Requiem for Blood by Alexandra Hope

but remained as alert as possible, his eyes semi faltering as his fingers went numb and dropped the ball. His heart and lungs were constricting, tight as he fought for breaths. The doctor walked over to him when he saw Troy sink into the chair, devoid of cognizance. The blood was slowly sucking itself out of the veins, sparse as it dripped into the bag. He lifted the boy's chin, his face cold and colorless and his breathing slowed. When the doctor dropped his chin, Troy felt like a thousand bricks had fallen on his head, but it was enough to pull him back to consciousness as a voice filled his head. The words were incoherent, almost as if they were another language. He listened intently but couldn't distinguish the voice from gibberish until he heard the faintest of English words. Wake up Troy .
    His eyes fluttered open and his body pulled forward, nearly ripping the needle out of his vein. His veins were visible under his skin, streams of blue and green running down his arm. Troy looked down and saw the doctor fiddling with the blood bag and when he raised his head, a flash of contentment on his face as he picked it up and freed Troy from the needles and wires.
    “I was wondering when you'd wake up,” said the doctor.
    “Ushering me to the hospital isn't standard protocol?” Troy pulled his sleeve to the bandage and stood up.
    “If I thought you were in danger,” he said. “It would have been my first choice. You clearly didn't have enough in your system before giving blood, unfortunately.”
    “I had beef jerky.”
    “Not enough. That's never enough when you are giving blood. Please come better prepared next time as these blood donations feed bodies that eagerly need it.”
    Troy shrugged when the doctor turned away and pulled his arms through his jacket. Being chastised by a man who knew nothing about him didn't damper his spirits as he walked away feeling accomplished. He had never found the time to donate blood after turning seventeen, but committed himself to donating once he had turned eighteen. Losing his mother to a blood infection had more than scarred him and left him wondering how to keep that tragedy from befalling anyone else so he was happy to see it through.
    “Hey, excuse me Troy!” a female's voice called from behind him. He stopped at the double doors and turned toward the unrecognizable voice. Walking toward him was an older female with glasses, brunette hair tied back in a bun and a white coat resembling a doctor's. When she finally got close enough to him, she held out her hand for a shake. He stretched his arm out and met hers and shook it firmly.
    “Hi Troy, I'm so pleased to meet you. My name is Mar.”
    “Hi,” he replied politely with a nod of his head. Her light brown eyes reminded him of something or someone but he couldn't quite but his finger on it as he looked at her.
    “I'm sorry; I realize this must be strange,” she said. “I'm the director for this year's blood drive and I just wanted to thank you for your participation.”
    Troy felt reluctant to speak, wondering why she would thank him when it was the least he could do. He thought it was the least anyone could do.
    “It's no problem. It's something I've wanted to do for a while.”
    “And I also wanted to speak with you about your blood type. You are AB negative but it's a different strain, I can't quite explain it. You should come to the hospital one day, Dr. Patel and I would love to have you.”
    “Sure, I think I'll try one day.”
    “Great, great,” she said, her words animated. Olivia, who was standing just outside the doors listened to her mother beam brightly as she spoke to Troy. “Well you take care,” she waved as he walked out the gym doors.
    Olivia had disappeared into a shadow before he could see her. Mar looked to the wall beside the door and noticed Natalie leaning against it, her arms folded across her chest and one foot propped against the wall.
    “What is wrong Natalie?”
    “I have teenage boy