I took a deep breath before getting out of the car. If my heart could pound hard, it would be right now. 

"You okay, Perry? You look pale. Like paler than normal. I think you might just be straight white at this point."

"I, um, I am nervous. Surprisingly."

"Wow. You? Nervous? I didn't think I'd ever see the day."

"Well, Jackson, this is the first time in over 400 years that anything has ever bothered me."

He put his hand on my arm and gave me a light squeeze. "I would ask if you want a hug, but there are about 50 of our colleagues over there."

"I know. I appreciate it."

"Do you just want to stay here?" he asked.

"How would that look if the untouchable and unfazed Cassidy Perry was suddenly fazed?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Let's just go. I already know what we're going to find."

We walked toward the police tape, holding up our badges, and ducked under.

"Perry! Jackson!"

"Chief!" I exclaimed. "You're here?"

"Yeah. This is a big one."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"The mayor brought me in on this one."

"The mayor?" Scott asked.

"Yeah. We don't have just a random college kid. It's the mayor's daughter."

"Lacey?" I asked.

Chief Connors nodded his head. "Not that any dead person is a good thing, this one hits really close to home."

"Shit," I muttered.

"Big time shit. We need to figure this out. The mayor...I've never seen her like this."

"I could imagine. Lacey was an awesome kid. I really liked her."

"We all did," the chief said shaking his head.

"Chief!" a voice yelled from near the body bag. "Uh, there's a situation!"

We all ran to where they were zipping up the girl's body only to find her eyes open and looking around wildly.

"Oh shit."

"Wh-what's going on? What's going on!" she screamed.

"Lacey. Shh. Lacey. Calm down for a second," I said, kneeling next to her.

She stared at me in confusion. Almost like she didn't recognize me.

"I-I don't understand..."

"I know. Hey. It's going to be alright," I lied. "We need to get you to a hospital, okay?"

She nodded, her eyes welling up with tears.

Tears! Tears is a good sign! If she was infected with venom, she hasn't fully turned yet.

A medic team with a stretcher ran into the middle of the field where we were with a stretcher. They helped Lacey onto it and rushed her to the ambulance.

"Where are you taking her?" Scott yelled out.

"General."

He nodded and we hurried to the car.

"What the fuck is going on, Perry?"

"I don't know. But she's still crying so that's a good sign. As long as she doesn't get any blood there is hope."

"What? How?"

"We only turn fully after our first feed. If the creator is destroyed then she won't turn."

"What? I've never heard of that before."

"It's not widely known and the last time I know it was stopped was in the mid 1800's."

"Why isn't that widely talked about?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Now that it's acceptable to be a vampire, people have a choice to turn and nobody wants to dust their creator."

"Uh-huh. Except for the kids who are turning up dead or randomly turned?"

"This is kind of new, Scott."

"Yeah. New."

"Stop treating me like I have anything to do with this."

He took a deep breath and looked out the window of the car as we pulled into the emergency room parking lot. "I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated."

"So am I. Nobody should be turned against their will."

"Like you?"

"I was born in a different time. We didn't have choices like that at the time. Especially me."

"I'm sorry, Cassidy." He grabbed my hand and stopped me from getting out of the car. "I really am. You know I care about you, right? You're not just my partner. You're my best friend."

I smiled at him. "I know, Scott. And you're mine. You're literally the only person I have in the states that I actually trust."

"Good." 

We got out of the car and headed into the ER. 

"Lacey Petterson?"

"Your relation?" the girl behind the desk.

We both held up our badges. "Homicide detectives."

The girl pursed her lips and picked up the phone next to her. She whispered in it for a few moments before pushing a buzzer. "Through those doors and to the right. When you get through the glass doors, the double doors to your left. She's in there."

I nodded and walked through the door that led to the main emergency department. Doctors and nurses rushed about. Running into the double doors and out.

"That doesn't look good."

"We have to make sure she doesn't get any plasma or red blood cells. That will turn her."

I hurried in as a bag of blood was set up next to her bed. "Don't give that to her!"

"What" a doctor turned to look at me, narrowing his eyes.

He was tall with salt and pepper hair. You could see his muscles clearly through the one-size-too-small scrubs he wore. Obviously on purpose. 

"Are you a doctor?" he snapped.

"No."

"Then let me do my job and save the mayor's daughter."

"Cassidy?" a commanding voice asked from the side.

"Mayor Petterson! You can't let them give Lacey the blood. It will turn her."

"What? What do you mean."

"She's turning."

"Turning into what?"

I arched my brows and pursed my lips.

"Oh. Oh no!" She turned to the heard of medical staff and shouted. "Stop! Do not give my daughter that blood!"

The doctor sighed heavily and turned on his heels. "And why not?"

"I'm not a doctor but I'm a unique creature. She's in the process of turning into a vampire. If she receives plasma or red blood cells the transformation will be complete."

"If she doesn't receive a transfusion she will die."

"Give her white blood cells."

"What?" a nurse asked.

"White blood cells. That won't turn her and it will keep her alive until we can find her creator."

"And then what?"

I closed my eyes for a moment before answering. "Then I dust him or her."

"Dust them?" the doctor asked. "You mean murder?"

"It's the only way to save her and stop the murders that are happening."

He stared at me for a long minute, contemplating what I said. "Order the white blood cells to be sent up."

"We're doing what she said?"

"That's Cassidy Perry," he said. "She's not wrong when she says she's unique."

The nurses nodded and typed on the computer while another nurse removed the blood.

"You know me?" I asked.

"Dr. Francis Matson." he said.

"Francis Matson? I know that name."

He nodded his head. "About 20 years ago when I was 10 or so. I was in an accident. You saved my life."

"Franky?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded. 

"Oh my God. You're all grown up!"

"Yeah. We, humans, tend to do that."

"You remember me?" I asked.

"Who forgets the half vampire half human who saves their life?"