So, for six days he was stuck in a hospital bed with no chance of escape. Tubes and monitors were stuck in him. On all four of his escape attempts the damn things went off and people came running. He almost cried. He needed to eat and a variable buffet came running in and he couldn’t have any of it. It was agony.

As was the first two days of visitors. Endless visitors came. People he didn’t even know came. They all wanted to see how “their” hero was doing. After the first minute of each visit he “nodded off”. It was either that or let them see how hungry he was. Finally he put his foot down and demanded to be left alone. Mrs. Buckman was not happy with that and told the nurses to ignore his wishes.

For the last four days he had to put up with Mrs. Buckman and a few of the other renters. The children tried to come, but ran off within the first thirty seconds when he started screaming. Screaming was good, screaming made him feel better.

Screaming was also the only thing that saved them. He was so hungry. He just needed a few pints to force the poison out and heal his wounds. God, how they itched. His entire body itched. Six days of sponge baths. That was bullshit. How could they call that a bath? He smelled like a hospital, itched and felt gross. He could feel the grime on his skin again.

Blood.

He needed blood. If he was stuck here for a week then he was out of luck. He hadn't been here to accept his blood deliveries. Every two days at three in the morning blood was delivered by an unmarked van.

After two no shows they wouldn’t make another attempt to deliver until he contacted them with a new safe drop. He needed to call them to setup new delivery. So, now he had no hopes of blood being delivered. He had to suffer another week. But that wasn’t his greatest fear. If he didn’t keep everyone out of his room he was going to attack someone. The urge to feed was overpowering everything else. His control was almost nonexistent.

It would only take Madison for the last thread of control to snap. Of course, she wasn’t likely to see him. She didn’t even try to see him in the last week. She sent her apologies and flowers, but didn’t come. He tried to tell himself that was for the best. If she came he would have begged her for some blood either hers or some stolen blood. At this point in his suffering he wouldn’t beg. If she came into his room he was going to take.

His eyes drifted to the adjoining bathroom door. She could at least check and see how he was. That wasn’t too much to ask after all he did take a wound for her. She probably didn’t think much of it. She knew he couldn't die, but did she realize that he would still feel every ounce of pain and nothing in the world could take the edge off his pain but blood? He was suffering and she couldn’t even bother to see him. He was pissed on top of already being pissed.

“Fuck her. I don’t want to see her anyway.” But he did. He really did. Never mind that it was her blood which he craved night and day. He wanted to see her. He wanted to see her brown eyes light up when he annoyed her.

She was so cute when she'd attacked him with biscuits. He liked everything about her. She was funny, smart and kind. But she was a human, a human whose blood screamed for him and him alone. He could never have her. She would never be his.

He wanted to kill someone. He needed to hurt someone. This was too much. There was a reason he didn’t allow attachments and Madison proved him right. Once he was healed he was going to leave and start over. He couldn’t handle the pain and disappointment.

“Wow, you stink.”

Ephraim forced his eyes open. “What?”

“I said you smell,” Madison said matter-of-factly.

Even before his brain registered who was in his room his body did. His fangs dropped as his arms shot out and grabbed her. He dragged her down. He couldn’t fight it any longer. He was starving and his obsession was here. He didn’t even stop to consider if they were alone or if he could stop in time. He needed her too damn much.

Some part of his brain registered that she wasn’t screaming. Actually, it felt like she was coming on her own. That was odd.

“Here you go, open up,” she said as she stuck something in his mouth. He froze, shocked at the sensation.

His eyes left her neck and moved down to the object in her hands. He chuckled weakly. She stuck a straw in a bag of blood. He suckled, slowly savoring the taste of type O blood hitting his lips, his tongue, the roof of his mouth and finally down his throat. He closed his eyes and moaned in relief.

“That good, huh?” she chuckled. He nodded but didn’t stop sucking. The straw was too slow. He took the bag away from her with trembling hands. He pulled the straw out with his mouth and spit it across the room before slamming the bag to his teeth. He chugged the red liquid down until he had every drop. “More.” It was a demand.

She laughed softly. “Here you go.” She sat patiently by his side while he finished ten bags of blood. He couldn’t help but notice how adorable she looked in those cute little cotton shorts of hers. Finally he burped and sighed. He was done.

“Feeling better?” She ran her fingers through his greasy hair.

“Almost.” He jumped out of the bed with ease. All his strength was back and then some.

Madison gasped.

“What?” He looked down expecting to discover his dick was sticking out or something. Her eyes were glued to his chest. The wound was now completely gone, dissolving the stitches as well.

He ran a hand over the area. “It itches like hell. I need a shower.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” she returned automatically. She looked dazed.

“Er, thank you for the blood.”

She shook her head. “You’re welcome. Just glad that I was able to intercept your deliveries.”

He paused. “You intercepted my blood?”

“Of course. I figured that you had to have blood delivered otherwise there would be an epidemic of neck bites. It was just a matter of waiting.” She gestured towards her room. “I bought a mini fridge to keep it cool for you.”

Her concern for him made him uncomfortable. “Thank you. I’ll pay you of course. I appreciate it,” he said more harshly than he intended.

She rolled her eyes and walked past him towards her room. “Forget about it. I’ll see you around.”

“Wait!” he said suddenly. He didn’t know what to do or say but he wanted, no needed for her to stay. An entire week without seeing her practically killed him. There he admitted it to himself. He missed her.

It was easier when he was here and avoiding her mostly because he watched her from afar. Hell, he made it a point to watch her. Something other than her blood mesmerized him and he couldn’t understand this need to see her. If he didn’t think fast she was going to leave him now.

“Well?” she asked.

He half stumbled towards the bathroom. Okay, he faked it, but desperate times called for desperate measures. “Sorry,” he mumbled as he made an exaggerated effort to walk into the bathroom.

Ephraim risked a quick glance at her and had to look away to hide his grin. She bit her lip. Madison looked so adorable with an expression full of worry. He had to use this against her of course. He stumbled again.

“W-what do you need?”

He looked back at her, giving her a weak smile. “Could you wait until I’m done with my shower to make sure that I don’t black out before I get back in bed?” There was no way he was going to pass out, but she really didn’t need to know that. It would only be counterproductive to tell her.