Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.

Note: Previously, in "Insanity in Love," Damon and Elena face off against Guiseppe in the cemetery, during which Elena gets shot.

Thank you for the reviews, guys! Just got the idea for the next chapter and didn't want to waste time.

Cook County Hospital – After the Confrontation with Guiseppe...

Damon coughed as he waited in the waiting room with Elisabetta and Alaric. It had been nearly two hours since the fight in the cemetery, and because they were afraid for her life, they hastily brought her to the hospital, even if it was the same hospital Alaric brought Stefan to after he was shot. Elisabetta heard her son coughing and looked over at him, a concerned look on her face.

"Damon? Sweetheart, are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

Elisabetta shook her head. "Stronzate!* Here, let me feel your head."

Damon didn't protest as he saw his mother get up and go over to him, placing his forehead. After a few minutes, she pulled it away, looking at his face. "Alaric, get a nurse. Damon has a fever and he's awfully pale."

Alaric nodded and quickly went to the desk, where a nurse looked up from what she was doing. Before she could say anything, he said, "The young man in the waiting room has a fever and needs help immediately."

The nurse then gestured toward an orderly, who came out with a wheelchair. Damon saw him coming and shook his head. He wanted to be present when they told them about Elena. If he wasn't there, how was he going to get the news?

"Mom, I don't want to be gone when they tell us about Elena."

Elisabetta nodded. "I know, but you're burning up and you need to be seen by a doctor." She stood up and helped him to his feet and leading him to the wheelchair. "How about I tell Alaric to let us know the minute we get word? How's that?"

Damon slowly nodded and let her help him into the wheelchair. As they went to an examination room, Elisabetta said to Alaric, "Come to us the minute you get word about Elena, okay? Damon wants to find out if she'll live through this."

Alaric nodded. "Don't worry, I'll let know the minute I get word. Right now, focus on helping Damon."

Elisabetta nodded as well and followed Damon to the examination room, where they helped him out of the wheelchair and helped onto the table. Damon really didn't look good at all. In fact, he looked like he had gone a few rounds with Mother Nature and lost. As soon as he was put on the table, he reached his hand out for Elisabetta.

"I'm scared, Mommy."

Elisabetta took his hand, which was hot against her skin. "I know you are, baby. I'm scared too. But, we're going to get you better so that you can see Elena, okay?"

Damon nodded, even though his head hurt like hell. He was still holding his mother's hand when a doctor walked in, a young man about Damon's age, with shoulder-length auburn hair and hazel eyes. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Dr. Freeman. What can I do for you this evening?"

"My son is sick," said Elisabetta. "I felt his forehead and it was hot to the touch. I'm holding his hand right now and I can literally feel the heat on my skin."

Dr. Freeman nodded. "Okay. Let me see what I can do." He got out the digital thermometer. "First, I'll check what his temperature is." He stuck the thermometer into Damon's left ear and when he took it out, the result on the screen read: 103.5. "He's definitely got a fever."

"Is there a way you can get it down?"

"I want to suggest using ibuprofen, but it might not reduce it enough," said Dr. Freeman. "To get the fever down, we'll have to give him an ice bath. I know it sounds painful, but it's the best shot we have at lowering his body temperature."

Damon didn't like the sound of that and after the doctor left, he said, "Mommy, don't let them hurt me."

Elisabetta squeezed his hand. "Nobody is going to hurt you, Damon. They're just going to help bring your fever down." She got an idea. "Did you want me to sing to you? Will that make you feel better? How about that song I sang to you when I took you to Dr. Spinelli when you were little and had that ear infection?"

Damon nodded. He remembered the tune quite well. It was an Italian lullaby that Elisabetta had made up that helped to keep him calm while he was being examined. "I'd like that."

Then, as they came in to take him to the tub, Elisabetta began to sing to him, making it possible for them to lead him away without a fight. Of course, it could've been a combination of both the song and the fever, but it didn't matter.

1 Hour Later...

Alaric was sitting in the waiting room, getting anxious. It had been more than an hour since Elisabetta had taken Damon to get his fever treated and there was still no word about Elena. Nevertheless, he had a promise to keep and he was going to make sure that nothing would stand in his way of keeping that promise.

It was while he was waiting that Alaric saw a doctor coming toward him, his scrubs covered in blood. He approached him, and Alaric saw that he had news to tell him. "Are you here for Elena Gilbert?"

Alaric nodded. "Yes. I'm Alaric Saltzman, a friend of hers. How is she?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, Mr. Saltzman, she did sustain a lot of blood loss," he replied. "Fortunately, we were able to find a suitable donor that had the same blood type, a patient in the ICU known as Katherine Pierce."

Alaric was shocked, but quickly recovered as he said, "Is she going to live?"

"She survived the surgery to remove the bullet, yes."

"Thank God," said Alaric. "There are those who were worried about her. I promised that the minute I get word." He shook the doctor's hand. "You have no idea how much this will mean to them." Curiously, he added, "Will we be able to see her?"

"They wheeled her into a room a few minutes ago, so I see no reason why you can't," said the doctor. "But, keep it brief. Miss Gilbert has been to hell and back, so she needs her rest."

Alaric nodded and went off to find Elisabetta and Damon. While he was looking, he saw Elisabetta coming out of a room. "Elisabetta, what happened?"

"They had to give Damon an ice bath to get his fever down," she replied. "I won't lie to you, it wasn't easy for me to watch them put him in a tub full of ice, but I was singing in Italian the whole time, so it wasn't so hard." She sighed. "Anyway, they're just checking his temperature now to see if the fever is down."

"I found out about Elena," said Alaric. "She's going to be all right."

"Thank God," said Elisabetta. "Damon will want to see her."

Alaric was about to say something when Damon appeared in the doorway, dressed in a hospital gown. The color had returned to his face, which was a good sign. He had heard about Elena and wanted confirmation.

"Ric, Mom, is it true?" he said. "Is Elena all right?"

Elisabetta looked at her son. "Yes, she is."

"I want to see her," said Damon. "Where did they take her?"

"They took her to her room a few minutes ago," said Alaric. "But, because she's been through an ordeal, she needs her rest, so you have to keep it brief."

However, Damon barely heard him. He didn't give a shit if he was feeling a draft as he all but ran down the hall. When he arrived at the room Elena was in, he saw that she was still out from the anesthesia. He then walked into the room, he sat by her bedside, taking her hand and gently squeezed it. No sooner did he do it than he felt his hand being squeezed back.

"Elena?"

Elena smiled at him. "Hey, you." She saw his hospital gown and scowled. "Why are you wearing that? Are you okay?

"It's a long story and I don't want to tire you out with the details," he replied. "Anyway, the most important thing is that you're here with me." He kissed her knuckles. "I was so scared when that bastard shot you. I thought I was going to lose you."

"Well, you don't have to be scared, Damon," said Elena. "It's going to take more than a bullet to take me down." Curiously, she added, "What happened with your father? Is he..."

"Yes, angel, he's dead," said Damon. "I put five bullets into him after I saw him shoot you. I just...started shooting and then he fell down on the ground." He kissed her knuckles again. "I love you, Elena."

Elena smiled and kissed his cheek and then moved to his lips. "I love you too, Damon."

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