The Distance Between You and Me

Chapter 2

Elena's beating heart woke her up with a start in the middle of the night and not in a good way as she grabbed her chest hoping that it would stop soon. Please no, not again, she thought as her breath came in in short panicked breaths. Reaching out Elena grabbed her call button and pressed it giving her parents the signal that something was defiantly wrong.

Within seconds her mother was beside her checking her monitors and pulse as she heard her mother call to her father.

"What's going on?" her father asked rushing in in panic.

"We need to get her to the hospital now. Grab her bag while I call the ambulance. Don't worry sweetie, you're going to be fine." Her mother said. Her eyes filling with both hope and fear at the same time as if she didn't know whether Elena was going to die or not.

Before she knew it two EMT's had her in the back of an ambulance as her heart kept pounding and they worked frequently to keep her alive. Her eyelids drooped as her monitors went crazy. What the hell was going on here? Was she about to die?

"Mom?" she asked weekly barely able to get the words out.

"I'm here baby. Try not to talk. You have to conserve your strength." She stated grabbing her daughter's hand and squeezed reassuringly.

"Am I going to die?" she asked feeling dread in the pit of my stomach.

"I'm not sure baby, just try not to think of it. We'll be there soon."

Struggling to keep her eyes open Elena's heart felt heavy as they finally made it the hospital. Elena was jostled around as they took her stretcher from the ambulance and wheeled her into the hospital.

"What do we got?"

"Seventeen-year-old girl with a fatal heart condition, her mother found her mid-attack."

"Is she on the donor list?"

"Yes. She's at the very top of it. Why? Do we have a donor for her?"

"We'll have to run some test to determine if it's a match, but there's a good chance that Elena might have a new heart by the end of the night." The doctor told her mother who nearly collapsed with relief.

"Thank God, baby, did you hear that, you'll be alright. Just hold on a little longer for me please." Her mother assured her holding onto her hand as Elena's eyelids felt heavy and she drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Finally feeling more hopeful then she had ever been in her entire life.

Damon

"Mr. Salvatore?" a doctor asked as Damon stared up at him with his blood shot eyes wiping away his tears.

"Could a widow not grieve in peace?"

"I'm sorry to bother you but we found a recipient for your wife's heart."

"Already? She hasn't even been dead for two hours."

"We tend to get the organs to their recipients as soon as possible. The girl who got your wife's heart has been sick for a long time. She was on the verge of death when your wife's heart- "

"Saved her?" Damon asked almost too afraid to ask the question. He didn't know how he would feel if one of his wife's organs didn't take.

"Yes. The transplant did take and now the girl is in recovery."

"Thank you for letting me know."

"There's more."

"What do you mean?"

"The family of the recipient and her family would like to meet you. They know where the heart came from and they would like to express their gratitude."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea. My wife just died. I don't want to resent the person who lived because of my wife dying."

"It might give you a sense of peace."

"I don't see how, but it's worth a shot."

"Alright. I'll let them know we're coming."

"Thank you."

Damon sat down sighing wondering what the hell he had just gotten himself into.

Elena

"You mean he agreed to meet us." Elena asked groggily. It had been a couple of hours since she had woken up from her transplant and she was still coming around. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I'm still recovering, and I thought no one could come near me to make sure there's no chance of infection, I don't want to reject this heart after what had to happen for me to get it."

"We're taking precautions to make sure you're one hundred percent safe. He'll be wearing the protective gear your parents are and we'll also be moving you to a different room that we'll make sure you're free of germs. At least for a while. "

"I guess it's alright than."

"If you don't want to than we can do this another day Elena. You've been through a lot today and no one would blame you if you'd rather do it later."

"No. I'll be fine. I want to meet at least one of the people responsible for saving my life. That choice must not have been easy for them whether or not it saved my life, I can't forget someone had to die to save me."

"We're behind you one hundred percent Elena. Whatever you want to do."

"We'll let him know." The doctor said as he went to get everything prepared. Damn. Why was she so nervous?

After making the necessary preparations, Elena was prepared to meet the man responsible for saving her life.

When he entered her room, Elena adjusted her bed to see the man who had appeared in her room as she took him in and tried to smile feeling somewhat weak but still wanting to try.

"Hi." Elena said not knowing what to say. "I'm Elena."

"I'm Damon. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

"Your loss. I know your decision wasn't easy."

"No, but it was necessary. I'm glad that you get to live your life when my wife could not."

"How long were you two married."

"Two years."

"I'm sorry she died before you really started your life together."

"Thank you." He replied not sure what he really should say. "I'm also sorry."

"Why would you be sorry? I'm not the one who lost someone I cared deeply about."

"I'm sorry that you're in this situation to begin with. It must have been hard for you to be diagnosed with heart failure so young."

"It's all I've ever known."

"What do you want to do with your new chance at life?"

"Honestly. I want to do things that I couldn't physically do before. Like I've always wanted to go ice skating, but I never could before. Now I can when I get better of course."

"Rebekah loved to ice skate." He said saddened by the memory of her death.

"What was she like?"

"She was the most amazing person in the world. She was kind and helpful. Her smile could light up the room and she was so strong. You could say she was a warrior of sorts."

"Sounded like she was really incredible. I just hope I turn out to be half the woman she was."

"I have a feeling you already are."

Before she could say anything, the doctor came into the room smiling apologetically for the interruption.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, but visiting hours are over and Elena needs some rest."

"I completely understand. It was nice meeting you Elena. I hope your life turns out to be all that it deserves to be and more."

"I hope yours is as well."

With a smile, Damon left the room thinking that it would be the last time he saw Elena Gilbert. If only he knew the truth.