“So what are you two going to do while we’re stuck in here?”
Jayden turned to me. “I’m going to make sure the house is ready for your return.”
“I’m meeting Leonie.” Smith said.
5
Serena
“She’s coming to Carbon Beach already?” I asked.
“Yeah, along with her belongings. So I spoke with Ted and everything is good to go. I just need to make sure she’s organized and then once you’re back on your feet—hopefully in a couple of days—you can take over and rescue the situation.
“Well, in the meantime it will be good for you to practice a bit of humility.” Flynn told him.
The time waiting for the doctor to come through seemed to take infinitesimal hours although it couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes.
Eventually a knock came to the door and a tall thin man with salt and pepper hair entered.
“Miss Saxton?”
I nodded.
“I’m Dr. Ramone.” He held out a hand and I took it and shook it. He was slightly cool to the touch. A vampire for sure.
“So. I know you have already been told about what happens but I’m going to go through it all with you again now.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“After we have spoken, the nurse will come through with a gown for you to change into. You will come through to the theater where you will be sedated and then the process of changing over your blood will begin. This takes around four hours or so and there are usually no complications. Afterward you will rest in your room for a twenty-four hour period of regular monitoring and a course of medication to stop you rejecting your new blood will be started. If everything seems fine you will be able to go home afterward. Okay so far?”
“Yes.” I sucked on my bottom lip. My mouth felt dry.
“We will advise on an initial intake schedule. You live with vampires so you will be well cared for and they know what to look for in terms of complications.”
“And those are?”
“If all goes well then you will experience some discomfort as your body develops its new abilities: improved hearing, sight, etc. This can take a small amount of time to adjust to, which is why we have the rest period here. Should your body not accept the vampire blood you would start with shakes, temperature and flu-like symptoms. In that case we would return you to the theater and we would tranfuse your own blood back into your body.”
“And I wouldn’t be a vampire?”
“No, you wouldn’t be suitable for the turning.”
He smiled at me.
“But you have had no ill effects from the feedings of your partners and so we have no reason to believe there will be any complications, okay? No swelling to the sites afterward?”
“No.”
“So, you see, everything should go ahead as planned.”
“What about my succubus blood? Will that cause a problem?”
“No. Only for your partners who will not be able to resist you, but I guess they are like that anyway?” He laughed and the others joined in.
He stood. “Okay please say your goodbyes to your friends. They can wait in the waiting room but now you need to change and come through with the nurse.”
This was it. I wished I’d given myself more time to say goodbye to my human self because it was about to disappear forever.