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Carmilla’s fingers twitched in the fabric of her white lab coat as one of the technicians in the research hall walked by with a box of blood bags. They were labelled ‘contaminate’ but that didn’t stop Carmilla from having to physically keep herself from reaching out to grab them. Instead, when the technician stopped to look at her funny, she drew up her shoulders and gave them her best glare. They hurried on.
Everyone always did when renown surgeon Doctor Carmilla Karnstein glared at them. A useful feature when she wanted to avoid pesky questions about why she was in the research portion of the hospital instead of the surgery wing. They all just ran away.
With one crucial exception.
Carmilla glared at the door she’d been standing in front of for the past 5 minutes and the shiny gold plaque bearing the name “Doctor Laura Hollis” on it.
Five minutes of staring and she still didn’t have a better plan. So, grudgingly, Carmilla grabbed the doorknob and swung the door open.
“Cupcake,” she barked, swooping into the nearest chair that wasn’t covered in paper, “Clear your schedule.”
Laura was already glaring at her, the aforementioned cupcake halfway to her mouth, and Carmilla smirked at it pointedly. She’d caught Laura sneaking cupcakes into the ‘no food’ portion of the hospital at 2am one night and had never let her live it down. Laura’s love of baked goods was legendary throughout the city’s hospitals.
Doctors could gossip worse than grade schoolers.
“I’m a little busy, Doctor Karnstein,” Laura said, “Make an appointment or come back never.”
“Sure. You look the epitome of busy,” Carmilla gave the cupcake a pointed stare.
Laura put it down, “Every 18 hour work day deserves at least one moment of peace. Some days everything just goes wrong and you’ve got to figure out how to put it all back together.”
Carmilla shrugged, “I wouldn’t know. I do everything perfectly the first time.”
Laura snorted, “There’s that famous ego again. I’m surprised you’re even slumming it with us failures in the research building.”
“There’s not exactly a margin for error in surgery,” Carmilla reminded her.
Although, even if Carmilla would never say it, Laura was pretty much the opposite of a failure. The clinical doctor managed to both see patients and run a research lab at the same time with a workload that would have most doctors quaking. Most stuck to one or the other. To top it off, Laura specialized in rare diseases. Those disorders where 4 people in the whole world had the disease and no-one else was working on solving it. No-one but Laura and her team. She treated patients in the hospital while supervising a nearly twenty person research lab trying to use the data from her patients to solve the diseases before a the patients died.
They died more often than not.
And while Carmilla had certainly had people die on her table; it was something else entirely to take on patients knowing that they were already sick with no known cure. Laura saw hundreds of different diseases that most people had never even heard of each year and consulted on a thousand more.
Carmilla specialized in brains. Laura specialized in everything.
Which was why she was the only person Carmilla could turn to with curing her little problem.
“Look,” Laura sighed and Carmilla suddenly noticed the dark circles under her eyes, “I do not have the emotional ability to spar with you today. What do you need, Carmilla?” The words were said with a bite, “You must be desperate for some witty banter if you’ve come all the way down here instead of trying to summon me to your office. I don’t have time so spit out whatever witty oneliner you’ve got.”
Carmilla fidgeted and hated herself for it.
Laura’s eyes narrowed and she sat up, “You’re actually here for something. You’re not just here to needle me, are you? You’ve got a genuine question.”
“I need a consult.” The words came out through gritted teeth.
“What?”
“I need a consult!”
Laura blinked, “Oh. You? Actually.” She shook her head as if to clear it, “You’re actually asking someone to help you?”
Time to save face.
Carmilla rolled her eyes, “I know everything about brains cupcake but I’m afraid that this is a little outside my area of expertise. Thus, my query. Isn’t that what Doctors are supposed to do or whatever? ‘Work together to create a better medical experience’ or whatever that long winded speech you threw in my face was last year?”
“I’m surprised you listened,” Laura said. Regardless, she cleared off her desk and held out her hand, “Let me see the patient file.”
“There is no patient file.”
It was worth it to see Laura’s nose twitch, “Then what do you expect me to do?”
“Listen mostly,” Carmilla said, “I know you’re a big talker but you can do the whole listening thing too, can’t you?”
“Surprisingly, most doctors do spend time listening to their patients. You’re the only one who ignores them,” Laura said, “So yes. I can listen. I’d prefer a file. But fine. It’s not every day ‘The Great’ Doctor Karnstein asks for help so you have my attention.”
“I’m flattered.”
“Start before I change my mind.”
Carmilla took a deep breath. The shelf behind Laura was covered in crayon drawings from some of her younger patients. All blue skies and shining suns with horses and dogs and crayon creations looking extremely cheerful. Behind them lurked massive medical and research texts offset with the occasional picture or two of a younger Laura with what Carmilla assumed were parents and friends.
“Any day now.”
“The symptoms started six weeks ago,” Carmilla focused on a drawing of a cat rather than Laura’s face, “The patient came down with a sudden and severe case of dizziness and pain that lasted several days and ranged from mild to severe in intensity. The pain culminated in eventual unconsciousness which lasted an estimated 57 hours.”
Laura’s eyebrow twitched as she looked for a pen and started rapidly writing notes.
“Aside from some general shakiness and disorientation,” Carmilla continued, “the patient seemed fine upon waking although appetite was severely reduced. However, over the next few weeks other symptoms began to occur including tenderness in gums, sensitivity to sunlight, increased hunger but virtually no appetite for food, altered sleep cycle with possible insomnia, and additional and periodic bursts of pain. Symptoms still seem to be ongoing.” Carmilla watched as Laura scribbled something, “Any thoughts, cupcake? Point me in the right direction and I’ll be out of your hair. I’ve ruled out anything concussion-related or neurodegenerative. Ran a brain scan right after the initial unconsciousness and there was no sign of any problems.”
At Laura’s silence, Carmilla was forced to look at her. Laura was frowning and tapping her pen against her chin. Her eyes were fixed on Carmilla, something sparking inside them that looked intrigued as she seemed to stare into Carmilla’s soul. Knowing.
Carmilla fought the urge to squirm, “Cupcake?”
Laura looked down at her notes. Then put them down and looked at Carmilla with her hands folded in front of her. “I need patients details. Age. Sex. Health. Height and weight. The usual.”
Carmilla’s stomach clenched, “Do you really-”
“Yes. I really.” Laura cut her off, “But I have a guess as to what you’re going to say. You wouldn’t bother coming down here for just a normal patient. You’d get an intern to send me a file and then never follow up.”
“Cupcake, I don’t think this is necessary.”
Laura just kept looking at her, “34 year old female. 5.2. Broody Doctor with an awful sleep schedule but still appears to be in the peak of health. However, currently has slightly swollen upper gums and a paler than usual complexion.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come on, Carmilla,” Laura pointed a pen at her, “As sad as it is, our little bickering thing that you seem to enjoy so much has resulted in me being the person who knows you best. We’ve seen each other every few days for years. You don’t think, when you come into my office and ask for a consult of all things, that I’m not going to notice something is up?”
Carmilla held Laura’s look for 30 seconds before she slouched in the chair and folded her arms, “Can you fix me or not, cupcake?” she grumbled.
“I’ve got a guess.” Before she knew it, Laura had a pair of gloves on and was hovering in front of her with a tongue depressor, “Say ahhhh.”
“Really?”
Laura shoved the wood in her mouth, holding down her tongue and peering at what appeared to be the roof of her mouth.
“How isth thith helbing?” Carmilla mumbled.
“Shhhhhhh.”
There was a soft hand on her jawbone to tilt her head back and Carmilla’s words disappeared entirely. The hand warm despite the glove between them. Laura withdrew the tongue depressor and tossed it in the orange trash bin. Carmilla tried not to think about why she’d chosen the hazardous waste bin over the normal black one.
Focusing on how hot Doctor Hollis was made for a great distraction.
White lab coat open to put her chest right in Carmilla’s eyeline.
“This might sting a little,” Laura said, softly probing Carmilla’s gums with her thumbs. Carmilla flinched and grabbed onto the arms of her chair as the pain throbbed slightly. Laura then proceeded to shine a light in her pupils that had Carmilla’s eyes watering. Finally Laura carefully ran her fingers down the sides of Carmilla’s neck from her earlobe to her shoulders. There was something soothing in the touch and Carmilla found some of the tension draining from her shoulders.
“It’s okay to be scared you know,” Laura was still touching her neck, very carefully probing the skin, “Not having a diagnosis is always a scary thing.”
“I’m not scared,” Carmilla scoffed, forcing herself not to react to Laura’s soft touch.
Laura smiled, “Of course not. I’m just saying, hypothetically, it would be okay if you were.”
“Noted.”
Retreated back to her side of the desk, Laura stared at Carmilla a little longer. Then she ran her hands through her hair, pulling her part from one side to the other, “Who found you unconscious? I’d like to ask them a few questions.”
Carmilla crossed her arms, “No-one found me. I just guessed the time based on the last time I could remember and the time when i woke up.”
“Nobody noticed you were unconcious for more than 50 hours?” The words burst out of Laura, eyes wide.
“It’s not like I have a roommate, cupcake, and I had the days off work anyway.” Carmilla eyed Laura who was looking at her like she’d suddenly grown an extra head.
“What about like a girlfriend or family or friends or anything?” Laura said, “You have to check in with someone!”
Carmilla shrugged, “Afraid not. I’m not really the touchy feely check in sort.”
Laura was back around the desk and uncapping a black marker before Carmilla could blink. She grabbed Carmilla’s arm and scrawled ten digits across her forearm. “While congrats,” Laura said, “you’re now checking in with me. At least one text every 24 hours. And not one of those automated messages you can set up, Carmilla. I want real actual content.”
Something in her chest tingled at the number, “This is really unncessar-”
“I’m your Doctor now,” Laura huffed, “Doctor’s orders.”
Carmilla eyed her. All huffy with crossed arms and a stubborn look on her face. Carmilla grinned and fluttered her eyelashes, “Only for you Doctor Cupcake. Do you want pictures with those too? I’m told I’m quite good at the 2am selfie.”
Laura flicked her even as the blush rose, “Bad Carmilla. No flirting with your Doctor.”
“Does that rule apply if we’re also colleagues?”
She noticed the way Laura didn’t answer. Instead she got up and started looking through the drawers of her desk, “I want to schedule you for a heart scan.”
Nothing sobered Carmilla faster than potential damage to one of her crucial organs, “What’s wrong with my heart? It’s not about to give out on me, is it?”
“Technically,” Laura frowned as she slid the last drawer closed, “I don’t think so. The scan is just the best way to confirm this particular diagnosis. Did you bring a stethoscope by any chance?”
“Brains don’t breathe.” Carmilla reminded her.
She could see the wheels turning as Laura examined her options. Finally she sighed and stood, “No flirting. I promise this is necessary.”
The warm hand reached out and pressed softly against her chest, right over her heart. The other hand found the pulse in her wrist. The action forced Laura to squat, bringing her head even with Carmilla’s. The air shifting to accommodate her presence as Carmilla could practically taste the lingering scent of sugar on her tongue, mixing with the hints of harsh lab chemicals. She could hear every little breath and motion Laura made.
The whoosh of blood under her skin as she watched Laura’s cheeks turn pink.
But mostly, she could feel the warmth emanating from Laura’s palm into her chest and remained trapped in the way Laura’s lips moved as they mouthed some kind of count to herself. Carmilla’s fingers twitched again so she folded them into herself, clutching tight.
With a deep breath, Laura backed away and put the desk between them. She fiddled with her papers and made a note before biting softly on the end of the pen.
“Well, cupcake?” Carmilla asked, “Do you have something for me?”
Laura closed her eyes, “I’d like to confirm with the heart scan but if you want, as a professional courtesy, I can give you my best guess at this time.”
“Best guess.”
Laura’s eyes popped open and that spark was back, “Okay. Carmilla. I know this is going to come as a shock but I promise that it’s something we can work with and we’re going to figure it out.”
“I’m not dying am I?” Carmilla interrupted, her fingers still tightly grabbing, as she tried to break the serious look on Laura’s face by grinning.
It didn’t work.
“That’s actually a question I can’t answer,” Laura said, “Depends on how you want to define it because what’s actually happening is you’re turning into a vampire.”
Carmilla stared at her. At her earnest face and serious eyes with sparks flickering behind them.
She laughed. A gut wrenching laugh as she clung tighter to herself and shook her head, “You really had me going their cupcake.”
“Carmilla,” Laura’s voice was soft, “Look at what you’re holding so tight?”
She glanced down. Instead of her lab coat, she found her hands locked around a blood bag. Her eyes went wide.
“I had it in my pocket,” Laura said, “You stole it without even noticing. It’s reflexive. That’s why you’re feeling hungry but have no appetite for food. Although, you can’t drink that yet so please don’t try.”
Carmilla shook her head, “That’s not possible.”
“Your gums are sore because you’re growing fangs and your sleep schedule is due to the whole nocturnal thing. I checked your neck for puncture marks and while those have healed over, I was able to feel the small pockets of poison now living under your skin. Also,” she winced, “your heart is basically stopped. Only the occasional beat. Maybe 50%. I’d wager you got bit maybe a week before you passed out which was caused by the poison finally permeating your bloodstream. Did you have any sort of short blackout around that time.”
Carmilla froze. Then frowned.
“Carmilla?” Laura prompted.
“There was an incident with a patient after that huge pile-up,” she said, “I passed out in surgery a few hours later. We accounted it to not sleeping for nearly 36 hours.”
Laura nodded. “That’s probably it.”
“One slight problem with your diagnosis there, Doc,” Carmilla said, “Vampires don’t exist.”
“They really do,” Laura pulled out a massive file folder from her stack, “We don’t really get cases of new vampires but the existence of old ones are really well known in the supernatural community.”
“The supernatural community.” Carmilla repeated.
“Mmmhmmm,” Laura hummed, “My dad used to tell me stories about them from when he was travelling.”
“Your Dad knows vampires,” Carmilla shook her head and stood, “Laura. I know I’m annoying and all but this isn’t funny and I don’t appreciate it. Look. You could have just said you didn’t want to help and I’d have left. No need for this whole joke.” Carmilla made for the door, trying to stuff down all the hurt feelings bubbling in her chest.
A warm hand grabbed her shoulder before she could make it out the room, “I wouldn’t do that Carmilla. I’m not joking. I swear.”
“Don’t be cruel, Laura.”
“Carmilla. Look at me.”
Carmilla reached for the door.
“Carm. Please.”
The Carm got her. A new name mixed in a plea. So Carmilla glanced back. Then turned all the way, eyes wide. The spark in Laura’s eye had turned to fire. Literal actual fire that was visible behind her pupils and turned her irises a swirl of orange and red and yellow.
“What?”
Carmilla just stared.
“I’m a fire fairy.” Laura said, “Well, half fire fairy and half human.”
“So fairies are a thing,” Carmilla watched as the flames died down and Laura’s eyes returned to brown.
“So are vampires,” Laura said, “And I promise, Carmilla. I’m going to find a way to reverse this process and keep you human.”
A voice cut in over the speakers hospital speakers, “Paging Doctor Hollis and Doctor Karnstein. We need a consult in the operating room.”
“Right after this,” Laura amended, she grabbed Carmilla’s arm and pulled her out the door after her, “Try not to bite anyone.”