A/N: hi guys! I'm so sorry this took forever to update. I'm struggling a little with how I want to progress this book. I know exactly what I want to happen, I'm just struggling how to move from point A to point C in the book.
Also, listen to "Legends" by Kelsea Ballerini during Ang's vision. (It starts in the italic print.)
Thanks for hanging in there and I so greatly appreciate your support.
- AB
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Angelina's POV
"Just stay still," I tell Thomas as I tie the tourniquet around his arm.
"You're just going to keep bruising my arms."
"You're the only person that I can't get blood from," I sigh. "I need to keep practicing."
Thomas kept his promise about training me. We've been side by side in the tunnels all day researching, testing and practicing. I did some researching and found out how to insert a small needle and withdraw blood. This will allow us to preform tests on the blood in case someone gets sick or poisoned, which unfortunately happens more than you'd think.
I've been drawling blood from Peter and the lost boys all afternoon and Thomas is the only one that I keep missing.
"Ready?" I ask him.
He nods and watches as I insert the small needle into his skin and aim for the small vein. The vein jumps, making me miss. I pull the needle out slightly, aim to the left and push it back in. Blood flows out of the small needle and into the collection tubing. I smile as I remove the tourniquet, remove the needle and hold pressure on Thomas' arm.
"All done," I sterilize the needle and place it in a separate container and start cleaning up the mess I made.
"I'm gonna go help the rest of the boys with dinner," Thomas rubs my shoulder and climbs out of the tunnel.
I tidy up the tunnels and the shelves that are strictly designated for healing. Thomas and I organized the shelving units alphabetically, in case someone needs something in an emergency situation. It will make it easier to find equipment. I use alcohol and sterilize all the equipment that I had just used prior. I wash out the sink, wipe down the counters and label the collection tubes that contains each of the boys blood. This way I can start my research against how to treat certain illnesses and poisons. I lock the collection tubes in a glass cabinet and pull out the journal that Thomas had given me to write in.
9/26/17
Technique: blood drawls
1.) Palpate vein to identify target area for needle
2.) Apply tourniquet 3 inches away from target insertion site
3.) Sterilize target insertion site
4.) Pull downwards on the skin, around an inch below target insertion site
5.) Advance needle into skin, watch for a flash of blood in the base of the needle
6.) Let go of the skin, allowing blood to fill the collection tubing
7.) In case of a missed stick, pull out needle completely before inserting into the skin again
Yesterday Thomas taught me how to stitch up an open wound, how to make pain medication out of dried fruit and herbs and how to dress a wound. Thomas says I'm almost as good at healing as I am with my bow. I rolled my eyes at the comment and continued to straighten up the journals.
One journal caught my eye. Laying on the desk is the journal that Thomas was reading earlier. "I haven't read this one in a while," I remember him saying.
I pickup the journal and examine it in my hands. The journal is made out of brown leather and is tied closed with thick strings. The journal looks old and worn. I pace around the room as I pull the strings apart, opening the journal. I glance through some of the entries.
3/12/14
Species: Dreamshade
Antidote: spring water from the waterfall
Deadly poison that grows throughout Neverland. Looks like thick, black substance dripping from a thorn. Poison is slow and painful as it spreads throughout the body, death results when the poison reaches the heart. Poisoning shows as dark, blackening color of the veins that grows with the infection.
I flip a few pages to another entry.
4/4/14
Species: Tryris
Antidote: ???
Looks like a purple flower with specks of yellow throughout the petals. Stem of the plant is bright green, with black thorns. Poisoning occurs when the pollen from the petals enters the bloodstream. Possible related to black thorns. When poisoning occurs, infected person falls into a deep sleep and will die in a matter of hours related to bodily shut down.
I wrinkle my nose at the morbidity of the plants living on Neverland. I read a couple more entries in the journal until it gets dark. I close the book and turn to put it away. I put the journal on the shelf and continue cleaning up.
Before leaving I take one more look around the room. My eyes fall on the journal again, something catching my eye. A signature sits on the spine of the book that reads AH. I snatch the book in my hands and flip through the pages, landing on the entry about Dreamshade. I find paper and write the word "dreamshade." I hold both up, comparing them. They look the same. Again and again I compare my handwriting to the journal. Still the same. I run my fingers over the writing in the journal and am sucked into another vision.
"I'll finish up documenting what we did today, Tom," I tell Thomas.
Thomas nods as he continues to conduct experiments on the strange plant that we found today. He named it "dreamshade." Legend has it that it's the deadliest plant in Neverland, so of course Thomas had to go find it himself. He wears thick gloves as he extracts the black liquid that drips from the plants thorns. I hand him a glass flask that he drains the liquid into. Once the container is full, Thomas corks the bottle, ties a string of burlap around the shaft of the flask and stores it in a locked box, away from sunlight or any other research that we have in the tunnels. This also allows us to study the plant in a similar habitat of its own. Dreamshade grows in areas shaded by the trees, avoiding the sunlight from killing the plant.
"You sure you're okay here?" Thomas asks me as he removes his gloves.
I nod. "I just need to finish documenting everything."
As soon as Thomas leaves the tunnels I feel a set of arms slide around my waist. A giggle escapes my lips as I'm spun around and met with Peter's lips. His lips move, leaving cool, wet kisses on my jaw and down my neck. He starts sucking softly on the center of my neck, under my chin.
"I need to finish this up." I slightly push him away.
He pouts and pulls up a chair to the counter that I'm working over.
"Thomas extracted some dreamshade from the west side of the island today."
"Do we know anything about it yet?"
"Working on it," I close the journal that Peter gave me and stick it on the shelf with the rest of our journals. Peter gave me the leather journal when I first took up healing, working under Thomas.
"It's getting late, the lost boys just went to bed." Peter takes my hand.
"I am getting tired." I squeeze Peter's hand in mine.
"Well you had a long day. Let's get to bed." Peter presses a kiss to my forehead and teleports is to our treehouse.
"I hate when you do that," I groan as I sit on the bed, trying to get my head to stop spinning.
"Sorry babe, I forget that I have to warn you."
I roll my eyes and strip out of my clothes, leaving my only in my loose pajama shirt and my dark underwear. I climb into bed, purposely turning my back to Peter.
I hear him groan as he gets in the bed. His arm snakes around my waist as he pulls my back into his naked chest. His thumb rubs circles on my stomach under my shirt. I snuggle deeper into my pillow, still turned away from Peter. He moves my hair away from my neck and attaches his lips to the base of my neck. He continues this for a little before he bites my neck. I turn to face him, prepared to yell at him. "Pet-" I'm cut off my Peter attacking my lips with his, hungry for his lips on mine. I throw my hands around his neck, pulling him closer as he lies in between my legs. I pull his shirt off and use all my strength to flip us over, allowing me to straddle his waist. His hands slide up and under my shirt as he pulls away and looks into my eyes.
"I love you."
I stumble backwards as I come back to reality. My heart is pounding and my breath is hitched in my throat.
They're not visions.
They're memories.
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