Fuck!

Before I have time to think beyond that Elena hurries into the closest dark corner and makes herself as small as possible, this is not going to be good. Dr. G is coming down the stairs quickly and I hear him say under his breath he must have forgotten to lock the door. I don't know how Elena got down here but I know I do not want her to see what is about to happen, but I can't exactly just tell him his daughter is hiding in the corner now can I? Maybe after we are done if she has managed not to scream I can compel her to forget… yes, that's what I'll do she is still my best chance at freedom but I feel like my insides are being torn apart at the thought of Elena being witness to whatever is going to happen, the pain confounds me and he hasn't even started yet, please god let her keep her eyes closed.

"What no amusing quips today?" Grayson questions me, if I succeed he won't hear a peep out of me at all, do not engage focus all your energy on not screaming you don't want to frighten Elena. For the moment I give up trying to decipher why this little girl means anything to me let alone so much that I would suffer multiple deaths just to spare her the pain of splinter for now I just acknowledge it as a fact and swear no matter what doctor Mangala has in store today I will bear it.

I see him go straight for the bone saw; I guess we are skipping the foreplay today. I see blood spraying out over my face as if a sprinkler was tapped in my fucking head. The bone plate of my skull gives way to the pressure and eventually an oval portion of my skull is placed on a nearby tray. Just as start to feel I will be able to do this, yes it hurt but the pain was sharp and quick nothing I couldn't handle- no what I can't handle is what comes next. Apparently doc must do some carpentry on the side because vice grips are produced and I have a feeling those are not commonly used in the medical field. He jams two on either side of the hole he made in my head and screws them tightly to my face and back of my neck to keep the wound open and prevent any vampire healing that would put a stop him fishing around for the damn light bulb in my head like I'm the fat fuck from the game operation.

The pressure building in my head is anything but a sharp quick pain I can swallow no this is medieval tower of London torture shit and I don't know how much longer crushing my teeth to dust over and over in my mouth will keep me from screaming out.

He is across the room down having removed a slab of my brain to study under the microscope, not bothering the undo the clamps that clearly have already served their purpose, the dick, I start to smell urine I can't move my head to look over to Elena but I no longer feel the pain all my body craves now is to shed every unshed tear of my century plus existence. Thankfully I suspect the smell of burnt flesh, bone dust, and blood masks the odor to the human nose, now if he would just leave so I could take her in my arms and tell her everything is alright, take away all the painful memories of today and replace them with her playing happily with her ball.

I finally get my wish as the doctor starts packing up for the day, he removes the grips still jammed in my head and goes to tidy up the rest of his work space when the door opens and a woman calls down letting him know she can't find Elena. What has this woman, who I assume is her mother, been doing all day that she only now realizes her daughter is missing?! He races up the stairs presumably to help locate her and I am finally able to turn to the corner I know Elena is in. I can't see her but I hear her heartbeat and her tiny whimpers from crying. I call out to her in the most reassuring voice I can manage.

"Hey, its okay, its all over. I had a headache but your daddy fixed it, how 'bout we play with that ball now?" I hear her taking gasps of air into her lungs trying to find the strength to make a sound. She doesn't she just comes over and undoes my restraints never looking me in the eye and then goes back to her corner clutching that ball like it is a life-vest and she is adrift at sea. I walk around to where the my blood rations are kept and suck them down unable to flash out of here like I know I should, whether it is from lack of strength or an unwillingness to leave Elena I don't know. I finally make my way over to her and crouch in front I brush her hair with my hand and my dead heart warms a little when she doesn't flinch away.

"Elena, can you look at me, I am going to make this better, you don't have to be afraid I can make it all go away. Please just look at me." I snake my finger under her chin and lift her face up, it is puffy and streaked with tears after a few more strokes of her hair I place a hand on either side of her face and tell her she will not remember today, it was a boring day, she played by herself and took a walk around the neighborhood, she came home after having an accident because she couldn't find a restroom.

I lean forward and press a kiss to her forehead, longer than what is probably acceptable but wanting to soak up every little bit of peace this creature gives to my heart. She stats to pull herself together her big brown eyes search mine and innocently ask "what's your name?"

"Damon."

Then I am… gone. I left... didn't kill anyone I just left.