Why a Wolf Cries - Julie Steimle (read a book .TXT) 📗

your book, and right now we would like to have your expert opinion on this young man’s blood.”

It took a few minutes to decide. Truthfully, Doug had kept all this extra research a secret, because he did not want the fame or the attention. He liked people thinking of him as phlebotomist. He felt he was doing the world good by helping young aspiring doctors and nurses in the field become used to the medical environment. It was rough on most. He did not like the Darwinian survival way in most medical mindsets. Hospitals should be healing places, not kingdoms with pecking orders.

“Alright.”

He directed them to the blood samples he had already taken, including ones he had scraped off the man’s clothes when he got them. Doug had secretly collected samples for himself when he had typed the patient, getting the tools from Audry’s animal rescue kit. She always kept things for taking samples, just in case.  

“I would need more blood to do a true test. I noticed on the photocopy of the ID card you provided me actually listed two blood types. O and DEA 1.1 positive blood.”

“Yes, we saw that, but what kind of blood type is that?”

Doug paused, then said once more, “Canine.”

They all stared.

Sighing, Doug pulled up the sheets with the data. “As I said, my sister rescues wild animals. And she collects for me samples of various animal blood. Fact is, I think she would know more about his blood pathology than I would considering what I just saw in it. He has DEA 1.1 positive blood. That’s Dog Erythrocyte Antigen.”

“What?”

“I know. Shocking. A human being with a canine blood type… though he has O blood as well. His red blood cells, surprisingly, are not homogeneous.”

“What?”

“You heard me. His body handles O blood ok, but… and note this, O is not enough for him to thrive. His red blood count is down, and he actually needs the DEA 1.1 positive blood transfused.”

“What are we supposed to do? Find a dog?” One of the doctors laughed, exchanging worried looks with the others. They knew something he didn’t. Doug wondered what it was.

Yet he merely shrugged in response. “I couldn’t say. I would like to speak with him and discuss his medical history. Obviously his blood has been contaminated at some point. I read about his allergies, which are absolutely peculiar. And I have to say, his type is not the only thing odd about his blood. His blood is… almost alive—like the red blood cells act like pathogens. And I have never seen the extreme variety of leucocytes he has. His blood also has a rather unusual odor.”

They nodded, agreeing on that one. They all had smelled his blood during surgery. It had a toxic tang to it.

“I also overheard you talking about his scars. You called him. Mr. Frankenstein.” Doug looked at them meaningfully. Hoping they would include him in their secret. “I truly would like to speak with him.”

A couple doctors coughed and blushed. Already he could tell they thought that might be a problem.

One lifted a finger. “He will probably be conscious tomorrow… possibly. It depends on his recovery, which, honestly, without a transfusion might take longer.”

“You don’t know who he is, do you?” another doctor said, eying Doug carefully.

“No.” Doug shook his head, deeply curious now. “You gave me photocopies of his IDs with his name and address redacted.”

They nodded.

“How come?” Doug pressed.

“We feel…” one doctor said with raised eyebrows, “That is a delicate matter. He is someone… influential.”

Influential? Yet they would not say? Were they worried about rumor? A politician’s son? A foreign diplomat? Or someone more deeply connected to a government program, perhaps?

“We’ll let you speak with him tomorrow, if he is awake,” another doctor repeated. He glanced to the others. “Perhaps by tomorrow, his father will arrive.”

Father. Ok. That was a clue. He was someone’s son. And they expected his father. That would be good if he did arrive. Then he would get a better health history. Doug nodded.

“We got hold of three of his contacts. Um, one of which is already out west and will arrive tomorrow. The other two are flying in. One of them said his father is in the area, but currently indisposed.”

Indisposed to answer his phone? Not even for his son who had been in an accident? This was shocking. The man better have a very good reason.

“In the meantime, you can choose a spare room anywhere here and get a good night’s sleep,” one of the doctors suggested. “We can discuss this further tomorrow.”

“Do you have a tech on hand for emergencies?” Doug asked, wanting to be helpful. He was thinking of the girl who had just left.

One doctor smirked. “We have a few nurses who know how to draw blood and type it. No worries.”

So, that was it. It made him feel a little used. He had been consulted like a book and then metaphorically shelved. Doug wondered why. What did those doctors know about their patient that they were keeping from him? Who was that man? And why did they want to wait?

However, he was exhausted. It had been a lousy camping trip, and he was tired. But he did not want to go back to the hotel. It was a good thing Audry was entertaining Skyler at the hotel with his parents. It made it easier to stay near his wife and daughter—even though his wife loved to take all care into her own hands and banished him.

Doug located a soft couch in one of the break rooms and laid down, putting a cloth over his eyes, as the lights could only be dimmed and not shut off. He was used to the sounds of people coming in and out a hospital space. He was used to the roll of wheels and rhythm of rushed feet. And all the smells were familiar, so it was easy to fall asleep. But while surrounded by all those familiar things, his mind went back to the one unfamiliar one. That patient. Whoever he was, he was a cursed soul.

*

Skyler wandered into the hospital looking for his parents early the next morning. His Aunt Audry had dropped him off on her way to the airport to pick up he friend Sylvia and her husband, the veterinarian, Randon Spade. His aunt had given him the option to stay the hotel with his grandparents versus the hospital, but they had chosen to watch History Channel where they were having a marathon on World War II—and he had zero desire to listen to Grandpa Bruchenhaus interject the entire time about the inaccuracies of the show. His grandfather was a History minor back in college who had focused on wars, and he was never satisfied with how history was presented on TV.

Skyler found his mother exactly where he expected her to be. She was in Maris’s room, both of them awake and having breakfast. Maris looked a lot better. Her face had more color and she was smiling as she ate her eggs. When they both saw him, they asked if he had eaten.

“Yeah,” Skyler pointed out into the hallway. “Aunt Audry and I stopped by McDonalds and she let me order anything from the drive through. I ate it all before I got here.”

“Including a sausage McMuffin?” his mother asked, looking impressed her sister-in-law would actually buy a meat product, let alone fast food. Audry disapproved of both most days.

Smirking, he nodded. “Yeah. But she got corn soup and coffee.”

Sighing, his mother’s mouth thinned with amusement, thinking that was to be expected.

“Dad did not show up at the hotel last night,” Skyler declared. “Is he still here?”

His mother nodded. “Yes. He was dragged in to help with some blood work—”

Skyler rolled his eyes, mouthing, ‘My dad the vampire’.

She laughed. “Yes. They needed an expert to handle the blood of one car accident victim. I haven’t seen him since.”

That sounded like him too. His dad was his hero. As much as he loved his aunt and her daring for handling dangerous animals, his father was the kindest soul who genuinely saw people as they were, and gave them second, third, and fourth chances. That whole blood obsession of his was merely an odd quirk.

Skyler lingered in the hospital room with his mother and sister for only an hour before getting bored. Their mother was reading a mind-numbing girly novel to Maris to pass the time. To get away, he decided to wander the lobby. In one part of the lobby was a TV screen where he could watch the news, and only the news. There was no way to change the channel. He sat there in one seat with his pocket video game, barely minding both.

Audry showed up with two peculiar looking people in tow a couple hours later. As they passed by, him unseen, Skyler recognized the witch from her photograph. But the tall, lean, dark haired man with her gave him the impression of a black cat slinking after her. The man only lacked a twitching tail.

Skyler got up and followed them.

“Hey!” Skyler called after his aunt.

Audry halted. Turning, she saw him. “Oh, Skyler. Good. Is your Mom awake?”

“For hours,” Skyler pointed ahead, staring up at the two newcomers. “She and Maris just finished breakfast. I think Mom’s still reading to her.”

Nodding, Audry looked that way. “I’m just here to let them know I’m heading out again.” She continued on with a side glance to her companions, “This is Silvia and that’s Randon. Uh, Spade.”

Randon smiled. Even his grin was like a cat’s. Clean teeth. Enigmatic. His eye, though, were a deep blue. Both individuals were dressed as ordinary people—though not for hiking. His wife, Silvia, however, had the gaze of beautiful, yet dangerous woman. Skyler could see how she could be a witch quite easily. Just as much as Randon had the aura of a cat, she had one of someone who knew the dark mysteries of the universe. Just watching them made Skyler almost believe in magic.

Audry hurried to the hospital room to speak to Jean. She was only there a minute. She came back out as soon as she told Jean their plans. Skyler overheard that Audry and her friend were going right then to fetch the cougar from the ranger.

“Can I come?” Skyler asked, knowing he was going to die of boredom at the hospital. He now wished he was back at the hotel. They had a pool there—though in that thought he felt guilty about going swimming with his sister in a hospital.

With an apologetic eye, Audry shook her head, meeting his gaze. “Sorry. There is only room for us three and a wolf cage.”

Randon exchanged a quick look with his wife. Skyler wasn’t sure that they were thinking, exactly and Audry did not see them, but it seemed like they were planning something they had not told Audry about.

“But isn’t it the ranger’s cage?” Skyler asked. “Is he going to let you take it?”

She shrugged. “Even if he won’t, I can always tranquilize the wolf again and wrap him up in the blanket.”

“Then I can come?”

“No.” Audry leaned closer to her nephew, making sure he met her eyes, nearly forehead to forehead. “Thanks for all your help, but this time it’s just us.”

It was such a disappointment, but Skyler nodded, heaving a sigh.

As they went out, Doug met them in the lobby, coming from an inner hallway.

“I’m going back out to Yellowstone,” she announced when she saw him, then gestured to her friends. “This is Randon Spade who is a veterinarian. And this is Sylvia.”

Doug met Silvia’s gaze with a nod, recognizing what Audry meant, but he shook Randon’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Uh, can I ask you a question before you go?”

Randon shrugged with a peek to Sylvia. “Sure?”

“In your work as a vet, do you know much about animal blood types?”

Audry rolled her eyes. “Oh, here we go again. The phlebotomist going vampire….”

But Randon chuckled.