Until she can make it to a wheel chair without assistance, I will also require one of you to help."
"Of course."
"Stay away from her neck," Millie ordered the vampire.
Solange began to growl again. Millie just crossed her arms but didn't say anything.
"There's a ritual," Solange said. "Until then, she remains bound in that bed when I am unavailable to manage her."
"How much blood does this ritual require?"
"I don't exactly measure it," Solange said.
"You know what a pint feels like. A pint? Two pints?"
"Oh. Maybe a half glass, maybe a little more."
"Fine," said Millie. "But otherwise, her neck is off limits. Do I make myself clear?"
I couldn't believe the woman was speaking to Solange this way. I was more surprised when Solange agreed.
Millie turned to me. "I take it you were in good physical condition."
I nodded. "Will I get it back? It was a lot of work the first time."
"That will depend upon how hard you work. You have lost a great deal of muscle mass and tone. Neurologically, you seem fine."
She turned back to Solange. "Your blood will help her."
"I don't think she's ready for that," Solange said.
"What do you mean, her blood will help?" I asked.
"Vampire blood is the fountain of youth," Millie said to me. She turned back to Solange. "Do you want her healthy or not?"
"Of course."
"Then she feeds from your wrist daily in the afternoon after the last of her therapy. Not before. I don't want her amped up on vampire blood. I want the blood to help her rebuild."
She turned to me. "I don't care if you're ready," she said. "You'll do what you're told."
"Fine," I said petulantly. "What are we waiting for?"
Those may have been the worst five words of my life.
Millie made me work, and I was sweating long before she called a stop. But I didn't complain once. I did what she ordered.
Finally, with me panting in the bed, she declared me done. "Clean her up," Millie said. "I'll be back this afternoon." She turned back to me. "You will sleep. If you do not believe you can sleep, you will ask the vampire to help you. I will come twice a day. Tomorrow, I will also give you exercises to do at other times along with a schedule. Thomas can help you."
"Thank you," I said.
* * * *
I was past done in before Millie let me stop that afternoon. There were tears in my eyes, but not once did I complain.
"Good," she said. "Well done, Sidney."
That was when the tears really started. "I biked the Ironman," I told her. "I biked the Ironman."
"Oh honey," she said. "I'm sorry, you won't bike it this year, but you'll get stronger quickly. I promise."
She let me cry for a while, then she helped calm me down. Finally she turned to Solange, who had remained with us the entire time, not saying anything. "Get her cleaned up. Fresh bedding and clothing. Then a little food, then your wrist. Let it settle before dinner." She paused. "In the morning, get her dressed like she's going to the gym, and be prepared for regular clothing afterwards. Treat her like a human."
I didn't see Solange's response, but I presumed she nodded ascent.
I got a sponge bath. I wanted a proper shower, but I took what I could get. It was tricky, but Solange moved me to a wheel chair, covered me with fresh bedding, then called Thomas to make up the bed. After he left, she put me back.
The snack was canned fruit. It tasted wonderful, and I wanted more.
"Later," Solange said. She paused. "This is intimate."
"You're going to make me drink your blood?"
"Yes, straight from my wrist."
"Not your throat?"
"That's a little too intimate," she replied.
"Not from a glass?"
"It's best this way," she said. "I'm going to climb into bed with you and hold you, then I'll open my wrist and give it to you. You will drink."
I thought about it. "Gross," I said.
"You're going to change your mind about that," she said.
"I doubt it."
She simply smiled then climbed onto the bed. She arranged us carefully, which involved quite a bit of shifting around. I found myself
"Of course."
"Stay away from her neck," Millie ordered the vampire.
Solange began to growl again. Millie just crossed her arms but didn't say anything.
"There's a ritual," Solange said. "Until then, she remains bound in that bed when I am unavailable to manage her."
"How much blood does this ritual require?"
"I don't exactly measure it," Solange said.
"You know what a pint feels like. A pint? Two pints?"
"Oh. Maybe a half glass, maybe a little more."
"Fine," said Millie. "But otherwise, her neck is off limits. Do I make myself clear?"
I couldn't believe the woman was speaking to Solange this way. I was more surprised when Solange agreed.
Millie turned to me. "I take it you were in good physical condition."
I nodded. "Will I get it back? It was a lot of work the first time."
"That will depend upon how hard you work. You have lost a great deal of muscle mass and tone. Neurologically, you seem fine."
She turned back to Solange. "Your blood will help her."
"I don't think she's ready for that," Solange said.
"What do you mean, her blood will help?" I asked.
"Vampire blood is the fountain of youth," Millie said to me. She turned back to Solange. "Do you want her healthy or not?"
"Of course."
"Then she feeds from your wrist daily in the afternoon after the last of her therapy. Not before. I don't want her amped up on vampire blood. I want the blood to help her rebuild."
She turned to me. "I don't care if you're ready," she said. "You'll do what you're told."
"Fine," I said petulantly. "What are we waiting for?"
Those may have been the worst five words of my life.
Millie made me work, and I was sweating long before she called a stop. But I didn't complain once. I did what she ordered.
Finally, with me panting in the bed, she declared me done. "Clean her up," Millie said. "I'll be back this afternoon." She turned back to me. "You will sleep. If you do not believe you can sleep, you will ask the vampire to help you. I will come twice a day. Tomorrow, I will also give you exercises to do at other times along with a schedule. Thomas can help you."
"Thank you," I said.
* * * *
I was past done in before Millie let me stop that afternoon. There were tears in my eyes, but not once did I complain.
"Good," she said. "Well done, Sidney."
That was when the tears really started. "I biked the Ironman," I told her. "I biked the Ironman."
"Oh honey," she said. "I'm sorry, you won't bike it this year, but you'll get stronger quickly. I promise."
She let me cry for a while, then she helped calm me down. Finally she turned to Solange, who had remained with us the entire time, not saying anything. "Get her cleaned up. Fresh bedding and clothing. Then a little food, then your wrist. Let it settle before dinner." She paused. "In the morning, get her dressed like she's going to the gym, and be prepared for regular clothing afterwards. Treat her like a human."
I didn't see Solange's response, but I presumed she nodded ascent.
I got a sponge bath. I wanted a proper shower, but I took what I could get. It was tricky, but Solange moved me to a wheel chair, covered me with fresh bedding, then called Thomas to make up the bed. After he left, she put me back.
The snack was canned fruit. It tasted wonderful, and I wanted more.
"Later," Solange said. She paused. "This is intimate."
"You're going to make me drink your blood?"
"Yes, straight from my wrist."
"Not your throat?"
"That's a little too intimate," she replied.
"Not from a glass?"
"It's best this way," she said. "I'm going to climb into bed with you and hold you, then I'll open my wrist and give it to you. You will drink."
I thought about it. "Gross," I said.
"You're going to change your mind about that," she said.
"I doubt it."
She simply smiled then climbed onto the bed. She arranged us carefully, which involved quite a bit of shifting around. I found myself
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