Chapter 6-1
Blood Ties
Part 2
I was really looking forward to finally getting a good night's sleep. But every time I thought about drinking the blood, I felt nauseous. It ruined the taste of my favorite foods, like steak, potatoes, and fresh green beans. No matter how much I ate or drank lemonade, the taste of blood lingered. Even my go-to dessert, apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream, couldn't improve my mood. I knew what my parents, sisters, and brothers wanted from me, and it wasn't in a positive way. I would have much rather spent the night with my three mermaids and Dillon, without any involvement from my Rothwell family.
Arthur and Shawn sat outside of our circle, handcuffed to their chairs, while the rest of us were asked to remove our robes as a family. I observed as Doctor Gill brought in a sealed container filled with our blood and placed it on a long pole in the center of our circle. The container had metal clips covered in plastic for sterility, attached to the bottom. Doctor Gill then connected long clear tubes, similar to those used for IVs and blood transfusions, to empty bags hanging just below the blood container. This ensured that everyone received the same amount of blood. I want to emphasize that this is not a joke or fiction; it's a serious situation.
The long tubing was perfectly measured, and we had to adjust our chairs to move closer. Until everyone had enough tubing to be attached to the bags where the blood would be stored once he flipped on each of the lines. Mom and Dad were hooked up first I cringed watching him poke Mom and Dad with the needle in the other arm that hadn't been used as a pincushion, unlike me they did not scream, but I couldn't watch so I closed my eyes as he made his way around the circle hooking us up to the container.
However, I squeezed each of my brother's hands, letting them know I was right here with them and just as scared. For the first time, I was glad he did not have to poke me, just flush the line in my arm before he attached the clear tube. He did the same to my brothers. I knew it stung as Jared and Jason tightened their grip on my hands. The only ones not hooked up were John because he was not the same blood type as the rest of us, Shawn, and Arthur, because neither one of them was our brother any more.
Even though Shawn was our blood type, he was not allowed in as part of our family. Arthur too had a different blood type, but he too was not allowed in the circle because he too was no longer part of our family. Unlike John, he was allowed the same glass of wine as the rest of us, but that was as far as he could go without making us or him sick. Personally, I wished I did not have to do it either and envied him as he sat next to Kerry, holding her hand and asking. "Are you sure it won't hurt the baby?" Which was an excellent question.
He explained that Kerry carries the same blood type as the rest of us. The baby, once he was born, stated it was a boy she was having. Would carry a mixture of their two blood types so. In theory, no, the baby would not be harmed. But to keep a close eye on her for the next few days. I knew that theory was true because my parents both have different blood types, making one of them incompatible with donating blood to us.
I could donate blood to my brothers and sisters because we had the same blood type, and so could my mother, but not my father. Not that I want his blood, or any part of him for that matter. John started a fire for light on the outside of the circle as it started to get dark.
Doctor Gill flipped each of the switches and turned on the motor that would stir the blood inside as it filled each of the bags we were attached to. Once each bag was filled, he turned off the motor and flipped each of the switches that would send the blood down to each of our tubes into our veins.
It was a weird feeling as the cold blood went into my arm; I had that metallic taste again. I recognized from the time I was in the hospital that Shane and Dad donated their blood to me. It was also the same taste without the wine, and I did not like it. Mrs. Gill gave us each two cold sodas, so if we got thirsty, we had something to drink. She was kind enough to give Shawn and Arthur one even though they did not deserve her kindness. Dad thanked them as they left, stating they would check on us every so often to make sure we were ok. Dad said. "Since we are now held hostage," thinking it was a funny joke said when no one was laughing, especially me. "I want to tell you a story about a boy named Eric."
Dad opened his book that I hadn't ever seen him with or seen him write in it. I knew where he got the information, considering he had my thick file and had spoken to my grandmother and my mother on numerous occasions. Started off the day I was born and listed every foster home I had been in. He talked about all the things I had endured over the years and the accomplishments that I had done. I knew most of it by heart, from every beating, everything that was in my file. Some things I did not know at the time which came from my mother or my grandmother.
I won't bore you with the details because I have already written about them in my bio. I watched several times as my sisters and Mom wiped their tears when Dad told them all the things my parents had done to me and my brother Aaron. They beamed at my accomplishments and cried for my disappointments. When Dad was done rehashing my life story, the blood bags were empty. Doctor Gill unhooked us from them. I cringed as he pulled the needle out not daring to look.
It did not hurt as much as he pulled it out. I only whimpered because I hated needles watching him put on a Band-Aid. Checked our pulses and checked to see if any of us had a fever before leaving us all in peace, taking his contraption with him. Dad only asked to make sure he sent Shane a vial so he too would not be left out. I knew Dad would have him send it by medical carrier so it would get there safely. The idea of drinking straight out of the vial was unimaginable. I also knew, provided I still lived here with the Rothwell's Shane would be required to take a blood donation from me.
Dad had us get on our knees and take hands for the prayer to ask God to accept me as part of their family in life and in death and many things that would bore the heck out of anyone. It was a very long prayer, the longest I had ever seen Dad or Mom give. He prayed for Shawn and Arthur's souls that they would have a change of heart during their six years of Shame. That they will turn back and give up their sinful ways and become part of our family once more. I had strong doubts that was ever going to happen. Hell, I did not think they lived long enough to endure their shame. Being cut off from our family they'd be better off dead, or in a real foster home, or better yet prison. Knowing the only love they would get would be from each other or people who took pity on them.
When the prayer was over, Dad gave us a choice to put on our robes or just hang them up. It did not matter what we chose, because nobody in the world could see us naked being so far out of civilization or the nearest town.
Besides, everyone here, including Mr. and Mrs. Gill, were nudists just like us and had signed Dad's contract to be inside our circle of trust. I, however, felt more comfortable wearing my robe because of Shawn and Arthur noticed us boys and every time they did their penis got harder. Mom, Dad, and John did not bother putting on their robes and neither did my sisters. My brothers did it because I did it. Mom told us to take a quick swim while they took them back to their pens.