Remember Me- Chapter Seventeen
Elena held his hand tightly, closing her eyes while tears cascading down her cheeks. "He's going to be okay." She told Ben, holding him against her chest as she kissed the top of his head. Ben turned in her arms, clutching onto her.
"You know, sweetie." Elena began to say, choking back tears as she cupped Ben's face into the palm of her hands. "I used to hold you like this when you were just a little baby. You used to cry and I'd place my hand onto your cheek, soothing your cries until you would just look at me with so much wonder in those beautiful eyes of yours. Ben, I know that I've missed a lot in your life. But, I'm going to make up for it. You need to just give me some time. I promise, I'm never leaving again. Sweetheart, I love you so much." Elena admitted, kissing her son's face as they both sat in the hallway of the Emergency Room area anxiously waiting for news about Stefan.
Elena exhaled deeply, watching the doctors pass by them. She yawned loudly as she watched a young doctor in a white coat stop near them, look down at his chart for a moment and then he extended out his hand. "Miss Gilbert?" She heard him announce as his gleaming blue eyes met her darkened brown gaze and he smiled at her softly while extending out his hand. "I'm Doctor Donovan. I'm Stefan's oncologist and I'm the one overseeing his care." He explained as Elena nodded her head at the blonde haired young man, who seemed oddly familiar.
"Dr. Donovan. Matt?" She asked hesitantly, swallowing down the fear she felt talking about Stefan's dire prognosis. But, looking at him. Elena had to do a double take until the pieces all fell into place as to why he was so familiar to her.
"Matt Donovan from Oregon State? What the hell are you doing here, out of all places?" Elena asked him, watching as he gave her a perplexed look and he glanced down at the little boy who was fast asleep on a chair beside where Elena had been sitting.
"I could ask you the same question. How do you know, Stefan?" He asked her as she glanced down at Ben and leaned forward, giving him a soft smile.
"We have a son together and a very complicated long history…." Her voice trailed off while she placed her hand onto Matt's arm and noticed a wedding ring.
"You're married." She commented with an observant tone, watching as Matt's face fell and he exhaled heavily, looking down at his shoes with a sorrowful look before he explained. "I was. My wife, Penney died in a car accident over a year ago. I moved up here to be closer to work after we graduated from Oregon State University and so that my daughter, Claire could live with me, instead of her grandparents in Oregon." He clarified as Elena nodded her head, smiling.
Matt licked his bottom lip, inhaling sharply and giving Elena a sweet smile. "So, how long have you and Stefan been married?" He asked her, forcing Elena to take a step back.
Shaking her head, she quickly corrected him. "We're not. Um, he and I were engaged and I got pregnant with our son. But, for now, we're just trying to figure things out…" Her voice trailed off as she quickly changed the subject.
"How old is your daughter, Claire?" Elena asked as Matt smiled proudly, taking out his cell phone and showing her a photo of the blonde haired little girl with bright blue eyes like her father.
"She's six years old." He said, pointing over at Ben and asking the same question.
"Ben's six too. You know," She began to say as Matt tightened his grip around Stefan's chart.
"Maybe after Stefan starts feeling better, we can all meet up and the kids could have a play date?" He asked her as she shrugged her shoulders back and smiled. "We'll see." Was all she could say before her mind drifted back to the real reason as to why he was standing in front of her.
"Stefan's awake. So, if you want to see him, you both are more than welcome to go in. I have to just go over his test results with him and then I'm on my way to the next patient." He replied to her as Elena nodded her head, telling Matt that it was good to see him and that she'd stay in touch. Elena took a seat back in her chair as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back, praying that Stefan's test results would come back with an all clear.
"So, doc. When can I bust of out this joint?" Stefan asked Matt jokingly, slowly lifting himself up from his hospital bed as Matt laughed a little, taking a seat beside him and suddenly becoming very serious in his tone and facial features.
"I'm afraid not for a while…" His voice trailed off as Stefan watched him flip through his chart and scan his eyes over a few documents and what looked like new scans and blood work.
"You're white blood cell count is really low and because of that, you're not out of the woods yet. Stefan, the reason you passed out at home and ended up here is because your blood tests revealed aplastic anemia. Which is when your body stops producing enough new blood cells and it leaves you feeling fatigued and it can cause other concerns as well. Now, we can treat it with medications or blood transfusion and see if those work for to fix it for a little while." Matt elaborated as Stefan closed his eyes, feeling even more angered at himself than he had before. He was exhausted and this battle to live was starting to feel like it wasn't really worth it anymore.
"How long, Matt? How bad is it this time?" Stefan asked honestly, his tone more so as if he was asking a longtime friend than his doctor.
"We're going to beat this, Stefan. I promise." He told him, getting up from his seat as he patted Stefan's shoulder and then paused near the closed door for a moment, pivoting back to the young man in the hospital bed that looked frail and pale instead of his usual vibrant facial features and beaming green eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were involved with Elena?" He asked suddenly, hearing Stefan let out a small laugh.
"You never asked me if I spoke with her anymore, Matt. I mean, you and I had chatted about her from time to time over the years because we both knew her. But, that was it. Look, I know that you two dated in college and that you broke up with her after she left Oregon and moved to Florida to help out Jenna. But, she never knew about our connection. She still doesn't know that you and I were best friends in high school when we both were living in Miami. And, that now you're the man who's trying to save my life here in Seattle. How ironic is that?" Stefan exhaled heavily, eyeing Matt up and down as he fidgeted his weight from one side to the other, pointing back behind him.
"Stefan, I just ran into her. Out in the waiting room….I guess the cat's out of the bag." He explained as Stefan ran his fingers through his thinning hair and shook his head. "Are you fucking kidding me, Donovan?" He asked in a joking manner, a little stunned at the revelation himself.
Matt shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. "No, I'm not. Your little boy is out there too. Listen, Stefan. I am going to do everything in my power and everything that medicine allows to help you beat this cancer diagnosis. So that you can live a happy life with your son and with Elena. Because, You know, I can see it on her face…" His voice trailed off as Stefan asked in a soft tone. "See what?"
He smiled, placing his hand onto the doorknob when he remarked with a grin. "How in love with you she is and how scared of this disease she is. Scared that it's going to take you away from her and from your little boy. That woman out there doesn't want to lose you. Believe me, if there's one thing about Elena Gilbert is- it's this- her heart is pure and when she loves someone. She loves them with everything she's got. So, with that being said. I'm going to go write up some prescriptions so that we can figure out what to do next regarding your treatment. And, I'll leave you three alone for a while." He commented, opening the door as he told Elena that she could go in and see Stefan now.
"Matt Donovan! Tristan Donovan's younger brother? The same guy you played high school football with?" Caroline spat out her coffee hours later when Stefan called her up to explain what was going on with things in Seattle.
"Yeah, I wish I was kidding. My old oncologist got resigned and over the last few weeks, I've been seeing Matt…" Stefan's voice trailed off as Caroline took a seat beside Klaus and she explained to her husband briefly as to who they were talking about. Klaus laughed, asking Stefan if it was weird being treated by the man who used to sleep with his ex-fiancé.
"Believe me. It's been bizarre." He coughed out. "So, how are things there? Is my soon to be ex-wife wreaking havoc?" Stefan questioned, trying to change the subject because talking about Matt and Elena's past relationship was just really odd for him to do.
"Last I heard, she's still fuming from your little spat that happened there. Honestly, I think she really does think she can try to fight you for custody of Ben. But, the woman can't get it through her head that she doesn't have any parental rights to him as long as you and Elena are both in his life. So, her hands are tied. She did hire a really good lawyer though for the divorce proceedings. She's probably stupid enough to think that she can take you for everything you're worth." Klaus told him, adding in that their business ventures were still going strong and that Rebekah was working on plans that involved everyone and she was trying to come up with a new name for their realty business since SD Realty couldn't be used anymore and she wanted something fresh and brand new.
"So, is she involving her husband into this too? He could be our lawyer to represent the company internationally…" Stefan began to say as both Klaus and Caroline overhead Elena's voice scolding Stefan for not resting and talking business matters over the phone.
"Look, I should be home in two weeks, for my first divorce meeting with Aubrey. Anyways, we can finish talking about this then." Stefan informed them as Elena gave him a stern look and took the phone out of his hands, telling Caroline and Klaus a quick hello and that they'd be home soon to talk about everything. "We miss you guys and love you both. Kisses to everyone from us!" Elena exclaimed while she concluded the phone call and hung up.
Stefan turned towards her, sternly staring at her. "I wasn't finished talking." He commented while Elena exhaled heavily.
"I know. But, you nearly died on me and I have a little boy outside in the waiting room who can hardly wait to see his father. So, Caroline and Klaus. Can wait with their business talk. Because our son can't wait to see you." Elena told him, pushing the door open as Ben rushed over to Stefan and jumped onto the bed, wrapping his arms around his father's neck tightly as he snuggled up against him and cried out. "Daddy, you're okay!"
Elena watched Stefan stroke Ben's hair, leaving a kiss on his forehead when the little boy backed away from him for a moment and placed both of his hands onto his face. "You scared me." He commented, watching Stefan give him a saddened look. The last thing that he had ever wanted was for Ben to see him sick, hurt or worse, dying. He had promised himself years ago that he was going to do everything in his power to protect his son from the cruelties of the world until he was old enough to understand them. Yet, as fate would have it. Ben had already been exposed to Stefan's illness and the little boy was terrified of losing his protector.
"I know, buddy. I'm sorry that I did that. I promise that it won't happen again." He told him, watching Ben rest his head onto his chest while Stefan wrapped his arms around him tightly and sighed deeply.
"Daddy, when can we go home? I miss Duke." Ben replied as Stefan chuckled a little, he hadn't thought about the dog in at least a few weeks. But, oddly enough he kind of missed him too.
"Ben, I'm going to have to stay here for a little while longer until I feel better. But, I promise you that I'll be home soon too. Your aunt Katherine is coming here in two days to pick you up and take you back home to Duke." Stefan commented as the little boy began to pout at his father. "But, I want you to come with me too, daddy! You need to come with me too!" He said, tugging on Stefan's hospital gown while Stefan gave Elena a knowing look and she inhaled sharply before Ben began throwing a tantrum in his father's lap.
"Honey, how about you and I go get something from the cafeteria and let your dad rest for a bit?" She offered as Ben crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "No! I wanna stay here!" He told her in a stern and angry tone. It broke Elena's heart. Ben was too young to understand exactly as to why Stefan had to stay in the hospital for a few days. However, after a few attempts of trying to make him understand a bit better, she had given up.
"Okay. I'm going to go and I'll be right back. Stay here with your dad." She told him as Ben snuggled back up against Stefan's chest and Elena glanced over at them both for a minute. "Do you want anything?" She asked Stefan, watching him shake his head. "Too nauseous." He replied simply before she nodded her head with an understanding look and left the room without another word.
"You know," Katherine began to say as the front door to Stefan and Aubrey's home opened and she leaned against it, Damon's arms crossed over his chest while he stood behind his pissed off looking wife.
"I heard about the stunt you pulled in Seattle. And, you know, Aubrey. Ignoring my phone calls to talk about it and tell you how stupid that was, never really makes matters better. In my experience, it makes them worse!" Katherine told her, pushing her way inside of the house as she glanced around the room. Boxes were packed and the house didn't feel as welcome anymore as it had once been when Ben and Stefan were both living there. Now, it felt cold and lonely.
"What ever happened between Stefan and I is only are business. Now, what are you really here for, Katherine?" She asked as the brunette scanned the room and walked over to their couch, kicking up her legs onto the coffee table while Damon took a seat beside her and then he spoke.
"We came for Duke." He said simple, shrugged his shoulders back and placing his arm around his wife as Katherine gave Aubrey a big fake smile before she stated. "All we want is the dog and a few things of Stefan's. Damon and I are going back to Seattle together in a few days and I thought that Duke would be a welcoming comfort for everyone." She explained as Aubrey scoffed.
"He's part of a custody battle at the moment." She replied when Katherine let out an annoyed laughed, shaking her head and sliding her feet off of the table as she got up and began tapping her foot against the tile floors of their home.
"And, that is where you're wrong. Let me school you on a little bit of Stefan Salvatore's relationship history. Before he met Elena. There was a slew of women that he fooled around with. One in particular comes to mind at the moment and she gave him that dog. He foolishly fell in love with and married her. Rebekah Mikaelson…" Her voice trailed off as Damon too stood up and rubbed his hands over his face for a moment before he added in. "You see, when Rebekah left Stefan with the dog. She also left him this house. But, the first thing that Stefan noticed was the big ass German Shepard in his backyard that liked to chew up his Italian loafers. So in that case, he's not yours, Aubrey. Because my brother's the legal owner of that dog. When Rebekah left him, she gave up her rights to Duke. So, technically, the dog has already been through a custody battle and Stefan's won him." Damon explained, placing his hands into his pockets as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet before he concluded. "Now, where is he?"
Aubrey shrugged her shoulders back, popped her neck to the side and pointed to the backyard. "You two didn't notice anything missing?" She asked them as she watched Katherine and Damon give one another a perplexed look and then it dawned on them.
"You gave away the dog?" Damon spat out viciously, standing in front of Aubrey angrily while she explained. "Of course, I did. He was a real big pain in my ass. Howling all the time and shitting everywhere. Thankfully now, that big floppy eared mutt is at the humane society. Oh come on, Damon! That dog is old and fragile. And, with Stefan being as sick as he is. I highly doubt he'd even have time for him anymore. In my opinion, it's the best choice for everyone." She said as Katherine's anger grew. If she could have strangled the woman to death without going to prison, she would have!
"How could you do that! He's a comfort to both Ben and Stefan! I told you that I was going to come back for him. You didn't have the right!" Katherine shouted out, nearly storming out of the house and slamming the door behind her. But, Damon quickly stopped his wife.
"Which shelter, Aubrey? Which one did you leave him at and when?" Damon demanded to know as she smiled maliciously at him and stated in a cold hearted tone. "These last few days have been such a blur for me. With the divorce and everything. You know, I can't really recall which one it was. But," Pausing and glancing down at her watch, Aubrey replied with a big evil grin. "As of right now. You and that annoying wife of yours have about 48 hours to find the stupid old dog before the shelter kills him. So, good luck!"