Life's A Miracle

Chapter One

Dr. Chelsie Peebles glanced about the conference room at her partners, whom she’d asked to be present for a meeting she was counting on to save her life. The doctors of the New Orleans Vampire OB/GYN V clinic present tonight, were Dr. Asa Bradley, Dr. Noah Langston, and her brother-in-law, Dr. Christian La Mond. She’d asked her sister, Tiffany to attend the meeting as well. Tiffany was Christian’s life mate, and the V clinic’s IT. Tiffany wouldn’t have a vote in the proposal she planned to bring to the table tonight, but she possessed the power to sway her life mate’s vote in Chelsie’s favor.  

“All right, Chels. It looks like we’re all here,” her sister Tiffany announced.

Chelsie scanned the faces of those seated at the conference table. All eyes were honed on her, and each harbored curiosity. She was sweating profusely, and she feared her colleagues could smell the failure of her deodorant, since vampires had noses that rivaled a blood hound’s. 

Chelsie had been dreading this meeting all day, but now all she cared about was getting through it.

She cleared her throat, then began. “First, I want to thank all of you for coming tonight.”

“I’m sure everyone’s as curious as I am about why you called this meeting,” Tiffany said, as she slid a puzzled look at Christian, seated beside her.

“I know I am,” Asa added, then winked at her in a playful manner.

Chelsie dropped her gaze from Asa’s. A potent wave of heat spread through her body, then seemed to take up residence in her face, which was the last thing she needed at the moment. A stream of sweat trickled across her temple, then down her cheek. She hastily, swiped it away. 

For some reason she always experienced hot flashes around Asa, along with a sick, adolescent-like pining. She’d been crushing on him since the day she’d met him, nearly a year ago. Chelsie realized Asa was way out of her league, but that fact didn’t quell her steamy fantasies about him. Of course, he had no idea, that at this very moment, she was imagining him sitting there in that high back, leather captain chair, wearing nothing but a pair of Tony Lama cowboy boots.

Somebody cleared their throat, startling Chelsie.

Concentrate, dummy!

With a shaky hand, Chelsie pushed on the bridge of her thick, black-rimmed glasses, a nervous tick she’d had since grade school when she’d gained her first pair. She finally seated herself at the head of the long, rectangular, oak conference table. If her teeth would just stop chattering, maybe she could get this thing going.

“Chels?” Tiffany prompted softly.

“Yes. Right. Sorry.” After adjusting her glasses again, she folded her hands together on the table. “Again, I want to thank everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to meet with me. I’m going to get right to the point. I want to undergo a turning to become a vampire. Of course, I’m going to need to use the V clinic for the procedure, and I’d like Christian to be my doctor.” She turned her head toward Tiffany. “Will you be my donor?”

This was the first Tiffany had heard of Chelsie’s plan, so her bug-eyed, slack-jawed reaction was no surprise. Each of the men produced a varying array of shocked and bewildered expressions. No surprise there either. It wasn’t everyday a single, human woman expressed a desire to become a vampire.

Tiffany popped to her feet, and braced her palms on the table top. “What the heck, Chels? Have you lost your mind?”

Chelsie swallowed a lump in her throat. She’d kept a monumental secret from her sister, as well as the rest of her family. She felt bad, but it couldn’t be helped. “You know I don’t make snap decisions, Tiffany. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a very long time. I have important reasons for wanting this, and I’m prepared to explain them.” She glanced at each of the men, then added, “All I ask is that you’ll keep an open mind, before making a decision.”

Christian asked, “So we’re here to vote on you using the V clinic resources?”

She gave Christian a determined look. “Yes, and I’m more than willing to pay the same fees as any patient.”

Christian frowned at her. “I think I can speak for everyone here when I say, money is the least of our concerns. Chelsie, few medical procedures in the world are as risky as a turning.”

“I understand the risks very well. I also understand the criteria we have in place for preforming a turning. I may not be a life mate to a vampire or on the verge of death, but my reasons are equally as valid as those.”

The doctors glanced at each other, saying nothing at first. 

Actually death was very imminent for Chelsie. Five months ago she’d had been diagnosed with a rare, fast growing, stage four glioblastoma. At that time, her neurologist gave her six to eight months to live if she did nothing, and little hope to survive even with surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. So she’d traveled to specialist after specialist after specialist. They’d all said the same thing. She was going to die.

She’d dealt with the crippling news alone, because she’d refused to believe there wasn’t some form of treatment that could help her, and she didn’t want to tell her family what she couldn’t even believe herself. 

Then one night she’d read an article in a vampire medical journal about human patients with cancer being cured after turning into vampire. That gave her the first ray of hope for a cure. 

Asa spoke up, scattering Chelsie’s musings. “If you know our criteria for a turning why are you asking us to do this for you?”

“Because, the New Orleans V-clinic is more convenient for me than it’s sister clinics in New York or Denver. The bottom line is this, no matter the outcome of your decision, if I can’t use this facility, I still plan to go through with the procedure.”

The men immediately understood her meaning, because their faces registered disapproval. Asa was no exception, but his bright green eyes, she always found so warm and inviting projected disappointment. 

Christian said, “I think you’re getting the cart before the horse, darlin’. Why don’t you tell us what’s going on?”

Tiffany snorted softly, and there was a hard, hurt glint in her eyes. “Yeah. Please do.” 

Chelsie had expected Tiffany to be mad at her, but she had chosen to bear this burden alone.

“There are two reasons. The first is, I’m in a rather unusual situation, where I’m the only human in a family of vampires. Although, I don’t have a vampire life mate, I do have parents and siblings who will outlive me. It would be as devastating for them as it would be if I had a life mate who would outlive me by centuries.”

Noah scowled at her. Obviously he wasn’t moved by her short life span scenario. “While I sympathize with your plight, Dr. Peebles, I’m afraid your situation is much different, than that of a life mated couple.”

Chelsie pursed her lips, frustrated by the man’s unyieldingness. Noah was around two hundred and forty years old, and was a stickler for rules. Although he’d never lived any length of time in England, he sported a British accent because he’d been born there during King George III’s reign, and his vampire parents had been born in England as well.  

Noah went on to say, “To turn a human just to afford them a longer life would be unethical.”

Chelsie sighed. Noah was not going to vote in her favor. Christian might if she could tame Tiffany’s ire, and get her to see her reasons had merit. Asa would be the tie breaker. She couldn’t begin to guess how he might vote. He tended to be very open-minded and moral, but she couldn’t tell how he might view this issue. 

Chelsie pursed her lips, and gave Noah a single nod. “I can appreciate your stance on the matter. As I said, I’d rather not be forced to use archaic means to achieve my goal, but I will be left with no choice if I’m denied the V clinic’s resources.”

Tiffany said, “You’ve lost your mind. I’m not giving you a drop of my blood if you’re planning on doing this outside of the V clinic. No one else in the family will either, because that idea is just plain suicidal.” She crossed her arms, and glared at Chelsie.

Christian said, “Simmer down, babe.” He leaned forward a smidgeon, then said to Chelsie, “You mentioned two reasons for doing this. What’s the other one, darlin’?”

She smiled at Christian. At least he seemed willing to hear her out. “It involves my practice. I’ve been a legitimate partner now for six months, and I have a fraction of the patients as all of you. I realize you’ve each been here longer, but in case you haven’t noticed, a good number of my new patients ask to be assigned to one of you. V clinic patients are all vampires, and unfortunately, they don’t want a human doctor.”

Asa frowned at her. “That might be part of it, but patients tend to want established doctors.”

Asa was partial right, but the discrimination she faced was quite real. “I agree, but, I’ve had dozens of patients come right out and say, ‘I’m sorry, but I don’t feel comfortable with a human doctor.’”

No one had anything to say to that. Each did have the decency to look chagrined.

“Is that true?” Tiffany asked Christian.

He hunched a shoulder. “There’s been some controversy over the issue. Since Asa and I came up with the fertility drug that revolutionized vampire conception, they all want one of us. That can’t be helped.”

“The hell it can’t,” Tiffany argued. “The solution is simple. Quit taking new patients period. If patients want access to your fertility drug they get Chelsie for a doctor or they don’t get a V clinic doctor at all.”

Chelsie rolled her eyes, because Tiffany was not helping her cause. 

“Chels, don’t you agree they should be referring all new patients your way?” Tiffany asked.

“Of course, I agree in theory, but a patient has the right to choose their physician. No one can force a patient to be under the care of a doctor they feel uncomfortable with. While I appreciate what you’re saying Tiffany, it’s not the solution. I believe with all my heart patients will accept me if I’m one of them.”

Noah was the first to respond. “Dr. Peebles, may I point out that you made the decision to practice vampire obstetrics. No one forced you into that decision. If you feel discriminated against by our patients, I would suggest you rethink your career path. I’m sorry Dr. Peebles, but based on the points you’ve raised thus far, I must vote no.”

Asa added, “I have to agree with Noah. We’d hate to see you go, but if your lack of a patient base is causing you grief you may have to find a human practice. I hate this for you, I really do, but none of us can change the minds of bigots.”

The bottom fell out on her hopes for a majority vote, because she really didn’t expect Asa to side with Noah. She glanced over at Christian, who wore a look of pity, and knew he too would side with the others. “Christian, you might as well add your two cents.”  

He sighed heavily. “I can’t argue with Noah and Asa’s logic. Your reasons for wanting to turn have merit, but they aren’t enough to bypass the V clinic’s criteria for a turning. I’m so sorry, darlin’. I have to vote no.”

She glanced at Tiffany, the only one whose expression bore true compassion. She was counting on her compassion to sway Christian’s thinking at some point down the line. At the moment however, they’d reached a stalemate. Chelsie was angry with all three of the men. She stood, then stalked out of the conference room.

* * *

“Well, s**t,” Asa muttered. He felt terrible he’d refused to vote in Chelsie's favor, but the rules they had on this subject were in place for a reason. Moral vampires did not turn humans except for the two reasons they’d given her. This fact was practiced by their species as a whole. It wasn’t just V clinic policy.

Tiffany snorted. “I’ll say, Asa. You really disappoint me. You too, Christian. Couldn’t ya’ll have at least told her you’d think about it?”

Noah huffed. “There is nothing to think about, Mrs. La Mond. Your sister simply isn’t a candidate for a turning. We have these rules in place for the welfare of our kind and humankind.”

“Whatever, Noah.” She waved a hand at him in a dismissive fashion. To Christian she said, “I’m going to hunt her down, and get to the bottom of this, because I have a feeling there’s something more driving her.”

“Like what?” Christian asked.

She shook her head. “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”

“That’s probably a good idea, darlin’.”   

Tiffany pushed her chair back, then stood. “This may take awhile. I’ll see you at home, baby.” She kissed Christian’s cheek, then left.

Asa said, “She did make a good point about her practice. If you want to call it a practice. She doesn’t even have two dozen patients. I think we refer all new patients to Dr. Peebles.”  

Asa wished he could help Chelsie. He admired her a great deal. She was one of the most dedicated doctors he’d ever met, and she was beyond brilliant. He’d go so far to say the girl’s smarts bordered on genius. Truth be told, he liked more than Chelsie’s smarts. Asa had a thing for Rubenesque women, and Chelsie was a rare beauty in that category. He’d sure love to see her in something more revealing than a lab coat. 

Noah nodded. “I totally agree. It will take a load off each of us, and hopefully solve one of her problems, which has led her to such a life altering thought process.”

Asa noticed Christian rubbing his chin. “What’s on your mind, Christian?”

“That we didn’t get the whole truth out of her. Remember, I’ve known her for thirteen years. Not once in all that time has she expressed a desire to become vampire. Interest and curiosity, yes, as well as a desire to practice vampire medicine. I could be wrong. Maybe she envies the few benefits we have over humans more than she’s let on.”

Noah said, “I think that may be exactly the case which makes our decision the right one. I believe in a God, as I know each of you do. It pleased Him to create Dr. Peebles as a human, and we have no right to alter her species.”

Asa agreed with Noah, but Christian’s response to Noah brought them back full circle.

“You’re right, Noah, but if she’s determined to do this, and Tiffany agrees to donate, well I don’t have to tell you the risks she’d face if she were to do this on her own. She’s my sister-in-law. I can’t stand back, and watch her do something this dangerous. I’ll be left with no choice, but to aide her through this. If the two of you are dead set against allowing her to do it here, I’ll conduct the procedure at my place, the birthing center at the mother’s retreat.”  

“But you can’t conduct pre-testing there,” Asa pointed out.

“The CT and MRI’s, blood work, and other tests can be done anywhere,” Christian said.

Asa shook his head. He could sympathize with the points she made, but he couldn’t believe the girl he knew to be so level headed and pragmatic would want to do something so radical. He wanted to see her practice thrive, but the way she wanted to go about achieving that goal seemed anything but level headed and pragmatic. Asa didn’t know what to think. “You really believe she’s determined to do this at any cost, Christian?”

“I’d have to say yes from what I’ve heard tonight. I do know this about her, when she’s determined to do something she’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants. I know she never makes rash decisions. If this has been on her mind for awhile, I’d say she means to do it. I might be able to talk Tiffany out of donating her blood to Chelsie, but she has an entire family of vampires she can ask to be her donor. If one of them agrees, looks like I’ll be her facilitator for the procedure whether I want to be or not.”  

Noah cleared his throat. “It appears we’ve just been blackmailed gentlemen.”

Asa started laughing. The girl was no dummy. She knew they would have no choice but to come to this conclusion if she stood her ground, and tried to conduct the procedure without medical supervision. “I think you’re right, Noah.”