Nurse Jenson: "Lewis and Whitfield had a lot of trouble with him. I heard he managed to slip away even after they sedated him."
Nurse Stevens: "They found him, right?"

Nurse Jenson: "Oh yeah, and they had to use some serious tranqs on him when they did. They took him over to ward seven about a half an hour ago."
Nurse Stevens: "I'd love to be a fly on the wall when Lewis and Whitfield have to explain to Dr. Hewlett how he got away."

The two nurses continued to gossip, but Jade was no longer paying attention to their mindless chatter. Checking in on new patients in ward seven was part of her other job description, the more important job as far as she was concerned. Most leads from that ward turned out to be nothing more than your run of the mill crazies, but occasionally they would pan out. Even though their work was nearing completion, it would still be worth checking out the possibility of having another test subject.

Jade slipped from the room and made her way quickly through the hospital corridors, forgoing the elevator for the stairs. She paused briefly as she reached her destination, making sure she was alone. A light was on in one of the offices, and though the door was closed she could still hear muffled yet clearly strained voices. She stole a glance at a chart sitting out at the nurses' station, then hurried down the hall to where the newest arrival was being kept.

The door was closed but unlocked. Once inside, Jade had to let her eyes adjust to the near-total darkness of the windowless room. Once they did, she was able to just make out the figure lying restrained in the bed. She picked up the paperwork left carelessly on the counter. Even a quick glance was enough for her to know this wasn't just a crazy kid.

She walked over to the bedside, regarding its occupant with curiosity. He was easily one of the youngest vampires she'd come across while in Deception Pass- his records put him just shy of his 18th birthday. Even in his drugged sleep he had the look of someone haunted by demons, and through the darkness Jade could see the slightest smear of blood on the corner of his mouth.

Jade: "Jacob Towans… I wonder what's going on inside that head of yours. You'll just have to come visit me and let me find out."

Jade leaned over, intending to wipe away the last remnants of the blood. Before she managed to make contact, Jacob's eyes flew open. She stifled a scream and backed away quickly, not entirely sure what to expect.

Jacob: "She didn't mean to go away… did they find her yet?"

Jade's mind raced as she tried to figure out how the kid was awake already. It was no wonder he'd gotten away in the first place, but the second serum they'd given him should have kept him under for hours. It took her a moment to realize that his eyes had fluttered closed again, that he wasn't actually awake after all.

Jade exhaled sharply, releasing the tension that had built up startlingly fast.

Jade: "That's right, baby doll, just go back to sleep. Auntie Jade will make sure you're properly taken care of. Can't have these dimwits doing something stupid to someone as special as you."

She walked back over to his records, quickly and easily marking a few changes and adding a line of text. This would guarantee he'd be given appropriate treatment and released during evening hours, safe from the destructive rays of the sun. With the adjustments to the file she would be able to be there when he got out.

Jade took one last look at the boy laying a few feet away from her trapped in the realm of the unconscious. She felt reasonably sure the injection he'd been given would keep him sedated for most of the evening, being able to pass as a regular kid who'd just had a bad day was up to him. With a satisfied smile, she turned and slipped out from the room.

Just as she was rounding the corner out from the ward her phone began to ring, its harsh tone shattering the silence of predawn hospital corridors. After a mad scramble she answered the phone, ducking into a stairwell.

Jade: "What?"
Glass: "Are you still at the hospital?"
Jade: "Of course I am, you know I'm working 'til 5. Why? Do you need something?"
Glass: "Something really big just happened. Have you come across anything interesting tonight?"

Jade: "Actually I just found another test subject for us!"
Glass: "Is that it?"
Jade: "This isn't your typical run-of-the-mill bloodsucker, Glass. This kid's special."
Glass: "No, it wouldn't be a vampire. Anything else?"

Jade: "Mr. Stone's girlfriend killed herself tonight. I suppose she'd be his ex-girlfriend now."
Glass: "That's it. That's got to be it. I'm coming up there, meet me in 15 minutes."
Jade: "What's going on?"
Glass: "I'll explain when I get there. In the mean time, keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary."

Before Jade had a chance to form any sort of response, the phone had gone dead. She felt a tug of foreboding as she slowly descended the stairs, making her way out to the parking lot to wait for her brother.