"Oh my God, Damon. You're awake," I gasp, reaching up to caress his face with the palm of my hand. Almost instantly, his heart monitor starting blaring loudly, his heart rate skyrocketing as he struggles mightily against his restraints. His nurse is running into the room before I can even call for her.
"Damon, you need to calm down. You're in the hospital and on a ventilator. Your hands are restrained so you can't extubate yourself," she explains, her hand on his forearm trying to get him to stop struggling against the restraints. Although she doesn't let go of his arm, she turns to look at me.
"Mr. Salvatore, can you please try to calm him down so I can call his physician?" Nodding, I step next to his bedside again, taking his hands in mine, allowing his nurse Sofia to leave his room. It scares me to see his eyes so full of fear. I never wanted to see that look on my son's face again.
"Son, calm down please? I'm so grateful that you're awake. I've been insanely worried about you."
Feeling his hand squeeze mine, I reach up with my left hand to finger some hair off of his forehead.
"I know you're scared and have no idea what's going on, but I need you to try to relax. I'll fill you in on everything as soon as the doctor finishes with you..," I add, stooping over to press a kiss to his temple, just as the doctor walks into his room and over to the bedside.
"Hello Damon. My name is Dr. Adams. I'm going to go to gather the supplies I need and get a respiratory therapist in here. After everything is together, I'll remove the tube. Sometimes a patient needs to have the tube put back down and we need to prepare for that so we can manage your airway. Just nod your head if you understand?"
I feel him squeeze my hand harder but he does nod his head. As soon as the nurse and a respiratory therapist come in, the doctor asks me to leave for a few minutes till the procedure is done. After assuring Damon that I'll be right outside the door, I give his hand another firm squeeze before letting go and walking outside. The nurse pulls the curtain across so I can't watch.
Again minutes seem to pass like hours as I wait to go to see my son and to see if he has any recollection of that night. I've never been so grateful to have him wake up. If it wasn't the middle of the night, I'd call Stefan to tell him the good news. I'll call him in the morning. Being pregnant with my grandchild, Caroline needs her rest and I don't want to disturb them at three thirty in the morning. Finally the nurse comes out to bring me into the room to see my boy.
"Damon?" I whisper, rushing to his bedside to give him a hug. Something I hadn't been able to do when he was attached to so much equipment. He still has so many wires and tubes attached but at least the ventilator is gone.
"Dad, why am I here?" he asks, his voice raspy and still fearful sounding.
"Do you remember anything about the night you and Elijah met with Nik?"
"No, not really. I remember feeling a gun in my back. I thought the person was trying to rob me. It's a blur after that."
"Nik is dead, Damon. He was shot. The police found the murder weapon in your hand."
Immediately his face fills with fear and shock.
"I would never," he swears, shaking his head from side to side.
"I know, son. The police don't believe you did it either. They seem to think that both of you were meant to die. The crime scene was staged to make you look like the shooter."
"I.. I.. I," he starts to say, stumbling over the words.
When I wrap his hand in mine, he looks at me, his eyes full of tears.
"I guess I should've known how ruthless these people are. Girls have died," he mumbles, reaching up to wipe the tears from his eyes.
"Damon, none of this is your fault."
"But Nik is dead. He was a good guy, dad. What are we going to do now that he's dead? How are we going to shut that place down?"
"I don't know, son. But somehow, someway, we're going to do it. However, under no circumstances will I allow you to go back to that place."
"But dad, Anna? I can't just abandon her. She won't understand."
"I know you care for that little girl. So do I, but I care about you more."
"Dad?"
"Damon."
I watch as a drop of moisture forms at the inner corners of his eyes when he squeezes his them closed tightly. Several seconds pass before he opens them. When he finally regains his composure, he takes a breath and looks at me again.
"Do you have any idea how I broke a tooth?"
"They seem to think that the alcohol was forced down your throat. Detective Pierce believes that when they shoved the bottle into your mouth, that's what broke your tooth."
"I was drunk? I don't remember drinking that night. I just don't remember anything," he repeats, his voice laden with anxiety, his eyes wild.
"I'll admit to you that I have been sorely tempted at times but I've really tried to leave it alone. I promise," he pleads, practically begging for me to believe him.
"I know that. The police believe the alcohol was forced into you. Your lips were swollen and bruised when you were found. You almost died from alcohol poisoning. Your blood alcohol level was so high that you had seizures. Whoever these people are, they nearly succeeded in killing you, Damon."
His eyes widen and I can see the fear there as he struggles to understand what's happened to him. He's quiet for several minutes as if he's again trying to understand.
"I'm tired."
"Just go to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up." Nodding at me, he closes his eyes but never lets go of my hand.
Damon:
"Damon, I'm so glad you're awake. I was so worried about you," Elena says, running to my bedside. After planting a blistering kiss to my lips, she pulls back, giving me a moment to catch my breath.
"I thought you were mad at me?"
"Why would I be mad at you?"
"You don't remember?"
"I know that you didn't tell me that you had suspicions about Happy Dale. And I know I reacted badly but I'm not mad at you," she says, her own eyes tearing up.
"I was so afraid that I was going to lose you."
Her tears are trailing down her cheeks now. I hate seeing her cry.
"Elena?"
"No, I need to say this. I know you were only trying to protect me. I hope you can forgive me for behaving like that."
Staring at her, I suck in a deep breath before sliding over to make room for her to sit beside me on the bed. Once she hops on and gets comfortable, I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close enough for me to press a kiss to her temple.
"I'm glad you're here. I love you, Elena," I whisper softly, focusing my eyes on her, trying to gauge her reaction to those three little words. Her mouth drops just slightly. Then suddenly both of her arms are around my neck and her lips are pressed flush against mine in a heated kiss.
"I love you too, Damon Salvatore," she says softly, dropping another scorching kiss to my lips.
"Um, Jeremy and Lexie are outside waiting to take me home. Jeremy would like to say goodbye to you, they're going back to Colorado tomorrow."
"Sure, I'd like to see him."
Nodding, she jumps off the bed, walking out of the room. In a few minutes she walks back in with her brother and sister in law. I'm no longer in the intensive care unit which is why I'm allowed more than a couple of visitors at a time.
"Damon," Jeremy greets me, extending his hand for me to shake. I'm still hooked up to the IV fluids so I have to be careful so I don't get the tubing caught. They put a central line in my subclavian vein so they could bolus me with a lot of fluid when I was brought in by ambulance that night. I have no memory of that though.
"Elena tells me that you're going home tomorrow?"
"That's the plan anyway."
"That's something I wanted to ask you about. I was thinking maybe Elena should come home with Lexie and I if only for safety's sake. They almost killed you, Damon. They're serving the subpoena on Happy Dale tomorrow to get the records of her boy's adoption," he says, staring at his sister.
"I don't want to leave. What if my boy is here? Plus, I don't want to leave Damon while he's convalescing," she tells him, her voice adamant.
"Elena, I don't want anything to happen to you. Your son could be anywhere. I want you to be safe," I tell her, taking her hands in mine.
"No, I'm not leaving you." Although I'm beyond grateful for her devotion, I do want her to stay safe.
"Elena?"
"No Damon, I'm staying. There will be no argument about it," she chastises me before continuing when she turns to Jeremy.
"I appreciate it more than you know that you want me to come home with you. My home is here now though. I want to be with him."
"Alright, I'll drop it for now but you have to promise you'll reconsider should anything untoward happens."
"I'm with Jeremy on that, Elena."
"I promise," she agrees, staring into my eyes.
"Are you ready to go home, Elena?" Lexie asks.
"No, I want to stay with Damon for awhile yet."
"My dad will be coming over later. He can give Elena a ride home." Nodding, he shakes my hand once more, gives Elena a hug, takes Lexie's hand and out of the door they go.
"Thank you," I whisper, patting the side of the bed again. Smiling, she hops in and wraps her arms around my middle while I wrap mine around her shoulders. Feeling completely happy in this moment, I just breathe her in, letting all my troubles lift for a little while.
"Welcome home, Damon," dad says happily when we walk into the house. Elena walks in behind me followed by Stefan and Caroline. I'm a little anxious however. I'm to have a police guard for the foreseeable future. The police believe that I was meant to die that night too. I feel horrible about Nik's death. I would have liked to attend his funeral but because I was still unconscious at the time, it wasn't possible. I still have no memory of that night beyond the feeling of having the barrel of a gun shoved against me.
Still feeling weak, once I get inside, I collapse onto the couch. I grab Elena's hand and pull her down beside me.
"I'm going to make us some supper. Is there anything you'd like, Damon?"
"Anything is fine, dad. Don't go to a lot of trouble. I'm really not very hungry."
"You need to eat to get your strength back," he chastises me before walking into the kitchen.
"I'm just going to see if Owen needs any help," Caroline adds, standing up.
"How's the baby, Caroline?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"It's good. Three months till we get to meet our little girl."
"You found out?"
"Yes, we wanted to know what color to decorate the nursery with."
"I'm happy for you, honestly."
"I know you are, Damon. Um.., I'm just going to check with Owen."
She smiles at me before going off and into the kitchen.
"Do you have any idea when you're coming back to work, Damon?"
"I don't know Stefan. I don't think I'd be any good right now. I get tired so easily and I can't concentrate. I don't know, maybe I did have some brain damage. Dr. Adams told me that I was barely alive when they found me. I was meant to die, Stefan," I whisper, my voice cracking under the strain.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm going upstairs."
Shakily, I stand up and walk away to try to regain my composure. Climbing the stairs is a chore but I finally get to my bedroom. Knowing that a nice hot bubble bath will feel good, I peel off my clothes and walk into the bathroom. I turn the water on hot and then pour some bubble bath in, watching it foam up. Bubble baths are a guilty pleasure of mine. Staring at the bubbles, my mind drifts making me feel afraid. I hate feeling weak, I hate it. Distraught, I climb into the bathtub and just let the water take me away. My mind drifts somewhere so distant that I don't even hear the knock on my bathroom door.
"Damon, can I come in?" With my eyes closed and my head elsewhere, I don't respond, not knowing if the voice is real or if I'm imagining it.
"Damon?" I hear again, only this time it's loud enough that I open my eyes.
"Elena? What is it?"
"Are you okay?"
"I don't know."
Unable to look at her, I drop my chin to my chest.
She leans over to press a kiss to my cheek and take my hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. When she whispers for me to lean forward, I do. Unable to take my eyes from hers, I watch as she soaps up a washcloth and begins to massage my back with it. It feels so good to have her kind, yet firm hands work the knots from my back and neck. Picking up the pitcher that's on the floor beside the tub, she uses it to pour water over my head. When she finishes with my back, she takes my shampoo, pours a dollop on her hand then works it into my hair. Her fingers working wonders on my scalp. Once she has the shampoo lathered up good, she takes the pitcher, dips it in the water and rinses out my hair. Afterwards, she presses one more kiss to my temple. Kneeling beside the tub, she wraps her arms around me when I break down, tears filling my eyes.
Feeling completely foreign in my own skin, I raise my eyes to hers.
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what's the matter with me."
"It's okay, Damon. You went through something very traumatic. I understand."
Feeling completely foreign and overwhelmed in my own body, I wrap a hand around her neck and pull her lips to mine in a scorching kiss.
"I love you, Elena. Please don't give up on me."
"You almost died because of me. I won't ever give up on you," she reassures me, palming my face, dropping a kiss to my forehead.
"It's not your fault. It's those bastards who run Happy Dale. If it's the last thing I do, they are going down," I tell her, my resolve firm.
"Damon, you have to be careful. I love you so much. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here."
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm just worried about Anna. Both dad and the police have told me that I'm not to set foot on their property for who knows how long. Elena, she's not going to understand why I've abandoned her." Reaching up, I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to halt any more tears. Knowing I need to get some semblance of control back, I take a couple of deep breaths before turning my attention back to Elena.
"I can go to see her."
"No, you're not going anywhere near there either. They know about you now. Would you consider staying with me and dad till the dust settles? Please, I worry about you being in that house by yourself."
"If it'll ease your mind, I'll stay here with you."
Sighing with relief, I relax visibly. "Can you hand me a towel? I suppose dad has supper ready by now."
Standing up, she gets one out of the linen closet, handing it to me.
"You're all wet," I chuckle, standing up. Wrapping a towel around my waist, I pause for a moment to lift one more heady kiss from her lips before walking into my bedroom. Digging through my dresser drawer, I find her a pair of sleep shorts and tee shirt, handing them to her. After slipping my own pajamas on, I drop onto the bed and wait for her to come out of the bathroom. When she does, I take her hand in mine and the two of us go downstairs to join the others in the kitchen.
"Where are Stefan and Caroline?" I ask, walking over to the stove to see what dad is cooking.
"Caroline was tired too. They decided to get something to eat on their way home." Turning to face me, he gives me a look. Unable to hold his stare, I drop my eyes and take a deep breath. Using his hand, he raises my chin to look into his eyes.
"How can I help?" he asks, his concern obvious by his facial expression.
"I don't know what's the matter with me dad. I'm so overwhelmed, like I'm a stranger inside my own skin. I can't explain, I just feel completely unsettled on the inside. I'm crying all the time and I don't know why. What's wrong with me, dad?"
"Damon?"
"You said I was barely breathing when I was found. Could I have a brain injury?"
"I don't know, Damon. Maybe it's just post traumatic stress? But I do know that come Monday, I'm going to insist you go to see the doctor. You have your follow up appointment next week anyway. Dr. Adams can just see you a few days sooner. Is that agreeable to you?"
"I'm going with you too," Elena adds, taking my hand in hers.
Sucking in a deep breath, I squeeze her hand before letting go to give my dad a hug.
"Thank you, both of you." With a nod, I pull a chair out for Elena. Once she sits down, I help dad put the food on the table. The three of us eat quietly discussing trivial matters to keep my mind off of things, our conversation disrupted when the doorbell rings.
"Stay," I tell my dad, "I'll answer it." Getting up, I walk into the other room to answer the door.
"Hi Ric, come in." Stepping aside, I hold the door open while he walks in.
"Is Elena here? I stopped at her house first but no one was home."
"Yeah, she's in the kitchen. Follow me."
"Ric, would you like something to eat?" dad asks.
"No Owen. I have some news for Elena."
"Me?" she asks, looking surprised.
"It's a good thing you're sitting down.
"I don't understand?"
"Elena," he begins, taking a seat beside her at the table.
"What is it, Ric?"
"The police have found your son."
**A central line is an IV line that is inserted into a large vein such as the superior vena cava, typically in the neck (intrajugular) or near the heart for administering IV fluids, medications and or withdrawing blood. A subclavian central line is inserted below the clavicle aka the collar bone.
Thank you, Eva for everything. I love and appreciate you so much. She contributes so much to my stories. I don't know where I'd be without her always brilliant suggestions.
Thanks so very much to all of you who took a few moments to leave a review, I appreciate them more than you know.
Eva and I are working hard on 'Nothing Left to Fear'. 11 chapters are complete. I don't have any idea how long of a story it will be though. I never outline, I just start to type.
Chapter title: 'Breathe' by David Hodges featuring Amy Lee
My other in progress stories are 'Dig' and 'Angels Fall'. Please have a look too.
Reviews are love.
Stay safe and have a wonderful weekend. Thank you again for your support. Until next time..