Alex howls in pain being placed onto the hay bed, he convulsed at the tiniest touch. His skin was turning red from the crystal he consumed. A large lady sets a lit lantern down on the ground beside them illuminating the darkness of the rickety shelter.
"Is the doctor coming soon?" The man asked.
"He is coming soon enough Shimon, the little one needs to bear with it." She shouted.
Rosalie sat by Alex's bedside, Shimon closed his ears with his hands unable to take his wailing during the duration of their wait.
"So your name is Shimon?" Rosalie smiled.
"It is…what is yours?"
"Rosalie, Rosalie—" She started only to be stopped.
"We never say our last names Rosalie, you won't be human soon enough," Shimon responded.
A knock on the door terrifies Rosalie, three men dressed in discolored rags stand in the doorway gawking at them both. The plump woman gets in behind them pushing the men into the room.
Grabbing Rosalie by the collar of her gown she is inspected, her assets touched. They run their hands down her waist, her back even her hair is judged through only limited light. Tears form in the side of her ducts frightened being handled as a product rather than a person.
They push her back down signaling for Shimon to go outside, Rosalie clings to the hay bed scared for her life. Alex's face is swollen, fever and doing everything he could to breathe has her troubled.
She bursts out into sobs sitting with her sick friend in tow, this seems so unreal to her.
"Rosalie, that is your name right?" One of the men asked.
"Y-yes…" She answered.
"Shimon told me you want to give your biddings, we will pick you up in the morning." The man next to him stated.
Rosalie says nothing more resigned to her fate, there was nothing she could do. Just like her Victorian life, in the veil, she was worth something. From a beggar for her family and more than likely a sexual slave in the land of fae and vampires.
"If you try to run Rosalie, I will kill you," Shimon warned.
She takes the threat seriously, staying put, the husky lady ambles back into the room holding a sheaf of paper with a heap of powder and a small metal cup. Squatting down at the tap she turned the spigot releasing a little bit of water.
Pouring the powder into the cup she retrieves from her pouch a stick stirring the dubious dust around into the cold drink barely taking to the water falling to the bottom in clumps. Strolling over to the thatched bed she thrust his head back.
Alex coughed out settling back down, he fell asleep quickly for the woman to check his hand. His veins popped out through his red-tinted skin. Even with a small press of her hand a white indentation could be seen against the surface of his inflamed skin and disappear.
"Shimon…he isn't going to last at this point." She stated.
"You can't let him die!" Rosalie shrieked.
"There is nothing we can do Rosalie…" Shimon explained.
"How could you do this to him?" Rosalie blamed.
"Look, we didn't know he would have a reaction," Shimon answered.
"Hello? Is this where Shimon is?" A man asked.
The man was dressed in a white long shirt and a blue vest, red pants, his blonde hair was long and tied back into a ponytail. He held tight to a large aged leather bag. He dashed over to the bed where Alex was laid.
"I am sorry I am late, I had been held up earlier." He laughed.
"Can you help him?" Shimon questioned.
Taking out his stethoscope from the bag he says nothing examining his new patient, he pulls his mobile phone from his pocket typing something. Rosalie's eyes light up entranced by seeing this thing she has never seen before.
"What is that?" She asked.
"Oh this, it's a mobile telecommunication device. It's new here." He commented.
"What do you do with it?" She quizzed.
"I send messages or I can call people, I am contacting a client." The doctor replied.
"The question is who are you contacting?" Shimon wondered.
"Shimon, I need to ask you to relinquish the boy." He affirmed.
"What's going on first?" Shimon asked, "Though…you can tell I can't pay."
"His allergy to stone is too great, he is going to expire within the day. A man named Everett is willing to pay his medical expenses on the condition he gets to take the boy." He explained.
"Can I meet this Everett?" Shimon requested.
"Sure, you can come with me to make sure he gets treatment, Everett is a kind donor." He declared.
Shimon lifted Alex up from the thatched bed, he followed after the kind doctor to the outside where a horse-drawn carriage was found waiting. Rosalie was stopped at the door by the lady.
"You have to stay here, you are now owned…" She stated.
"Shimon!" Rosalie shouted.
"Yes, Rosalie?" Shimon answered.
"If you let him die, I will come after you! I promise you that!" Rosalie shouted.
"You have my permission if that happens." He replied.
"Good…" Rosalie said with tears in her eyes.
"We have no time to waste Shimon, please get in!" The good doctor yelled.
Shimon hops aboard, the medical practitioner receives Alex placing him on the small bed that sits adjacent to the lone seat. He covered the brown-haired boy up to his chin.
Sitting beside Shimon he keeps watching over his new patient.
"I haven't seen an attack this severe in a long time, how did you bring him in?" He asked.
"I had to go through the river system which is almost impossible," Shimon said.
"Is it because you felt responsible?"
"I wanted to train him…he could have been useful," Shimon commented.
"You are a vampire aren't you?" He inquired.
"I am…"
"I see…what made you fairy him away?" He pondered.
"I was starving, I just came out of hibernation and I killed a man…his blood tasted sweet," Shimon answered.
Journeying through town they become quiet listening to wheels shift under the carriage, watching the scenery pass them by to the local hospital. A gurney is pulled up taking Alex as soon as they roll to a stop.
A man stands out dressed in a fancy navy blue blazer and beige pants, he flips his pale hair back.
"You are Shimon?" He asked.
"I am…thank you for taking care of him," Shimon replied.
"My name is Everett." He said.
"Mine is Shimon…"
The two shake hands walking inside the small hospital together, sitting in the waiting room. They both are very much to themselves.
The doctor Shimon came in with comes out of the operating room about thirty minutes later un-gloving his fingers and tossing them in the nearest bin. He looks extremely happy with himself.
"How is he?" Shimon requested.
"Thankfully he will recover, he might be red for a few days and tired." He answered.
"Can I finally see the boy Titus?" Everett asked.
"You may come with me."
Titus motions for them both to come, Alex was resting peacefully. His veins weren't popping, he is more relaxed. He looked a bit lighter in terms of red hooked to a simple saline drip. Everett eyes Alex with a smile.
"He is perfect, Shimon. I am sorry." Everett said.
"You aren't sorry, you have enough money to help cure him…of course you want him!" Shimon said angrily.
"It's not like that!" Everett answered.
"Then what is it like? Next time I see Alex I will have found someone better to kill him and you!" Shimon howled.
"Let's be rational here! Would you really be able to take care of him in your pathetic state, Shimon?"
"Shut up already! Enjoy your ill-begotten prize!"
Shimon stormed off slamming the door behind him leaving Everett and Titus confused.
"He agreed…I wouldn't worry Everett." Titus commented.
"I didn't mean to anger him…"
"Why is he turning this into a competition? The boy needed help." Titus stated.
"You know Everett…"
"Yes?"
"I bet he was going to turn him into a fighter for hire," Titus replied.
"A what?"
"A fighter, he would have turned him into a killer…poor kids are always fairied away for subjective ways of life Everett," Titus explained.
"Hmmm…I see…"
"There was a girl with him too," Titus adds.
"Can you come back with me when you get information on the girl he took?" Everett asked.
"Of course…pardon me Everett."
"I will save your friend too Alex…I promise…" Everett whispered, "Wait, Titus!"
"Yes?"
"Can I have him transferred to the compound?" The leader inquired.
"I will get on it right away Everett."
Gazing at the sleeping boy from the distance he becomes worried about the fate that would have befallen him. He struggled to think how he almost didn't send the doctor out to help one of the poor again out in the countryside.
"You are okay now…"