Chapter Text
It’d been just over two days when the doctor had appeared outside the room Avid sat in, the brunette barely registered the man walking towards the cell before his head suddenly jerked up in alarm to see the bewildered doctor watching him through the cell window.
“Avid?” Legundo put one of his hands around a bar as he peered inside at Avid, his brows knitted together in concern. “Did you get locked in? I’ll open the door for you.” The doctor left the small window and began to walk over to the door, but before he could open it, a voice interrupted him.
“No!” Avid was quickly at the bars, flinching back as he quickly hit his hand against the metal keeping him inside, “I’m safer in here, away from everyone else.” His voice faded to a whisper as he walked away from the small window. “I don’t want to leave, doctor.”
Legundo’s hand dropped away from the door as he looked through the holes at the top, getting a better view of the younger man. Avid sat against the far wall, barely in sight from where the doctor stood at the door, his arms wrapped around himself and his head resting atop his legs, obscuring his face.
The doctor simply sighed before walking out of the center and locking the door behind him.
-
After the doctor had left, Avid looked up and stared at the entrance of his new home before rubbing his right hand, where he’d accidentally touched the silver bars in his haste to stop Legundo. The skin on his hand was red and tender, but was otherwise fine with the swift contact of the metal, though still uncomfortable.
He sat there in silence for a while (was it an hour? Maybe two?) until he heard the sound of someone approaching and unlocking the door to the vampire center. He couldn’t help but be disappointed and aggravated when the doctor opened the door and entered the clinic once more, leaving the two to watch each other through the gap in the stone wall separating them.
The doctor was the first to speak, “I brought you some food,” he cleared his throat, “I also took the opportunity to tell the others that you are sick and are resting in my office.”
Avid glared at the man before speaking, “I don’t need you to cook for me, nor do I need your food doctor.” His tone was a bit sharper than he had intended, but the intention was all the same.
Legundo just stared at him, a mix of concern and irritation displayed on his face. “Avid, you need to eat something.” The doctor walked towards the door before pushing it open and placing the food down next to it. “You don’t have to like it, but you need something so you don’t starve to death in this cell.”
Avid looked at the bowl, which had a tan soup mixed with bits of ham, carrots, and potatoes. It did not look appealing. Avid looked at the doctor, who now stood in the open doorway.
“Thank you.” He deadpanned, the doctor’s irritation only grew before he closed the door and once again left the building, locking both doors behind him.
-
Avid paced back and forth in the small cell, the bowl of food that had been left for him hours earlier only making his hunger worsen, but he couldn’t bring himself to even touch the soup.
He stopped at one end of the room, a small window leading outside sat above him in the stone wall. It was too far up to reach, but the moonlight flowed in, casting everything in a red hue as it rose higher into the night sky. He didn’t know why the sight now brought comfort when it had so easily unnerved him before; he chalked it up to now being a creature of the night, as much as he hated the idea.
Outside, he could hear the sounds of crickets and leaves rustling in the breeze. He could also hear seven heartbeats, six slowed from rest, and two slowed to an almost non-existent pace.
“That’s not right,” he barely whispered, his voice only reaching his own ears before straining his ears to hear even more.
But nothing changed, six steady heartbeats, two slowed. Apo was out of town, spying on the other vampires for the Militia, and that would only leave Cleo and Drift as vampires, meaning Legundo had lied about being turned.