Swearing to get her act together, Natalie managed to balance the two overfilled paper grocery sacks as she dug in her bag, searching for her apartment keys. This dashing around on her nights off was going to be the end of her. If she'd only think ahead a bit, she could get at least a few of the errands done after her shift ended on work days. At least then she'd have more time for some sort of social life.
As soon as she felt her key ring among the mass of junk, one of the sacks fell to the floor. Muttering mild profanities, Natalie fumbled to find the lock, unable to take her eyes off the grapefruit rolling down the hallway. This did not bode well for her night off.
Before she'd opened the door, a funny feeling of something not being right started to gnaw at her psyche. No, really more like a tingle, she decided. Was that a heartbeat she heard? Somebody's pulse? Get a grip, she thought, you're not hearing a damned thing. Chalk it up to too many vampires on the brain.
But something was definitely wrong.
Holding her keys one between each finger to use as a weapon if needed, she slowly turned the doorknob. Cracking the door ever so slightly, she noticed a light was on. Of course she could have left it on herself. She often did to avoid coming back to a dark apartment. Had she this time though? She couldn't remember.
Drawing in a deep breath to prepare, she pushed the door all the way open.
"Do you need assistance with your bags, my dear doctor?" LaCroix said, stepping from the darkened kitchen.
"Aaargph," was all Natalie could manage as she stifled her scream. "What the hell are you doing here, LaCroix?"
Tilting his head, he said sincerely, "A common question these days."
"Now wait a minute..." she said as he brushed past her to gather up the groceries, minus the wayward grapefruit. "You have no right to be here!"
Throwing her an innocent smile, LaCroix set the sacks down on the table. "What 'right' is needed? You are practically family."
"I...am...not a member of your family and...and...the coffee does not go under the kitchen sink!"
"Forgive me. That is where my Nicholas keeps it," he commented, sounding a bit miffed as he handed her the can. "My opportunities to be domestic are extremely limited, fortunately."
Opening the cabinet to put the coffee in its place, she saw the box of cat food and it reminded her of the one item she'd forgotten. Wait, more than the food was missing. "Where's Sidney?"
"You have a child?" He was back at the table, examining each item with idle curiosity as he plucked them from the sacks.
"No, LaCroix, I have a cat."
"Oh, yes. The beast turned vicious so I put him in your linen closet... Aren't potato chips bad for mortal health? As a physician, you should be a bit more concerned about salt."
"There's no litter box in the linen closet," she snapped, yanking the bag from his hands. Probably crushed half of them in the process. Natalie hated chip bits.
"No matter. He'll sleep for another hour or so."
"You hypnotized my cat?" she asked.
"In a manner of speaking," he explained.
"LaCroix!"
"The alternative would not have been as pleasant for the creature," he explained cooly.
"If you've hurt Sidney, I'll...I'll..." She thought that was her limit until the vampire pulled out a box of tampons.
"You do seem a tad cranky, my dear."
"Out. Get out now."
"To be truthful, I am here on business of a sort," LaCroix said, removing folded papers from the inner pocket of his jacket. "I'm in need of a diagnosis."
Was LaCroix asking for her advice? The novelty intrigued her enough that she took the papers. "Tammy Reese's chart? LaCroix, this is privileged information. How... Never mind, I don't want to know."
"It is a copy. I put the original back in its proper place," he informed her, sounding as if that fact made everything okay.
"This is meant for only her doctors and parents. I can't just stand here and divulge her condition to you!"
"I saved her life, Doctor. Shouldn't I have an interest in her outcome?"
"Why didn't you hypnotize a doctor at the hospital?"
"I trust your opinion."
"Excuse me?" Natalie said, totally taken aback.
LaCroix replied with a half smile and raised eyebrows. Though she suspected he was enjoying his little game, LaCroix's mannerism gave Nat the impression he was also genuinely concerned about Tammy's health. She looked LaCroix straight in the eyes, forcing herself not to let his returned gaze become intimidating. "You plan to bring her across, don't you?"
"Of course not!" he snarled. "Those of tender years do not have the capabilities of managing such a gift. I've learned my lesson in that regard. I am a vampire, Doctor, not a monster."
Natalie moved away a few steps. Nick she could talk down when he lost it, vamping out before her. LaCroix was a different matter entirely. She knew mortals who angered the ancient vampire often ended up as his next meal. "Her blood pressure is good, her heart appears to be sound. Her lungs were a little congested the first night, though they've..."
"I understand all that. What is the outlook for her future?"
"Just remember, I'm hardly an expert when it comes to living patients," she said, flipping through the papers again, trying to make sense of the bombardment of information. "Her tests all appear to be pretty good. Well, at least under the circumstances. You're not going to like this answer, but I think her doctors are right when they say we're going have to wait and see what happens."
"These doctors, are they the best? Experts could be brought here from the United States or overseas, if needed."
Natalie attempted to smile reassuringly. "I don't think you'd find better anywhere."
Taking the copies from her, LaCroix placed them back inside his jacket. "I must rush to the studio now, for the Nightcrawler returns at midnight. This visit has been most pleasant. We should get together more often."
"Don't even think about it," Nat replied, locking the door after he left.
She hadn't even managed to walk back to her groceries when there was a knock. LaCroix? A peek through the keyhole proved right. Reluctantly, she opened the door.
The vampire held out a grapefruit. "Is this yours, my dear?"
"Yeah, thanks," she said, grabbing the fruit. She
slammed the door shut. Unable to stop herself, she flung
the door back open and shouted, "I am not 'your dear'!"