Tears of the Neko (31 page)

Harrison laughed. "That I would have liked to
have seen."

"I swear Kayden would have ripped out his
throat right then. And I might have let him, if I wasn't so worried
about getting Kayden away from the man before he got hurt," Damien
chuckled.

"Lift your arm," the doctor commanded.

"Where is Kayden anyway?" Harrison said,
glancing around the room.

Damien looked around too, realizing Kayden
hadn't yet come out from under the bed.

"He was hiding under the bed," he stated,
remembering when he'd yanked the boy away from the man to protect
him, and he'd seen the boy curling up under the edge of the bed out
of the way. "I'm sure he was scared."

"Scared?" Harrison snorted. "That boy is the
bravest little kit I know. He's saved your life twice now, you
know."

Damien smiled. "I know. He's like my little
guardian angel."

He turned toward the bed where he was sure
Kayden was hiding.

"Kayden!" he called, "you can come out now.
It's safe, kitten."

He waited a few moments, then frowned when he
heard no movement from his young lover. Harrison met his look at
the same moment when it dawned on him that something might be
wrong.

He shot out of the seat. "Kayden!"

Damien darted over to where he'd last seen
the neko, his heart hammering in his chest.

In the spill of light from the balcony, he
saw the little body of his boy curled up, nearly under the bed.
There was a dark pool spreading on the floor under the tiny
body.

Damien dropped to his knees. "Oh, God!"

At Damien's heart-wrenching cry, Harrison
shot to his feet, stumbling around the bed to see his brother
collapsed next to the body of the little neko. Damien rolled Kayden
to his back, and Harrison gasped at the sight of the limp body of
the little neko.

"Doc!" he shouted, as he took in the sight of
the blood that glistened across the belly of the small boy. Bloody
arms fell lifelessly away from his abdomen as Damien rolled him,
head lolling listlessly.

"Oh, shit, Kayden!" Damien's hands fluttered
over the wound before grabbing the boy's chin in his blood-covered
hand. "Come on, kitten, wake up!"

He gathered the limp body in his arms, tears
now streaking down his face. Kayden's body felt heavier, his head
falling back and his arms flopped lifelessly to the side, tail
hanging inert.

Damien clutched at the boy's body, burying
his face in the boy's cool neck, wishing he could feel the rhythmic
throb under his cheek.

As he rose to his feet with the little body,
a collective gasp rose around him as the household servants noted
the blood-covered body in his arms. His tear-filled eyes met
Harrison's whose eyes were wide in horror.

"God, Harrison," Damien sobbed. "He's--he's
...my kitten--"

"Get him on the table now!" Dr. Reid yelled,
snapping Harrison from his shock. "I need light!"

Damien just stood there, clutching his boy
tightly. The boy's blood seeped into his clothes.

"Now!" the doctor demanded. Then he cast his
look at Harrison when he saw that the Duke was in no condition to
listen. "Harrison, the table."

The blond hesitated, looking at the lifeless
figure in his brother's arms. "But isn't it too--"

"Let me at least try," Dr. Reid snapped.

With a quick nod, knowing it wouldn't hurt if
the doctor at least looked at the neko, Harrison reached to take
the boy from his brother.

"No!" Damien cried, unwilling to release his
love even in death.

"Damien!" Harrison snapped, "Give me the boy,
now!"

Something in Harrison's tone caused Damien to
obey and loosen his hold. He watched Harrison sweep Kayden from
him, limbs flopping lifelessly. He could only watch in
grief-stricken silence as Harrison laid out the body of his love on
the low coffee table by the couch. Servants were hovering with
torches as light for the doctor.

His eyes widened in shock when the doctor
suddenly seemed to beat on the boy's chest.

"No!" Damien yelled in horror, lurching
forward to stop the madman from abusing his lover's dead body.
"What the hell are you doing?"

Harrison managed to grab Damien before he
could attack the doctor. Though it seemed odd, the doctor didn't
seem to be angry, just determined.

Then Dr. Reid opened Kayden's jaw and pressed
his mouth over the young neko's. Everyone watched in stunned horror
as the doctor breathed air into the still lungs, causing a rise in
the thin chest.

"Just--just let him be," Damien begged,
crying, unable to watch the abuse on the boy's body anymore.
"Just..." He gave up and sank to the floor, crying, letting go of
his grief.

Harrison wiped at his own eyes as he shielded
his brother's view of the doctor forcing more air into the thin
lungs before he returned to pressing again on the middle of the
boy's chest. A glance around the room showed tears slipping down
the faces of all of the normally very reserved servants, although
Ysmenia's sobs rivaled Damien's.

"Fuck," Harrison cursed as he wiped at his
face. He saw the blood-covered claws of the neko as his arm
sprawled out to the side. The boy had fought with his life to
defend his brother, and for that he would always be grateful. But
he had come to love the little thing, not in the same way as his
brother of course, but the cute young neko had quickly become a
part of their lives--his brother's life. He wondered how his
brother would survive with the boy gone.

He almost turned away as the doctor started
another round of blowing air into the boy and pounding on the
chest.

Damien sat at his feet, lethargically leaning
against the end of the bed. Harrison worried that his brother was
going to pass out, his breathing was so fast and erratic. He knelt
next to his brother, his hands on the broad heaving shoulders, and
rested his forehead to the top of Damien's, attempting some
comfort, to let him know he wasn't alone.

"There, yes!" Dr. Reid's excited voice
floated over them, and he heard a gasp from a servant. "Come on,
boy, breathe."

At the soft tone of the doctor, Harrison's
head shot up. The doctor was holding the boy's jaw in his hand and
watching the blood smeared chest. Harrison watched in shock as the
thin chest expanded on its own, barely.

Harrison's eyes darted in wide wonder at the
faces hovering over the boy. He saw apprehensive smiles starting to
form around him. Then Dr. Reid looked up at him, his face splitting
into a wide grin, before he turned to John.

"Get me my case. Let's get this wound
stitched up before he loses any more blood," Dr. Reid snapped at
John Drystan.

Harrison's fingers tightened on Damien's
shoulders, snapping his brother from his daze. Damien looked up in
wonder first at Harrison and then followed his gaze towards Kayden.
He groaned at the sight his lover's bloody body, starting to rebury
his face in his hands.

"No, look," Harrison urged.

Damien turned listlessly, taking in the
unnatural stillness of his boy's body. The hands, the tail--wait,
did the tail just move?

Damien twisted suddenly to get a better look.
Sure enough, there was a little flicker in the end of the sleek
black tail hanging over the table. Damien's breath caught in his
throat.

The fingers twitched.

Damien scrambled to his feet, looking
wide-eyed at the doctor, questioning.

Dr. Reid smiled up at him. "He's alive, for
now," he announced. "I got his heart going again, and he's
breathing on his own now," he explained, pulling sutures, needles,
and disinfectant out from his case. John was currently pressing a
cloth to the wound. "But he's losing blood. I've got to get him
stitched up."

"He's--he's alive?" Damien whispered,
dropping to his knees next to the table, staring at the still
face.

"Well, at the moment," the doctor reiterated,
then he indicated for John to move the cloth. "Help me by holding
the skin together."

John barely flinched as he pinched the pale
skin closed. The doctor poured disinfectant over the wound.

"Shit!" John shouted as the body under his
fingers jerked and there was a loud hiss.

"Kayden!" Damien exclaimed as he grabbed at
the boy's hand, gripping it tightly, staring for signs of life in
the boy's face.

The beautiful features scrunched up in pain
at the burning stinging pain of the alcohol, his mouth gasping
wide.

Damien's tears of joy flowed freely, dripping
onto his boy's shoulder. Hands were holding the boy still as the
doctor quickly pierced the fragile skin with the needle. Damien
felt the tightening of the boy's claws against his hand at the
pain, but he just held tighter, conflicted--wishing he could take
the pain away but knowing the pain meant the boy, his boy, was
alive.

Kayden's body tensed again as he gasped in
the pain. Damien could now see his eyes moving under the eyelids.
The lashes fluttered, trying to open. Damien gasped in hope as he
saw the bright green eyes flash at him.

His hand petted over the top of the boy's
sweaty head, wiping back stray ebony strands. "Oh, god," he sobbed
as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on Kayden's brow. "Kayden,
thank god."

He vaguely heard clapping around him as the
servants bounced for joy at the sight of the young neko showing
signs of life.

"Oh, thank god!" he heard Ysmenia cry.

"Ma--mast--" a bare whisper came against his
cheek.

"Shhh," Damien soothed. "Don't talk. Don't
move, kitten."

Kayden's eyes were searching the depths of
Damien's dark blue, confused, worried. A slight frown creased his
brow.

Damien felt a slight feathering pressure on
his cheek and noticed Kayden's thin fingers seeking answers in the
distressed planes of his master's face.

His eyes fluttered and rolled as the doctor
pressed a tight bandage to his side.

"Kayden!" Damien yelled, drawing the boy's
attention, helping him fight for consciousness.

When the eyes slowly refocused on him, Damien
sighed and smiled. "It's going to be okay. You were hurt,
you--you--" Damien couldn't bring himself to say out loud that he
had actually died. "You were hurt pretty badly," he finally
said.

Kayden's eyes looked worried. "You--?" he
croaked out.

Damien choked out a strangled sob. His boy
was worried about him? He smiled down at Kayden, blinking back
tears. "I'm just fine. You are going to let me take care of you
this time. Okay?"

Kayden nodded tiredly, his eyes closing
softly, and Damien took a deep shuddering breath. Then he looked up
at Dr. Reid.

"I--I--" he stuttered, feeling the emotions
welling up again. "I don't know--... How did you--"

The kind older doctor smiled as he and John
finished wrapping a bandage around the boy's thin body to hold the
dressing in place. "It's okay," the doctor accepted the
pseudo-apology. "It's a little technique I picked up in my travels
last year. It doesn't always work, but at that point, it doesn't
hurt to try."

Damien nodded gratefully, finally finding his
voice. "Thank you." He cleared his throat as he voice came out
cracked and weak. "Thank you so much."

Dr. Reid smiled and nodded again, gently
patting Kayden's thigh. "You're welcome. He's a strong little kit.
I think he'll be fine with lots of rest. I'd put him in his own bed
so he stays still." Dr. Reid smiled gently. "I'll get some medicine
ready and more dressings..." He rose, patting Damien on the
shoulder.

Harrison and Dr. Reid exchanged glances, both
watching as Damien stared at the young boy's chest, eyes intently
watching for the soft rise and fall.

Dr. Reid whispered to Harrison, "Why don't
you get someone to bring some water and rags and maybe we can clean
up the boy a bit and next time he wakes, let's get him to drink
some water?"

Ysmenia instantly darted towards the
washroom. Harrison turned to John. "Why don't you bring in the
boy's bed and put it here in front of the fire?"

"Good idea, my young count," the doctor
praised. "That way we won't have to move him much."

Damien barely heard the movement around him,
vaguely noticing as Ysmenia knelt on the other side of the table
and gently began washing away as much blood as possible, tears
streaking down her face. He took one of the rags and gently wiped
the blood from Kayden's face and neck, where his hand had smeared
it.

After the bed was settled and ready to accept
the little neko, Damien finally rose, sending the others scattering
with a glare. He leaned down, lifted the light body, and moved it
carefully to the bed, slowly tucking blankets around the shivering
body.

"So," the doctor smiled breaking the heavy
tension of the room as he gathered his items. "How many lives does
that leave him now?"

Harrison snorted in laughter. "Fuck, let's
not see how many he has left, shall we?"

"Where the hell is he?" Damien snapped to
John as they searched the room. "I swear he was just here!"

"Sir, the balcony door is open," Drystan
noted.

"Oh, shit, not again," Damien darted out the
door to the balcony. He instantly looked up over the balcony doors
to the little decorative ledge.

Kayden was standing on the small ledge,
looking ridiculously at ease balanced on the tiny space. Damien
cursed under his breath as he stared up at the breathtaking beauty
of his young neko looking poised and serene, gazing over the
garden.

Kayden had discovered he could climb to the
little niche shortly after recovering from the stab wound by the
assassin sent by Damien's brother. Damien, and everyone else it
seemed, had fussed over the young boy until he was cranky and tired
of being trapped in the room.