11: Never Too Late

“Wha…What?” Alice said, her eyes going from one person in the carriage to another.
“It’s true. I have a way to turn a vampire back into a human-heartbeat, color, blood pumps-whole nine yards.” He smiled. “But none of my boys want it-for different reasons though.”
“How?”
“Simple and not…See, when 你 are changed 你 are poisoned and that travels through the body and eventually stops the heart. I needed a way to extract that poison and alter the body so that it goes back to a prevamp stage. I found a way shortly after Jack was changed, with the help of a doctor-Dr. Allen Payne and a group of scientists including a biologist, a chemist, a geneticist, and a physicist. Yes, they are all 吸血鬼 as well and until they have finished teaching Luke, Jonathan, Lisa, David, and Sarah they will remain vampires.”
“I’m still so confused” Alice said, looking at him. “Not that I don’t believe 你 but…Just so hard to believe.”
He nodded. “I know. I’ve encountered my fair share of skeptics but I’ve also seen many believers as well. I’m not a doctor nor a scientist so I can not fully explain the process but I’ll try. The idea is to remove the poison and replace it with the proper chemicals and whatnot to make the vampire human again. Once the poison is removed, we work fast to start the heart, as it is not beating, and once that is started, the person is placed on life support until the rest of the transformation completes. Eventually, the body is strong enough and the person is removed from life support.”
Silence. Alice looked at him, studying his every feature. None of it betrayed his face. He spoke the truth-or was a very convincing actor.
“Sounds dangerous” she said, still looking at his face which turned somber.
“At first, yes. I’d say half of the ones we tried to change did not survive mostly because we were unable to start the 心 though most of these occurred before we had our full team to ensure we did everything right.”
“How long does it take?”
“Depends on several factors: how long has the person been a vampire, male, female, height, weight, all of these contribute. For example, someone like Michael 或者 David would take anywhere from two days to a week longer than 你 或者 Rosalie.”
“And afterwards everything just goes back to normal?”
“Not quite, no. Upon waking, the most obvious differences are your 心 beats, which means 你 actually have to breathe; color is increased, again, due to blood in your veins. The only difference are the eyes-it takes two to three days before the return to the prevamp color they were. Almost all bodily functions work 由 then end though: circulatory system, digestive system, immune system, respiratory system. The only one that is not immediately present and takes on average three months to regulate is the reproductive system. While the actual acts can occur, there is no ovum and no sperm; it’s like perfect birth control.”
“What happens after everything is human again?”
“Mostly the changed ones go on to live normal lives-get jobs, go to college, marry, have children, everything a normal human does.”
“And the desire for blood?”
“Gone upon waking.”
“What about remembering?”
“It fades with time and with our oldest ones they don’t remember at all.” The rain continued to pelt the carriage though the inside was warm as could be and only Tristan needed it.
“So, is that what you’re offering us? Mortality?”
“Yes. It’s 100% optional I will not force it on either of 你 and no one else in our coven will either.” He shot Michael a look before turning back to Alice. “The choice is yours.”
“You’ve 给 us a lot to consider. Hope 你 understand that this may take time.”
He nodded. “There is no time limit. Now that I have presented it, it stands open well forever I suppose.”
Rosalie looked up at Jack’s face though it was like looking at a mask.
<What are 你 thinking?>
<That I haven’t been this happy in nearly eighty years.>
<Why?>
<As if 你 don’t know.>
<How come 你 never became mortal?>
<I was waiting for you.>
<And if I never came?>
<You would. Everything Tristan sees is set in stone.>
<And what does he see for us?>
<Us?>
<Assuming there is one.>
<He’s not at liberty to tell.>
<He told 你 I was coming.>
<Yes but that was all.>
Alice herself was 迷失 in her own thoughts wondering if this could be true. Could be real. She still had her doubts despite the sincerity in Tristan.
<Mortal? Really and truly?>
<Yes, I’ve seen it many times.>
<The risks?>
<Minimal-I’d say they haven’t 迷失 anyone in over fifty years.>
<And if I did?>
<What?>
<Choose to be mortal…Would you…>
<Faster then I’ve ever done anything.>
She smiled at the thought and shoved the guilt back down once more. She had a hunch it was going to be sticking around for a long time.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, IT had returned to master. Master was enraged though not at IT. “Damn that Dawson! Always getting in my way!” master snarled, it’s entire body shaking. IT grunted in agreement and firmly held IT’s back where IT had been stabbed severely.
Master looked at the wound-it was deep but it did not think it was mortal. “Go see Dr. Crane, see what he can do.” IT nodded and headed out the door and down a winding stair-case. Master shook it’s head. So close…And yet so far away.