Chapter Text
Yesterday, Sam had given up something very important for someone else; his left arm. Not cleanly, either, but through crushing, gnawing and slow breaking, truly the most excruciating experience of his life. It was an easier choice to make than he anticipated, however, no matter how much he tried to talk himself into it he just couldn’t bring himself to put that innocent animal-child down that monster’s throat.
That pain just now… I almost put Scout through that. It would have been his last memory… How could I have even considered that? He had thought after waking up on the floor of the unending room, covered in his own blood.
Hellen had patched him up as best she could, (which Sam suspected may have not been very well, it’s not like she was a nurse before all this). And while being carried home (again by Hellen), Scout had sat on his belly and given him some caring licks on his newly acquired stump, as if to clean it. Sam considered stopping him from doing this, it probably was far from sanitary, but it was so…cute? Yeah. Cute.
Today, Sam sat at his kitchen table with the others. He had just finished making everyone a simple breakfast of poured cereal, he didn’t have the energy for anything fancy. While everyone was digging in, Sam glanced across the table and noticed Leigh cradling Scout in her arms, ignoring her food in favour of nursing him from a cut on her arm.
“Heh heh heh, drink up little buddy, we need you nice and strong so you can fight your dad one day!” Scout happily suckled the blood from her open wrist as she spoke.
“Huh. You’re…surprisingly good with him.” Sam remarked.
“Well yes, I grew up with little siblings! I think.” Leigh answered proudly.
“…You think?”
“Yeahhh, memory’s pretty scrambled from the change and all, but I know enough to remember I had little sisters! Their names though, don’t ask me.”
Sam wasn’t really sure what to say to this. “Oh…I’m sorry, thats…kind of sad.”
Leigh was annoyed by Sam’s pity, to her it was borderline offensive. “What?! Nooooo it’s better this way! The visitor shaved off all the mushy parts of my brain that were just slowing me down! And plus, I got to keep all the kid-raising skills without any useless baggage, heh heh heh…”
Sam definitely couldn’t relate to this philosophy. He imagined if he knew he had someone he cared about at one time, but no longer remembered who they were, it would send him into a mental spiral for the rest of his life. But it seems for Leigh, the visitor had significantly dulled any emotional pain receptors she may have previously had, so Sam figured what she doesn’t know probably doesn’t hurt her.
“You should be busy worrying about yourself anyway, you look like shit! Heh heh.” Leigh teased while jabbing a finger in Sam’s direction.
I mean if thats true its nothing new. I always look like shit. “Yeah, tell me something I don’t know..” He mumbled.
“S-shes right mr. Sam, you kinda look-hhh-sick, or something…” Joel chimed in.
Oh, well that might be bad. Sam knew Joel was very observant (despite his lack of eyes) and honest too, if even he’s agreeing on the dismal state of Sam’s appearance then maybe he did look worse than usual. Sam himself wouldn’t know, he hadn’t looked in the mirror yet this morning.
Deciding to see what the fuss was about, Sam backed out his chair and stood up to head to the bathroom and check himself out, until all at once his vision blackened. Ah, Head rush.
He stumbled blindly for a few steps, waiting for his vision to clear again like it always does when he stands up too quickly, but it never did, and before he knew it he was coming to on the floor in Hellen’s arms.
“You fainted.” She simply said.
“Oh.” Sam responded stupidly.
Dan’s head appeared over Hellen’s shoulder. “DUDE you fell HARD just then! You okay?”
“Y-yeah, I think so…? My head kinda hurts…”
“You’re pale. You need to eat.” Hellen stated, and Sam realized he actually never took more than a few bites of his breakfast before getting up just then.
“Yeah, you’re probably right..I’ll just finish my food then I guess.” Sam tried to pull himself back to his feet and out of Hellen’s arms, but she stopped him with a forceful hand on his chest.
“You’ll eat in bed. I’ll bring the food.” This was clearly an order and not a suggestion.
“O-okay, haha, I appreciate the nice ide-“ Before Sam could finish, Hellen had hoisted him into the air, princess style. She wordlessly carried him to his room and lowered him onto the bed.
“O-oh, thanks, You didn’t…have to do that.” Sam stuttered, but in truth he was glad she did, the small gesture of personal attention made his heart palpate a bit. Or maybe that was just the sickness?
“You’re probably still sick from blood loss. You lost a lot yesterday. I was there. Sopping it up.”
“Ah, Yeah, you’re probably right…”
“I’ll get your food, you can’t go out today.”
Sam wanted to argue as Hellen stood up and started toward to bedroom door, but he knew her idea WAS probably the safest one, and there was really no arguing with Hellen even at the best of times, anyway.
Just then Leigh leapt in front of Hellen’s path, blocking her from exiting the room. clearly she had been listening in. “Wh-does that mean Sam’s not taking us out today?!” She whined, sounding much like a dog being denied its walk.
“No. Sam could die if he faints again out there.” Hellen answered, towering over the much shorter woman.
Leigh let out a deeply annoyed groan. “Well…Those of us who aren’t sick should go out, then. Lets you, me and some of the kids head out! Heh heh!”
“No. Someone needs to watch after him today.” Hellen stated matter-of-factly, as she pushed past Leigh to get into the living room. Sam heard Leigh Moan in despair once more, but he was glad Hellen had denied her request, truthfully he still wasn’t convinced he could trust any of the adults to look after the kids on expeditions without him.
~~~~~~~
It was nearing the end of the evening. Hellen had been looking after Sam all day, which didn’t involve much besides getting him water, snacks and watching him sleep to make sure he doesn’t die for some reason, but she wasn’t sure she could keep it up much longer.
So far, Hellen hadn’t yet gone a single day since her transformation where she hadn’t killed at least one creature, and tonight that bloodlust the visitor had cursed her with was starting to boil over like a maddening itch. If she stayed put much longer, she feared she might actually be more of a danger to Sam and the others than a help. So, she allowed herself to stand up and leave the apartment. As she did, Leigh called to her from the couch;
“HEY! I thought you said you weren’t going out today, take me with you!”
“No. I want this to be quick, you’ll drag it out.” Leigh knew she got her there, she had fully planned to drag it out.
Hellen then gestured towards those sitting on the couch (Leigh, Dan and the kids) as she left. “Watch after him.” And she slammed the door behind her. Leigh whined again at being denied by Hellen for a second time today.
“Ms. Leigh, let’s go check on Mr. Sam! I haven’t-hhh-seen him since this morning!” Joel cheerfully suggested, and he, Sophie and Scout hopped off the couch, dropped their controllers and headed for the bedroom. Leigh followed due to dreading being alone with Dan, especially in front of a video game.
“Hhh-how are you feeling, Mr. Sam?” Joel asked at Sam’s bedside, the kids had just woken him up from his second nap today.
“Ah, not much better, honestly… But hey, thanks for coming to check on me.” Sam said, and weakly ruffled Joel’s hair.
“Uh oh…That means you probably can’t make dinner, huh?” Sophie asked, “and your food was just starting to taste better, too!”
Sam was half-flattered, half-hurt by her honest performance review. He chuckled and patted her shoulder next. “I guess I won’t… I think there are some TV dinners in the freezer, though?”
Joel gasped a little in excitement. “Oh man, my mom-hhh-never lets me have those!”
Probably for good reason. Sam thought, but tried to forgive himself for his lacklustre food offering tonight.
“Really? I had them lots, they’re pretty okay. I love the brownie the most!” Said Sophie, “I bet Scout will like it, he eats anything!”
“He sure does…” Joel echoed, stroking his recently patched up Teddy.
Scout squeaked in delight at him being referred to in the same sentence as food.
“Why don’t you kids go pop those in the microwave now, eh?” Sam secretly wanted to get back to sleeping, and luckily Sophie needed no convincing.
“Okay, feel better soon!” She scooped up Scout, grabbed Joel’s hand and led the boys towards dinner and out of the bedroom.
Leigh had been watching their conversation from the sidelines, and didn’t leave with the children. Instead she stood in the corner of the room staring unblinkingly at Sam.
“U-uhh…You’re welcome to those TV dinners too, Leigh.”
“Nah. Not hungry.” Was all she replied.
“…Okay…Well i’m um. I’m going to go back to sleep now, I guess.”
“Mmhmm.” Was all he got.
A bit unnerved by this, Sam laid back down and shut his eyes, trying to forget about Leigh’s looming presence in the room as he had done all day with Hellen. Luckily, his genuine illness made that much easier than normal, and he soon returned to a deep slumber.
Once he was asleep, Leigh approached his bedside to get a closer look at him. Like she had commented this morning, he looked like shit. His face was still pallid, his eye bags more pronounced than usual, and his general demeanour still sickly.
This is kinda pissing me off. She thought.
Seeing Sam in this state was stirring up something in her that was deeply, deeply unwelcome.
Leigh considered Dan a level 1 opponent, Hellen, a level 100. Sam however hovered somewhere around a 50. He was strong enough to beat her once, yes, but she was pretty sure that was just luck, and that he probably cheated. Somehow.
Regardless though, in Leigh’s eyes they were very similar in their “power level.” Sam was a formidable opponent, cheater or not you HAD to be to beat Leigh. He reminded her a lot of herself, in a way. A more pathetic, soft and mushy version of herself. A version that she suspects she may have embodied more, once upon a time. If he would just get over his hangups about looking outside, he would probably rise to her level and leave behind all the parts of himself that are holding him back, just like she did. She wanted that for him, for them.
They WERE, after all, destined to fight to the death. Him being at his best would only make the victory that much sweeter! She sort of felt she had a duty to bring him back to himself, he was basically the proverbial Yin to Leigh’s mutually-destructive Yang!
And seeing him like this…weak, vulnerable, not his usual hardy self… They were normally so similar in ability, and if he could be reduced to this, maybe eventually she could too…again. She did not want this losing attitude that he had right now to rub off on her.
This final thought convinced her to try it; the idea she had been silently mulling over the whole time she had been in the bedroom.
She lifted her right arm over Sam, the one she had used to feed Scout this morning, and slowly re-opened the wound on her wrist with her fingernail. Blood oozed out slowly, and once she was satisfied with the cut, she spoke. “Hey, I got something for ya.”
Sam groggily opened his eyes and stared confused at her, not really understanding what was happening.
Leigh tried to sound comforting; “open up, heh heh.” And she shoved her bleeding appendage towards his mouth.
“N-Nuh!-“ Sam attempted to decline as he tried turning away from the oncoming arm, but he was too slow. Before he knew it, Leigh’s wrist had collided with his face and a fresh glob of warm liquid had streaked across his mouth. Inevitability, a little leaked in.
As soon as the blood hit his tongue, he stopped squirming. It tasted…really good, nothing like the coppery sensation he got when he accidentally bit the inside of his cheek. Leigh’s blood was thicker than expected, like molasses, and syrupy like it too, its sweetness tickled the back of his throat as he swallowed.
Surprised by the pleasantness of it, Sam blinked a few times and turned to look at Leigh’s wrist, which was still open and hovering near his face. The combination of the comforting taste mixed with the inviting sight of her leaking flesh numbed something in his mind, and he felt compelled to go back in for more.
“Heh heh, go on…” Leigh urged.
That was all the permission Sam’s now-clouded mind needed to begin feasting. Without a word he latched his lips onto her wound, sucking hungrily. The sanguine sweetness flooded his mouth, and he guzzled it down eagerly.
“Hehehe..” Leigh could hardly keep her giggles in. This may not be a fight with Sam, but there was still something…very satisfying about this sight. He was still acting needy, sure, but his drive to improve was back, he had hunger, and she was able to facilitate.
There was also something about his expression…so focused, so taken, she felt a bit like she had him right under her thumb. It was kind of…Cute?
“Hehehehe!” She giggled again.
Sam’s feeding only grew more insistent the more he drank, and soon he was biting down on Leigh’s flesh too, completely unconsciously. Leigh didn’t mind at all, she loved it in fact, The pain from his bites only confirmation that his strength was returning. Aaaahhh it’s working! theres the fight in ya coming back out! She thought fondly.
Everything seemed very far away to Sam now, it was all drowned out by the anesthetic effect of the blood. To get a more comfortable angle, he absent-mindedly reached around with his right arm and gripped Leigh’s elbow.
Leigh jumped at this and her face lit up more, she was feeling much more excited than expected now. This wasn’t just cute anymore, this was sickeningly adorable. His eyes, half-lidded but clearly immersed, his mouth, chewing hungrily, carelessly making fresh wounds…He even had little rivulets of drool sliding down his chin. Her eyes strained to open wider and take in the image of him being so honest with himself. This was the kind of thing she really wanted to see from him, letting go, letting loose! It was just gorgeous. Maybe, since this worked so well, he might consider looking outside after all, too. That would be grand… They would be SO much more alike then! And the brawls they would have, oh, she could only imagine… They would be legendary!
Leigh was so focused on her fantasy and Sam on his meal that neither of them noticed Hellen return. “OY!” She boomed from the doorway.
The two were instantly snapped out of whatever trance they were in and braced for the enormous woman stomping towards them. Hellen grabbed the back of Leigh’s shirt and yanked her upwards with a fierceness, holding the small woman suspended in the air while her limbs flailed uselessly. She then got right in Leigh’s face. “You’re lucky I just got done satisfying my bloodlust.”
At being manhandled so easily, Leigh felt a confusing mix of humiliation, fear and…maybe a little arousal? “Whaaaat whaaat?! What’d I do wrong?!” She protested, still flailing midair.
“You could have poisoned him.”
“Poison him? How?! He needs blood, doesn’t he?!” Leigh argued.
“Giving blood doesn’t work that way. How do you not know that?”
Leigh made a chopping gesture, hitting the top of her head with the side of her open hand. “Well DUH, my memory was basically halved, remember?”
Hellen wasn’t sure if the goblin-woman wouldn’t have still pulled this stunt even if her brain wasn’t scrambled.
Leigh continued; “Anyway, how do we KNOW it’s not good for him? the rules are all different now, right? Scout seems to like my blood, and whats good for baby should be good enough for daddy, I would think, heh heh heh heh!”
Hellen shook her head, “Scout is like us: cursed. But Sam is still human, your blood could hurt him.” She then turned her head to check on Sam. He was sitting up in bed now and seemed alright. Better, even, more alert. Though he had unbecoming dark red stains all around his mouth, like a toddler who just finished a plate of spaghetti.
Sam felt the need to reassure Hellen, “I feel…pretty okay, actually. I’m a little unsure of what just happened there but..I guess it was something good…?” It seemed Sam had partially blacked out through the duration of his feeding session. Next, his eyes drifted towards Leigh. “Ah! Leigh, what happened to your arm?”
“You did, hehehehe,” Leigh giggled and Sam just looked confused and concerned.
Hellen also glanced over Leigh’s arm. It was covered in blood and bites, Sam had chewed it up like a dog with a new toy, not that he knew he’d done such a thing.
Hellen let out a tired sigh at the tiny woman she was still dangling. “Am I going to have to treat you now, too?”
“hehehe oooooohh yes, please bandage me, nurse Hellen!!” Leigh teased, wearing a mock-innocent expression.
In response, Hellen flung her across the room. Leigh twisted mid-flight and landed on all fours like a cat. “Eeeehh, so rude!!”
Hellen dismissed her and returned to sitting by Sam’s bedside. She wasted no time wiping down his messy face with her sleeve, an action that made Sam flush and feel very spoiled. “You don’t feel different?” She questioned.
Sam thought for a moment. “Uuhh…no…? I mean, I feel different from this morning, in that I feel more ‘normal.’ but like, ‘mutation’ different? No, I don’t think so.”
Sam felt Hellen’s eyes scrutinize him, studying for any worrying changes since she had left, she noticed his colour had indeed returned. Sam squirmed a bit, nervous to meet her gaze for multiple reasons.
“I bet he’s good to get up now!” Leigh suggested, still in the room, just at a safe distance from Hellen.
“…Maybe.” The large woman answered.
Sam tried to stand up, and was delighted to find the dizziness and fatigue that plagued him earlier today had disappeared entirely. “I…I think she's right!”
Leigh beamed with an impish pride. “Weeelll what’d I tell you?! Hahahaha!”
Hellen shot her a look that told her not to get too cocky and Leigh quieted her cackles. Inside though, Leigh celebrated the small victory.
“Thanks Leigh, for uh, whatever you did. And of course thank you Hellen…For making sure everything didn’t just crash and burn while I was out of commission, haha.” Sam knew he would miss being looked after by Hellen.
“Now that you’re back, lets go on one outing, just one before bed, eh? All three of us?!” Leigh pleaded.
Sam looked to Hellen with a smirk full of pity for Leigh, he wanted to get her permission first.
“Yes.” Was all Hellen responded, she was much more excited about this prospect than she let on.