Chapter 3

The two Salvatore brothers had not seen each other all day. Damon was busy helping their father with their business, and lord knows if he weren't at least trying to pretend he cared, he would never hear the end of it. So, at least Damon was trying to make their father satisfied. On the other hand, Stefan was more than likely keeping to himself and trying to entertain himself. Damon just hoped that Stefan didn't get any silly ideas and try and seek out that man they had met yesterday. He just wishes he could figure out why the man set every nerve in his body on alert. Of course, it could have just been him overreacting, but then again, instincts were there for a reason.

The day went smoothly for Damon, which he was surprised by the fact that most times, he'd rather pull leeches off his body before he worked alongside his father. He had been convinced it would be the worst day of his life, but somehow he got through it. He went to clean up, and when he came down to supper, Stefan was already sitting at the dinner table. Something was off about him. He looked tired and just drawn in. He sat across from him and tried to look at his brother, but Stefan refused to meet his gaze.

When their father came in and sat down, it was only a few minutes later that Stefan asked to be excused for not feeling good and wanting to go lay down. Damon had looked to their father to see if maybe he would protest against the idea, but surprisingly their father gave the approval nod. Stefan did not say anything as he made his way upstairs, and they both heard the door shut. Damon nor Giuseppe broke the silence, and neither wanting to talk, both sat chewing and thinking to themselves. Once done, Giuseppe retreated to his study and Damon back upstairs.

He was going to leave his brother alone, but he decided against it. He went to Stefan's door and found it locked. 'Odd.' Stefan never locked the door to his room. Even though his little brother threatened it all the time, because as Stefan always put it, Damon did not know the word privacy if it came and kicked him his ass. Yet still, Stefan never made good on his threat until now. He was not wanting to wake Stefan up from him banging on the door. Finally, Damon relented and went to his room to retire. Tomorrow nothing would stop him from seeing his baby brother; if he had to break his damn door down, he would.

(Few Hours Later)

A server thunderstorm had come through, awakening Damon suddenly out of deep sleep. He about creamed when he found Stefan standing at his door, saying nothing, just staring into his room as the lightning lit the whole room up in an ambiance.

"Stefan….what are you." Trying to get the tiredness out of his voice and blink the fogginess of the dream away.

"I don't feel good, Damon."

Damon immediately knew what Stefan was asking him. He was silently asking for the invite to sleep in the same bed as his big brother.

He could remember the last time Stefan crawled into bed to find comfort in the idea of his big brother beside him, to protect him from anything that wanted to claim them in the darkest of hours. It was right before their mother had died. Their father had made a big deal about them sleeping in the same bed. Stefan never did it again after that. Until tonight that is. Nodding his head to accept his brother to come jump in the bed, Stefan did not hesitate after he gave the okay. Once Stefan got into the bed, Damon sat up almost instantly. He could feel Stefan's body was radiating heat that a fever could only bring on. For Damon, it felt like a fire had been placed right beside him. Yet, Stefan was shivering as though he had been standing out in the dead of winter.

"I'm cold, Damon."

Guilt struck Damon instantly. Stefan had complained about a headache, yet he still made Stefan go swimming. He probably caught a cold from being in the numbing freezing water they had jumped into the previous day. Damon got up without complaining or saying a word to Stefan and went into his trunk at the foot of the bed to grab another blanket. He placed it on the shivering form of Stefan, who was able to stop after the second blanket was put on him.

"Get some sleep, Stefan. You'll feel better in the morning."

He heard Stefan's chest rise and fall, and his breathing shifted, and it was right there Damon knew Stefan had fallen asleep. On the other hand, Damon could not find dreamland; it eluded him for now, too much going through his mind. He just stared up into the ceiling. Too nervous to sleep for fear Stefan would wake up and need him again. Yet slumber did finally catch up to Damon, who had not realized that he had dozed off till his eyes shot back open. For a few seconds, he laid there trying to clear the fog that wrapped around his brain. 'Maybe it was just a dream that Stefan was sick.' Yet what woke him up?

He saw the extra blanket he had placed on Stefan was now on the ground, and his customarily shut door was wide open. He got up slowly and moved his way to the door, and saw a small light on downstairs. Quickly creeping down the stairs, Damon could hear the sound of someone throwing up. Dread filled his stomach as Damon softly opened the door to find Stefan curled around the toilet. It made him wince just watching the muscles in Stefan's back tensing up from the dry heave. Though Stefan was no longer throwing up anything, his body was still trying to eliminate whatever made him sick.

Stefan turned around, eyes wincing at the light that was on, and saw Damon standing there. His body ached all over, and all he wanted to do was crawl to his bed and not come out until forever. Stefan wanted to say something to his big brother, but he just didn't have the energy for it. So he just weakly looked up at him, pleading with his eyes to help him.

Damon, without a beat, grabbed a towel, put it under cold water, and came to a kneeling position in front of Stefan. He wiped away the sweat on Stefan's face and then stood up, put the towel under some cold water again, rinsing it out before he leaned over to put it on the base of Stefan's neck.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," Damon said softly.

Stefan slowly stood on unsteady feet, and without even having to ask, Damon swooped to his side and made sure Stefan knew he was there by his side just in case he needed to lean on him.

Damon was able to help his brother back up the stairs, who leaned heavily on him and asked for more strength as Stefan's energy was spent from earlier on. Damon gave Stefan the choice of whether he wanted to be with Damon and go back to his room or if Stefan felt strong enough to go back to his room. Stefan moved towards his room, and Damon followed closely behind without saying a single word. Stefan climbed into his bed.

"You want the blankets?"

"No, I'm burning up."

"Okay, Stef, try and get some sleep. I'll come check on you in the morning."

Damon was fairly sure Stefan hadn't even heard him. His breathing had already shifted, and he was already falling asleep. Damon moved Stefan's baby blonde hair out of the way and could still feel the heat coming from his sleeping brother.

All he wanted to believe was this was just a touch of the flu, just a nasty stomach bug. Yet, for some reason, Damon could not stop the dread that kept wanting to climb in the pit of his stomach. What if this turned into something worse, and this turned into their mother all over again. 'No!' He could not think like that. He was just thinking catastrophic, especially since the anniversary of their mother's death had only recently just passed.

Taking one more glance at his brother, he walked out of Stefan's room to try and get a little bit more sleep. He had no idea what time of the night it was, but he guessed it was getting close to sunrise. Damon got to his bed and climbed in. He slowed his breathing and tried not to think about his little brother, who was suffering in the next room over.

(Next Morning)

Stefan cracked his eyes open slowly. Every part of his body was aching and complaining. He felt like utter crap. He honestly could not remember the last time he felt like this or getting this sick. He knew Miss Charlotte would be calling them for breakfast, and he knew if he didn't get up now, he would never find the energy. Yet, he continued to lay there. His mind was trying to find some type of strength, willpower, yet nothing. It's like the very idea of having to get up was tiring him out. Then somewhere deep down, he finally found the energy rolled over from his bed and slowly walked to his dresser. For Stefan, it felt like an eternity to even put his shirt over his head. To try and get his pants on without falling over and laying there for another thirty minutes.

He could smell the aroma of breakfast, making its way through the house and into Stefan's room. The very idea of food made him want to go to his chamber pot and throw up. Taking a glance in the mirror, he began to mat his hair down, which had been sticking in various directions from the previous night. Feeling he had gotten himself somewhat presentable, he slowly finally started making his way to the door. As he made his way down the stairs, using the banister to support his weight, it took every ounce of energy to finally make it to the dining room table without wanting to stop midway through. After making it to the table and pulling the chair out and then back in to sit down, Stefan just wanted to put his head on the table. Everything he had in him had been spent just trying to make himself dapper and coming down the stairs. He waited for his father and Damon to come to the table.

(Upstairs)

Damon's senses slowly came to him as he woke from his sleep. He blinked a few times, clearing his vision as he could smell breakfast. Then, sitting up, he suddenly remembered his brother Stefan being sick. Being in his undergarments, he opened the door, ran to Stefan's room, and threw it open. Yet, there was no Stefan to be seen. He thought about running downstairs to see where Stefan was, but not wanting anyone to see him in his undergarments, he raced back to his room. In record time, Damon threw on his clothes, and without even matting down his disheveled hair, he took a handful of steps as he flew down the stairs and into the dining room. There, his baby brother sat at his usual spot. Looking as though he was struggling to keep his head up, and the paleness of his skin contrasting against his blonde hair.

He cleared his throat and walked in as though nothing was out of the ordinary. He pulled his chair out and sat down, looking directly at Stefan. Stefan avoided his eyes. Knowing Damon was giving him a death glare, knowing full well he was sick and could have just stayed in his room.

For whatever reason, Damon's brother wanted to showcase his stubbornness today and act like nothing was wrong, that he hadn't just a few hours ago sought comfort in Damon's bed or retching his guts out. The sound of their father's heavy footsteps pulled Damon out of his thoughts.

"Damon, your hair is unacceptable. We do not wake up and just come to the table as we please. You are a man and you," Giuseppe stopped speaking in mid-sentence, cutting his own words off as he sat down and looked over at Stefan. He looked his son over, who was now not just avoiding Damon's eyes but his father's eyes as well.

"Stefan, look at me."

Stefan still looked at his plate like there was something far more fascinating to be looked at than to obey his father's order.

"Son, look at me now."

Finally, Stefan raised his face, and Damon could see in the much clearer light Stefan's eyes were red, not to mention he was wincing at the light coming through the window. He looked like he could barely keep his head up, and his skin was so much paler than average. There was no hint of the normal pinkness that gave his brother his complexion. There was no guessing, and there was no questioning it. Stefan Salvatore was sick.

"Stefan, you are to go upstairs get into bed. I will send Miss Charlotte to check up on you in a few. Now go."

Stefan looked relieved that he would be able to just go back to his room so he could climb into his bed and go back to sleep. But, after giving everything he had to get downstairs, Stefan was thankful at the idea yet dreading having to make his way back up the stairs with the lack of energy. Yet without a single word, he departed, leaving the other two males sitting at the table.

Damon tried to keep his mouth from dropping at the very loving words that came from their father. He had always been convinced there was no one caring bone in the man they called their father. Yet, the tenderness that he showed Stefan was something he rarely had seen or at least had never been said to him with such care. Damon, now thinking about it all the times he had gotten sick, Giuseppe just made their mother take care of him and never checked upon him, never said a damn thing to him. If roles had been reversed and it was Damon who had gotten sick, he would have gotten a damn lecture about getting sick and why he should be able to take better care of himself. But, after all, he was a man.

"Damon."

Coming out of his thoughts, Damon looked at his father, waiting on his instructions.

"I want you to make haste and fetch the doctor."

"Of course."

Without another word said between the two, Damon got up from the table and left to go to town. As he walked to the stables, his thoughts were racing, and of course, all the worst things came to mind instead of anything positive. 'Why would father automatically think they needed the doctor? Was there something he saw in Stefan's face that he had seen before, like their mother before she died of consumption? What if going to the quarry had set it off? What if Stefan didn't survive this flu?

"Master Salvatore, your horse is ready."

Being torn out of his thoughts, he put his left leg into the stirrup and threw his right leg over the horse as he grabbed the reigns from the man's hands. Giving a slight nod, he gave the horse a soft kick on the side, and his horse started into a walk. It wasn't until he cleared the farm that he sent the horse into a much faster trot and then later into a full-fledge gallop. He made record timing into the city of Mystic Falls. He stopped his horse in front of the pharmacy where Doctor Isaac Morgan worked. It was common for most doctors to work in the back office of a pharmacy, and Doctor Morgan was no different.

The doorbell chimed as he walked in and went immediately to the office where the man would be working. Dr. Morgan was reading something when Damon walked up, clearing his throat. The man with hair starting to gray and wrinkles around his eyes looked pretty much the same the last time Damon saw him. The day when their mother, Lilly Salvatore, had fallen ill and started to get worse every day. Just like before, Damon had been sent to retrieve the doctor. But, now, instead of their mother, it was Stefan's turn. The man brought his head up from the book he currently had his nose buried in, and a soft smile came to his face at the recognition of the young man standing before him.

"Ahh, Mister Damon, my, you have grown. How are you? How is that younger brother of yours, Master Stefan Getting himself into trouble, I presume?"

Damon's face gave it away before he could even respond. It was all over his face that something was wrong. The man was so in tune with his patients and those around him; he knew something was wrong and didn't even have to ask any further.

"I will get my things. Wait outside for me."

Damon nodding his to the instructions, proceeded to leave, and walked out the door he had come in. So focused on his thoughts and glancing back around to see if the doctor was coming, he ran right into someone. He stumbled a few inches and began to abruptly excuse himself of his rudeness of not looking at where he was going. Instant recognition hit him. It was the same man that had been petting Stefan's horse the other day.

"Fancy running into you again, Mister Salvatore." The man smiled, and his dimples came through. But, once again, he could feel every nerve in his body go on edge, and his fight or flight instinct kicked in, and for Damon, he truly could not understand why. Then he realized something relatively quickly, he or Stefan had not given their family name to this man. How did he suddenly know it?

"Wait, how did you know I am a Salvatore?" His eyes were looking at him suspiciously. Not sure why this was the second time he was running into this man, first by the quarry and now right outside the pharmacy.

"Small town, I asked around. I heard your family is the one that owns all the logging mills in the area, and of course, your family is one of the founding families. Anyways, I was thinking about moving back, and this was my home many years ago. I'd like to bring my family back here, so we can all be together." The man looked past Damon and was glancing at the small town. "Speaking about family, where is that younger brother is yours? I figured he would always be right on your coattails. I know how younger brothers can be."

Maybe this man was just looking for a friend, someone he could talk to since he came back into town; that was the only explanation Damon could come up with as to why this man was talking to him. But, Damon had no time for this person. Not to mention, Damon didn't feel comfortable telling someone he didn't even know about what was going on with Stefan. So he figured he could still say something without giving away too much detail. "Stefan stayed home. He was feeling under the weather."

"You ready, Mister Damon?" Doctor Isaac Morgan asked as he walked out of the door. Damon turned to respond to the doctor.

"Yes, let me just." His words stopped as he realized the man had disappeared again. It was like he had never been there in the first place. It was weird how this man could up and vanish in thin air and not even make a sound. Damon tried not to think much of it. Stefan needed him at the moment, and the last thing he needed to think about was the mysterious stranger who had a knack for showing up at the most inconvenient and oddest times.

"What was that?" The doctor asked, having heard Damon speaking just as he walked out.

"Nothing Dr. Morgan. We can be on our way."

The older gentlemen and younger man got on their respectable horses and returned to the Salvatore residence. Damon explained everything from the moment he could recall Stefan saying he didn't feel good by expressing he had a headache to him burning up and then throwing up later in the late hours of the night. The doctor kept his poker face on strong, not saying what he thought it was or what he suspected it to be. He just listened as a good doctor would.

"You don't think that he has..." Damon could not find the words and found that he just stopped talking, not completing his sentence. He did not even want even to think his little brother could die the same way their mother had only a year ago. It would just be unbearably cruel.

"I don't know until I see him, son." The doctor replied with such warmth Damon almost mistaken it for patronizing. However, he stilled the wash of anger and realized the doctor was just honest with him.

They arrived at their destination as servants were there to greet them both. Two of the servants taking their horses to the stables, the other servants took their coats and hat as the doctor walked into the house.

Damon walked Dr. Morgan up the stairs as their father opened the door to Stefan's room, hearing them from upstairs. Damon tried to get a glimpse of his brother before Giuseppe stopped Damon from entering by practically slamming the door in his face as he and the doctor walked into his brother's room. This did not stop Damon from trying to listen by putting his ear to the door. Sadly, he could hear nothing but mumbling from both adults, and a soft voice who he assumed was his little brother. For Damon, it felt like a decade. He was waiting for anything, something that would give him hope. He found himself pacing back and forth to try and work off the nervous energy. Finally, he heard footsteps coming up to the door, and Damon stopped to watch Stefan's door. It opened, and both men stepped out, and Giuseppe shut the door behind him.

"Do not disturb Stefan. He needs his rest." Giuseppe gave a stern look, daring his older son to defy him once again. Damon looked to the doctor to see if he could see any hope, anything that would give Damon a clue what was wrong with his little brother. Yet, Dr. Morgan refused to make eye contact and just began his descent down the stairs. His father followed closely behind. Damon looked to Stefan's door, torn between wanting to find out what was going on with his little brother and seeing how his baby brother was doing. Deciding he could always sneak in later the night, Damon came down the stairs half, hearing the doctor tell their father if anything changed to come and get him immediately no matter what time of the night. The doctor grabbed his coat and top hat and left the residence. Giuseppe turned around and didn't utter a single word to his oldest son, just walked to his office and poured himself a drink. Damon watched as the older Salvatore downed the alcohol within a few seconds and then began pouring himself another one.

Damon found his entire throat and mouth dry. Usually, he had no issue demanding answers or questioning his father, but for some reason, he didn't want to ask. Part of Damon knew once he asked, his entire world would be fine or shattered. He was going with the second part being how his father was drinking his whole alcohol stock right there in front of Damon.

Either sensing his son's presence or talking to himself, Giuseppe Salvatore finally spoke.

"Yellow fever. Stefan has contracted yellow fever."

Right then and there, Damon felt his entire stomach drop. For the first time in a long time that Damon could remember, all he wanted to do was get a hug from his mother. To tell him it was going to be just fine, that this was just a nightmare. Yet, this was not a dream, and he would not wake from it. His mother would not be able to make this go away, and no one could make this better. No, this was his reality, and as the grandfather began chiming announcing the new hour, Damon wondered if this wasn't some higher being trying to give some type of fair warning to the older brother. But, that time was precious as it ticked away like it was nothing, and the longer he stood there outside of father's study, the less time he had with his younger brother, for Stefan Salvatore was not long for this world.

TBC…..

Author Notes: Aloha, my lovelies. I hope y'all are enjoying this. Just trust me...lol. I won't pull any fast ones on y'all. I thought I would finish in chapter 3, but I guess I had a few things I wanted to get out. You can't even imagine the stupid research I did for this. I felt like I was doing something for college as much crap I was looking up, lol. I hope you enjoyed the brotherly love. It would always be great to hear from y'all, gets the muses flowing! Anyhew, see yeah, next chapter!