hardly even felt the needle. Before she
knew it, he was finished and taping a cotton ball to her arm. She stood up and
suddenly felt light headed. The room spun, her knees went weak, and Nora fell.
Dr.
Kent’s strong arms caught her before she reached the floor. She felt his
muscular chest pressing against her back and she could tell he was holding her
effortlessly. Then she could smell him, a faint mix of sweat and cologne, and
it was intoxicating. Her head was still reeling, but now she wasn’t sure if the
cause was the blood loss or her doctor. He lifted her easily and set her back
on the bed. Nora was disappointed to feel him let her go.
Everything stopped spinning as the handsome doctor returned with a juice box
and a cookie. Nora felt like a child as she took them; she held the cookie in
her mouth while inserting the tiny straw into the juice box. She looked
ridiculous, but she didn’t mind so much because the doctor was still smiling at
her. She was a little grateful for the dizzy spell, knowing that if she’d still
had any color left in her face, it would be beet red.
“Feeling
any better, Nora?”
Hearing
her name come from his lips sent another shiver through her. She smiled and
assured him she was just fine. She immediately regretted saying that, because
he nodded once and returned to his desk where he began filling out paperwork.
She
remained on the bed for another minute before the older woman laid her hand on
Nora’s arm and asked if she was ready to go. Nora nodded and the woman helped
her to her feet. Dr. Kent turned to her and said “Goodnight Nora, and thank you
so much.”
He
smiled at her once more, and Nora almost tripped down the stairs on her way
out. The woman released her arm when they reached the concrete of the parking
lot and bid her goodnight. Nora got into her car and sat quietly in the
driver’s seat for a few minutes until she was sure her mind was clear. It was
hard to think of anything besides the doctor’s body pressed against her and his
strong arms wrapped around her. Finally, she blocked those thoughts and drove
herself home.
~
James
Kent was alone in his private lab looking over today’s samples. Several petri
dishes with dark clotted blood were arranged on the workbench. So far he’d had
no luck, but that wasn’t unusual. He often went months without a single
compatible sample.
God,
he wished it were more like the movies; anybody who had ever received so much
as a scratch from a werewolf always seemed to turn. Maybe it was different with
bears, or there was just no truth to the movies at all.
Three
years ago, he had been a happily married man from a wealthy family on his way
to a promising career in medicine. He was an active member of Doctors Without
Borders; when one of their volunteers fell ill, James filled in for him on a
three month trip to rural Romania. It was there that he’d been attacked.
James
had gone alone to a small village several miles from their base camp. After
spending the day performing checkups and administering vaccines for the local
children, he headed back to camp that night. Suddenly there was something in
the road, something big. He veered to the right and the jeep overturned,
leaving him suspended upside down by his seat belt.
When
his head stopped spinning he climbed down and checked himself over. Some cuts
and bruises, but he’d be alright. There was no sign of the thing he had seen.
He dug his satellite phone out of the overturned car and dialed the base.
Before he could say a word, something slammed into him from behind, knocking
the wind out of him. A sharp pain tore across his back as he fell to the
ground. He screamed at the pain and scrambled towards the jeep. James pulled
himself into the vehicle and turned around.
A
hulking brown bear was closing on him with hunger in its eyes. It was larger
than any bear he had ever seen, even on all fours it stood as tall as him.
knew it, he was finished and taping a cotton ball to her arm. She stood up and
suddenly felt light headed. The room spun, her knees went weak, and Nora fell.
Dr.
Kent’s strong arms caught her before she reached the floor. She felt his
muscular chest pressing against her back and she could tell he was holding her
effortlessly. Then she could smell him, a faint mix of sweat and cologne, and
it was intoxicating. Her head was still reeling, but now she wasn’t sure if the
cause was the blood loss or her doctor. He lifted her easily and set her back
on the bed. Nora was disappointed to feel him let her go.
Everything stopped spinning as the handsome doctor returned with a juice box
and a cookie. Nora felt like a child as she took them; she held the cookie in
her mouth while inserting the tiny straw into the juice box. She looked
ridiculous, but she didn’t mind so much because the doctor was still smiling at
her. She was a little grateful for the dizzy spell, knowing that if she’d still
had any color left in her face, it would be beet red.
“Feeling
any better, Nora?”
Hearing
her name come from his lips sent another shiver through her. She smiled and
assured him she was just fine. She immediately regretted saying that, because
he nodded once and returned to his desk where he began filling out paperwork.
She
remained on the bed for another minute before the older woman laid her hand on
Nora’s arm and asked if she was ready to go. Nora nodded and the woman helped
her to her feet. Dr. Kent turned to her and said “Goodnight Nora, and thank you
so much.”
He
smiled at her once more, and Nora almost tripped down the stairs on her way
out. The woman released her arm when they reached the concrete of the parking
lot and bid her goodnight. Nora got into her car and sat quietly in the
driver’s seat for a few minutes until she was sure her mind was clear. It was
hard to think of anything besides the doctor’s body pressed against her and his
strong arms wrapped around her. Finally, she blocked those thoughts and drove
herself home.
~
James
Kent was alone in his private lab looking over today’s samples. Several petri
dishes with dark clotted blood were arranged on the workbench. So far he’d had
no luck, but that wasn’t unusual. He often went months without a single
compatible sample.
God,
he wished it were more like the movies; anybody who had ever received so much
as a scratch from a werewolf always seemed to turn. Maybe it was different with
bears, or there was just no truth to the movies at all.
Three
years ago, he had been a happily married man from a wealthy family on his way
to a promising career in medicine. He was an active member of Doctors Without
Borders; when one of their volunteers fell ill, James filled in for him on a
three month trip to rural Romania. It was there that he’d been attacked.
James
had gone alone to a small village several miles from their base camp. After
spending the day performing checkups and administering vaccines for the local
children, he headed back to camp that night. Suddenly there was something in
the road, something big. He veered to the right and the jeep overturned,
leaving him suspended upside down by his seat belt.
When
his head stopped spinning he climbed down and checked himself over. Some cuts
and bruises, but he’d be alright. There was no sign of the thing he had seen.
He dug his satellite phone out of the overturned car and dialed the base.
Before he could say a word, something slammed into him from behind, knocking
the wind out of him. A sharp pain tore across his back as he fell to the
ground. He screamed at the pain and scrambled towards the jeep. James pulled
himself into the vehicle and turned around.
A
hulking brown bear was closing on him with hunger in its eyes. It was larger
than any bear he had ever seen, even on all fours it stood as tall as him.
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