empty bottles: k.m.(under construction)

the bloodletting - chapter 16

FLEUR-DE-LIS SANITARIUM

A cold strap snaking around her wrist was what awoke Astrid before anything else. As her eyes cleared, she gathered herself and realised she had been taken. Suddenly, the situation processed as she remembered Bastiana and the dream with Genevieve and she awoke properly. There she sat in an abandoned and derelict room, strapped to a medical chair - her hands and feet bound with a tie around her mouth.

She eyed the interior, trying to decide wether she recognised her surroundings before her eyes met an old style medical table and she began to thrash around, making whatever noise she could through the rotten rag keeping her from doing so. Nik laid there unconscious and stripped of his t-shirt, writhing around slightly. The Tunde blade had sent a large red scar down the middle of his chest, red stems sticking out from it as if it was a tree grown from the sins of the Mikaelson family.

She managed to spit out the rag and began to shout, 'Nik!'.

'That won't help you.' Genevieve smiled smugly at the hybrid and she spat back 'What have you done?, you bitch'. Astrid shot daggers into the red head as the witch laughed to herself, 'So similar to your sister in law, you really are a Mikaelson'

'Rebekah's here?' Astrid got even angrier, managing to break free of one of the restraints on her arms. 'If you touch either of them I swear to you, I'll make you beg for a merciful death'

'Oh so protective. I mean I understand Klaus.. but Rebekah? After what she done? Seems strange' Genevieve hummed as she took a dirty scalpel off of a nearby table. 'What does that even mean?' Astrid squinted her eyes at her. 'Well to tell you that.. We'd have to wake up your husband'

Astrid winced as she drove the blade into his chest and he yelled out, she pushed her hand into him and pulled out the Tunde blade as he fell back onto the table. 'Astrid I understand that we have our differences, but I'm not here for revenge on you.'

Nik stirred as Genevieve sat his bed upright, he looked straight at Astrid. 'Are you okay?' He asked, not caring if Genevieve heard but the witch answered for her, 'Of course she is, you wouldn't of listened to what I had to say if we done any actual harm to her. She is your wife after all'

'My wound isn't healing' Klaus spoke dryly to Genevieve and the red head didn't seem phased by this situation at all, 'The amount of dark magic contained in that blade? It's gonna take a little while.' She sat him up and redressed him in his black long sleeved top, much to Astrid's annoyance. The thought of any other woman being close to him like that made her skin crawl.

'You're one of them, aren't you? The witches back from the dead, seeking vengeance? Why show us kindness?'

She caressed his face and looked at Astrid, 'You never did anything to me. And the truth is, seeing you like this, I can't help but pity you. And you, Astrid, you were the one who was betrayed. You were none of the wiser'

'Get to the point please, Genevieve. If you mean us no harm then why are we here?' Astrid was growing angsty.

'First, we need to have a talk about your sister'.

Astrid watched as his face darkened, 'Rebekah is of no concern to you. If you mean to harm her–' he growled as she walked away from him. 'Ah, the protective brother. A shame that loyalty isn't reciprocated. But then, I'm no stranger to Rebekah's treachery. Something you and I have in common. Here, Astrid'

Genevieve had brought a bowl of some kind of mixture over to Astrid before undoing the other strap on her wrist and she eyed the bowl, 'What is that?'

'Just drink it, I'll explain. I'm just trying to help you. Heal you. Get you to see the truth that's been right in front of you for almost a century.' Astrid debated for a moment before taking the bowl with Rebekah's blood in it and herbal mixture, taking a sip before gagging on it and nearly spitting it out. Genevieve put a hand over her mouth and pulled Astrid's head back, forcing her to swallow it and making Nik angsty, 'Don't push it.' He growled protectively, ready to break free of his restraints.