Blueblood 3: The Others - 2. Jeremy Proctor

What Willie and Mom were planning we left to her and Gabriella to plan. I was worried about what Willie was going to wear, but Colin told me to leave it alone. He was a grown man and could handle it himself. If I knew my mother, she had him dressed already, all Willie needed to do was show up. I didn’t like it, but I did leave it alone. It was a little startling the number of “close friends” we now had. Most were new vampires that were now on serum. It made sense, Mom had been there with most as they took the serum. They were definitely coming to the wedding. Who needs invitations?

We spoke with Stan in Manhattan on Monday.

“Okay.” Stan smiled. “I’ve done research on Cairo. Their records are harder to go through than it was for the ones in England.”

Colin nodded. “Because of the language?”

Stan tried again not to look offended. “Absolutely not! Buddy can translate almost any language!” He brightened even more. “By the way, I found a company that specializes in portable language converters and programs! And guess what!?”

I chuckled. “Just say it.”

“It’s a company called Delkenzie.” He said happily. “I had trouble with the name, but it’s a combination of Delveccio and McKenzie. There was a couple that started this company and Mitch McKenzie lives in Charleston!”

“Really?” Colin asked surprised.

“I called him.” Stan reported. “It’s very sad. He and Tony Delveccio were married.”

“Married!?” I smiled. “Another gay couple?”

“We’re not the firsts, you know?” Stan grinned. “Tony, that was Mitch’s husband, died a few years ago. Very sad, but his widow still runs the company. He tells me a translator could be built and programmed easily. He said if it can read Russian and with its crazy alphabet, it can read anything.” He said proudly. “You can meet with him when you get to Charleston!” Then he looked more seriously at the screen. “Am I still stuck here in Manhattan?”

I chuckled. “You weren’t stuck in Manhattan. We needed you on the computer. You were needed there.”

Stan grinned now. “I have a possible solution to that as well! We’ll test it when we come to Charleston.” He looked again serious. “Mark and I will be coming to Charleston.”

Colin smiled. “Sure, if you want.” He looked at me. “I’ll need to add more housing at Wentworth at this rate.”

I nodded. “When we’re there.”

Colin shrugged. “That seems to be when we need it most.”

“Cross that bridge later.” I patted Colin’s arm.

Stan nodded. “We can sleep anywhere.” He grinned. “But Mitch is willing to add the program, which is said to be there best at translating, to Buddy and that way we can scan and read anything and the devices we give you guys will translate all spoken words to English.” He looked again serious. “Should I be there when the install Buddy II in England?”

Colin looked puzzled. “Is it hard to do?”

Stan looked deflated. “No.” He said disappointed.

Colin nodded. “You just want to come to England.” He chuckled. “Okay, you and Mark come next weekend.”

Stan literally bounced. “Great! We’re packed already!”

I nodded. “I’m not surprised.” I shook my head. “We’ll look forward to seeing you and Mark when you get here.”

“You’ll need tickets,” Colin said.

Stan shook his head. “No, we’ll come with Buddy II!” He said. “We’ll be there on Wednesday!” And his face went to the screen saver.

I smiled at Colin. “They’ll be here Wednesday.”

“Stan is determined to be here.” Colin chuckled and then he frowned. “Should I feel sorry for Mark?”

I shook my head. “Nah, he knew this about Stan before they became a couple.”

Things didn’t get crazy. I did a little when I got married. Why wasn’t Mom…or Willie? I looked at Colin, realizing he was calm before we got married.

“Why weren’t you a wreck before we got married?”

Colin looked surprised by the question. “Why? Why would I have been?” He asked. “I was marrying the right person.”

I smiled and nodded. “Good answer,” I said kissing him deeply.

Colin broke away slightly. “Wait a minute…were you a wreck!?”

I chuckled. “Not exactly a wreck, but I was a little…anxious.” I watched his eyes grow. “I was making huge step! It changed my life, I knew it would. I was anxious.” I laughed. “I didn’t say no, did I?”

What happened that night nearly broke my heart. It was a few hours after sunset when a lady came in Thornwood. She was elderly, in her seventies, I thought. She didn’t look very well off, but she was very uncertain that she was doing the right thing. It was Nigel that came into the library and told me a woman was evasive and asking to speak to someone…about a matter she wasn’t very clear about.

“I think she needs to speak to Edwin, but he’s not here,” Nigel said. “Perhaps she’ll tell you.”

Colin looked at me and shrugged. “Okay.” He got up and we went into the Grand Entrance Hall.

She was looking like she wasn’t sure about any of this, but had no choice.

“Can we help you?” Colin asked coming to her and shaking her hand.

“I took a chance coming here, but…” she began. “I heard you help people….with certain problems.”

“That depends on what the problem is,” Colin said.

She was elderly, dressed as an elderly woman. Hair long since white and upon her head. Those sensible shoes and a dress that only gotten worn by women of this age. “It’s not really about me. I’m Emily Proctor.” She said to me and shook my hand. “I heard someone speak about these people that were walking the streets…stopping the attacks and that they came from here…” she was beginning to cry. “…then I heard that you were helping some that were…victims.”

I reached out and touched her. “Why don’t you come in and explain.” I was going to lead her to the sitting room.

She shook her head. “Oh, I can’t.” She looked back at the door. “Jeremy is by himself. He gets so scared.”

“Why not bring him in?” Colin asked.

She looked a little panicked. “I can’t he’s…” she stopped. “I can’t.”

“Why?” I asked.

She held a handkerchief to her face. “You might kill him.” She said softly.

Colin frowned. “What if I promise…unless he threatens one of us, we won’t touch him.”

I was getting what she wasn’t saying. “He’s a vampire, isn’t he?”

She closed her eyes and nodded. “But he’s special.” She shook her head. “I don’t have much money. I’m getting up in years and I will die, but he won’t!” She was now crying more. “I don’t know what to do! I can’t leave him by himself!”

I touched her. “Can we bring him in? We won’t hurt him.”

She looked uncertain. “No one can help. I can’t go to the police or social workers…”

Colin frowned. “Yet you came here. Hoping we could.”

“Mrs. Proctor, we’re vampires, too,” I said.

She looked up startled and then looked from me to Colin. You could see she was having trouble believing us.

“Trust us.” Colin pleaded. “Do you have a choice?”

I took her arm and waved toward the door. “Let’s get Jeremy.”

She shook her head. “No.” She said. “I have to. He only knows me.”

When she came back, a sharp pain hit my heart when I saw Jeremy. I didn’t need her to tell me what was wrong. I could see it. He had Downs Syndrome.

“Oh, my god,” I said softly, hating what I was seeing. Whatever vampire was that bit him…I couldn’t imagine who would do that. I’d seen a five-year-old who was a vampire. Now, this!?

Jeremy looked like a young man about sixteen. The features in his face said why he was special. He was looking very frightened at being here. “Why are we here?” He asked his sister. “I wanna go home.”

Colin frowned, also having a hard time. “Oh, my god.” He also said softly.

Emily patted her brother. “It’s okay, Jeremy. They won’t hurt you.”

He was a vampire. I could sense it and I could also see it. He had no moisture in his eyes and pale skin. I walked closer, saw he was a little scared and stopped. “Hello, Jeremy. My name’s Devon.”

“Stranger,” Jeremy said very upset. “You’re a stranger. Papa said no strangers.”

“It’s okay, Jeremy,” Emily said again. She looked at me. “He has the mind of a six-year-old. Can you help?” She sounded so desperate.

“Let’s go into another room,” I suggested. “You can tell us about Jeremy.”

Colin was very unsure. “Yes. We can talk.”

I showed them into a room we seldom used, but it was smaller and had chairs. Colin pulled me back.

“What can we do for him?” Colin hissed. “I don’t have experience with something like this!”

I turned to Colin. “So? What? We just kill him?” I waved at Jeremy. “He’s no more responsible for what he became any more than you are.”

We both came in with Emily Proctor and Jeremy. We both sat facing her.

“Tell us what happened to Jeremy,” I said.

“It was a while ago.” She started. “I was six at the time. Jeremy is my oldest brother by ten years. I don’t remember much, but Jeremy had gone out to deal with some of the farm animals…we had a farm.” She shook her head. “There was a scream and Jeremy was attacked by…one of those things. My father was in the house when we heard it. He went out and…he killed that thing before Jeremy was killed.” She shook her head as the tears started again. “My father worried he was going to lose Jeremy, but Jeremy did recover and well…” she waved at her brother, “this is what happened.”

“What about his daily need for blood?” Colin asked.

Emily smiled. “We lived on a farm. That was easy at first.” She smiled. “My father managed to get the blood he needed. I married and moved to the nearby town. Dad passed away. Mom kept him safe until she got sick and had to be put in a Nursing Home. She passed away and he came to live with me and David.” She said. “That was my husband. He constructed a room for Jeremy in the cellar. He worked a deal with a butcher that gave us blood every other day. That kept his need met. David passed away a few years ago and I’m all alone. I can’t keep up with Jeremy anymore.”

“What did you hear about us?” I asked. “How did you hear about us?”

She nodded as she thought. “I have a neighbor. She was always going out at night. I warned her over and over not to because of the dangers. I even told her what those dangers were. She wouldn’t believe or listen. One night she went running and she…” she frowned. “…the next day she didn’t go to work and…she was very shaken and upset. It was a few days later she confessed she had been almost attacked by one of the things I warned her about.”

My eyes widened at hearing that remembering the woman runner we saved from being attacked. “How did she know it was us?”

She shook her head. “She didn’t. She did say that there was a group of Americans that saved her life. I asked about where people thought these Americans were from and later I heard they were from here.”

“That was quite a risky chance you took, Mrs. Proctor,” I said. “What did she say we did?”

“She told me you killed that thing.” She looked pleading at Colin and me. “He’s not like that one! I promise! He’s very gentle. I have no other choices. What can I do in the future for him? He’s a sweet boy! He’s never harmed a fly.”

I nodded getting up and touched her arm. “It’s okay.”

Colin was not looking very comfortable. “I don’t suppose I can talk to you privately, Devon.”

I shook my head. “That you know about me. I won’t confer with you privately when she’ll know we’re discussing her situation. We’ll be honest!” I looked at her. “Our problem is…we’ve dealt with many vampires, but this is a first for all of us.” I looked at Colin who was nodding. I smiled at her. “We don’t randomly kill vampires. We are vampires, too. Only, we’re on medication that keeps most of it under control.”

She looked hopeful. “Can he have some of that?”

Colin shifted in his chair. “The problem also is…the medication we give hurts a great deal at first. For about a week it will hurt Jeremy a great deal.” He got up and walked toward me. “Would he understand what will happen and accept it?”

“We are now a group of vampires…both American and British citizens. Most all are vampires.” I said and watched her see some hope. “We usually tell the future vampire’s taking the medication, what will happen and most are willing to endure the pain to gain some life. They can eat again and even enjoy the daylight again.” I waved at Jeremy. “Will he understand that?”

Emily frowned as she looked at her brother, who was just looking around the room, but still not at ease. “I don’t know. As I said, we were told he had the mind of a six-year-old. He might not. He doesn’t even know what he is.”

Colin thought. “We can’t make this decision alone. There are others that need to be included.”

I saw her look worried again. “No, Mrs. Proctor. Jeremy will be helped. What happened was not his fault, but what we do will require a discussion. You did the right thing.” I smiled. I looked at Jeremy. “He only knows you?”

Emily nodded. “He only knew Mama and Papa. He knew David, my husband and me.” She explained. “Papa drilled into him to avoid strangers. Jeremy is very fearful of anyone else.”

I looked at Colin. “We’ll have to put him in the underground bedroom.”

“Is it being used tonight?” Colin asked.

I shrugged. “I think so, but what choice do we have?” I looked again at Emily. “You’ll have to stay with him. There is a room we can use to keep him out of the sun.”

She let out a sigh. “You won’t kill him?”

I looked startled. “We don’t kill…unless they kill first. You said he never hurt anyone.”

She shook her head. “He never has.”

I smiled. “Well, we have another vampire about to go on the medication. You can see what he could go through.”

We took her through Thornwood and into the library. Jeremy frowned as we did the combination to the hidden door behind the bookshelf. When the door opened, we went down to where Evan was getting another vampire ready to take the serum. Jeremy looked at the male vampire about to get the serum.

“He’s like me,” Jeremy said.

“Yes, he is,” I said. Evan looked confused when he saw Jeremy, but anyone with any medical training or just having been in the world knows what a person with Downs Syndrome looked like. “He’s going to become like me and Colin.” I smiled. “Do you sense we are like you in a way?”

Jeremy had a problem looking us in the eye but shook his head. “Not like me. Different.” He looked at his sister. “Not like Emily.”

I nodded. “He can sense what we are, just like every vampire I’ve seen and spoken with.”

Colin nodded. “Perhaps, if he sees what will happen and the results, he will understand.”

“You need to stay with Jeremy,” I said to Emily. “To keep him calm.”

Emily nodded. “At sunrise, he goes into a deep sleep. Nothing will wake him up. Until sunset. You have blood?”

I nodded. “We have blood.”

When Edwin and Matt came back, we met with them, George, Burke, Gabriella, Alex, Shelly, Chuck, Wayne, Mom and Willie in the library. Colin and I told them about Jeremy.

Shelly shook her head after we told them all. “He has Downs Syndrome? And is a vampire!?”

“I’ve never encountered one like that,” Wayne said horrified. “Poor guy. Does he know what he is?”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “He was very sheltered after he was bitten. We all know the basic requirement for any vampire is blood. They don’t really get too picky whether you’re a genius or mentally challenged when they can’t get it. If Jeremy and Emily’s father hadn’t killed the vampire that was feeding on Jeremy, I don’t think Jeremy would be alive.”

George lowered his face in his hands. “I know, I said all vampires need to be on the serum to reduce risk, but this…?” He sighed.

Mom frowned. “It happens.” She said. “Jeremy was born with Downs Syndrome, but he became a victim of a vampire’s bite. He’s innocent! We’ve got to help them. Mostly Jeremy.”

“How?” Edwin asked having no idea what to do. “If we start this, he’ll be with us forever!”

“I will give the serum to a vampire that kills…who is an adult that knows why we’re doing it whether they want it or not,” George said. “But a vampire that mentally challenged!? I don’t know if I can or should!”

“Emily Proctor has no one to ask,” Colin said. “There is no one else.”

I held my hands up. “There are hundreds of vampires here in England. There are more in other parts of the world. There has to be a vampire that has some training with people that have Special Needs. We’ll send a message out and see who answers.”

Colin nodded. “And until we’re convinced he knows what the serum does and that it will hurt. We can’t give him the serum. That would be cruel if he doesn’t even understand why.”

“The five-year-old I encountered was overwhelmed by the venom,” I said. “Yet, somehow, this Jeremy managed to keep his humanity. Why?”

George shrugged. “Who knows? He was turned at about sixteen. His personality was set? I don’t know.”

“He doesn’t trust anyone except Emily. All the rest of us are strangers.” I said. “And he’s very scared. Just be aware of that.”

Mom looked sympathetically sorry. “That poor young man.” She said mournfully.

I chuckled. “That young man is in his eighties.”

Mom smiled. “Well, it seems like he needs friends.” She said smiling. “And he needs to get used to others. Perhaps he can start with me.” She said brightly.

I grinned. “But you’ll be gone in a week.” I reminded her.

“A week.” Mom said smiling. “From what you told us, he’s known his mother and sister longest. Perhaps he needs to be talked to with a woman. He may relate better. I can at least get him used to other people. I’m good with children. Special Needs children, too.”

Colin smiled with a nod. “Just don’t forget you have a wedding.”

Mom smiled taking Willie’s hand. “I won’t forget.” She leaned in a kissed Willie.

“I won’t let her,” Willie stated.

After we’d broken up our group, Edwin came to us.

“There is the barn and the storage area.” He suggested.

I frowned. “It’s very...” I thought of a word. “It’s not as nice as the downstairs room.”

Wayne’s eyes grew. “But good enough for me!?”

“You were wild!” I said in defense. “Jeremy’s not!”

Edwin nodded. “But he might like the animals.” He suggested. “He grew up on a farm. There are animals in the barn.”

Colin nodded. “That could work.”

After the sun rose, we went down to get Emily. She watched Jeremy sleep. I went to her. “Perhaps you should get some rest now.”

She smiled. “I’d love that. He’ll be out all day.”

Colin smiled. “We have bedrooms.”

She nodded and went with us upstairs. “You’ll keep him? I’ll pay…”

I put a hand on her arm. “I think you’ve paid enough. Jeremy has, too. Yes, he’ll stay here. We may need you to make the transition easier.”

“I’ll do whatever is needed.”

“We have another room that is protected from the sun…” I started. “But…does he like animals?”

She smiled fondly. “He loves animals. That was one thing Papa didn’t have to make him do. Ever. He would feed the animals on the farm. We had cows, chickens, and pigs. He loved them all.” She chuckled. “What was more important, they loved him. He had this…Dr. Dolittle effect with them. They trusted him even after he became what he is now.” She shook her head. “It was because he loved them he got bitten in the first place. He went to check on a cow we had that was expecting. He went to the barn to check on her and was attacked.”

“We’ll take him to the barn tonight. Maybe they can talk him into staying.” I smiled. “And we have blood and it will be ready when he wakes up.”

She looked now at the house as we passed through. “This is a fancy place.”

“A perfect place to get married, celebrate an anniversary or just have a party,” Colin said. “We’re going to make it for vacationers soon.”

“Jeremy is a good worker,” Emily said hinting Jeremy could help. “He helped Mama when she got to be unable to do as much. He works well with animals as I said, but he works hard.”

I put my arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry. Jeremy is safe now. We’ll have something he can do.”

We got on the network with all the other vampires that were in contact. We sent a message out for someone that knew the special needs of people. We said what the situation was and asked if there was anyone that knew what needed to be done. Now, we would wait.

At sunset, Mom took the blood down to the underground bedroom. Jeremy would need blood and she had it. He’d have to take it from her. She figured that was a way for her to gain some headway with him. With Emily there as well, he took the blood and drank what he needed. Then Colin, Wayne and I went with him upstairs with his sister and my mother. We took him to the barn. Emily was right. His look of uncertainty and being ill at ease faded when he saw the many cows and sheep there. A look of compassion and gentleness came on his face. He walked over to the cows and began talking to them and petting them. He even petted a few of the sheep. Not one animal shied away but came to Jeremy willingly.

“I guess we know what his talent is.” Wayne chuckled at what he was seeing.

I chuckled, too. “He is Dr. Dolittle.”

I saw Emily was beginning to cry again.

“Are those worry tears or something else?” I asked.

She laughed. “These are tears of joy.” She shook her head. “Papa was so worried about Jeremy. I was, too.” She looked at me smiling. “This will be the perfect place for Jeremy.” She grabbed Wayne and Colin in a hug and then me. “Bless you. For the first time in my life, I have this huge weight off my soul.”

I nodded with a smile. “I hope you know you’re not done here. Jeremy will need you to help keep him grounded. We can start weening you away…”

She looked alarmed at that. “He’s been my whole life for so long!”

“And you can still be with him,” Colin said. “Do you go out to eat? Shopping or just take time to yourself?”

She looked at Jeremy. “I shop during the day, while he’s asleep. I haven’t been out to eat in years.”

Wayne grinned. “Well, it’s time you thought about doing that.”

I nodded. “Let’s get him settled and see what assistance we can get. It will be fine, Mrs. Proctor.”

She looked as Jeremy smiled and petted the animals. The animals knew it was night time, but Jeremy was different, so they were responding to him eagerly. She nodded. “You’re right. It will be fine.”

I looked as a cow was nuzzling Jeremy from behind making Jeremy laugh as he petted her.