Real Vampires Know Hips Happen by Gerry Bartlett Page B

wake up, refreshed, and the pain will be gone. All you’ll remember is that you had a nap and a fine drink.” Bart counted then clapped his hands.
    Jerry opened his eyes. “Well, that helped me feel better. Did I remember anything?” He frowned at his sister. “Caitie, why are you upset?”
    “You didn’t remember, Jerry. I just wished this had worked, that’s all.” She wiped at her cheeks. “I guess we’ll have to give you more time.”
    “Yes, we’ve been rushing this.” Bart helped Cait stand up. Jerry was already on his feet.
    “Time? While I’m going mad?” He stomped into his boots, then sat to get them on properly. “Surely there’s something we can do.”
    “Drugs. But you don’t like needles. And there’s only one doctor I know of who has done serious work on posttraumatic amnesia with vampires.” Bart put his arm around Cait. “You’re not going to like who it is.”
    “Why not?” She looked up at him. “Spit it out. Who is it, Bart?”
    “Ever hear of Ian MacDonald?”

Six

    The ride back to the Campbell town house wasn’t exactly a fun time for all. After refusing to have anything to do with a MacDonald, doctor or not, Jerry was trying to be the stoic warrior. Cait had strapped him into the seat belt which he’d endured with only a few choice words for the way she’d made it too tight, then she’d announced she was going to catch a ride later with Bart after she discussed Jerry’s case with him. That left me in the driver’s seat. You can imagine what Jer thought about that.
    “Are you sure you know how to run this machine?” he finally asked after I’d bumped the post for the fourth time.
    How the hell had Cait gotten this car into the tiny parking space? I wasn’t all that current on shifting gears either and the car kept groaning objections and dying.
    “I’ve got this, give me a minute.” I tapped the car in front of us and its alarm went off. Fantastic. I backed up quickly, made a hard turn then managed to get us out of there before an angry car owner came out to check on his Bentley. Yes, this was an expensive neighborhood. As far as I could tell, I hadn’t done more than dust his bumper.
    “There. We’re on our way.” I made a grinding shift intosecond and hit the gas. “You all right?” A glance showed me he really wasn’t. If his brain had been in this century, he would have been livid about how I made his Jag suffer through my gear shifting.
    “What happened to all the horses?” He held on to the strap that dangled by the window, his other hand braced on the dashboard when I made a turn.
    “People still enjoy horses. As a hobby.” I stopped for a red light, the car died, and started rolling downhill. Edinburgh is all hills. Not exactly where I’d have chosen to relearn standard transmissions. Damn. I put both feet on the brake while I waited for the light to change before I started the engine again. “There are still race courses and events where people show off their horsemanship. But horses aren’t used for transportation anymore.” Green light. I got us going again, barely. It took a minute or two and the car behind me blasted his horn when I almost rolled back into his front bumper.
    “What’s that noise?” Jerry grimaced, his head obviously still hurting.
    “An ass who wants me to go faster.” I sped up. “You’re still having headaches. Maybe that means you’re trying to remember.”
    “Of course I’m trying to remember!” he shouted, his hand inadvertently bumping the gear shift during one of my wide corner turns. “Damn it, Gloriana. Slow this monster down.”
    “Sorry.” I pulled over and stopped to study his pale face. He’d looked almost ruddy right after he’d fed. Now he was fading again. So soon. “Really sorry. I know this is hell. I can’t even imagine it. Well, I sort of have a clue. A guy I knew once made me forget we were ever together. Seems he just erased a year of my life.” I shook my head. “But that’s