[Begin Transcript]

[Dr. Luminita Stoica, wearing an N95 mask and labcoat, is speaking quietly with Dr. Harold Geisbert in the corner of the room.]

[Abdul Azeez al-Salim, a nurse at DIC, enters the room, carrying a clipboard]

Dr. Stoica: [Flatly] Ah, yes, come in. Another subject?

[Abdul hands Dr. Stoica the clipboard and moves to a computer in the opposite corner of the room]

[Dr. Stoica reads from the clipboard]

Dr. Stoica: Ms. Kegan?

[Lily Kegan—a 6’0” white trans woman with curly blonde hair, dressed in a medical gown—enters the room, carefully and awkwardly. She closes the door behind her.]

Dr. Stoica: [Under breath] Kegan…

[Dr. Geisbert whispers something into Dr. Stoica’s ear]

Dr. Stoica: [Muttering] No, not her… not yet. It just reminds me of [Unintelligible] shouldn’t be a problem.

[Dr. Geisbert nods]

Dr. Stoica: [To Lily] Er… Apologies. Hello, Ms. Kegan. Lily. If you would… sit down, please?

Lily: O-oh! Right, um… okay!

[Lily sits down on the examination table. Dr. Stoica starts flipping through pre-screening information, moving out in front of her.]

Dr. Stoica: Ah, yes, I see. It seems you’re already familiar with my work?

Lily: Uh, y-yeah. You’re, um… Dr. Luma, right?

[Abdul rolls a small cart up next to Lily and begins preparing electrodes]

Dr. Stoica: Dr. Stoica at the moment, but yes. Over there is Dr. Geisbert, the department head, who will be observing. Abdul here is the one who will be attending to your actual EEG.

[Lily looks at them]

Lily: [Muttering] Hah, you weren’t kidding…

[Dr. Geisbert whispers something to Dr. Stoica. She nods.]

Lily: So… um…

Dr. Stoica: Apologies. Now, it will take a moment for Abdul to prepare and stick the electrodes. Please try to remain calm… it can be a bit of a disorienting process.

Abdul: If you could just…

[Abdul guides Lily’s head to a more neutral position]

Abdul: Perfect.

[Abdul moves away and starts preparing the glue for the electrodes]

Dr. Stoica: Please do let me know if you need anything.

Lily: O-of course! I’m fine, um… How are… you? How’s the… tests, been going?

Dr. Stoica: It would be best not to discuss that.

Lily: Ah…

[Dr. Stoica clears her throat]

Dr. Stoica: Privacy issues, you understand. There’s no issue with us speaking in general. Especially if it will help slow down your heart, get the cortisol out of your veins…

Lily: Oh, right, you can tell, can’t you? That’s… hehe…

Dr. Stoica: I can. And I believe I know one reason why.

Lily: Right…?

Abdul: Slight pinch…

[Abdul starts pulling Lily's hair away from her scalp, gluing it down. Lily flinches.]

[Dr. Stoica sighs]

Dr. Stoica: That is to say, before we proceed, we ought to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

Lily: Y-yeah? What's… that?

[Dr. Stoica looks at her clipboard]

Dr. Stoica: You're a fan, and one of the people we're giving temporary housing for this, and your last name is Kegan. C.A. Kegan, perhaps? From Salem?

[Lily flinches, and then giggles]

Lily: Ah… U-um…

Dr. Stoica: Apologies if that is a ‘dead-name’.

Lily: N-no, it's fine. Um, long story. I just… didn't think you'd be so perceptive…

Dr. Stoica: I wouldn't be here if I wasn't.

[Abdul starts placing electrodes on Lily's scalp]

Dr. Stoica: Speaking of which, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the presence of a ‘C.A. Kegirl’ in my comments’ section is no coincidence.

Lily: It… isn’t…

[Lily giggles nervously]

Lily: Um, y-yeah. I used to go by ‘cakegan’, um, before I transitioned… And then for a while my initials were the same, and I changed my name after that, but ‘cakegirl’ had kinda stuck, So… y-yeah.

Dr. Stoica: [Slightly seductively] Yes, I see. That is sweet, it has a certain symmetry to it.

Lily: Y-you think so!? Really?

[Dr. Stoica growls under her breath]

Dr. Stoica: [Flatly] …Yes, though I’m not sure this is having the intended effect of calming you down.

Lily: Ah, s-sorry!

Dr. Stoica: It’s quite all right. I don’t expect you’d have an easy time of it in my presence.

Lily: Y-yeah… sorry. Or— Um, sorry…

Dr. Stoica: Don’t apologize. The combination of charisma and ‘fan-gasm’ cannot be simple to manage. Not to mention the anticipation.

Lily: Anticipation? What would I be, um… anticipating?

[Dr. Stoica looks down at Lily]

Dr. Stoica: [Slightly seductively] You’ve been begging me to enthrall you on almost everything I’ve posted since it was possible. With much more zeal than you’re showing now, I might add.

[Lily looks up into Dr. Stoica’s eyes]

Lily: I… I… [Eyes glass over]

[Dr. Stoica growls]

Dr. Stoica: [Flatly] Wake up.

[Lily starts squirming and blushing]

[Abdul holds her head still, continuing to apply electrodes]

Lily: I— I— I— I g-guess, yeah! Sorry! I— I, um, just thought… with what you said over email, I…

Dr. Stoica: I asked for professionalism, not censure. And… Probably a bit prudishly. But it is a matter of time and place, and this is the time and place to discuss these desires.

Lily: R-really? I… didn’t think you’d actually wanna get into it. For, um— science. Sorry.

Dr. Stoica: Not far into it, but it's valuable data. This isn’t a line of work where we can afford to keep these feelings all bottled up, anyway— Vampires will pry a bottle like that open as if it were full of warm AB-.

Lily: I…

[Lily gestures towards Dr. Geisbert]

Lily: Even with him…?

Dr. Stoica: Dr. Geisbert gave me a similar talk when I was in your position some… [To Dr. Geisbert] Fifty years…?

Dr. Geisbert: Fifty-two.

Dr. Stoica: [To Lily] Fifty-two years ago. Of course, I do not always share everything with… everyone…

[Dr. Stoica growls]

Dr. Stoica: [Very flatly] But in my…experience…even that can lead to further problems.

Lily: R-right… I guess that makes sense. Sorry…

Dr. Stoica: [Slightly seductively] As I said, I have been where you are. The only difference is that you have less choice regarding whether you’ll be getting off about it.

Lily: F-fuck! That’s… um…

[Lily rubs together her thighs]

Abdul: [Strained] Done.

Dr. Stoica: [Flatly] …Apologies, I got a bit carried away. I see I have failed to calm the subject down.

[Lily’s rubbing speeds up]

Dr. Stoica: A… poor choice of words, as well. At least that mistake was made early…

[Dr. Stoica sighs]

Dr. Stoica: Alright. I’ll be taking off my mask now. Please, just… try not to squirm too much.

[Lily continues squirming]

[Dr. Stoica takes off her mask and pulls in a deep breath through her nose]

Dr. Stoica: [Seductively] Oh, my— That must be the sweetest A+ I’ve ever smelled.

Lily: Y-you think so…?

Dr. Stoica: Yes. Even more than… Hm. I’m realizing I may have a type.

Lily: I'm your t-type!?

Dr. Stoica: [Growling] Indeed… though I won’t get as much as I’d like… which is… sensible. Perhaps more, later.

Lily: Y-yes! Please!

Dr. Stoica: But for now… It's time.

[Dr. Stoica leans down into Lily’s ear]

Dr. Stoica: [Whispering] Prepare yourself, seriously… This will be more intense than you can know.

Lily: [Distantly] Okay…

[Dr. Stoica giggles]

Dr. Stoica: Well, it seems I've managed to calm her after all. We're recording?

[Abdul initiates the EEG]

Abdul: Mhm.

Dr. Stoica: [Very seductively] Good… I have been… I…

[Dr. Stoica hisses and lunges at her. One camera frame later, blood is being drawn from Lily’s neck.]

[Lily screams]

Lily: F-fuck!

[Lily starts banging on the examination chair]

Lily: I… I feel it… I'm… Ah…

[Abdul grabs Lily's arm gently. The gesture is unnecessary, as she has already started to go limp.]

Lily: G-Goddess…

[Dr. Stoica pulls away. She wipes the blood off her face with a paper towel and puts her mask back on.]

[Lily passes out]

[Abdul terminates the EEG]

Abdul: Looks good.

Dr. Stoica: [Less seductively] Wonderful. I… apologize if she damaged anything.

Abdul: She didn't.

Dr. Stoica: Good. Perhaps we should get some cuffs? Though… I'd almost feel bad not using those on her…

Dr. Geisbert: And it could corrupt the data.

Dr. Stoica: Yes, that too… Well, I'll keep an eye out next time. Thank you, Abdul.

Abdul: You're welcome. I'll be back with the stretcher.

[Abdul leaves the room]

[End Transcript]