“I don’t think that’s what anyone’s saying,” Mae said. I turned to her, trying to understand the conflicted expression on her face.
“We can try the hospitals,” Ezra said, watching the slow rise and fall of Milo’s chest. “Or… we can turn him.”
“Into a vampire?” I swallowed hard.
Jack finally released me and took a step away. When I managed to pull my gaze from Milo, I saw Jack’s eyes filled with tears.
“I am so sorry, Alice,” Jack apologized, his voice thick with despair.
“His heart is slowing.” Ezra looked at me evenly. “You’re going to have to make a choice, Alice. Quickly.”
“If he turns, he’ll live, right?” I asked, surprised I could talk. I found it hard to even breathe.
“If we catch it in time,” Ezra said hesitantly. “But it’s not a sure thing. If he’s already too weakened, the turn might push him over the edge.”
“You mean instead of saving him, it might kill him?” The room started spinning, and Jack reached out to steady me, tentatively putting his arm around me.
“I’m sorry,” Ezra said simply.
“I can do it,” Jack offered, knowing it would make me more comfortable with the decision. He moved closer to Milo. “If this is what you want, I’ll do it.”
“Do it,” I whispered hoarsely.
“Are you sure?” Ezra eyed me seriously.
Ezra wanted to gauge my certainty, but that was impossible to measure. I felt somewhere between total shock and blacked out hysteria. Tears streamed down my cheeks, mixing in with the blood I had rubbed off Jack’s chest when he held me to him.
Milo laid on the island, barely breathing and his heart slowing every second. If this was going to happen, it had to happen now, and as far as I could tell, it would be his best chance for survival.
“Everything will be okay, love.” Mae was at my side and wrapped an arm around me. I wanted to push her off, but I didn’t have the strength.
“We’ll see,” I said. Jack rummaged through a drawer, wasting precious time we didn’t have. “What are you doing?”
“I need a knife.” He looked back at Mae for help.
“There’s one in the kitchen sink,” Mae nodded to it.
Jack sifted through the sink and grabbed the knife Mae used to cut fruit. He walked over to Milo, holding the knife, and his breathing got more ragged. He was afraid of what he was about to do, and that didn’t make me feel any better.
“Do you want to see this?” Ezra asked me, sending a new shiver down my spine.
“Yes, of course.” I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else when this happened, no matter how disturbing it might be. If this was where Milo died or turned, I had to be here, with him.
Jack glanced over at me, his eyes burning with apology. He looked down at Milo and took a deep breath. With one deft move, he sliced open his wrist and blood trickled out. Pressing his wound up against Milo’s mouth, he didn’t even notice the pain.
“Ezra,” Jack shook his head, his voice trembling. “He’s not responding.”
“Give it time,” Ezra said.
“What if he doesn’t wake up?” Jack started to panic. His cut already began to close, and he used his other hand to pry it open, allowing his blood to flow into Milo’s mouth.
“Give it time,” Ezra repeated.
My heart raced wildly, and I knew that wouldn’t really help the situation. Whatever was supposed to happen wasn’t happening. Jack was terrified, and Mae tightened her grip around me.
Jack gasped sharply. Milo woke up enough to sink his teeth into his arm, but little else seemed to be happening with him. Jack groaned, and I tried to understand what he was feeling, but it was too many things all at once.
Milo coughed, but he still didn’t seem to be awake. Jack pulled his arm back before Milo gagged on his blood.
“He’s choking!” I yelled, and Mae’s arms stopped me from performing CPR.
“No, he’s fine,” Ezra assured me.
“He’s okay?” Jack winced and wrapped a towel around his wrist until the blood stopped.
“It’s too soon to tell,” Ezra said.
“What do you mean it’s too soon?” I struggled against Mae, but she held firm. “If he’s breathing, doesn’t that mean it worked?”
“It’s a process that takes a couple days,” Ezra explained, then looked past me at Mae.
“I’ll go ready a room for him,” Mae said quietly and let me go.
I rushed over to Milo. He coughed and his body shuddered involuntarily. I stroked his hair, damp from the lake and his own blood, and his eyelids trembled but didn’t open. Jack’s blood covered his lips, and I wanted to wipe it away, but I was afraid to.
“Alice,” Ezra said and placed his hand on my arm.
When I finally looked away from Milo, I was surprised to see we were the only two in the kitchen, along with my brother. I’d been so fixated on watching Milo that I hadn’t noticed Jack leave the room.
“What?” I tried to focus on Ezra, but my eyes were sore and blurry from crying.