Problem Colored Red

Walking around campus that day was a pain. I was tired, hungry, nauseous, dizzy, and most of all in pain. Yet, I popped a few ibuprofins and tried my best to get on with the day. I walked into my shift at the clinic, was greeted by Jo, given a few files and off to work I was.

After doing my first rounds of work, Jo called us in to observe her stitch up a wound. As we crowded around her she began to explain different things about the wound, the length, depth, width; what kind of needle you should use; what threading technique works for different situations but my head was getting kind of foggy. I spaced out every few seconds, all I wanted to do was go back home.

"Hey, you still with us?" Jo asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked blankly at her for a moment before feeling a sense of nauseous coming over me. "Are you feeling alright?" she continued, stepping towards me. "You're looking pale." I cleared my throat and looked around, the others students were beginning to look foggy. Everything was like a fish bowl. "Actually, I think I'm feeling a little faint." I replied. The room was getting hotter, and I was feeling clammy. There were black spots in my vision and my hearing was going. Why was the room spinning? Am I falling?


I open my eyes slowly. There's a soft beeping sound and my arm is itchy. As I went to scratch at it someone's hand took mine and held it. "Well look who's awake."

"Damon?" I whispered struggling against his grip. "My arm is so itchy."

"Well you do have an IV in. I think its supposed to stay in." He replied taking my hand in both of his.

I looked around me and recognized that I was on the couch in Jo's office, a blanket covering me, and sure enough a needle in my arm leading to a IV bag that's hanging on a pole next to me. "What happened?" I ask still trying to connect the dots as to today's events.

"Well, lets see. You passed out during Jo's little patch up presentation and she figured it was due to dehydration, but me being a vampire, I know what the real problem is." He smirked.

"Damon!" I said sitting up quickly. "Why are you even here?" The room began to spin again and Damon laid me back down against the pillow. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths centering myself before asking him again. "Why are you here?"

"Well after Jo set you up in here, she called me to come take you home once you woke up. I also took time to explain to her that your fainting spell was more than dehydration."

"Great," I scoffed. "Thank you so much. Can we get going now?"

"That depends, how you feeling?"

"Fine." I sat up slowly holding my head in my hands looking to the floor.

"That doesn't look fine to me."

I sighed. "Just give me a second please. I want to go home."

Damon crouched down on the floor in front of me and lifted my face to look at his. He was smirking but he looked sweet and concerned. Taking my arm in his hand he quickly ripped off the tape holding the needle into my arm and removed it. He stood up and walked to Jo's desk to grab a band-aid. I took the opportunity to scratch at my skin, which was irritated from the adhesive. But Damon, with his super hearing, vamp sped to me and grabbed me to prevent me from scratching any more, wagging his other finger in my face. "Damon, its so itchy." He held up some cream and a band-aid. "Thank you." I said. "That sounds much better." he replied, taking a drop of cream and rubbing it along the irritated skin. I closed my eyes, satisfied with how the cold cream felt. "All done." Damon said, tossing the wrappers in the trash and putting the cream back in Jo's desk. "Ready to go?"

I nodded and stood. As I did, I felt gravity spill all my mess into the product I placed in this morning. "One second actually." I said looking around the room for my bag. Damon was holding it and pulled out a tampon dangling it in front of me. "Need this?" he asked. Giving him a not impressed look, I grabbed the tampon and went into the bathroom to take care of myself.

I walked out after and put my hands on my knees still feeling weak and slightly nauseous. Damon rushed over and lifted me up placing a supportive arm around my back and held my hand as we walked out to his car. Running into Jo on the way out she gave me an encouraging smile and looking up to Damon said, "Take care of her." Damon smiled and we were on our way home.


Waking up after a short nap in the car, I was surprised to see Damon pull up to the boarding house. "Let's be honest," he began. "My bed is much more comfortable than your teeny dorm bed." I smiled in agreement, but closed my eyes and bent over as a cramp ripped through me. Damon had me out of the car and in his arms in a second. "Deep breaths, (Y/N). Almost there." He vamp sped up the stairs and laid me down on his bed. The speed did not agree with my current state because I felt myself heave. In the next instant I was over the toliet bowl. Since I didn't eat much the whole day, I only dry heaved. Damon gathered my hair out of my face and rubbed small circles in my back. I leaned myself against the cool porcelain and caught my breath.

"Hey," Damon whispered with concern. "You okay?" He gave me a sad smile and moved some of my hair out of my face. I nodded. "I'm sorry Damon." He sighed, lifting me up slowly. He sat me on his bed. "I'm gonna take your sweater and jeans off so you don't overheat, okay?" I nodded. Gently, Damon pulled my sweater over my head. He removed my shoes and socks. I unbuttoned my jeans and shimmied out of them while leaning on Damon for support. After pulling back the covers, Damon laid me down and pulled the sheet over me. "I'm sorry I made you throw up." he whispered placing a hand on my cheek. I shook my head leaning into his touch. "I'm sorry you're stuck playing nurse." Damon chuckled slightly. "Hey, this is only so I have a longer list of things to tease you about later." I rolled over, grabbing a pillow and swung it so it hit him, pushing his hair into his face.

He brushed his hair out of his face, and giving me a sinister look, jumped up tickling my sides. I began to laugh, pushing him away, until a cramp rolled through me once again, causing me to curl into myself. "Damon, stop!" Noticing the pain in my voice, he knelt down next to me once again and took my hand. "Have you taken anything?" he asked. I nodded. "Ibuprofen. This morning." "Let me get you some more." Damon said and with a breeze he was there and back again with two small pills and a glass of water. Helping me to sit up I swallowed the pills down smoothly.

After setting the glass down on the bedside table, I snuggled into his bed once again. "Your bed is very comfy." I said softly. He chuckled, "I know it is."

"Damon?" I asked. "Will you stay with me?"

Smiling he came into bed, wrapping me close to his chest. "I thought you would never ask." He tucked my head into his chest and wrapped one arm tightly around me, while the other rubbed my arm. "Go to sleep," he whispered, kissing the top of my head. "You'll feel better when you wake up."

"Thank you, Damon. For taking care of me." I said looking up at him.

"Don't worry about it." he said caressing my face. "Now sleep."

I smiled snuggling into his chest and was shortly soothed to sleep.