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Lexa hated waiting around. She hated the inactivity and the uncertainty of it all. Especially there, in the small community hall, surrounded by all the paraphernalia that reminded her of Costia. So instead of simply staring up at the harsh fluorescent lights, Lexa closed her eyes and focused on clenching and unclenching her left fist.
She lay on a rickety hospital bed with a stiff pillow under her head. Anya was two beds away from her, originally having only offered to give Lexa a lift afterwards, before she was roped into also giving blood by a very persistent nurse in the waiting area.
‘Hello, Lexa!’
Lexa’s eyes opened and she found herself staring at a blonde nurse who looked nothing short of an angel, despite the grey and red scrubs of the Blood Service workers. She had a bright smile, even brighter blue eyes, and held a clipboard in her hands.
‘My name is Clarke and I will be your tour guide this afternoon.’
Lexa gave her a small smile, trying to hide her sudden nervousness. She often had that problem around pretty girls.
‘Your notes say this isn’t your first rodeo,’ Clarke took a seat beside the bed and began rooting around a metal tray in a set of drawers under the bed for the equipment.
‘No,’ Lexa admitted. She turned her head to watch the blonde. ‘I’ve given blood a few times before.’
‘That’s fantastic, it really does make a difference to so many lives,’ Clarke put a wrapped bandage in Lexa’s hand. ‘Obviously you already know the drill, just keep doing your thing and squeeze the bandage.’
Lexa shivered involuntarily as Clarke’s fingers ghosted over the skin at the inside of her elbow, probing at the vein. Lexa was a very active person, so it wasn't difficult to find a suitable one.
‘That looks like a good one, you really are a pro at this!’ Clarke smiled and wiped an antiseptic wipe over the area. ‘Sharp scratch,’ Clarke warned.
Lexa barely flinched at the feeling of the needle piercing her skin - she had plenty of prior experience from her previous donations as well as the tattoos on her arm and back.
‘What made you want to give blood in the first place, if you don't mind me asking?’ Clarke asked as the tube from the needle began to fill with Lexa’s blood and flow into the bag. She pressed a small timer on the side. It started with a loud bleep.
‘My girlfriend was a blood donor,’ Lexa explained. Enough time had passed for Lexa that she still felt the twinge of grief that she didn’t think would ever go away, but she could talk about it now. ‘She donated at least twice a year, whenever she could. She said it was the least she could do since she had more than enough to keep her going.’ Lexa chuckled fondly at the memory. ‘And when she died, she donated her organs and saved four lives.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Clarke offered, she soothingly rubbed a thumb on the inside of Lexa’s elbow; whether to comfort her or encourage the blood into the needle, Lexa wasn’t sure, but it helped do both.
‘It was what she wanted,’ Lexa shrugged with her unhindered shoulder. ‘She always said she wouldn’t have any use for them if anything happened to her, and she’d rather give someone else a chance at a life. I started to go with her when she donated blood, and I guess it's now one of those things, like a tradition almost. It helps that I’m a universal donor too.’
‘I'm sure she would be proud of you carrying on with it,’ Clarke assured. Something in her voice and the depths of her eyes told Lexa that Clarke had known her own share of suffering. Lexa couldn't tear her gaze away from Clarke’s; it meant a lot to hear those words, even from someone she had only just met and who had never known Costia.
‘Thank you, Clarke,’ Lexa swallowed. She noticed that Clarke’s hand was still on her forearm, softly stroking the skin with her thumb. Clarke seemed to realise what she was doing at the same time as Lexa and immediately jerked her hand away. She hurriedly glanced at the bag that was now half filled, a small blush appeared on her cheeks which Lexa thought was adorable. The fluttering in her stomach was frankly an unexpected addition to the moment.
‘So, uh,’ Lexa tried to continue the conversation. ‘How come you're here then?’ Lexa immediately regretted the question, it was so stupid, obviously it was her job. ‘I meant, what made you want to work for the Blood Service?’
‘It’s a part-time job while I work through Medical School,’ Clarke answered, fiddling with the paper on her clipboard. ‘And I get to meet and talk to so many different people. It gets really dull talking about nothing but medicine and cases all day long with friends from Med School.’
‘I can imagine,’ Lexa chuckled. ‘It’s the same with Law School.’
‘You’re a Law student?’ Clarke raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s intense.’
‘A little, but not as much as Medicine.’
Clarke shook her head. ‘No, it’s a different kind of pressure in Medicine. There’s no way I could remember all those facts word for word in a courtroom or anything. Doses and symptoms I can handle.’
Lexa chuckled. ‘I know I’d barely be able to pronounce the names of some of the drugs you’d be prescribing.’
Clarke shrugged, ‘I guess we’ll just have to stick with our respective disciplines then. Do you go to TonDC U?’
Lexa nodded, considering what a small world it was. The monitor beside her beeped insistently to say she was halfway done.
Clarke’s eyes widened as she checked the timer. ‘Wow, that’s probably the quickest donation I’ve ever seen. You must have a pretty strong heart.’
Lexa felt oddly self-conscious at the sort-of compliment. ‘It gets me by,’ she murmured.
Clarke’s eyes were intense as she looked back at Lexa, curiosity in her gaze. ‘Do you work out a lot?’
‘Uhh,’ Lexa flushed and Clarke also seemed to realise quite how forward her question sounded.
‘Sorry, that sounded really inappropriate,’ she apologised, her cheeks tinged pink once again. ‘I only ask because I’m doing a research project on the link between heart health and exercise.’
‘Oh,’ Lexa smiled weakly, not sure if she was disappointed that it wasn’t a blatant pick up line. ‘Uh, yeah I go running and hit the gym occasionally. Not religiously though, I just find it helps me focus better.’
Clarke bit her lip in thought, her eyes narrowed at Lexa. ‘Could I get your number? I mean, if you’d be willing to participate in my study, that is? I haven’t started advertising for participants yet, but you’d be perfect. For the study.’
Lexa was getting whiplash from where this conversation was going. ‘Yeah, sure, no problem.’
Clarke’s entire face lit up with her smile and Lexa couldn’t help but smile too. It was infectious. ‘That’s amazing, thank you!’
The alarm beeped again to say that the donation was done. Clarke took the wrapped bandage from Lexa’s hand and removed the wrapping, placing it back in her hand. She fished a cotton ball from the metal tray, and in one fluid and practiced movement, removed the needle from Lexa’s arm and pressed the cotton ball in its place.
‘Press that down for me, you know the routine,’ Clarke instructed, still with a smile. ‘Wait here for a few minutes and I’ll get this all labelled up.’
Lexa nodded, still trying to figure out what she had just agreed to. She glanced to her right and saw Anya staring right back at her from her bed. The elderly gentleman in the bed between them had his eyes closed and appeared to be having a nap.
‘Unbelievable,’ Anya mouthed.
Lexa shrugged, a little bit smug. ‘What?’ she mouthed back.
Anya merely rolled her eyes and lay her head back, staring at the ceiling.
A few minutes later, Clarke reappeared and led Lexa over to the seating area where an assortment of biscuits and sugary drinks were available.
‘There you go, Lexa,’ Clarke hovered next to the row of plastic chairs where a couple of donors sat until they had drunk their sugary drinks and eaten their sugary treats and waited the required amount of time. ‘I’ll leave you in Maya’s capable hands. If you feel any nausea or light-headedness give her a shout.’
‘Thanks,’ Lexa hesitated, not sure whether she should give Clarke her number there and then or wait a little bit. Her decision was made for her when Clarke was called away to prep another donor.
‘Don’t go before I’ve got your number,’ Clarke insisted, a light touch to Lexa’s forearm that lingered after she had walked away.
‘Tea, hot chocolate, or juice?’ Maya asked. She gestured for Lexa to take a seat and help herself to a biscuit.
‘Tea, please. Milk, two sugars.’
The hot drink and the shot of sugar was very welcome; the heat warmed Lexa’s hand and encouraged normal blood flow to resume to her slightly chilly fingers. Anya joined her a minute later.
‘What took you so long?’ Lexa teased. Anya answered with an eye roll.
‘You got blondie’s number yet?’
Lexa shook her head. Her eyes landed on a feedback form and a nearby pen on the biscuit table. She reached over and retrieved two forms and two pens, giving a set to Anya as well.
‘Fill that in,’ Lexa ordered, completing her own form with the addition of her name and phone number at the bottom.
Lexa glanced over to where Clarke was checking on another donor. As if she sensed her eyes, Clarke looked around and met her gaze. Lexa smiled and held up her feedback form. Clarke returned the small smile and held up a hand, wordlessly asking Lexa to wait a moment.
‘Oh my god,’ Anya muttered under her breath. ‘This is painful.’
‘You don’t have to stay,’ Lexa reminded her. ‘Go sit in the car if you don’t want to wait.’
Anya shook her head. ‘No, I’ll stay. No one will believe me if I don’t get the full story of you getting someone’s number at a blood drive of all places.’
Lexa stood up as Clarke approached.
‘Hey, thanks for waiting,’ Clarke beamed. ‘No side effects? Not feeling woozy or anything?’
Lexa shook her head. ‘All okay, thanks doc. This is for you.’
Clarke took the feedback form and her eyes darted down to Lexa’s number printed clearly at the bottom of the page. Lexa took a step backwards and indicated for Anya to follow her out of the hall.
‘Give me a call if you want to talk about your study over drinks sometime.’
Lexa left the hall with a swagger in her stride.