Chapter Text
Charlie had just finished moving the furniture her dad had conjured to where she liked it when there was a knock on the hotel’s door. She glanced at the clock, which read 11 pm. Who was at the door at this hour of the night? All of the hotel’s residents were asleep already, and she couldn’t blame them. The day before, they had fought off an entire angel army. Today, they had decorated and furnished the entire new hotel. Hesitantly, Charlie opened the door. “Velvette?’”
The surprise was evident on her face. “Hiya, babes,” Velvette greeted, “Sorry to come by so late, but I need your help.”
“With what?” Charlie was still confused.
“The extermination fiasco kinda made me have a middeath crisis, and…” she trailed off.
Charlie tilted her head inquisitively.
“Well… it’s- uh, I… I want to be redeemed!” She blurted, flinching back in fear.
“Oh! Of course! We’d be happy to have you. The other residents are already asleep for the night, but I can get you a room and you can meet everyone in the morning.” Charlie said enthusiastically.
For a moment, confusion flashed across Velvette’s face. She regained control of her expression quickly, hiding the odd reaction from Charlie. She had to learn to trust them. She had to be redeemed.
When Velvette woke up, she smelled food. Good food that she hadn’t had in a long time. Bacon, eggs, and even pancakes. She stood and headed to her bathroom. She did her makeup in the grimy mirror and threw on some clothes. Before heading out the door, she pulled a pill bottle from her bag and took one. She headed down the stairs to breakfast. “Good morning!” called Charlie, bubbly as ever.
“Morning.” Velvette forced a smile and headed for the table.
The other residents turned and greeted her. They had clearly been informed of her presence before she had come down the stairs. Everyone was digging into plates of food, and Charlie had set a place for her at the table. She grabbed the plate and helped herself to a bit of everything, glancing around the room nervously. She ate and waited for the others to finish. When everyone was done, Charlie stood, “Alright guys! Ten minute break to get ready for the morning lecture, then meet in the lobby.”
Everyone nodded and stood. Velvette stood with them, and quickly walked back to her room for the break.
Everyone was gathered in the lobby except for Velvette. It had been fifteen minutes since she had left for her room. Angel rose from his seat. “I’m not waiting around all day for Selfies to get her ass down here. I’m going up to her room and see what’s taking so damn long.”
He walked up the stairs and found her room, door shut. He knocked, but there was no answer. “Hello? Everyone is waiting!” Still no answer.
He pushed the door open and scanned the room. It was empty. He walked in and called out for her, but there was still no answer. He turned and was ready to leave when he heard coughing. He whipped his head around and saw the door to her bathroom was ajar. “Velvette?” There was still no answer. He stepped closer to the door and pushed it open gently. Velvette was hunched over the toilet, gagging. Angel rushed to her side. “Are you okay? What happened?” He reached one hand up to feel her forehead, two to pull her hair back, and the last he settled on her back.
“I’m fine!” she sputtered. “I’ll be down in a moment.”
“You’re not fine. Someone who’s fine doesn’t puke their guts up with no warning.”
“I’m just keeping my figure. Don’t worry about it.”
“Keeping your figure? You’re purging?!”
“Of course I’m purging! I have to look perfect 24/7. I have to be thin and beautiful or else I lose my following. I have to cover the scars and bruises and keep my appetite down and not let anyone see any of this. Now back off. I said, I'm fine!” She shoved him back.
“Scars? Bruises? What do you mean?”
“Shit.”
“You are definitely not fine. I’m not gonna sit around and watch you harm yourself like that. You can talk to me.”
Velvette opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She was suddenly dizzy. She wiped her lips and saw red on her hands. She had been throwing up blood. Before she could say something to Angel, she passed out.
“Shit!” Angel yelled, grabbing her.
He looked at the blood on her hand. She was unusually pale. He lifted her limp body. He could feel her spine and ribs. She was still breathing, but it was shallow. As he stood, a pill bottle fell out of her pocket and spilled onto the floor. Angel rushed to lay her on her bed, then went back and examined them. He recognized the name. They were illegal, even in Hell. They suppress your appetite, but tore up your insides and caused internal bleeding after too much use. No wonder Velvette was vomiting blood. She was undoubtedly bleeding out internally, and she needed to get to a hospital fast.
Angel paced around Velvette’s room, panicking. He needed to go to Charlie and the others for help, but he couldn’t leave her alone. She was barely breathing. ‘You dumbass, you have a phone’ he cursed himself internally for not thinking of it sooner. He reached for his pocket , but it was empty. He had left his phone on the couch downstairs, thinking he’d only be gone a moment. His spiraling thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. “Angel? Velvette?” Charlie’s voice rang out.
“Charlie! Come in!” Angel’s voice was panicked and high pitched.
Charlie burst through the door and ran inside. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Unable to think of a way to explain it all quickly, he just pointed to Velvette’s still form on the bed. Charlie rushed over and shook her, trying to rouse her. “It’s not going to work.” Angel said shakily, “I found her purging, but she was vomiting blood. She fainted and I found a bottle of those really dangerous diet pills that were recalled and banned a few years back. They cause internal bleeding.”
“Vaggie.” Charlie said.
“Huh? What’s she got to do with this?”
“She was trained in first aid with the exorcist army. She’ll know what to do.”
“I’ll go grab her.” Angel rushed out of the room and down the hall.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, the rest of the group was staring at him, waiting for some sort of explanation. He didn’t have time. “Vaggie! C’mon!”
The fallen angel was stunned for a second, but Angel’s frightened tone was enough to make her spring into action. Angel briefed Vaggie before they made it to the room. Charlie was hyperventilating, staring at Velvette’s body on the bed. Vaggie rushed over and Angel stood in the doorway staring at Velvette. What was Charlie sobbing for? After a few seconds, he realized. Velvette’s chest was still. She wasn’t breathing.
He leapt over a sobbing Charlie and Vaggie trying to get her to say what was wrong and grabbed her wrist, checking her pulse. There was nothing. “Vaggie! She’s not breathing! I can’t feel a pulse! Do something!”
Vaggie jumped up from Charlie’s side and started doing CPR on Velvette. After a few moments of frantic chest compressions and anxious silence, Velvette took a shallow breath. She was far from okay, but she was alive. Charlie grabbed Velvette’s hand and swallowed. Before anyone else had time to prepare themselves, they collapsed to the floor in an entirely different building. They were in front of a desk. A figure stood and rushed over to them. It was Carmilla. Charlie immediately started talking. “Carmilla, I’m so sorry for interrupting you and showing up unannounced, but we need your help. Or more, we need your daughter’s help. Velvette took dangerous diet pills and vomited blood and passed out and now she won’t wake up and she stopped breathing for a bit and Vaggie had to do CPR and-”
Carmilla held up a hand. “Odette!” she called, “It’s alright. You know she’s the best doctor in the pride ring. Your friend will be okay. Though I’m curious to know how and why you are the ones bringing her to me and not Vox and Val. Doesn’t she stay with them?” When Odette arrived, Carmilla snapped, teleporting herself, Odette, and Velvette to Odette’s building.
A few tense hours had passed, and Charlie had explained everything to Carmilla. Odette had taken Velvette 4 hours ago and they had still heard nothing. Odette stepped out of her office and looked at them. “She’s waking up, but she’ll still be pretty groggy. I had to do major surgery. She had pretty bad bleeds in three places. It’s a wonder she survived until now. You can come back to see her now, though. She’ll be fine.”
They joyfully reunited with Velvette, but there was a question nagging at the back of his mind. When Charlie and Vaggie went to go get a coffee, he asked. “You said you had scars and bruises, and the stuff you said about looking good doesn’t get into your head without someone planting the idea. Who did this to you? I ain’t gonna sit back and let someone hurt you like that!”
Velvette to a deep breath, preparing herself. “Vox.”