The doctor freezes. “If you or anyone else is a match, then yes, I could use your blood. What is your blood type?”
“O negative.”
He smiles. “Give me your arm.”
Kai immediately sticks out his arm.
“Is her blood a match?” Langston asks.
“Type O is a universal donor. Anyone can receive her blood.” The doctor pulls out a needle and shoves it into Kai’s arm. He connects it with a tube and then pushes a different needle through my arm. I watch as the blood leaves her body and travels through the tube to my arm.
Our eyes meet. I have her heart; now I’ll have her blood. She’s every part of me that matters—all the good.
She kisses my forehead gently as more of her blood pours into my body.
“How do you feel?” the doctor asks.
“Cold,” I say.
He frowns.
“And happy, and content, and so much more.”
The doctor’s eyes flicker to Kai’s. “I always run cold; I assume my blood does too.”
The doctor touches Kai’s skin, and she doesn’t flinch. He nods understanding when he feels how cold she is.
We all stay silent as more of her blood drips into my body.
Even Milo stays silent. I assume he would be giving orders to get me the hell away from here as soon as possible to protect his asset.
But he doesn’t say anything.
Eventually, the doctor checks my pulse and blood pressure again, and the look of relief on his face tells me I’m going to make it.
“I think you’ve gotten enough blood,” the doctor says looking at Kai more closely. “And I think I need to check out your girlfriend next.”
Kai shakes her head. “I’m fine.”
“You are not fine,” I say.
She gives me a stern look that says, don’t argue with me.
I smile, but it’s my job to argue with her.
“I’m going to disconnect this tube now. And then I’ll have you moved to a bed to rest, and we can work on your shoulder after you’ve rested a bit, and I have a chance to check out your girlfriend,” the doctor says, reaching to disconnect the tubes connecting us.
“Wait,” I say, reaching up to pull Kai’s lips down on mine. I may not get to be inside her when I kiss her, but she gets to be inside me, and I won’t waste this moment. Our tongues push into each other’s mouths, tasting the blood we are both still oozing. It should be the least sexy, unromantic thing, but in some twisted way, it’s perfect. This is us. And it gives me the desire to mark her with my blood more often.
Slowly, Kai pulls away, and it feels like a goodbye. But I see Milo out of the corner of my eye. He’s not going to take me until he knows for sure I can survive the trip.
“This isn’t goodbye, not yet,” I say, as I stroke her cheek.
She smiles, weakly.
The doctor removes the tubing.
“I’m going to need help carrying him upstairs,” the doctor says.