Dark Experiments

by Lana Campbell

  She let out a lengthy sigh. “You are so wearing me thin.”

  He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I care about you and I’m just trying to get to the root of this thing. So help me out and answer my questions.”

  “Ow.” She pulled her hand away and rubbed it. “Sorry. My skin hurts and so do my joints and back. I have a mother of a headache and probably a fever. I’m sure that’s why I’m so achy. I took some cold and flu medicines, but I didn’t keep them down.”

  So far her symptoms did sound like a virus, but he wasn’t about to leave whatever attacked her body to mere guesswork. “Tell me everything you ate and drank today and yesterday. And have you had any sort of flu symptoms or discomfort prior to this afternoon?”

  She exhaled sharply. “No. Nothing. Alright, if it will get you out of here any faster, yesterday I had pizza for lunch as did the majority of the staff. Lot’s of coffee. Starbucks in the morning and several cups from the break room. Then there was some brownies from the break room, the Mexican food last night.” She hunched a shoulder. “Really, it’s no big deal, Christian. I know vampires don’t get colds and flues, but I’ve ridden out such bugs many times. I’ll be fine. Really.”

  Hopefully what afflicted Tiffany was just a human virus, but he wasn’t yet convinced. “What about this morning? What did you eat for breakfast?”

  “Just an energy bar. I was running late. Other than the cafeteria’s burrito of the day, some more brownies and a couple cups of coffee. That’s it.”

  He blinked at her and scratched his jaw as his mind flipped through possible diagnosis’s. “Any other symptoms?”

  Her lips thinned and her eyes narrowed with irritation. “Stomach stuff, Christian. Suffice it to say I feel like I swallowed a stick of dynamite.”

  He understood what she meant. Diarrhea and cramping. “What else have you been feeling? Dizziness? Fatigue?”

  She sighed. “Yeah. Normal, nasty flu symptoms. Now do you mind getting out of here so I can go back to bed?”

  “Have you been coughing or spitting up sputum?”

  “Ooh, yuck. No. You’re grossing me out, Christian. Please just go.”

  He stared at her, worried as hell. Flu viruses generally came on a bit more gradual. He’d been with her last night and this morning. She’d displayed no signs of illness. Without observing her for awhile, he wasn’t comfortable just brushing this off as a bug. Food poisoning came to mind due to the severity of her stomach issues and the quick onset. With the exception of the Starbucks, other humans had eaten the exact same things over the last two days and no one else had fallen ill at the clinic. Yet.

  Finally he said, “All right. Go to bed, but I’m not leaving, Darlin’. Not until I’m sure you’re okay.”

  “Whatever.” She stood, wobbled on her feet for a second, then plopped on the couch and clutched her stomach with a pitiful moan. “Please, Christian, go away and let me rest. I’m exhausted.”

  Not a chance in hell. He’d treated as many humans as vampires in his career. Instinct told him this was not a mere human flu bug. Added to that was this disaster going on at the clinic.

  Christian had a really bad feeling and only hoped what ailed her was either a virus or food poisoning. A treacherous alternative scratched at the back of his brain. “Tiffany, Darlin’, I hate to ask this, but it’s important. Have you thrown up any blood or had dark or bloody stools.”

  She glared at him with horror.

  “Tiffany I need you to answer honestly. It’s important.”

  She sighed. “Yes on both.”

  “Fuck.” He snatched her into his arms intent on getting her to the clinic pronto.

  “Let go of me.” She wiggled, trying to get him to set her down, but her struggles were frighteningly weak. “What do you think you’re doing, Christian?”

  “I’m taking you to the clinic hospital. Just to be on the safe side.” He needed answers and he needed to run some blood tests to get them.

  She groaned again, then nodded.

  The fact she’d agreed caused another wave of fear to course through his system. Obviously she felt far worse than she let on.

  Once he had her situated in the back seat of his truck, he hauled ass for the clinic. On the way he called Noah and filled him in. By the time he arrived, Tiffany was unconscious. He shook as he carried her the rest of the way to an ICU suite Noah had ready and waiting for her.

  Once they had her hooked up to a vitals’ monitor, blood drawn and a throat culture collected, he glanced at Noah and frowned. “I have a really bad feeling, Noah.”

  “I can see why. She’s unconscious. Her stomach is distended indicating internal bleeding. Her vitals are pitiful. Whatever you plan to do, it needs to be done quickly.”

  Noah was right. Whatever vile thing had befallen Tiffany, gained ground with frightening speed and decisions needed to be made fast. “With the insanity going on here, I suspect poisoning.”

  Noah’s eyes widened with shock. “Dear God. I understand you care for her, Christian. I’m so very sorry.”

  Christian handed him the two vials of blood he’d drawn, a urine sample from her catheter and throat culture. “Can you run these fast? I don’t want to leave her.”

  Noah took them and nodded. “Is there anything specific you want me to look for?”

  Christian swallowed hard, afraid to think it, afraid to say it, but had no choice. “Test for the same chemicals found in our patients’ blood. If the results are negative, test for food poisoning and a flu virus.”

  His partner’s eyes rounded with shock. Christian knew if his suspicions were correct, someone had attempted to murder Tiffany.

  “Testing for cyanide takes time.

  “I know. Test for the arsenic first.”

  He nodded. “I won’t be long.”

  His partner hadn’t even made it out the door when Tiffany’s body went rigid and began to shake violently. Seconds later she flat lined.

  Chapter 8

  Christian watched Tiffany breathe, so grateful he and Noah had been able to revive her, yet so terrified she might code again at any moment. His eyes darted between her, the vitals monitor and the doors of her suite repeatedly while he waited for Noah to get back with her test results.

  “Come on, Noah,” he muttered, then reached up and caressed Tiffany’s forehead again for about the hundredth time. He’d never been so soul sick in his life, realizing he’d nearly lost her and that he still could.

  He’d begun hemodialysis, a standard treatment for certain poisons and he’d intubated her after she’d coded to keep her breathing. As a preventative measure in case his fears were warranted, he had her on oxygen. He’d also administered hydroxocobalamin an antidote for cyanide poisoning and was in the process of giving her a transfusion.

  Test results aside Christian knew she’d been poisoned. He had no definitive proof yet, but it stood to reason because the majority of her symptoms pointed to acute arsenic and cyanide poisoning. Levels as high as those found in his patients would be deadly to any human. He prayed he was wrong, but his gut knew what Noah would find so he was taking no chances. He was doing everything possible for a human poisoning victim, but depending on the levels she’d ingested it might not be enough.

  “For God’s sakes come on, Noah.”

  “Damn it, Tiffany, open your mind to me. I need in there. I need to see what’s going on inside your body.” He took hold of her hand and squeezed, pushed his way into her mind, but there were no thoughts. Nothing but quiet darkness. The waiting, the worry felt like a coiled spring so tight in his middle, if it exploded, Christian feared what he might do or tear up.

  If this was an intentional poisoning, why Tiffany? Who would want to kill her? Blake came to mind because they’d had words today, but why would he spill the fact they’d argued if he was behind this and the other poisonings? It would only draw suspicion.

  The sliding door to the ICU suite opened and Noah entered wearing a very grim expression. “I’m
afraid, you were correct. Her tox screen revealed arsenic. Based on her symptoms, I’m sure cyanide is an additional culprit. I’m so sorry, Christian, but the level in her system would be fatal for any human. I know you’re doing all you can but I’m afraid it’s useless at this point.”

  Christian glared at him as his words sank into his mind like poison themselves. They had a homicidal epidemic in their midst and his Tiffany had just become the latest victim.

  Noah glanced at her bed then sighed resolutely. “I think you should call her family straight away. Hopefully they’ll be able to get here in time.”

  Christian’s own heart nearly stopped after Noah’s words and the devastating reality of them. He was saying she was on the brink of death and although he knew his partner was right, Christian refused to accept that fact. There had to be something, some other form of treatment she would respond to.

  A world without Tiffany? It made no sense. He wouldn’t accept that. He couldn’t.

  He turned and stared at her sweet, beautiful face which was now frighteningly pale while he racked his brain for answers. None were forthcoming thanks to the fog of fear swirling around in his head.

  Noah was right. Those poisons in high doses would have already begun shutting down many of her vital organs. She’d already gone into cardiac arrest. Everything he presently did for her was useless. Unless—

  The answer dawned on him with the intensity of a religious experience. But it was a radical one. Christian didn’t give the repercussions of what he was about to do a moment of negative consideration. He wouldn’t let her die. He rushed across the room and began rifling through the cabinets and drawers that held IV supplies.

  “What are you doing?” Noah demanded.

  Christian shot him a cursory glance, then proceeded to start an IV on himself.

  Proficient at the task, he had the needle in the bend of his left arm in seconds and began drawing his blood, which he intended to give to Tiffany as soon as he had a full unit.

  Noah strode over to him and took the plastic bag out of his hand filling with blood. “I know what you’re thinking. Good God man, are you insane? What you’re planning to do is completely unethical. Unless she’s given you her permission at some point to turn her, you can’t do this. Turning is not a method of treatment for a human, even when death is imminent.”

  Christian snatched the bag out of his hand. “It is when the human is your life mate. Now back off.”

  Noah’s eyes widened with surprise. “I had no idea.”

  “Yeah, well neither does she yet, but you know as well as I, no mated vampire or one on the brink is going to stand by and let his or her mate die over ethics. Now you can either help, or get out.”

  Noah slipped his hands into the pockets of his lab coat and frowned. “Well congratulations I suppose. However, I hate to continually be the bearer of bad news, but Christian this will most likely backfire.” He glanced at Tiffany. “You know these chemical toxins are far more destructive to the human body. A turning is a violent physical affair. Even healthy humans sometimes perish.”

  Christian knew that, but he was out of options. “She’s not responding to anything I’ve tried. Unless you can come up with a better course of treatment in the next few minutes, help me prepare her for a turning.”

  Noah’s gaze slid over him with concern. “Very well. Considering the severity of her condition, I would strongly advice we induce a coma. Since she’s your life mate, I understand it must be your blood, but we need to accelerate the turning, which means she’ll need multiple units rapidly, which frankly you appear a bit lean on. You’ll need a transfusion yourself.”

  Christian wasn’t thinking about his own wellbeing at the moment, yet he knew Noah had a point. He couldn’t help Tiffany if he couldn’t function. “Fine. We’ll get to that in a bit. For now, just get the process started.” He unhooked the first bag of blood, shoved it at Noah and started filling another.

  * * *

  Exhaustion and worry had soaked into every cell of Christian’s being. He sat in a chair beside Tiffany’s bed, holding her hand, holding onto consciousness by a thread. His need for sleep was a screaming demon in his mind and body, but until Tiffany opened her eyes, his existence would be nothing but her, this room and fear. Lots and lots of fear.

  She was twelve hours into turning and her condition was marginally better, but still critical. It terrified him Noah could have been right when he said this procedure might be more than her body could take. A turning caused the human body to undergo radical internal changes. The antigens in vampire blood when introduced into the human body caused every cell to morph into the cell of a vampire altering DNA.

  Because the human body would recognize the antigens as foreign, an immune response would occur producing antibodies to combat the attacking antigens, causing fever, extreme pain and misery for the person if they were conscience. Tiffany would feel nothing. She was still in a medically induced coma and for sanity’s sake, Christian had to believed his blood would win and she would live.

  Normally, a healthy human came through a turning just fine. Despite Noah’s cautionary comments, rarely did a human perish unless they had a serious medical issue, such as heart, liver or kidney problems, a hidden DVT or the like. These days any respectable vampire doctor who conducted a turning for a vampire/human couple ran extensive testing on the human prior to the procedure to make sure they were a viable candidate.

  Christian hadn’t the luxury of time to conduct testing on Tiffany, yet he’d known when he’d made the decision many of her internal organs were compromised. His choice to turn her should rectify that problem. His vampire blood cells would replace and repair her damaged organs and tissues and ultimately all her organs should revive. He hoped. It could just as easily go the other way depending on how close her kidneys had been to shutting down. Also the status of her liver at the time he’d initiated the turning concerned him greatly. Then there was the source of her internal bleeding. He couldn’t allow himself to ponder that one at all.

  Never in his career had he made a medical decision as scary as the one he’d made for Tiffany. If it backfired…

  He couldn’t finish that thought.

  Christian leaned forward in his chair and rested his forearms on his knees, laced his fingers in prayer fashion, then sent another to a God he’d ignored for a very long time until recently. No particular reason. He’d just lived and breathed his practice for years. Decades. Hopefully God wouldn’t hold that against him and would bring Tiffany through this crisis whole and healthy. He’d taken selfish detours here and there on life’s journey and lost sight of his faith. This decision he’d made for Tiffany might have been a fatal one, costing her life and his eternal soul because if she died he’d never forgive himself or God for taking her from him.

  He stared at Tiffany and forced himself to see her alive and well, far past this crisis. What would she be like vampire? A force to be reckoned with for sure, but alive. She would undergo substantial physical changes, but she would still be Tiffany on the inside. Over time she would eventually grow in height, attain more muscle mass. Vampires were simply larger mammals. Born or turned. It didn’t matter.

  In the brain a new gland would evolve, the V-thalamus adjacent to the hypothalamus, which by the end of her turning would be small and functional for survival, but would grow and develop further over time for enhanced physical strength and physic and telekinetic functions.

  The V-thalamus was a physical marvel with many purposes. It was responsible for their venom and in males a second source of testosterone. It also produced specific chemicals which fired into the right hemisphere of the brain giving vampires those unique mental abilities to enchant humans, move objects and mind speak to a life mate or a vampire to whom that person was blood bonded.

  If God and luck was with him, soon she would be vampire, but she’d never be human again. In fact she’d be a dead human right now if he hadn’t turned her. Presently, her body combated two sets of
poisons—the ones which had taken her human life and his blood. By introducing his blood into her system he’d infected her with the disease their kind termed vampire myelodysplasia which all vampires suffered.

  However, his kind’s blood condition was far more complicated than the myelodysplasia humans suffered which affected the reproduction of red and white blood cells and platelets. Vampires didn’t have a spleen. Well, they had one, but it was shriveled and useless, much like an appendix. Since the spleen was an organ which helped generate red blood cells, basically the vampire body needed the pure source of their sire species to assist in regenerating their own blood cells.

  Her white cell count had sky rocketed in an effort to combat his blood. He leaned forward, took hold of her hot little hand and squeezed. Her fever had raged to nearly a hundred and six, but thankfully the ice baths he and Noah had given her had kept it at around a hundred and one for the last eight hours.

  Fever was normal for a turning and wouldn’t have worried Christian if this were just a normal turning. Fear pumped inside him like an off shore oil rig. If this didn’t work, if his blood caused her to die, Christian knew his own life would be over.

  His gaze shot up when he heard the door slide open. It was Noah. He glanced at Tiffany, then offered a tired smile. Christian returned one in kind. His partner had been right beside him through this entire disaster which had started four days ago with Mrs. Corrigan’s still birth. Sometimes the guy could be a real snob, but his dedication to their patients and practice was beyond reproach. He couldn’t have survived this past week without him.

  “Her parents and siblings have arrived. I had no idea her mother was Mia Davenport.”

  He seemed impressed. Of course he’d recognized Mia and Nathan too. Because of Nathan’s wealth, they were celebrity status. The paparazzi followed them like hound dogs. Christian didn’t envy their life because a vampires needed to be one of secrecy and theirs could never be. They hid who they were from the world as did most famous vampires, but he couldn’t imagine it an easy endeavor.