The Turning

(Twelve)

Dr. Kim headed toward the door, disappearing into the hall. Hyungwon waited for further instructions, ready to get back to the apartment. He pulled his phone from his pocket and sighed. He tapped at the power button a couple of times. His phone was dead. He would just have to get in touch with Jooheon as soon as he got home.

The sound of shouting caught his attention.

"What do you mean I have to pay for all this?"

Hyungwon looked toward the closed door, curiosity falling upon him. He got up from the examination table and headed toward the door. He opened the door, peeking into the hallway. A vampire male stood in front of a male nurse, arms crossed, and brows narrowed. He wondered what the vampire was shouting about. A female vampire nurse stood on the male vampire nurse's side, frowning.

"Mr. Lee, please be reasonable. Just pay the amount for the blood and be on your way," she said, voice firm.

"Why do I have to pay for blood now? Just a few weeks ago it was free. What is going on?" he asked.

Hyungwon froze. Pay for blood? He licked his lips, leaning forward. He must have heard incorrectly. Based on the information from the MX clan there was no reason to pay for blood. A few hospitals chose to give their donated blood for free. Maybe there was a misunderstanding.

The female nurse laced her fingers together, trying to keep her facial features relaxed. "Due to recent rules by the human government, we must pay for blood from this hospital. They insist this blood could be going to a more useful cause and—"

"Useful. Don't our needs matter? I need blood! I'm a vampire! What other useful cause is there?"

The male nurse stepped forward. "Humans need blood transfusions and—"

"They seemed just fine before. They get tons of donations from other humans. I won't believe this at all! I demand a better explanation."

Hyungwon pulled his head back in. It wasn't good to eavesdrop on a conversation, but he was able to obtain some relevant information. He closed the door and returned to sit on the examination table. For a second there was silence and then some shuffling. The idea that blood could be costly worried him. He focused on the conversation in hopes that what he heard was just a well performed medical joke.

"Mr. Lee, there is no other explanation," a female voice said.

"Council Head Hangil was right about humans. I should have taken the speech he gave a couple weeks ago seriously. Next time I run into a human I'm going to remind him or her of their place. This is ridiculous! I am sick and tired of all this!"

Hyungwon heard more shuffling and then silence. When he told Jooheon he would continue to pay part of the rent, he didn't realize what the future would bring. Of course, he didn't regret his decision to continue paying rent. He didn't want to leave the burden on Jooheon's shoulders, so he reached into his savings and paid.

But based on the conversation outside, blood was no longer free. He tapped his fingers against his knees, a knot forming in his chest. He couldn't get a job and his savings were barely enough to support him for long. The door opened, and a female vampire walked in. She gave him a fanged grin, providing him with a sheet that summarized his visit. She led him to the back where the blood resided. He patiently waited for the verdict, worried for the amount he may need to pay out of pocket. It wasn't like there was vampire insurance to help with the fee.

"And Mr. Chae," she said, turning to him with a large bag. "That will be 450,000 won."

Hyungwon's eyes widened. "450,000 won? That is too much."