Blueblood: A Dark Southern Aristocracy - 34. Wiliie

As good as things were going we didn’t hunt every night, so the following night we left VUN before sunset to check on Willie. Colin and I discussed it and Colin decided that Willie had to come with us. He couldn’t stay hidden forever. As Colin explained before, Willie really didn’t have a day and night. He was a vampire, but content to stay in the old abandoned tunnels and never left. He woke when he woke and hunted when he was hungry. We got to the old abandoned ticket office for the abandoned portion of the track. Colin knew where the key was left since he was the one that put it there all those decades ago and Willie never changed where it was stored. He wasn’t there. Colin took the time waiting to…straighten up? It was going to be messy, so why bother? He was careful not to disturb Willie’s treasures. Then I figured, what the Hell? I helped straighten up. It was something to do while we waited. It was later when we heard someone down here. Colin went to the door and saw Willie pushing his shopping cart full of new treasures he’d have to sort through and place.

“Hello, Willie,” Colin said leaning on the door jamb as he spoke softly to the man so he wouldn’t scare Willie.

Willie looked up and nodded. “Hello, Colin.” He looked at me and looked a little confused. He thought a few seconds, but had a problem, but said. “And Colin’s husband.” He thought a second. “What was your name again?”

I smiled. He really was a sweet man. “I’m Devon, Willie.”

“Devon.” Willie nodded and then he looked puzzled again at Colin. “Weren’t you just here?”

“No, Willie,” Colin said stepping aside to let Willie and his cart by. “It’s been a few weeks.”

This time, Willie looked more confused. “Has it?” Then he shook his head. “Seems like yesterday to me.”

Colin sighed and pinched his nose in frustration. “Okay.” He took a deep breath. “The reason I’m here…you aren’t safe here, Willie.”

Willie looked surprised. “I’m not? Why?”

“Because they can come down here any moment and you’d have to run away!” Colin stressed. “Where would you go? Willie, you won’t survive up there! Not without help. Can’t you see that?”

“I’m not leaving.” Willie shrugged and said simply.

“If someone from the city comes down here and discovers you, you’ll die! They will find out what you are and see you as a threat.” Colin said pleading. “…it will happen. This isn’t a life, Willie. You will die. Either you come with me or we bring you to the surface at dawn, I’ll give you a kiss good-bye and you can walk into the sunlight!” Colin sounded like this was hitting him hard as his voice broke a little.

Willie was now looking panicked at Colin’s insistence. “If I do that, I’ll die!”

“You’ll die if you stay!” Colin said. “Any way you deal with this as what you are. You are a vampire! You will die one way or another!”

“But, you’ll kill me if I don’t go?” Willie asked in shock.

“I’m trying to save your life, Willie!!” Now Colin was shedding tears. “I love you, Willie! You mean more to me than my own father. He died nearly 180 years ago! You were with me for decades! I’m trying not to lose another father. In many ways, you are that father!” He walked closer to Willie. “I am begging you, accept my help, please. You won’t be safe here forever. I want you around.” He took Willie’s shoulders. “All those years ago, you saw this person, barely alive, struggling to make it and took pity on him. You saved my life, Willie! Let me save yours.” He pleaded. “We spent all those years hiding and we’re still hiding. You’re in danger if you remain here. We up there are still hiding, but we have other places to go now. You don’t. Come with us.”

Willie was now shaking. “I can’t.” He said softly. “I can’t go out there. I’m not right!” Willie said and would be crying if he had tears. “You think I don’t know I’m not right? I confuse time, I sometimes remember things and other times, I can’t! Before, when I did live up there, I wasn’t wanted then! No one wanted me then and certainly not now.”

“I do, Willie,” Colin said as tears came more. “I mean what I say, I love you, Willie. If something happens to you and you die…and I could have done something to stop it…how will I feel if I don’t insist!? I will be destroyed if you’re killed and you will be destroyed if I don’t do something.” Colin smiled. “Here’s what you said to me many times. This is what’s happening and here’s how it’s going to work. You’re coming with me away from this Hell you’ve lived in all for almost a century.” He grabbed Willie in a hug. “I will take care of everything, Willie. I’ll get you out of here. You’ll come back with the others like us…” he looked back at me. “…which includes Devon. There are others there who know what we are and don’t care. They know we’re not the threat. They will love you, Willie. Just as I do.”

I nodded with a smile, having to brush a tear that was coming from my own face. “I’m beginning to, Willie.”

“I’ll take you somewhere safe. You can take the serum or not, I don’t care, but you have got to be out of here.” Colin said. “If you love me at all, please, let me do this.”

Willie looked very uncertain now. “I do love you. I always did, but…” he pointed to the roof of the tunnel. “Out there!?”

Colin nodded. “I’ll be with you the whole time, Willie.” Then he smiled. “If you take the serum…” he grinned. “…I’ll buy you a steak.”

Willie looked surprised and you could see his mind trying to remember. “A steak?”

“They are delicious. I’ll buy you one every day! Hell, two a day. Three even! Anything you want. Whatever, you have to come with us. Please!”

Now, Willie really was shaking. You could see the terror he had at the very idea of going out there. I touched Colin’s arm making him look at me. “You said medicines affect us? Maybe George can come down here and give him something to calm him down?”

Colin nodded. “He can.” He looked at Willie. “But I won’t lie to you, Willie. I knew the idea is scary, but you need to do this. I’ll get George down here and he can give you something. You’ll go to sleep here and wake up safe somewhere else.” Colin looked into his eyes closer. “Please. Don’t you trust me? I would never hurt you, you know that. Please.”

Willie was now looking very uncertain. “I’m not right.” He said again weakly.

“Who cares?” Colin smiled. “You’re right by me. So, you confuse today with yesterday and other times. I don’t care! I love you, Willie. I promise to take care of you.” Colin bowed slightly. “I should have done this sooner because you can’t stay here.” He pleaded. “Not anymore. Say you’ll come with us.”

Willie was wavering at last. “They’ll make fun of me. They always did. That bomb when I was in the war messed me up.” He pounded on his own head.

Colin shook his head. “No, you’re not messed up, not really. You’re a good man, Willie. I don’t just love anyone. You’re my father. Believe me. I would never hurt you. I’ll make sure, no one will make fun of you.” He smiled again. “You can meet my daughter.”

“Gabriella!?” Willie smiled. “That was so long ago. Even I know that.”

“She’s a vampire, too.” Colin nodded. “She’s alive and out there. I know she’ll love you.”

Willie looked at his collection. “What about my treasure?”

“We’ll take it with us,” Colin swore. “I’ll make sure everything is packed very carefully and everything will come with us. You can arrange them in your room.” Colin was getting excited that Willie was giving in. “I promise, it will all be there. If you take the serum…” he said very seriously. “It will hurt at first. I won’t lie.” He pulled up his pants leg to show his calf. “But not always. I don’t anymore and can go in the sun. If you decide not to, fine. I’ll build a room for you and all you need to do is come out at night. There is blood available without hunting. A friend, John Burke has these animals that give some good blood.” He smiled. “I’ve had it and it’s damned good. I’ll make sure you have enough.”

Willie looked at Colin. “And you won’t leave me?”

Colin nodded. “I’ll be there. If just down the hall, but I’ll always be there.”

Willie was still shaking, but he nodded.

“Call George,” Colin said to me without looking.

I had my phone out smiling. “On it.” I realized there were no bars for any signal. “I’ll go where there’s WiFi.”

Colin looked back at me. “Thank you.”

I grinned and leaned in kissing him quickly. “You did it all, but you’re welcome.” I leaned closer to his ear. “You’re a good man, Colin.”

I went back out to the platform and called George.

“Yes, what’s up?” George asked casually.

“Colin’s convinced Willie to come to VUN,” I said.

There was a pause and then a chuckle. “If anyone could, Colin could.”

“Colin said something about giving him something to calm him down. Perhaps put him to sleep until we get him there.”

“That would be best,” George said. “He never comes out from the underground. The world will be a shock for Willie.”

“We had the same problem with Gabriella,” I said remembering. “You can do it?”

“Give me an hour,” George said. “I’ll be there.”

“You might bring a van.” I chuckled. “Willie wants his treasures secured and moved.”

George laughed. “Oh, yes, his treasures. We’ll be there. We’ll need help moving his treasures.”

“You know where,” I said.

“I do. See you soon.”

Going back to Colin and Willie, I saw Colin sitting what Willie had for a bed. At least it was a bed. Colin was softly trying to tell Willie it would be okay. Willie was still very worried and not certain.

“George will be here in about an hour,” I told Colin who smiled and nodded.

I watched as I saw how close they were. Colin had told me some of it. Willie was more a father to him than his real father. Willie never left Colin. He never died. For decades Willie had helped Colin get along down here and survive. There was more to a vampire’s life than just taking blood, though that was a big part of it. Colin didn’t kill a man to get his blood, he assisted to die, yes, but never killed. He would have become one of those hunter vampires we ended without much thought because he was alone. If anything, Willie helped keep Colin’s purpose. Colin wouldn’t have died, not physically, but the man inside would have died from being alone. Colin had survived for decades before he got here, but Willie helped Colin stay human. Colin did the same for Willie. Having been a medic in the military, I recognized the damage done during the war. I suspected that was the case with Willie. Post traumatic Stress, Shell Shock and probably a head injury that never would heal as a vampire. During the first World War, they didn’t have treatments for these disorders. I walked over to Willie.

He looked up at me, he jutted his head toward Colin. “You married him!?” He asked me as if the idea of marrying Colin was hard to believe. “It’s about time someone broke through his thick exterior. He was so stubborn and…moody.”

“Was he always that way?” I asked smiling a little.

Willie nodded. “More so. Can you believe it?” He grinned. “When I first encountered Colin, he’d just gotten here. I had been down here a while. He was much darker inside, in his soul. It was a few weeks or more before he even spoke to me.” Willie laughed. “When he did, I realized he was from the South. I had no idea!”

I smiled. “But he did speak?”

Willie nodded. “Usually a word, maybe a sentence…not much.” He shrugged. “It was nice. I wasn’t alone anymore.”

Colin frowned. “And you won’t be now anymore. I promise.”

Willie nodded, but he looked at Colin. “I’m scared.”

Colin took his hand and squeezed it. “I know. It will be fine. You’ll see.”

We didn’t talk too much after that until I heard someone move outside the ticket office. I saw George come in followed by four others. They had two crates with them. George came up the platform and came in the office carrying a little cooler.

“Hi, Willie.” George greeted.

Willie looked at him and nodded. He looked again at George like he’d forgotten something. “Was your hair always that red?”

George chuckled. “Always has been.” He nodded as he brought out a small kit from his pocket. He pulled out a loaded syringe. “This is for the best, Willie. As a vampire, the only circulation will be done by venom. Venom only circulates after feeding, so…” he opened the cooler and pulled a bag of blood. He inserted the needle in a port on the bag and shot the liquid in the blood. George handed Willie the bag. “It’s good blood, or so I’m told.”

Willie took the bag. I don’t think he’d ever seen a bag like it before. Colin took the bag and showed him where to get the blood out. “Just suck here.” He smiled and patted Willie on the arm. “He’s right. It is good blood. I’ve had it.”

“And I won’t be hurt?” Willie asked hesitantly.

“No.” Colin nodded.

Willie took a sip and I watched his eyebrows rise. “Hey! This is good.” He drank faster. “I thought for a second, I was getting the shot.” He chuckled.

George chuckled. “You have no heartbeat. The only thing circulating is the venom once you feed. It’s the only way.”

Willie took Colin’s hand. “I hope I’m doing what’s best.”

“You are.” Colin nodded.

It wasn’t long before Willie was looking sleepy. “I feel strange.”

George nodded. “You’re supposed to. Just relax.”

Willie nodded. “Okay.”

It took a few more minutes and Willie was asleep. Getting Willie ready was a little more time-consuming. A pair of men loaded Willie on a gurney I hadn’t noticed them bring in. Then they began getting Willie’s treasures together.

“Be careful with those.” Colin urged. “They’re important to Willie.”

They nodded and began packing the crates carefully.

I took Colin’s hand. “You’re doing the right thing, Colin.”

Colin smiled. “It will be more difficult for him than it was for Gabriella. We need to be careful.”

I kissed him. “But he won’t be in danger now. You will be with him.”

Colin nodded. “I love you.” He bumped his head gently against mine.

“I know.”