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“Blaire?”
“Go away.”
Lukas raised an eyebrow. “Why? What’s wrong?”
Blaire threw the covers off and looked up at him. She looked incredibly pale. “I’m on my period, okay?” She looked over at the wall and pulled the covers back over her head. From beneath the comforter came a muffled, “Just let me rest. It’s worse than usual.”
Lukas couldn’t leave it alone. He hadn’t smelled her blood the last time. If it was worse, what if something was wrong with her?
He stood from the bed and left the room without another word, locking the door behind him.
Thirty minutes later, he came back with the head of the student health department trailing him.
“I’m sure it’s fine, Mr. Virtanen. Menstrual cycles are different for each woman.”
“No. She’s pale. She’s in pain. I couldn’t wake her this morning.” He looked at the lump on the bed that wasn’t moving. “I can smell her blood.”
“I don’t smell anything.” The woman stepped further into the room toward Blaire’s bed.
Lukas sat on the edge of his bed and watched as the woman lightly shook Blaire’s shoulder. “Miss Wilcox?”
Blaire moaned uncomfortably and rolled over, pushing the covers off her head. She looked paler than before, and she looked up at the nurse with unfocused eyes.
“I’m Eloise Montgomery, the head of the nursing staff from the student health department. Your pair here says you’re having a difficult cycle?”
Blaire covered her face with her hand and nodded drowsily.
“Can you tell me about it? Is there anything you need? Does this happen frequently?”
“No… it hasn’t happened like this in over a year, but when it does, it makes me sick.” She looked over at Lukas, who kept his gaze steady on her and sighed. “It’s really heavy, and I sometimes get anemic.”
Pursing her lips, the nurse nodded before asking, “Menorrhagia?”
Blaire shook her head against the pillow. “My doctor checked me for that. It’s not that severe.”
“And what do you usually do in these situations?”
“Sleep. When it’s like this, it only lasts for a few days.”
The nurse nodded. “You need to make sure you eat something to keep your strength up and drink plenty of fluids.” She turned to Lukas, “Otherwise, she’s correct, Mr. Virtanen. She needs to rest. Her body knows what it needs during times like this.”
Lukas ran a hand through his hair. “What can I do?”
A warm smile crossed the nurse’s face. “Make sure she gets something to eat and drink. Green leafy vegetables and meat will help with iron levels. Let her sleep. You likely smell her blood because her scent is stronger to you. Are you having difficulty?”
Lukas shook his head. No more difficult than just being around her brought on.
“Well then, you take care of our newest addition to the student body. If you need it, the health department is always open. I will inform Professor Velastra of student affairs that your pair is unwell.”
The nurse got up from the bed and strode to the door. She gently closed the door behind her, and Lukas returned his attention to Blaire, who had her eyes closed. He crossed to her and touched her forehead. She had a clammy sheen of sweat on her brow. She groaned and leaned into his touch.
“Sleep. I’ll get you something to eat from the canteen later.”
Blaire turned in the bed and he pulled the covers up over her shoulder.
Later that evening, Lukas sat back on his bed and stared at his cell phone.
He’d made sure Blaire drank plenty of fluids and helped her to the bathroom when she needed to change. He stopped short of going in with her when she insisted she was fine, but it didn’t stop his worry. She’d barely eaten any of the food he brought, and he wasn’t going to force-feed her if she didn’t want to eat.
