Xander's Chance

"It looks like she was bit by a dog. Multiple times," Laurie said at last. "Or maybe some sort of animal. We can't quite figure out what. The punctures are deeper than a typical dog's."

"Bit by an animal." Jessi wasn't expecting that. "I mean, she likes animals. Maybe she tried to rescue one. There's no chance of rabies, is there?"

"We're treating her for rabies, just in case."

Jessi grimaced, aware that such treatment involved multiple shots.

"We almost thought we might have a feral cat attack," Laurie continued slowly. "Not a housecat" she said at Jessi's blank look "more like a bobcat. This is the fourth event in the past few days. We've alerted the city. It's not completely unheard of."

"Wouldn't a rabid bobcat be noticed this close to LA?" Jessi asked.

"It's better than what the kids getting attacked are telling us."

"Which is …"

"The latest in vampire-mania. There's an active cult in the area. They go around biting people or something bizarre."

"You think a vampire did this?" One side of Jessi's lips curled up.

"I don't. If you ask her, she might say differently." Laurie looked towards the bed. "If Ashley wasn't the fourth person to say so, I'd probably refer her to psych for an evaluation. I think she might be involved in some sort of gang or something."

Jessi didn't say what she wanted, that prissy Ashley wasn't the type to roam the streets with thugs.

"I'll look into that," she said. "When can she leave?"

"Now, if she feels up to it. Her prescriptions are ready. She'll need to see a doctor in a couple of days for follow up shots, and you need to watch the bite wounds for signs of an infection."

"I can do that."

"These kids believe anything they see on television. Just once, I'd like one of these so-called TV vampires to come out and tell people it's all fake," Laurie said. She scribbled notes on the file in her hands. "First Twilight, then that TV guy, X."

"I don't watch much television," Jessi said, anxious to get back to her cousin.

"Two jobs," Laurie repeated. "Maybe you should set up the parental controls on the TV so they can't watch that garbage, if they have no adult supervision."

Jessi gritted her teeth and forced a smile. The cousins were good kids. Whatever happened, it wasn't because of a gang, and they were smart enough to know the difference between reality and what they saw on TV.

"I'll start the discharge paperwork. If I could get your driver's license and insurance card, I'll start the claims process, too," Laurie said.