Chapter Fifteen:

A couple of days later Elena, Ric's new girlfriend Dr. Meredith Fell, and I were standing in the CT observation room as Ric was getting a CT of his head because he's been having blackouts and with the murders of Caroline's dad and the medical examiner we believe that his ring might be making him do it.

"What are you looking for exactly?" I asked Meredith.

"I don't know. A tumor. Vascular anomalies. Anything physical that might explain his behavior. If it's medical, I can treat it." Meredith said to us.

"And if it's not?" Elena asked Meredith.

"Well, then we'll deal with that too." Meredith said to us.

"When did you suspect him? That it was Alaric who was killing all of those people." Elena said to Meredith.

"It was after he told me about his ring. I remembered a story… my grandmother had told me about Samantha Gilbert and her secret journal. I don't know if you know this, but we Fells are notorious busybodies." Meredith said to us.

"But then why did you protect him?" I asked Meredith.

"Because I'm a doctor. I don't like to see someone hurt by something that they have no control over. And because when he and I first met, I felt like… I don't know, I just kind of wanna help him." Meredith said to us.

We then heard Ric start breathing heavily from inside the CT machine over the speakers and Meredith pressed a button to talk to him.

"Everything all right in there?" Meredith asked Ric.

Ric's breathing then steadied.

"Yeah. Everything's okay." Ric said to us.

Once Ric was done get his CT he went to a room to change back into his clothes and then Elena and I walked in after getting the results of his CT from Meredith.

"Good news." I said to Ric.

"Meredith says everything's normal." Elena said to Ric.

"Well, everything is normal because there is nothing wrong with me. I didn't kill Brian Walters, I didn't kill Bill Forbes… and I sure as hell didn't shove a hunting knife into my stomach." Ric said to us.

Ric then looked down at his ring that was lying on the dresser in the room and let out a sigh.

"Or I did, and I've gone insane just like your ancestor who... wore that ring." Ric said to us.

"Look, I'm gonna call Bonnie. The rings were made by a Bennett witch. So maybe a witch can reverse the damage." Elena said to us.

Ric then picked up his ring and handed it to Elena.

"Take it. I don't want it anymore." Ric said to us.

Damon then walked into the room.

"You ready to ditch this house of horrors?" Damon asked Ric.

Damon then took in Ric's disheveled appearance.

"Ooh, you look terrible." Damon said to Ric.

Ric then chuckled.

"Yeah. Let me check out of here." Ric said to Damon.

Ric then walked out of the room to go check out and we followed after him.

Later on that day Elena, Ric, and I were sitting at the kitchen table when he handed Elena and me a piece of paper with his information on it.

"Listen, I want you to have this. This is a list of my bank accounts, passwords, where to find my will… and how to contact my family. Just in case this doesn't go my way." Ric said to us.

"No, don't even think like that." Elena said to Ric.

"We'll find a way to fix this." I said to Ric.

"Elena, Caitlin, I need to know that you guys and Jeremy are gonna be okay." Ric said to us.

"We're all gonna be fine." Elena said to Ric.

Elena's cell phone then rang and she pulled it out of her pants' pocket and answered it.

"Caroline?" Elena asked Caroline.

"So Abby thinks Bonnie can… reverse the damage with a spell. I guess the same thing happens with witches who become obsessed with dark magic. They lose control and start acting out their darkest impulses." Caroline said to Elena on the other end of the phone.

"Thank you so much." Elena said to Caroline.

"I'm gonna hang back here with Abby, but Bonnie's leaving now so… Um, hold on." Caroline said to Elena on the other end of the phone.

Then there was a pause as I assumed Caroline was handing the phone over to Bonnie.

"I need a personal effect of Alaric's. Something he wore before he started wearing the ring." Bonnie said to Elena on the other end of the phone.

"Okay. Uh, yeah, I'll get it. Um…Bonnie, I'm so sorry for everything. Thank you for doing this." Elena said to Bonnie.

"Be ready to do the spell as soon as I get there, we have to work fast. I'll see you soon." Bonnie said to Elena on the other end of the phone.

Elena then hanged up her cell phone after Bonnie hanged up first and then Meredith walked into the kitchen and stood next to Ric.

"Good news? Bad news?" Ric asked Elena.

"It's great news." I said to Ric.

"Bonnie thinks that she can help you with a spell." Elena said to Ric.

"Well, it's worth a try." Ric said to us.

"It'll work, Ric. Have faith." I said to Ric.

"But she needs something you wore… before you put on the ring. Something personal." Elena said to Ric.

"Well, there's, uh… Maybe my wedding ring. It's at the loft." Ric said to us.

"Okay, yeah. Um, that's a good idea." Elena said to Ric.

Ric then went to stand up but Meredith pushed him back down in his seat gently.

"I think it's better if you stay here with me." Meredith said to Ric.

"Oh, you and your tranquilizers." Ric said to Meredith.

Ric then looked at Elena and I.

"It's in the dresser by the kitchen. It's in an aspirin bottle, probably covered in cobwebs." Ric said to us.

"Okay." Elena said to Ric.

Elena and I then walked out of the kitchen and towards the front door.

"I'm gonna stay here. Make sure nothing happens. Werewolf strength might not be much, but it's something." I said to Elena.

"Good idea. I'll be back as soon as I can." Elena said to me.

Elena then walked out of the house.

Almost a half an hour later Ric fell asleep on the couch in the living room while I was sitting on another couch reading a book.

Meredith then began making coffee in the kitchen as Ric began to wake up and I watched him carefully to see if there were any changes in his behavior.

"You're still with me?" Meredith asked Ric.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm still with you." Ric said to Meredith groggily.

"I'm half dead too. Neither one of us has slept in two days. Don't worry, I've got coffee on." Meredith said to Ric.

I was then satisfied that there were no changes in his behavior and went back to reading.

Ric then stood up and walked over to a table that was behind the couch I was sitting on.

I figured that he was getting something out of Meredith's purse so I didn't really pay any attention to him until he covered my mouth with his hand.

I then tried to pry his hand off of my mouth but he stabbed me in the neck with two syringes filled with tranquilizers releasing them into me.

Before I became unconscious I stared at Ric in his eyes with tears in mine.

When I woke up Elena told me that Ric had stabbed Meredith but Stefan was able to neutralize him and then heal her.

After tonight I don't know if I can look at Ric the same way again.