There we go. The hospital's log is clear. She's here.

I'm upset, to say the least, that my memory is so shoddy. I've never had trouble with dates, much like phone numbers; for whatever reason, it clicks. But usually, the show was not explicit about the timeline at all. Because of that, I wasn't able to help Vicki Donovan from her first encounter with Damon.

Would not have even remembered at all had Carol not talked to someone, likely Liz, on the phone about the incident. Had I not gone to retrieve the recommendation letter this morning, I probably would not have been able to do anything.

I cloak briefly, edging closer and closer to empty with every corner of the building. I'm going to need to refill.

No one's in the room, which is… weird, to say the least. I had expected to be able to ogle Matt for a few, but my hopes are sadly dashed.

From what I remember, Tyler tried to force himself on her, Jeremy intervened, and then she ran off, only for Damon to attack her, without compulsion. Stefan, if he hasn't shown up already, is likely on his way to attempt, and fail, to compel her memory away.

I close the door and drop the cloak, wanting to give myself as much time as possible unseen. I spell it shut, strongly enough to hold any random nurse away, and then step around the bed.

Grimoire out, I push to the right page and smile, glad to have gleaned this from one of the Tulle family grimoires. My supply of vervain is not exactly large, but this is a good enough reason. Keeping her safe is a litmus test for keeping more important people alive, and if I can handle that, then someone like Matt won't have to go through the pain of such loss.

I drop roughly half of the vervain into my well-used mixing bowl, grinding it into a powder. I flick my lighter until it produces a flame, holding it over the bowl. "Phesmatos extandas lomiano."

As the magic activates, the flame jumps from the lighter into the bowl, burning the powder completely for three seconds. The smoke is weirdly pleasant. Once the flame recedes, I empty the contents of the bowl into my hand and then sprinkle it gently onto what I can see of Vicki's skin, ending with the last of it on her forehead.

The dust shines like glitter before vanishing under her skin, imperceptible and non-obstructive particles in between skin cells. I'm satisfied that it will have the effect that I want: her skin will repel vampires for at least the next few days, until the vervain dust leaves her system. Should be plenty of time to keep someone like Damon away.

I am in the middle of putting my stuff away when I notice the syringes of Anna's blood. Glancing at Vicki's condition, I could speed up her recovery quite a bit, so why not? Carefully, I reach toward her IV drip and find a suitable place, releasing a small quantity within the tubing.

"Wha… What are you doing?"

Vicki jerks back at the sight of me, extreme fear in her eyes. I pull the syringe out, recapping it, wild eyes unfocused as she stares. There should be enough to help her recover, and if not, then perhaps the quantity counts.

"Helping you get better," I start, not sure what else to say. This situation gets worse and worse every second, especially since I want to work at the same damn restaurant as her. If she recognizes me later and things happen, then my cover is blown.

I hold out a hand and mutter, "Phasmatos somnus." Nearly instantly, the magic takes hold, and she falls asleep once more. Hope she thinks I'm just some weird drugged hallucination. She's used to those with her reputation, right?

Someone pulls at the doorknob and fails to open the door. I silently curse and shove everything into my backpack roughly. I'll sort the details later.

Cloaking with the last of the energy within my body, someone is furiously fiddling with the lock. I drain the spell and step out of the way as Matt and a nurse suddenly burst into the room.

I wish I had time to enjoy the view, but I hurry out the door past them, knowing there'll be plenty of time to look at Zach Roerig's ridiculously perfect face later.

I'm halfway toward the front entrance when I see one of my favorite characters stepping out of an office. The brunette's not wearing the white coat, instead following some other doctor around. Maybe she's shadowing? Or maybe this is her visitation, or residency or whatever it's called? Considering how young she is, anyway, she may not actually be a doctor just yet. More unclear information from the timeline, I'm afraid.

I wave at her as I pass, and Meredith barely glances up from her clipboard in time to see me. She weakly waves back as I continue around the corner, likely confused. I'd approach her, but I'm not sure I'd know what to say.

She's where I got the idea to steal vampire blood wherever possible, so maybe we could set up some kind of supply train going. Never a bad thing to make connections, and having an insider at the hospital will be very helpful in my long-term plans. She can use the blood to heal those who have no chance at life otherwise, and I can get my hands on more vampire blood. Win-win.

Mystic Falls General is within walking distance of the town square, and the small town feel reminds me of campus life. You could pretty much get anywhere on foot if you cared enough to walk, and I'm pretty sure I want to find an apartment somewhere in town when I have the funds. It'll be easier to do that than try to buy a car and live a couple miles out.

The town has teams preparing the square for the comet festival that will take place tomorrow. Once it comes, the talisman will activate, and then Bonnie's lessons will hopefully begin very soon. Ideally, I'd like to help prep her for the bigger and badder things that go bump in the night. Two witches are better than one, after all, and she's got a stable power supply.

I head into the Grill, grinning at the ambiance of the early-morning crowd. It's such a frequently used set piece that it feels much more connected to the show than anything else I've come across. Growing up in Seattle, I didn't regularly see any characters or ever see any places that looked remotely familiar, so it didn't always feel like the world of the supernatural. But now, here? I feel it in my bones.