Crimson Night Part 6

"Didn't Jeannie call and " Lee sighed and mentally cursed his flaky receptionist. He really should fire the girl, who hadn't shown up for work on time in G.o.d knows how long and screwed up appointments routinely, but Lee wasn't any good at confrontations.

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Hilliard said. "If I've made a mistake."

"No, no," Lee said. "It's not your fault. Jeannie was supposed to call all my patients and tell them I wasn't seeing anyone for the rest of the week. You see, I have a uh, family emergency." That was no lie.

"Well, I can just reschedule "

"It's okay," Lee told her and stepped aside so his patient and her six-year-old daughter could enter. "I can give you the shot in five minutes there's no need to make you come back."

He touched the rheostat on the wall, and the dark house (shuttered in deference to his guests) brightened.

In the examining room, Lee rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands quickly before reaching into the refrigerator for the small bottle of Depo-Provera.

"Needles are bad," the little girl p.r.o.nounced solemnly while Lee prepared the shot. "I had one today and it really hurt." "Well, I'm going to try my best not to hurt Mommy. What kind of medicine did the doctor give you?"

"It was a vampire shot," the little girl said, and Lee almost dropped the needle.

"She means the doctor took blood," Mrs. Hilliard explained. "He calls it his vampire shot to calm her down. Laurie's having her appendix taken out and he wanted to know her blood type."

"Oh," Lee replied and used a cotton swab to sterilize his patient's upper arm before giving her the intramuscular injection of birth control that would work for three months before she needed another shot. Pity no one gave Meghann some Depo-Provera, Lee thought and wondered idly if a vampire could practice contraception with anything but a condom.

"Good for you," Lee told the little girl and gave her a red lollipop from the collection he kept for his patients' children. Then he turned to Mrs. Hilliard, pulling her plaid sleeve down over the bandage he'd put on her arm. "You can pay me outside."

"What is blood type?" Laurie asked him.

Lee gave the girl a simple response, actually glad to be distracted from his worry over Meghann. "All blood type means is that there are different kinds of blood."

"You mean some blood isn't red?" Laurie asked, and Lee laughed.

"No, honey, all blood is red but there are tiny differences. Now, do you know what a transfusion is?"

The little girl thought for a minute and then said, "On Mommy's soap opera, someone got in a car accident once and they had to get a transfusion."

"Right," Lee said. "They were in an accident and they probably lost blood when they got hurt. Now, when they got to the hospital, the doctors and nurses would have new blood waiting for them. When doctors put blood into a patient, that's called a transfusion."

"Where do they get the blood?" Laurie asked.

"Nice people donate their blood to help people who get hurt. And sometimes, when people have an operation like you're going to have, they lose a little bit of blood and they need a transfusion. But doctors have to be real careful about the blood they give you. Thank you, Mrs. Hilliard." Lee accepted her payment and gave her a receipt before turning back to Laurie. "You could get very sick if the doctor gave you the wrong type of blood."

"Does everybody have different blood?"

"There are about four different types and everyone is one of them."

"How do you know who's who?" Laurie asked.

"We have a test that says which type you are and I bet your doctor is testing your blood right now. Have you ever heard of antibodies?" Lee asked.

The little girl shook her head, and Lee explained, "Antibodies are very, very important. They're what prevent you from getting sick. When you get a cold, it's your antibodies that fight the cold and make it go away. But everyone has different antibodies they're also what decides which blood type you are." There was no need to confuse the child by explaining it was actually antigens that determined blood type, and that antibodies simply rejected any antigens they didn't recognize. "Now, my blood type is B. Understand?"

Laurie nodded, and Lee continued with his very simplified explanation. "That means my antibodies are Bs great big Bs." Lee drew a huge B on a legal pad.

"Now, antibodies aren't very friendly to strangers. Let's say someone gave me blood from somebody with blood type A. What do you think would happen?"

"The Bs would get mad at the As," Laurie answered, and Lee ruffled her hair.

"Very good! They'd get real mad and tell those A intruders to go away. A and B would have a fight and that would make me very sick. And that's why the doctor gave you that test so he'd give you the right blood."

Lee held open the door and as Laurie walked through, she turned to him and said gravely, "Antijobies are important."

Lee and his patient laughed together and he shut the door.

Antibodies are important. Lee stopped cold and then an earsplitting grin appeared on his face.

"Antibodies, antibodies, antibodies!" he chanted like a rabid cheerleader. Lee ran toward Meghann's room. Maybe, just maybe, that little girl had given Lee the answer to Meghann's sickness.

Charles came awake to a hand shaking him and Lee screaming, "Come on!

Come on! Wake up I think I found a way to save Meghann!"

Charles bolted upright, clutching at Lee. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on!" Lee yanked him out of the bed, and Charles followed him to the bas.e.m.e.nt where Lee had a small lab set up.

"Look at that!" Lee gestured impatiently to his microscope, and Charles leaned down to examine the small tissue sample.

Charles frowned, not looking up when he spoke to Lee. "It's agglutinated blood. Wait a minute those blood cells my G.o.d, those are vampire cells!"

"Meghann's cells, to be precise. I did a biopsy today a small sc.r.a.pe off her ileum. She didn't wake up. That means she's even sicker than she was yesterday.

But don't you see? You said that once blood gets to the ileum, it's supposed to be broken down. The blood isn't breaking down; the red blood cells are clumping together and that happens when "

"When antibodies cause you to reject donor's blood," Charles said slowly, looking up from the microscope. "But I don't understand. Vampires don't have antibodies, not like mortals "

"Maybe pregnant vampires do," Lee said. "I think the blood is clumping and Meghann isn't digesting it because she's having a transfusion reaction rejecting the blood because it contains antigens her body doesn't recognize. If we give her blood with antigens comparable to the ones in her body, she'll break it down and start producing the enzyme again."

"But we tried that last night," Charles argued. "I gave her my blood. We're both vampires "

Charles trailed off, and then the confusion in his eyes cleared and his eyes took on a look of guarded hope. "But we were transformed by vampires who weren't of the same bloodline. Of course! My blood has antigens hers doesn't subtle differences but enough to cause that violent reaction she had last night. If we were of the same bloodline, I'm sure my blood would have healed her."

"So all we have to do is get someone in her bloodline to donate blood!"

Despite the purple circles under his eyes, nothing could overpower the joy in Lee's expression.

For a moment, Charles felt nothing but deep relief Meghann would live! But then his own blood froze in his veins when he thought of who would have to be Meghann's donor.

Charles dashed back to the bedroom, taking in Meghann's corpse-pale skin and comatose state that hadn't been broken by the sunset.

"Meghann needs blood from someone in her own bloodline," Charles repeated dully.

Lee saw his lover's trepidation and nodded. "We must get blood from the from the person that transformed her or someone in that bloodline. And we better do it soon. Charles, how much longer can she live like this?"

Charles considered their options go to Lord Baldevar or someone of his bloodline. Did that mean asking someone like Isaac Spears to help Meghann?

Even if one of those opportunistic vampires would agree to be the donor, it would leave Meghann completely at their mercy. No, that was out of the question they'd exploit Meghann and her child in the hopes they could use them against Lord Baldevar.

Charles looked down at Meghann's still, waxen face. She'd forbidden him to contact Lord Baldevar, but would she feel differently if she heard Lee's theory?

G.o.d help me, Meghann, he thought and clutched her hand. I can't let you die.

But how can I tell Lord Baldevar your secret? How can I turn you over to that monster'?

"Jesus Christ!" Lee jumped back, slamming into the dresser behind him when a short scream escaped Charles's lips.

"What is it?" Lee started to ask and then he heard the footsteps in the hall. He whirled around to face the intruder and saw a tall, handsome man with unusual yellow eyes in the doorway.

Lee felt his knees clacking nervously together, and his mouth was suddenly dry. Something about this man inspired intense fear. Lee wished the stranger would speak, shout, do anything but stand so still with those evil eyes fixed unblinkingly on Charles.

"You can't come in here," Charles said, all the color gone from his face and his black eyes wide with fear. He clutched Meghann's unconscious form to him. "We barred the house to you."

The apparition laughed a low, menacing sound that made Lee grasp the bureau to stay upright. "Your pathetic power cannot keep me at bay. And what have we here?" The man turned to him and Lee felt a hand grasp his chin. Dimly, Lee heard Charles yelling for the stranger to let him go.

The vampire ignored Charles, and scrutinized Lee with open curiosity. "Even after four hundred years, coincidence can still amaze me. I never expected our paths to cross again."

Lord Baldevar's eyes made Lee feel naked and powerless. No wonder Meghann was so frightened.

"Meghann does not need to fear me and neither do you. I will not kill you when you've attempted to help my consort."

Lee swallowed a crazy urge to laugh. What was he supposed to say thank you? He stared into the golden eyes and didn't see a shred of remorse for nearly killing him forty years ago when he was a child. Did this creature have a conscience?

Lord Baldevar turned from Lee and gave Charles a freezing glare. "Finding this physician is the one intelligent thing I've ever known you to do. Now, back away from that bed."

"h.e.l.l will freeze over before I let you near Meghann."

Lord Baldevar moved his hand slightly and Charles crashed into the wall behind the bed. Lee rushed to him while Lord Baldevar gave Meghann a slight shake and said her name.

"She can't hear you," Lee told him. "She's comatose."

"She'll hear me," Lord Baldevar said flatly. He undid a ruby and gold cufflink, pus.h.i.+ng his sleeve up to his elbow.

Lee gasped when he saw the fangs emerge from the vampire's mouth. He bit into his wrist and put it to Meghann's mouth. Then, he gently pried her lips apart and put her tongue on his bleeding wrist.

Meghann's response was immediate. For the first time since last night, her eyes flew open and she started to devour the blood. Charles and Lee both watched in amazement as the near death pallor faded from her face while she drank. Her system must have produced the enzyme in a matter of seconds, Lee thought, stunned by how quickly she recovered, actually sitting up and clutching the arm she fed from.

Lord Baldevar was nearly as white as Meghann had been a few minutes ago, but he didn't pull his arm away until Meghann raised her mouth from his wrist.

Then he used the bedsheet to wipe the blood off her mouth and neck. The only sign of softness the vampire showed was when he stroked Meghann's limp, l.u.s.terless red hair and the cruel line of his mouth relaxed slightly.

Meghann put her hand up, to beckon or ward Lord Baldevar away Lee couldn't tell. "Am I a vampire yet?" she asked in a hoa.r.s.e, drowsy voice.

He took her hand and spoke softly. "You've been a vampire for quite some time but you're sick now." It was hard to believe the man who held her hand and spoke so gently was the same monster that just sent Charles cras.h.i.+ng into a wall.

Meghann's eyes were still glazed, and Lee wasn't sure she'd registered Lord Baldevar's presence. She was probably delirious, if she was asking him whether she was a vampire yet.

"Rest now," Lord Baldevar told her, and she closed her eyes at once, falling back against the pillows.

"Will she be all right now?" Lee managed to ask. "What about the baby?"

Lord Baldevar didn't look up from Meghann when he replied, "Meghann will recover. As for the child, he was never in any danger. Meghann was nearly killed by starvation because she did not have any of my blood to replenish her."

"Wrong," Charles said coldly. "Impregnating her in the first place is what's killing her and still might cause her death in a few months."

Lord Baldevar glared at Charles as though he'd just remembered he was there. Carefully, he pulled his hand from Meghann's and whipped around to grab Charles by the shoulders and shove him against the wall.

It felt like his spine was going to collapse and then Lord Baldevar let him fall to the floor. "Your incompetence nearly cost me my heir. Unfortunately, I cannot kill you it would upset Meghann too much. I will settle with you for endangering the life of my consort and my son after she has the child."

Flicking his hand contemptuously, Lord Baldevar turned his attention back to Lee. "Will you continue as Meghann's physician?"

"Of course I'd do anything to help her."

"You are already doing a great deal. Deducing that Meghann needs my blood you are an exceptional doctor. I wonder what you'll be capable of after you transform?"

"Transform?" Lee asked. Becoming a vampire had never occurred to him all he'd wanted to do was save Meghann's life. Had Charles planned to transform him or was he planning to leave again once Meghann was well?

"I would be honored to transform you if you decide you'd like to be immortal," Lord Baldevar said politely. "If you leave your life in the hands of this fool, you'll never survive. He'll kill you the same way he nearly killed Meghann."

Charles gave a bitter laugh. "You claim such love for Meghann but you're willing to let her die so you can have a chance to make your warped fantasy come true?"

Charles gasped and clutched his chest; it felt as if his heart were exploding inside his body.

"Ma.s.sive coronary event," Lord Baldevar told him calmly. "Meghann won't die as long as she receives the proper care."

"What do we need to do?" Lee asked, trying to divert Lord Baldevar's attention. "Does she need to stay in bed until the baby is born? When will she wake up? What should she eat? Should the delivery be caesarian?"

Apparently satisfied that his point was made, Lord Baldevar released Charles and addressed Lee. "She shouldn't be kept idle. Make sure she's active. It's unnatural for a vampire to sleep at night she should regain consciousness soon.

Like any expectant mother, she should eat well and be kept happy. There is time yet to discuss the delivery."

Lord Baldevar reached into his suit jacket and produced a small, handsome leather-backed book, placing it in Lee's unresisting hands. "This will explain all you and Meghann need to know."

"Infans Noctis," Lee read aloud from the cover.

"Night's Child," Lord Baldevar translated. "It is an account of a vampiric pregnancy written down by the father. It should settle all Meghann's fears. After you read, you'll understand why this child will not be born malformed and see that there is every reason for Meghann to survive delivery. Read it at your leisure, Doctor. It's written in Latin the language of the father, a Roman senator. Of course, that is not the original text I keep that safe in a steel box so air won't destroy it." Again Lee had to resist the urge to laugh when he thought that this creature could kill another vampire or a small child without turning a hair but he went out of his way to preserve ancient texts. "Should you have any trouble with translation, Meghann can a.s.sist you." Lord Baldevar turned from Lee and returned to the bed, holding Meghann's hand.

"What the h.e.l.l are you doing?" Charles growled.

"I do not explain myself to underlings. Go prepare something for Meghann to eat; she is dreadfully thin. She'll wake up quite hungry."