The side room had been hastily transford into sothing resembling a makeshift doctor’s office. Old dical equipnt shared space with vampiric alchemical instrunts, cables crisscrossed the dark wooden floor, and several small red lights glowed on devices Natasha had no idea how they worked. The atmosphere was thick with chemicals mixed with the tallic scent of blood, creating an uncomfortably clinical ambiance for soone accustod to solving problems by smashing things instead of analyzing them.
Natasha sat on a high chair near the main counter, her arms tightly crossed, maintaining a closed expression. The embarrassnt she had felt since waking up hadn’t completely disappeared, and this was only worsened by the fact that Charlotte seed absurdly fascinated by the whole situation.
Charlotte, on the other hand, seed to be having one of the best days of her life.
The doctor’s eyes glead with intellectual excitent as she adjusted the microscope on the table. Small vials containing blood samples were neatly arranged alongside hastily written notes, and the way she moved made it clear that her mind was already racing much faster than the conversation.
"Stop looking at like that," Natasha murmured, clearly annoyed.
Charlotte didn’t even look away from the microscope.
"Like what?"
"Like I’m a lab rat."
"Technically," Charlotte replied calmly, "you’re an unprecedented dical case. So you’re closer to a rare biological phenonon."
Natasha grimaced imdiately.
"That doesn’t make it any better."
Charlotte just smiled slightly before unceremoniously taking her hand. A small tallic instrunt appeared between the doctor’s fingers, and in the next instant a drop of blood was drawn from Natasha’s fingertip.
The vampire didn’t even react.
The wound disappeared before Charlotte even placed the sample on the glass slide.
They both noticed it.
Natasha narrowed her eyes.
"See?" she said imdiately. "That’s exactly what I’m talking about."
Charlotte didn’t respond imdiately. She positioned the sample under the microscope, slowly adjusting the focus as she observed intently.
Silence stretched for a few seconds.
Then her expression changed.
Not to concern.
But to utter fascination.
"Oh... that’s truly impressive."
Natasha didn’t like the tone she was using.
"What?"
Charlotte adjusted the focus again before finally stepping back slightly from the instrunt.
"The blood is still yours," she explained. "The genetic classification hasn’t changed. Your vampiric signature remains intact, your lineage remains the sa, your basic structure too." She paused briefly. "But the properties... those have changed drastically."
Natasha frowned.
"Speak in a way that normal people understand."
Charlotte sighed dramatically.
"Your blood has beco stronger." The answer ca simply.
Directly.
But its weight lingered in the air.
Natasha slowly uncrossed her arms.
"Stronger how?"
Charlotte pointed to the sample.
"The cells are much more aggressive now. Regeneration has increased dramatically, cellular adaptation has accelerated, and there’s a completely new characteristic appearing in practically every sample." She tilted her head. "His blood is... reacting the sa way as Victor’s."
Silence followed imdiately after the sentence.
Natasha stood still for a few seconds.
"No," she replied almost imdiately. "No. Not at all."
Charlotte just continued analyzing.
"I’m serious. It’s not identical, but the adaptive structure is practically the sa. His blood seems to function like a dominant organism. It invades, absorbs useful characteristics, and reorganizes everything around it."
Natasha felt an uncomfortable shiver run down her spine.
That explained too much.
"So... that thing that happened to ..." she began slowly. "Those outbursts... calling him master... all that craziness..."
Charlotte finally took her eyes off the microscope and looked directly at her.
"It’s probably directly related."
Natasha imdiately frowned.
"That’s great."
Charlotte rested her elbows on the counter.
"Think of it this way," she began calmly. "Vampire blood always works based on hierarchy. Strong lineages dominate weak ones. Ancestral blood crushes common ones. So hereditary abilities even depend on it."
Natasha was already starting to hate that explanation.
Charlotte continued.
"Victor’s blood doesn’t just seem strong. It seems... absolute."
The word hung heavy in the air.
"When it entered your system," Charlotte explained, "it probably took control of the entire blood structure. Like a dominant parasite."
Natasha’s eyes widened slightly.
"Parasite?"
"In a biological sense," Charlotte corrected quickly. "But unlike a destructive organism. It doesn’t consu the host. It reorganizes."
Natasha ran a hand slowly over her face.
"That’s not reassuring."
Charlotte ignored the comnt.
"Your body probably recognizes Victor as the primary source now. The top of the hierarchy. That’s why those behavioral lapses."
Natasha felt instant sha rembering her own voice calling him "master."
"I’m going to kill myself," she murmured.
Charlotte chuckled.
"It won’t do any good. Your regeneration is absurd."
Natasha glared at her.
"You’re not helping."
Charlotte simply raised her hands.
"I’m being honest."
The vampire took a deep breath before looking away.
"So I really wasn’t aware of that?"
Charlotte tilted her head slightly.
"You were... partially. I think the best way to explain it would be to say that your instincts were taking over at tis." She crossed her arms. "But it didn’t seem like brainwashing."
Natasha fell silent.
Charlotte noticed.
"Victor wasn’t controlling you," she clarified. "In fact, knowing his personality, I honestly doubt he even knows how this works."
Natasha let out a heavier sigh.
That was at least a relief.
"So he can’t just..." she hesitated before continuing, clearly uncomfortable. "Control ?"
Charlotte shook her head.
"Not consciously."
"But?"
Charlotte sighed.
"But your body responds to his presence automatically. That’s evident." She pointed to the sample again. "Your blood literally reacts when it detects traces of him."
Natasha stood completely still.
"You’re kidding."
"No."
"Charlotte."
"Natasha."
The vampire closed her eyes for a few full seconds.
"I hate this."
Charlotte looked back at the microscope.
"I imagine."
Silence remained between them for a few monts until Natasha spoke again.
"There’s sothing else strange."
Charlotte imdiately showed interest.
"What?"
Natasha looked away, clearly annoyed that she even had to admit it.
"I’m hungry all the ti."
Charlotte didn’t answer imdiately.
"Normal hunger?"
Natasha shook her head.
"No." She hesitated before continuing. "I’m thirsty."
Charlotte beca serious for the first ti since the beginning of the conversation.
"Just for his blood?"
Natasha took a few seconds to answer.
"...Yes."
The doctor slowly exhaled through her nose.
"That’s a problem."
Natasha let out a dry laugh.
"Do you think so?"
Charlotte began to pace slowly around the room, organizing her thoughts.
"If the body has truly co to recognize his blood as the primary source..." she murmured more to herself. "Then other blood types might start to be rejected."
Natasha imdiately rembered the blood bag she had vomited.
That made even more sense now.
"Then I’m screwed."
Charlotte grimaced slightly.
"Maybe not permanently. The vampire body is adaptable." She placed a hand on her hip. "But in the current state... probably yes."
Natasha leaned her head back in the chair.
"Perfect."
Charlotte observed her for a few seconds before speaking again.
"Honestly? It could be worse."
Natasha looked incredulous.
"How exactly could it be worse?"
Charlotte smiled.
"His blood could have completely destroyed your mind."
The response ca so casually that Natasha just stared at her in absolute silence.
"...You’re terrible at comforting people."
Charlotte seed genuinely surprised.
"I was trying to help."
"Well, you failed miserably."
Charlotte shrugged.
"At least you’re still yourself. Angry, aggressive, and dramatically hostile." She smiled slightly. "That’s a good sign."
Natasha huffed irritably.
Even so... a part of her felt relieved.
Because deep down, her greatest fear wasn’t hunger.
Nor the outbursts.
Nor the absurd sha she felt rembering recent events.
It was losing completely who she was.
And apparently that hadn’t happened yet.
Charlotte went back to the counter.
"For now," she said calmly, "I think it’s best to avoid emotional extres. The more unstable you beco, the stronger those instinctive lapses seem to be."
Natasha imdiately rembered the hug with Victor.
And how she had simply lost control.
Her face flushed instantly.
Charlotte noticed imdiately.
"Oh, so you rembered sothing specific."
"Shut up."
Charlotte chuckled softly.
"Interesting..." she murmured as she made more notes. "Emotional embarrassnt also intensifies blood activity."
Natasha grabbed a cushion from the chair next to her and threw it directly at her.
Charlotte dodged it effortlessly, still smiling.
"Definitely still you."
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