Mike doesn't have friends so much as people he's willing to stand next to.
Madness string 1670
To consume someone else's blood is to consume some vital part of his or her life. If you consume enough of their blood, you gain their "vital powers" (and, obviously, they die).
I can no longer see myself. My shape is fading. I feel the presence of someone who is not me. Is someone there, beyond this?