In her relatively short life, Imogen Claire had heard many things that sent a chill down her spine; bones snapping, witches chanting, desperate pleas, blood curdling screams to name a few, but walking into St Anne's Church to the sound of Father Kieran's hysterical cries was one of the worse. Without thinking, she hastened her footsteps up the staircase to the attic sanctuary she had magically locked a few nights previously in order to keep him from reigning terror on innocent victims of the Quarter.

The sight she stumbled in on caused her to freeze in her tracks at the threshold; Father Kieran was pushed up against on the furthest wall, exclaiming incoherently as Cami held a glass of water to his lips in an attempt to get him to drink it while Josh restrained him with his vampire strength.

"God, no! Aah! Be gone, demon." Kieran hissed angrily as he attempted to swat Cami away from him, snarling in an almost animalistic manner but she refused to give up her efforts.

"Come now, just one sip." she pleaded helplessly with a desperate tinge in her voice and he growled lowly as he slapped the cup straight out of her hand, causing water to fly all over the floor.

"No. Uh! I know who you are, you hateful bitch." he spat heatedly at the blonde as she took a step back out of fright and Kieran's expression softened considerably when his gaze landed on Josh as he lowered his voice to an apologetic murmur, "Oh, Sean, I tried to help you. I tried to save you, but this city... this city is full of monsters."

"Uh, yeah. Trust me, I know." Josh responded unsurely with an unnerved look on his face as he loosened his hold on the older man's shoulders and he glanced at Cami as he lowered his voice to a hushed whisper, "Remind me to never piss off a witch."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll remind you when you get out of line." Imogen announced her presence to the others as she left her post near the entrance to the attic, smirking slightly when both Josh and Cami turned to look at her in surprise. The heel of her shoes sounded louder than necessary on the hardwood floor as she made her way towards them, her eyes trained on the man writhing in agony across the room.

"Imogen! Did you find something?" Cami asked hopefully as she turned her widened eyes towards her friend and the witch faltered in her steps as she swallowed thickly against the sudden lump in her throat. It was almost physically painful to look at her in that moment, to see the hope dwindling in her eyes when all she wanted to do was ignite the dying flame with evidence that she had found a solution. Imogen shook her head sadly in answer, ignoring the ache in her chest at the downtrodden expression that fell across her friend's features.

It bothered her how useless she felt in that moment; she was an extremely powerful witch with unlimited potential but she was unable to help a friend in need. Her entire life had been specifically designed around helping her loved ones, keeping them safe and happy, and it was disconcerting to be rendered incapable of doing what she was destined to do. There were no illusions in her mind about what it was she was meant to do; she was a fighter, she was the champion of the underdog, she was defender of those who couldn't defend themselves.

"Augh!" Kieran cried out suddenly, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen over the attic and everyone snapped their heads around in a panic as the man's body collapsed onto the floor. Violent spasms took over his body as his eyes rolled back into his head until all that could be seen were the whites of his eyes. Cami and Imogen both rushed forward to kneel down next to him and the blonde's hands aimlessly hovering, unsure how to proceed as her eyes widened in fright.

"Help me lay him on his side!" the witch ordered in a stern tone as Josh dropped down on the priests other side and the three of them instantly managed to roll the man over as he continued to seize. Cami brushed her hand over his sweaty forehead with a frown on her lips, worry in her eyes as her gaze swept over his features and it was obvious how much she cared for him, how much of a toll watching him suffer was taking on her.

Comprehension spread across Kieran's features, the manic sheen fading from his eyes as he panted for breath and he looked around in confusion until his gaze landed on his niece. Recognition shined in his eyes as he calmed down momentarily and he reached out to grip her hand weakly as he whispered under his breath, "Cami."

"Uncle Kieran?" she asked hopefully with wide eyes as she held his hand tightly within the confined of both of hers but as quickly as the moment came, confusion and agitation warred in his eyes and he jerked away from her touch with a snarl on his lips.

"What do you want from me?"

"You saw that, right? It was just for a second, but it was him."

The question was directed towards the vampire and witch that were slowly standing up from their knelt positions on the floor while Kieran shuffled away from them, backing up until he was cowering against the wall. Imogen sighed heavily in consideration as she turned her attention to the ailing man, silently watching he anxiously fondled the cross around his neck as his eyes glanced around way panic.

"I don't know, Cami. The Rosary was magically imbued to drive people into violent, psychopathic insanity." Imogen explained as gently as she could manage without giving her friend any sort of false hope and a chill ran down her spine as she recalled the horrifying explanation that the Elders had given during magic study when she was a teenager.

"I mean, maybe he's still in there underneath all the crazy, but the crazy is pretty thick." Josh told her tactlessly with an apologetic grimace, not wanting to offend anyone but unsure how to properly word the thoughts running through his head.

"Maybe he just needs a shock to his system, something to wipe the slate clean." Camille suggested eagerly, her voice a pitch higher than normal in her excitement and her eyes lit up with manic desperation as an idea formed in her mind. "Guys, I think I have an idea on how to fix him. Shock therapy!"

Bewilderment spread across Imogen's features as she took a step backwards instinctively but the obvious scepticism didn't derail the blonde and she latched onto Josh's forearm tightly with a pleading look. The vampire furrowed his eyebrows in disturbed confusion as he gazed down at her and then glanced at the witch across from them, silently seeking instructions or help on how to handle the situation but she seemed as worried as he felt.

"Um, Cami? I think we're going to need a little more information." Josh said nervously with a frown as he placed a hand over hers where it rested on his forearm and she sighed in frustration that no one seemed to follow her thought process as she spun away from him. She ran a hand through her hair as she started pacing in front of her friends, ignoring the glance they shared when they thought she wasn't paying attention, the look that said they were questioning her own sanity.

"Electroconvulsive therapy. It's a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in patients to provide relief from psychiatric illnesses. If we can get a doctor to come up here, they can administer the treatment. A few sharp shocks to his system and maybe his psyche will reset back to normal."

Imogen gaped at her friend in disbelief for a moment, the uncertainty written plainly over her features as she stared at the flustered blonde across the room. She didn't know much about ECT but from the little she had study about the concept, it was a dangerous and risk treatment that only worked fifty percent of the time and was only used in life-threatening situations.

It took her a moment to realise that all eyes in the room were on her, watching, waiting for her decision; Cami staring at her with wide, hopeful blue eyes and Josh's dark gaze searching for direction.

Responsibility weighed heavily on her shoulders, not a new feeling for her as she had been held accountable her entire life. Thoughts drifted through her mind as she closed her eyes for a moment, as though she could read the answer written on the backs of her eyelids. It was true that if they did nothing, Kieran would die, and if they proceeded to conduct electroconvulsive therapy, there could be cognitive impairment or other adverse effects. Their choices were limited: do nothing and die, or do something and maybe die.

"Go. Josh, go. Compel a capable doctor from the local hospital to come here, make sure he brings an ECT device that delivers a brief-pulse current." Imogen instructed firmly with a decisive nod of her head as she opened her eyes, a fierce determination in their depths. Josh raised an eyebrow at me inquisitively, silently asking if I was serious and I gave him another nod of confirmation without having to vocalise my approval to the plan. Cami released a sigh of relief as a beaming smile spread across her lips and she launched herself into the witch's arms, feeling almost giddy with anticipation. Imogen wrapped her arms around her friend in return, maintaining eye contact over her shoulder with the vampire across the room. The two of them shared an understanding look before Josh nodded once with a brief smile and he exited the attic without a backwards glance.

Imogen exhaled slowly as she closing her eyes, allowing herself to relax into the embrace for a moment and do the one thing she wanted to do more than anything: comfort her friend. After spending so much time surrounded by people who weren't worthy of being called humans and vampires who treated their humanity like it was a dimmer switch, it was humbling to be in the presence of someone so wholesome and uncontaminated.

It was sometimes easy to forget that she was human, that she was not weak for feeling things. It was easy to forget that it was okay to get angry, to make people regret ever crossing her. It was easy to forget that it was okay to be happy, to smile so bright it made the sun jealous. It was easy to forget that it was okay to be sad, to crack and crumble and cry until her heart was no longer heavy. It was easy for her to forget that merely surviving wasn't at all the same thing as living.

"This is going to work, right?" Cami asked her friend hopefully, the words muffled slightly by the witch's shoulder and she squeezed her eyes closed as she waited for the inevitable gentle let down.

Something inside Imogen seemed to fracture, allowing the sadness and grief to pour through the crack, and she squeezed the blonde tighter as she mumbled out a sincere, "I don't know. I hope so."

The sound of Cami's cell phone ringing interrupted the moment and the two girls pulled apart, both of them chuckling warily as they wiped their eyes with the backs of their hands. The human made her way over to the handbag she had abandoned earlier and searched through its contents for her cell phone with a frustrated sigh. A loud thud sounded behind her, causing her to spin around in a panic and her eyes widened when she saw Imogen standing over her uncle's unconscious body. "Imogen, what the hell?"

"Relax, think of it as a nap. He's going to get increasingly agitated, so I'm going to handcuff him to the radiator." The witch dismissed her friends worry easily with a wave of her hand over her shoulder as she grabbed one of the man's arms and dragged him with some effort across the floor to the radiator. Cami rolled her eyes in an almost playful manner as she accepted the call on the phone and she held it up to her ear as she watched her friend handcuff her uncle to the metal pipe connected to the radiator. Her breath caught for a moment, surprised at how bizarre it was to think such a thing so easily and without hesitance.

"Hello? Cami, you there?" Marcel's voice rang through the phone line, concern lilting his voice and it jarred her back into the present as she blinked to regain clarity. "Josh called and told me that you were at the church with Kieran and Imogen."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Sorry. I'm a – a little distracted."

"Are you alright?"

"Well, my witch best friend is currently handcuffing my hexed uncle to the radiator and my vampire friend is going to compel a doctor to come give him a .... A check-up."

"So....not alright, then."

A breathy laugh escaped her without her consent as she turned away from the scene in front of her and she ran a hand through her hair as she wandered to the other side of the room. "That would be an accurate description."

"Okay, that's it! I'm on my way. I'm leaving now." he said in a firm tone of voice as though the decision had been made and she instantly shook her head in rejection to his words, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at the macho alpha male he was displaying.

"Mm-mm. No way."

"Cami, Josh told me how bad things have gotten. I should be there for you. Just let me help!"

"How? By getting yourself killed? You have a target on your back, Marcel. The last thing I need is for you to get hurt because of me."

"I'm more worried about you. Kieran is dangerous."

"I got this. I have Imogen with me, and Josh is on his way back here. They'll keep me safe. You come here, I'll throw you out myself, all right? I mean it." she told him stubbornly before quickly hanging up the phone without waiting for a response and she exhaled slowly as she closed her eyes for a moment, counting to ten in her head. She could feel Imogen's eyes on her back, no doubt making sure she wasn't going to breakdown and she was both entirely grateful to have such a supportive friend and annoyed that everyone seemed to think she was so fragile.

"Please don't ask the question you're thinking about asking." She whispered loud enough for her friend to hear from across the room and she heard shuffling on the floorboards but no footsteps approaching from behind. "Please don't ask if I'm okay. Because I honestly don't know the answer."

"I live my life in a constant state of 'I don't know if I'm okay', so I understand how difficult it is to put into words." Imogen admitted quietly, her soft voice carrying across the attic and in that moment, despite the physical distance, Cami had never felt closer to her friend.

Footsteps sounded faintly from the staircase leading to the attic and Imogen snapped her head around to look at the empty doorway, instantly on high alert. She jerked her head behind her with a blank expression, indicating that she should move and the blonde hurried to comply because she knew that a powerful witch would have a better chance against a threat. Imogen kept a hand raised in front of her as she used the opposite arm to shield Cami from any oncoming danger and pulled at the thread of magic deep within her stomach, feeling the power growing inside of her.

"And this is where the magic happens. Literally." Josh's voice echoed from outside attic and Imogen rolled her eyes in annoyance as she relaxed her stance, dropping her arm back to her side. She shared an irritated look with Cami before we both walked over to crouch down next to Kieran's unconscious body, checking that he was actually still alive.

"What the hell?!" an unfamiliar male voice exclaimed in a horrified tone from the doorway and the women spun their heads around to see a middle-aged man in green scrubs staring at Kieran with wide eyes.

"Oh, okay. Yeah. Totally see how we got kind of a crime scene vibe happening here. Just don't freak out, okay?" Josh said in a slightly strained voice, although it was obvious he was trying to keep it light-hearted so the doctor didn't panic. The doctor pushed his way past them, his eyes never leaving the man shackled to the radiator and the girls stood up so there was room for him to crouch down next to the patient.

"Hi. I'm Dr. Sheski. Just gonna get your pulse." The doctor said soothingly as he slowly reached out towards the man's neck but Kieran snapped his head up with a frantic glint in his eyes and released a startled exclamation. Anger quickly replaced any of the panic on his features and he started attempting to bite the man who was suddenly in front of him, an almost animalistic growl rumbling in his throat.

Shock formed on the doctor's face as he abruptly stood up from his crouch, hurrying out of reach before Kieran could sink his teeth into his flesh. He blinked a few times in an attempt to make sure he wasn't hallucinating and then turned around, speaking firmly whilst he made his way towards the door in a determined stride. "I'm gonna have to let the authorities know what the hell is going on here."

"Josh?" Cami questioned anxiously, the silent plea in her voice alerting the vampire to his role in the enterprise as she turned towards him with a desperate glint in her eyes. Imogen immediately stepped in front of the doctor, blocking his attempt to exit the attic with her body and he glared at her heatedly but she just quirked an eyebrow as she silently dared him to make a move against her.

"Oh, right." The vampire murmured in a remembrance as he stepped forward and grabbed the doctor's shoulder in order to turn him around, making eye contact as his pupil's dilated while he used his compulsion. "Dude, be cool. It's just a priest hexed by a witch because of some vampires. Accept that these things are real, then forget them. I mean later. You forget them later. Crap. Ah! Okay. Let me start over."

The two girls shared a look over the doctor's shoulder; impatience marring the face of the blonde and amusement gracing the eyes of the brunette, although she kept her lips from twitching with practiced ease. Normally, Josh's bumbling awkwardness would be considered adorable by the girls but the situation was too dire to appreciate his clumsy attempts to sooth the doctor's worries.

Cami sighed in frustration as she forcibly maneuvered Josh out of the way, causing him to stumble slightly before righting himself and she meet the doctors gaze evenly as she spoke firmly, "Dr. Sheski, my uncle needs to be sedated. Something strong."

"Sedation?" he repeated incredulously as his lip curled in disgust and he pointed a finger towards the man in question as he exclaimed, "He looks like he should be in an ICU!"

"Yeah, see, Imogen, who's a witch – " Josh explained hesitantly with a grimace, pointing a finger at the brunette as she wiggled her fingers mocking with a purse of her lips when the doctor looked over his shoulder at her with wide eyes, " – put this boundary spell on him. So, he's kind of stuck in here."

"This man is malnourished, severely dehydrated – "

"– Which is why you're here." Cami interrupted pointedly in a no-nonsense tone of voice as she pressed her lips into a tight line and she steadfast ignored the nervous anxiety in her stomach as she continued, "But first-- Doctor, what do you know about shock therapy?"

"ECT? First, it's incredibly dangerous."

"But, it has been known to help treat cases of extreme psychosis."

"We don't fully understand it yet, but, yes, in some patients, using electrical current to induce seizures can subvert a psychotic episode-- in effect, rebooting the brain. But, only in the most extreme cases, do we even consider..."

"Like my friend said, we're talking about a priest hexed by a witch. I don't think it gets any more extreme than that."