Rhia cleaned up as best she could without taking a shower. She changed into a pair of dark grey scrubs the nurse had found for her and was taken to the surgery waiting rooms. For over an hour, she paced around the room with her parents and her brother's supervisor in a tense silence.

Richard and Madeline Kincaid sat together, Madeline breaking into occasional sobs. Maddox's lieutenant leaned against the wall, tapping rapidly on her phone. Nova, the large silver shepherd, kept shifting from standing, sitting, laying down, and occasionally whining. She could sense their distress and her handler wasn't there to calm her. She was smart. She could put two and two together.

Rhia felt confined in the room that was designed to be comfortable and welcoming. She usually took her grief and stress out on a rowing machine or a treadmill. Sitting still was killing her, more so than not knowing how Maddox was doing.

The door suddenly opened and Rhia whirled around. Her parents stood and the lieutenant stepped forward to join them. Two men stepped into the room, one wearing scrubs, and the other in black trousers and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Rhia's eyes were drawn to the second man. He was taller than all of them, coming up to quite a few inches over six feet. His eyes were a deep, sapphire blue. When he turned to smile at all of them, a red light flickered around his irises.

Vampire.

The scrubbed doctor looked at her parents. "Maddox is out of surgery." He said gently.

Madeline Kincaid let out a harsh cry of relief and threw herself into the surgeon's arms. Richard clenched and unclenched his hands, relieving his built-up tension. The lieutenant let out a mix of a laugh and a sob. After a minute, the doctor gently pushed Madeline back into her husband's arms.

"He's not entirely out of danger." He continued. "There is a tube in his throat helping him breath, and one in his chest to keep his lung from collapsing. The projectiles ruptured his spleen, and there are several lacerations on his liver. He lost a lot of blood."

"But you can give him more, right?" Madeline whimpered. "He's going to be okay, right?"

The vampire put a hand on the surgeon's shoulder and stepped forward. "Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid, please sit down." They did so hesitantly. Rhia sat next to them, watching her father go ridged as he saw the red reflection too. "My name is Doctor Nolan Wes, I'm the head of hematology here."

"Vampire blood doctor." Richard snorted. "Bit on the nose, don't you think."

"Jesus, dad." Rhia hissed. "Really? Now?"

Richard shot her a disgusted look, and was about to say something when Madeline cut over both of them. "What's wrong with my son?"

Nolan smiled gently, not giving any sign that he was bothered by Richard's comment. "Ordinarily, we run a panel of blood tests called a type and screen before a transfusion." He said slowly making sure they heard him clearly. "In the emergency room, ordinary is thrown out the window and we pump O-negative or their specific blood type if we know it, in this case we knew Maddox is B-negative. We still run the tests to make sure we have as much information as possible during the recovery period. Maddox's blood is missing some antigens, and that can cause problems in the next few weeks."

Rhia sat up straighter, but both her parents looked confused. "What does that mean?" Madeline sounded like she was going to burst into tears again.

"There is a chance that Maddox can reject the blood we gave him during surgery. Over the next few days, we're going to be watching him carefully for signs of a reaction. If that happens, the best treatment for him is a transfusion of blood missing the same antigens as he is. Blood relatives have the best chance of matching. While the surgical team is cleaning him up and transferring him to a room, I would like each of you to donate if you're willing. This way, we can run the tests and won't waste additional time if he does start to show signs of rejection."

"Can we see him first?" Madeline begged. "Please, I need to see my boy."

Nolan smiled and nodded. "Of course. There's a room ready for him. Doctor Harrison can take you there to wait. I can send in a technician in a few hours."

"Thank you." She shuddered and looked up at the surgeon. "Thank you both."

Harrison nodded and held the door open for them. Rhia held back as her parents and the lieutenant almost ran after the surgeon. "Doctor Wes," she asked quietly. "What does this antigen deficit mean for his long-term health?"

He looked down at her and slowly returned to his seat. "We won't know right away. We are sort of on a wait-and-see situation. But I've called an immunologist and we will run a few more tests. Right now, the best thing for him, I think, is rest and observation. Really, I would like to get your and your parents' blood as soon as possible. A transfusion rejection can be dangerous."

"What's your best guess for him?"

He raised a single eyebrow at her. His look sent a shiver down her spine. "Do you mind if I collect your blood while we talk?"

She stood up. "Sure. Lead the way."

He took her out of the waiting area and into a small exam room. He propped the bed up so she would be in a laying position and turned to the cupboards. "You're the paramedic that brought him in, aren't you?" he asked, turning back to her with a rolling tray of supplies. "I can't imagine how hard it was to see your brother like that."

She shrugged and watched his hands maneuver her arm on a pillow. The moment he had touched her, a warm static tingling feeling rushed over her and a deep calm settled into her.

She raised an eyebrow of her own at his left hand. No wedding ring.

His forearms were strong with preternatural strength behind those lean muscles. His control was fascinating, tying the tourniquet without hurting her and never making a move out of place. That meant he had access to the purest and best blood available in their stocks... which meant he was damn important to the entire coalition.

She swallowed hard and forced herself to speak. "It's just the job. It doesn't change for family."

"Of course, it does." His eyes met hers. Having eyes so blue should be illegal. "You patch patients up with duct-tape and superglue if you have to in order to get them here alive, then you go out there and do it again. With family," he stopped and shook his head. "I'm sorry, that was out of line. I don't usually see patients or their families."

Rhia laughed for the first time in hours. It felt good to smile. "It's alright, I get what you're saying."

"The point is you saved his life. That's all that matters." He reached for the needle, and she looked away. "Don't like needles?"

She could hear the amusement in his voice. "Not really." She hissed as he pricked her skin.

He really did laugh this time. When she looked around again, she saw him take two vials of blood before attaching it to the donation bag. The dark red liquid streamed at a steady pace into the empty bag. "How does someone get through E.M.T. and paramedic training while being afraid of needles?" he teased.

"How does a vampire become a hematologist?" she teased back.

"Hematopathologist." He emphasized the 'path' part of the word and winked. "I'm not all about blood. Just relax your arm. You'll be done in a few minutes."

She chuckled and shrugged. "I'm not afraid of needles. I just prefer them not in my veins. You never answered my question."

"I imagine the same way anyone becomes a hematopathologist. Four years of pre-med, four years of-"

"Doctor Wes." Rhia reached out to touch the back of his hand busy taping the I.V. to her arm. "You know that's not what I meant. Don't treat me with kid gloves. I can handle it."

Nolan took a breath and met her eyes again. "Optimally, nothing." His voice was calm. His eyes remained on Rhia, watching for her reaction. "Potentially just an error in the labs. We're running the tests again now for that very reason, and we'll run it again several more times during his recovery. More likely, if he needs any surgery in the future, he will need to do self-donations a few weeks before. Sort of what some Jehovah's Witnesses do to get around the transfusion taboo. Given his occupation, we would suggest he donate a few times a year and we'll freeze the blood before it expires. He should get a medical bracelet, so we know not to give him the regular stuff in the future."

"And the worst case?"

"It could be the first signs of an autoimmune disorder. Potentially something much more... sinister."

She nodded, her throat feeling thick. "But we won't know that for a few weeks, right?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

Nolan turned his hand to gently squeeze her. It felt right for him to hold her hand like that. "We're going to do everything we can for your brother, Miss Kincaid."

"Rhia." She insisted.

He said her name slowly, like he was testing how the name sound on his tongue. His smile told her he liked it and she flushed. His thumb stroked the back of her hand gently, eyes on hers, before he cleared his throat and turned back to her arm. He pulled the needle and pressed a cotton swab against the spot. "See?" he said with a laugh. "That wasn't so bad."

"Guess not." she sat up slowly.

"I'll know in a few hours if you're a match for Maddox."

"Oh, I already know I'm not a match. I'm adopted. No blood relation to either Maddy or my parents."

"Then why did you let me take your blood?" he scoffed.

"It got you to answer my questions, didn't it?" she slid off the bed and reached for the door. "Besides, when a cute vampire doctor asks you for your blood, you don't say no."

"Is that so?" he raised his eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Oh yeah. I'm going to have so much street-cred with the Twilight and Vampire Diaries communities, you have no idea."

His laughter as she left was music to her ears.

~