Arioch and Marv sat on his bed with medical supplies and bandages. Marv had serialized her hand, but Arioch refused to move his hands from his chest. Marv exhaled, shaking her head at him.
"Need to take it out," Marv said to the grumpy vampire.
"and exactly how are you going to do that?" he exhaled in a painful grunt.
"there's a button and the points will retract into the bullet, but I can't help you if you keep laying there with your hand on the wound" Marv placed her hand on his. "Trust me"
He scoffed. "Trust you, you put a bullet in me," he gestured to his body.
"well, if you agreed in the first place this wouldn't have happened" She pushed his arm away. "Now, hold still"
Arioch removed his hand from the bleeding hole, giving him access to Marv. She stuck her finger into the wound and found the button. Arioch whimpered at her touch, but when she clicked the button, the bullet released his flesh and he exhaled softly. She removed the bullet as gushing, thick blood flowed out and the wound slowly began to heal.
"blood" Arioch's voice was hoarse and dark circles began to linger at the bottom of his eyes.
Marv gasped and grabbed a vial with deep red blood in it. She leaned over his weakened body and poured it down his throat. She watched his throat swallow the thick liquid, watching his Adam's apple bob up and down. The movement made her bite her lips and squeeze her thighs, but Arioch didn't notice. His eyes turned a bright red and his expression turned animated like a cat. Marv could watch him all day. She could picture herself running her fingers down his curved nose onto those oval lips that were dyed with blood.
He gasped like life had been pouring back into his chest. Marv watched him for a while until his eyes found hers. She turned away to keep busy. "Why do you want to die?" The words made Marv freeze.
A chill went over her body, and memories started flashing across her eyes. "I don't think that's any of your business," she said emotionlessly.
Arioch watched her with hooded eyes. "I am the one killing you, don't I have the right to know" he asked but Marv shook her head.
"no, you don't have the right to know," she explained, turning towards his relaxed state. "You might have had the courtesy in the beginning but you gave that up the minute you didn't take one my first deal."
Arioch stared off into the distance for a while, and a heavy silence grew between them. "How do you know all this stuff?" Marv was eager to leave, but her hands were shaking.
"What stuff?" she said, short and curt.
Arioch pointed to where his wound was. "The bullets, the breaking in without me knowing, the lock picking"
Marv looked at him. "I don't think that's any of your business either" She stood to leave but he grabbed her wrist.
"if I am gonna fuck you, I least need to know something about you" he raised his eyebrows. "Or else you will get a mediocre version of my bedroom skills"
Marv exhaled and sat down again. "I was a medic in the special forces and learned everything I know from that"
Arioch was quiet for a moment. "You were Recce" he asked, looking at the woman before him differently.
"for ten years until I was unable to serve," she cleared her throat, hating his eyes on her skin.
"PTSD, is that why?" he asked her slowly to not scare her.
"if only" She stood to leave, but he grabbed her arm again.
Nandi, who walked into the bedroom, interrupted, "Hey, I…".
"I found her in Cape Town, a travel carnival," she said with a tablet in her hand. "If we leave now, we can be back by tomorrow"
"book it" Arioch stood with his hand still on Marv's wrist
"I am coming with you," Marv said, but Arioch shook his head.
"I would feel better if she did," Nandi said with a hint of pity in her voice.
"don't you have work?" he asked her
But she shook his head. "I have a lot of off time. I am coming," she said, walking out of the bedroom.
Arioch turned to Nandi. "You would feel better if she did?" He questioned the clan leader.
"I don't want her alone, especially with how weak she is" She moved closer to him "She was shaking like her insides were struggling to live" Nandi explained "I know, I was ready to use her as bait but I didn't know hurt she was"
"I already decided and I don't go back on a deal" Arioch moving towards the library.
Nandi followed behind him. "If you won't back out, then I will get her to. We will show her the time of her life on this trip" Arioch turned to face her.
His eyes turned soft. "Depression is sustainable, no matter how hard we try to live, it will always stay put"
Nandi watched her friend turn away and stumble through the mosque hallway. A shiver of dread and grief moved up her back. And she instantly knew something was wrong, not his normal wrong. Arioch had been depressed for years, waiting for an out, but he would never do it by hand. Something had changed.
"Tea?" Minjun asked behind her.
"Is everything still okay?" she asked Minjun over her shoulder.
Minjun was still like she caught him in the act. "Yes, everything is fine," he said, but his voice was robotic and distant.
Nandi turned to him, knowing he was lying to her. His eyes were straight and cloudy, his pink soft lips were in a straight line, and his gloved hands were struggling to keep still. Whatever it was, it killed him to lie "I will take it in my room" Nandi gave him one of her brightest smiles, the type that warmed his heart "I have some arrangements to make" as she tottered off to her room.
And Minjun exhaled.