THE CURE
DANIELLE FRANCES DUCREST
Disclaimer: Van Helsing belongs to someone who isn't me. Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, Marti Noxon, Twentieth Century Fox Productions, UPN, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, and Sandollar Television. Any copyright infringements were not intended. This story was written for entertainment and not for profit.
Spoilers and Timing: Takes place in mid-season four of Buffy with mild spoilers for that. For Van Helsing, this takes place quite a number of years after the movie with spoilers for that, also.
Summary: My turn. 100-word and 150-word drabble series. For once, a werewolf isn't trying to kill him.
*****
1.
"I heard you discovered a cure for lycanthropy."
Van Helsing studied the younger man. He looked to be in his late teens. He wore jaded blue jeans that had worn down to threads in some places, and he sported a blue T-shirt for some band called Dingoes Ate My Baby. His hair and his fingernails were both black.
Cautiously, he replied, "Maybe I did. What's it to you?"
"I'm a werewolf. I'm looking for a way to change that."
He had to be the tamest werewolf Van Helsing had ever seen. "You got a name?" The youth smiled slightly. "Oz."
*****
2.
"Carl, meet Oz. Oz, meet Carl."
Oz smiled his little half-smile and stuck out a hand. "How do you do?"
Carl stared at him, then turned to Van Helsing. "This is the reformed werewolf?"
Van Helsing nodded.
Carl turned back to Oz and smiled. "Well, then, I’m doing splendid!"
He pumped Oz’s hand with enough enthusiasm to make Oz’s whole body shake.
"So, can you do it?" Carl’s friend questioned. "Do those old blood samples of mine have enough of the cure to work on Oz?"
"I suppose it’s possible. Tell me, Mr. Oz, how’s the reforming working for you?"
*****
3.
"Carl mentioned that the two of you have worked together for a hundred and thirty years," Oz said.
It was the longest sentence Van Helsing had ever heard him say. "That’s right."
"How does that work?"
"I used to be the left hand of God. Carl’s Immortal."
"Oh. That explains a few things."
"Like what exactly?" Van Helsing asked warily.
"Well, Carl’s got a picture of both of you next to this old-time horseless carriage, and there’s a medal on his mantel with his name and 1892 on it."
"Oh, right, his Valiant Services medal."
"How’d he get that?"
"We were in Romania once battling this group of gypsies that didn’t like us much. They started it. We won only after Carl threw a bottle at the old woman spell-caster."
"What was the bottle?"
"Um…I think it was ‘Cajun Butt Paste.' Carl said something about her smelling."
Oz blinked. "Huh."
*****
4.
For a moment, the only noises originated from Carl’s workroom. "So, you were a werewolf once? How’d that happen?" Oz asked, curious.
Van Helsing winced. "I got bit."
That little ghost of a smile returned. "Same here."
"Who bit you?" Van Helsing asked, intrigued despite himself.
"My baby cousin. He really hates being tickled."
Van Helsing smirked. "I’ll have to keep that in mind."
"What about you?"
He hesitated a moment. It had always been a sore subject for him. "My late girlfriend’s brother bit me."
Oz only raised an inquiring eyebrow.
The famous monster hunter winced again. "Don’t ask."
*****
5.
Carl appeared at the door. Oz’s eyes widened as he took in Carl’s soot covered clothes. Van Helsing didn’t even bat an eye. He was used to it.
Carl smiled. "I’ve got it! It should work!"
"You ready?" Van Helsing asked the werewolf.
"I guess so," Oz said.
They entered the lab. Carl led them to a table holding a beaker and a syringe. "It’s perfectly sterilized, not to worry," Carl said. He picked up the syringe.
Oz rolled up his sleeve and presented the scientist with his arm. He bit his lip as the syringe’s needle penetrated his skin.
*****
6.
Nothing seemed to happen at first. "Did it work?" Van Helsing asked.
Suddenly, Oz let out a scream that quickly became a roar. He sagged against the table even as Van Helsing and Carl rushed to his sides. With a deep-throated growl, Oz's arms flew uncontrollably out from his sides, knocking both men in the chins and to the floor. Oz leaned his arms against the table and panted while fur grew on his arms, neck, and face.
Van Helsing and Carl watched with growing alarm. "Oh, shit-" Carl said.
The newly-werewolved Oz looked up at the ceiling and howled.
*****
7.
Carl and Van Helsing leaned against the door, using all their weight to keep it closed.
"Well, that certainly went well," Carl remarked.
A large mass slammed into the door, making them grunt.
"What the hell happened?" Van Helsing demanded.
"I think the cure is only supposed to be administered while Oz is in werewolf form. Otherwise, Oz reverts to his wolf state."
"So what you're saying is that we have to open this door, grab another sample of the cure, and then inject it into a fully-wolfed Oz."
"Yes. It's just like old times, isn't it?"
Van Helsing only grunted in answer.
Oz slammed into the door again, making the wood splinter. They held their ground.
"You're Immortal. I think you should do it," Van Helsing said.
"Me? You're the one who's a fallen Angel!"
"But I can still be turned into a werewolf. You can't."
"No! Absolutely not!"
*****
8.
"I can't believe I'm doing this."
"You'd better face up to the facts soon, Carl. It's not healthy to live in denial."
Carl glared at him.
Van Helsing still stood with his back against the door. Carl, meanwhile, had removed his jacket - he hadn't worn a friar's robe in decades - and held his sword at the ready. The blade was made of steel. While it could harm Oz, it couldn't kill him. They were counting on that.
Carl took a deep breath. "Just open the damn door."
Van Helsing nodded. "On the count of three. One…two…three!"
*****
9.
Carl slashed at Oz. The werewolf wined in pain and took a few steps back.
"Damnit, Van Helsing, where the hell is that cure!" Carl shouted behind him, through the door into his lab.
"Carl, where the hell are your syringes?" Van Helsing called back.
Carl made another slash with his sword. "Oh, for crying out loud! Do I have to do everything around here? They're in the leftmost-drawer, second drawer from the top! In the storage cabinet!"
"Found them!"
"Hurry it up already!"
"Hold your horses!"
"'Hold your horses', he says. I'll tell him to hold his bleeding horses…"
*****
10.
Van Helsing appeared at the doorway. "Catch!" he called.
Carl slashed at Oz. He caught him in the forearm, then turned and grabbed the syringe sailing through the air. As Oz lunged again, Carl stabbed the werewolf with as much force as he could. The needle penetrated Oz's neck as the beast's incisors sank into Carl's sword arm.
Carl yelled and started cursing up a storm. The werewolf staggered back, dropping onto all fours as the cure worked its magic. The wolf hair disappeared as Oz's body reverted back to human form.
Oz's eyes landed on Carl's arm. "Oh, God."
*****
11.
Oz frowned down at the clothes Carl had given him to wear. "They're a little big, but thanks," he said.
Carl shrugged. "Best I could do. Not that you could wear your old clothes."
Oz glanced at Carl's healed arm. "Sure you're going to be all right?"
"Don't worry about him," Van Helsing said. "Carl's Immortality prevents him from being changed."
Oz relaxed. "Good to know. I wouldn't want you to go through what I do…did."
"Actually, I think it's best if you stick around until the next full moon, just in case the injection didn't work," Carl said.
To be continued
