“About two feet,” Foxx stated.
The vampire winced. “It’s a slow growing strain. To get that high, I’d say it has been there for at least four years. It has a dormant period, but doesn’t shrivel up. Being an annual plant, even after just a year, it would be a lot. After four… Though, I suppose that this year's was never collected… Either way, no grower with plans to just sell on the market would plant that much. If it’s them, the amount collected…” Doc seemed to force back a yawn before continuing. “To make a single dose of the poison…one only needs a microscopic speck of it.”
Foxx groaned. “Meaning, they have collected enough to make us worry.”
“Yes… We got sidetracked. I mentioned the cold air…because the poison goes from liquid to gas when it comes in contact with air under fifty degrees.”
“Which is why I was instantly infected when I walked in.”
“Yes, the room…WAS…airtight.” Doc glared at Harlow.
“What were you doing before you slipped?” Foxx asked.
“I was testing if the counteragent worked. My plan was to release a small trace amount of the poison into the air, and…”
“Hope for the best?” the dhampir snorted.
Doc hmphed. “Yes, well, while I wasn’t a hundred percent certain it would work until moments after you injected me, I was ninety-nine percent sure. I did plan to have a syringe filled already before I infected myself, but the plan obviously changed…” The vampire’s eyes narrowed. “You couldn’t have grabbed both needles?”
Harlow shrugged. “I didn’t actually notice there was a second one.”
“Why are you two here? If there is nothing else, leave. Now that I know how much poison they could have made, I need to begin the process of procuring the raw materials needed to mass-produce the counteragent. I used up what I had creating this much, which, mind you, is likely only enough for three more people. Shipping alone will take a few days, so the sooner I get things ordered, the sooner I can rest. As I might as well do so while I can.” The man finished, saying the last part through another yawn.
Foxx winced. “Doc… About that…”
Harlow carried the body into the lab, following behind Foxx and one tired ass looking Doc.
“Lay him out—” The man yawned. “Here.” The vampire waved towards the metal exam table.
Harlow laid the wolf down.
Doc leaned over, eyeing the body. “I did what I shouldn’t have because I knew how dire the situation was… Apparently, my work is not done.”
Foxx grimaced, his expression shifting rapidly before he finally sighed and said, “You should sleep first.”
Doc eyed Foxx with a snort. “Pained you to say that, didn’t it?”
“Yes!” his brat huffed. “I’m not disregarding the importance of this for werewolves, or suggesting it just because it’s not my kind… The fact is, you are exhausted. You almost died because of it.”
Doc straightened up. “I know my limits. And there are methods that will force my body to remain awake as long as I need it to. This is not even near the worst I’ve gotten. And at leastthis time…I know if I slip up, I won’t find myself dying on the ground.”
“Suit yourself, you stubborn ass bastard.”
Doc sniffed. “That’s Scottish bastard to you.”
Foxx stuck out his tongue.
The other vampire smirked, but his expression dropped as his gaze flicked back to the body. “What I need is…people I can trust…and werewolf blood… A lot of it…and preferably a live test subject.”
Harlow choked. “Not asking for much, are you, Doc?”
Doc cursed. “I need more people. While I may not have the raw materials that I need yet, the fact is, I can’t both research and create a counteragent for whatever the hell they are poisoning werewolves with on top of making the one for vampires. I’m only one person. And I wasn’t lying when I said we only had enough vampire counteragent for three more doses. Yet, my focus must be on finding out what they gave this poor young man. Which, by the way, I was being serious about the test subject and the blood. I was able to use my own blood for the vampire poison, and use myself for testing…but I can’t with this.”
Foxx looked at him.
He grimaced. “Well, I know where we could get blood…and possibly a test subject. Maybe Tony knows where we can find people we can trust.”
“Three… If you can give me three people, who are not inept fools, maybe we can get a head start on this thing.”
