A/N - Hey guys. Thank you so much for the lovely reviews last chapter (and those ones from the new readers). It's nice to reply to you individually but some of you left reviews as guests so thank you lovely lot too :) Anyways, my best friend is getting married this weekend so you get this chapter early as I won't be around after this afternoon. I enjoyed writing it and hope you enjoy reading it too. Leave a review at the end? And check out my other Delena story, The Embargo if you have the time :) xxx


Chapter 3

"You need to give those other doctors a lesson in cleaning and redressing bullet wounds." Damon told Elena, visibly relaxing upon seeing it was her, and not any of the other man-handling monkeys holding today's cleaning kit. "You can tell they've never been shot in the stomach."

"Have you been in pain?"

"Only when those idiots have ripped the tape off my skin as if they're waxing me."

Elena chuckled.

"I have to say, your bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired."

"I'm sure you'll get over it." She replied, pulling on a pair of gloves ready to begin. This was Damon's favourite part about the hospital stay (if you could actually have a favorite part, that was) He rested back against his pillow, watching as Elena took her time to remove first the tape, then the dressing. Always so careful not to hurt him, she swept his skin with the cotton balls before dressing the wound with a new bandage, allowing him to hold its edges while she got the tape ready. Again, as their fingers brushed, she felt a warmth but smiled slightly at the reaction of her skin to his.

The bandage change was over too quickly for Damon's liking, and he wanted to keep the beautiful doctor talking. She reminded him of something. Of someone. He just couldn't quite place her slight familiarity.

"How are you sleeping?" Elena asked Damon, pulling off her gloves.

"Fine."

"I read your chart." She replied knowingly. "And your heart rate's off it, so-to-speak."

Damon frowned.

"So do you want to be honest?"

"I got a bullet in me a week ago." He replied, a little tersely. "Forgive me if I don't sleep like a baby."

"Okay." Elena's voice was calm, not betraying her thoughts. It appeared he was having some rather violent nightmares. So much so, Jo had recommended a mild sedative at night to ease his muscles and relax his mind somewhat. Only, it was now Elena's job to get Damon's consent. "You know, there are options we can provide. Um…" she faltered, having not been in this situation before. "There's medication you can take to help you sleep a little easier. Alprazolam is a-"

"- I'm not taking a sedative." Damon stated curtly. "I don't need one."

"Damon..."

"Seriously." He held up his hands. "Do. Not. Need. A. Sedative." He enunciated each word with wide eyes staring directly at her. She didn't know where to look.

"Okay. That's your choice."

"Yep." He popped the 'p'.

"Can I get you anything before I go see my next patient?"

"Actually, I could use my cell phone to make a call. It was in my pocket"

"I'm sorry Damon, you didn't have a cell phone when you were brought in."

"Oh." He looked a little bewildered for a moment, but regained his composure. "Must be my mistake."

"If you need to make a call -"

"- It's fine." His voice was back to its earlier clipped tone. His jaw tensed and the muscle hardened. "It can wait."

"Okay." Elena nodded. He really was confusing her with his mood swings. Perhaps a result of being laid up in a hospital bed with a hole in his abdomen, she concluded. Being shot would probably do that to you. "I'll check on you in a few hours."

Damon's eyes were a little softer this time. "Thanks."

X

"Today sucks." Caroline huffed, joining Elena and Matt at their usual lunch break spot in the shade. The weather was still doing its very best to parch everything in sight; there had been no rain for weeks and the humidity was crippling poor Matt who didn't have the luxury of air conditioning for the most part of his job.

"What's up Care?" Elena asked.

"That doctor. Urgh. When I find out which genius employed him to supervise our team, I'm going to...Urgh, I'm going to…"

Matt and Elena both chuckled as their blonde friend struggled to find a threat.

"I'm going to give them a reason to be glad they work in a hospital."

The slightly satisfied smile on Caroline's face at finishing her threat made Elena and Matt laugh a little more.

"I didn't know we had a new supervisor." Elena replied. "What about Jo?"

"They've moved her to the ER. And we get Doctor Mikaelson in all his snobby British glory."

"And here's me thinking you would have enjoyed a British accent." Elena mused.

"Not on him. He's an ass. And he keeps adding 'love' at the end of his sentences like it's supposed to be endearing. It makes me want to vomit. Or claw his eyes out. Or both."

"What has he done to get you so riled up?" Matt questioned. "Spurned your advances?"

"No." Caroline narrowed her eyes at the paramedic. "He just made it very clear - in front of everyone, I might add - that I'm his subordinate. I didn't make it through med school just to make cups of tea. With milk. Which is just...a gross concept. Anyway." She waved away her annoyance. "I think I need a drink tonight. Are you guys up for it?"

"Sure." Matt shrugged. "I'm sure Tyler will be down. Elena?"

Elena thought about Stefan and the tv and their apartment. She thought about his used mugs last night and the sort-of argument they'd had. And then she thought about this morning, his lack of kiss, the way she'd left for work without a word in reply to her 'bye'.

"Elena?" Caroline asked.

"Sounds good." She nodded. She'd text Stefan later to let him know. He might even have cheered up enough to join them.

X

The four colleagues found a bar close to the hospital where their casual post-work attire wasn't out of place and much to Matt's enjoyment, the beers didn't cost more than $6 a bottle. As Elena expected (yet hoped against) Stefan didn't want to join them; his short response of do whatever a coded message for I don't want to go and I don't want you to go either. Still, Elena figured she should live her life the way she wanted - she worked damn hard after all.

"So, do you think those two are sharing a bed tonight?" Matt asked Elena, nodding in the direction of Tyler and Caroline who were flirting up a storm at the opposite end of the bar.

Elena chuckled, "Almost definitely."

Tyler was resting his hand on the small of Caroline's back - just at the place where her shirt skirted her waist, exposing a small sliver of creamy skin above her skirt. The blonde was leaning in to him, speaking into his ear above the loud chatter of other drinkers.

Elena and Matt had managed to score a booth and were enjoying the view of their friends who had finally noticed they were no longer standing together. Smirking at Caroline's satisfied and sheepish grin as the pair made their way across, Elena scooted over in her seat to let the blonde sit next to her, Matt doing the same for Tyler.

"Now I'm offended." The heard a British accent drawl. "Or did I just not see my invite."

Caroline rolled her eyes, muttering. "Great."

"I don't believe we've met." The man said to Elena. "Dr Mikaelson." He held out his hand. "Your new supervisor."

The brunette shook his hand, widening her eyes at Caroline who was rolling hers. Again.

"Matt Donovan. Paramedic." Matt said, offering his hand. "This is Tyler Lockwood. We work together."

Matt's hand stayed in mid-air as the man in front of him simply nodded. He drew his hand back in nonchalantly and took a large swig of beer. Elena bumped her elbow against his and smiled in reassurance.

"Are you here with anyone?" Caroline asked, clearly pissed that he was interrupting her time with Tyler.

Dr Mikaelson smirked. "All alone, love."

Nobody made any effort to shift along in the booth until Elena remembered her manners. "Um, do you want to sit down Dr Mikaelson?"

Caroline widened her eyes in annoyance at her friend.

"That's awfully kind, Dr Gilbert. However I must be going. More Americans to meet and all that." He waved his glass in a sweeping gesture towards the main area of the bar and its small dance floor. "They just love a British accent, don't they, Caroline?"

"Bit of a sweeping generalisation, Klaus." Her tone was clipped.

Klaus simply smirked and walked away, leaving the group to take a swig of their drinks in a sort of stunned silence until Caroline huffed her annoyance and suggested they all go dance.

X

Elena giggled to herself as she tripped out of the cab. It was such a lovely evening with the city insulated by the day's heavy heat, and a cooling breeze floating off the river. She glanced up at the window to her and Stefan's apartment but there was no light on. At least he hadn't waited up.

As she managed on the third attempt to fit her key in the lock and open the door, Elena dropped her purse, making a loud clatter.

"Oops." She muttered, shutting the door a little too heavily. The dishes on the drying rack that she'd left earlier that morning rattled. Elena flicked the light on and squinted her eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. She fumbled her way to the cupboard containing an array of mismatched glasses and crockery and found a tumbler in which to pour some water. She was just beginning to realise that she'd probably gone a little past tipsy and was bordering on pretty damn drunk as she clattered the glass against the sink.

"You're drunk." Stefan said tersely, appearing in the doorway between their small bedroom and the living area.

"No, I'm just…" She stumbled backwards and had to grab onto the counter to steady herself. A little giggle escaped her lips. "Maybe a little." She eyed him with a grin. "Drunk, that is."

Stefan wasn't smiling. But he wasn't wearing much either. A pair of white briefs was the only material covering his body and damn if Elena didn't want to touch him. Settling her glass down, she attempted a sort-of sashay over to her boyfriend whose eyes simply narrowed.

"What are you doing Elena?"

"I'm saying hello." Her lips were on his but she frowned as he remained static. Pulling back, she looked at him before running a hand down his chest towards his hip bone. Elena followed with her lips but then felt herself being yanked away by Stefan's grip. His hand was on her wrist, holding it in a vice-like grip to the side.

"Go to bed Elena. You're drunk." Stefan almost spat the words at her. His hand was still gripping her wrist far too tightly and she whimpered a little in pain.

"Stefan you're hurting me."

"You need to clean yourself up." Hand still clenching her wrist. Eyes dark and narrow. "This isn't you."

"Maybe this is me." Elena answered back. "Maybe I'm tired of not having any fun."

She tried to pull her wrist back but Stefan snatched it towards him and she whimpered again, pain shooting along her fingers as he opened his mouth to say something. The words never came though, and he dropped her wrist from his grasp, turning in silence back into the bedroom.

Elena rested against the back of the couch, stunned as she cradled her wrist in her right hand. The hazy drunk feeling had all but vanished and she was left with a heavy pounding in her head and a huge lump in her dry throat. Making her way to the bathroom, she felt a small sob engulf her and she managed to lock the door before a tear slid down her cheek. What had happened? How had it happened?

Elena breathed deeply, clutching the sink before beginning to remove her mascara. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and noticed the smudges of black beneath each eye, and then the lines of purple and green on her wrist. When her eyes were clean and she'd taken a somewhat shaky breath, Elena made her way to the bedroom in darkness. Stefan said nothing as she drew back the sheets and slid in, laying on her side at the edge of the bed.

X

"Morning Dr Gilbert." Klaus drawled as he passed Elena making her way to the third floor.

"Morning Dr Mickaelson."

"You seem a little subdued." He returned, looking her up and down. "Not that I have any frame of reference other than your dancing last night."

Elena picked up her list of patients from the desk.

"Nursing a hangover are we?"

"A little I guess." She tried her best to look sheepish and it seemed to work.

"Well I for one can't wait to see Caroline. I bet her head is more than a little sore."

That probably wouldn't be the only reason she'd be tired, thought Elena. As she'd got into her cab last night, Caroline had been climbing in alongside Tyler, not even waiting until the door was closed before she'd begun attacking his lips with hers. It almost definitely wouldn't have ended there.

"Can you make your first patient Mr Salvatore?" Klaus asked as Elena was turning away. "He took a little trip out of bed last night and my guess is the new dressing he was given is probably in need of a change."

"You didn't check?" Elena asked, appalled.

Klaus smirked walking away. "He'd prefer you."

X

"I hear you didn't get - oh…" Elena trailed off, realised Damon was sleeping. She carefully made her way back towards the door before hearing a sort-of low, wailing sound. It was coming from Damon whose face was scrunched up in what looked like pain.

"Damon." She said gently.

Her words didn't wake him, instead, he mumbled something that sounded like "Katherine don't."

"Damon." She said again, a little louder this time. Elena could see the sweat forming on his brow and the white of his knuckles as his fingers clawed at the sheets. His grip on them was like a vice. Like Stefan's on- NO. She wouldn't think about last night. She'd been drunk and annoying. He'd been angry: a bad combination. That was it and they'd move on.

"Damon!" Elena said, more forcefully as she placed her hand on the top of his arm to shake him awake. She wasn't quite prepared for him to sit bolt upright with his hands shielding his chest. He was gasping for breath with such wide eyes that Elena was frightened for him. Whatever the reason he'd been shot was clearing affecting him severely.

"Hey," she said softly, placing her right hand over his arm. "You were having a nightmare."

Damon's eyes darted around the room until they settled on Elena's.

"You're safe Damon."

The thing was, he actually felt safe. He felt safer looking at her with her hand over his than he'd ever remembered feeling. It was ridiculous.

"I'm fine." His voice was a little cracked.

"Want to talk about it?" Elena removed her hand from his.

"No."

A moment of silence passed between the two until Elena broke it.

"I'm actually here to check your dressing." She told him as he relaxed his arms so that they were resting on the bed. "But I can see you need a new one." Elena gestured to the gown Damon was wearing which showed obvious signs that his wound had opened.

They settled into their usual routine of her removing the tape and dressing oh-so-carefully. The bathing side of things took a little longer than usual as Elena inspected the damage done last night. There was a slight stinging today, Damon noticed, but still she was as delicate as ever and he found himself watching her as she took her bottom lip between her teeth each time she lowered a soaked cotton wool ball onto his wound. It was adorable.

"Almost done." She said softly, popping the last used cotton wool ball into the waste dish. If you'll just hold this while-"

"-You cut the tape." Damon interjected, smiling.

"You know the drill." Her eyes were warm, like liquid chocolate he thought.

As Elena took a piece of cut tape between her fingers of her right hand, she reached with her left to hold the dressing in place and Damon gasped.

She pulled back. "Did that hurt?"

"No." He said. "But that looks like it did."

Elena's eyes flicked down to the deep purple and green marks on her wrist: a reminder of last night.

"I was a little drunk and my boyfriend had to grab me so I didn't fall."

Partly true. Damon's eyes were still on her wrist and she finished up the taping quickly, feeling self-conscious.

"So you have a boyfriend."

Elena didn't like the way he said that word.

"Yes."

"What's his name?"

"Stefan."

She was gathering up her supplies quickly, spilling a little of the water as she did so.

"Been together long?"

"Since freshman year of high school."

He whistled. "Long time."

"Yeah."

"What's he-"

"-Someone will be back to bring you a new gown." Elena cut in before he had chance to finish his question.

Damon nodded. "Will it be you?"

"I'm not sure."

Breathing out a large breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, Elena closed the door to Damon's room behind her and stopped in her tracks.

"Stefan."