Blue Moon Rising Ch. 05

Libby arrived at her rented city loft and breathed deep of the herbs and other scents that only a witch would be able to identify. She poured herself a glass of Clos Du Mesnil and popped a Mazzy Star disc on. Libby danced and swayed around the large room, collecting items from shelves as she circled.

She placed her ingredients and the contents of the shoe box on a large, ornate table in the center of the room. Everything she needed was here; did she really have to wait for Anna? She decanted another flute and watched the tiny bubbles rise in their graceful columns - marching along like moments in time.

"Damn it Anna! I can't just stand around waiting. Besides, I don't need your help with this".

Libby gulped the entire glass of bubbles, visualizing their panic and giggling at their foiled attempt at escape. She focused on the enjoyable task ahead.

"Sugar and spice and everything nice or snips of snails and rattlesnake tails, let see what our Kate is made of".

Libby made a cross with two willow sticks and twine. She padded the sticks with Spanish moss and continued to wrap the thread around and around while whispering an incantation. She added the trimmed photo of Kate to the layers of twine then covered it in a head-to-toe bandage of cotton ribbon. The sticks now resembled a crude doll.

Libby sewed the pieces of Kate's clothing to the doll, threaded Kate's hair into the top of the doll's head and secured two brown glass beads for eyes. "There, looks just like you!" She imagined jabbing the sewing needle between the glass beads but stabbed the pin cushion instead. An opposing pin stuck her finger tip and Libby jumped back with a shriek "you little bitch! Laugh while you can..." the doll's simple expression remained unchanged. Libby licked the red pearl from her finger, glaring at Kate's likeness.

"This," Libby angrily tapped a large mason jar with her nail, "...is going to be your new home. What do you think? Cozy huh?"

Libby gathered a list of items and threw them into a large mortar. "A pinch of dried hibernating bear blood – yum! Valerian, Jamaica Dogwood, Poppy, St John's wort, Skullcap..." she continued with a few more obscure ingredients then furiously ground them into a fine dust.

Libby collected the powder on a damp wad of Kapok fiber, stuffed it into the Mason jar and quickly secured the lid. She washed her hands and the mortar and pestle and returned to the table.

Libby poured another glass and drank it absent mindedly. She held the empty crystal up to the light and watched the chips of rainbow dance around the table. She caught a glint in the doll's glass eyes and felt strangely threatened. She couldn't wait for Anna's arrival. Libby quickly opened the jar, dropped 'Kate' in and secured the lid breathing a sigh of relief.

Libby gave the jar a little shake. The dolls bead eyes clinked against the glass. Libby finished the bottle of wine and fell asleep at the table under the doll's captivated gaze.

**************

Ian caught Kate as she collapsed. "Kate! Kate!! Jesus Aiden! I can't believe you would take her here! Ian glared at the vampires surrounding them. The only thing keeping him from changing into his wolf was the need to help Kate. Zoe stood by them in an attack pose ready to pounce.

"Jesus Christ! Will you all just fucking relax?! These are my friends, Kate's safer here than anywhere out there! She's just fainted."

"Yeah? She's not coming to. Kate! Wake up!!" Ian gently shook Kate's shoulders but she didn't respond. "Kate!!"

"Ian! Calm down! Let me see her." Aiden pushed Ian out of his way.

Aiden checked Kate's pulse. It was slow and strong. Her pupils were equal and reacted briskly to light. Her breathing was unlabored. He made a fist and firmly pressed his knuckles into Kate's sternum. Nothing. Aiden removed her sandals and ran his thumb nail along her soul from heel to toe – nothing happened.

"What! What does that mean?" Ian demanded.

"That," Aiden indicated Kate's foot "...was good. But she isn't responding to painful stimuli, that's not so good. Ken, get us an ambulance."

Ian discreetly slipped Kate's blouse from her shoulder revealing the bite mark to Aiden.

"Get one of our ambulances." Aiden instructed. Ken redialed.

Ian was beside himself with worry and guilt. Aiden grasped his shoulder "You didn't do this. This isn't what happened to our Great Gran. Ian, keep it together man".

The ambulance arrived in no time. Its crew, a male and female jumped out giving Aiden a quick nod. They were beautiful, like opals set in black jumpsuits. They deftly placed Kate on a stretcher and lifted her into their van.

Ian moved to climb in but Aiden pushed him aside. "This is my territory; let me do what I do best. Follow with Zoe."

Ian growled and sprinted to Kate's Jeep barely waiting for Zoe.

Aiden called the ED and cleared a trauma room. He ordered an MRI and labs and had Neuro stand by. His personal ED team met them as they backed into Ambulance dock. The crew gave a quick and thorough hand over and left. Aiden and the team rushed Kate's stretcher into the trauma room and closed the doors. They immediately began to take vitals, draw blood, connect Kate to a cardiac monitor and start an IV.

Jillian, Aiden's most trusted RN reviewed results as they presented. "Everything's coming back normal Aid, is there any relevant family history, trauma, anything?"

Aiden slid the hospital gown from Kate's shoulder.

Jillian nodded. "Yours?"

"No." Aiden's tone had a hint of regret.

"Hmm, well I've never seen a 'dog' bite induced coma, not without sepsis."

"She's not septic." Aiden said shaking his head. "Get her up to radiology, we need that MRI."

Ian pushed through the entrance doors as Kate was being wheeled to the elevator.

"We haven't found anything yet, we're taking her up for an MRI. Ian, I'll find out what's going on with her. Keep cool." Aiden looked into Ian's eyes until his words sunk in. He knew Ian was on the verge of an uncontrolled shift.

Ian nodded, taking a deep breath and touching Kate's peaceful face.

The elevator dinged and they piled in around the stretcher.

"Jillian", Aiden barked "...get Libby Blackhouse, she works on Ortho. She might be able to help."

Aiden's cell phone vibrates as they wheel out of the elevator. "Yes?"

"Apparently Libby didn't show up for work tonight," Jillian reported.

"What? I thought...never mind. Get me a bed on Neuro."

Ian insisted on spending the night at Kate's bedside. It passed in a blur of white coats and clinical voices and seemed unending. The reluctant morning sun shone orange through the white blinds and daylight softened the features of the sleep deprived. Kate remained unchanged, though now her life was reflected and encouraged by a plethora of monitors, drips and tubes.

"Aid?" Libby stepped into Kate's room with coffees and bagged breakfasts from the cafeteria. "I came as soon as I heard. What happened?"

"Where were you?!" Aiden snapped.

Libby took a nervous step backwards. "Working."

"Really?! We looked for you. I have some questions."

Libby was used to arguing with doctors and to lying. She swallowed and stepped into her role. "I was pulled to Ortho! What questions?!" She braced herself for an accusation.

"Has Kate been acting strange lately?"

"What?" Libby's shoulders relaxed. "Kate always acts..." Libby bit her tongue. "No, not unusually strange."

Aiden was too tired to be patient or to humor. His tone was clipped and chilled, "Libby, has Kate fallen recently, complained of dizziness, headaches, eaten anything unusual, complained of anything? Anything at all?"

Libby let her breath out, relieved. "No. No she hasn't. Not to me. What happened?"

Aiden gave Libby a heavily edited version of events.

Libby had to work hard to conceal her delight. "Oh my God." Her voice cracked with the effort and was misinterpreted as genuine concern. It worked! I did it!!

Kate's mind drifted through dreams. Odd dreams filled with disturbing images and scents, of strange voices speaking strange languages. She had flashes of Hollywood vampires and hairy beasts and then of Ian – the other half of her two-piece puzzle. Click – a perfect fit. She loved everything about him, about Ian the man. Ian the wolf – she wasn't so sure about.

Her mind floated off and landed in a Piggly Wiggly market pushing around a giant cart of vacuum packed meat . Finding that thought somewhat unpleasant her mind immediately transformed the cart full of carcass into a cart full of a very juicy looking Ian. He had a barcode on his forehead and the sell-by date had been erased. Kate giggled but it came out as the tinkle of piano keys.

The cart became Aiden's Harley in the blink of a dreamy eye. Two figures were poised on its seat, clinging to each other as if speeding away. Aiden and one of his girlies Kate supposed. But just as that thought formed the larger person in front removed his black helmet – it was Ian. His face was beautiful, his eyes gleamed darkly with passion and his lips were so inviting. Kate stepped towards the bike, longing to taste Ian's lips. Before she could reach out to him, the passenger removed her helmet – it was Libby! Libby smiling, with her arms wound around Ian like a Boa Constrictor.

The image of the perfect two-piece puzzle returned. On closer inspection Kate realized that the pieces had been forced together- not a perfect match at all. The image was shattered, curled up at the edges and frightening.

Kate screamed soundlessly. Ian!!! She was floating in the grey swirling fog like a tuft of down. Is this a dream? Am I dreaming of being trapped in a dream?? I just have to relax. Just roll over and wake up. Wake up!! Damn it, wake up!!! Am I dead?

Kate tried to recall the events of the evening half expecting to see herself mangled in a terrible car crash or shot by a drug seeking ER patient or...vampires. Kate focused her attention on her body. I don't feel sore or bitten, I don't feel DEAD! Her mind was quiet for a moment, exhausted.

Voices began to drift into her consciousness. Familiar voices that made her want to cry with joy.

It was Aiden. "I don't want to move her! I don't think she should fly!! What if..."

"What exactly are we doing for her here?! She's wasting away! God damn it Aiden, I can't just stand by and watch her d..." Ian's voice faded.

Ian, I'm here. Please hear me! Why can't you hear my thoughts?

"Her parents have asked me to fly her home. I know people in London, you know people there, specialists," Ian continued.

"Jesus Christ! I've fucking called in every favor, discussed this with every specialist out there. What the fuck do you think I've been doing for the past four months?!"

Four months. How is that even possible. What's wrong with me? What happened? Kate listened beyond their silence. Familiar sounds – a hospital room. The steady beep of an IV pump and of a cardiac monitor. I don't appear to be on a vent, that's good. Right?

"Come on boys, this isn't helping." It was Libby. "Ian honey, let's go home. We'll be able to think clearer with a little sleep under our belts. Come on babe." Her voice was dripping with sickly sweetness. Kate was overcome with anger and hurt, she knew that tone - Libby's tone of ownership. Kate felt her heart twisting painfully in her chest.

"You go, I'm going to stay for a while," Ian spoke quietly.

"Honey, you really need..."

"Don't! Please, just go. Please. Aid will walk you to your car."

"I don't need Aiden to walk me to my car. Fine. I'll see you in the morning." Libby bent to kiss Ian and left

"The family will all be together for the blue moon. If we brought Kate to them, to the stones maybe that power, that energy would help bring her back. I have to do something Aid."

"My friends have suggested...they've suggested changing her." Aiden took a step back from Ian as he spoke. "I don't want to lose her either. I'd prefer Kate the vampire over no Kate at all."

Ian jumped to his feet and grabbed a fistful of labcoat. "Let any of those leeches near her and I'll break their necks – and yours!" Ian slammed Aiden against the wall.

Aiden understood his anger. "Okay. Okay. We'll make arrangements for transport to The Royal. I suppose that its about time I returned to London, face the family."

Aiden turned Kate's music on to instill some life into the room, then left unnoticed.

****

Ian let his great sadness collapse across his face, his being. He couldn't be strong for her. He couldn't hide behind that expansive wall when they were alone. They were without boundary, without barrier, a single soul.

He replaced the solitary Iris in its tall crystal vase at Kate's bedside – Libby would move it to an unseen corner daily. Ian's fingers lingered along the flower's violent purple curls and memories crashed into his undefended mind destroying him yet again. Beautiful images delivering exquisite pain. He sank into a chair by her side and held her hand between his, its stillness startled him even now.

"I'm here Kate." His tears traced tired lines unnoticed. He held her fingers to his lips and closed his burning eyes. They were ghosts bound to one another in limbo, unable to save themselves, unable to save each other.

Kate's favorite CD played in the background, so familiar that it became part of the silence. 'Desert' began to play, an acoustic, haunting version – not the one that he'd watch transform her. Ian strained to listen and translated the French in a whisper and with effort.

The words invaded him, wound around his pain, defining it, lighting the darkness and making it deeper.

"Oh my love, my soul mate

I count the days I count the hours

I'd like to place you in a desert

The desert of my heart

Oh my love, the grain of your voice

made me happy at every step

Let me place you in a desert

the desert of my heart

In the night I sometimes put my nose to the window

I'm waiting and dark

in a desert, in my desert. There.

Oh my love, my heart is heavy

I count the hours I count the days

I'd like to place you in a desert

the desert of my heart

Oh my love, I gave up my turn

I deserted those around me

I'm leaving you. There. That's all

In the night I sometimes put my nose to the window

I'm waiting and dark

Wind, take my sad ash. There."

Ian's voice crumbled as he spoke the last few words. He collapsed, burying his face against her tummy and wept into her covers, wrenching sobs that shook against her stillness. His heart fell apart and blew away like desert sand.

Ian quieted and remained folded over her, as still as she. Darkness had crept into the room. Ian turned her bedside lamp on and lifted himself from her feeling heavy with the emptiness. "I love you." His lips caressed her ear as he spoke. Each word burdened with despair.

"I have to return to England..."his features distorted with pain. He kissed her lips, laid her hand at her side and walked out.

A tear welled in Kate's lashes and rolled down her cheek, unseen.