Abused and Bought

Doctor Visits

A disgusting feeling of deja vu twisted her stomach as the covers tangled between her fingers. Once again, she sat in bed alone, dressed in a simple nightdress. Beside her bedside was a vampiric doctor, his arm shifting uncomfortably beneath his clipboard, lithe fingers twirling his pen with unease. The cotton white coat frames his body, curling toward his knees.

Beside him, on the bedside table, was a worn notebook, the corner of the cover and pages bending, the spiral ripping from the top holes. Next to it was a fresh pencil, and pen, both patiently waiting to be picked up. Also on the smoothed wood was a small pill bottle, small, rounded pills stuffed to the brim.

"We were able to extract the poison, My Lady." The doctor began, his voice tinted with nerves. "But it will take him a while to recover, months maybe. The poison is rare, up until now, we didn't think anyone could find it anywhere but nature." A long, heavy sigh deflated his chest. "It would be best to postpone the trip-"

The doctor's words faltered when Grace rose a hand. Grabbing the notebook, she scribbled onto the paper.

"We can't postpone the trip, I will have to go myself."

When the doctor read what she had written, his brows shot to his hairline. "My lady! That is too dangerous! No one knows who had planted the poison, you could be the next target!" He stepped closer to the bed, handing her the notebook as he did. "What if someone targets you?! Your husband will not be able to protect you-"

Again, his words died at the raise of her hand. She scribbled onto the paper. "Hunter is not the only one who can stay by my side. I have my friends, and we can hire bodyguards, though I don't understand why we haven't yet."

A light sheen of sweat dabbed against the doctor's forehead, his throat bobbing with his nervous swallow. "Up until now, no one has ever gone against royalty in such a manner, bodyguards weren't needed, my Lady."

Rustles of the sheets filled the room as she shifted, swinging her feet gingerly over the edge. She scribbled on the paper once again. "Then, I believe it is time for a change, dont you think?"

Sputters bumbled from his lips. "Y-You are still injured!"

At his protest, Grace's brow rose. After the adrenaline of Hunter's poisoning wore off, Grace had realized that her big toe was swollen and bruised, pain biting at her skin until she was properly looked at. Turns out, she had broken her toe when she smashed it, and it would take 5 weeks to heal. Of course, Willy advised her to remain bedridden, panicking at the thought of her sweet Queen injured.

"So? It is simply a broken toe, there are worse injuries I could have gotten, and a broken toe is nothing."

Again, the doctor went to protest. "B-But, my Lady-"

A third time, her hand rose, only her lips were pulled tight, thin against her face as she scribbled impatiently. "Don't you have other patients to worry about?"

Words died in his throat, and if Grace wasn't already in a sour mood, she would have felt bad for snapping at the poor doctor. Gathering his composure, the doctor shifted the clipboard on his arm, bowing slightly. "Of course, My lady, forgive me for pressing. Please stay hydrated and your medication is on the bedside."

A twitch of annoyance flicked across Grace's upper lip before she nodded, the doctor shuffling out the door. Empty silence curled around Grace's throat, suffocating her with every passing second as she stared aimlessly at the farthest wall. The door suddenly clicked open, a mop of ruby red hair peeking past the crack.

"My lady," Another twitch of annoyance. "The doctor told me you were upset." Willy slipped into the room, the door clicking shut behind her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

With a scoff, she twisted away, glaring at the wall as if it was her personal offender. "No."

"My lady," Grace's lip curled. "It's not good for you to have this much stress, let me help."

Stubborn, Grace shook her head, a long, exhausted sigh growing behind her. A chilled hand stroked her own, curling softly around the back.

"Just so you know," Willy sighed. "We are all here for you, okay?"

A single nod was the only answer Willy received. The soon-to-be Queen kept her eyes on the far wall, lips pulled into a tight frown as the door clicked shut. Now alone, her eyebrows twitched, slacking from their deep furrows.

Glancing at the door, the knob stayed frozen, sitting there without a single twitch. She was alone.

Her eyes itched, the room around her growing blurry. Sniffles forced themselves up her nose. A choke clogged her throat. Shifting her knees to press against her chest, her arms curled around them. A soft sob pushed past her lips. Hot streaks rolled down her cheeks.

Sob after sob left her throat, muffled by her hand.

No matter how she looked at it, she only saw her uselessness. She wasn't able to save those people Hunter killed at the tonic party, she wasn't able to save Lady Rayne's daughter or the other unfortunate lady, who Grace now had a chilling hunch was of the same age. 

Even her friends, she had broken Ryan's heart, had made Hunter attack him and break his nose. Had the party not been for vampire royalty only, she would have invited her friends, and...

The skin of her lip throbbed under her teeth. Such thoughts were something she wanted to ignore, to shove into the darkest parts of her mind, Still, they pulsed through her brain, coiling around her eyes so all she could see were red and empty eyes. Gasps forced through her mouth with constricted lungs, a tight fist squeezing her heart until she grew light-headed. Grasping at her chest, her shoulders heaved with heavy sobs, whimpers following every exhale. Dark spots spread across the soft material of her nightdress with every tear that trailed down her face. 

Around her, the room shrank, the walls crawling closer and closer until she pressed herself against the headboard, covering her head with trembling hands. As she pressed her face into her knees, she prayed that whatever happened next, 

Happened with Hunter by her side.