Page 30 of Feathers and Scales

“Ahh…” Daxton remained calm, his face stoic. “You have guts,” he said to Simon.

“I hoped Izzy would play along. Maybe say something mean to get some blood vessels pumping, I guess.”

She stepped away from Daxton. “Even with your expertise, trying to get a sample like that would have been risky and messy.”

“Expertise?” Daxton asked.

“He went to medical school with me. He can make a blood draw quick and relatively painless.”

“What about you?” Daxton asked Izzy.

She swallowed the bundle of nerves lodged in her throat. “I’m adequate enough.”

He held out his arm to her. “Let’s see, then.”

The ringing in Izzy’s ears drowned out Simon’s surprised exclamation.

Why was Daxton being so compliant? Was there nothing abnormal in his blood? And why were her hands quivering?

“I don’t have gloves,” she said.

“I’ll let only you do it,” Daxton replied.

“We’re the same size.” Simon dug into his pockets and produced an assortment of wrapped supplies along with another pair of individually packaged gloves.

Dazed and trembling with the need to detach from her overwhelmed human body, she tugged on the small-sized gloves Simon handed her and grabbed the syringe.

“You’ll need to sit down.” Simon pulled out one of the table chairs.

Daxton sat and rolled up his sleeve. Simon wrapped a large rubber band around Daxton’s upper arm as a tourniquet.

Izzy found the bulging muscles distracting, so she met Daxton’s eyes to find his pupils dilated. The protruding veins in his neck further showed a fight-or-flight response.

“Are you scared of needles?” she asked.

He swallowed. “My other side. It doesn’t react well to this kind of sharing.”

“You said your other side was instinct, right? Then fear will only make your control worse. Let’s try something else. Close your eyes, breathe deep, and exhale through thinly pursed lips.”

She returned his questioning look with a pointed one. “We’re going to convince your body and your dragon you’re safe.”

He didn’t seem convinced, but he did as she said. After a few breaths, she added. “Concentrate on the feel of the sensation beneath your feet. The air between your fingertips as you continue breathing.” She gave him a few more examples to focus his concentration, and when his body loosened, she knew the meditation was taking effect. “Now, I’m going to step closer and draw your blood, but I want you to focus on the air. What does it smell like?”

As she stepped forward, her own nerves bubbled under the surface. Izzy had taken blood many times, even from herself. Despite what happened in the hospital with her mom…a syringe was just a syringe. Why was this any different? Taking a deep breath, she listened to her own advice and wiped her mind except for the task at hand. Excited tingles ran up her palm from touching his warm skin. Her airway felt constricted. His other hand opened, and his shoulders slumped as if further soothed by her touch.

Even with shaking hands, she withdrew his blood efficiently. Finished, she handed Simon the blood-filled tube and pressed gauze against the bleeding wound before bending Daxton’s arm to hold it in place. Daxton’s eyes fluttered open and held her with a reverence that made her heart jump.

“Thank you, Dr. Izzy,” Simon said before beelining for the tower.

“Did that feel better for you?” she asked.

Daxton swallowed and nodded. “I didn’t expect that to work.”

“Sometimes it’s best to try something new. Was there a reason you wanted me to do it?” She headed to the table to tear off a piece of medical tape.

“Your touch is calming to…that side of me. Another mystery I don’t understand.”

“You make me nervous,” she said, straightening his arm to tape the gauze into place. Her fingers lingered over his soft arm hair.