Chapter Eleven – Cranberry Juice
Waking, it took me a couple of attempts to open my eyes. As I tried, I heard someone shuffle on a seat next to me. Finally opening my eyes, I was met with a white ceiling. Blinking, I heard my name. Turning towards the voice, I saw Marc; Jace; Jack; Sabien and Erik. Where was I? Looking around I saw Doyle leaning against the wall on my other side, and that I was in the Academy's hospital wing. Huh.
"Drink," oh, god, was that my voice or someone else's? It was dry, quiet and cracked as though it hadn't been used in a long time. As I spoke the one word, I felt my throat burn.
A glass was handed to me as Doyle moved the bed into a sitting position. Unfortunately, the cover started to fall, and I realised that I was only wearing my underwear. I grabbed the covers, the guys kindly looked away. Tucking the covers around me once Doyle had the bed in a sitting position, I made sure that the covers wouldn't fall before taking the glass that was being held in my direction.
"Thanks."
The guys turned back, clearly ready to turn away again if need be, but relaxed when they saw that I'd tucked the covers up.
Taking a sip... I sprayed it back out. "Oh, god. What the hell is that!"
Looking at the others showed they were staring at me in shock.
"What?"
Sabien stood then and went over to the doctor. The doctor was Dr. Louis, his hair was a short messy brown, and from a previous quick encounter, I knew that he had grey eyes and was a few inches taller than myself. When Dr. Louis turned to listen to Sabien, I saw that he had a slight stubble, and as he'd been last time, he was wearing loose, comfortable clothing.
Suddenly the doctor moved away and Sabien returned. "He's getting you a drink."
I frowned. Glancing at the glass Marc had given me, I asked what it was.
"Water."
What?
Then the doctor appeared. "Here. Try this."
Taking the glass, I looked at the ruby red liquid. Lifting it, I sniffed the liquid. I felt my eyes tingle and my throat roar as I then tipped the glass back as though I was doing shots. "Can I have some more?"
The doctor nodded and I felt a strange reluctance at giving him the glass. But I gave it to him and he disappeared.
"There was me, thinking we'd have to force it down you," Jace chuckled.
I frowned at him.
It was Sabien who replied. "She's too thirsty to care right now."
I glared at him. What were they talking about? I looked at the others to see them staring. Again. "What?"
Before they could answer, Guinevere turned up. "Hi, Drake, when your up and able, the headmaster would like to–" Her eyes met mine.
What was happening to me? Even Doyle was staring at my eyes. What, had they changed colour or something? Changed shape? Why was everybody staring? "What?"
The doctor returned and Guinevere looked at the contents, then she turned to stare at me again.
As the doctor handed me the glass, Guinevere spoke to the doctor, her eyes never leaving me. "Why are you giving her blood?"
I felt my eyes widen. Blood! I crap I was going to me sick. I stared at the glass of ruby red liquid as though it was a monster about to attack me. I'd just drank a glass of blood as though it was a shot. I held the current glass away from me.
Guinevere left without finishing her previous sentence.
Doyle sighed. "You will drink it."
"I will not."
"Trust me, Drake," Jace said, moving to the side of the bed from where he'd been sat. "Blood tastes good."
"Oh, yeah, how'd you know that?"
He grinned. "Because it tastes good with a rare cooked steak."
I rolled my eyes.
"Plus, you've already drank a glass."
I felt green. "Don't remind me."
Then he repeated his sentence over and over, grinning like a loon until Sabien tapped him on the back of his head.
"Remember what you told me before?" Sabien said. "About the difference between the niveus and niveramia?"
"Unfortunately." The text book had said that the niveramia must drink everyday. Like a vampire. "I'm a vampire."
"No," Dr. Louis said. "To be a vampire, you would have to be undead. You, however, are alive. And if I am right, a niveramia."
At that moment, Michael walked in with his shadow. They both paused and stared.
"I'm not going to leave this room if everybody keeps doing that!"
"Doing what?" Michael asked, coming closer.
"Staring."
"Well, get used to it."
"What? No."
"Trust me, Jasmine, you are going to get a lot of stares in the near future," Michael paused. "Have you seen yourself yet?"
"I've only just woken," I said, turning to the doctor. "How long was I out?"
"Five days," Dr. Louis replied as though it was nothing. "In which you finished your transition from being like a dhampire to niveramia. Now, drink."
I looked at the glass and felt my throat burn at me to obey.
"Either that or your friends," the doctor snapped.
Heaving a sigh, I decided to lie to myself. Looking at my friends, I muttered my lie. "It's cranberry juice. It's cranberry juice..."
Downing the drink as quickly as I could, I coughed at the end as I felt my eyes tingle once again as they watered. "The weirdest thing? Is that the blood is actually taste nice. But why from a glass?"
"Do you really want to bite your friends?" the doctor asked me.
I looked at them then looked back at the doctor when I replied. "I guess not."
Dr. Louis then handed me another glass, water this time. "You'll be able to drink it now you've had some blood."
"How much blood will I need to drink a day?"
"If you wish, you can have some with your breakfast, then again at lunch."
"While I'm eating?" Mental revulsion rose, but my body liked the idea.
The doctor smirked. "Just think of it as cranberry juice."
I glared at him. "Come on, I'm being serious."
"As was I."
"We'll discuss Jasmine's feeding when it comes to it," Michael spoke up. "Her hunger may be strong or weak, we won't know until she needs more. Today can be a trial for that. Now, back to my original question. Have you seen yourself?"
"No," I replied.
Michael gestured the hospitals bathroom where there was probably a mirror. Just as I started climb off the bed, I paused, I was so not going to parade around naked. No way.
A shirt dangled to my side, I took it and smelt Doyle's wild scent. I heard a growl that was cut short from Marc. Pulling it on, I realised there was a bonus with Doyle being so much taller and broader than me, the shirt fell like a mini dress around me. Not something I would wear, but it was better that than naked.
"Thanks," I mumbled, sliding off the bed.
I glanced at them, they were all looking anywhere but me so that even though I was covered, I didn't have to worry about flashing them anything.
Walking for the bathroom, I felt surprisingly strong for someone who'd been asleep for five days. Closing the bathroom door behind me, I walked up to the mirror and touched my – her face.
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