Clumsy Flying — Even Clumsier Landing

As Loriana flinched, Cordelia softened her grip softly, not wanting to injure the girl. She had been hurt enough and the vampire didn't want to do anything more to cause her pain. How could she know that it had only shocked Loriana? Either way, she didn't want to do anything that would somehow cause damage to her.

''No, not the nurse please..."

The twenty-year-old nodded. "I won't get her then," she told softly, honesty in her words. "I'll take care of your wounds and everything." She wasn't a doctor, but she had common sense. Fevers, broken bones, seizures... those weren't good. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

She could totally handle being a medical doctor for a few days. So what if she didn't have a degree? She had wanted to be a doctor anyway back in college, so why not? It would be practice if she ever got the chance to go back. "But tell me what hurts so I can help." Obviously the fever was doing something, but it looked like the cloth was helping a bit. That was good, that was very good.

Cordelia was surprised when Loriana leaned into her and hid her face, but didn't tell her to do otherwise. She gave the girl a motherly hug; sometimes, hugs were the best medicine. In this case, though, she wasn't sure if it would do much. "It's ok," she whispered to Loriana. "You hide. I won't let anyone hurt you." Catching the disease or whatever it was the girl had wasn't even a slight worry for the vampire. Being immune to disease was one of the perks of being a vampire.

"Thank you…"

Cordelia smiled softly. "You've no need to thank me," she said. She then noticed Loriana's clothing situation, and made a mental note to go get the girl some of her own clothes in a while. They probably weren't the same size, but the woman wasn't going out to buy the teenager clothes. Besides, it was the thought that counted — and larger, baggier clothes were always more comfortable. At least, in her opinion they were.

The vampire didn't really care how Loriana was acting. She understood, and she was there to help her. She had once been a mother, after all, and she always took it upon herself to help kids. Cordelia was used to being around people who were upset and stressed out, people who didn't want to go back to their parents. And her words were true, everything she was saying now was complete honesty. If Loriana didn't want to go back, Cordelia would make sure she didn't go back. No one deserved to be in an environment they didn't want to be in, especially if that environment was harmful to their health.

"My back hurts… Everything hurts…"

"Lay down," she said quietly. "You should rest. Do you want me to go get you some painkillers?" She was going to ask before she did everything, unless of course it turned out being an emergency and she had to do something. But even so, she didn't want to do anything without Loriana's word, since it was her body and she would know what would be best for it. Well, hopefully, but Cordelia was sure Loriana had a better idea than she did.

It was official. After this, she was going to go find a college for vampires and she was going to become a doctor.

Once Loriana stiffened, Cordelia loosened her own grip just a little bit. However, once the winged child had relaxed, she smiled. It hadn't surprised her really that she wasn't used to or didn't like contact. After everything that had happened to her, it was definitely understandable.

"You promise?"

Cordelia nodded her head to confirm it. "I promise. I don't care WHO says you HAVE to go back to your parents — I won't let you go if you don't want to. Government, police officer, president — I don't care who. As long as you want to stay away from them, you'll stay away from them."

The vampire had a lack of respect for authority, that was for sure. She wasn't afraid of those with power, either. She could kill all those people just by biting into the wrong place in their neck. If there was anyone to be afraid of, it was her. She wasn't the most powerful vampire around, but she was more powerful than those puny humans, and if they dared to do anything Loriana didn't like, the twenty-year-old would take the necessary action.

"Also, do you want me to go get you some clothes?" she asked quietly, deciding to mention her thoughts from earlier.

"I don't want to lie down…"

Cordelia looked at her sternly. "But you need to," she told her. Defiance wasn't something she tolerated, and she was usually harsher on those who didn't listen to her than she would be with Loriana. After promising that she wouldn't let anyone hurt the girl, she couldn't go and do it herself. The vampire was a hypocrite at times, but with something like this, she would stick to her word. "The sooner you lay down, the sooner we can get you out of this hospital."

She didn't really mind that Loriana didn't want to. It was understandable, since kindness after a lot of abuse was something most people would want to stick to. Cordelia knew that she did, even though she usually pushed people away from her to not risk anymore hurt. But taking responsibility for something or someone and wanting to cling to kindness were two different things, so she was moving on passed those thoughts.

"I don't feel so good…"

That wasn't good, at all. Cordelia was ready to take care of the younger female, prepared for anything. A nicer description of 'don't feel so good' would have been nice, but it was alright. The girl was probably too sick or tired to say anything more.

As soon as the girl's knees buckled, the twenty-year-old tightened her grip on her somewhat. The last thing they needed was for her to fall down and bring attention to them. That wouldn't be good... and she would probably get in trouble with one of the nurses for trying to do a job she wasn't hired for.

Noticing her shiver, Cordelia grabbed her jacket that had been hanging on the back of a chair and draped it around the girl. Hopefully it would help for the time being until she could get to her dorm for some other things.

"Sit here and keep that on," the widow instructed, placing Loriana on the bed. She had to move around now, and she couldn't just let the poor dear fall on the floor. She opened a drawer and started searching around inside, accidentally giving herself a small cut in the process. Ignoring it and grabbing some painkillers, medicine, and a glass of water, the woman walked back to Loriana.

She unscrewed the cap to the pain killers and took out two, handing them to the girl as well a the water. Pills for this most likely wasn't the best idea, but hopefully they would work. She then took the antibiotics and held them out for the girl to take as well. "Take those and then lay down, ok?"

Cordelia smiled in approval as Loriana did as she said. She watched as she swallowed them, not knowing herself whether she had gotten blood on the things or not. Hopefully she hadn't... it had been a small cut, but if that happened... well... hopefully it wouldn't turn out to be terribly bad. She would feel so extremely guilty if she inadvertently caused that girl anymore pain... it would be like harming her own child. Cordelia may have been violent, but she wasn't so abusive to do a thing like that. Not to her own child, not to any child, and definitely not to Loriana.

"That's a good girl," the vampire said once the winged one had taken all of her medicine. She brushed her hands on her pants and grabbed the cloth again, making sure not to get even a drop of blood on it. She put cold water on it again, wrung it out, and placed it on Loriana's forehead.

Since there was really nothing more the woman could do for the time being, she decided to get Loriana some clothes. The girl had taken her medicine, was on the bed, had a jacket to keep her warm and a cold cloth to try and bring down the fever; she should be fine. Not to mention that she was probably too sick to even notice her.

Cordelia tip-toed out of the room and, once out of it, ran off in super speed toward her dorm room. It was faster that way and she would be back in no time. Upon entering her dorm room, the twenty-year-old ran to her closet and pulled out a few sweat shirts and sweat pants. She didn't bother getting the loose fitting ones, since these would probably be loose enough for the girl.

Once she had gotten enough clothes, she ran back to the hospital wing and back into Loriana's room. She looked at the girl, wondering if she had even noticed she was gone.

And the scene Cordelia walked in on completely horrified her. Loriana was out of the bed, on the floor, on her knees. The woman stared at her for a moment, leaning against the closed door, shocked so badly that she was still. Had her absence really meant that much?

"Cordelia..."

That one word and those tears falling down her face were the only answer she needed. Guilt overwhelmed her; she should have said something. She should have said that she was just going to get clothes, that she would be right back. Maybe if she had Loriana wouldn't have wanted to climb out of bed and fall over.

Dropping the clothes and falling to the floor right in front of the winged girl in one motion, Cordelia hugged her with one arm and put her other hand on Loriana's. "I'm here, don't worry. I just went to go get you clothes. Don't cry, sweetie," she said to her in an apologetic tone. "I would never leave you; I live by my promises, I've never broken a single one." That was a lie. She had broken a few, but those had been to her husband. They didn't really count, since he was dead, and he had been a jerk anyway.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you what I was doing first." She stopped hugging the girl but didn't let go of her hand. The vampire slowly got to her feet. "Here, I'll help you up. You still need your rest, Loriana."