Nature or Nurture: the raising of a monster

Chapter 24

It takes a long time for Victor to get his strength back. Adison is already going on housecalls again after one week, keeping their clientele happy, but he is still suffering from headaches and dizzy spells. 'I got hit twice by an undernourished woman with bare hands, Victor. You were beaten up by at least four men with clubs. There is a difference. It will all be fine, you'll see. It just takes time,' Adison tells him. He complains: 'But I'm bored, you won't let me read, or go to my workshop, or visit patients. Or feed Mina, or, well, you know..' Adison may be a pillar of equanimity, but she's still only a twenty year old girl, and this is too much even for her. She exclaims: 'Victor, listen to yourself! I'm not your mother, or your doctor for that matter. I have not forbidden you to do any of those things, you don't do them because they hurt, or because you are an adult doctor who knows what is good for a patient with severe concussion, even if that patient is himself.' At this outburst, Victor has the good grace to feel ashamed of his petulance. Of course everyone knows doctors are the worst patients, but that is no excuse to treat his friend this way. He looks very contrite, and Adison relents and tells him: 'Let's not argue, but think of a way to resolve this. Reading would not be a good idea, that could cause lasting damage. Dissecting and drawing what you observe would be even worse, if you were able to concentrate. But you can come with me on a few housecalls, or we could see some patients here, as a sort of trial for our idea. As for the other thing, your dizziness is not due to lack of blood or undernourishment, so why don't you try giving Mina a few mouthfulls this evening, see how it turns out. And if you listen to your body, you will know how far you can take the inevitable result. Just take it slow with the science, if you take my meaning. Let her do the hard work for a few weeks and just enjoy.'

Victor is now really sorry for his earlier reproofs, Adison is always so good to him, and all he can give her in return are childish accusations. Adison gives him a nice warm hug, soothingly saying: 'You can't help feeling like that, love. Impatience and irritability are symptoms of concussion too. I'm not angry or hurt, I'm probably still irritable too. Even the way you feel now is not really you.' Victor realises that is all true. He is emotional and irritable, and Adison has never reacted that way before either. Relieved, he says: 'Where did you get so much wisdom at your age?' And: 'It can't be long now before Mina wakes up. Will you help me convince her to try?' Adison smirks and replies: 'Of course. And what would you say to taking Mina to the theatre this week? It's not as if that is really hard work.' Victor's face lights up: 'You're right, and I'm sure she'd love to. But what if someone recognises her?' Adison is not taken aback: 'We ladies have our ways of looking totally different from how people know us. Don't you worry.'

When Mina wakes up, she finds Victor dozing next to her. They now share his room, where they have installed a nice sized bed. She never sleeps to sundown anymore, apparently she can waken after the sun is past its highest point, though of course she cannot go out in daylight. She takes some convincing to try feeding on Victor that night: 'But you are still dizzy all the time, you need your blood for yourself. And I can see you aren't thinking of the kitchen table, you're planning to make love too.' Victor takes both her hands and pleads with her: 'The dizziness is because my head got smashed in, not because of blood loss anymore. And Adison suggested I let you do the hard work during the follow-up, just laying back and enjoying it so to speak.' 'So Adison approves?' Mina says. 'She suggested we start with a little bit, and see how it goes,' Victor replies, hearing in her voice that he's won. 'Well, she's the doctor, so all right. I don't really need to feed until tomorrow, so tonight is the perfect time to try.' And saying this, Mina feels a thrill of anticipation at finally tasting Victor's sweet blood again. She starts to picture how she can sate both their passions without overstraining his recovering body. His white soft skin, still bruised and cut, but so tempting, his boyish figure, that she has held so often the last few days, but not in passion since that first glorious time. She wants him, and not tonight, but now. He is still clearly not as sharp as he usually is, for though he is sitting right next to her, he only notices her rising passion when she very carefully takes his bruised face in both her hands and kisses him on the mouth slowly and very, very deeply. Nearly out of breath, he feels his body awaken and respond to her passion. The lust drowns out every lingering feeling of pain or tiredness. He feels invigorated, and kisses her again passionately. Every one of his nerves tingles, he feels a real lust gripping him, telling him to grab this woman.