Pax rushed through the doors to pathology and plopped a grease-splotched paper bag on Craig’s desk along with a cup of coffee. “Breakfast, as promised. Whaddaya got?”

He leaned back in his swivel chair and put his hands behind his head. “Paxton, my friend, you are looking at the greatest pathologist in Gotham City. Exhausted, maybe—but definitely the best.”

“Undoubtedly. Now, what did you find?” Pax asked, trying not to choke the man.

“It’s venom, but nothing like anything we have on the books. I ran every test imaginable and kept coming up empty. In fact, I was ready to call you tell you to forget it, but then it dawned on me to try cross-matching in a different way. Not straight one to one, but hybrids. All I can say is thank God I know someone who can hack into a high-speed Watson computer or the computations would have taken forever.”

“That’s great, Craig, but please—get to the point already. I have a patient who’s dying while you wax euphoric.”

Craig stuck the coffee stirrer between his teeth and grinned. “Wow, you sound like someone who didn’t get laid when he wanted it. Did I interrupt an interlude?”

Pax rolled his eyes at the man’s wink. Carol would never say a word. Prickly pear or not, the woman loved him like a son. “Just tell me what you found.”

“Snake and dragon venom, for a start. Combined. You have no idea how lucky you are none of it contaminated your skin when you dove into that lake to retrieve the needle. It’s lethal, Pax. To be honest, I have no idea how that girl is still alive. She must be one tough cookie.”

“One tough tiger, to be exact,” Pax corrected. “And she won’t last much longer if there’s no antiserum strong enough to combat the hybrid strain.”

Craig eyed him and then looked to his computer and the charts measuring dosages and response. “I’m working on something, but I need more time. If I rush this and it doesn’t work, then for real, we’re out of luck.”

Nodding, Pax squeezed the man’s shoulder. “Do it. I’ll cover any time you need, just help me save my girl, okay?”

“Your girl?” Craig raised an eyebrow.

Pax dragged a hand through his hair. “It’s crazy, I know, but I can’t explain the emotions creeping up whenever I think of her. I mean, she’s in a fucking coma. The last time we spoke it was nothing, just small talk. My initial thought was she’s pretty and smart, and yeah, she had the kind of body I go for, but now—” he shook his head.

Craig leaned forward in his chair, his eyes on his buddy. “Please tell me you’re not getting a Florence Nightingale complex over this girl.”

“Florence Nightingale? Wasn’t she a nurse?”

His friend shook his head. “I’m not joking, dude. I guess it’s better than riding a full blown God complex, but if you barely know this chick, then how can you have real feelings for her, other than a savior thing?”

Pax plopped down on the end of Craig’s desk. “It’s her scent, plus—” he looked up and gave his friend a pointed look. “This is going to sound nuts, but I’ve been dreaming about her.”

“Dreaming? As in sex dreams?” Craig whistled low. “Dude. Seriously.”

Paxton shook his head. “No, I don’t mean like that—well, not exactly that.”

When Craig’s raised eyebrow hiked even higher, he shot his friend a sheepish grin. “Okay, so maybe a little of that, but when I said dreams, I meant something more like a mind link. Like Evelyn is letting me in on her memories, up close and personal. Especially about what happened to her the night she was brought into the ER. I can’t explain it any better than that. It’s as if we’re communicating in some unspoken way.” He looked at his friend’s skeptical expression. “You think I’m nuts, don’t you?”

Craig shrugged. “Doesn’t matter what I believe. I think you believe it. As to whether or not you’ve lost your marbles? I’m no psychiatrist. I’m just the guy they send the brain matter to for analysis.”

“Whatever this is, it’s freaking me out a bit.” Pax ran a hand over his forehead. “I think this is happening because she and I are shifters and made some kind of connection.”

His friend blew out a breath. “I don’t know about that, but I have read about blood transfer between shifters causing weird anomalies, especially when trauma is involved—” he stopped short, his eyes widening. “Please, tell me you didn’t sample her blood like an opportunistic vampire.”

Pax balked. “Of course not!” He shook his head, but then stood from the desk. “Wait—when I check her wounds. She bled through the bandage and I yelled for the nurse to change her dressing. The woman tripped and I caught the end of the tray.” He lifted his hand, the cut healed over, but still reddened. “I had Evelyn’s trace on my hand when I cut myself.”

Craig paused. “Don’t tell me. You automatically shoved your hand in your mouth.”

Pax stared at the mark between his thumb and forefinger. “It wasn’t on purpose, but yeah.”

“Dude, there’s your answer. It’s rare, but it sounds like you formed a blood bond of sorts.” Craig swiveled around to his computer.

Pax raised a skeptical eyebrow. “A blood bond? With barely a drop on my hand to form a decent trace? I don’t think so. Shifter brains work fast when it comes to forming new neuropath ways, but not that fast.”

“It’s a long shot, I know, but what other explanation fits? Coincidence?” Craig shrugged, taking a bite from the sandwich Pax brought. “Like you said, you’re the neurosurgeon. Hey, maybe you knew this chick in a past life.”

“Not funny, Craig. And don’t call her a chick.”

Craig chuckled, shoving a piece of bacon into his mouth. “Wow, a protective vibe. From you? That’s almost as funny as the great Dr. Noble having hot dreams about his comatose patient.”

“Dude!”

Wiping his mouth on a napkin, Craig looked at his friend. “What gives, bro? You’re really tied up in knots about this girl, and that’s not like you.”

He shook his head. “I care about my patient, that’s all. The rest is just—weird.”

Craig shrugged. “Suit yourself, but I’ve known you since medical school and you’re never preoccupied like this about a case. Especially not one that came in through the ER.”

“Are you calling me a snob?”

“No, but I think there’s something more to this than you realize. I wouldn’t dismiss the idea of a blood bond so quickly. I can print the articles I found on the subject, if you want.”

Pax shook his head. “No. Just do what needs to be done for the antiserum. Time is running out.”