Humans suck.

[†The Blood Countess†]

At this point, Ginny looked exhausted. The adrenaline had stopped pumping into her system, the shock from earlier was starting to wear off and now here she was with a lovely tear in her shoulder. Fortunately she was too dead to the world to take much note of it. "It's bad isn't it? Colin am I going to die?" Her speech was somewhat slurred but still clear enough to be understood.

A small grin appeared on her face, "Really? I'd be a good slayer? Maybe after I finish college I'll take it up but I've never been into killing people. Not all vampires are bad I'm sure, just like not all werewolves are bad. Maybe I'll run into some good vampires, or at least ones that don't act like complete pricks." She forced a laugh.

"Huh? Bite down if it hurts? Okay. Sure." She replied. Fortunately it didn't hurt too much after he finished the job though she couldn't repress a sharp groan. "Help? No. I'll be fine. Just need sleep. I can postpone my flight for a few days and come with a note or something...yeah...I can do that." The actual wound should be enough of a "note" to the teachers in Europe.

"If they see this I won't be able to go to Europe and get the education I need. I'll be stuck at home because of those bastards." No damned vampire and no stupid wound was gonna keep her here.

[ms]

(Sorry, I don’t want to be too god moddy. If it is let me know and I’ll change it.)


“Ginny, no sleep. I don’t know how bad this is! I-” He stopped, remembering how she first asked him if she was going to die. He didn't know. She was refusing help, and there was nothing he could do for her. He honestly didn't know. Taking up the sleeve he had cast aside a moment ago, he tied the ends together and slipped it over her head. Then he carefully took her arm and slid it into the make-shift sling. Swallowing his thoughts, he put what was left of her jacket around her shoulders.

“No, Virginia, I’m not going to let you die. Okay? Just don’t sleep on me right now, okay? Now I’m going to change to wolf again, and I’m going to carry you some place a little safer. You just have to hold on, okay?” Without waiting for an answer he shifted, gritting his teeth as the second bullet ground against shifting bones. At least it wasn’t silver. He picked her up, maneuvering her onto his back as best he could.

He went quickly, but slow enough for the both of them to keep some of the pain down. Following an old scent trail he had carved out in ages past. Finding it was the hardest part, but now he had it and all was well. He had to head to the docks, away from anything that could hold their scent. He could take care of her there, maybe let her rest a bit to heal once he got a chance to help her out. This was his fault he convinced himself, and he had to fix it.

[†The Blood Countess†]

Ginny whimpered, "Colin I'm...really, really tired. I need to sleep if only for a few minutes. I haven't felt so tired in my life." It felt as if though anvils were weighing down her eyelids. Holding them open was the hardest thing she remembered doing. Every time they did close, she had to fight to open them up again. With her arm within a sling, Ginny looked up at Colin as he spoke. "...I don't...know how much longer I can stay awake...okay...let's go."

Now Ginny was on his back whilst he sought out the safe place he mentioned. Where on earth was it? An abandoned building? That was the only New Yorkish like place she could think of that was safe. Maybe once they get there she can get some shut eye? Yes...that would be wonderful. No, words wouldn't begin to describe how great it will be to finally sleep.

The scent of rotting wood and salty water assaulted her senses once they drew close to the docks. Huh? They were this close to the ocean? For some reason, her less than half-alert mind was wandering off to that one scene in Lord of The Rings when Frodo sails off on those ships with the elves. What would it be like to actually escape to a land where there's no sickness, death and only joy existed...? Probably sheer bliss.

At that point, Ginny had leaned forward and closed her eyes. No, she can't sleep yet, not until she knew for certain that all was well.

[ms]

Pausing at the street he panted, breathing heavily as he waited to find out if it was safe to cross. He heard nothing of interest, so he skittered across, down the sandy bank, under a large dock and flattened himself to the ground. Carefully he let Ginny slide off his back and began to change human again. But he stopped; unsure for a moment in time if that was a wise thing to do. In the last two hours, less than that, he had shifted from human to wolf and back again one, two, three times. And he was going to change again? His body was hurt, he was tired. His back had healed but he could feel the metal still there. It needed out, every time he moved it hurt and pulled. Shifting down will only make it hurt worse.

And there was no guaranty that he would be able to snap back to wolf if the vamp managed to find them anyway. Meaning that he’d have to stay wolf. And stay awake. But he couldn’t do that to Ginny, she was tired. As much as he would rather have her stay awake for fear of how much blood she had lost, it was late, she had been up all day, and the rush had worn off. She needed rest. Closing his eyes for a moment he sighed, then padded his way back to Ginny. No, he was to stay this way.

He loved being a wolf, often choosing this form over his human one. But he couldn’t talk to her, and his paws were clumsy. No choice. Sitting behind her he pulled her carefully, leaning her against him with concern. His thick fur would protect her from the cold of the sea-air, and here he would be able to hold onto her shoulder, keep track of her pulse. A low growl, equivalent to a purr, was his only way of letting her know it was okay.

[†The Blood Countess†]

Ginny, don't fall asleep. You've godda stay awake. Stay awake. Stay awake. No use. Any minute now she'll drift off and possibly stay asleep until the sun rises. However, right before she could sleep, something cold and yielding surrounded her body. Beach sand. What else could have this soft texture? With her now against Colin, his reassuring "werewolf purr" told her that they were safe now. But was it alright for her to sleep?

Well...her eyes were closed and he wasn't shaking her...but he couldn't see. Might as well take her chances. "Colin...? Thank you..." she whispered. Finally, she was able to fall asleep...

---

"Gi-i-i-i-i-iny. Wake up."
"Eh?" Ginny sat up and looked up towards a bizarre looking male! Since when do elderly wear bright purple and pink? Best not to ask.
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my dream?"
"I'm the spirit of your knife! I am 'Whitefang'."
Ginny blinked and tilted her head to the side. What did he say he was again? Since when did her items have a...spirit. Sounds like a bunch of native american hubaloo to her.

"Re-e-e-eally now. Why are you here?"
"To answer any questions you might have. Ask me anything and I will answer truthfully."
This should be interesting. Fingers woven and held close to her chest if though in prayer, eyes glimmering, she asked, "Well, you see, Whitefang, I've been landed in a rather unfortunate circumstance. Will I end up going to Europe without any more harm being done to me?"

".....no."
"WHAAAAAT?!" Why that stupid...!
"You better wake up though, Ginny. Otherwise you'll never wake up."
"Why?"
"Something terrible will happen if you don't."
"WAIT! WHAT?!"

---

"Hm?" Was she awake this time? Turns out that was the case since Colin was there. It's amazing how a few hours of sleep can do so much for you!

[ms]

She thanked him. That hurt. She thanked him. He had gotten her in this mess and she was thanking him for taking care of her. But she was asleep now; he could hear/feel/smell it. Tightening his grip on her Colin fought his own tiredness to stay alert and on watch. His body could rest, which was good. But his mind was going hard and fast. Always been in the land of darkness for so long he had learned how to do this. His body shut down for the most part, he could just barely feel the sand he sat on, her weight against his chest, her heart against his paws. One was pressed tight against her right shoulder, not far from her jugular. The wound had missed it by not much, and he could make sure she lived through the night with it.

But his ears were working, as was his nose. Nothing was going to get past him tonight. He might not be able to do much, but he’d know it was there. But he had to fight slipping into sleep himself. A lizard skittered over his feet, a cat licked the blood off his paw. Different visitors through the night, none of which presented a threat. Well, not right now anyway. The air got colder, the smell of blood more interesting. A dog’s first instinct to a wound is to lick it. He had to fight that too. Licking her shoulder clean could turn her, and he wasn’t going to do that. Her body had been through enough as it was; she could be shocked beyond help with the pull of the beast within. So he could do nothing, no matter how much he wanted too. Time dragged on, and on, and on, and his mind was feeling heavier than ever.

She moved throughout the night, a dream keeping her locked in its grasp as well as his. The air grew colder, but sounds started up. Dawn. He pulled his body back to him, the pure exhaustion of his frame coming back as well. The lead was stuck between a rib and a lung. Nothing was punctured, thankfully. Had he been standing more upright, it would have been. He would have been dead. They both escaped, barely. Her shoulder wasn’t pouring blood anymore, but he still had to take the bullet out of it. She had had rest, she should be able to stay with him now.

She was awake, a little, but awake. He had to move, badly. His bones had been ground from small to big and back again many times last night; his muscles had been pulled then immobile. He had to move at least a bit. Sliding backwards, he lay her on the sand carefully, feeling joints pop as he did so. Two steps away his back leg seized up, crashing him to the sand and lay there. At least he wasn’t sitting. Letting himself let go he shrunk, ignoring the pain from shifting as he became human again.

“Ow.”

[†The Blood Countess†]

The sun's rays were shining through the pillars holding up the docks, hitting a part of Ginny's face. Eventually, her eyes cracked open to find herself lying in the sand again. Where was she? Right, the docks. With the sun now half way risen over the horizon, a few seagulls and other birds began their morning rounds in search of fish. Fishing lines were cast from the pier and into the water as well. Better avoid the water...

Wait...where was Colin? "Colin? Are you okay?" The female rolled onto her back and glanced towards her wound. Come to think of it, she didn't sanitize it last night and her body was very vulnerable right now. Who knows what will happen if she doesn't clean it right now. Now at the water's edge, she removed the bandaging that Colin did and dabbed it into the sea water. The salt will sting but at least the wound will be cleaned out.

First she rubbed off the dried blood that caked on her arm, followed by what was around the wound. Now for the injury itself. This time she removed the hand sanitizer and put a generous amount onto the torn coat of hers. This will sting...

"Ah shit!" she gritted her teeth and feverishly rubbed the wound with the sanitizer. Damn it stung! By the time she had finished, it was looking a lot better than earlier. Still...a shower was called for and it would be best to return to the hotel she was staying at.

"Hey, Colin? I'm going back to the hotel, you want to come with?"

[ms]

She was moving, he could hear it. That was a good thing, a great thing even. She was going to be semi-okay. The sand was cold, it felt good. Against his face, his arms, his side, his…

Oh, hey, that’s not good. That means he has no clothes on. Hmm, could be a problem. He didn't have a problem with it, he didn’t see anything. So he didn’t mind others being naked either. But for some reason the sighted community had a thing against nude people walking through the park. Maybe he’d just wait here, until someone found him and he’d say he was washed up on shore and… oh, wait, Ginny was here. Hmm, might have a problem with that. okay then.

Coughing slightly as he tried to answer her he winced at the taste in his mouth, at the sharp poke it caused; at the tears his voice had due to the constant altering. Lovely. Licking his lips with a dry tongue he raised a gravelly voice to the girl that offered him to come back to her room for a bit.

“You have extra pants?” If he could get up, he had no problem running around with just his hands hiding him… though the police might have a problem with it. Damn light of morning.

[†The Blood Countess†]

Ginny hadn't glanced towards Colin yet and it's a good thing she didn't. Otherwise the poor red head would be embarrassed out of her mind! The wound was now fully cleansed and she tore off a clean strip of fabric from her coat. A few rounds and then it was tightly bound to prevent the possibility of it reopening. That was the last thing she needed right now.

"Huh? Pants? I don't have any one me-" Ginny cut herself off upon realizing something. As a werewolf he kept on tearing his clothing apart until...great..."There's a thrift store nearby. I can get you a pare and then come back. What size are you?"

Wow what a lovely situation this was.

[ms]

“Can you even walk? How are you feeling?” Slowly, his arms threatening to give, he pushed himself to sit again, hunched over and white. “I don’t know, I don’t read tags. Get whatever size is cheapest, I’ll pay you back when I get a chance.” He rubbed the sand off his face, crawling his way to the water and sticking his head in. The shock felt wonderful, waking him up a little more, at least until he could get someplace to sleep for real. He sipped a little, spitting out the salty mess. But it got his mouth wet, that was enough.

“I’m sorry Ginny, I’m so sorry.” He whispered, los for what to do now.

[†The Blood Countess†]

Ginny nodded, "It's fine, Colin. Don't worry about it and I'm good. I can walk at least. I'll be right back, make sure you try to stay out of sight though I don't see anyone coming around anytime soon. It's going to be a hot one today. Good thing the hotel has air conditioning. Be back soon." Off Ginny went towards the thrift store she passed a day or so ago. Fortunately, it opened early like any other store in New York and walked right on in. The men's section was towards the back.

Okay, jeans. There was one size and it was only around five dollars. It seems to be just about right for Colin and didn't seem too tight around the legs. Perfect. And there were some large T-shirts for only two dollars. After paying for the clothing, Ginny rushed out towards the docks. The entire errand only lasted about ten minutes.

"Here. Let me know when you're ready."

While waiting for him to get dressed she checked her cellphone. No missed calls and no text messages. Phew.

[ms]

And with that, she was gone. He had a little bit of time, just enough to let him try and move. With some work he got his legs under him, trying to stand and walk without his over-worked legs giving in. It took a few minutes, but he was able to get himself standing to an alright standard. That done, legs stretched and working, he sat back down against one of the supports. Waiting for Ginny.

He didn't have to wait long. Before he knew it she was back, clothes being dropped not too far away. Picking them up he stuffed his feet in, pulling them up. They were a little long, which was fine. They felt alright for the most part, a little snug on the knees but fitting alright everywhere else. And the shirt! She got him a shirt, he was so happy. He could do with just pants, but a shirt meant that he wouldn’t draw too much attention. He pulled it on, forcing himself up again.

“No one bothered you about your coat or shoulder? I’m ready, lead the way. I’m so ready to crash and sleep somewhere.”

[†The Blood Countess†]

"No. I left before she could ask questions but no one asked. Besides, it's too early for anyone to take notice." Ginny shrugged and turned towards Colin. The T-shirt was rather large on him...oh well. "Come on. The hotel is only a few blocks away. We'll have to cross a few streets but at least it will be worth it in the end ." She chuckled and began walking towards the street when she remembered. Colin can't see. Will he be able to follow her? He was right behind her at this point and figured if she walked at a decent pace it won't be hard. Though some crowds were beginning to form...

"Here. We'll have to hold hands or we'll get lose in the crowd. A lot of people are rising up early. Why? I don't know." Even for people who had sharp vision it was easy to get lose in the crowds of New York City. Why, last time she came here with friends, she got separated and had to look around for a good fifteen minutes before reuniting with them again.

Ginny weaved through the crowd, keeping a firm grip on his hand so as not to lose him. The first crosswalk was a bit of a pain to cross thanks to tightly knitted groups but the rest was smooth sailing. Finally! After crossing one final street they arrived.

Upon entering the hotel, she led him towards the elevator, stepped inside, pressed the button for the fifth floor, exited and headed for the first door on the right. "Keys...keys...aha." Ginny pulled them out and opened the door. Oh thank God! It was air conditioned.

[ms]

He followed as she started off. Amazing, the human body. How much blood had she lost? How weak had she been last night? Now she was bright as the moment he had met her. Shaking his head he stopped that quickly as his black world twisted around. Head shake equals bad, right. So it wasn’t far away, that was a huge help. He liked things that were close by. They made life so much easier when it came to finding places. Sighing slightly he tried to follow, finding that it was harder to do so as people joined the walks.

But she took his hand, and the world was right again. She wasn’t going to leave him to get trampled in the ever growing madness of New York. And she was guiding him so well he almost forgot that there were people save for the times he got bumped. But he was so out of it, pained and weary, that he probably wouldn’t have noticed even if he was alone. POOF! The people were gone. The hotel was a nice one; he could smell the rich carpet and leather chairs of the front room. And then they were in the elevator, the floor moving.

He still held her hand, leaning against the wall, his legs protesting holding him up as much as they were. He was pulled out, put right in front of a door, which was opened, and the cold air hit him like a hammer to the skull. He had had enough. Colin stumbled in, letting her hand go before he sat in the corner by the window, head resting on his knees.

“Thank you.” He breathed, hoping to just sleep here for a while.

[†The Blood Countess†]

Ginny gave him a slight grin, "You don't have to sleep there. You can sleep on the bed if you want, I don't really need to rest right now. Just need a shower to clean everything off. You can use it after me." That said, she walked towards the closet to tug out her suitcase. It was time to take a long, hot shower and put on a fresh pair of clothes. The towels and other necessities were in the bathroom so off the female went.

The shower head burst to life as hot water shot down onto the white tub. Ginny tilted her head back, soaking her hair and snatched up the shampoo to scrub her head. Nothing like washing off dirt and other impurities from your body! Unlike some women who take hour long showers-it seemed that way to her on numerous occasions- the water was shut off.

Another ten minutes passed and she emerged from the restroom in a fresh pair of jeans, fuzzy socks, long sleeved shirt and a towel wrapped around her head. "Colin? If you're awake you can use the shower."