Chapter Text
Dorothea had informed Odessa that she needed to leave early that night to return to Pembroke, something about a surgery the hospital's administrator wanted everyone to witness. Which was all well and good, but, honestly, Nurse Walker wasn't paying attention as most of her focus was on the patient in front of her and the stitches she was sewing into a man's arm. This is going to leave a nasty scar , the nurse thinks as she's tapped on the shoulder, just before midnight, by her long-time friend and boss.
"I'm leaving now. Don’t forget to lock up again, okay?"
" "Walker mutters, attention returning to her stitching. Dorothea was always reminding her to lock up, despite the fact she’s only forgotten three times before... And despite the fact that they were spaced out over a few months.
The constant reminders would be understandable if they happened back to back, but they didn't; nor were her failures done on purpose; the nurse just got too wrapped up in work, and her sleep-deprived mind had forgotten. She wasn’t even given the CHANCE to forget tonight, though, as Darius, the man who single-handedly decided who entered the dispensary or not, wouldn’t let her.
The old knobhead had checked up on Nurse Walker at least once an hour every hour after Dorothea had taken her leave. He meant well, Odessa knew that, but she would be lying if she said he didn't drive her batty.
Time passed quickly as she moved from infirm to infirm, and before she knew it, it was time to close up for the night. After ensuring no more patients needed immediate care, Odessa bid Darius goodnight while flipping the old bloke the finger as he laughed, reminding her to lock up for the 100th time.
Once out of the courtyard the dispensary resides in, leather-bound hands find their way into a set of pockets as Walker walks down the now-empty street alone. Many people were out day and night thanks to the flu, as its first wave hit London hard— many businesses had close down because of it. It was pleasant at first— people stayed home... But now, weeks into the pandemic with no end in sight, milling about the street was all they had to occupy themselves with.
The only reprieve from the sea of bodies was an hour or two before sun up and sun down. Each shift in the day acting like a reset button for the tired flu-fearing people of London.
“I’d kill for a cuppa, right now. Anything to keep me up enough and warm enough for this bloody walk home.” She thought, idly kicking a rock down the filthy street." Not just any cuppa though; I wish it was one of Fathers."
Before the pandemic and the switch to the night shift, Walker would always wake to the cry of crows, the smell of Father's badly but lovingly made tea. He was never a good cook, somehow managing to burn everything he made... But she didn’t mind; how could she when Father was the only blood relative she had? A small mournful smile tugs at the corners of her lips as an image of him fills her head. Father was a large burly man with green eyes and blonde hair that, despite living most of his life as a shipwright, was the kindest person she knew… Though Uncle Sean would beg to differ.
The more Nurse Walker thought of Father, the more her smile turned into a frown. His passing was the sole reason she had accepted the shift change, as she needed something to busy herself, for the nurse found herself unable to face the dawn without him.
Bloody tosser, she thinks, stopping to fumble open a new pack of cigarettes. Father had gotten himself killed at his “new job.” He had told her it was with the police, but none had been seen in London since the start of the war back in 1914.
“What police?” She’d ask whenever she'd notice a new injury on him, but, always the stubborn twat, he’d never elaborate; instead, he would just tell her,
“I'm no longer wasting the rest of my life on the seas, I’m doing something good for other people. Please be proud of me, my little petal.” He’d beg before swearing like the sailor he was as she tended his wounds.
Odessa may not have said it enough, but she was proud of him. Despite living and growing up on the docks, Father, her "Uncle," and her "Nana" had provided her with a relatively comfortable life; in fact, she had managed to get a free ride through nursing school. As she reminisces, sharply inhaling bitter smoke, Odessa continues her long walk home.
With him gone, I would have been alone if not for my friends and “family”, who tried their best to support me. Dorothea provided long work hours to keep her body busy, “Uncle” Sean kept trying to bring her back to God to keep her mind occupied, and her amazing girlfriend, Charlie, held the raggamuffin group together with her fantasies and fight for women's rights.
I’ve no living blood relatives, but I have them to thank for not letting me throw myself into the Thames during those first few weeks. She thinks as the last fleeting ember of her cigarette burns bright against the night sky. The little Nurse stops about 50 metres from her flat to put what was left of the cigarette out on a post, though she finds her body freezing when something small and wet hits the tip of her nose.
Feck …She curses, face turning to the sky, searching for offending rain clouds. Though she saw none, more droplets assaulted her after only a heartbeat.
"Cold and raining. , I'm going to catch my death if I don't get home soon," she says softly, as her pace quickens to a light jog, eager to get home, get dry, and off to bed.
Darkened windows greeted her as she approached the door to her double-storey, the shack wasn’t much, but it had been home, and it will continue to be home as long as the sea permits it to stand. With a shivering hand, the little nurse reaches out to unlock the flimsy barrier, the comfort of home and bed only a few seconds away. Yet, instead of putting her key into the lock, she finds her body going still as a pained cry rings out from the wharf.
Poor sods, more and more suffer this terrible flu each night. Walker thinks, trying to ignore the cries, silently thankful she has not yet caught it herself. Should I go see what or who created the sound? Or Just ignore it and go to bed ? Her mind races as she rests her head lightly against the door, silently reciting the nurse's pledge.
I solemnly pledge myself before God and, in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practise my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty, I will endeavour to aid the physician in his work and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.
Fuck...She says loudly, quickly unlocking her home for easy access before making her way toward the direction of the sound.
As she jogs, she digs a torch out of her medical pack and shines it down the sea-rotted steps leading towards the wharf. There in the sand, the lone figure of a woman sits, her body crumpled in on itself as the pained cries turn to hushed sobs.
As Odessa draws closer, she can see the woman is covered in various wounds, the blood seeping from them shining bright in the torch's light against her pale skin, the early rain having little effect on the worst of her wounds.
"Miss? Miss, are you all right? I am a nurse. Do you need help?" She asks, hand reaching out to touch the woman's shoulder, easily replacing her tired expression with one she wears daily at work.
"Help?" The word is more of a question than a statement. "Yes… I need help… I've searched all night, but I still can't find my brother…And I'm so hungry, so painfully hungry," Odessa watches as the strange woman turns, her body rising to its knees. By the dim light of the torch, Nurse Walker can not only see just how wounded the woman is but how sickly she looks. The skin is as pale as the moon and is as tight as a corset on a west-end toff; her amber eyes sit sunken in deep, tired pockets.
"I'm so sorry— here, can you stand, Miss?" As she speaks, Odessa shoves the torch between her lips, hands grabbing at the woman to help her to her feet. The flesh is...cold, colder than it has any right to be, even in the fall air.
It is a bit of a struggle due to Nurse Walker's small 5'4 frame, but eventually, she manages to get the woman to her feet. Now I just need to get her home... Somehow, she thinks, while arms draping loosely around her shoulders. The woman's head limply lays against Odessas as they begin the short walk back up the wharf, taking one rotted step at a time.
"My name is Odessa— Nurse Odessa Walker, can you tell me yours?" She enquires, voice as polite as possible though the stench of death rolling off this woman makes her stomach turn. When the stranger finally speaks, it's barely a whisper; if Odessa weren't holding her so close, she'd surely missed it.
"I...I don't know what happened. I'm just so hungry."
"I will feed you at home, okay? Just take it easy— there we go—" Odessa urges the lass on as she tries to maintain her death grip around her patient's waist. If her feet failed to hold her, Walker would need to figure out how to get her back to her flat. For she knew alone, she had not the strength to carry her if she slipped into unconsciousness. The thought of bothering one of the neighbours crossed her mind, but no, it was far too late.
By the time the women had reached the entrance, the stranger had regained enough of her strength to prop herself up against the door frame as the kind Nurse lets go long enough to open the door.
"Come on, let's go inside where it is warm." The little nurse says before carefully grabbing the stranger once more, leading her into her home and towards the sitting room. There Odessa carefully sits her on a rough blue sofa before leaving her new patient alone for a few minutes so she can change into something dry.
I'm not getting to bed anytime soon, am I? She thinks, hurrying back downstairs, and making a beeline to the kitchen. Nor do I have any fresh tea... Coffee it is, I guess. As soon as she is rested and patched up, I'll take her to mo chroí's place, as it's closer than the dispensary.
With the kettle on, Odessa returns to the sitting room, where her body goes still after flicking the lights on. The stranger, who was too weak to even hold her head up for more than a heartbeat, now sat straight, all proper-like, eyes glued to the nurse as if she had seen her before the lights came on. Odessa clears her throat as now nervous hands rub together. "Okay— um, let's... look you over," she manages after a few tense seconds. She's encountered a lot of strange things as a nurse, so her brain just chalks this oddity up to the fact that she's sleep deprived.
Steeling her nerves, she approaches, clean cloth and a bowl of water in hand, refusing to meet the woman's gaze as her eyes bore holes into Walker's body. Dipping the cloth into the water, the nurse starts by wiping off one of her patient's arms, though the confusion soon becomes overwhelming as the now wiped-away muck and blood show nothing but unblemished skin.
"I... I don't understand. You had wounds all over your body, didn't you?" The words stumble out of her mouth as she finally looks into the woman's eyes, only to be met with a predatory gaze.
"Are you okay, Nurse Walker?" The pained and hurt tone of voice that had greeted her on the wharf was gone. In its place, something low... something bordering on inhuman.
"Um...Maybe I'm just tyred, Miss...Um, coffee should be ready soon..." Odessa's voice trembles as she stands, intent on taking a step back from the stranger, though she does not get far. In one smooth, quick movement, faster than the human eye could detect, Odessa finds small delicate fingers wrapped around her neck.
Her breath hitches as a scared yelp gets caught in her throat. The nurse tries to remove the offending hand but finds it is as solid as stone.
What... What sickness is this?? , Odessa thinks as she continues to fight against the hand that has rooted her body to the spot.
"Miss... I... You're hurting me, Miss," her voice cracks as she tries to speak against the pressure that's causing her world to slowly spin. Frantic eyes search the immediate area as spots form. There is nothing in my oath that prevents self-preservation! Her brain screams as Odessa fails to find anything within arms reach. As a last-ditch effort, Walker jams her thumb into her pait... attacker's eye.
It doesn't take a lot of pressure nor time for her to feel a sickening wet pop as the eyeball implodes on itself. Triumphantly, Odessa dares to grin; her attacker lets out a spine-tingling growl that resonates in her body before squeezing the nurse's neck hard and shoving her to the ground.
"You bloody little chav!" The woman hisses through gritted teeth while one hand flies to her now-destroyed eye. "No matter, it will heal". She continues as Walker gasps for air, thankful her esophagus had not been crushed like her voicebox.
She tries to speak but only manages a pitiful wheeze as she looks upon the crazed woman she had invited into her home. Please! Please just leave! Her mind begs as the stranger looks down on the nurse with the gaze of a predator on the hunt.
"Thank you for your help, Nurse Walker," the stranger coos as she takes a fistful of Odessa's hair, forcing her head to the side; so harshly Walker is surprised her neck didn't snap.
"You smell... delightful, you know that?... Though the fear muddles it a bit" The stranger chuckles as her tongue licks slowly along exposed flesh.
Defenceless and voiceless, the nurse silently weeps as something sharp is forced into her neck. Her ears ring as the sounds of the woman hungrily drinking her blood fills the room. No... I can't...It can't end like this. She thinks as images of her friends and family flash in her mind. Rationally Odessa knows the heavy feeling washing over her is from blood loss, but her brain refuses to accept that this woman...This monster is the cause.
With the little fight she has left in her, Odessa does the only thing she can think of at that moment... She bites the blighter back. God, I hope it's not rabies, she prays as blunt human teeth rip and tear at the nape of her attacker's neck. Her last stand only stops when she tastes blood.
After what feels like an eternity, the little nurse is released, her body threatening to pass out from the extreme blood loss.
"I love when they fight back," the woman purrs as she wipes the blood off of her now-healed neck before disappearing into the home, leaving Odessa on the floor. Stillness washes over her as she stares at the ceiling, no longer having the strength to even weep. She swallows as she thinks of her friends before closing her eyes for the last time.