The minutes turned to hours, as the blood gotten from their mother was the most compatible, now circulating it through a machine and into her system. Coupling that with the saline solution to make up what was lost, to fill in the gaps and clean her system out, everything started to…even out. Despite the trauma she’d gone through, gaping wounds she had were beginning to clot…ahead of schedule. The internal bleeding she had stopped, seemingly naturally, without any extra help from the doctors.<br/><br/>They hadn’t even properly reconnected arteries when they’d begin to do so themselves.<br/><br/>Her pulse, once thready and weak, took up its natural rhythm, growing stronger by the second; Still far from the strength it should be, but certainly light years away from where it was when she’d been brought in. Her skin, once paper white and nearly translucent due to the lack of blood, was also returning to its normal color. And, though she didn’t wake up, the expression on her face was one of ease; Where it’d once held an expression of pain lingering from her last conscious moments, now it held one close to a peaceful sleep, as though she’d wake up at any moment.<br/><br/>Operation over, as her body seemed to be doing what it needed to on its own, they moved her to a room in the ICU (a precautionary move, in case things went south again). Aine stayed by her bedside, a hand holding Eilidh’s while Lorcan just…stared. Outwardly, it would look like little more than a concerned father for his child.<br/><br/>Anyone who knew him, however…really knew him…would know differently.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Eidhin…was here,</span>he continued to think over and over.<span style="font-style: italic">Eidhin was here, even before Aine and I could get here…that means he was with her when it happened…That means that…abomination…has likely infected my daughter…</span>Finger twitching at his side, he remained posted at the base of her bed, not moving as his eyes continued to look over her form, to inspect what he could with the bandages in the way.<br/><br/>The necklace, now next to her bed, was left untouched.<span style="font-style: italic">Is it too soon to tell?</span>he wondered, eyes panning between she and it.<span style="font-style: italic">He had complained of it itching…of getting a rash before it all happened…What if I…? No, no we have to wait. It could have been a coincidence…</span>But, even as the thought crossed his mind, he shook his head; the smallest of gestures.<span style="font-style: italic">There are no coincidences. Now, it’s just a matter of preparation. I failed him, but I can still relinquish the demon’s hold on her…</span><br/><br/>A glance at Aine told him she wouldn’t be ready to hear the truth yet. The fragile look in her eyes spoke volumes.<span style="font-style: italic">I’ll keep watch on her…and I’ll keep a lookout for him…We’ve some time before the next full moon. If she shows signs…any signs at all…we’ll do with her what we did with him. Only this time…we won’t fail.</span><br/><br/>By the time four hours passed, she’d improved so rapidly that they moved her to the general rooms, much to the good Reverend’s dismay. He’d tried to caution them to keep her in her own room, but they needed the space, and her condition was only improving. “There’s nothing at all to warrant her staying here in the ICU, no matter how…extreme her recovery has been. Must just be the good genes,” they’d told him while wheeling her out.<br/><br/>She didn’t stir, though. For the duration of her move and the checks therein, she remained asleep.<br/><br/>Nearing midnight now, Aine was falling asleep sitting up. Being the “kind” husband that he was, he took her to get coffee, unwilling to let her sleep should something happen. He needed his wife to bear witness to the proof of their daughter’s abomination.<span style="font-style: italic">Had she just gone to church with me like she was supposed to…had she prayed as often as she should have and asked forgiveness, she’d be fine right now. She’d have died as she was supposed to…not changed.</span><br/><br/>So, they shuffled to the hospital’s cafeteria, ordering their terrible coffee…when she finally started to wake up, bleary-eyed and confused, with a headache that wouldn’t quit. A nurse assured her her parents were there, but stepped down to get coffee, and that she just needed to relax for the time being until they got back.<br/><br/>Relaxing wasn’t what she needed, though. She needed to know what happened, who had been in the woods…and what that…<span style="font-weight: bold">thing</span>was that had attacked her.