Bite Shift

48

Stepping into the conference room, I saw Alex, facing the opposite wall, with his back to me. I closed the door behind me and stood there. I didn't know what to say. After a minute, I cleared my throat and sat down in a chair to the right of the massive table filling the center of the room.

"What?" Instead of being curious, I went straight for irritated, and the word came out like I was snapping at him.

He turned and locked eyes with me. The seriousness of his gaze shut my attitude down and concern replaced my indignation. He slowly stalked towards me, pulled out the chair next to mine and sat down. His eyes searched mine. His look was familiar. Every nurse has seen it in a doctor. It is the look they get when they are trying to figure out how to deliver bad news to a patient.

"Alex? What? I can't take more bad news."

"I'm sorry. I am still trying to wrap my head around it. I am still trying to figure out what it means... how to say it."

Now, I was at panic level. "What? Figure out what? Say it."

"You're different."

I was prepared for a lot of sentences to come out of his mouth. You are still dying. You have cancer. You are not a vampire. Anything and everything raced through my head. But I did not expect that. It sounded too much like a pick up line.

I swallowed and my throat was so dry. It took a few attempts but I spoke. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he said and excitement tinged his words. He reached out with both hands and grabbed each one of mine in his. "you are different. Over the years, I have looked at a dozen different samples. Every vampire, every sample, showed me the same thing. But, yours.... It is not the same. I can't be specific now. I have too much to look at but, Kate, this, you, could be a breakthrough."

How many more things could be thrown at me in less than a week?

"What does that mean, Alex? Can you cure me?"

"I don't know," he responded. "But this is big. It is a chance to learn so much more about your condition. What are the odds that you would be right here in the hospital I work in?! What are the odds that you would be attacked here, and Rhys would find you and turn you and you would be the key??"

The look on his face was so happy that I didn't want to ruin his joy. I scanned the words he had just said, in my brain. I am different. What are the odds? Rhys found me and I am different. What are the odds?

My spiraling thoughts blocked out what he was saying. I focused on his mouth and tried to quiet my whirling consciousness. "Can I?"

I wasn't sure what he was referring to. I didn't know what he was asking permission for. "Say it again," I asked.

"Have more samples. I know it is soon but I want to do more tests. Would you give me more blood? This could be it, Kate. I could find a cure and save you; save anyone who wanted it."

A cure. Those two words repeated in my mind. A cure. A cure.

"Of course," I said.

He could cure me and I could go back to normal. Back to daylight. Back to a life without Sorin. A life without Rhys.

Is that what you want, Kate?

"Yes," I said out loud. I was answering my own question but Alex thought I was backing up my agreement to give him more of my blood.