Chapter Text
This- There wasn’t a scientific explanation for this.
Bright beacons that seem warm and bolstering, that others call holy. Feelings on the wind when one of those beacons change their state of being. Abilities people gain from tomes, often specifically affecting the undead.
The inability for any of them to leave a certain radius from the castle.
And now…
And now people who can darken the beacons, making them feel cold and empty. Feeling like loss.
Four of them at least.
Shelby.
Scott.
Pyro.
Owen.
There’s verifiable evidence. There’s proof. There are others who see what he does.
But this was supposed to be about observing. Finding information.
So when Martyn and Cleo charged in to interrupt the changing of the castle beacon, Legundo didn’t follow.
Rushing into this was not the answer. Responding with impulsive fear wouldn’t make this situation better. And they wouldn’t listen to him when he told them to wait.
He can’t join them in whatever they’re doing.
As Cleo followed Martyn in, he stayed by the opening in the ruined castle wall.
Owen quickly ran out of the same opening, and was soon running past him, away from all this. Legs turned to follow, but hesitated a moment. He felt the heat from the fire ability Martyn had gained recently radiate through the wall.
A flash of heat rushed past, behind him.
That wasn’t normal.
He recognized that movement.
Turning, he could see Shelby running towards the water.
On fire.
He was running to help them without a second thought.
Extensive burns were deadly, even when treated quickly.
He’d lost too many patients to a poorly treated wound.
He couldn’t lose someone else…
She didn’t make it to the water before her legs gave out. He was kneeling next to them seconds later, using the last of the water he had on him to put out the flames. Most of her clothing was fine, likely woolen, but her socks were cotton. They caught and burned too well. And her legs paid the price. The burns weren’t as bad as they could or should be, but they still needed taken care of.
Looking around, he noted how close they were to the castle still. Martyn likely would act even more impulsively if he saw them like this.
“Let’s get you out of sight of the castle,” he whispered to them. “Then I’ll help with the burns.”
Shelby was clearly in shock, trying to process it all, and likely in pain.
Quietly apologizing, he picked her up, circling the island until they were out of sight of the castle walls, then bringing her down toward the water.
As he got there, she began to struggle, and he quickly let her down.
“You- you came with them, didn’t you?” they accused, pushing him away. “What are you doing? Why are you helping me when you came with them?”
It hurt, to see one of the most upbeat people here so heartbroken.
“I came with them, but I don’t agree with how they went about things.” He put his hands out trying to placate her. “I made a vow to do no harm Shelby, and regardless of whatever else is going on, I intend to keep to it. Please, let me help you.”
They studied him, and after a moment, gave him a hesitant nod.
He immediately turned his attention to her legs again, removing his medical kit from the bag he’s kept with him every time he’s left the village walls. Starting with removing her shoes and what’s left of her socks, he went about treating their burns.
They weren’t as extensive as he expected, but they did span from just above her knees down to her ankles. He was careful cleaning the ash off their legs, revealing the damage.
“This certainly isn’t the most sanitary way to clean this,” he gave out a stressed laugh, “but if you are what Avid claims you may be, then I assume it won’t matter as much?”
“I don’t know.” Their voice was so small. “Why… Why did they come out and light everything on fire like that?”
“Fear,” moments with past friends flashing through his mind as he pulls bandages out of his kit. “Fear makes even the best people act on impulse. Especially when they don’t understand what they’re facing.”
As if on cue, he felt claws against his throat.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Owen was behind him now.
He slowly released the bandages and raised his hands in surrender, making and holding eye contact with Shelby.
“I’m just trying to help,” he said slowly, acting as calmly as he could, feeling Owen shaking behind him.
The claws tightened. “I’ve seen the kind of help your kind has to offer, Doctor.”
“Owen, stop!” Shelby spoke up, and Owen loosened his grip again. “He’s telling the truth!”
“He came with them Shelby!”
“Yeah, he did.” They stood their ground. “But he was also there to help me when I was on fire! I couldn’t get to the water by myself!”
“I’m a doctor Owen,” Legs reminded him. “I just want to help.”
“Humans don’t help people like us,” Owen scoffed weakly.
“He is Owen.” She was pleading now.
They stared each other down, and with a glance at her legs, Owen backed down first.
“We’ll see about that, won’t we?” Owen finally released his throat. “I don’t want to hurt you, but one wrong move Doc-”
“Understood. I’m here to help.” Legs took a moment to breathe and rub his neck before picking up the dropped bandages. “I assume I won’t have to sterilize their burns?”
He needed to ask the questions important to his patient first.
“No,” Owen confirmed. “We can’t get sick anymore.”
“Understood.” Focus on the task at hand.
It was awkward to bandage her legs on his own, but it was unlikely that Owen would let his guard down to assist.
“The story you told earlier, at the town meeting. Was it true?” He couldn’t look up at either of them, but he had to ask.
“Not exactly,” Owen sighed. “I did lose everything in Oakhurst, but it wasn’t by the hands of ‘vampire hunters’, and it wasn’t by the hands of vampires themselves. It was just, people being people.”
Glancing up, Legs could see that Shelby was just as interested in his story.
“Not everyone is like that Owen.” Maybe he could convince him and they could talk.
“No. No, humans are all the same.” He sounded accusatory. “Even before I was a vampire, you were a cold and harsh presence. After, it was all the same. You may be different Doc, but don’t think for a second I trust you. I’m not cursed and I’m not a monster, thanks.”
“Owen…” The sympathy was clear in Shelby’s voice.
“I never called you one.” And he refused to let Owen believe he thought of them that way. “You’re still a person, both of you. I don’t understand what makes you different, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a person.”
Tying off the last of Shelby’s bandages, Legs turned to face him.
“If you’re sick, I can help you. If you’d just let me.”
“I’ve been sick for a very long time.” Oh, Owen was properly angry now. “Long before I became this. All the scars I bear are proof of that, or did you assume my skin was naturally this marbled? I was sick. And this, curse or illness that you call it, was a gift. It made me better. And I don’t need curing.”
Shelby reached out and touched Owen’s hand, trying to offer him some comfort, and he flinched away.
“You should leave.” He was adamant. “You’ve done your job, and we’re grateful for it, but you shouldn’t come back to the castle again.”
Legs studied Owen, trying to read his resolve.
“I think he’s right Doctor,” Shelby spoke up. “It may be for the best you head back.”
He glanced between them. “I’ll go. But you should both know that if you need me, I’m here for you. And I won’t stop trying to help.”
Gathering up his med kit and sliding it back into his bag, Legs stood and looked them both over once more. “You may want to stay out of the village for now. I’m going to try and keep them level-headed, but scared people do stupid things, and I wouldn’t want any of you hurt because of it.”
With a nod from Shelby, he headed away from them, circling the island to cross the water near the bridge. He hadn’t gone far before a splash was heard in that direction and he took off running towards it. It wasn’t likely to be anything, but he had a bad feeling that it might have to do with Martyn and Cleo.
He hated it when he was right. Pulling Martyn from the water wasn’t easy on his own. It was pure luck that he was still breathing, though he was unconscious.
Unfortunately, Martyn’s leg was a bit of a mess. Nothing was broken, but he had a gash that would need stitches, and he would need to flush the wound to keep out the infection. Unlike with Shelby, he couldn’t do that here.
With practiced ease, he packed and bandaged the wound using his kit once more.
The only thing keeping him grounded from the screams in his head was the patient before him.
Between Shelby’s burns and Martyn’s leg, it was all too close to the surface.
Memories flitted at the edges of his vision.
Flashes.
Glimpses of those he couldn’t save.
Limbs lost.
Faces blackened with soot.
Blank eyes staring-
A hand on his shoulder brought him out of it.
He’d lifted Martyn onto his shoulder somehow.
They were still on the beach.
Apo was beside him.
“Let me help.”
Between the two of them, they got Martyn back to town and into his home, so Legs could clean, stitch, and dress his leg. There was a bump to his head, that likely came from the fall as well, and bruised ribs and a cut on his arm, likely from his fight with Scott and Pyro. It wasn’t pretty, but he would live. And he had the pulse to prove it.
If he could find the right combination of powers or silver or something, maybe he could return one to those vampires who wanted a pulse again too.