Music of Souls

Jackson burst through the door with the girl in his arms screaming, "Sarah! Help! Hurry!" She ran down the stairs, frightened. When she reached the drawing room, he was laying the redhead on the sofa.

"My God, what happened?"

"I took too much blood, she's dying. We need to transfuse her."

"What…? How?" She could not make sense of this.

"Please, we have to hurry," Jackson begged.

She snapped out of it and made herself think straight. "What type is she?"

"I don't know."

"What? How can you not know?" He had nearly drained her of blood, but had been in such a rage he hadn't even paid attention. Sarah saw the self-loathing in his eyes, so didn't wait for an answer. She put her hand on his arm and said, "We'll just use O, go find some in the fridge. I'll get the IV started."

He came back with a bag quickly. "Start this and I'll get some more." She connected the bag to the tubing and watched the blood flow down. When the tube filled, she connected it to the IV in the girl's arm. The blood started to flow and Jackson took a deep breath. "I'll get the rest."

Sarah stopped him. "We've got a while before this one's empty. Let's sit for minute."

"Please, just let me get the blood first, I want it all ready."

"Okay, go ahead." He obviously wasn't thinking rationally. If it helped to get all the blood now, so be it. Hopefully they would get to use it. She peered down at the girl, so small and so pale. If she died, Jackson would never forgive himself. How could this have happened?

Jackson stood in front of the open refrigerator, taking out bags one at a time, tasting, then either putting them back or on the table. When he had five bags of type O, he picked them up and went back to the drawing room. "This should be enough, shouldn't it?"

"Plenty." He stood staring at the girl, grief-stricken. Sarah asked, "What's her name?"

"I don't know."

Tears welled up. She wanted to scream, "You have probably killed this poor girl and you don't even know her name?" She turned to Jackson, and could see that his thoughts were the same, so she put her arms around him. "We've done all we can. Now we wait." She led him to a chair, and then poured them both drinks. Jackson sat, never taking his eyes from the bag of blood. He would be ready to change it the instant it emptied.

They sat, waiting for the girl to show signs of life. Sarah silently gave thanks that Connor had left. He never could have handled this scene. Halfway through the third bag, the girl let out a soft moan. Jackson jumped up and listened to her heart. "It's getting stronger. I think she'll make it. She can't see me when she wakes, she'll freak out. You're going to have to influence her to trust me."