Good Riddance

Good Riddance
Rhys

I try to hold Alice’s hand, but she pulls it away, screaming in agony. “Alice, it’s all right,” I tell her for the hundredth time, but the pain is so all-encompassing for her now that her mind is far away. 

Her skin is hot as embers. Her eyes, when opened, glow red. I’m well aware that this is part of the process, but seeing it happen to someone I love as much as Alice—and knowing that our child is inside her—sends a strange, uncharacteristic shiver through me. 

She stops screaming, finally, but still writhes around on the bed, hot with fever and mumbling in delirium. I keep my arm tethered to her wherever I can. I fear she cannot feel or hear me, but I hope she can somehow sense my presence. 

When her wild thrashing around settles a bit, I jump up and throw on my clothes then search through her dresser for a nightgown. I locate one that can easily slip over her head and step back to her, gently lifting her shoulders to slip it on. 

Gio steps in shortly, moments after I call for him telepathically. Finally, Alice is still enough that I can hold her hand while he examines her from the other side of the bed. 

“There’s nothing unexpected here,” he says, though I still read the glimmer of concern in his eyes. 

“I’ll stay with her until she gets through it,” I say, bringing her hand to my lips and gently kissing her knuckles. 

Gio steps back to his medical bag, shaking his head. “It could take days, Rhys,” he reminds me. 

“Then I’ll stay with her for days.” I brush a stray strand of hair away from her eyes. 

“I’d try to talk you out of that, but it’s no use.”

“You are correct,” I say. “And the child?”

“The baby should be well,” he confirms. “As a vampire, the child isn’t going through anything Alice is experiencing right now. However, I’ll need to bring in my ultrasound equipment to be sure the baby is getting its nourishment.”

He turns to leave, but I add, “Is there a way to tell how far along she is in the process?”

“I’m still seeing human characteristics,” he explains. “It will take some time for her bodily organs to adjust. As I said, I expect this to take several days.” 

I simply nod in response as he leaves the room. “You’ll get through this,” I whisper to Alice. “And then we’ll be together forever. Nothing will come between us.”

“Rhys....” Her voice is faint in her mumblings, and I don’t believe she is calling my name in response to my statement. She’s far too feverish. An instant later, she writhes around in a fit of agony again, and I do my best to keep hold of her hand. 

“I’m here, Alice,” I say repeatedly. 

Gio reappears, wheeling in his equipment, and I assist in exposing Alice’s stomach for the ultrasound procedure. When the picture of our child appears on the screen, I’m mesmerized, my life force warming at the sight. 

Our child....

“The baby appears well,” Gio confirms. “He’s not in distress, and the placenta and amniotic sac are intact.”

Relief washes over me. Alice settles down again, this time appearing to fall asleep. Gio’s words finally register in my mind. “I’m sorry... he?”

He nods. “Yes, it’s a boy,” he confirms. He cleans up the jelly from the ultrasound and wheels the machine aside while I straighten her nightgown and pull the covers over Alice and tuck them around her gently. 

“We’re having a son,” I tell her. 

“I’ll leave you alone,” Gio says. “Expect her to continue to go in and out of consciousness. That’s normal. The distress, of course, is also normal. But if something changes drastically, call me.”

I nod as he steps out of the room, wheeling the equipment out with him. 

I settle closer to Alice again. “You’re going to be so pleased to know we’re having a son. I would have been happy either way. When you wake up, I’ll tell you again, in case you can’t hear me now.” I lower my head to meet her hand, my elbows holding me up against the bed. “I’m not leaving you. I’m right here.”

Hours later, Alice has been in and out of consciousness multiple times. She seems awake now, so I crank the window open slightly, knowing how much she enjoys listening to the ocean waves. They’ve always seemed intrusive to me, always angry, relentlessly pounding against the shore. But now, I hear the rhythm to it that Alice has always loved, steady and reliable, soothing, in its own way. 

I hope she can hear it as she works her way through the transformation. 

My head turns at a firm rap on the door. “Yes?” I call out. 

Ti walks in, his lips pressed together with frustration. He glances down at Alice. “How is she?”

“As well as I can expect,” I tell him. 

He nods distractedly, and I can see he has something more to say. 

“What is it?” I ask. 

“That asshole Sam is here,” he explains.

Rage simmers in my instantly. “What? Why?”

“He’s with that Richard fellow, the one Alice has a contract with,” he adds, nodding toward Alice. “They’re looking for her.”

“That son of a bitch Sam has a lot of nerve showing up at my house,” I spit out. “He’d better not set one foot inside Duskmoore.”

“He hasn’t,” he said. “I slammed the door in their faces after I told them Alice was ill. It was the best excuse I could come up with. But they’re still here, lingering on the front steps.”

I look down at Alice, my hand still wrapped around her fingers. 

“I’ll watch her while you go deal with them,” Ti suggests. “I’ll get Gio if anything changes with her.”

I don’t want to leave her, but I must get rid of that jackass. I’d been expecting Richard to eventually inquire about Alice, having a contract with her to perform. I doubt she will be able to do so in his lifetime, not with her new cravings for human blood. But Sam—that piece of rubbish has no right stepping foot on the Duskmoore grounds, much less standing at my door. 

“Tell me if anything changes as well,” I tell Ti as I rise. 

He takes my place in the chair by Alice as I step out the door, careful not to slam it and disturb her in my rage. Racing down the stairs two steps at a time, my rage boils hotter by the time I reach the door. 

“We told you,” I say to Richard, avoiding a gaze at Sam for fear I’ll rip his head apart. “Alice is ill.”

Richard exhales before answering. “Mr. Severin, it is good to see you again. I’m sorry to hear about Alice. However, as you know, she did sign a contract with me, and she has already missed several scheduled performances.”

“She cannot play when she is ill,” I insist, my patience narrowing quickly. 

“You’re keeping her from us!” Sam shouts. “She’s not ill. She’s being held here.”

I avoid looking at the bastard, keeping my gaze toward Richard. “That’s ridiculous. The woman is ill and cannot attend performances. I won’t have this... man insulting me in my home, Mr. Mitchell.”

“Sam, please calm down,” Richard tells him, pushing him away from the door slightly. He turns back to me. “We’re both businessmen, Mr. Severin. Surely, you can understand that I am losing profits by having to cancel Miss Heathe’s scheduled engagements.”

“Wait here,” I say to Richard before shutting the door again. 

I race to my office, not wishing to deal with these men any longer than I must. Alice needs me at her side, whether she can hear me or not. I pull out my checkbook, quickly drawing up a draft for one million dollars to Richard Mitchell. I begin to put the it back into the drawer, but there is one more problem that will continue to haunt us unless I deal with it now.

With loathing, I reluctantly write out another check for Sam Powers and run back downstairs to the door. I know the jackass will continue to seek out Alice if I don’t get rid of him once and for all. 

“Here,” I tell Richard, reaching out with both checks in hand. 

“We won't accept your money!” Sam argues. “You can’t pay us off!”

“Don’t be so hasty, Powers,” Richard says, his smiling gaze never leaving the check. 

“My condition is that you never seek out or speak to Miss Heathe ever again, either of you,” I warn them before turning over the checks. “If you violate this agreement, I will come after you for return of this amount.” I turn to Sam, gazing at him menacingly. “And I won’t only be after the money in your case.”

Sam’s eyes widen, and he takes several steps back from me. Richard reaches for the checks, handing Sam’s to him. “You’ll never be troubled with us again,” Richard says firmly. 

“I expect not,” I say, shutting the door. 

I sense the men leaving, quickly. 

Alice will never be bothered by that asshole Sam ever again.