Page 16 of Fangs and Family
I used Leszek’s divine name on purpose, knowing not everyone would know his modern version, but part of me wondered if I was acting irrationally in a perfectly innocent situation. After all, this man had done nothing threatening and came here for help like many of the elder races did, but his presence set me on edge.
‘Thank you.’ He said when I returned with the suturing kit and cleaned his skin. ‘What is a human such as yourself doing in a hospital that caters to the Unseen?’ There was no command in his voice, but I felt compelled to answer, my confusion at his term for the elder races pushed aside as I spoke.
‘Working? Everyone working here is fully aware of the Gates and the Elder Races, and we all swore to protect that knowledge as well as do our utmost to encourage a better understanding of each other,’ I said, reciting the corporate spiel we used to reassure our patients before reaching for Mr Sapieha’s injured arm. ‘Now, let me put in a few sutures to close your wound. I may need to cut the cauterised edges of the skin to help close it.’
‘Do what needs to be done, Nina. How does your family feel about your circumstances? Are you sure they’d approve? After all, most people you encounter here are less civilised and more dangerous than humans. Not everyone can restrain themselves like us vampires,’ he said, observing me without flinching when I cut away a thin strip of damaged skin and sank the needle into his flesh.
‘My family has no say in where I work.’ I answered with a frown.
Why was he asking about my family? Was this just a polite way of talking from olden times, or was there something amiss? Whatever it was, I didn’t want to give him any details.
‘Oh? Well, of course, you’re an adult, but no matter how old we are, we occasionally still listen to our parents.’ Mr Sapieha’s comment was a little annoying, but I shrugged, ignoring his remarks to focus on my work. I felt much calmer now and wondered what had prompted my initial suspicions. After all, this man was trying to be friendly, even if his polite conversation touched on a sore subject.
‘Both of my parents are deceased. It’s only me and my brother.’ I answered.
‘With only the two of you, you must be close. Does he work here too?’ He asked, and I frowned again. Something didn’t feel right, but I felt like something was numbing my senses, and each time my worry spiked, I felt instantly calm, as if my cares had been washed away.
‘No, Pawel isn’t suited to helping people. Our paths diverged when we were young, and it wasn’t amicable, to say the least. My brother has… well, he follows trouble like a lost puppy, and I grew tired of it years ago.’ I didn’t like to talk about Pawel, but with this man, I felt like I could share my troubles. His gaze was so patient and understanding.
‘Oh, Nina, is he alright? If you are worried about him, maybe I could help? It could be my way of thanking you for the excellent care you are showing me. I must admit, over the years, I have made many connections with powerful people, so I’m sure my assistance would be useful.’ I found myself smiling at Mr Sapieha’s offer, tears threatening to flow in relief, and only my professional pride stopped me from embracing the generous vampire.
‘Thank you so much. I wasn’t expecting a stranger to care…’ My voice broke, and I exhaled slowly to centre myself.
‘Of course I care. Do you know where your brother is? As soon as I speak with him, I will ensure his troubles will never bother you again.’
‘But I don’t know where he is. That’s the problem. Can you help me find him?’ I asked, and the vampire narrowed his eyes. I felt so attuned to his emotion that I knew I’d disappointed him. Still, after a moment, a gentle smile ghosted over his lips again, and I relaxed. I barely registered when his hand landed on my cheek.
‘Nina, you will tell me when your brother contacts you.’ He ordered, and I felt the strength of the command in his voice. The warm fuzzy sensation was gone, replaced by fear. I jerked backwards, trying to get away from his reach, but he was faster, grabbing the back of my head and pulling me close to him.
‘You will tell me where your brother is as soon as he contacts you. Make no mistake, little human, I won’t ask twice. I will get what I came for,’ he snarled before his fangs sank into the soft flesh of my neck, and a wave of overwhelming pleasure swept away all thought.
‘Nina, wake up, come on, please wake up.’A stubborn voice repeated those words, refusing to let me ignore them until finally, I opened my eyes, only to close them, hissing in pain at the uncomfortable intensity of the cubicle lights.
‘What the… What happened?’ I asked, wondering why my head was pounding and I was lying on a trolley.
‘You blacked out in triage. Your patient shouted for help, and we found you on the floor. I took some blood samples. Your sugar levels are low, and you’re anaemic. Seriously Nina? Did you forget to eat before you came on shift?’
Now I knew who was talking. Only Sara could make me feel like a ten-year-old with their hand in the cookie jar. I tried to recall what happened, but all I remembered was suturing a charming man with a minor cut.
‘Oh fuck! Is he alright? I didn’t face-plant in his wound, did I?’ The speed at which I sat up left me dizzy, and I took a moment to stop the world from spinning.
‘No, he’s fine. You’d finished before pulling your dying swan routine. Luckily, he caught you before you injured yourself and lay you down, and then the team called me. You’re going home, and I’m covering your shift.’ Sara looked at me sternly as she handed me a large muffin. Strangely embarrassed, I wished the ground would swallow me up, but there was something that bothered me about this story. I’d been this hungry many times without passing out, so why now?
‘You can’t do it. You’re a doctor. This place needs a triage nurse,’ I argued, trying to preserve the last shred of dignity. I was a Matron1, and she was sending me home like an unruly pupil.
‘And my majestic doctor’s crown won’t fall off if I do some triage duties. So stop arguing the toss. You are going home tonight, and I will come by in the morning to check up on you,’ Sara ordered. She was rarely in her bossy “don’t argue, or you die” mood, but today was the day, and I didn’t have the strength to disagree.
‘Nina!’ the roar from the doorway made me scramble to the back of the stretcher, and Sara instinctively took a defensive stance. It was Adam, but like I had never seen him before. The bad boy nonchalance was gone, replaced by a condensed fury that eased only a little when his gaze fell on me.
‘What the fuck happened? Why did they call Sara, saying you were unconscious?’
‘What are you doing here?’ I asked, shocked by his appearance.
‘Are you monitoring my calls, Adam?’ Sara’s voice was filled with menace, but he didn’t flinch when she approached him.
‘I listen to everything. What else do you think the security chief for the Syndicate is fucking doing? Talk to Leszek if you want to be off the list,’ he said, and I wondered when Sara would punch him, but then he added.
‘Is she alright? What can I do?’
