City of Fallen Angels - September Excerpt, Part 2

Artwork by bhanesidhe

Here's the second part of the September Cookie. Ah, something for those of us who adore Simon and for those of us who are moms, this really hits home:

“You think you’re a vampire,” Simon’s mother said, numbly.
“You think you drink blood.”
“I do drink blood,” Simon said. “I drink animal blood.”
“But you’re a vegetarian.” His mother looked to be on the verge of tears.
“I was. I’m not now. I can’t be. Blood is what I live on.” Simon’s
throat felt tight. “I’ve never hurt anyone. I’d never drink someone’s blood. I’m still the same person. I’m still me.”
His mother seemed to be fighting for control. “Your new friends — are they vampires, too?”
Simon thought of Isabelle, Maia, Jace. He couldn’t explain Shadowhunters and werewolves, too. It was too much. “No. But — they know I am one.”
“Did — did they give you drugs? Make you take something? Something that would make you hallucinate?”
“No. Mom, this is real.”
“It’s not real,” she whispered. “You think it’s real. Oh, God. Simon. I’m so sorry. I should have noticed. We’ll get you help. We’ll find someone. A doctor. Whatever it costs —”
“I can’t go to a doctor.”
“Yes, you can. You need to be somewhere. A hospital, maybe —”
He held out his wrist to her. “Feel my pulse,” he said.
She looked at him, bewildered. “What?”
“My pulse,” he said. “Take it. If I have one, okay. I’ll go to the hospital with you. If not, you have to believe me.”
She wiped the tears from her eyes and slowly reached to take his wrist.