The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

"What happened?" They wondered milling about in the waiting room of the hospital. The girl was 23 and the picture of health. Yet when they tried to wake her up after the long drive, she was dead. There were a few people in the waiting room for her. No one who seemed to be genuinely related to her. There was her best friend, the one who had been driving. She appeared to be the most distraught about this sudden revelation. Why hadn't her friend woken up? There was a girl who has a dog with her and was distracting herself with the dog. Not pretending that there was nothing wrong but trying not to cry. She had been sitting next to her and she didn't even notice anything was wrong.

Through the door regularly walked other people, stunned by the randomness and the unexplained event that laid before them. Who among them had really known this girl? Or cared to know? She was never exactly the perfect person but she always did her best to make sure that they were all comfortable.

The double doors swung open and a tall gangly boy walked in. Looking physically shaken and ghost-like. The first girl, the best friend looked up at him through watery eyes. They stared at each other for a moment and then just looked away at the same time. He sighed and sat down. "They arrested Stephen. They think that she may have been drugged at his place before we left, therefore, he's a suspect."

At these words the best friend stood up, a new life within her. "They can't do that! Stephen would never do that! Those two hung out all the time. Ben, we have to help him!" The guy, Ben shrugged, "Not much we can do. He doesn't have an alibi. We were all at the Jason Mraz concert. He had to stay home because of job. Besides, for some reason they think he may have been stalking her. I told them they were being ridiculous... but they won't listen to me. Whats worse is he really is torn up about it. Why is the hospital taking so long? What happened to her, Shana?"

Shana sat down, "I don't know. S-she was just so cold... I couldn't do anything so I just panicked and brought her here." She shivered and a fresh wave of tears poured down her face. Ben peered over at the girl with the dog, "Tasha, how are you doing?" She just shook her head and went back to distracting herself with her dog, unable to talk. Ben didn't push it any further. This whole situation had brought to life a fresh wave of drama unlike anything he had ever experienced. Quickly, he was learning things about his best friend, Stephen, he had never dared to ask him before. This was due to the fact that the girl who was presumably laying on a cold table right now was his ex girlfriend, Rosie.

They sat together in silence for a minute and a doctor came in. He was a kind looking gentleman and he looked at Shana. "You'll be happy to know that she isn't dead. However, had you not taken her here, she could've been. We did some tests and found extremely elevated amounts of sedatives and painkillers in her bloodstream. Her records don't show that she was on any of these drugs. She should recover eventually. Although, there will be some long term side effects to this incident. We won't be exactly sure what those are until she comes around."

Ben did a sigh of relief as Shana collapsed into a fresh heap of sobs. Tasha looked over, her hand on her chest and tears now rolling down her face, relieved that her friend was not dead. At this point a man of average height and weight wearing a blue tshirt and jean shorts came in, looking ghostly as well. Ben stood up, "She's not dead Ken, some one drugged her." Some color flooded back into his face, although now he looked greenish, "I need to sit down." He plopped down. "So is she going to be okay? I'll be honest, I don't think Diana is going to able to take it if the answers no." Ben nodded, "Yeah, he said she should recover in a couple of days. Although, he thinks there are going to be long term side effects." Ken nodded and dialed his phone, "Diana, it's okay, she's going to be okay." He paused, "Not that I'm aware of but the doctor said that it was someone who drugged her." He paused again, "I don't think he'd do something like that to her. Why would he?" He paused again, "Stephen doesn't even stalk after anything except... music." He paused again. "What fags. Okay, I'll give them an alibi." He snapped his phone shut and looked at Ben, "He does have an alibi, he was actually with me but he asked me not to say anything... then this happens. Wow, foreboding much." Ben looked at him, "What did you guys do?"

Ken shrugged, "I talked to him about something. I hate to be this guy but its confidential. I'm a reverend now so I can say that." He did a small grin, trying to keep to mood light in spite of the dire situation. "I'm going to go get Stephen out of jail." He stated in a determined tone and left. Ben sat down and Tasha spoke up, "Okay so why is Stephen in jail?" Ben shook his head, "Cops are pigs okay? They have to look like they're doing something so they persecute an innocent man. They said that the two have been noted to spending a higher then average amount of time together before this." He shook his head, "I'm like, well, yeah. They are friends. They're entitled to do whatever. Stephen feels super guilty about it already. Like he had anything whatsoever to do with it! And the cops are only making it fucking worse."

Shana looked up, "Well, he shouldn't feel guilty about it. We weren't even there for very long. Just long enough for him to gripe at her for ditching him for Jason Mraz." Ben gave her a look, "Yeah, but he was kidding. Well, half kidding. Two years ago and Stephen would've ditched work for Jason Mraz in a heartbeat."

Shana raised an eyebrow, "Evidently he ditched everyone for Ken. What the heck?"

Ben nodded, "Yeah, that is a little weird even for Stephen." Ben looked up and smiled, "Ha, even Stephen! I'm so clever."

Shana rolled her eyes and stood up, "Well, I'm going to go and sit in her room." Ben got up too, "Wait, what about her family? Didn't anyone tell them?" Shana raised an eyebrow. "They don't give a shit about her." With that, she whipped around and disappeared through the doors that lead to Rosie's room. Ben and Tasha were left to ponder in awkward silence what could possibly going on. The common question floating around this tiny group of friends was what was the connection between Rosie and Stephen? They were friends but its not like they were terribly close. They never were alone together or anything. Ben had to wonder, then, why this whole situation had gotten such a strong reaction out of the man he considered to be his best friend?

Then the thought floated across his head. The thought that solved everything but somehow only pissed him off. It definitely explained the bizarre reaction. Ben thought back to when Shana had called them and told them what had happened. Stephen had jumped up before anyone else and was at the hospital before anyone else had a change to even properly absorb what had happened. He did all this without speaking to anyone, only a deep look of concern etched in every line of his face. Eventually he got out his ukulele and pluck absently at it every few moments.

When the police came for him, accusing him of murder it was the first time Ben had ever seen Stephen so enraged. Stephen was an extremely mellow guy who was generally outspoken against violence. He grabbed the case to his ukulele and started shouting at the cops then beat one of them over the head with the case.

The thought passed through his head again and he bit back a small surge of annoyance. That was his exgirlfriend in there. What the heck? That fucking hippie had no sense of bro's before Hoe's did he? Granted, the only reason he and Rosie weren't together is because the girl really doesn't know what to do or how to react in a relationship. He did a small grin, that by no means meant he didn't like her. Actually he made a point on a daily basis to be less of a dick to her then everyone else. Although, that is only a little.

Ben was feeling properly betrayed. By his own best friend? He should've known not to trust a ukulele player. He smiled, well he knew what Rosie was like and he knew that she didn't really care that much for Stephen. Boy would he be disappointed. Ben would revel in that disappointment while pretending to sympathize. It wasn't mean. To Ben, it was natural selection.



Stephen was sitting in his cell in the county jail when the cell was opened and he was told that he made bail. He barely had time to stand up when Ken came in and started barraging him with information. Ben, Shana and Tasha where at the hospital, her parents were still a no show, she was going to be okay... Wait...

Relief splashed down on Stephens face and he rubbed his face vigorously. He sighed walking along behind Ken, saying "Uh-huh" and "I don't know" in the right places. She was going to be okay. For a moment there he really thought that he may have been the culprit. They had aspirin at their house and he gave her a couple, not bothering to ask if she could take it or not. He got into Ken's minivan and leaned his head against the glass and sighed. So many people had been dying lately. Car wrecks, suicide, overdoses, etcetera. Everyone he knew that he used to hang out with had either turned into a total douchebag or died somehow. Rosie and Ben where pretty much all he had at this point.

He was pretty sure that God was punishing him for something. However, he didn't know what for. Was he too cocky? He wasn't a liar. Has he done anything terrible in the past twelve months? He was only vaguely aware that Ken was taking him back to the hospital.

He got out and like a robot walked over to where he knew they were keeping her, ignoring pretty much all others. Even the doctors scowls, who believed him to be the culprit. However, Ken was quick to silence them. Ken, the only person alive who knew his secret. He walked into her room and peered into her bed. She looked so much better now. A lot more alive then dead. How had she overdosed? Where did she get them? Did she take them on purpose or was she drugged?

Shana looked up at him and sighed, "Good to see they let you out." He nodded and went over to her bedside. He felt her face, good she was warm now. Not that sickly cold feeling she had before. This is one of the two people who had been with him through every recent tragedy, every betrayal and heartache. God must just enjoy making him feel like shit. He couldn't lose another one of his friends. This would be too much.

He sat down silently, pondering his own thoughts.