Dr. Joshi looked at the blood test report once again, "nine point five" he said silently and looked at Shrey. "So Shrey are you sure that he showed no sign of weakness before this?"
"No sir" Shrey answered looking uncomfortable.
"I can't understand" Dr. Joshi rested his head on his hands, it had been a particularly busy day for him. Emergency duty had started to tire him now. Age has its effects he thought as he shifted his focus back to the strange case that had presented itself in front of him some one hour ago. Two boys from MU had rushed in carrying another unconscious one. As a standard procedure he had asked for a blood test and put the boy on a drip. Those were exam days so some of the stressed students did come to emergency, unconscious , sometimes due to not eating and sometime just because of undue tension. This one looked in perfect shape but a shade paler like he was anemic. But he had an athlete's body "he can't be anemic" Dr. Joshi had told himself. His fears were confirmed an hour later when he had read the report. That boy , Salil actually was anemic and that too by a huge margin. How could a thing like that go un-noticed.
"Did he suffer any kind of injury before this?"
"No sir."
"So what you are trying to tell me is that your friend ." He read the name from the report again "Salil suddenly fainted while coming back from your exam some one hour ago."
"Yes sir."
"strange, that's because he is anemic and that too I must say very anemic. How could such a thing go un noticed. I think we will have to keep him under observation overnight. Please complete the formalities we should be able to discharge him tomorrow. Don't worry he will be fine in a couple of days. I hope you don't have an exam tomorrow. "
"No sir , exams got over today." Shrey said managing a smile and got up to leave.
"Well what did he say?" Rahul asked as Shrey came out of the doctor's cabin.
"He said , he is anemic and that too by a huge margin. Rahul , listen should I tell him what happened last night?"
"Would he or anyone else believe us if we did? They will refer us to psychiatry straight away. "
"Yeah. Now come , we have to get him admitted he says."
"He's right. How much was his hemoglobin by the way"
Shrey opened the report on the way to the reception , " 9.5 it says" he said.
"Listen Shrey, Rahul said silently didn't you feel that when he came to the mess in the morning he looked oddly pale?"
"Yeah even I felt so but I thought it was just because he was too shaken due to the night's incident."
"Yes that flying thing what on earth could it be?" And he looked at Shrey as realization dawned upon him. "Shrey are you thinking what I am thinking, could that thing be a Vam.."
Shrey silenced him in mid-sentence he did not need the word to be completed to understand the gravity of the situation. His eyes met Rahul's which were filled with an unknown terror. The coulour on his face had somehow faded away. They moved towards Salil at an abnormally fast pace. With trambling hands Shrey held Salil's head and turned it slightly towards right to have a better look at his neck.
"There , thank god it's nothing."
Rahul still looked anxious, "Check the other side."
Shrey turned the neck in the other direction fearing the worst but there were no puncture marks on the other side as well.
Finally Rahul looked relieved .
-Continud.
