When Naomi returned to Scanguards, the sun had set, and the building was buzzing like a beehive. She felt a little better after having taken a shower at home, and gotten changed into fresh clothes. Vanessa met her at the reception.
“Hey, Naomi,” Vanessa greeted her. “Damian is downstairs in the med center. I’ll bring you to him.”
“Oh thanks.” They walked toward the elevators together. “How is Tracy? Is she pulling through?”
Vanessa smiled. “Yes, she woke up a little while ago, and Mom says she’ll be fine once she’s fully detoxed.”
“Oh, thank God.”
They stepped into the elevator, and Vanessa pressed a button for a lower floor. “Boy, am I glad that drugs have no effect on vampires and hybrids.”
“I didn’t know that.” There were still so many things she didn’t know. “I guess that’s good.”
“Mostly, yes, but that means we can’t get drunk either.”
“Trust me, you’re not missing anything,” Naomi said chuckling. “Hangovers are no fun.”
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened.
“Come,” Vanessa said, and ushered her toward the end of the corridor.
Two double doors led into the clinic. Inside, it looked like an emergency room of a large hospital. It was well-equipped and modern. She spotted Damian immediately. He stood in one of the patient rooms, the door open. The girl sitting up in bed was Tracy. Mick sat on the edge of the bed, holding Tracy’s hand, while they both looked at Damian, listening to him.
“Go right in,” Vanessa said to her. “I’ll see if my mother needs help.”
“Thanks, Vanessa,” Naomi said quickly and approached Tracy’s room. As she stepped closer, she saw that a fourth person was in the room. Grayson stood next to Damian at the foot of the bed.
Before she reached the room, Damian suddenly looked over his shoulder. He motioned her to come in.
“You’re back,” he said and took her hand. Then he addressed Mick and Tracy. “This is Naomi. Without her we might not have found you both as quickly as we did.”
Tracy looked at her. “Thank you so much.” She was teary-eyed, and although she was conscious, she still looked exhausted.
“Thank you, Naomi,” Mick said with a nod. “Damian told us how much you helped. We’re grateful.”
“You’re welcome. But it was these guys who found you.” Naomi motioned to Damian and Grayson. Then she looked at Damian. “So, is everything sorted out now?”
“Almost.” He turned his head back to Mick and Tracy. “So, here’s the deal. Mick, what you did put all of us in danger of exposure. And that is something we have the right to punish with imprisonment. The same rule goes for Tracy. Therefore—”
“Please don’t punish Tracy,” Mick begged. “I’ll take the punishment. I’m responsible. I’ll do her time on top of mine.”
Damian lifted his hand. “Hear me out. We have a proposal. We’ll wave the sentence if you agree to the following: Tracy, you’ll be giving us every single name of your buyers, including how many vials they purchased, and what exactly you told them they were buying.”
Tracy nodded eagerly. “I can do that.”
“Good. Mick, we have the blood that Cynthia drained from you earlier today. If you agree to let us use the blood to heal Cynthia’s twin brother, Ralph, we won’t turn you over to the vampire council for punishment. Should we need more blood to heal Ralph, you’ll be providing more. Another infraction that puts our entire society in danger, and you’ll be turned over to the council. Don’t expect any leniency if that happens.”
Naomi saw that Mick swallowed hard.
“Yeah,” Grayson added, “and guess who’ll be pouncing when you slip up? And I’m not as nice as Damian.”
Naomi had no trouble believing Grayson’s words. He was definitely not as nice as Damian.
“And what will happen to Cynthia?” Tracy asked.
“We’ll be erasing her memory,” Damian replied. “She won’t remember that she ever bought any vampire blood, or that she figured out that Mick is a vampire.”
“You’re not punishing her?” Mick asked, surprise evident in his voice. “She kidnapped us.”
“She won’t be imprisoned if that’s what you mean. Since she’s human, and her crime didn’t result in anybody’s death, we have no reason to kill her. She’s not a danger to society, and despite what she did to you, she’s not violent. If it makes you feel better, we’ll be watching her once she’s released. Should she ever commit another crime against us or anybody else, I assure you we’ll take action.”
Naomi’s heart suddenly pounded. She believed Damian. He wasn’t making empty threats.
“Make a decision,” Damian demanded. “It’s a package deal. All or nothing.”
Mick exchanged a look with Tracy. “We agree.”
“Good choice,” Grayson said. He looked at Damian and gestured to the door. “I can get started with the names of the buyers, if you take care of Ralph.”
“No problem,” Damian agreed and turned to the door.
Together they left the room, and Damian shut the door behind him. He pulled her into an embrace, and Naomi pressed herself to his chest.
“Just a little while longer,” he said, “and we can get out of here. Let’s check in on Ralph.”
“Will Mick’s blood really cure him?” she asked.
“At least it gives him a chance.” He released her from his arms and took her hand. Then he let his gaze sweep over the circular room with its treatment bays that were separated by long curtains, just like in a real hospital. “Maya?”
The female physician Naomi had seen earlier when the ambulance had arrived, stepped out of one of the treatment bays. She approached them.
“What’s the verdict?” she asked, then cast a quick look at Naomi.
“It’s a go.”
“All right. Then let’s do this before it’s too late.” She walked toward a large refrigerator and opened it. Naomi watched as she took out a bag filled with blood, then pulled more medical supplies from a drawer. “I already prepared everything. Come. We put him in the long-term patient room.”
Maya swung a door open, and Naomi and Damian followed her into another corridor. There she stopped in front of a door. Next to it, a large window afforded a view into the room. To Naomi’s surprise this didn’t look like a normal hospital room. It was much larger, and was furnished like an expensive hotel suite. Ralph lay on a bed, hooked up to a machine that monitored his vital signs.
When they entered, Ralph turned his head slightly to look at them, but he didn’t sit up.
“I want to see my sister,” he murmured, his voice weak, his eyes pleading. “I don’t have much time left.”
Damian stepped closer, and Naomi stood back. “You’ll get to see her soon. But first, we have an experimental treatment that can cure the cancer. All we need is your permission to treat you.”
“More snake oil? More pain?”
Naomi heard the hopelessness in his voice, and her heart ached for him.
“No pain,” Damian promised. “Your sister risked a lot for this. Do you really want her efforts to be in vain?”
Tears welled up in Ralph’s eyes, before he closed them. “All right. Do it, but if it doesn’t work, just let me die in peace.”
“You have my word.” Damian stepped aside, and allowed Maya to approach her patient.
“It’s a transfusion,” Maya explained and hung the bag with Mick’s blood onto the IV stand.
Damian took Naomi’s hand and led her outside, closing the door behind them. In the corridor, he turned to the window to look back into the room.
“When will we know if it works?” Naomi asked into the silence while they watched Maya set up the IV.
“Soon.” Damian let out a sigh. “But there’s nothing you and I can do right now. It’s in Maya’s hands.”
She squeezed his hand in reassurance. “I’m glad you’re not punishing Ralph for what his sister did.”
Damian smiled at her, then stared back into the room. “Samson agreed to it. But Ralph won’t remember why his cancer is going into remission. Once he’s healthy again, we’ll have to wipe his memory. Nobody outside our community can know that vampire blood can heal humans.”
“Or they’ll hunt you for your blood,” Naomi concluded. “No wonder you were so concerned when you realized what was in that little vial I found.”
“Yes. And it’s not that we don’t want to help humans, but when would it stop?”
“It wouldn’t. But you’re making an exception for Ralph.”
“And for the people who work for us, or those who are harmed by a vampire. But that’s where our charity has to end. There’s only so much blood we can donate without endangering ourselves.”
She put her arms around him. “You’re a good man, Damian.”
“I’m glad you think that.” He lowered his face to her and kissed her. “How about we go home? It’s been a long day for both of us. We can check on Ralph in the morning.”
She yawned. “I think that’s a good idea.”