[
Arian Laith] /...../ [
Mi-Hi Harrington]
Whilst Arian wasn't a particularly
big fan of needles, he was also fully aware that his blood type - O RhD negative - was the universal donor type which meant that it could be, for the most part, safely given to anyone and it wasn't terribly common...
Just as he knew that personally he could
only receive blood from someone who was O RhD negative, which meant that if it ever came to it that his cousin Saffy was out because she was B RhD positive.
There had been quite a few people at the sign in table by the time that he arrived and Arian had ended up slipping into line behind a dark-haired young woman as he waited to be processed.
Mi-Hi wasn't a particularly big fan of needles either - but she knew that giving blood was important - super important and so when she had heard that that the local blood bank was going to do a blood drive she hadn't hesitated to head down so that she could donate.
She was kind of hoping that there wouldn't be any big needles though - because perhaps 'not a fan of needles' was something of an understatement...
But it didn't negate the fact that giving blood was still super important and so Mi-Hi was sure that she could bear the needle - even if it did turn out to be a big one.
Probably..
Maybe...
There had been quite a few people at the sign in table by the time she arrived and Mi-Hi had slipped into line behind the last person in order to wait her turn.
She noticed a dark-haired man had stepped into queue behind her when the line finally shifted with the longest hair and after a few moments Mi-Hi turned to him and smiled cheerfully at him as she asked "So is it your first time?"
And whilst in part she was being friendly, she was also - at least in part - trying to distract herself from her own nervousness about the potential size of the needle.It had taken a few moments for Arian to realise that the dark-haired woman in front of him was in fact addressing him, but he glanced over and at her when he did, her smile drawing a small smile of his own from him as he shook his head.
"No it's not my first time" he admitted quietly.
The line shifted whilst he was speaking and he paused as they both moved up, but once they were both stood still again he asked "How about you - is it your first time."
Mi-Hi nodded "Yes" she said "But I know that giving blood is important and so here I am."
She hesitated for a moment before admitting "But I am hoping that they don't use a super big needle" adding quickly "Not that it will stop me from donating if they do."
But it didn't stop her from hoping against big needles - because truth be told she was kind of scared of needles.
"Oh and I'm Mi-Hi by the way."Arian's lips quirked up in another small smile "Nice to meet you Mi-Hi - I'm Arian - Arian Laith."
The line chose that moment to once again shift and Arian once again paused as they both shifted up.
His small smile turned gentle as he continued "And I'm pretty sure that they won't use a super big needle to take the blood - they haven't on the previous occasions where I've donated blood" and truth be told he honestly couldn't see this time as being any different.
"Oh Arian's a pretty name" Mi-Hi said, his small smile drawing another smile from her in answer "And it's nice to meet you too."
Her smile turned relieved when he mentioned that he didn't think that the needles would be super big because he hadn't sounded like he was trying to tease her or be sarcastic or anything - in fact he sounded serious like he meant it - and the small smile that he'd given her had been kind of sweet.
She had had to wait before saying anything as the line had chosen that moment to shift again, but when they had finished moving up she had turned back to him with "That's good" and her voice was as relieved as her smile "I don't think I'll mind a not super big needle."
Well okay maybe she would a little - but not super big was not nearly as bad as super big - she could deal.
She would deal."Thank you" Arian couldn't help but feel a little bemused at Mi-Hi's response to his name, even if 'pretty' wasn't a word that he would have
personally used to describe his name.
He had shifted when she did as the line shifted up, noting the people ahead of them was slowly dwindling.
And whilst he wasn't sure what she termed a 'super big' needle he was sure that they wouldn't be using one - at least he was pretty sure they wouldn't.
"I was nervous the first time that I gave blood" he admitted, because he had kind of been stuck thinking about the needles too "But it turned out to not be that bad and they gave me juice and a cookie once I was done."
It had been a year or so after he had first moved to the States, shortly after he had turned 17 "Although apparently they give lollipops back in the UK."
"The UK" green eyes looked at Arian curiously.Arian nodded "I was born in the UK" he admitted quietly, "But I moved here when I was 16 and went to Meadowview briefly before going on to go to DCU."
"Oh wow - I go to Meadowview currently" Mi-Hi admitted "And I kind of want to go to Sovereign Heights once I'm done."
Wanted to, but knew that it was probably unlikely that she'd managed to get in -
because you needed to get super good grades for Sovereign Heights and whilst her grades were okay, they weren't 'Sovereign Heights' good.Arian opened his mouth to respond but the line was shifting again and so he joined Mi-Hi in moving up, realising with a start once they stopped moving that they were virtually at the top of the line with only a couple of people in front of Mi-Hi.
"It's a small world" he said his quiet voice amused, before adding "And it looks like it's nearly time for us to be processed."
"It really is" Mi-Hi agreed as one of the two people in front of her was called. "And that went much faster than I thought it would."
Because the queue had been quite a long one.
It wasn't long before the last remaining person in front of her was called and she turned to Arian with another smile as she added "Thank you for talking with me Arian - it was really nice to meet you."
That was pretty much all Mi-Hi had time for however, as she was called up next and so with a final small wave to Arian she had stepped forward.
It hadn't taken that long for her to be processed and giving blood hadn't been as bad as she thought it would be...
In fact Mi-Hi had even learnt that her blood type was blood type A.
She wasn't expecting giving blood to quite so tiring however.
There had been cookies and juice both however and Mi-Hi had taken a couple of them and nibbled on them before drinking a glass of what had turned out to be orange juice.
No giving blood hadn't been as scary as she thought it would be, although going home and taking a nap was sounding more and more like a good idea.It hadn't taken long for Arian to be processed either, although he had found giving blood an equally tiring endeavour and had been grateful for the free cookies because of the sugar.
He had been planning to meet up with a friend after, but as he drank a glass of the free juice he had found himself contemplating cancelling - because mayhaps going home and taking a nap would be more in order.
[579 words for Arian]
[691 word for Mi-Hi] 
Reply
