A/N: Thank you for all those that are following this story. I appreciate the support and will try to update every few days.
The first chapter had both Elena and Damon's point of view. The story will be from Damon's point of view going forward unless otherwise noted.
Chapter 2
"I'm her brother" Jeremy slowly stands. I can hear the kid's heart race in fear.
"No other family?"
"We're the rest of her family. I'm Jeremy and Elena's guardian" Alaric lies. He is acting like their guardian but had no legal standing over the Gilberts. I prepare myself to compel the doctor if she pushed the issue. Luckily it seems she believed Ric without question.
"Elena survived the surgery." At the doctor's words, I exhale the breath I had been holding. She's alive.
"She had internal bleeding and we had to remove her spleen and repair some damage to her liver. She has a couple of broken ribs one of which punctured her lung. Her knee was dislocated and she has a broken hand. The thing that has us the most concerned is the extreme loss of blood. The blood loss is severe enough that she was lucky to make it to the hospital. She is in recovery now and will be moved to the ICU within the next hour or so. Someone really wanted to hurt her. The next 48 hours will be critical. Only immediate family will be allowed to see her."
I start to protest when Bonnie touches my arm shaking her head. "We'll deal with it when she is actually in the ICU" she whispers. I hate it when witchy is right. No point in compelling the doctor when the nurses really run the show on the floor. It's one of them we will have to compel to think we are all family and let us in to see Elena.
We stay in the waiting room until one of the nurses comes over an hour later to collect Jeremy and Alaric. I let Caroline do the compelling honors and the misfit family that we have become follows the nurse up to Elena's room.
Alaric walks in first with Jeremy right behind him. Jeremy froze at seeing his sister. You could tell by the look on his face he didn't know if he should run to her side or bolt for the door. Being a vampire you're used to seeing people die around you, but I still knew the pain of losing my entire family except for my brother. Stefan and I have been through enough tight spots over the years when I thought I might lose Stefan too, so I know firsthand the pain Jeremy is experiencing. Fear for his sister and fear that he soon could be alone. I place a hand on his shoulder and guide him into a chair next to her bed.
"There wasn't some stupid plan where she was sacrificing herself for the greater good. This is Elena we're talking about. She's too stubborn to die this way." I give my patented smirk hoping it would reassure him somewhat.
He sits numbly in the chair just staring at Elena. Alaric had moved to the other side of the bed his hands on the bed rail slowly exhaling.
"How did this happen? She survived all of the stuff with Klaus and a random vampire…." He let his thoughts hang in the air.
"Can you give her your blood?" Bonnie gives me a hopeful look as I lean against the wall studying Elena's damaged body. She has a black eye and a split lip. They had bandaged her neck where the bite occurred. I can see bruising at her throat where she must have been choked. Her knee is in traction and there is a temporary splint on her broken right hand. She is hooked to all sorts of monitors and has multiple IVs, one of which is a blood transfusion.
I close my eyes and hear that her heart beat is erratic most likely from the extreme blood loss. "My blood would heal the injuries but won't solve the problem of the blood loss. She could still go into shock and die." I take a deep breath recalling when I fed her my blood before the sacrifice with Klaus. She was almost lost to me forever after that selfish stunt.
"I forced my blood on her once before. I know she doesn't want to be a vampire. I can't take that choice from her again." A pang of guilt racked my body and I know everyone in that room, with the exception of Caroline, will blame me if she dies. But I have always been the one to make the tough decisions when it came to Elena, even if it means me being the bad guy, and this time is no different.
I move to the bed, fighting my urge to force my blood into her, fighting the urge to gather her in my arms and hold her until she wakes up. Squeezing her uninjured hand, I lean over near her. "We're here Elena. I'm here. You always tell me to be the better man, but if you die I may not be able to do that so you better wake up and yell at me to behave."
I move back to my previous position leaning against the wall to allow Alaric to sit with her. Sensing someone at my shoulder I turn to see Stefan just staring at Elena. After staring at her for a moment, I see his face start to change. I grab him by the arm and blur us to the main lobby.
"Leave" I order.
"It's Elena." Stefan says softly.
"She was nearly drained today, Stefan, and will be needing blood for the next couple of days probably. If you can't handle being in that room while that is going on without going all grrr arg, then stay away until she's out of danger." I'm growling out the words.
Stefan drops his head, nods and is gone. I head back to Elena's room.
As I walk down the hall, I see Ric standing in the hallway just outside her room, his head against the wall. "Why did I think I could be a guardian to these kids? Elena and Jeremy have been in constant danger. Klaus tried to kill Jeremy a couple of months ago. Now Elena is on the verge of death. I should have left when Jenna died." Ric lifts his head and lets it fall making a thud sound as it hits the wall.
"But then I wouldn't have had a drinking buddy and your little eternity ring makes for a good stress reliever when I have the urge to kill someone out of frustration." I cross my arms and lean against the wall next to him.
"Damon" he admonishes shaking his head.
"Ric, your part of the reason the Gilbert name still exists in Mystic Falls. Keep up the good work and we'll all start calling you 'dad.'" I slap him on the shoulder.
"Where did Stefan go?" Alaric looks around briefly.
"Baby bro may be on the mend, but a blood bag hanging in his face was a little too tempting for him. I sent him packing until Elena's a little more stable. I'm sure he is back at the Boarding House journaling or wallowing." Alaric looks at me for a second then chuckles. At least someone doesn't mind me hanging around.
"She's not waking up anytime soon. It's after 3 in the morning, why don't you and Jeremy head out and grab a few hours sleep. Take witchy with you. You humans are useless when you're tired."
"You'll stay with her?" Alaric asks his face finally giving way to the exhaustion his body must have felt.
"Do you really need to ask that question Ric?" Alaric shakes his head no.
Walking back into the room, I place my hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "She's not waking up anytime soon and she will need you at full strength when she does wake up. You're leaving with Alaric. Same goes for you Sabrina."
Jeremy opens his mouth to protest. "Tell your sister you will see her in the morning and leave with Alaric or I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out like a petulant child. You're call Gilbert."
If looks could kill, I would have a stake through my heart, but the kid needed sleep and a break from the hospital. Being in this place can't hold any good memories for him.
"I'll see you tomorrow. I love you." Jeremy kisses Elena's forehead, gives me a glare and walks out with Bonnie following. Alaric gives me a nod shrugging his shoulders at the obviously pissed off Jeremy.
I made my way next to Elena's bed near her uninjured hand. "You can leave too, Blondie. I'll keep watch."
"I'll go check in with my mom and come back in a few hours with some more blood for you." She started to walk out the door and she turns back to look at me. "For what it's worth, she feels safe when you look out for her." Then she made a dramatic quick exit. Being a vampire seemed to suite Caroline. I'm glad I didn't stake her.
I turn my attention back to Elena. I reach out and gingerly take her hand staring at her beautiful face.
"How could I have let someone do this to you? Why did I leave you alone? We never should have thought there was no danger since Klaus is out of the picture. "
I tuck her hair behind her ear and kiss her forehead. Staring at her fragile body, I caress her cheek for a moment reminding myself how I had done this very gesture not long after returning to Mystic Falls. Out of all my years as a human and vampire I have never seen anything as beautiful as Elena. She and Katherine may be doppelgangers but Elena has an inner beauty that makes her so much more than Katherine. How could I ever have thought what I felt for Katherine was love? It was infatuation and obsession. Katherine protects herself. Elena protects everyone but herself. Katherine plays games with the intent to hurt and manipulate. Elena puts the needs of everyone else before her own needs and wants.
"You better wake up Gilbert. We didn't fight all those battles to save this town and keep you alive to have some random low-life vampire take you out." I lay my head on the side of her bed and tuck our joined hands under my chin. "I can't live without you arguing with me. You and Ric are my only real friends. What kind of friend would you be if you left this little old vampire alone with only Ric as company? I see way too many empty liqueur bottles in our future if you're gone."
I sit there my head resting next to her stroking her hand with my thumb willing her to wake up and am met only with silence.
"Please Elena, I love you and can't lose you. Wake up. I know you won't ever love me, but I still need you in my life. Come back to us. Stefan loves you and deserves his happy ending with you."
The silence continued. How long I sat there I don't know, but I felt a hand on my shoulder and turn to see Caroline blood bag in hand.
"I take it no change." No response is necessary as our eyes travel to the bed. The only sounds are the beeping of monitors and slurping of blood from my blood bag.
"What time is it?" I hand the empty blood bag back to Caroline who drops into her purse.
"Its after 7. The rest of the gang should be here by 8 when visiting hours start. Did anyone hassle you about being here all night since you're not immediate family?" Caroline pulls a chair next to me and sits down.
"No, one of the nurses knew Grayson and I used a little Salvatore charm so we shouldn't have any more problems allowing non family visitors in here." I wiggle my eyebrows at her and she just sighs.
A short while later Alaric, Jeremy, and Bonnie arrive with Matt in tow. Caroline and I back off to the corner to allow them to sit with her.
"Can you go check on Stefan?" I ask Caroline.
"I'll stay and keep an eye on her, if you want to get out of here for a bit."
"Nope" I respond popping the p sound. "Not leaving. Just check on my brother for me, make sure only the forest animals need to quake in their boots."
"Sure" she answers squeezing my arm. I look at her with a confused look as she walks out the door. Over the next few hours, I sat and watched the coming and goings of nurses and doctors as they checked vitals, drew blood, checked her incisions. It was a good thing I sent Stefan packing. I am barely able to keep the bloodlust at bay, if Stefan had stayed we would have had a ripper meltdown.
The first 48 hours were a blur. The Scooby gang sat vigil by her bed during the day, me in the corner while doctors and nurses streamed in and out of the room with me sitting at her bedside night. I didn't want her to be alone. Plus I figured she needed protection in case someone decides to try and finish her off.
During the long hours of the night, I just talk to her. I at times have questioned why I am sitting here when I know everyone thinks I am bad news for Elena. But I know I sit here because I promised I would never leave even though she is not mine. I sit here full of fear that she will be gone from my life forever. Scared I will never get to see those gorgeous brown eyes stare at me again even in hate. Scared that I will never see her put her hands on her hips and give me that glare that says 'what were you thinking.' Hell, I am even scared to never see her happy with my brother again for that would mean she is truly gone.
I'm Damon fucking Salvatore. Why does this human girl have me sitting in a hospital praying, actually praying, for her to be okay knowing I will never to get to kiss those lips, never know what it is like to be inside her, to never have her look at me like I am the only thing that matters to her in the world? I desperately don't want to love her. I don't want to risk my heart being broken again. Katherine knowingly crushed me. I know Elena would never intentionally hurt me like that but the pain will be there none the less as I watch her ride off into the sunset with Stefan. I want to leave, run away and never look back, but I look at Elena's beautiful face and I know I'm lost. Until her last breath I can never leave her.
We are sitting in the room two days after her attack when the doctor walks in. She surveys the room and all the people sitting with Elena.
"I said immediate family only" the doctor chastises.
"Sorry, immediate family is a bit on short supply these days. This is her family now." Alaric stares her down. The fatherly instinct is strong in that one.
"I knew Grayson and I know he would appreciate his daughter having this much support at a time like this. Can I have the room cleared so I can talk to her brother and guardian?"
Alaric nods and Bonnie, Matt, Caroline and I file into the hallway. Bonnie and Matt give me a look. "I'm listening, don't get your panties in a bunch."
Closing my eyes, the doctor's words filter through the din of hospital noise. "She is very strong and seems to have stabilized. Her incisions are healing well and we can stop the blood transfusions. We will move her out of ICU later today."
"When will she wake up?" Alaric asks.
"That is the part that is baffling us. She should have woken up by now. For an unknown reason she has slipped into a coma. We will be running some tests over the next few days to try and determine the cause of the coma."
"Thanks" Jeremy says quietly.
I had just finished relaying the conversation to the others when the doctor emerged. "You can all go back in" she nods with a sad smile.
We walk back in and Jeremy and Alaric look devastated. "I assume you heard" Alaric just stares at Elena as Jeremy sits tears rimming his eyes.
"Elena is the strongest person I know. She'll pull out of this coma. She's going to be fine." Caroline gives Jeremy a hug.
As I stare at Elena, the room starts closing in. "You guys okay here for a bit? I'm going to check in with Liz on the investigation."
"Yeah, we're good. Can you let Stefan know she is being moved out of ICU? He might want to see her." Jeremy says.
Of course, Saint fucking Stefan as always. "Sure."
Before I can leave, Caroline grabs my arm. "Grab more blood. The blood supply at the Boarding House is getting low." I nod my head only half listening. I speed all the way to the Boarding House. Once home, the bottle of bourbon calls my name and I see a note from Stefan.
"Went hunting. Call if there is any change with Elena."
Grabbing the bottle of bourbon my feet carry me to the fireplace of their own volition. I'm seething. Damnit, he's supposed to be the dependable one. At least he could be out looking for the fucking vampire that did this to her since he can't sit in the hospital with her. I take a swig from the bottle. Maybe I should have given her my blood. No, maybe, I don't know. If those tests don't show anything, maybe we need to revisit the giving blood option.
Something needs to die by my hands maybe that will get rid of all this pain and fear bubbling inside. The bourbon ends up in the fire out of sheet frustration. Maybe Liz will have some news. Rushing through a shower and changing clothes, I blur out of the house to the car speeding to the Sheriff's office.
I walk up to Liz's office and she is sitting behind her desk.
"Hi Damon. How's Elena?" She points to the chair in front of her desk.
"No change. The doctors don't know when she'll wake up." I sit down and lean back in the chair. "What do we know?"
"From the bite, it was obviously a vampire. From the wounds Elena sustained, she fought back. Her broken hand and dislocated knee are consistent with her getting a few good shots in herself. Plus the blood on her shirt was not all hers. Probably explains her extensive injuries. I'm guessing the vampire didn't expect her to fight back. I assume she has you to thank for giving her a fighting chance." Liz leans forward and puts her arms on the desk.
"Alaric and I were taking turns working with her. She's been training since Stefan went off the rails. I just wish it would have helped her more." I run my hands through my hair in frustration.
"She's alive where most other vampire attacks result in a dead body. That says something about how you guys helped prepare her." Liz gave me a smile.
"Are there any leads?"
"There has been one additional attack since Elena's. A young girl, brunette. Completely drained." Liz hands me a file with a crime scene photographs and I study the pictures.
"Similar look to Elena. Either this guy has a type or this girl was at the wrong place at the wrong time and was mistaken for Elena."
"How's your brother holding up with this? Must be hard for him to see Elena like that." Liz looks at me with a concerned expression.
Everyone is worried about Stefan. Worried baby bro will go on a bender at seeing the love of his life hurt. "He's hanging in there. We're keeping an eye on him." I toss the file back on the desk and stand to leave and head back to the hospital.
We fell into a new routine once Elena was out of the ICU. During the day, Caroline and I would search for the vampire that hurt Elena while the humans took shifts sitting with Elena so she was never alone. At night I sit with her. Stefan would sit with me for an hour or two at night, but he said he isn't strong enough to be in a hospital near so much blood to stay longer. It's mostly just me and Elena all night. I just sit and talk to her. She's probably sick of my voice. I have told about Mystic Falls in 1864, how everyone is really doing, and some of my infamous exploits through the decades.
On the tenth day after Elena's attack, she still hasn't woken up. The doctors have exhausted every test. We are all gathered in the room as the doctor delivers the news that there is no medical reason for Elena's coma. We just need to wait for her to wake up, we're told.
"Maybe we need to revisit the blood idea" Caroline offers after the doctor leaves the room.
With a sigh I acknowledge her comment as I had been thinking the same thing. "I think we may have to try." Caroline, Stefan and I all just stare at each other trying to determine who should do it knowing that if something happens and she turns she may very well resent who ever gave her the blood.
"I'll do it. She's been on the verge of hating me for eternity before, what's one more time." I quip. Like always, I'm stuck making the tough decisions regarding Elena and forced to be the bad guy in her eyes.
Stepping forward to the bed while biting my wrist, I close my eyes. Please don't hate me for this. I open her mouth and place my wrist to her lips. I gently massage her throat to encourage the blood to go down. Once she's had enough, I pull my wrist back and wipe my blood from her lips. Retreating to my designated corner, my head falls in my hands as we wait.
Minutes tick by that feel like hours. "Her hand already looks better." Alaric comments.
"Wake up Elena. Please. You can't leave me alone." Jeremy pleads. God, this is killing the kid.
"Come on Elena. You need to wake up and yell at Damon for giving you his blood without your permission again." Caroline pleads.
"Thank for throwing me under the bus Blondie" I snark from my corner seat.
"I'll drive the bus over you if it means she wakes up" Caroline smirks. Elena comes first. Good girl.
"Elena, come back to us." Stefan says quietly.
We all sat and watched her for an hour and there was no change. "If it was going to work, should it have worked by now?" Matt asks.
"Yes" Stefan answers hanging his head.
This was a vampire attack and a thought hit me like a ton of bricks. "What if she was under compulsion to fall into a coma? Whoever attacked her hurt her but let her live." I stand and cross my arms looking around the room.
"Shit" Alaric mutters. "It's too late for vervain. Can you use compulsion to reverse it and make her wake up?" Alaric asks. Caroline looks from me to Stefan shrugging her shoulders. Caroline has taken to being a vampire so naturally that it's hard to remember that she's a newbie and still has a lot to learn.
"We can try." Stefan steps forward. I watch Stefan pull an eyelid open. "Elena, you have to wake up. Elena . Wake. Up. Now." I drop my head knowing it won't work. Stefan steps back shaking his head.
"If this vampire went through the trouble of compelling her into a coma, then they probably did it so only they could wake her up." I inform them.
"Can you get in her head like you do with dreams?" Jeremy looks up hopefully. "Ask her who did this and make it easier to track the vampire down?"
"She's not sleeping. Being unconscious is different. We won't be able to get in." I offer as Stefan starts to pace his arms crossed.
"What about a spell?" Caroline asks looking at Bonnie. "Is there anything that would help us get in her head and figure out who did this or lift the compulsion?"
"I'll go through the grimoires and see if I can find anything. Matt, can you help me look?" Matt nods and the two of them head out.
"What about your dad, Caroline? He can resist compulsion. If we can get in her head we may need his expertise to break the compulsion if we can't find the vampire. Do you think he would help since its Elena?" Alaric asks.
"Just don't mention that I'm around. Since I tried to kill him, I'm probably not on his Christmas card list" I wink at Caroline.
"I'll go talk to my mom. Maybe if we tag team him, we can get him to help." Caroline blurs from the room. Damn that girl likes the dramatic exit.
The next day Bill Forbes walks into Elena's room. "Oh, Elena" he says heading to the bed and grasping her hand.
"Caroline said you think she is compelled into the coma?" Bill asks looking at Alaric sitting on the other side of Elena's bed.
"Yeah. Bonnie is looking for a spell to allow us to get in her head. We're hoping we can figure out who the vampire is that did this and make them reverse it. If we can't get it reversed, is there a way to break the compulsion?" Stefan and I purposely hang back in the corner and let Alaric do all the talking in hopes that it would ensure Bill's help. As I said to Caroline, I'm not high on Bill's favorite list of people.
"You'll have to appeal to her subconscious, convincing it that the instruction is a lie and reject it allowing her conscious mind to wake up. That won't be easy as the instruction is engrained as truth just like the sky is blue and the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Was compulsion used to make her forget as well?"
"We don't know" Jeremy answers.
"If the vampire tried to make her forget so it couldn't be identified, that will be easier to break into. The memory is repressed but it's still there, just walled off separate from the rest of her memories making it inaccessible." Bill explained.
I didn't let the fact that Bill said 'it' when referring to the vampire not he or she escape me. This guy has a real hate on for vampires. It must be killing him that his daughter is one. Serves him right, self righteous son of a bitch.
"I'll be in town for a while. Call me if you need help." Bill left glaring at me. I just flashed him my biggest smile and gave him a half wave.
The next day Bonnie showed up Matt in tow when visiting hours started a very old book in her hand. Both of them have bags under their eyes and slump in the chairs along the wall in Elena's room. I move to my usual spot in the corner.
"I take it from the book you found something witchy." I lean my head against the wall.
"Yeah. I couldn't find anything that would lift the compulsion, but I found a spell that will allow one of us to enter her mind and comb through her memories." Bonnie seemed hesitant as she spoke.
"Why do I sense a 'but' buried in this good news?" I eye her suspiciously. She should be happier at finding this spell.
"Who ever goes in will experience Elena's memories first hand. The inner dialogue, the emotions, everything. They'll have to experience memories, fantasies and" she shifts the book in her lap uncomfortably "fears."
"Doesn't sound so bad." Jeremy shrugs.
"You'll have to hear things about Elena that you weren't supposed to hear or feel. I can only imagine that the emotions would be overwhelming."
I notice that Bonnie is still fidgeting with the book and not meeting anyone's eyes. "Spit it out Bonnie. What aren't you telling us?"
"Elena's mind will fight the intrusion. Her subconscious and her fears will attack as if an intruder. Elena has lived in the supernatural world for almost two years. She's handled ghosts, werewolves, and vampires without a backward glance. I can't even imagine what her fears are. They are likely to be nasty and put up a fight." Bonnie explains.
"It's my sister, I'll do it." Jeremy volunteers.
"No, Jeremy. You don't get it. We don't know what Elena's subconscious could throw at you. You're ring won't protect you in there. If you die in there, you die out here."
"But" Jeremy starts to protest but Alaric puts his hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "You're sister is already in bad shape. I'm not risking you too. No arguments." Alaric stares him into submission. I had to repress a chuckle at the look on Jeremy's face. Damn, nice job Ric. Elena would never forgive any of us if anything happens to Jeremy especially because of something she conjured up in her mind.
"It shouldn't be a human. They probably won't be strong enough to go against whatever may be in there. I would go, but I have to stay outside to run the spell." Bonnie's gaze moves from Stefan to Caroline to me.
"I think it should be Damon" Bonnie says.
Stefan stands up. "I'll do it. It doesn't have to be Damon."
"No Stefan, I really think Damon should go because, because" her eyes focus on her shoes.
All eyes turn towards me. It's a suicide mission from what Bonnie is describing and I am the expendable one in the room. Can't be the vampire best friend or vampire boyfriend, just the vampire third wheel. I looked at Elena's fragile unmoving body. If there was ever a reason to die, it's lying right there in that hospital bed.
A/N: If there are any particular scenes from the show you would like to see as memories please let me know. Please leave a review!