A/N: I believe that most fanfiction for pateod (including mine) forgets to mention Paige even though she was Penryn's main drive. So I will occasionally add more chapters onto this to balance out the smut and give Paige a bit more love (but for now it's a one-shot.)

I also wrote this in like 6 hours, which is the fastest I've ever written anything. So please excuse my mistakes.

Tw: there are needles in this. So if you have issues with reading about needles and giving blood and such, please skip the 2nd part of this fic. I numbered it so anyone with that issue can skip it. It is mild but I don't want anyone to get uncomfortable when reading.

1.

Standing in the cold, sterile hospital hallway, I waited patiently while my baby sister got poked and prodded by a swarm of curious doctors/scientists. But Doc was in charge of it all and I trusted him just enough not to break through that door and shut the whole thing down. So I waited in this empty hallway, wishing I could take Paige and I back home, and try to forget any of this ever happened.

Paige was just here for a checkup, really. A checkup that was initiated by the small, hesitant voice of my baby sister saying, "When will I be able to eat like I used to again?" followed by a, "Eating animals still makes me feel bad."

The doctors were trying to see what they could do and I was waiting to approve/disapprove what they had in mind. I slid down the wall and sat in the floor (ew, it reminded me of a public bathroom) because I knew this would take awhile.

After an hour and fifteen minutes, Doc walked through the door. He looked worried and impatient and ten years older than he really was.

"Uh oh, what's the problem?" I ask, getting right to it.

"I have good news, and I have bad news." He said as if I hadn't said anything. "The good news is that Laylah did a fantastic job on her already and all we need to do is perform a small, non life-threatening surgery."

"That sounds good. The bad news...?"

"We're going to need at least two pints of blood to keep her from bleeding out."

"You need two pints for a "small, non life-threatening" surgery? Are you kidding me?" I said a little upset that Doc had under-dramatized the situation.

"She's really small and the situation is a bit more complicated than you think, Penryn."

I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded for him to continue.

"The problem is that we don't have a lot of blood lying around, especially not any rarer types like Paige is. She's B negative and I just checked to see what was left. All that's left is A and AB. Those won't work." He had zoned off a bit at this point and shook his head to bring himself back. "But I happen to know that you and her share the same blood type."

"So you want me to donate?" I asked, my insides turning a bit colder than usual.

He nodded. "Tomorrow would be a good day to do it."

Of course I was going to do it. I would do anything for Paige. But the thought of having a needle inside of me, extracting something from my body, didn't comfort me whatsoever.

2.

The next day, I walked into the hospital with my head held high with Raffe behind me. He had no idea I was afraid of and squeamish about giving blood. He also had no idea that I had skipped eating anything all day so that I wouldn't puke.

Down in the lab, Raffe (thankfully) wasn't in the room with me. He would be able to see past my facade as I sat in the chair and held my left arm out.

The nurse taking my blood gave me a reassuring smile and tried her hand at a joke as if everything was fine. I kept my face polite but stony because I felt like I was going to throw up as she wrapped a tourniquet around my bicep. She ran her fingers over my veins to find the right spot for the needle. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes. I tried to shut down and relax. This was for Paige.

All attempts at relaxation were futile when I felt the pinch of the needle. It was inside of me now, damaging my veins and taking the thing that kept me alive. I shut my eyes harder because if I accidently opened them and saw the needle protruding from my arm and the bag filling up with my blood, I would most definitely pass out.

Like most things, it was over before I knew it, repeating the exact same process with the other arm to get two pints. I didn't fight her but damn I wanted to.

"Open your fist and hold this on your arm while I get a bandage." The nurse said. And I opened my eyes finally. I was a bit lightheaded and the room was spinning slightly, but I still noticed Raffe standing in the doorway watching me. I also noticed the two bags of my blood sitting on the lab counter and looked straight ahead, avoiding both Raffe and being squeamish in front of him.

3.

"Two pints is a lot of blood and when the Red Cross came to school they always gave the other kids something with sugar, like juice or crackers-" I was rambling to the nurse as she put a bandaid on my skin. Aw, how nice. It had flowers on it. "You wouldn't happen to have anything like that lying around would you?"

Because I knew my limits. And boy, was I reaching it.

The nurse was done and stepped back so that I had room to stand. Problem was though, I didn't think I could stand without falling back over. I carefully stood up, the room was spinning, and put all of my weight against the arm of the chair.

"Have I mentioned I'm menstruating and haven't eaten anything all day?"

"Aw, sweetie, I'm sorry," I couldn't see her through the spinning but I could tell she was talking down to me. "I wish I had something to give you but I don't."

I think I nodded and told her it was all right but nothing was all right as I stumbled my way over to Raffe. I fought through the lightness in my head until he had wrapped an arm around my waist and was escorting me out the building.

Outside, he helped me sit down on steps in front of the hospital before sitting next to me. As my head cleared, I saw a smirk forming on his face.

"What?" I asked, elbowing his side.

"Nothing. I just can't believe that you're afraid of needles." He said, elbowing me back more gently.

"I am not afraid of needles. I'm just lightheaded from the blood loss."

"What about before then? Why didn't you eat anything all day?" He asked.

"Because," I rested my head against his shoulder, "I was cramping so badly I stayed in bed until I had to leave." I wasn't lying but I wasn't telling him the whole truth either.

He kissed my hair. "Penryn, do you know fast your heart was beating? It was beating even faster than I make it." Which is admittedly pretty fast. "I know when you're scared."

"Yeah, but I'm still not afraid of needles." He gave a look that said he didn't believe me and I huffed. If I had to explain it to him I would. "I'm afraid of things being under my skin."

"Like your imaginary 'burrowing' maggots?"

"Yeah. But also things like splinters, ticks, shots... I honestly don't know how I put up with you being under my skin all the time." I joked.

"Ha ha." Raffe said dryly. "Brave words for someone who can't even stand straight." I lifted my head from his shoulder and stuck my tongue out at him. I immediately had to close my eyes and hold my head to silence the dizziness.

"C'mon," Raffe said as he stood and pulled me up with him. I was about to bury my face in his side again but he was already picking me up from behind my knees. With my head against his collarbone and my arms around his neck, I was really really glad I had Raffe to fly us home.

Later, when my thoughts were clearer, I would also be really really glad that my baby sister was going to be okay.