Can you help me?

Alba smiled and turned to Shadow.
"He's on his way. He'll be able to help you."

Shadow nodded slightly.


Vrael appeared in the room. His silvery hair was longer now, and held back in a ponytail. He was wearing a labcoat (clean), and carrying a small bag of medical supplies.

"Where have you been, you look like you've just come out of an operating theatre!" Alba thoughtfor a moment and realised that that was very probable indeed.
"Anyway, doesn't matter, I'm glad to see you. Shadow's been hurt."

"I did." Vrael said simply, and then knelt beside Shadow.
"By the god of all mortals, what have you been doing?" He murmered.

Alba looked over his shoulder, not knowing what to do.

Vrael silently got to work, sewing up most of the wounds and removing the bullets, dropping them into a small metal dish with a dull 'clank'.

Alba went to fetch a boul of warm water to wash the black blood off her friends off.

Vrael gave Shadow an injection of anasthetic so that she wouldn't feel any pain as he sewed up the deeper injuries.

Alba smiled at Shadow, trying to make the situation a little less serious.

Shadow drifted off into unconsciousness, and Vrael moved in to clean out and stitch the bigger gashes.
"How be you Alba?" He asked as he worked.

Alba smiled, even though the vampire had his back to her.
"I'm fine," she said, "Though Shadow's appearance at my front door unnerved me slightly."
She took a cushion off an armchair and placed it under Shadow's head so she would be more comfortable.

"Hm, she is always in a predicament." Vrael said, tying off the last stitch.

Alba hesitated, then asked:
"Where were you? Before I called on you."

"I was studying." Vrael replied, standing up and turning to Alba.

Alba smiled at him. Quickly searching for something to say seeing as Shadow was not there to do so, she said:
"Your hair suits you like that, tied back."

"Thank you." Vrael replied, bowing his head slightly.

The Manticore animagus smiled again.
"How do you think she'll do?" she asked, inclining her head towards Shadow, "I hope she'll be alright."

"She should be." Vrael agreed. "There are numerous occasions such as this where she has pulled through."

Alba sat in the armchair she had taken the cushion from. She had seen Shadow wounded and in worse situationd than this, but every time she felt a cold pang in her guts, like someone had driven a freezing blade through her body. She didn't know what to do. All there was to do was wait, really. Just wait and hope for the best.
Yes, thought Alba, the best...

Vrael watched Alba carefully, hoping that she wasn't too affected.
"Do you need anything?" He asked quietly.

Alba closed her eyes and lent her head on one hand.
"No, thankyou."
She opened her eyes and looked into the vampire's.
"Are you worried about her? She said there were demon hunters. I didn't understand all she said, it was all in fragments and she was in pain so I didn't want to interogate her too much."

"I worry, yes, but not much. I know that she is strong enough to pull through." Vrael said. His face darkened at the mention of the demon hunters, and said nothing on the subject.

Alba didn't say anything more. She was lost in deep thoughts, fragments of random melodies drifting through her mind. She smiled slightly to herself, memories of sunlight and soft music flooding her head as she thought back. Three words were endlessly going round her mind.
So long ago...

Vrael hugged Alba close, gazing blankly out of a window. He knew that Shadow hadn't been thinking of Demon Hunters. She had been talking about something else, something darker. It was time to stand again, and he knew that it would cost them.

Alba opened her eyes and realised that Vrael was hugging her. She smiled and moved closer.
"What do you think Shadow would do if she woke up now?" she asked jokingly.