Van Helsing

Edward spotted Van Helsing and Jinx, and rushed over to them, stopping just short and bending over with his hands on his knees, out of breath.

"Come... with... me," he began a moment later, unable to stop himself from trying to speak. "It's... Elijah. That b.astard came back and... Hannah's shot. She needs... help."

 

"Hannah..." Beatrice started quietly.

"What?" Hannah asked, trying to focus on something other than the pain.

"If you're a vampire... why do you bleed?" Beatrice asked.

"I don't know." Hannah replied, slightly exasperated. She tried to sit straighter without using her hands, but faltered back to supporting herself with her hands.

Beatrice helpfully put her hands on Hannah's shoulders. "You should stay still."

"Mmhmm..." Hannah was biting her tongue. Despite the pain, she shrugged off her cloak. "Put that over Elijah."

Beatrice understood it was to lessen the smell for Hannah's benefit and did as told quickly.

 

"Shot?" Van Helsing repeated, quickly jogging with Jinx next to Edward. "What happened to Elijah?"

 

"There's not much left," Edward said, thinking that was the best way to phrase it. Many people stared at them as they rushed through the streets, but Edward only shoved his way throught he crowd, desperate to get back to the stables.

"Your gun is empty now, by the way," he added, trying to not smile.

 

Beatrice also closed the few open windows. "Is that-" She turned to look at Hannah. "Oh, God, Hannah?!" She knelt by Hannah, who had given up trying to sit and lay on her stomach, using her arms to support her head.

"Don't yell...." Hannah moaned.

Beatrice exhaled, relieved. "You scared me." She looked at the wound. "Um, Hannah..."

"What...?" Hannah asked, closing her eyes.

"You've bled through your shirt... it's kind of making a mess." Beatrice said.

"I know; I can smell it. Can't be as bad as Elijah...." Hannah tried taking slow breaths to keep her movement minimum.

 

"Move your arsses!" Jinx yelled at the crowd, trying to help Edward make them move. She got startled looks but a path like space opened for them. "You... um, shot him to bits?" Jinx guessed, quieter so only Van Helsing and Edward heard.

 

Van Helsing smirked. "Lexi is my arsenal for all ammunition for every weapon I own... I mean, her saddlebags are... well, anyway, once we get there, help yourself, though it's kind of ironic and odd that you're carrying a silver-bulleted gun and you're-"

 

"Enough, we're here," Edward gasped, cutting Van Helsing off and running around the corner into the stables, kneeling immediately next to Beatrice.

"Is she alright?" he asked her, and then, not waiting for an answer, he looked down at Hannah, putting a hand against her forehead, not realizing his own fingers trembling.

"They're here," he said softly, trying to sound reassuring. "Both of them. How are you?"

 

As they came into the stables Jinx realed back. "Hells!" she yelped, making herself stop breathing as both Hannah's and Elijah's blood became apparent. She wanted to say something but didn't know what she should. How is she bleeding?! that's impossible!

 

"In pain..." Hannah murmured.

Beatrice moved over for Edward. "I think she'll be fine if we get the bullet out."

 

"Alright," Van Helsing sighed, pulling off his leather trench coat and handing it to Jinx. He walked over to Lexi's saddlebags and pulled out a small knife, several bandages, and a package of bullets. He threw the latter at Edward and knelt next to Hannah.

"You're not going to like this," he said, unsheathing the kinfe.

 

"Be careful," Edward insisted, and stood, giving Van Helsing some room.

 

"Of course not..." Hannah's voice was muffled by her arm. "Jinx, you don't have to stay..."

Beatrice's eyes widened. "Are you going to...?"

 

Jinx tightened her jaw and kept not breathing. Like hell I'm leaving. I'm staying where I am. I haven't been a vegatarin for over a century to fall at this. she thought angrily at herself. Her grip tightened on what Van Helsing had given her but she was barely aware of it.

 

"I wouldn't bother to ask if you trust me well enough because I know you don't," Van Helsing began. "But believe me when I say this is for the best."

He swiftly brought the hilt of the knife down hard across Hannah's forehead, knocking her out cold back against the hay. Edward cried out and stepped forward, but Van Helsing held out an arm to stop him at his knees.

"She's fine," Van Helsing said reassuringly. "She'll be happy with that bruise later than if she'd stayed awake. She will heal herself of that bump fast anyway."

Van Helsing flipped the knife over in his hand, rolling Hannah onto her side. Beatrice held her still, pulling her shirt up enough so the wound was visible on her back.

"You have to hold her steady, Beatrice," he spoke, catching the girl's eye. "If you can't, I'm sure Edward wouldn'd mind doing it instead."

 

Beatrice nodded and made sure her grip was steady on Hannah.

Sure enough, there was already no mark on Hannah's forehead.

 

Van Helsing put his hand on Hannah's back, spreading his fingers to separate the skin around the wound. The torn area was red and hot, but the rest of her skin was just as cold as it should be. The bullet had sunk far into the flesh next to her spine, and he could barely see anything. Sticking the tip of his knife into the bullethole, feeling Hannah's body flinch against the blade.

"Hold her still," Van Helsing said. "I... yeah, I can feel it now. Just hold her still..."

 

Beatrice grimaced at the sight, but kept her hold on Hannah firm.

 

Van Helsing found it hard to get the bullet under his blade; it kept slipping out of his grip, and he did not want to hit and miss too often for fear of just damaging more of the delicate layers of flesh around her spine.

"Dammit," he murmured aloud, and then shut his eyes. Focus, he thought. You've done this many times before. Just risk one more stab and stick it right under the d.amned thing...

"Got it!" he exclaimed suddenly. "Okay, just hold her still... done!" He pulled the blade slowly out of Hannah's back, the crushed bullet falling to the hay covered floor.

 

Beatrice slowly detached her hands from Hannah, her stomach rolling.