Mortal Danger

dozen times, and he never drew anything but pain.”
    “No problem.”
    He palpated her left arm and realized that she’d been telling him the truth about rolling veins. He switched to her right arm, tightening a tourniquet above her elbow.
    “I want you to connect with me,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Visualize your blood flowing effortlessly from your vein into my needle. I’ll insert the needle.”
    There was an almost sensual feeling as he slid the needle in. With her eyes closed, she visualized what he’d suggested, and her blood draw was complete within moments with virtually no pain.
    “That was excellent,” he said, once again looking directly into her eyes as he applied a bandage and put pressure on the vein. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his.
    She learned that that phrase—“Connect with me”—carried with it a hypnotic power. He was so honest and compassionate that people literally trusted him with their life’s fluid.
    Kate followed Dr. Branden’s recommendations carefully, and her health steadily improved.
    “It worked,” she said. “I lost a little weight, my skin cleared up, and my virus symptoms were under control. I felt so much better.”
    During her weeks of treatment, Kate felt she was coming to know John Branden well, and found him to be a “vibrant, interesting, warm, and caring man.” They first went over her diet diary, and he chided her gently for what she hadn’t done, but more often he praised her. She looked forward to her weekly office visits with him, finding in himalmost a kindred spirit. He matched her intellectually and could discuss so many subjects that she, too, found interesting. Kate was a college graduate, a very intelligent woman with a thirst for knowledge. John was fascinating to talk with, and unlike any man she had ever known. There wasn’t the pressure that she—or anyone—felt in a dating situation; they were equals, platonic friends, with their own private lives.
    Kate finally admitted to herself that she had a crush on Dr. John. She knew he was married and she totally respected his family bonds, so she didn’t think there was any harm in her having fantasies about him. She never planned on acting on them.
    Once, Kate commented to Sue Branden that she was lucky to be married to such a caring and sensitive doctor. She was startled when John’s wife grimaced, rolled her eyes, and shrugged her shoulders, as if Kate had no idea what she was talking about. It was obvious Sue Branden didn’t hold John in high esteem. Maybe he was so familiar to her, Kate thought, that she no longer saw his genius.
    On the other hand, Sue confided to Kate that she had once wanted to be a stewardess but had married when she was so young, and then had had two daughters to raise, and so many things to do for John.
    Kate and Dr. John usually ended her office visits with casual conversations, and he sometimes inquired about the romantic side of her life. She told him she’d had several long-term relationships when she was in her twenties and early thirties, but at thirty-eight, she had finally realized she was okay by herself. “I don’t need a man to make me feel fulfilled and happy,” she said easily.
    In truth, she still hoped to find her soul mate, the one man who would love and admire her, listen to her and take care of her. But she didn’t tell her doctor that.
    Often, Dr. John gave her little extras, like a very professional shoulder massage. Once, he read her aura. He also told her that she gave him energy. Just being around her made him feel happier. It was a little flirtatious, but she believed it was also innocent.
    When Kate’s eight-week program was completed just before Christmas on December 20, she headed in for her last office visit and found herself regretting that her friendship with Dr. John was probably over. By its very nature, it was meant to be self-limiting. He was the doctor, and she was the patient, and she was well now. But she would miss him.
    She was happily surprised when he gave her a lovely quartz crystal that carried with it curative powers, telling her it was a Christmas present.
    “Well,” she asked as she sat across the desk from him, “what do we do now? Am I supposed to come back for re-checks every so often?” Now that she had her health back, she wanted to stay on top of it, and John’s program was excellent.
    “That would be a wise idea,” he said slowly. “Probably you should make an appointment for