Cian P.O.V

I considered moving him above, but was afraid to make whatever this was worse. I hated to do it, but I left him to go above and make sure everything was open and the way was clear for Liekar Pritcher's team. Without care for the floor or the furniture in general, I shoved it to the far wall, doing so leading all the way to my room. In the back of my head, I thought about the people now going to encroach upon my space; people I probably didn't even know. I quickly smacked myself internally for the thought when a life could be at stake.

After clearing the way, probably irrevocably damaging several items, I checked on Ashe before grabbing my laptop and bringing it with me to the bed. I switched between looking at Ashe's still form and watching the screen holding images from the club's cameras. The moment they came, I was going to meet them and lead them down. My heart rate increased with nerves as time slowly crunched by.

Finally. Finally, the team came, a specialized ambulance screeching in front of the club before four people, one the Liekar himself, jumped out, grabbing several emergency bags and a stretcher before racing into the club's dark interior. I rushed up to them, not bothering to hide my speed, as the only people still present at this time, if anyone, were vampires themselves.

"Follow me," I turned back and, though I had to fight against it, returned to Ashe at a slower pace.

When we reached my bedroom, Liekar Pritcher stood a moment, frowning at the scene. His eyes narrowed as they slid to me, a glint of menace burning sharply deep within its depths.

"Pritch-," I began, thought unsure of what I had been going to say.

"I don't want to hear it right now, " Liekar Pritcher interceded. "Not even from you, Underlord Ercswynd." Quieter, he added, "Later. But not right now."

I stayed far back, but at an angle so I could still watch. Pritcher watched Ashe carefully a few moments before using different equipment to check his heart and breathing physically, then flashing a light in his eyes. They put a small plastic item on his finger and checked over his body clinically before removing the bandages from his neck. Pritcher sent another glare my way, his nose rippling in disgust, an almost silent growl emanating from his chest. But then, just as quickly, he turned away, his whole focus returning to Ashe.

They undid the fitted sheet from the bed and rolled it up and around Ashe, bringing the stretcher over to the bed, "On three- one, two, three!"

One of the people said as they lifted him on three to set him on the stretcher as is. They didn't try to move him to his back, but merely clipped him as best they could to the stretcher, settling a light sheet up to his shoulders and attaching an oxygen mask to him as they quickly went back up the stairs, through the office, to the club's doors, and out into the ambulance.

I was surprised by a voice behind me as I stood in the club's doorway, "I won't call the council, Underlord Ercswynd. Not yet, at least. But you have four witnesses," Pritcher glimpsed over my shoulder as I heard them begin entering the ambulance. "I suggest you explain, when I have the time, very carefully what happened."

He looked me carefully in the eyes, "I'll call you," He dismissed me as he exited to quickly step up into the back of the ambulance, slamming the door. I felt- usually, that sort of thing would end in someone in a very bad position other than myself. But, no. It was my fault. I'm actually lucky that Pritcher was even allowing me the chance to explain without involving the council.

I rubbed my now-dry hair, wanting to follow them, but knowing that I shouldn't even dare to until Pritcher calls. Instead, I did what work I could and tried to clear up some time, shuffling work that I normally wouldn't trust others with to people I knew could handle the job. If they screwed me over...

I called Jeffrey, telling him I would be off-grid for a bit. He didn't argue or respond. It probably had to do with the fact that I could barely keep myself under control. I felt like I was vibrating, like any little thing could set me off.

Pritcher P.O.V (Liekar means something along the lines of Healer, and Pritcher is his last/middle name)

I knew it was serious if Cian was calling. We were what you could call friends, and would use each other's names in private, but publicly he was called Underlord Ercswynd. We knew each other well, so I didn't question and only assembled my team with the general medical supplies. Why? Because from that momentary call, I had learned several things. First, it was not from a life-threatening injury, it was only one person and while Cian was very worried, he didn't expect anything to happen, at least, before I got there.

But, I also knew that this was not going to be something simple, it just meant that someone wasn't on the brink of death... That Cian knew of.

We worked as a unit, assembling and driving to the club with the lights and alarm screeching, miniature headphones drowning out the worst of the sound. We set everything up and double-checked the equipment, my trust in them and their ability deeply ingrained.

The moment we entered with our equipment, Cian met us not caring about the speed to which he appeared. His face was pale and strained, hair mussed and his eyes were clouded with worry and a sharp prickle of strained focus.

Cian barely spared us a glance, "Follow me," before he forced his limbs stiffly to move at a moderate pace so we could more easily follow.

We went through the club and down a hall which lead to his office. Behind the sturdy dark oak desk, in between two bookshelves, was a narrow opening with stairs leading down. The doors, though we only spent moments when rushing though, were odd, to say the least. And I doubted the walls were much different.

When we reached the room, I was momentarily confused, before my eyes settled on the small figure on the far right edge of the bed. At first, I almost couldn't understand what I was seeing; it just seemed ludicrous. Why would Cian, someone I considered my friend and trustworthy, have an obviously unwell child in something akin to a basement in his obviously slept in bed? I wanted to believe in him, but I had to remain objective as well, and therefore couldn't keep that anger and disappointment... Mistrust... From tainting my view when I looked at him.

I watched as Cian opened his mouth, barely voicing my name before I could handle no more from him, "I don't want to hear it right now, " I couldn't; I needed time just to consider the alternatives than what I just saw. I needed to focus on the child,"Not even from you, Underlord Ercswynd." But he still deserved enough of my trust to give him a chance, "Later. But not right now."

All my focus was now solely on the poor child immobile beneath the sheets.