Trash Panda

~Bonsoir~

When Victoria answered his question by saying that she had been looking for weapons, Vail sighed to himself. He understood as well as he could why she was so determined to avenge her father’s death, but he wished she wouldn’t be so reckless about it. The task of killing Lord Spencer seemed nearly impossible after everything she had told him about the Order’s involvement in the affair. If she wanted to pull it off, she was going to have to carefully plan out every detail of the murder. Right now, it seemed like she was just gunning for the first opportunity to aim a pistol at him.

As she stood up rather shakily, he was quick to rise as well, keeping an eye on her in case she needed help getting about. Fortunately, she seemed like she was able to move without collapsing, so he merely followed her with his eyes as she hobbled to the crossbow in the corner of the room. He noticed that she seemed more unsteady on her feet than he would have expected for someone who had just been exposed to the cold. He narrowed his eyes contemplatively. Perhaps there was something else that was wrong with her, something that would have caused her to fall outside the lodge in the first place.

As she murmured the words “not safe,” his suspicion only increased. Her father’s death had been tragic for her, but it was in the past. She had to be talking about something else. He took a step after her, intending to question her further, but halted when she opened the box of silver bullets. Involuntarily, he curled his lip at the putrid smell and recoiled further from the metal.

When the box was closed again, he relaxed enough to focus on what Victoria was saying. He frowned as she brought up Spencer’s name, claiming that the Wynter had found out about them. He couldn’t help but wonder how the other vampire had discovered their secret. All the bite marks he left on her body were easily concealed beneath clothes. Perhaps Spencer had caught his scent on her? He hoped that was the only evidence he’d found. The thought of another man getting as close to her as he had made him bristle.

“Slow down,” Vail instructed calmly, stepping over to kneel by her side and resting his hand on her back. He hoped that if he didn’t lose his temper, she would calm down enough to relax too. “What happened?” he asked, attempting to meet her gaze in the low light. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yeah, he and his coworker are shooting to get double the pay for installs now. He thinks it'll get approved, since a percent of their commission goes to the guy in charge of installs anyway, so it's a win-win for everyone

It is! I have a friend from England who came to my university for a semester as an exchange student. It's super weird to think that he's on the other side of the globe since he went home xD

Yeah, haha. It won't last too long though since a lot of people call him Caspian (unless Iris forgot who the prince is lol)

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

It's decent, but the guy in charge of installs has an unrealistic expectation that they'll get done in 3 hours or less, when they actually take 12+ hours every time, so they're getting short changed a lot :/

Thanks! And yeah, haha. Opposite side of the world xD

Got my post up too!

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

The room was hypnotically quiet after Dr. Emett left. The steady beeping of the monitors that measured the girl’s vitals made Cas tired as well. He sank down a little further in his seat, stifling another yawn. It wasn’t the most comfortable place to rest, but he’d had a long day and probably could have dozed off next to a busy intersection at this point. His droopy eyes flicked to the clock on the wall every few minutes with some impatience. He hoped it wouldn’t take too long before she woke up. As soon as she did, he could give her name to give to the doctor, so he could get in touch with her family.

Even though he wanted to make sure she wasn’t alone when she came to, he felt like she would be better off with a parent or sibling watching over her than a man she didn’t know. He stretched his arms, trying to keep his blood flowing so he wouldn’t drift off. On second thought, she would probably be ecstatic to find the prince of Aspiria sitting at her bedside. He could already picture the awkward stammering and unnecessary flattery that everyone who recognized him engaged in. He just hoped she wouldn’t read into the situation or expect him to stay.

After about fifteen minutes had passed, he glanced up when the door opened and Dr. Emett returned with two cups of coffee in his hands. “Thanks,” he offered the doctor a tired smile as he took the drink the older man had brought for him. “I will.”

Sipping at the hot coffee, he sat up a little straighter and took his phone from his pocket to pass the time by playing a game. The caffeine and activity helped him stay alert for a while, but around two o’ clock, his exhaustion won out, and he drifted off into a light nap.

Cas wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep. He slouched in his uncomfortable chair with his head leaning back against the textured drywall behind him, lips parted and jaw hanging slack as a soft snore escaped from his mouth. His hands rested limply in his lap, still holding onto his phone which had long since run out of battery and was now nothing more than a useless, aluminum brick. He could have slept for hours but didn’t get the chance when he was interrupted by a jolting noise.

He jumped at the sound, looking around dazedly as he tried to remember what was going on, and then froze when his gaze landed on the girl. She was sitting up. Suddenly wide awake, he opened his mouth to ask her how she was feeling and then closed it again. There was a panicked look in her blue eyes that told him he’d better wait until she noticed him first, so he wouldn’t freak her out with the sound of his voice.

Luckily, it didn’t take long before he caught sight of him, but her reaction wasn’t what he’d been expecting. He blinked when she shuffled to put more distance between them and asked who he was. It seemed like she didn’t recognize him. This was a first. He’d thought everyone in the capital knew his face, since his family was always the center of attention in the news both online and on TV. Apparently he’d been wrong. However, instead of being offended, he found himself intrigued.

He took a moment to consider her question. Of course, he could tell her he was Caspian Maydestone, the heir to the Aspirian throne, but he kind of liked the fact that she didn’t know who he was. If he confessed his identity, he already knew what would happen: The walls would go up, and she would put on a face just like everyone else who wanted the royal family’s favor. This could be his only chance to talk to someone without any fronts.

“My name’s Cas,” he said decidedly, speaking in a gentle tone in an attempt to keep her from panicking more than she already had. Now came the reason why he’d stayed at the hospital for hours. “I found you in the woods on the edge of the city,” he explained, filling her in on why she was lying on a surgery table. “I didn’t see what happened to you, but it looked like you got your leg caught in a hunter’s trap or something, so I brought you to the hospital to get taken care of. The doctor said you’ll be fine when you heal.”

He glanced at the clock again and nearly blanched when he saw that it was about three in the morning. He needed to get home or his father would be furious. “What’s your name?” he asked, twisting in his chair to press the buzzer on the wall that would call Dr. Emett back to the room. Now that the girl was awake, he was sure the doctor would want to check her vitals. Once they figured out who she was, he would be free to go, and one of her family members could replace him to keep watch over her.

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yeah, I really like it!

And yup, he was out till 2:30am this time :'D He said he's gonna try to negotiate for higher pay though, so hopefully the next time, it will be more worth it

I did! I'm eating lunch right now, but I'll get started on a post for you as soon as I'm done ^^

~Bonsoir~

Vail was glad he’d come looking for Victoria when he had. Who knew what might have happened to her if he’d even thought to wait one more night to seek her out? He was still bewildered about why had found her on the ground outside the summer house when she had told him she was being constantly watched and guarded by Saints. It seemed strange to him that they would have let her go out on her own like this. Unfortunately, he wasn’t going to get any answers from her chilled and listless form at the moment.

Taking care not to make her more uncomfortable than she probably already was, he carried her inside the summer house and laid her down on the chaise lounge near the fireplace. It was still unclear if she was suffering from hypothermia—judging by the stammer in her weak voice, she seemed close to it—so his goal was to warm her up as fast as possible, just in case there was time left to save her frail heart from stopping. He took off his coat to drape over her shivering body and knelt by the hearth to light a hot fire. As soon as that was done, he located a few candles to light as well, placing them on the tables near to where the Lady was lying.

Having done everything he could to help raise her temperature, Vail sat on the end of the lounge and stroked her side with his hand, hoping the friction of the movement might give her a little more warmth. If he had been human, he might have laid beside her to use his own body heat to bring her comfort, but being what he was, he knew his cooler skin wouldn’t do much to change anything. So, he sat with his shoulders pressed comfortably against the backrest while he waited for Victoria to warm up via the fire and his coat.

It took some time, but eventually, he felt her stir beside him. He removed his hand from her side and watched patiently as she awoke and oriented herself to the situation. When she spoke to inquire if she was dreaming, he gave a gentle shake of his head. “No,” he answered quietly. Her sickly complexion didn’t slip past his gaze but, not knowing any better, he attributed it to the state he had found her in.

“I did,” he admitted when she asked if he had come for her. Placing his hand on her arm, he rubbed her still-warming skin again. “Although I had no idea I would find you in this condition. Why were you going to your summer house in the middle of the night?”

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yeah, that's one of my favorite parts ^^ Plus, they gave us the freedom to demolish the entire interior of the fast food place, walls and all, so we got to redo the whole thing except for window placement on the exterior. Lots of fun

That's okay! My husband's install did end up taking forever again (his coworker definitely lied about how long these things take) so I actually just woke up xD At least this time it was on a weekend so I didn't have to be up early

Can't wait for your reply!

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Yeah, it's a lot of fun! I like the idea of creating something that could be built and used for years in real life ^^ Right now, I'm remodeling a fast food restaurant into a gourmet seafood diner. Lots of work, but it's looking good so far!

I do too! It's my favorite part of making a CS, haha.

I'm glad you liked it. I definitely imagine him to be a big softie xD
Also, he hasn't been exposed to anything like this before since he was so sheltered, so It's all brand new.

Okay! Have a good day at work tomorrow ^^ I'll be looking forward to your reply when you get around to it!

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

I think so too! High pressure can be a good motivator though, haha. And yeah, he's very motivated (already owned one company that was pretty successful. He sold it, so it's still going as far as I know) so I could see him pulling it off!

Definitely ^^; I'm an interior design major, and all of our projects are massive (lots of blueprints for buildings and stuff like that), so if you fall behind, you're pretty much screwed.

I like the faceclaim you picked for him!

Also got my post up. Cas is pretty squeamish xD

Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

Even though the hospital wasn’t very far away, the trip felt like it took an eternity to Cas. The girl was heavy in his arms, and he grew tired quickly as he walked. It made him wonder if he should incorporate more cardio into his regular exercise routine. Right now, he definitely felt like he needed it. After all, he wouldn’t want to drop someone if he ever found himself carrying another injured person to the hospital in the future… or some other situation that was more reasonable.

Suddenly, the girl shifted against him, and he flinched, not prepared for the movement. He’d thought she was out cold, but judging by the sound of her whimpers, she wasn’t as oblivious to her condition as he’d hoped. Her pained noises tugged at his heart and hastened his step. He’d always had a soft spot for the wounded animals he’d found on the edge of the city. He even snuck them back to his family’s mansion to take care of whenever he could get away with it. With a bleeding girl in his arms, his natural bent toward empathy only increased and made him all the more desperate to get her to a doctor before it was too late.

“You’re gonna be all right,” he assured her. It was unclear if she could hear him or not, but he wanted to try to offer her some peace if she was conscious enough to understand. “The hospital’s not too much further… They’ll patch you up good as new.” He wasn’t really sure how much truth was in his words. She must have lost a lot of blood if she’d passed out from it. He just hoped the medical experts could give him good news when he brought her in to be treated. If he found out his efforts to save her weren’t enough, it was going to mess him up for a while. Was there even counseling for that sort of thing?

Just as his arms began to tremble from the effort of hauling her all the way from the forest, Cas breathed a sigh of relief as he arrived at the emergency center. It hadn’t been that long ago since the girl’s last whimper, so he was hopeful that she was still holding on long enough for someone to take care of her. “I need help!” he called as he stepped through the automatic doors, getting the whole lobby’s attention with the urgency in his voice. The receptionists and waiting bystanders looked up at him with alarm, but none of them could do anything to save the girl.

He was just about to call out again when a familiar face appeared from a nearby office: Dr. Emett.

“I’m fine,” Cas answered breathily when the doctor questioned if he was okay. He was a little surprised by Emett’s concern for his health when he was carrying a near-dead girl in his arms, but it was the doctor’s first duty to take care of the royal family. If he’d been hurt too, he didn’t doubt that Dr. Emett would have treated him first.

Exhausted, he wasted no time following him to a nearby room and setting the girl down on the surgery table with shaky hands. As soon as the burden of her weight was lifted, he collapsed in a chair by the door with a groan while the doctor looked her over. “I don’t know for sure,” he panted in response to his next inquiry, wiping the sweat from his brow. “I didn’t see what happened… I think she stepped in a bear trap though. She was in the woods when I found her.”

As Dr. Emett and one of the nurses began to work on treating the girl’s injuries, Cas averted his gaze. Medical stuff always made him queasy, so he didn’t want to watch them stitch her up. Instead, he busied himself by inspecting the bloodstained spot on his shirt. It had been a bad day to wear white. He was probably going to have to toss it when he got home.

When the doctor asked about her name, Cas risked glancing up, glad to see that she was already being bandaged. “No,” he frowned, wishing he had more helpful answers to give. “You can just charge the bill to me though. I’ll cover it for her… She’d had a bad enough day already.”

Seeing Emett pick up a syringe, he looked away again with a grimace. He really wished he had a stronger stomach for this sort of thing. “Good, I’m glad,” he mumbled when the doctor expressed that he’d gotten her there in time. Knowing that the girl was going to be okay, he relaxed a little more in his chair. He was sorry to hear about the pain she was going to be in when she woke up, but at least he could be sure she wasn’t going to die.

When the two practitioners finished treating her, Cas leaned forward, crossing his arms over his knees as he watched the steady rise and fall of the sleeping girl’s shoulders. Now that she was safe, he supposed there was no more reason for him to wait around the hospital. He glanced at the analogue clock on the wall and exhaled. It was almost one in the morning. He was definitely late. Still, it felt wrong to just leave her here after the ordeal she’d been through. No one here even knew her name, so they couldn’t call any of her family to come and be with her when she came to.

He rubbed the side of his face with his hand, trying to stave off his weariness from the long night. Sometimes being an empathetic person was hard. He didn’t even know who this girl was, but he felt obligated to make sure she wasn’t alone. He wasn’t sure how helpful his presence would be, but she was probably going to freak out when she woke up. At the very least, he could explain where she was and why she was there.

Deciding he would stay, Cas leaned back again with a yawn. He just hoped his father wouldn’t be too mad whenever he finally went home.