Sacrum - 5. Chapter 5: Nurse Mildred

5. NURSE MILDRED

That night I was plagued by a nightmare again. This time, Baritone High burned, engulfed in a terrifying inferno. I stood helpless at the edge of the woods. Flames licked hungrily at the building, screams from inside lost in the roar of the fire. Across the burning yard, Vincent watched, with the same entranced look on his face as when he watched Maratoni bite into his human blood donor.

He met my gaze, raised both of his arms as if to say, ‘oh well’, and smiled. I screamed in my sleep.

I jolted awake, the scream tearing from my throat. Vincent was beside me. "Dani, wake up! It's just a dream."

I scrambled away from him to the other side of the bed, searching his face for any trace of the monster from my sleep.

"What?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion and a hint of hurt.

"Nothing," I mumbled, "Just a bad dream."

He pulled me back into his embrace, his hold tightening possessively. "Don't shut me out like that."

His words stung with a strange vulnerability. A flicker of an image crossed my mind – a young Vincent, his entire family lost, his mother's final act a desperate shield. Vinicius, my mentor, would have urged compassion, not fear. Understanding, not suspicion.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, reaching up to stroke his cheek softly. Maybe his past was shrouded in darkness, maybe his actions were confusing at times, but Vincent wasn't beyond redemption. None of us were.

As a way to change the subject I told him about my upcoming meeting with Nurse Mildred.

"The nurse? Why?" He arched an eyebrow, a flicker of curiosity dancing in his eyes. With all the hidden intel Vincent seemed to possess, I had a faint hope he might explain Trusting's bizarre insistence on a nurse's visit.

“No idea," I admitted. "Some secret Special testing is all I was told.” Vincent furrowed his brow, he obviously found it just as strange as I did.

“Interesting,” was all he said.

“Not nearly as interesting as you,” I replied, a playful smile tugging at my lips. He let out a soft laugh.

“Oh, so now I’m interesting, huh?”

“Very. All those secrets and that mysterious knowledge... it’s all very intriguing,” I replied.

His gaze turned serious, holding mine for a long moment. “One day, I hope there won’t be a need for any secrets between us,” he said.

I tried to read more in the depths of his warm eyes, yearning to unlock the mysteries within, but he was still a closed book for the most part.

Lunch with Laura, Angelo, and Kyle was a whirlwind of speculation about the bizarre nurse visit. Everyone agreed it was beyond strange, even for Specials.

“Vinicius never mentioned anything about this?” Laura asked, her expression puzzled. I shook my head no.

“I think you should speak to Maratoni about it. If anyone has more information, it’s him,” she suggested, but trailed off at the sight of my withering gaze and Angelo's grimace.

“I think he would rather not know than have to ask Maratoni,” Angelo replied, and Laura rolled her eyes.

“Look, none of us like him. But he is your mentor. He’s here to help you through this transition, it’s his job after all,” she went on, stubbornly. I exchanged a look with Angelo, but decided not to argue about it any further.

After the final bell, I made my way to my first appointment with Nurse Mildred. It was the same woman who'd treated the human Maratoni fed on. Even creepier, she had me wait on that same hospital bed.

A shiver ran down my spine. How bizarre it must be for humans, so vulnerable. And who would volunteer to be fed on? The thought left a cold, metallic taste in my mouth.

Nurse Mildred bustled into the room, her smile a touch too wide and her voice saccharinely sweet. “Hello Dani."

“Hello,” I replied, wanting to ask her what I was doing there, but waiting to see if she would explain it first.

“Ready for your little exam?” she chirped, her smile straining at the edges.

“What exactly am I here for?” I asked, seeing as she wasn’t going to tell me anything.

Her smile faltered for a brief moment, then snapped back into place, a touch more rigid this time. "Oh, that wouldn't be for you to know, dear. Government business, all hush-hush. Nothing for a pretty little Special like yourself to worry about! Just a few simple questions, twice a week, that's all. Easy peasy, right?" Her forced giggle sent shivers crawling down my spine.

She reached out, her touch cool and unexpected, and pressed her hand to my forehead for a fleeting second.

"Very good," she murmured, before whipping out a clipboard and pen. "Now, let's get started, shall we? Just a few simple questions..."

Her first question sent a flicker of confusion through me. "Have you been feeling any strange symptoms lately, anything out of the norm?"

"No," I replied, bewildered.

"Any... headaches?" she pressed, her voice taking on a strange edge.

I scoffed. "Vampires don't get headaches." Was she joking?

A flicker of annoyance crossed her features. "Have you been experiencing bodily temperature changes?" Now she was just being ridiculous.

"Of course not," I said, suppressing a laugh. "I'm a vampire."

Her smile evaporated completely, replaced by a steely glare. "Just answer all questions yes or no from now on, dear. So... any pains?"

"No," I replied curtly, annoyance lacing my voice.

"Have you been experiencing any sweats?" Her icy gaze held mine.

"No!" I shot back, incredulous at the absurdity of her questions. What exactly was going on here?

The exam took another bizarre turn when she asked, “Have you been experiencing any strange thoughts lately?” The question sparked a surge of dark humor in me. Choking her out right then and there certainly qualified as a strange thought.

"No," I gritted out, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace.

"Any body changes whatsoever?" she continued, her gaze never leaving mine.

"Nope," I stated with a finality.

Thankfully, after a few more nonsensical questions, she concluded the session and shooed me out.

I searched for Vincent, but he seemed to have vanished. With a heavy heart, I trudged towards Maratoni's class. He was in an unusually perky mood as he grabbed my paper from me.

A glint of surprise flickered in Maratoni's eyes as he skimmed my essay. “Well, well, well… someone decided to finally use their brain. And here I didn’t think it would be possible,” he mused, scanning the pages for information.

I worried that he would get suspicious, but I didn’t detect any cause for concern in his facial expressions. He continued, flipping through the pages. “So, the power to transform energy,” he said, then smirked. Clearly, he thought as little of my useless gift as I did. “And you still don’t know how to properly control it?”

“No, sir,” I admitted. He smirked even wider.

“Starting to resent your beloved Vinicius yet?” The urge to lunge across the desk and strangle him was overwhelming. But Vinicius' teachings echoed in my mind. Dignity, he'd emphasized.

Taking a deep inhale, I met Maratoni's gaze head-on.

“No, he told me I would get there eventually, and I trust his word,” I declared, with more conviction than I truly felt.

“Yes, yes eventually. How could I doubt the ever-so-wise Vinicius,” Maratoni drawled, his voice dripping with condescension. I couldn’t help but wonder when he had acquired so much hate for my original mentor.

“Did you know him well, sir?”

Maratoni steepled his fingers, his gaze distant as if lost in a memory. The silence stretched, thick and heavy, before he finally spoke.

“Of course," he admitted, "Once upon a time, he was my teacher."

My surprise must have shown on my face, because a sardonic smile twisted his lips. “Unfortunately, our views on the world never quite aligned. Vinicius could have been the greatest vampire to ever walk this earth... but instead he died a weak and feeble...” He trailed off abruptly, as if realizing he'd strayed too far. “But never mind that.” I decided not to push any further.

Maratoni tossed a couple of dusty-looking handouts on his desk. "Read these," he ordered, his voice devoid of warmth. "Now get out."

Desperation bubbled inside me. “But sir," I began, "Not that I want to question your methods... but, shouldn’t we be doing more? Time is passing by so quickly, I’m almost 18. I just feel... ill prepared,” I confessed, hoping he’d take pity on me. It was a fool’s hope. Maratoni just smirked.

He scoffed, a humorless sound. "Like Vinicius said, you'll get there 'eventually.'" His voice dripped with mockery.

Hatred, hot and raw, threatened to consume me. Turning on my heel, I stormed towards the door. Then, Laura's voice echoed in my mind.

I forced myself to stop. "One last thing, sir," I began, my voice tight. "Those nurse appointments... the questions she asks are... strange. Do you know anything about them?"

Maratoni gave me a withering look. "Not your concern. Now get lost," he replied putting his glasses on and beginning to massacre another student paper with his unforgiving red pen.

I was screwed.