Eric
My family kept telling me that I should rest and eat, but I couldn't leave her alone in the bedroom with the doctor and the nurses around her. And what if she woke up and thought they were hurting her? I needed to stay next to her. Even if I couldn't bear to look at all the bruises and the whipping marks imprinted on her skin as a reminder of everything terrible she had endured at the hands of my twisted brother.
Anna stepped into the bedroom, and I looked at her as if she was my savior. “Were you able to talk to dad and Jessie, yet?”
“I left them a message,” Anna said, sitting on the couch next to me. She folded her arms and looked at the bed where the nurses and the doctor hovered over my mate's body. “How's she doing?”
“She's still unconscious. The doctor gave her medicine for the pain. They are cleaning and treating her wounds. Then, they'll feed her through an IV, because they are afraid that she might throw up. She needs blood to heal.”
“Yes ...”
“But I'm afraid that ... it might be too late, and she has already given up.”
Anna put her hand over mine, squeezing mine tight. “She fought her attacker. He wanted to kill her. She wouldn't fight him if she didn't want to live. She's just confused. Give her time to calm down and realize that she's safe here.”
“I will, but how can I show her how much I want her if she doesn't let me touch her? I want to hold her ...”
“Baby steps, uncle,” Anna said, leaning her head against my arm. “You should get some rest. I can stay here with her and keep her company.”
“Where's Shane?”
“He's trying to find the names of the other prisoners. Some were missing girls, and his deputies are contacting their families.”
“How are we going to deal with the fact that they were abused by vampires? Moreover, how are we going to explain how we found them?”
Anna explained to me with all the patience in the world. “Trained vampires will erase their memories about vampires and make them believe that they were normal men. We have taken care of everything regarding the fake cover-up story.”
“I should be taking care of that.” I sighed, aware of my responsibilities but unable to perform them.
“No one is expecting you to do anything. Your mate is your priority now. Even if Grandpa and Jessie eloped, Shane and I are here to help. You don't need to worry about the rest. Just worry about Elizabeth and about feeding. I don't want you weak.”
“I just wish mom was here. She could help Elizabeth ... She healed people before.”
“Yes, physical wounds. However, your mate has another type of wounds that only you can appease.”
“Your Majesty, Princess.” The doctor bowed before us, and I raised my head to look at him, eager to know the news about Elizabeth's condition. “We did the best we could. Now, she needs to rest and have her daily bag of blood. A nurse will be sent to change the bag every day. If something in her state changes, please call me.”
“Will the blood work?” I asked, getting up to face the doctor.
“With time, it should work.”
“But you aren't certain. Maybe we should use vampire blood.”
“Your Majesty, she's a vampire. If human blood doesn't give her the nutrients she needs to heal, then vampire blood will just burn inside her veins.”
“So, we must wait.”
“Yes. She had signs of ...” The doctor silenced himself, staring at Annabel.
“Signs of what?” I asked, demanding his eyes on me and not my niece. “Whatever you need to say, I can handle it. I'm perfectly able to see the state she's in. I saw the bruises and the whippings.”
“She was sexually assaulted,” the doctor mumbled. “There are also signs of a belt around her neck ... He might have used that to ...”
“That's enough,” Anna said, raising her hand.
The doctor nodded. “You should find her someone to talk to about what happened when she was in captivity. She needs the help of a psychologist for supportive counseling. I can refer some who are part of the supernatural community.”
Anna replied to the doctor, “That would be great. You can give me the information the next time you come here to see her. I'll talk to Elizabeth about it when she's feeling better.”
I was listening, but I was numb. With blurry vision, I tried to control my anger against Alaric.
“There's more medicine for the pain over in the nightstand,” the doctor said, showing me his hand to shake.
I shook the doctor's hand. “Thank you!”
“I'll stay here. Go show them out and then rest for a while. You look exhausted, uncle,” my niece said, accompanying us to the door and letting the nurses leave with all their equipment before closing the door.
I trusted her, and I was tired. I could use a bath. But there was only one place that I could close my eyes and rest, and it was seated by Beth's side.