Origins, Part 13
"Where are we going now?" Alecia asked as they pulled back out of the alley.
"The hospital. It's imperative we cure the patients, including Kris, before they get their critical - and final - samples from them."
"Cure? You're a medical doctor?"
"I'm a doctor of many things," came the cryptic response. He flashed a mischievous grin at her, "I hope you're not squeamish. You're going to have to help me."
Alecia shot him a look as she dodged the evening traffic.
"Please tell me you're kidding."
-------
Alecia grimaced as she saw the lineup of syringes the Doctor had laid out on a sterile tray. The appropriated triage room was brightly lit to the point of eyestrain with the white walls. The Doctor had removed his frock coat once more, and was rolling up a shirtsleeve.
"What are we doing, exactly?"
"Taking blood."
"How is taking blood... er, I assume yours... going to help Kris?"
The Doctor glanced up from squinting at his arm, presumably looking for a good vein.
"I told you. I'm not like you. Don't ask me what I am - but I took a blood sample from myself once and found some very useful elements to it. One of those elements is what's going to save these people."
He sat on the triage bed, rubber tie in hand. He proceeded to knot it round his arm with practiced skill as he continued, "I have these tiny robots in my bloodstream - I suppose you could call them nanites. They perform tasks that they're programmed to - I can program these to seek out and destroy the bacteria responsible."
He used his teeth to help pull the knot tight just above the crook of his elbow, then looked at Alecia, a frown forming on his face.
"You were with Kris Friday night, weren't you?"
"Yes. Why?"
"You may have been exposed to the bacteria." He rummaged in a pocket with his free hand, and produced a blister packet. "Here. Take these."
She took the packet from him, and read the label. "Rifampicin?"
"It should be adequate." He turned back to the tray and picked up the IV needle. "Here. I need your help with this."
Wincing, she took the needle from his long fingers, and, under his guidance, managed to insert it into the now swollen vein. His blood at first look didn't seem any different from human blood, she thought. No wonder she was in denial. Aliens weren't supposed to be good-looking men with bizarre fashion senses, dammit.
She was taking the eighth syringe-full when he started to sway. Alarmed, she stopped drawing to look at him. He waved her on.
"Finish it," he muttered, with effort.
Nodding, she did so, and put the syringe aside. When she turned around to check on him, he was flat on his back on the bed.
"Uh-oh."
Alecia quickly withdrew the needle as she yanked the tie off his arm, the rubber making a sharp snapping noise, and slapped a plaster on the wound. "Are you all right?" she asked, leaning over him.
One pale blue eye opened, and looked up at her.
"I'll be fine," he smiled, "Just a little light-headed."
Alecia resisted the urge to slap him, trying to concentrate on the task in hand. Satisfied, she moved away and got a cup of water from the sink to take the Rifampicin. After a minute or two, the Doctor sat up again, slowly, and began gathering the syringes together.
"Are there any side-effects to this stuff?" she asked casually, wondering if it was like a course of antibiotics. He shrugged as he fidgeted with his shirtsleeve.
"It'll probably make your urine a funny colour for a couple of days. It has a tendency to interfere with oral contraceptives as well."
Alecia almost choked on her tablet. The Doctor looked at her over his shoulder.
"Are you - "
"I'm fine, it just went down the wrong way," she lied, coughing.
He buttoned his cuff up and slid his frock coat back on, completely unaware of the total panic erupting inside Alecia's head. Turning the light off and opening the door a crack, he checked nobody was passing by, then took her hand and led her back to Kris' ward.
----
"Where are we going now?" Alecia asked as they pulled back out of the alley.
"The hospital. It's imperative we cure the patients, including Kris, before they get their critical - and final - samples from them."
"Cure? You're a medical doctor?"
"I'm a doctor of many things," came the cryptic response. He flashed a mischievous grin at her, "I hope you're not squeamish. You're going to have to help me."
Alecia shot him a look as she dodged the evening traffic.
"Please tell me you're kidding."
-------
Alecia grimaced as she saw the lineup of syringes the Doctor had laid out on a sterile tray. The appropriated triage room was brightly lit to the point of eyestrain with the white walls. The Doctor had removed his frock coat once more, and was rolling up a shirtsleeve.
"What are we doing, exactly?"
"Taking blood."
"How is taking blood... er, I assume yours... going to help Kris?"
The Doctor glanced up from squinting at his arm, presumably looking for a good vein.
"I told you. I'm not like you. Don't ask me what I am - but I took a blood sample from myself once and found some very useful elements to it. One of those elements is what's going to save these people."
He sat on the triage bed, rubber tie in hand. He proceeded to knot it round his arm with practiced skill as he continued, "I have these tiny robots in my bloodstream - I suppose you could call them nanites. They perform tasks that they're programmed to - I can program these to seek out and destroy the bacteria responsible."
He used his teeth to help pull the knot tight just above the crook of his elbow, then looked at Alecia, a frown forming on his face.
"You were with Kris Friday night, weren't you?"
"Yes. Why?"
"You may have been exposed to the bacteria." He rummaged in a pocket with his free hand, and produced a blister packet. "Here. Take these."
She took the packet from him, and read the label. "Rifampicin?"
"It should be adequate." He turned back to the tray and picked up the IV needle. "Here. I need your help with this."
Wincing, she took the needle from his long fingers, and, under his guidance, managed to insert it into the now swollen vein. His blood at first look didn't seem any different from human blood, she thought. No wonder she was in denial. Aliens weren't supposed to be good-looking men with bizarre fashion senses, dammit.
She was taking the eighth syringe-full when he started to sway. Alarmed, she stopped drawing to look at him. He waved her on.
"Finish it," he muttered, with effort.
Nodding, she did so, and put the syringe aside. When she turned around to check on him, he was flat on his back on the bed.
"Uh-oh."
Alecia quickly withdrew the needle as she yanked the tie off his arm, the rubber making a sharp snapping noise, and slapped a plaster on the wound. "Are you all right?" she asked, leaning over him.
One pale blue eye opened, and looked up at her.
"I'll be fine," he smiled, "Just a little light-headed."
Alecia resisted the urge to slap him, trying to concentrate on the task in hand. Satisfied, she moved away and got a cup of water from the sink to take the Rifampicin. After a minute or two, the Doctor sat up again, slowly, and began gathering the syringes together.
"Are there any side-effects to this stuff?" she asked casually, wondering if it was like a course of antibiotics. He shrugged as he fidgeted with his shirtsleeve.
"It'll probably make your urine a funny colour for a couple of days. It has a tendency to interfere with oral contraceptives as well."
Alecia almost choked on her tablet. The Doctor looked at her over his shoulder.
"Are you - "
"I'm fine, it just went down the wrong way," she lied, coughing.
He buttoned his cuff up and slid his frock coat back on, completely unaware of the total panic erupting inside Alecia's head. Turning the light off and opening the door a crack, he checked nobody was passing by, then took her hand and led her back to Kris' ward.
----