“No problem. He can update us at the next visit, or sooner if there’s anything we need to know right away.” Vanessa left the room for a moment and returned with a tray of torture devices.
A beat skipped in her chest, and Zoe felt the blood draining from her head. Her eyes widened and she bit her lips together.
Vanessa scrubbed her hands and started organizing tubes, needles, vials, whatever all that crap was, and she quietly hummed a little tune, not at all disturbed by the fact that she was about to stab the very nice person sitting across the room. With no escape… although, the window…
Zoe leaped halfway to the ceiling at the abrupt start of her phone ringing. She silenced her yelp and laughed out loud.
“Go ahead,” Vanessa said, nodding to Zoe’s phone.
“I am so sorry,” Ryder said immediately as Zoe answered. “I will be there in person next time, I swear.”
“Stop apologizing. Your timing couldn’t be better. She’s about to stab me,” Zoe hissed dramatically. “Help,” she teased.
Ryder’s laugh echoed deliciously as she clicked onto speaker. “Can you see why I feel so guilty about not being there?” He clicked a few keys, and abruptly stopped. “Let’s see, breathe, Zoe, breathe. We haven’t taken a birthing class yet—dang, we need to do that. Anyway, I don’t know how I’m supposed to coach you through terrifying things like needles yet.”
Easily moving her supply tray toward Zoe, Vanessa was calm and gentle, and motioned to see Zoe’s arm. “We have some recommendations on that. I can send Zoe off with a few brochures, depending on the approach you prefer. You’ve got plenty of time to think about it.”
“Just knock me out for it,” Zoe teased, watching closely as Vanessa inspected both of Zoe’s inner elbows. “The blood draw I mean. My mom had all three of us au naturel, and I want to try.”
“Right arm okay?” Vanessa asked.
Zoe nodded.
“You got this, Zoe. You got this,” Ryder said helpfully. “What’s happening?” he added in a feigned whisper.
“She’s going Dracula on me,” Zoe hissed back. She extended her arm and rested it on the tray where Vanessa showed her.
A tight rubber band squeezed her arm. Vanessa snapped a little tool and rubbed Zoe down with cold wet sterilizing stuff.
“What was that snapping sound? I hope that wasn’t your neck,” Ryder asked in a low, feigned worried voice. “Zoe, are you okay? Are you dead?” he added dramatically.
The needle came nearer, nearer, its stinger ready to puncture.
“I’m still alive, barely,” she squeaked. “It looks like a dragonfly with a stinger.”
“Dracula can shift into a dragonfly? I thought Dracula was a bat shifter.”
Vanessa kept quiet, a silent laugh behind her smile.
“The lesser known vampire dragonfly is invading Foothills.” Zoe tensed up and cringed for the impending poke.
“Does garlic work?” Ryder asked. “Sunlight? How can I keep you safe from vampire dragonflies? I’m not ready for this.”
A tiny sting, no more than that, and the needle was in. Vanessa held it still with one hand, and used her other hand to insert a vial into the other end of the tube and sucked out blood.
“It’s happening,” Zoe murmured dramatically. “That is so weird. That’s my blood. It’s quite red.”
“If it was coming out blue, I’d be worried. Or impressed, I guess,” Ryder said. “So you don’t need me to send help? I was just sharpening my collection of wooden stakes.”
Warmth washed over Zoe as the tubes filled and she remained conscious. “I’m safe enough for now. We’re about done. I’ll try to figure out the calendar once I’m done here. You can get back to work.”
“Sorry, again—”
“Stop apologizing. We’ll figure this out.”
“Okay. Thanks, Zoe, for including me.”
“Thanks for not leaving me alone through this.”
