Blueblood: A Dark Southern Aristocracy - 37. Willie's First Episode

We stayed out as long as Willie could stand it, but the tingling got to be too irritating for him. Taking the elevator, Colin pressed a button for a floor and the elevator moved. I smiled as I knew what Colin was doing. When the elevator stopped, Willie was going to get out, but stopped.

“Get out, Willie,” Colin said pointing to the hall.

“But this isn’t the correct floor,” Willie said looking at a floor he’d never seen.

I grinned. “Get out anyway.”

The difference was the floor he had been on was nice, but clearly an office type of hall. Now, this was…the walls had molding on it, a more decorative carpet running down the center, pictures on the walls, furniture as in a hall table with lamps and flowers. The doors lining the hall were also a little more ornate with peepholes. This was a residence floor. These were double doors. Colin stopped in front of one and opened it.

Willie looked at the apartment walking in slowly. It was large and nicely furnished with the couch and chairs, pictures on the walls and on tables of family. There was a large balcony you could see the sun was out and the sky was blue.

“Whose apartment is this?” Willie asked.

“Well, this is Devon’s and my apartment.” Colin smiled. “I hope it will be yours, too.”

Willie’s eyes grew. “Yours and mine?”

I nodded. “If you like.” I motioned for him to follow. “Come with me.” I led him down the hall and opened another door and swung it open. “This can be your room.” This room almost four times bigger than the room he was in upstairs.

“My room?” Willie asked in amazement as he walked in, looking at the curtain covered windows out of which he could see Manhattan. It was not sterile but lacked a personality from someone that lived there. There was a grand bed, bedside tables with lamps, a dresser and it was clean. That’s it.

I walked to a door and opened it. “And your own bathroom.”

Willie walked in seeing the shower and separate tub. It was spacious and not white. The tub was a cream color that went into the tiles mixed with white. A big mirror over the double sinks.

Colin walked up behind Willie. “We want this to be your home, Willie.”

“You can decorate it with your treasures and place them around the room as you like.” I smiled. “It will be your room,” I said again.

Willie looked at Colin and then me. “My room.”

Colin chuckled seeing Willie was having trouble believing it. “Just let it sink in.” He shrugged. “Now that you’re taking the serum, we don’t have to have you completely out of the sun.”

I walked closer to Willie. I put a hand on his arm. “You’re free to do whatever you want, Willie. No one’s pressuring you. Once you’ve got the disc in, you can go wherever you want. Stay here or even go back to that ticket office.” I smiled. “If someone discovers you now, you have the freedom to go wherever you want, when you need to. You have options now.”

Willie covered his face with his hands and then brought them down to look at his wet hands and chuckled. “Tears.” He looked for a tissue. “I haven’t cried in a century and now in a couple of days, I’m blubbering all the time.” He said wiping his face with the back of his hand and sleeve.

Colin smiled coming up behind me. “You have to be able to produce tears to cry. Now, you can.” He touched Willie’s shoulder again making Willie turn around. “The point is…I want you happy and safe. You can live here, or we’ll find someplace else, but you are a vampire like we are. You will have to remain on the serum. So, once a month you’d have to check in or become that creature again. We’ll be able to see you that way.”

Willie nodded with a sniff. “I’ve been alone so long I was used to it. Even when you were there, Colin…I didn’t connect. I was afraid to.” He smiled. “I’d like to stay.”

“This will be home for you if you want,” I said.

Willie looked at Colin and me, puzzled. “What is it you do here?”

Colin thought. “We find others like ourselves. We have a group that looks for vampires. There are vampires out there and you know it. We seek them out and occasionally; like you, they retained their humanity. We offer help to get them a better life. There are the others…who has been taken over by the venom and are no longer human.”

“And you kill them,” Willie said.

“They’re not human anymore,” Colin stressed. “Would you want to suffer like that?”

“No.” Willie nodded readily. “I’m well aware of the others.” He laughed a little bitterly. “They can’t even talk anymore.”

“We’ll introduce more people as you are able,” I said. “If you don’t feel like it, we won’t.”

Willie nodded. “And my head?”

“There are some techniques we can use to help you,” I said. “When you are able, talking about it the one proven good way to make it stop. I would like George to examine you a little more thoroughly. There may be something more we can do.” I smiled. “Now that you’re practically back to normal, there may be some medication you can take that will help.”

“Medication?” Willie asked.

“Things have changed in the past century,” I explained. “There are some good medications to help veterans like us who are having a hard time, but a medical exam will tell us more.”

Willie nodded a shrug. “If it helps, but talking about it?” He shook his head, telling me wasn’t ready for that.

“Your mind has been struggling to come to grips with what happened to you. Talking about will help you. You won’t be able to forget, but you’ll be able to deal with it better…with time.”

Willie nodded. “Okay, maybe.”

I smiled. “Are you hungry? We haven’t eaten in a while. I’m getting hungry.”

Willie grinned. “That chicken was great.” He grinned at Colin. “I was promised a steak.”

Colin chuckled. “As many as you can eat.”

I nodded. “You might want to take it easy still. This consuming of food is still new for your body to process.”

Colin leaned closer to Willie and whispered. “The problem will be with your bowels.” He jutted his head toward me. “Devon saw how much I ate and asked me about that when we first met. Let’s just say…you may have to go at first…a lot.”

Willie chuckled. “Got it.”

“Soon, you won’t have any problems,” I added.

Gabriella cleared her throat to remind us she and Alex were there, too. “Do we order from Vamps? I really don’t cook.”

Colin nodded. “We’ll order from Vamps. They know about us and can fix anything, any time.” Then he narrowed his eye and turned to Gabriella and Alex. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten. You proposed to Alex when?”

Gabriella rolled her eyes coming to her father putting an arm around his waist. “Come on, Daddy. You like Alex, I know it. He’s a good man.” She smiled. “The world changed.” She waved down at how she was dressed. “Women wear pants now. We can vote, own businesses and be independent. Why is it the man has to propose?”

Colin nodded. “I wish you’d given me some warning.”

Gabriella nodded. “So you could fret about it longer?” She shook her head. “I love Alex. He loves me. Why shouldn’t we get married?”

I shook my head as I looked at this family. “I’m still using a human’s view of things,” I said. “You called Willie Grandpa. The way I see it, he might have a grandchild…about three! He’s not that much older than either of you…in appearance. Really, you Colin should be the Grandpa. You’re older than everyone except Burke. Willie should be calling Gabriella Mother or Grandma. Chronologically, he’s younger than she is but looks older. You, Colin, look too young to have a daughter that looks as old as she is. In order of birth…”

Colin nodded pulling me kissing my temple. “It’s better if you don’t think too much about it. It’ll give you headaches.”

“And you guys have spent way too much time with me,” Willie said to Colin and me. “You both have lives. I appreciate you holding my hand, but you’re married. You need time to do married things.”

I nodded. “Our room is right over there, just down the hall.”

Willie nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

“After we eat, we can start moving your things in here,” I said.

We ordered from Vamps. Willie was loving everything he ate! Until…he suddenly stopped as his eyes widened. It was a good thing we ate in our apartment. He hurried down the hall to his room and shut the door.

Colin grinned after he’d gone down the hall. “I warned him.”

I chuckled. “He’ll be fine.”

After we’d finished we all helped Willie set up his room, letting him tell us where to put things. It took a few hours, but it started to look to Willie like his room. He lived here!

Our apartment faced the West. Willie looked out at our balcony and walked out. He smiled as there was still a little tingle in his body. As there was no direct sunlight hitting him, it wasn’t bad as it could have been if the sun was shining directly on him. Colin and I went with him as he smiled at what he saw.

“The tingling will stop soon,” Colin said to Willie’s unasked question.

Willie nodded and shrugged. “It’s not bad.” He smiled as he looked over the city. Central Park was in view surrounded by more city. “This is a big world. A big city.” He looked at Colin. “I’d forgotten so much. I like looking at it.” He looked at Colin. “You were so determined to get Wentworth Plantation back. I assume you did.”

Colin nodded. “Oh, yes, I did.”

“When you’re ready, we’d love for you to see it,” I said. “You’ll have a room there, too.”

Willie nodded and looked back at the apartment. “You must be rich. I’m no judge about today’s world, but even I can see this isn’t cheap.”

“He is.” I grinned at Colin. “I married him for the money.”

Willie chuckled. “Right.” He said not convinced at all. “Devon, you are so devoted to Colin and he to you…I know it’s not about the money.”

“Now, that you can move around more…” Colin began. “Maybe you can find something like we have.”

Willie gave a grudging nod. “Maybe…one day.”

I smiled. “I’d like you to meet my mother.”

“Your mother?” Willie repeated. “Is she one of us, too?”

I shook my head. “Nope, still one hundred percent human.” I pulled my phone out to text her. “But she’s been in Charleston alone for a while now. I’ll invite her up. If I can get her away from David, that is.”

Willie smiled. “I’d like to see Wentworth and meet your mother.” Then he suddenly yawned. “Sorry.”

Colin nodded. “Our schedules are a little different, so we’ll be going to bed soon ourselves.”

Willie nodded. “Well, I’m turning in now.” He said and was starting to walk away, but stopped. He grabbed Colin in a hug, and then me. “Thanks for making me feel welcome…and a part of this family. I love you both.” He said and went inside.

Colin sighed. “I hope he will make this home. He seems fine, but if he has another episode…”

I nodded. “Well, I think he had that last one because of what he was watching. It was about war and probably brought the memories back.” I suggested. “I’d still like George to look at him. The PTSD is a part of it, but I think there’s something else.”

Colin nodded and turned me to face him. “We’ll have to watch him a while longer.” Then he smiled. “Now, I think this is the longest we’ve ever spent together and not made love.” He said kissing me.

I chuckled. “We haven’t been alone,” I said as my arms came around him.

Colin nodded and looked to where Willie had gone. “If he’s asleep…we will be in a few minutes, we will be alone.” He began kissing me deeper. “Shall we get ready for bed?”

I grinned pulling him by the hand back inside. “Let’s go, husband.”

We did have our time alone and we did make love, a few times. The first time was a little urgent as we hadn’t had any time in a while and was feeling a little desperate. The next time was slow and more loving, but it was all very good.

Mom texted back that she was coming up that weekend and might stay a week.

George had given Willie the serum to the point that Willie only had the pain like Colin had experienced when I met him. Five minutes and it was over. George took a blood sample and made a disc for Willie. George then did a more thorough exam of Willie. Willie was still amazed at the devices and machinery used for the exam and what he could see himself, of himself.

We sat with Willie as George looked at his findings from the exams and scans where he showed the inside of Willie’s skull.

“Willie.” George began. “You were turned here, in the United States, right?”

Willie nodded. “I was traveling the rails after I returned from Europe after the war ended. I was having trouble then; losing time and other things. I couldn’t make a living because I couldn’t hold a job…so I became a hobo.”

George nodded. “And no one examined you when you got back?”

Willie shrugged. “A short one, but they didn’t have what you have here.” Willie pointed at the machines.

George nodded again. “You said there was an explosion you were in.”

Willie nodded. “There sure was. I nearly died!”

George smiled. “I think I have the reason you have trouble with memory and other things like time.” He nodded at me. “Devon is right. Even we are governed by the sun. You’re being underground like you were that regulation was stopped. What I found were little fragments.” He pointed to the image of Willie’s skull and the little black dots to which George pointed out.

“Fragments?” Willie asked.

“Shrapnel. When the explosion happened, it sent these little pieces of shrapnel into your head like tiny bullets. What I found was some larger pieces of shrapnel in your frontal lobe…your prefrontal cortex to be exact. That controls your memory, both short term memories, and long term memories. Now when I say large, they are still really small…” he pointed to a black dot on the scan, “but larger than the others. They were so small they penetrated your skull and lodged and have remained there.” George said. “I can treat you with medication, but…I’d feel better getting them out.”

“Getting them out?” Willie repeated. “You mean you’ll go inside my head?”

George nodded. “It will relieve some of the pressure. Surgery on someone like us…on the serum…theoretically would be the same for a human.”

“But you’ve never done surgery like this on a vampire before,” Willie said.

“On a vampire? No.” George admitted. “I’ve done surgery and I’ve even worked on the brain later when I studied more in neurosurgery. You’ll be awake the whole time and I will be able to see if something goes wrong.”

“Wrong?” Willie’s eyes widened. “I’ll be awake!? Won’t it hurt?”

George laughed and shook his head. “Not in your head. There aren’t any nerves inside your brain.” He looked at Willie. “It’s up to you. I’ll walk you through all I would do and explain it all. If you have questions, I answer them.”

“Will that help with the episodes?” Willie asked.

“Your episodes are more related to PTSD,” George said. “Removing those pieces of shrapnel might help with retaining memory. You’ll still need therapy. There is some danger, but it won’t hurt to remove them, but like I said…it’s up to you.”

Willie nodded. “Let me think about it?”

George nodded. “Take your time.” He shrugged. “You’ve lived with it all this time. A few more days won’t kill you.”

I smiled at Willie. “I thought there was more. Now, you have options.”

Willie nodded. “Yes, I do.”

Colin put a hand on Willie’s knee. “Whatever you decide. We’ll both be with you, right by your side.”

George nodded. “And me, too. I wouldn’t hurt you.”

Willie nodded. “I know.”