Exsanguinated: The Book of Maladies by D.K. Holmberg

Author:D.K. Holmberg [Holmberg, D.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ASH Publishing
Published: 2018-05-28T18:30:00+00:00

16

Saving a Friend

His father’s apothecary shop was dark, and there was a coppery scent that Alec recognized—blood. A lot of blood—far more than what anyone could survive.

When Kevin led them to the back, Alec staggered forward.

“Sam?”

She was lying on a cot, her arms at her sides, and her face pale.

“She was found like this, Alec.”

Alec spun and saw Bastan. “Bastan? What happened? How are you free?”

“Help her.”

Aelus was already working on Sam, and Alec quickly began to tamp down the emotion, focusing on engaging his mind, knowing that for Sam to survive, he would need to use everything ounce of his knowledge, every skill he’d ever learned from his father.

“What do we know?” Alec asked.

His father glanced up. “She was found bound to the ceiling with rope. There were these slits in her wrists. I have sutured them, but there has been a significant amount of blood loss.”

Alec quickly checked for a pulse. It was there but thready. Her breathing was regular but weak. The sutures his father had placed were stable, and the lacerations over her wrists were significant.

“How much blood loss?”

“It is difficult to know,” his father said. “With as pale as she is—”

Alec turned to Bastan. “You were the one to find her?”

Bastan nodded.

“How much blood loss did she have?”

“I don’t know. There were two buckets beneath her. I brought them with me, but…”

Bastan motioned to two buckets on the floor underneath the cot. He glanced at them, and his heart skipped a beat. With that much blood loss, there might not be anything that could be done for her.

“It’s contaminated, Alec. I would have suggested using it, but…” Bastan pulled one of the buckets out, and there were traces of dirt and something else in it.

She couldn’t have her own blood replaced. Even if it were successful, the likelihood of infection would be too high. That left only one option.

It was risky, but for Sam, Alec was willing to do it.

“She needs a donor,” Alec said.

His father looked up, shaking his head. “Alec, that’s not possible.”

“It is. I’ve seen records of it at the university. She needs someone who can donate blood to her.”

He made his way to a closet and grabbed a few supplies. There was a syringe, and he took it, grasping a needle made of a fine reed. He would need that to find a vein to administer the blood. Even if he were successful, there would be a risk of infection.

“Easar paper,” he said to Bastan. “I need any you can find.”

“Where?”

Alec squeezed his eyes shut. The only easar paper they had was what he had made recently. Did he dare trust it?

Did he dare not?

“My room at the university. In the back. You’ll find it on a tray there.”

“I will get it myself.” Bastan ran out, and Alec turned his attention back to Sam.

“Alec—” His father tried to caution him.

Alec prepared the syringe. He didn’t know how much blood would be needed to help Sam, but he was willing to do whatever was necessary to help her.

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