The next few hours oozed away like syrup – slow, thick and seemingly stopping at times. I watched darkness settle over 10th Avenue through the large windows, covered with pale blue unwashed blinds.

Maimonides Medical Center was awfully empty, and I hated the silence pounding in my ears along with my heartbeat.

Doctor Martin took Lucia the moment we arrived and hasn't let me seen her since. She was alive and tucked away in some corner of the hospital, but I knew nothing more than that.

My nerves felt prickly, and a fight or flight response raged in my veins. My gaze kept escaping to the hospital door, and I eyed suspiciously everyone that walked in.

Lucia was out in the world, not safely locked in my apartment.

If the wrong person simply smelled her, everything would go to shit.

But Doctor Martin said he needed to run tests and he needed machinery that wouldn't even fit in our lame little loft, so I caved and let him bring her here.

I had no idea how long she would have to stay here, or whether her sight returned, or if she would even survive. Dammit, I cared about that stupid girl too.

When I first took her in, my motives weren't entirely selfless. Yes, I wanted to get her away from Edmond and I didn't want to see her dead, but I was also quite interested in her unfortunate case of pregnancy.

It was a big deal. And while I took her in and gave her food, most would have strapped her to a chair and turned her into a guinea pig. I didn't want to experiment on her, I wanted her to live.

Or I wanted the baby to live.

In all honesty, I would let that offspring die right now if it meant she would live.

Our world was screwed enough, we didn't need a half vampire half human baby running around.

Another problem took my brain hostage as if I needed more concerns to fill up my time.

This was a hospital visit. Doctor Martin had to run tests and probably strap her to machine, maybe even keep her here overnight.

This was going to cost me – a lot. And Doctor Martin risked much more by bringing her here, which meant he would ask for more money.

After another hour, during which I even managed to break my promise and respond to Jax's messages, explaining to him that I had a Lucia emergency, Doctor Martin finally showed up.

"Odette." He stopped in front of me. "She has to stay here overnight."

"Tell me what's wrong." I demanded and stood up, feeling weak and small crumbled on the plastic chair.

"Her kidneys are damaged."

"Excuse me?"

"She has preeclampsia." Doctor Martin entered his doctor mood, and I knew he was worried, in a way all doctors were worried about their patients.

He wanted her to live and he'd do everything in his power to make sure of that – if for no other reason, then for his ego.

"English." Pain spread through my gums. "Or layman-ish."

"Her blood pressure is way too high" The doctor said. "It's damaging her internal organs, especially kidneys. I gave her medication and she's stable, but she needs to stay over night."

"How do we treat this?" I asked, trying to make sense of the severity of the situation.

"We monitor her and we give her medication for high blood pressure." Doctor Martin said. "That's the only thing we can do at this point. Other than delivering the baby prematurely."

"But if she goes into labour now, the baby's not going to make it." I whispered.

"Lucia doesn't want to go into labour anyway." Doctor Martin shook his head. "She wants to make sure the baby survives."

I put my hand on my hip, "Well, she's an idiot and her brain is all fucked up with the mommy hormones."

"Odette." Martin raised his eyebrow slightly. "Let her make her own decisions."

My smile was brittle, "Her decisions are making you money."

"She has to go into labour either way." Doctor Martin rationalized. "It's all the same to you if it happens now or in two months."

"Right." I chuckled humourlessly. "Except my friend might be dead in two months."

"She'll be fine if we keep her monitored." Doctor Martin said. "We can keep her blood pressure under control here, and it'll stop her kidneys from deteriorating."

I took in a sharp breath, and ignored the pain in my gums. I needed to not lose my shit in a hospital and snap the good doctor's neck. Who would treat Lucia then?

"Can I go see her?"

"She's sleeping." The doctor said. "Go home, Odette, you look like you haven't slept in a while."

I squinted, "Fuck you."

"Odette, she needs rest." He sighed. "She's stable and she's resting. Dropping existential questions on her right now isn't a good idea. Let her sleep."

My jaw clenched and my fangs poked my lower lip, but I pushed all the mean commentary down.

"Who's going to watch over her?"

"I'll be here all night." He answered. "I'll text you every hour, okay?"

I sighed, "Okay. There are a few things I need to take care of anyway."

"Go to sleep, Odette."

"Stop acting like you give a shit about my sleeping schedule."

My gaze cut through him, and he almost flinched. His face revealed no real concern, but a smidge of pity.

"Text me every hour." I grabbed my bag and walked out, needing to feel the fresh winter air on my skin instead of the stale one in the hospital.

The hour ticked 10PM when I exited the building and found myself on the busy 10th Ave. The night was cool and wet, and the air thick and much warmer than I'd prefer. I wanted to escape somewhere terribly cold – somewhere where water froze in contact with air. That kind of cold might cool the burning anger inside me.

Exhaustion overwhelmed me as I began walking down the street, but even if I stopped right here and now, sleep wouldn't seize me. I had things to do tonight anyway.

While I pondered over the quickest way to get to Upper West Side, my phone rang.

"Hey." I answered, all the promises I made to stay away from him evaporating.

"Are you okay?" Jax asked. "How's Luce?"

I sighed and decided to continue walking down the 10th. Having this conversation in a train wasn't the best idea.

"She has something called preeclampsia." I said. "Her blood pressure is very high and she lost her consciousness today again. The doctor says her kidneys are damaged and she has to stay the night."

"Goddammit." Jax cursed. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"I don't know." I shook my head. "She needs to be monitored. The doctor says she could be fine if she takes medication."

Jax kept quiet for a few seconds. The sounds of traffic and my own footsteps rang in my ears.

"Do you want to spend the night at my place?"

I wanted to, desperately. I wanted to pretend everything was alright for another night, convince myself that my lies weren't so horrible, and let him fuck me into a goodnight's rest.

"I'd love to. But I have to spend the night in the hospital." The lie burned my tongue. "Lucia needs me."

"Okay, I understand." Jax said, zero resentment or distrust in his voice. "Let me know if she's okay, alright?"

"Yes." I nodded, those lies quickly turning into burning tears in my eyes.

"Odette?" His voice rose like he just remembered something.

"Yes?"

"Do you want me to come to the hospital?"

My breath caught in my throat, and tears gathered in the corners of my eyes without any warning. Of course, I wanted him to come to the hospital. But what would he be doing there if I was elsewhere?

"I think I'd like to be alone tonight."

My voice was a mere whisper.

"Okay." This time, there was a hint of some bitter emotion in his voice. "I understand."

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"No problem." The cheer in his voice sounded forced. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, if you want."

I nodded quickly, fully aware he couldn't see me, "Yes, yes. I'll call you."

"Alright, take care." Jax hung up.

For a few seconds, I stared into the phone, inwardly cursing my dumb loneliness for ever getting involved with him. I should have turned around and walked away the moment I found out he was a vampire hunter.

But I was too self-centred.

I thought I could scheme my way back inside my family, without hurting my own ego in the process. But I needed to get my shit together, because Lucia was right.

We didn't need my family, or the vampire hunters. We didn't need to hold Edmond accountable for everything he's done – at least not right now. We needed money.

And it's been right in front of me, but I was too proud to beg.

So, I swallowed the still burning anger and continued down the street.

My footsteps echoed behind me, mocking me.

I almost reached the end of the 10th when I realised those weren't my footsteps.

As seamlessly as possible, I glanced over my shoulder, only to catch a figure dressed in black with a hood over his head and hands in his pockets, following me. My heart hammered in my chest, pumping blood straight into my muscles. But running would be dumb.

I just had to get to the station and disappear in the crowd.

Probably just some creep who thought he could catch me in the middle of the street and start a conversation. Or a robber. Some misguided soul without a more meaningful purpose on this lonely night.

My legs begged to run, but I glued them to the ground, careful to keep myself moving at a steady pace. I took a gradual turn to New Utrecht Ave, and noticed another figure, dressed in the same attire, walking towards me from the opposite direction – the direction of the station.

Fuck.

I turned left to the 41st and allowed my legs to run.

Instinct took over, and I rushed down the street, aware I was heading away from the possible safety of a crowd. When I looked over my shoulder, I almost bumped into the third man.

With my heart in my mouth, I turned left, forgetting where the hell I was in the first place.

And just like that, I found myself in a dark blind alley.

Okay, time to fight.

The three men appeared at the end of the street and walked towards me in unison.

"Gentlemen, I'm in a really bad mood." I squeezed through my teeth, blood gathering around my temples and arms.

I moved back slightly, trying to get a grip of my surroundings. There were a couple of doors, all metal and probably locked. A few trash cans, and one flickering lamplight above me. The three men said nothing and kept on walking.

My mind might have forgotten how to be a vampire, but my body remembered well enough. Panic sent energy down my veins and I felt my muscles bulge at the idea of hitting something.

"I don't want to hurt you." I said, my voice bordering on a growl.

The one in the middle reached inside his jacket, and before I had time to process anything, a quiet thud reverberated around me.

Severe pain spread through the right side of my chest.

I looked down. Blood pooled through my shirt and jacket.

The three men turned around and simply walked away.

They shot me. The motherfuckers shot me!

Pain gripped me from the inside out, terribly sharp and numb at the same time, and I collapsed on the ground. I couldn't breathe in anymore. Panic seized me, and cold tremors spread through me.

Fuck.

I hit the ground.

I wanted to scream, but I couldn't breathe anymore.

Blood gathered in my throat and I spat it out, reaching for the phone in my bag. With the other hand, I pressed the wound on my chest, flinching when it caused more pain.

Yellow and red dots danced before my eyes. No, no, no.

With the last ounces of strength, I pressed the phone to my ear, and the ringing reverberated through my skull, sounding like loneliness and desperation. But the line cracked and the voice reached from the other side, from safety.

"I'm only answering because-"

"Dorian..." A soft, bloody gurgle left my lips.

Silence ticked once, twice.

"Where are you?"

I've never heard a voice change so quickly in my entire life.

I coughed out blood, "41st, alley... Brook-"

"I'm on my way."

Darkness enveloped the edges of my vision.

I should have know the next time sleep would seize me would be due to losing consciousness.