Dr. Vale met Dr. Hall outside Claire Wilson’s room. He knocked firmly to announce their presence before Qelli opened the door for them.
“Ms. Wilson?” Dr. Vale called as he stepped inside, looking toward the bed to see her stirring. “It’s Dr. Vale and Dr. Hall. Are you feeling any better?”
Dr. Hall stayed near the door, observing as Qelli closed it behind them.
Claire sat up, rubbing her face before moving to the edge of the bed and letting her feet hit the floor. “A little. Still feel kinda groggy and hungover, but otherwise okay.”
“Can you stand? I need to give you a basic examination,” said Dr. Vale, giving Claire room to get up.
“Okay,” Claire responded, standing a little away from the bed.
As Dr. Vale examined her, his sharp senses became more focused, giving his eyes an animalistic sheen and his face a feral edge. He felt her anxiety swell as he held her face, but he kept his movements slow and gentle as he examined her mouth, ears, and eyes.
Dr. Hall shivered as the hair on his arms stood up, glancing at the tablet to note the environmental changes in the room.
Claire tried to control her breathing despite feeling like she was on the verge of a panic attack. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but a small part of her wasn’t so sure. “What made you decide to become a doctor?” she asked, trying to break the tension.
Dr. Vale smiled slightly. “I arrived in America just in time for the Spanish Flu. I was concerned that the people I was feeding from would become sick, so I hired a doctor to check on them. It turns out that what I have doesn’t like competition, so they never got sick. That doctor had quite a few questions for me and revealed he worked for this Agency. He also happened to be Dr. Hall’s great-great-grandfather,” he explained, standing close to Claire for a few minutes, listening to her breathing and heartbeat.
Dr. Hall chuckled, “And he leaves out the part where he took a 75-year break before getting that doctorate.”
Claire listened intently to Dr. Vale’s story and then raised an eyebrow at Dr. Hall’s statement. “A 75-year break?” she said with a chuckle.
Laughing along with them, Dr. Vale shook his head. “Hey, I had a lot on my plate,” he said, then looked back at Claire. “I think Dr. Hall is correct. You’ve had a reaction to SV01 because you hadn’t been exposed in a long time and were re-exposed when you met me. Luckily, it should be over now. I’ll be glad to give you more information once you’re with us full-time,” he said, stepping back to give her space. “If you’re feeling up to it, get cleaned up. All the new recruits will be called to dinner and the next part of this adventure in about an hour.”
Nodding, Claire looked at her clothes, then back at the pair. “Okay. Sounds good to me. Thank you,” she said quietly.
The doctors excused themselves, allowing her to get ready, and walked down the hallway.
