
the car to strain, tires squealing
,
as the automobile did a 360
in
the middle of
the
road before stopping abruptly.  New blood
from his victim
roared through his veins
,
now free of the alcohol, his whole system and senses heightened again from the feed
.  Closing
h
is eyes, he listen
ed again for the sound.  Yes, that
was another scream
,
and t
his one was not in his head.
Quickly looking out to his right in the early morning light
,
he saw them.  She was running hard across the field.  Her back was to him, hair flying out behind her as she headed to the
woods
.  The
huge white arctic
wolf, albeit further in the distance, would catch her easily.  She did not have a chance.  They were less than a mile away
;
Dragan figured he
still had time.  Jumping from th
e vehicle, he ran toward them
panic setting in
as he briefly
lost sight
of first her, then the wolf
,
as they disappeared into the line of trees.  Within seconds, he was through
the brush
.  Shock
rippling through him
;
he stopped.  The woman had the massive wolf pinned to the ground, arms wrapped
around
the
hairy
shoulders
.  H
er long skirt, now riding up, baring
well-muscled
thighs and le
gs
were also wrapped around the
animal
so it
could not
move.  Both were
breathing
hard from the chase. 
Laughter rang through the trees as she ignored the low growls coming from the
animal
.  Dragan realized that she was taunting the
wolf
.

“There!  I got you, you silly dog.”  The wolf squirmed until she slid off of his back then giggled uncontrollably as the
animal
proceed
ed
to lick her face until she fell backwards onto the hard ground.  Its massive form towered over her
.
Dragan was mesmerized
and desire coursed through him
as he appreciat
ed
the contrast of her dark hair against the wolf
’
s white fur
.  “OK
!
  OK,
…maybe you got me.  Can you please stop slobbering all over me?  Your breath stinks.”  The wolf sat back on his haunches looking at her
,
and if Dragan was not mistaken, a grin spread over its hairy face.