Chapter 50 WHN

Damon awoke to the smell of bacon and he turned onto his back and inhaled. God it smelled delicious. His stomach rumbled demandingly and he grunted and opened his eyes. He felt disorientated and confused and sat up, not knowing where he was. He jumped in surprise when he saw Stefan sitting reading a book across from him.

"Stefan?" He asked and then he remembered where he was and how he'd gotten here. "Where's Elena?"

"She's gone to find the witch. Remember she told you this morning?" Stefan asked softly and Damon frowned and scratched his nails tiredly through his hair as he yawned and tried to recall. "Are you hungry? I brought you bacons, eggs and toast. Lots of butter here too."

Damon looked to the plate of food at Stefan's feet. It was still hot and steaming heat. How had Stefan known when to time it with him waking?

"Your heart beat started to change so I knew you were waking." Stefan explained before Damon could ask and Damon raised his eyebrows. "I figured the smell might motivate you."

"You'd love that wouldn't you?" Damon snorted and Stefan put his book down and sighed.

"Brother you're human, you have to eat."

"So I can act like a human, enjoy my new found body and ease your guilt?" Damon accused and Stefan lifted the plate of food and placed it on the end of the bed.

"Yeah, alright? Just for once do what you're told." Stefan said irritably and Damon huffed in surprise at his comeback.

Stefan sat back down and lifted his book again, actively ignoring him and Damon watched him for a few minutes suspiciously before his hunger won out and he pulled the plate onto his lap. His mouth watered and he stuck his fingers in his mouth to figure out where the saliva was coming from. Vampires produced a little fluid in their bodies but they didn't need saliva that much considering they didn't have to really digest their sustenance in their mouth. Stefan peaked over at him and smiled out of the corner of his mouth.

He pulled his fingers back out and inhaled. Sense of smell wasn't sharp anymore but still, it smelled so much more inviting than food normally did. He still ate food occasionally, but he didn't have much of a taste for it when he could drink blood. His whole body now, seemed to be geared towards eating food so perhaps that was why it smelled and tasted so good. He began eating carefully, his stomach squeezing a little in the effort to allow food in. He hadn't eaten much over the past few days as a human so maybe that's why his stomach was smaller and struggling. The more he ate, the hungrier he became and he wolfed down the last of it, using the bread to clear the yoke from around the edges of the plate. He lay back full and smiled to himself at the endorphin release. Endorphins could motivate him to do anything right now.

"Good?" Stefan asked tentatively and he looked over at him, the urge to punch Stefan's lights out fading a little on account of Stefan being the purveyor of his meal.

He grunted in affirmation instead and Stefan stood up and removed the plate onto the side table.

"We've got a lot to talk about." Stefan said as he fidgeted with the plate and Damon sat up more fully, holding his stomach as it het him up from the inside.

"Like how to get this thing out of me." Damon commented and Stefan paused and looked at him.

"No, about what happened between us."

"Is there something else creepy that I should know about?" Damon grunted, raising an eyebrow.

"Even as human you are an ass." Stefan frowned and retrieved his chair to sit beside him. "I know you're angry about me leaving you in the hospital."

"Don't go there right now. I want to wait until I am bullet proof again before I tackle you down about that one brother!" Damon warned.

"I didn't want to force you into anything Damon. I did that last time. I wanted you to choose what kind of life you wanted without fear being in the equation. I still want that."

"What are you babbling about?"

"I made the choice for you last time when I forced you to turn. I'm not going to make the same mistake again." Stefan gulped.

"Oh I see, more guilt huh? Did you ever think for one minute that maybe I'm fine with that now? I love being a vampire. All of this angst and guilt you write about like a morbid fairytale in your journal is all in your head now." Damon said, knowing just how unkind his words were and Stefan stared him out.

Silence fell between them for a few moments.

"I wanted to make it right."

"This is real life Stefan, tit for tat doesn't factor. You almost let me die."

"I would never have let that happen."

"But it was ok to leave me in agony and sickness till I didn't know what the hell was going on? You could have given me vampire blood and healed me and then just kept an eye on me to make sure I didn't turn, instead you walked away and left me to it."

"I never left you. I was there every day, every night. You just don't remember. We didn't know what my blood would do to you."

"Don't give me that Stefan! None of this 'we' crap. I know Elena argued with you. Whatever you're telling yourself now you still forced me, whether it was to become a vampire or to stay human and dying – you chose for me still." He pointed out and Stefan paled as he thought on that reasoning.

"What do you want now?" Stefan asked weakly and Damon huffed and shook his head.

"I don't know." He admitted.

Stefan's lit up at the fact that Damon didn't immediately turn to the choice of becoming a vampire again. Damon scowled at that reaction.

"Whatever happens, I will decide brother." He stated and Stefan nodded. "Did you leave me sick because you wanted to punish me for this?"

"What?" Stefan gasped.

"I took the cure away from Elena, from you, from everyone that wanted it."

"Do you think I hate you that much?"

"Don't you? I stole your girl."

"What's wrong with you? Why are you pushing everyone away, trying to make me angry?" Stefan stood up and Damon smirked to himself. "I thought at least some of your self-destructiveness would be gone now!" Stefan exhaled in frustration.

"I'm still me." Damon growled and Stefan threw his hands in the air exasperated.

"Exactly, now pull yourself together brother! I need you. We all need you, now more than ever. So stop feeling sorry for yourself." Stefan snapped and walked from the room, slamming the door noisily as Damon stared after him in shock.

How the hell did Stefan get to be mad at him after everything and why did he feel as though he deserved that a little? He grunted and pulled the duvet aside, reaching for his clothes still strewn on the floor. He dressed and peed, smiling to himself at how pleasant the sensation of release was. He just had to make sure that he didn't have to have another bowel movement before the end of this trauma. As he thought on that, he pondered on why he'd told Stefan he wasn't sure what he wanted. Why? He knew he didn't want to be a human and have to deal with all of the weakness that came with it, but then again there were some good things. Plus to become a vampire again he'd have to die – really die and that would probably be a lot more painful than when he was killed as a vampire. That was something he hadn't tested out yet – pain. He couldn't remember much from the hospital. He remembered pain but it was hazy and the forefront of his memories involved feeling like he was so hot he could burst into flames a lot of the time. Heat and confusion seemed to be the primary memories of sensation.

Would the pain of death be unbearable? Who would do it? Would it be Stefan? No, Stefan had made it clear he wouldn't participate. Elena? He doubted she could, she hated the thought of killing. Klaus? Yes, there was his main candidate right there, but then Klaus cared little for life and perhaps he would make it hurt. He shook himself out of his thoughts and opened the door. He could hear someone playing a piano somewhere in the house. He ventured outwards in search when Klaus blurred to him and made him shout in surprise.

"Sorry mate, forgot how slow your eyes are now." Klaus chuckled and Damon breathed and frowned at him. "We need to move you to another room. One more secure, in case my hybrids fancy another shot at you."

"I thought dogs could be trained to behave themselves." Damon smirked and Klaus returned his smile with a hint of warning.

"More like yourself today. That should make for some entertainment."

"And why is that?"

"A personality like yours in such a fragile body? You're a time bomb Damon. I wonder which one of us will want to kill you first, one of my hybrids or your brother." Klaus chuckled and Damon scowled at him.

He wanted to resist, to put up a fight at being stored away in a room with no windows, no escape, like an antique, but he knew it was hopeless. Stefan and Klaus were in agreement as to his new sleeping arrangements and no amount of arguing was going to change it. To save himself the humiliation of Klaus throwing him over his shoulder and carrying him to the room, he walked as he gritted his teeth together and waited until it was just he and Stefan in the room. Stefan was weaker than a vampire normally was, maybe if he took him by surprise he could knock him out. After all, Rick had taken a few vampires on in his time and he had survived it – barely mind you, but still, it wasn't impossible. Klaus left the room to go to the hybrids and forbid them from coming near him and Damon sat on the end of the bed and waited as Stefan fussed around with some clothes he had brought for him – settling them down in the room to make him more comfortable.

He waited until Stefan's back was turned and he leapt on top of him, crashing Stefan forward into the wall face first. It dazed him for a minute and Damon wrestled with his head, trying to snap it around and incapacitate him, but god was it difficult to snap someone's neck! He struggled as he put every bit of his strength into it but Stefan tossed him from his back panting and punched him in the jaw so hard he fell backwards in a heap and sucked in a huge breath of pain. He hit his head against the ground and lay there in shock as his face ached and his heart pounded in his ears. He groaned and gasped for air, holding his face in pain. He was vaguely aware of someone talking to him but the pain was so overwhelming all he could was roll onto his side and hold himself as he tried to breathe out the pain and shock.

"Damon? Damon, I'm sorry. Are you ok?" Stefan asked concerned and went to him, touching his shoulder lightly. "I forgot, I forgot you weren't…I'm sorry brother. Let me see."

He rolled him over gently and Damon clenched his eyes closed as Stefan knelt down and touched his face lightly.

"Don't!" Damon cried out in fear that Stefan was going to make it hurt worse and Stefan shushed him and touched his cheek carefully as it swelled and began to bruise.

"What the hell were you trying to do?" Stefan groaned and Damon flinched away from him and sat up, still holding his cheek and grunting. "If you leave here they'll find you. Do you want to get yourself killed?"

"If I did I'd do it my way, not yours and Klaus's. You'll be making friendship bracelets next!" He winced as he spoke, flicking his tongue to the side of his mouth as he realised his mouth was bleeding at the corner of his lip.

Stefan inhaled sharply and stood up and back immediately and Damon's eyes widened at the movement. Stefan turned his back and tried to breathe. Damon watched as he reigned in his desire to feed from him.

"What do I taste like?" Damon asked numbly and Stefan huffed.

"We shouldn't talk about this." Stefan tried to breathe still and moved further away, keeping his back turned.

"Why not? Explain to me what's so amazing about it that you almost killed me to drink it."

"I'm sorry." Stefan sighed.

"What is it like?"

Stefan turned to face him, looking pained.

"It tastes like power, undiluted life energy. It…it takes over your brain." Damon listened intrigued as Stefan tried to put his thoughts into words. "When I was feeding it felt like everything I could ever want would be mine if I drank enough of it. I felt alive."

Damon grunted and tried to imagine what that would feel like.

"Maybe that's the answer. Maybe the cure can pass out of me that way."

"What?!"

"If you drink enough of it, just like what normal human blood gives us – it energises, fills us with a kind of life that animates us. Maybe if you drink enough from me it'll have the same effect but on your mortality."

"Damon don't even joke about this! You've no idea what you're suggesting!" Stefan groaned pained and holding his body clenched and tight.

"Yes I do. This energy inside me gets so hot I feel like I can't stand it. Maybe it was never meant to be given to someone in one dose. Maybe it's supposed to be a little for each person. If it's coming through my blood, maybe there's enough in it to dilute me." Damon reasoned and Stefan shook his head horrified.

"If you let someone drink from you, they won't be able to stop and they'll kill you, for real this time brother."

"Elena stopped." Damon said bluntly and Stefan swallowed in pain. "We could take a little into a blood bag so you wouldn't have to bite me."

"Stop it! Just stop it Damon! Even if it did work that way, I can't take your blood. There are others coming here and I need to protect you from them."

"Why do you always have to be such a martyr Stefan?" Damon huffed and stood up slowly, using the wall for support.

His head ached and he put his hand on it to ease it. He drew back when he felt moisture and stared at his hand. The impact with the floor had split open his skin and he was bleeding there too. Stefan gasped and blurred from the room hastily, slamming the door and locking it with lightening speed as Damon felt nauseous. He actually felt dizzy and had to lay down onto the bed to prevent himself from vomiting.

"Stupid human body." He groaned, closing his eyes and breathing. "Stefan?" He called, but he knew Stefan's restraint was being tested to the max by this and he wouldn't come back in here.

The lock on the door slid open from the outside and he opened his eyes again in hope, when Meredith stepped inside with her med kit.

"Hey doc. Come to visit the exhibit?" He chuckled, still feeling woozy.

"Let me see your head." She said straight to the point and walked over to him, inspecting it as he groaned. "I take it you deserved that."

"Stefan forgot that I'm a tender waif of a man now." He joked, swallowing his own pain at that knowledge.

"He's used to you both using each other like punching bags. He's going to have to learn to be more careful." She sighed annoyed as she proceeded to clean and bandage up the wound.

She sat him up and checked his pupils and he huffed irritated. She pulled some ointment from her bag and applied it carefully to his cheek and he grimaced at the cold temperature of it.

"What's that?"

"Arnica, it'll stop your bruising getting any worse."

"You a witch doctor now or something?" He tried to joke and she gave him a genuine smiled that warmed him a little.

"What are we going to do with you?" She sighed. "I'm glad to see you're much better than the last time I saw you. Vampire blood?"

"Cures all ailments." He quirked and she gave him a tight sigh. "Thank you." He said genuinely and she raised her eyebrows I surprise. "For looking after me." He specified and she nodded.

"I tried, but you don't make it easy. I actually think you're even more stubborn now than before."

"The new and improved version I guess, in some ways." He gave a weak smirk and deflated a little now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

"You've been through a lot, you've every right to feel emotional." She soothed.

"I'm fine." He said.

"Luckily there are a lot of people around you that care about you. You just have to allow them to help you, which isn't something you're used to doing. It's not weak to let others protect you Damon."

"I just want things back to normal." He sighed and she nodded.

"Stefan won't give up till you're safe and then you can figure this all out."

"Why do I feel like the honey in the trap? No, worse than that, I'm a lamb surrounded by hungry tigers."

She gave him a tight smile and squeezed his arm.

"You'll be safe here." She soothed.

"My brother has already tried to kill me once, he's made it pretty clear that he can't handle this doc. Klaus would kill me without blinking if it'll get the cure out of me somehow and there's a group of hybrids outside with who knows what intentions." Damon said and she sat down as they fell into silence. "You could help me."

"What?" She frowned and he put on his best puppy dog eyes.

"I'm not safe around vampires. Even if they don't bite me, I'm too weak to fight them off. Look at me." He motioned to his new wounds and she held tight. "If I'm human now, isn't it your job to keep me alive?"

"Damon I know where you're going with this…"

"If you get me out of here, I'll do whatever you want – if you want to hide me in some creepy med lab and do tests to figure out how this has happened, then I'll play. Just get me out of here Meredith." He reasoned and she shook her head.

"I have no idea what's happening around here but I know Stefan and Elena won't let anything happen…"

"Elena is gone doc. I'm here alone with American Werewolf out there and my-fall-off-the-wagon-and-kill-people little brother." He said, searching her face. "If this thing tries to get out of me again, you think Stefan's going to be able to control himself? Do you think Klaus will care if he thinks it'll kill me in the process? You're my only hope."

Meredith sighed and put her head in her hands as she tried not to let herself be swayed.

"And if what they are saying is true and there are hoards of vampires coming for you?" She pointed out.

"Then I go somewhere they're not invited." He shrugged. "And let my brother figure out a rescue plan. If I stay here it's only a matter of time before I'm lunch. Trust me, I'm a former vampire." He smirked and she looked towards the door of the room.

"I can't believe you're talking me into this." She groaned and he perked up in response. "If we do this, you will follow my every instruction. Agreed?" She made clear and he nodded. "Fine, don't move."