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Dark Nights	By : MarianTheBlackadder Category: M through R > Only Lovers Left Alive Views: 4341 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: .I do not own any of the characters or story lines of this story. All rights belong to the writers and producers of Only Lovers Left Alive.I recieve no money for writting this story, only the enjoyment of writing it

Chapter List
- 28
- 29
Turn Arounds
                Johanna was almost two but she appeared to a human to be 7 or 8. She was very eager and attentive but she still didn’t speak. She could read and write, but she didn’t communicate with them in that way. She spoke by her expressions, emotions, and touch. She was extremely expressive and her meanings were always clear. There didn’t seem to be any reason for her not to speak, she was physically fine and fully capable. She simply chose not to.
                Adam had started to teach her to read music, although she was very apt to play by ear. She listened and studied Adam intently if he played a song that wasn’t to advanced, and she could copy him exactly, even if he changed it more than once. It was unbelievable to see a child at such a young age with such abilities.
                With the extremely large and consistent blood supply, there was no reason to teach her how to haunt. They never left the estate and zombies never came or were allowed on the property. They would have to teach her one day, but not until she was an adult at least.
                Dani got the equipment to store all of the blood they received, and even though it came to them screened and ready for storage and transfusions, she tested everything before any of them drank from the supply. She made sure to stay up to date with her studies and medical journals keeping their blood testing devices upgraded whenever p[possible, and occasionally sending a few upgrades to Marlowe as well.
                One evening while Dani was working in her small lab in the basement where their storage freezers were, her cell phone started to ring. She smiled seeing that it was Jeremy and picked it up, “Hey you. Adam finds out you are calling this time of night and he’s going to have a cow . . . .”
                “Dani, there’s something wrong with Kaylee.” Dani’s smile vanished.
                “What? What’s wrong?”
                “I need you to see her. They keep saying that her blood tests are clean, but we can both see that they aren’t. The results are weird, but they say nothing is wrong. She’s still sick, and getting worse not better.” He sighed, “I need you. I need your help. I know you’ll see what they don’t. What we don’t.”
                She swallowed the lump in her throat. Adam told her under no circumstances that they were not allowed to see each other in person again. That he forbid it completely. “Send me her blood and I’ll test it.”
                “Dani . . . I need to bring her to you. Or you to come to us. You’re a vampire, not just a phlebotomist. You might be able to sense something that the tests don’t say.”
                She bit her lip and covered her eyes leaning against the table thinking. Adam was going to be completely furious. “Alright . . . Alright I’ll ask Eve to help me talk to Adam. How long until you can get her here?”
                “We’ll be on the next flight out.” He said quickly beyond relieved that she was going to help them.
                “Okay.” She said softly knowing they’d be there the following night. He thanked her again before they hung up. Dani sighed covering her face not knowing how she was going to tell Adam, but pretty certain she already knew how he was going to react.
Intensive Care
                Needless to say, there were fireworks when Dani told them that Jeremy was bringing Kaylee because she was sick. Adam was less then pleased that she went ahead and blatantly disobeyed him like this, but with the situation being what it was . . . after they had helped them so many times, he couldn’t justify turning them away when they needed help.
                When they arrived, Dani met them at the front gate with the car. They got out of the Taxi and already Dani could clearly see that Kaylee was ill. Dani helped Jeremy get their things from the Taxi moving them to the car before driving them to the house. Eve immediately came out to greet them and helped Kaylee into the house while Jeremy and Dani took in the bags to the guest room Dani had prepared for them to stay in.
                Johanna stayed with Adam, not wanting her anywhere near Kaylee if she was sick with some unknown disease. He watched them out the large window of the music room as they moved into the house below.
                Kaylee was beyond exhausted, she had no energy whatsoever and fell asleep almost immediately. Dani drew some blood samples and took them down to her lab starting to work. Jeremy stayed with Kaylee in their room, and eve took over watching Johanna for a while.
                Adam stood at the basement door of Dani’s lab watching his young one work diligently with extreme attention, focus, and determination. Everything that made her who she was. Doing what had always made her happiest in life. Helping someone.
                Her hair was clipped up off her neck but a few rouge strands framed her face. Her eyes glowed even brighter as she looked into her microscope jotting down notes as she went. With her vampire eyes, her vision was clear and flawless, and she could easily see things human’s couldn’t, even through their machines and microscopes.
                He watched her for a very long time, the way she was wrapped up in her work, the intense look that crossed her face. It would have been interesting to see where things would have gone for her had she remained a zombie. He imagined that by now, she would have gotten her PHD and would be a well respected member of the medical and scientific community. Perhaps she may have discovered a cure for some horrible disease. Made a breakthrough in something that was considered hopeless. He had no doubt she certainly would have made her mark on the world. She still might, but it would have to be done anonymously. All the credit would go to a human, their name would go down in history instead of Dani’s. Just like Shakespeare’s name replaced Marlowe’s.
                But, like so many women who began career driven, her priorities shifted when she became a mother. Her main focus and concern was for her family. That was what took precedence over everything else. Even her once dreams and aspirations.
                Adam watched her sit back down at her desk looking into the microscope once again. She had a pen tucked in her hair behind her ear and more than likely she’d forgotten that it was even there as she was using another to write. The truth was that he enjoyed seeing her this way. Doing what she loved more than anything. Something at the core of her soul seemed to be glowing, vibrant, she positively shined. And it was beautiful to behold.
                He moved closer slowly circling behind her never taking his eyes from her beautiful form. Silently he stepped behind her curiously looking at the work she was doing. To his eyes it looked like Malay of numbers and letters making up a black hole of gibberish. Yet it all seemed to make perfect since to Dani as she added to it.
                Wrapping his arms tight around her holding as his chin rested on Dani’s shoulder breathing in her intoxicating scent. Dani could feel him rub against her backside, quite apparently having become rather aroused. He pressed a bit harder, his hips shifting slightly against her, closing his eyes and burying his face into her neck, nibbling her soft flesh with his fangs. He could devour her completely at this moment. She was so beautiful, brilliant, and smelled delicious.
                “Adam . . .” She said shrugging him off a bit, “Not really a good time for fooling around. Ya know?” Dani looked back into the microscope. “I need to find out what’s making Kaylee sick before she gets worse.”
                She was right, and Adam wasn’t sure what come over him like that. Of course it was in inappropriate time for that sort of activity. He clenched his jaw trying to pull it together before stepping beside her, “So what is it. Have you seen it before?”
                Dani shook her head as she made another note, “No. And I’m thinking that no one else has either.”
                “How is that possible? Have they been traveling out of the country? Humans don’t have to consume blood to survive.” He said furrowing his brow.
                “Jeremy says that they haven’t, but at the same time they both work in the medical field. They’re exposed to all sorts of things day in and day out. Someone could have been sick showing no symptoms, someone could have been a carrier and Kaylee’s body simply can’t fight it.” She tossed down her pen and sat back with a sigh rubbing her face in frustration. “She’s so tired and weak, it’s going to be rough on her to do more tests. But we don’t have much of a choice.”
                Adam’s eyes glared at Dani when she said that. She’d already made use of all the equipment they had on the property. ‘More testing’, could only mean one thing. “No.” He said sternly.
                “Adam, we have to know what other effects this is having on her body. It can’t just be her blood alone.” Dani countered.
                “You are NOT leaving this property, do you hear me? It’s bad enough that I let you bring them here in the first place. You certainly aren’t going to leave it with them. I don’t care what the matter, situation, or circumstance.” She started to say something else but he leaned closer, his eyes flashing not willing to argue about this with her. “I said NO!” He growled. Dani’s heart sank feeling like it was a smack in the face the way he had just talked to her. She turned her eyes away not wanting him to see the tears that were threatening to fall.
                After a moment she took a breath daring to speak again, “They risked their lives for me, Adam. For us. Kaylee didn’t even know me and still she helped.” Dani’s eyes turned up to his, “Now it’s my turn to help them. They put themselves on the line for my sake. I need to do the same for them. I want to.”
                “And perhaps at one time I may have allowed it. Except now you have our daughter to think about. A daughter who needs her mother as she is the first of her kind. You can’t just sacrifice yourself or risk your life for what you might think is a good cause, no matter what it is. Now, she must be your first concern before everything . . .everyone else.” He said seriously.
                “But Kaylee . . .” Dani whispered with tears streaming down her face.
                “We will do what we can to help Kaylee. But not at the risk of your life, or Johanna’s.” He said seriously. “For once, you are going to listen and obey me. These rules exist for a reason, Dani. You will abide by them.”
Midday
                Jeremy stay with Kaylee while Dani remained down in her lab doing what she could, whatever she could with what little she had access to. Eve put Johanna to sleep in the nursery before walking to the other side of the house where the occupied guest room was. Adam was standing outside the door in the shadowed hallway watching as Jeremy sat with his wife, holding her hand tight in both of his fearing that no matter how hard he held onto it, she was going to slip through his fingers. Eve walked up beside him and wrapped her arm around his resting her head against Adam’s shoulder in silence as they watched the scene.
                “You realize that we will have to make a hospital run tonight.” Eve said softly so only Adam could hear. Adam already had a feeling that was going to be the case. Since he wouldn’t let Dani or Johanna off the property, it would be up to him and Eve to get what was needed. “She’ll need medicines, we’ll need more supplies if we are to care for her properly.”
                “She’s a zombie, she can get help from any hospital in the world.” He growled in an annoyed tone. “They don’t need to be here.”
                “Adam. They already know that the zombie’s cannot help them. Jeremy brought her here as a last resort, you know he doesn’t want to risk Dani or Johanna’s lives anymore then we do. But because of our . . . somewhat turbulent history as long as we’ve known him, Kaylee is the only real friend and family he has left. As much as they care for each other, he and Dani aren’t the same species anymore and he and Kaylee have shared so much. More than most zombies do in a lifetime.” She looked up at her husband, “They need our help my love.”
                He still didn’t approve of it, he wanted them to go away. If Kaylee was going to die anyway, then why in the hell couldn’t she do it somewhere else? Somewhere far away from them. He clinched his jaw again with a sigh knowing that he didn’t have much of a choice with both Dani and Eve determined to help them.
Hospital Adventures
                “Jeremy.” Eve said knowing he hadn’t slept very much and was a little frazzled. “Stay with us.” She said wrapping her hand around his arm and pulling him in the same direction. “Adam has done this a thousand times, and you know your way around a medical facility. The sooner we can collect what’s on this list, the sooner we can back.” She whispered. “Just, don’t wonder off.”
                Adam had looked up the hospital on the computer before they left and got a layout of the place, but after late hours, certain parts of the hospital were locked down for the night. They needed Jeremy’s expertise. Jeremy looked a bit distraught and Adam gave Eve a look. He had told her that they should have just gone without him, but Jeremy insisted on going with them.
                “Can you open this door?” Eve asked as Adam kept watch to make sure no one was going to walk by or alert hospital security. Jeremy gave a tired nod and reached in his pocket taking out a device that he’d brought with him. Eve looked the other way down the hall while he worked his magic.
                He slid the card at the end of the cord through the reader, before punching in a few commands and then sliding it again. At first the light remained red as though the machine was thinking about it, but then it clicked over to green unlocking the door and allowing them access to the medicines storage room. They slipped inside and immediately closed the door back. Adam stayed next to the door to keep watch as Jeremy and Eve went to work collecting the medications that were on the list that Dani had given them with any supplies that they might possibly need.
Reacquainted
                Kaylee’s eyes opened showing that she was still exhausted. She smiled softly when she saw Dani taking her vitals after having taken another blood sample from her. “Just like a vampire, isn’t it. Stealing your blood while you sleep.” Dani said softly with half a smile at the irony.
                “It’s alright. I did the same and worse to you when you were sleeping. But I wouldn’t advise drinking from mine . . . not now.” She cautioned closing her eyes laying her head back. Dani felt a twinge in her chest seeing how ill she was. Her eyes moved to the ring on Kaylee’s hand that Jeremy had placed there at their wedding. He loved her so very much. Kaylee’s eyes opened looking up at her again as Dani took off the stethoscope and the pressure cuff putting them aside.
                “Jeremy will be back soon. Eve and Adam took him to the hospital to get what we need. Hopefully with some stuff that I think will make you feel better.” To be honest Dani wasn’t sure, but they had to do something. Even if at worse, that something was making her comfortable.
                Kaylee started to respond but stopped looking towards the door way. A smile swept her face seeing two small amethyst eyes peeking around the corner looking towards her. Dani looked over seeing her little girl curiously looking into the room. Dani held up her hand letting Johanna know it was okay to come into the room. She hesitated a moment before she hurried around the door and hopped up into Dani’s arms. “Oh, she’s gotten so big.” Kaylee said excited to see her niece. Dani smiled a little seeing Johanna’s eyes on Kaylee curiously. She kissed her cheek stroking her dark hair that matched Adam’s. Eve had braided her long beautiful locks into a crown around her head and it cascaded in curls down her back. Kaylee started to sit up, and instantly Dani sat Johanna down on the bed next to her before helping Kaylee putting a few pillows behind her back. “Has she spoken yet? Said anything?”
                “Not verbally, no. She can, she just . . . doesn’t.” Dani said picking up her little one onto her lap. “Do you remember your Aunt Kaylee?” She asked softly in Johanna’s ear. The little girl continued to study Kaylee for several quiet moments. Kaylee’s smile dimmed a little even though she knew it was unlikely for the little one to recall her from the first few months of her life when she was a newborn. But a small smile appeared on Johanna’s lips and she wrapped her arms around Kaylee giving her a tight hug, her head resting to her shoulder. Kaylee’s eyes lit up as she hugged her back.
                “She does remember me.” Kaylee said in excited astonishment. “She really does.” She laughed a little holding the young one a bit tighter.
                Dani smiled softly, “She’s so intelligent Kaylee.” Dani confessed. “She plays music with Adam. Eve has even taught her how to read and write. It’s absolutely unbelievable.” Dani reached over stroking the little ones head again. Kaylee leaned Johanna back just enough so she could look at her face.
                “She’s so beautiful.” She admired. “You look so much like your mom, honey.” Kaylee smiled touching the child’s cheek. “And there’s a bit of your daddy in there too. Right here.” She said indicating her cheekbones that were a match to Adam’s exactly.
                Johanna studied Kaylee curiously, taking her hand and looking at her fingers and palm. Her eyes returned to Kaylee’s face as she held it against her cheek. Then she turned to her mother holding Kaylee’s hand out to Dani with a look of confusion on her face, raising Kaylee’s hand to Dani’s cool cheek. Her hands were warm. Kaylee was running a fever so her hands were even warmer then they usually would be.
                Dani held Kaylee’s hand for a minute, “Aunt Kaylee isn’t felling very well right now.” She tried to explain as clearly as possible. “She has a fever.”
                Johanna’s hand took Kaylee’s back as she looked at it, turning it over holding it between her tiny fingers. Then her eyes looked up at Kaylee once more, and she reached up touching her lips, looking at her teeth finding that her mouth was different from her own, and her parents. She touched her own teeth, her finger against her sharp elongated canines, before touching Kaylee’s human teeth again. “Her teeth retract now?” Kaylee asked Dani curiously.
                “Yes. But the only thing she’s ever bitten into is a bag of 0-.” She said still stroking Johanna’s hair. “There’s no need to teach her what they’re for. She doesn’t have to hunt like she would if this were the 1800’s.” Kaylee knew there was a distinct danger that she had been warned about when Johanna was born that to a young vampire, she was basically a cheeseburger. But Johanna didn’t seem the slightest bit interested in tasting Kaylee. She was just curious to find her different then herself. She hadn’t seen a zombie since Jeremy and Kaylee left and now that she had matured a little more, she noticed the differences between them.
                “You do have to teach her that we aren’t the same though.” Kaylee said looking at Dani.
                “I know. But we’re cut off from the world right now Kaylee. Why burden her with the ugly side of things when it isn’t necessary yet? You and I know how much this world sucks, but . . . I’d like her to keep her innocence as long as possible before we have to ruin it. She doesn’t have to know right now.” Dani wasn’t looking forward to the day when they would have to teach her all those things. “Besides, there’s no shortage of food for us these days. It’s not like she has to go out and find it herself to survive.”
                Kaylee gave a nod being able to understand that. She smiled again admiring how lovely the little girl was. “She’s so beautiful. It’s hard to believe she’s only 2. I mean . . . her eyes are much older then that, and physically . . . so much more mature then a human would be.” She said in awe.
                Dani smiled, “Yup. She’s full of surprises.” She kissed Johanna’s head again, “Daddy will be home soon Johanna, go watch for them at the window, okay?” Johanna gave a nod and hugged Kaylee one more time before hopping down from the bed and hurrying out of the room heading for the music room. Kaylee and Dani both giggled a little in delight. “You should see the look on Adam’s face when he hears me say ‘daddy’. I think he still feels strange about it.”
                “I think a lot of men do. I know that Jeremy is anxious to have little ones calling him Daddy.” Kaylee said softly her eyes turning down. Dani knew she was worried, they were all worried. She reached out taking Kaylee’s hands.
                “And you’ll have them.” She said seriously, “I’m going to find out what’s wrong and I’m going to fix it. I promise.” She vowed wanting to put Kaylee’s mind at ease. “You need to rest.” She stood taking the pillows from behind Kaylee and settling her back in comfortably on the bed. “As soon as we get some fluids into you, I think you’ll be able to rest better.” She said sincerely. “You’re so dehydrated.” Dani touched her face feeling how clammy she was to the touch. “Can you drink a little?”
                Kaylee shook her head, “I don’t want to. The water, it upsets my stomach.” She admitted. Dani gave a nod as Jeremy had already told her she’d been vomiting everything, even water.
                “As soon as they get back . . . we’ll get you feeling better.” Dani said sincerely resting her hand over Kaylee’s warm one. “Try to get some rest, okay?” Kaylee nodded without argument feeling exhausted with just speaking with Johanna and Dani for a few moments. Dani had a ill feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t quite shake. As much as puzzles fascinated her, as much as she liked to solve them, she didn’t like such high stakes such as friends lives hanging in the balance.
Time is Ticking Away
                Eve was fixing supper for the four of them while Dani worked diligently in the lab. Eve didn’t say anything at first not wanting to disturb the young woman’s concentration. However she could feel Dani’s anxiety coming off of her in tidal waves. Walking over she set Dani’s glass down next to her before she rested her hand on her back. “Are you alright love?” She questioned.
                “No.” Dani snapped rubbing her eyes a little. Realizing she’d just been snippy with Eve she took a breath and sighed, “I’m sorry.”
                “She’s improving isn’t she? As soon as you and Jeremy started the IV with the medications and fluids, her temperature went down and she could rest. Her color is improving too.” Eve pointed out.
                “Sticking plasters.” She cradled her head in her hands, “Band-aids don’t fix bullet holes.” She said quoting one of her favorite songs she heard on the radio. Probably because it was about ‘bad blood’ and it caught her attention when she heard it playing. “Jeremy says that the anti-nausea medication is helping and she’s even been able to eat and drink without throwing it back up. That will keep her from declining so fast, but . . .” Dani shook her head, “Of all the people in the world this weird ass thing had to attack, why did it have to be her?”
                “We can’t choose who gets sick or with what. Of course we wouldn’t want anyone to be ill ever, but it happens sometimes darling.” Eve said knowing that pointing out the obvious wasn’t going to comfort her or make her feel any better. “Kaylee and Jeremy know that you’re doing your best. And that’s all you can do.”
                “I have to be able to do more.” Dani said reaching over opening one of the folders that she had set aside. Eve furrowed her brow looking over her shoulder.
                “Dani, what are you up to? Why does that look like the file that you keep on us?” She questioned.
                She hesitated a moment, “I have a theory.” She started, “But . . . it’s a long shot and kind of dangerous.”
                Eve reached over and took the folder away from Dani closing it tight. “No.”
                “Eve . . . .”
                “No, and I shall not repeat myself on this. Adam and I agreed some time ago that neither Jeremy nor Kaylee would ever be turned for any reason. This is not a life they want, Dani. They have plans, and dreams, and goals that they want for themselves and their families that they will never have the chance to achieve as vampires. Jeremy himself told you that he didn’t want to be turned after watching everything that you’ve gone through, the limitations we face of having to survive in a zombie’s world. I can’t imagine that Kaylee feels any differently.” She said in a stern tone.
                “I’m not talking about turning them Eve, I’m talking about helping Kaylee get better.” Dani countered reaching out and taking the folder back, “We heal within moments of being hurt. My healing varies but yours and Adam’s have always been consistent. If I can just figure out what it is that affects self healing then I can synthesize a copy and use it to treat Kaylee’s illness. The Ransack Corporation already started the research, I just have to connect the dots and finish it. It could help her body heal itself on its own.”
                “You can’t play with this, Dani. Not here, not right now. If you’re wrong, if you try and give her a serum made from the elements in our blood, it could leave her somewhere far worse than death. Far worse than hell. Like what such experimentation did to Sean. Do you really want that for your friend?” Eve demanded. Dani felt a knot in her throat, never having Eve speak to her in such a way before. It hurt. Eve wrapped her arms around Dani and hugged her tight, “Sweetheart, I know you’re scared. Mortality . . . is simply part of human life.” She kissed her cheek, “You must do what you can within reason. Even if all you can do is make her comfortable.”
Treatments
                Dani pushed the medication into Kaylee’s IV, and you could immediately see her seem to relax. It took the pain away and allowed her to rest comfortably. Jeremy sighed in relief, “It’s working. Alright, do you see?” Dani half smiled before putting down the syringe and taking Kaylee’s wrist as she took her pulse and blood pressure. Jeremy’s smile dimmed somewhat, “What’s wrong?”
                Dani sighed and shook her head, “I don’t know if this is going to work or not Jeremy. I still don’t know what it is that’s making her sick. If it’s an outside element or . . . or her body fighting itself.” She looked at her friend, “I’m trying Jeremy, and I’m doing everything I can. I promise.”
                Jeremy’s eyes turned down and he gave a nod knowing she was doing everything she could. Reaching over he took Kaylee’s hand in his holding it tight so he knew she was there. “I know we aren’t supposed to but . . . Kaylee keeps a picture of Johanna in her wallet. Only one at a time, and usually whatever the most recent picture is that you send us. I know Adam would be angry but . . . we’re sort of family. You know?” Dani gave a nod understanding as her eyes turned back to Kaylee. “We were going to start trying for our own. Now that the business has taken off and we’re making much more money than we ever did in the medical profession. No worries about paying bills, or maternity leave, or stuff like that when you own your own business. It seemed like the perfect time.”
                She smiled a little, “I thought you guys were going to start right away. As soon as you were married.”
                “We did . . . well . . . we were but, we had to go see a specialist.” Dani furrowed her brow not having heard about this before now, “Things didn’t seem to be working like they were meant to, and we wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
                “What did they find out?” Dani asked curiously.
                “Nothing really. I mean, they said all my tests came back positive, and Kaylee had a slight variation in hers but they said it could be corrected.” Dani’s eyes snapped back to him. “What?”
                “What readings? What variation?” She asked quickly. Jeremy sighed and took out his phone punching up the e-mail they had gotten with their test results that gave them the news. Dani took it quickly scrolling through the message.
                “It’s common, they said that the treatment for it had a 75% effectiveness for women Kaylee’s age.” He explained. Dani had read some medical journals about this condition rather recently. She stood from the bed.
                “What has she been taking for it Jeremy?” She demanded. “Where was she getting it?” Jeremy furrowed his brow before going to get her medicine case out of her things. Finding the bottle of her meds she was given he read the label.
                “It doesn’t have a name.” He said taking it over to Dani, “Just a number.” Dani took the bottle looking at it before opening it and shaking the purple pills out into her hand.
                “Shit!” She said dropping the bottle and quickly hurrying over and unhooking Kaylee from the IV. Hearing the slight commotion, Adam and Eve soon appeared at the bedroom door. “You are both medical professionals, you knew I was going to be treating her with medication why the hell didn’t you tell me what she was taking!”
                “What’s going on? What’s wrong?” Eve asked hurrying over.
                “Kaylee’s taking experimental fertility drugs. They aren’t officially on the market yet, they’re still in human trials.” Dani said quickly pulling out a syringe and filling it with medication, “I have to counteract what I’ve been giving her otherwise her heart is going to stop and we’re not going to be able to get it to start again.”
                “That’s her field, why would she do that?” Eve asked looking to Jeremy for an answer.
                “I don’t know! She never said that the medicine she was taking was experimental, I assumed that it was something that had been proven safe and effective!” He said in horror running his hands through his hair as Eve helped assist Dani however possible. “I didn’t even know she was in a clinical trial.”
                Adam stayed at the door holding Johanna’s hand not letting her go any further into the room as they watched. “She should have stopped taking them as soon as she realized that they were having adverse side effects.” Dani pushed another medication through, “In rare cases, these meds have been known to cause a blood disease where the red blood cells start attacking the body. Like leukemia does with white blood cells attacking the body. This is like it’s polar opposite.”
                Jeremy’s eyes were wide as he watched Dani work. She was moving incredibly fast he almost couldn’t see her. “What do you need?” Eve asked her.
                “She needs a full transfusion, right now.” Her eyes turned to Adam, “Adam her blood type is A-, we have full stores from the delivery the day before yesterday we need at least 8 pints.” Adam disappeared with Johanna to go and get what Dani asked for. “Even as sick as she’s been she’s still been managing to take this crap?!” She explained. Jeremy just shook his head at a lost not knowing what to say or how to feel. Dani and Eve continued to work trying to give her what help they could.
Waiting Game
                Dani sat in the lab, every light turned out as she stared at nothing. Eve was with Jeremy and Kaylee, and Adam put Johanna to bed. Then he came back down to the basement to find Dani sitting in the dark. He could feel how upset she was from the other side of the house. He stepped in the room not saying anything but Dani could feel that he was there, and why.
                “This . . . this was stupid of her. Why in the hell would she be so stupid? She knew better.” She said not turning her eyes towards him.
                “Can you help her. Undo the damage.” He questioned.
                She didn’t answer right away as though she didn’t want to know the answer herself. “She could wake up in an hour.” Her eyes turned downwards, “She might not wake up at all.”
                Adam walked up beside her studying her face which clearly gave a picture of the sorrow and anger she was feeling about the entire situation. Taking her hand he pulled her up from the chair and she instantly melted into his arms as he hugged her close. Dani choked back the tears swallowing the knot in her throat wanting to cry and scream and rage all at the same time. Adam just held her tighter letting her cry if she needed too, or just hold her if that was what she wanted.
                “The clinical trials were dangerous enough to warrant a $600 check twice a month. Kaylee knows that the higher the fee, the higher the risk. What was she thinking? Why would she do this? She’s not barren; it was just a slight hormone deficiency. She didn’t need a fertility treatment of any kind much less a highly experimental and dangerous one.” She said burying her face in his chest.
                “I don’t know sweetheart.” Adam stroked her hair gently to calm her feeling the way her body was shaking against him. “Zombies do some strange things sometimes. You’d imagine they would be more careful with their fragile bodies, their mortalities.” He shook his head, “I don’t know.”
                She opened her eyes and took a breath reaching up and drying the tears from her eyes before she looked at Adam. “If she wakes up . . . . Adam it’s going to take time for her to recover from this.” He clinched his jaw already knowing what she was about to say and he was less than happy about it. “They have to be allowed to stay here . . . I have to help her get better. All that garbage has got to get out of her system and she may need more than one transfusion.”
                “Dani, there is a reason that we said no more contact with them. Not to mention why we said zombie’s were forbidden on the property. Johanna.” He said seriously.
                “But they aren’t going to tell anyone about her, Adam. There aren’t any safer zombies to have around her . . .” She began but Adam wouldn’t let her continue.
                “Except it isn’t just for Johanna’s safety it’s for theirs as well!” He said in a loud and stern voice. Dani closed her mouth looking at him furrowing her brow. He shook his head before taking her by the shoulders. “Johanna hasn’t been around any zombies since we parted company with Kaylee and Jeremy. She was still just a baby the last time they were with us, but she has some size now. She’s the first pure blood vampire to ever exist and her instincts will be just as strong if not stronger to feed. Johanna can hear their heartbeats, smell the hot blood coursing through their veins. She could attack them, she doesn’t know any better and certainly won’t have any self control to try and restrain herself to keep from draining every last drop, from causing them pain, from killing them. She doesn’t know how.” Dani started to say something but Adam continued, “Do you really want them to be the zombies she learns that lesson on? Do you?” Dani looked in to his eyes never having considered this before now.
                “She saw Kaylee already. She remembers her from when she was a baby and they looked after her while I was sick. Johanna hugged her and showed no interest in feeding from her.” She said in a nervous voice.
                “When you let her into the guest room with you and Kaylee, she had just fed hadn’t she. She wasn’t even peckish to want to feed because we give her far more then she needs. We’ve seen to it that she doesn’t have to know hunger, but . . . she might one day.” Adam explained. Dani closed her eyes as her head dropped already knowing they were going to have to teach her how to hunt one day. She herself hadn’t fully learned, they always had access to blood. Even when she was captured they kept her well fed. There were only two lives she had taken in her entire existence. The first was William, and the second was Sean. She didn’t hunt them, she killed them because they had to die and there was no one else to do it, not because she was hungry. “She’s a child, and she’s at an age now that no matter how we try we aren’t going to be able to know where she is every second of every day.” He raised his hand towards the doorway. “Which is why she’s out of bed instead of sleeping as I’d left her.” Dani looked over seeing Johanna peeking around the corner.
                “Oh, honey.” She turned opening her arms and Johanna ran in leaping into her embrace as Dani picked her up. “You should be sleeping, why are you out of bed?”
                “Because she feels how upset you are, just as I do. She has to contend with all of our emotions, not just her own.” He reached up stroking her head gently. “She’s more sensitive to such things than anyone I’ve ever met. She has such strong empathy . . . living in this house must be hell.”
                Johanna nuzzled her face into Dani’s neck wanting to make her mother feel better however she could. “I’m probably the worst of all of us, I’m sorry baby.” She apologized.
                Adam couldn’t hide the small smile seeing mother and daughter together like this. His beautiful Dani and his beautiful Johanna. They looked so much alike, especially when they were side by side like this. “You are the best chance Kaylee has if she’s going to get better, Dani.” He reassured her sweeping her hair back from her face over her shoulder. “Her sickness was of her foolishness, not yours.” As true as that might have been, it still hurt her heart that she was in such dire circumstances seeing how it was hurting Jeremy as well.
Chastising
                Dani sat in silence beside Kaylee as she took her pulse, pressure and temperature in deafening silence. Kaylee knew she was angry and could hardly blame her. “Dani,” She finally said breaking the silence, “I know you’re mad, having to break Adam’s rule to bring me here and all . . .”
                “How stupid could you be?” Dani snapped as though she’d broken the leash that had been keeping her quiet. “Drugs that were still in clinical trials? Are you fucking kidding me!?! You knew how dangerous it was before you got involved, when they went over the list of possible side effects THOSE didn’t give you pause!?” She said unable to keep her voice down. “What in the hell were you thinking, Kaylee?”
                “I know! I know . . . .I just . . . . it’s hard to . . .” Kaylee shook her head taking a breath feeling foolish finding out that it had been the reason for her sickness. “I just got nervous.” Dani waited to hear what she had to say. “I wanted kids so much, and . . . I’ve read studies and medical journals too. I mean, I’m in my 30’s now and fertility decreases with age, not to mention the number of women going into early menopause these days. Jeremy is just as anxious as I am to be a parent, I didn’t want to disappoint him.”
                “Yeah, Jeremy wants to be father and he’d be an excellent Dad. I always knew that he would be, he’s so great with kids. But as much as he wants to have kids, he doesn’t want to be a widower.” Dani said seriously. “I honestly don’t believe there’s any reason you can’t get pregnant, you were lucky we caught this when we did and stopped you from taking that garbage and got it out of your system. But even if for some reason you couldn’t have kids that were biologically yours, there’s adoption. There’s surrogacy. There are a million options out there that don’t endanger your life. Now that we have a thriving business we’ve invested in, you have the money to do it with.”
                “I know that too.” She said softly shaking her head, “I don’t know why I did what I did I just . . . was so impatient and so worried.” Kaylee rubbed her eyes before looking at Dani again, “I’m sorry.”
                “I’m not the one you need to apologize too Kaylee and you know it.” She answered seriously. “Because you didn’t just endanger your life, you lied to him. You kept this whole thing hidden from him, and if he hadn’t brought you here he’d be making arrangements for your funeral and not understanding why.” Kaylee nodded as she and Jeremy hadn’t talked yet. Jeremy was exhausted and as soon as he found out Kaylee was going to be alright and was in good hands, his body simply demanded sleep and didn’t give him a choice.
(To Be Continued . . . .)
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Dark Nights