Shout the Call

My father didn’t speak; he just stared into space while I explained what had happened. He shook his head in disbelief but he also knew that I was telling nothing but the truth.

“Why Beatrice?”

“Why? Because I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too my darling but you should have let me go. It was my time.”

“No! No it wasn’t. I need you Dad.”

“Beatrice, I love you more than anything in the world but this is not right and do you know what upsets me even more?” he said and I knew exactly what he would say next, “the fact that you did it. You turned me. You gave up your own mortality to save someone who really shouldn’t be here. Do you think that makes me happy?”

I couldn’t answer him because I guess it was pretty selfish of me, very selfish actually, but I turned my father for the right reasons, well at least that’s what I believed.

“But Dad….”

“Beatrice, I know why you felt you needed to save me but you really haven’t, and you,” he said, looking straight at Aaron, his face twisted with anger, “you should be disgusted with yourself. You should have talked her out of it. You should have stopped her.”

“Dad, don’t you dare…”

“Don’t defend him Beatrice. He had no right to turn you too!”

“So he was just supposed to let me die as well?”

“Well, no but if you hadn’t made this ridiculous decision to bring me back, there would at least still be one of us alive; one of us still mortal.”

“Mr Harvey,” Aaron jumped in, “I completely understand why you detest me right now but you know your daughter, we both do. We know that she’s a strong willed, determined, stubborn woman. You may not want to believe this but I did everything I could to discourage her. I ask you the same question you asked Bea; do you think this makes me happy?”

My father fell silent and I felt so sorry for him; it was all too much to take in.

“Okay, I suppose I can appreciate that Aaron,” he replied, “but you two will be together forever now. Who do I have to spend my eternity with?”

“You have me, Dad!” I answered.

“Yes, and that’s just great Beatrice, it is really,” my father continued, “but I have no one to spend my days with. I haven’t anyone to love, lie with, and laugh with; be with and it’s not like I can go and find myself a woman now, is it? You and Aaron don’t have that to worry about.”

There really was no argument; he was right and I felt sick to my stomach because of it. I seriously had made a total mess of everything. What had I done? I started to cry. Aaron put his arm round my shoulder and kissed my head.

“Beatrice, listen to me now,” my father said as soothingly as he could manage, “what’s done is done. There is no backing out of this now.”

I looked at my father and then back to Aaron who nodded in agreement with my father. After a moment of contemplative silence, my father started to retch and cough.

“Dad!” I shouted as I rushed over to him, “What’s the matter? Are you okay?”

“You see,” he said between moans of pain, “this is what you didn’t factor in to all of this Beatrice.”

“What Dad?”

“I’m hungry. I need blood. I have to feed. What am I going to do now? Actually, no, correction – what are you going to do about it?”

I looked to Aaron, following the direction of my father’s gaze. Aaron was stoic and unperturbed.

“Mr Harvey, please don’t panic.”

“Don’t panic, Aaron,” my father shouted back, “do you know what I want to do right now?”

“I’m more than aware of what you want to do, Sir.” Aaron answered.

“Don’t come the smart Alec with me, son. What I want to do, what I need to do is get out of here and drink and that means I have to end someone’s life. That disgusts me. Does it disgust you?”

“Yes, it does,” Aaron replied, “which is why we have a supply of blood bags on the bus.”

“And when those run out?”

“They won’t. They haven’t, not yet. We have contacts in hospitals in pretty much every city of every country in the world. When you’ve been around as long as us, you get to know the right people.” Aaron said, pausing for thought, “You will feel you need to feed from the source for quite a while but it does pass and then drinking blood from the bag will just become second nature.”

“I sincerely hope you’re correct, Aaron,” my father said, shaking his head.

“Can I ask a question, Aaron?” I said quietly.

“Of course you can honey.”

“Why don’t I feel hungry? Why don’t I feel exactly the same as my Dad?”

“Bea, you drank so much from me that it quelled your appetite. You should be fine for twenty four hours at the very least. You’ll know when you need to feed, just like your Dad. I’m afraid you haven’t got out of that.”

“Oh well, never mind,” I said sarcastically.

“Anyway, Mr Harvey,” Aaron said, turning to my father, “we best get you back to the bus and get you sorted, okay?”

“I think that’s the best idea you’ve probably ever had,” he replied scathingly.

******

We helped my father pack all his belongings in total silence, knowing we would get snapped at if we spoke of today’s events any more. Aaron text Jim, who had been waiting outside the hotel for the duration of our eventful visit, to say we were ready to go. Within minutes, he was knocking on the door. I opened it to see an out of breath, red faced Jim, staring back at me hopefully.

“Well, did everything go okay?” he asked.

“I suppose you could say that,” I whispered, “if by okay you mean turning-your-own-father-and-in-the-process-being-turned, then yes, everything is just peachy.” The look of hope in Jim’s eyes quickly turned to that of concerned pity.

“Oh Bea,” Jim whispered back, “I’m so sorry sweetheart. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine Jim, really,” I replied, “it’s my Dad we’re more concerned about.”

“He’s hungry, right?”

“In one,” I replied.

“Okay chick, let’s get this show on the road,” Jim said as he looked past me to Aaron and my father who were standing at opposite ends of the bed, “Mr Harvey, Aaron – I think it’s time we all go.”

Jim held the door open for the three of us and we filed out. All I could hope for was getting out of that place and on to the bus without my father wanting to sink his teeth into the first person he saw.