Late Night at the Hospital

[gregorio]

The doctor who padded down the hallway from a lounge towards the pediatrics wing looked nothing at all like any of the doctors on staff. His long hair was pulled neatly back into a ponytail. The white lab coat was new, as was the nametag on it, proclaiming him to be "Doctor D'Ambrosio". The ID pinned to his coat proclaimed him to be a doctor from the Alberici Group research center in Venice, Italy. It was late and most of the children were asleep, but he stopped at one particular door and smiled it its occupant.

"Clara, you should be sleeping." Gregorio's English was good, but his Italian accent was strong, and she smiled at him wanly, as she usually did.

She sat up in bed, reading a book. Harry Potter, the title said. He smiled. When Gregorio had learned it was one of her favorites, but she didn't have them in the hospital, he'd bought them for her to read. She was more tired today, he noted, but she still sighed at him. "I can't sleep, I've tried. I'm too restless." Her arms bore fading marks from when she'd been more energetic, clawing at herself when she couldn't move around. Her neck was dotted with strange marks that most of the doctors thought were needle marks. The race was on to identify the poison she was given and save her life.

Gregorio knew the truth, that a vampire had been using her to feed upon and the only reason she'd been spared worse was because her parents grew alarmed and demanded their doctor do something for her. He cupped her cheek in one of his cold hands. "Shall I sing you to sleep again?"

She laid her book down, but bowed her head. A tear fell down her cheek to the blanket. "What's the point?"

"Bella." His nickname for her, spoken in a reproachful, cajoling tone, made her look up at him. He stroked her hair back from her face. "We always fight, even when it seems hopeless. I've seen your results. You feel worse, but I think you're going to get better soon."

"But...they don't even know what's wrong with me." She sniffed, and Gregorio reached behind him to hand her a kleenex.

Gregorio smiled. "Trust me, bella. You'll be back home in no time. But you do need rest." He reached over to close her book and set it carefully with the others, then held her hands in his. His singing was more of a chant, in a language that was neither Italian nor English. For a moment, her skin shone with health, even as her eyes closed and she surrendered to sleep. As long as he continued to chant, she appeared perfectly healthy. His voice faded away after a few minutes, when he was sure she was asleep, and he turned to leave the room.

And nearly smacked straight into one of the hospital staff. He bowed his head. "Ah, sorry. I was just checking on her."

Comments

[just2hands]

Doctor Nuttal was where she always was this time of night. Haunting the lab, the hospital library, or going over charts and making notes in her office. Or walking the halls of the children's wing, she was sometimes found there also. The nurses on the floor pretty much had her habits down pat by now. In fact the one place that they were certain they would never have to look for her? Her home.

After pausing to talk to Pam at the desk, Anika strolled through the wing, gloved hands in the pockets of her lab coat, checking the monitors in each room, giving a smile and a kind word to those that were still awake. And occasionally just standing in the doorway, looking at each sleeping child and trying to figure out why she couldn't help them. It was beyond frustrating in some cases, it was almost agonizing.

Like that one, the child in room W404. Clara. Test after test had been run, even ones Anika was certain had nothing to do with her strange illness. But she couldn't fault either the mother, or the father. They were watching their child fade away. Just as she was.

Ani paused just before she got to the door. Was someone speaking? Standing in the doorway, she observed a man in a doctor's coat and ponytail bent over the bed and saying - something - in a language she couldn't understand. From this angle Ani couldn't see the patient, but she had a decent enough view of the backside of the man. The only thing that kept her from forcefully striding in there? Clara seemed to know him, and he sounded like either he was singing - or praying.

So this was the mysterious doctor D'Ambrosio, the one from Venice, visiting the states. The doctor she'd been hearing so much about from literally everyone. Everyone. How personable he was, how charming. How intelligent and knowledgeable. How handsome.

She herself had spoken to him via phone conference a few times, and they'd emailed back and forth about certain cases that had come up in the hospital once he arrived in the States. And she hadn't - exactly - gone out of her way to avoid meeting Dr D'Amgrosio in person, not really. Her schedule was just so varied, and she was so often out of the area. She would always apologize profusely in her emails however, and supply him with clear, concise, and exacting work; test results, and whatever research he required.

Ani was just beginning to back out of the room silently, when suddenly he straightened up and spun around, almost walking into her.

"Ah, I see that. Um, so was I." His badge was obvious. Her badge was obvious. All she could do was to stick out a glove, make introductions, and get out of there so Clara could keep sleeping.

"Dr D'Ambrosio, Hi. I'm Dr Nuttal. We've spoken."

[gregorio]

The name was familiar, and Gregorio gave her a look before he took her hand. "Dr. Nuttal, a pleasure." He stepped out into the hallway, casting a glance back at Clara, who was still deep in sleep. "I knew you were very capable, but I didn't realize you were so young. It is an honor to meet you. I was just telling Clara, I think the worst may be over. Hopefully we'll see improvement soon." Her reduced energy, the very hopelessness he saw gave him hope. The toxin in the vampire's bite was working its way out. The revenants were always so much more dangerous, more energetic, more frantic as the infection progressed. Their hunger increased as their comprehension decreased.

Gregorio kept a close eye on Clara for that reason. Though he had no intention of telling Dr Nuttal what he'd do if the infection got worse. He smiled at her pleasantly. "I don't suppose we've had any luck finding out who may have done this to the poor child?" Gregorio hoped she might give him something he could track down. Leaving one's meals to turn into rampaging beasts was not something the council smiled upon. So far all he'd gotten out of her were nightmares of a man with red eyes and fangs. It made him self-consciously rub at his own blood-red eyes.

"It would be nice, to be able to assure the family this won't happen again, you know?"

[just2hands]

Well, he commented on her age and not her looks. Maybe there was something yet to be said about this visiting doctor. Ani nodded, accepting his observation because she didn't consider it a compliment. She was young. She was capable. Still, it felt good for someone to acknowledge that last part especially.

"I hope so. So far everything we've done has just come up empty." She backed away from him, turned and went back out into the hallway so that they could actually converse.

But even the hallway was too public for this kind of conversation. Gesturing for him to walk along with her, Anika continued. We did a urine, tox screenings from here to Tuesday, we've done stomach washings, chromatography screenings, obviously more blood tests than we probably should have." She pursed her lips together, frustrated.

"In fact, if I had been the initial consultant, I'd have ordered scene residue tests as well. She's just been fading away and... " Doctors don't get involved, they don't get personally involved. It was becoming less of a med-school lesson and more of a mantra these days.

"And the police don't have a clue, though they've been here to talk to her, along side the child psychologist and counselors. All we can get is that it's someone she has seen on TV. And that could be literally anyone."

[gregorio]

Gregorio gave a heavy sigh and stared down at his feet as they walked. Giving them even a push in the right direction would be dangerous, but Gregorio needed to know how long they had to find the vampire attacking Clara before the whole mess started all over. He crossed his arms and rubbed at his chin. Danilo would lose it when he found out. He cursed inwardly and said, "I worked with a similar case in Italy. You might try getting a sample of her cerebral spinal fluid. The virus is difficult to spot, but it likes to attack the cells of the brain and spinal cord. Small infections, and the body is fine. Larger infections cause...problems. If you've already got a sample, look for an elevated white blood cell count and T-cell count." He scratched at his head and shifted his feet, looking away from her. "We know she doesn't have meningitis. Odd results there point to something else. But they should be falling back to normal range."

"I wish we could find out who's been doing this to her. It had to have been done over a period of weeks, maybe a month. I cannot believe no one has seen anything in that amount of time." Well, and they could have easily missed the attacker. The security cameras in the hospital would only show Dr Nuttal talking to herself. It took a lot of preparation and more concentration than he could spare in the hospital for his image to actually appear. The attack could have happened on camera and it would be hard to tell.

Gregorio shook his head. "I don't know, Dr Nuttal. Things are strange sometimes. Sometimes, more strange than we realize."

[just2hands]

"A spinal tap?" Anika's eyes were dark, concern and worry in them. Such a little girl to have so many tests. Still, if he had come across something like this before? Anything was worth hoping. Anything was worth trying. She filed away his suggestions mentally, planning on typing them up as soon as she got back to her office.

"Please, is there anything else you can remember about that other case you came across?" She shook her head then, the tail end of her long, black braid flicking from one side to the other across her back. She started walking again, gloved hands stuffed in her coat pockets.

"All I can think of, to keep it from happening again is to put a PSA on the girl, all day, every day. Security takes extra tours through this wing, we have all been on the lookout for anyone and anything suspicious. What more can we do? Without evidence, and we really have none right now; but without evidence, I'm simply stuck."

"And she deserves so much better than this."

[gregorio]

"The case I saw was not nearly as neat as Clara's. The patient was brought in, raving and suffering violent delusions in addition to the symptoms Clara faced. He attacked a nurse and she developed symptoms as well." Gregorio ran a hand over his hair. It had been a failed experiment and the consequences had almost been severe. "The virus attacked the brain. It caused delusions, restlessness like Clara had, too much energy for how anemic he was. He grew...dangerously strong. Resistent to medication, even anethesia. He died in an isolation room after infecting four nurses." Gregorio clasped her shoulder, trying to be reassuring. "I am encouraged by Clara's developing lethargy. Maybe she is getting better."

"I am sure it was introduced to her on purpose, though. I just wish I knew who and when." Gregorio was almost certain he knew who, but when was the question.

[just2hands]

A tightening of her lips and a long, inhaled breath through her nose was all Anika showed, though inwardly she was aghast at both the advanced signs of the disease, as well as how quickly it spread.

"The infection, how was it spread? Direct contact or indirect? Was it airborne by that time and inhaled or - you said the nurse was attacked. Did the patient draw blood?"

Without waiting for his reply, she turned and started back toward her office. "Come on" she threw over her shoulder. "I have her records in the office, along with transcripts from what her parents told me about when the symptoms began showing. If you'd like, we can go through it together - oh wait." The doctor paused in mid-step.

It's terribly late, are you sure you wouldn't rather go back to your hotel and get some sleep? I can fax you copies in the morning if you would rather look at them then."

[gregorio]

"Oh, no. Now is perfectly fine. I prefer working nights. Always have. It's quieter." Gregorio frowned as he followed her, thinking hard. It would have been easier had he more resources at his disposal, but he couldn't move Clara to Venice without ruining any hope he had of bringing the culprit in line.

Hesitantly, he said, "The patient did draw blood. We are fairly certain the virus is spread through contact with bodily fluids." He grew silent, restless, until they reached her office. Once they were inside, he closed the door. He ran his tongue over his fangs. "It would be easier if I were at home, but I don't think putting Clara through an international flight would be good for her."

[just2hands]

She knew that feeling. Wasn't that why she was always working late herself? Because without the politics and the visitors, it was much easier to get work done.

"Would you shut the door please?" The late-night environmental staff had two associates down the hall that were buffing the floor, and the noise just seemed to get on Dr Nuttal's nerves. Walking around the office, she took a seat at her desk, and indicated the other chair with a nod of her head.

"I don't know whether it would be good for her, I don't know if her parents would let her go - or even be able to afford to let her go (although we can get around that one I think); and I don't know what will happen if the newspapers get hold of the fact that we put a potentially infectious patient on an international flight."

Her office was pinpoint neat, dark woods and natural fibers, with comfortable chairs surrounding a dark wood, simple table-like desk upon which her laptop rested. In front of thickly-curtained office window a long, comfortable leather couch rested.

Starting up her laptop, she pulled up Clara's files, started skimming the information and began pressing buttons. Across the room the printer began whirring as Dr Nuttal printed out paper after paper of information.

[gregorio]

"I was mostly just lamenting not having my assistants and my own facilities. I know she can't board a plane in this condition." He looked around the office appreciatively, a hand running over the rich, dark wood before he sat down. "The Alberici Group would prefer to keep as much of a lid as possible on the whole situation, anyway."

Restlessly, he stood, turning to the window. "There is one more symptom, and if she starts to show it, she needs to go into isolation and someone needs to call me. Extreme photosensitivity. To the point her skin blisters and burns after a few minutes' exposure." He took a deep breath. A call to Venice was definitely in order. "I think she's out of the woods, though, as long as she isn't reinfected."

"What did her parents say about that?"

[just2hands]

Taking an extra moment to skim ahead, Anika began to read. There were reports from Clara's parents, and additional reports from other relatives, neighbors, even teachers. It took her a while, as she mentally began to put together a timeline of noticable symptoms of the little girl's poisoning.

Finally she looked up, finishing her recitation. "And that's all we have. Which is quite a bit if you consider everything. The police report found nothing at all, but I can print out a copy of that as well. Clara's parents have already signed paperwork stating that you can obtain copies of test results and any other findings needed. It might just take me a while to get everything into a folder for you."

"Blistering in sunlight? But" She looked again. "Some of the medications that she was put on have a photo-sensitivity. I take it that this is considerably more intense?"

"And, other than sleeping in her room myself - we are doing the best we can. How do we keep this child safe? A locked ward? Isolation? If I have to... I really didn't want to go that far."

[gregorio]

"Far more intense. The patient I treated blistered in sunlight within minutes, and when he wasn't moved quickly enough, his skin blackened in places most exposed." Gregorio took the records from Anika and read through the parts that stood out to him, once again.

"Strange marks on her neck, puncture marks in pairs. Appeared over a period of several weeks while her condition declined. I'd be interested in learning if anyone besides her immediate family had any contact with her on the nights preceding them finding new marks." He flipped through the paper again. "I see a period of three days or so between discovery of new marks, with the last being found a week ago, just after she was admitted to the hospital." Privately, he was intrigued at the girl's strength. She'd fed a hungry vampire for several weeks. No doubt due to the transfusion she received after she was diagnosed with severe anemia, she'd been able to live longer than many other young vampire victims he'd seen.

He gave Anika a friendly smile, his bright red eyes crinkling. "I think she's going to be fine. Perhaps restrict her visitors to her immediate family only for a few days while I look over some of this information and she recovers a bit."

[just2hands]

Ani listened to his words, her eyes closed and her foot tapping as she pondered the strange symptoms of the patient they were speaking about. A quiet hum of concentration came from her lips when he was finished. He did have a wonderful accent as he spoke, that was for certain.

Shaking her head, she breathed out a sigh of frustration. "I had to speak to a couple of the day nurses. Because of where the poison was injected, and the fact that there were two injection sites, they suggested getting silver crosses and giving Clara garlic tablets of all things." Dr Nuttal met her fellow doctor's eyes for a moment, shrugging before she turned away.

"I had to put an end to that kind of talk. It was neither professional, nor conducive to a healing, helpful atmosphere." Her voice had hardened as Anika spoke. Besides, she privately said to herself. She'd met vampires before, the real thing and not some hollywood construct. They had almost killed her when they overran her hospital back in California. Vampires were raging, near-mindless beasts that ripped throats out; they did not leave delicate little holes in their victims' necks.

[gregorio]

Gregorio watched her carefully. The hard note to her voice was puzzling, and he frowned as he considered her. Despite the Council's rules, there were humans working for them. It was impossible to conduct business in the human world otherwise. None knew the whole truth. Did she have some inkling of the truth? Or a bad experience with rumors gone wild? Gregorio narrowed his eyes. He could tell her. He would catch hell later, but research and medical science was his territory, and Danilo would cave in eventually. He decided to test the waters, carefully. "Garlic wouldn't work. It's just a spice. A strong smelling one, true, but nothing special beyond its uses in cooking and medicine. I think that rumor started around the time of the Plague. We grew lax, and the smell of garlic hid the smell of death from a body that seemed to have died for no reason."

"The cross would probably just distress her unnecessarily until she's fully healed. No child likes to find herself on the wrong side of God. Children have so much more faith than adults."

[just2hands]

Dr Nuttal had pulled out a pad of paper from the drawer behind her, and was busy writing down the signs that Dr D'Ambrosio had just been informing her of. Skin turning black in... What did he just say?

Her writing stopped, her hand still as AnikaAmadi attempted to make sense of those words he'd just uttered. Was this some sort of joke? Was there a problem in the translation of words between Italian and English? Her mind seized on the first thing she could think of.

"Her parents are agnostic, so I really doubt that she's made that sort of connection between the cross and god." Deliberately Anika put the pen down, sliding her hand under the desk as she raised her head up to the neatly dressed, highly articulate doctor standing in the office with her. He wasn't joking. There was nothing humorous showing through his - were they red? - eyes.

Anika chose her next words very, very carefully. "That doesn't mean that the cross, or other symbols of faith won't work, however. Does it fall under the label of 'god believes in you even if you don't believe in god?"

[gregorio]

"We can't escape something encoded into our very DNA. DNA doesn't care whether someone believes in it or not, it just is." Gregorio stood very still and watched as she reached under her desk. "I...lied a bit to you. This is far from the first or even second case like Clara's that I've seen and treated. Or tried to contain. It can become a dangerous situation."

"I am truly a doctor, Dr. Nuttal. I mean you no harm. I could use your help. One of our kind was slowly poisoning Clara, feeding on her a little at a time. There may be others who haven't come to my attention yet. I need to track the vampire down before this gets out of control."