'And she already hates me,' I said.

'Oh, yeah,' he said.

'Perfect,' I said.

Nicky held the door while Dr Cross pushed the chair through.

'Make sure you eat before you get here,' Edward said.

'I've had a couple of protein bars,' I said.

'I think you need to eat something beefier than that,' he said.

Dr Cross said, 'I hate to interrupt police business, especially when you're trying to save fellow vampires, but we need this room for sick people. You can go save the day, er, night.'

'Hold on, Ted,' and I turned to the doctor. 'Thanks, doc. About Nathaniel Graison is he being released, too?'

'Yes, Mr Graison can leave when you do, though I would advise all of you to drink copious amounts of water to keep from having a relapse of elevation sickness. Don't look at me that way, Marshal, it contributed to both of your illnesses.'

'How much water do we need to drink?' Dev asked.

'You know that recommended eight glasses of water a day?'

'Yes,' Dev said.

'Double that, doctor's orders.'

'We'll never have time for that,' I said.

He shrugged. 'Then you or Mr Graison may both suffer ill effects again.'

'I was shot, doc.'

'But he wasn't.'

I opened my mouth and closed it, not sure what to say.

Dr Cross said, 'I know he is one of your animals to call and that you drained energy from him to heal yourself.'

I tried not to look surprised.

'There is a reason they assigned a vampire as doctor on this floor. Sometimes it takes a preternatural citizen to understand another one.'

I nodded. 'So you knew what was wrong the whole time?'

'Not at first, but I'm absolutely serious that the elevation sickness contributed to both of you being hospitalized. It puts extra strain on your bodies.'

'They'll drink the water,' Nicky said.

I scowled up at him.

'I want both of you well,' he said.

And just like that, Nicky won. 'All right,' I said.

'I'll go sign your paperwork. You can shower and get dressed,' Dr Cross said.

'I'm not sure I have time to shower,' I said.

Edward said on the phone, 'You have time and it will probably be your best bet to get your protein needs met.'

'I told you I had two bars.'

'I think you need some beefcake to go with those protein bars.'

'Are you hinting that I need to feed the ardeur before I get there?'

'I didn't think I was hinting, but yes.' He lowered his voice again and said, 'I have now made Hatfield walk off in disgust. I believe she thinks the beefcake comment was us flirting.'

'That would be bad flirting,' I said.

'Yep.'

'You're much smoother than that,' I said.

'Thanks, but feed, Anita. You don't want to lose your shit here.'

'Agreed,' I said, but sighed as I said it.

'Are Nicky and Dev still with you?' he asked.

'Yeah.'

'You know there are a lot of women who wouldn't see either of them as a hardship.'

'It's not that; it's the fact that I have to have sex before I can go fight crime.'

'And you healed a broken pelvis and a bullet wound in a little over twenty-four hours, so you have to have sex more often than most for that kind of healing ability. It's not a bad trade.'

I thought about that and then said, 'Good point.'

'You'd be out of this investigation for good if you didn't heal better than anyone I know.'

'I'll feed,' I said.

'But make it a quickie; you do need to question the vampires before dawn.'

'First you damn near order me to have sex, and now you're putting limits on how much time I have to do it. Geez.'