Madrigalian

Chp 16

Stefan was completely mystified as he jogged down the hall to where Tyler had said his brother's rooms was. Carol, Mason and Richard Lockwood stood outside the room, looking sad, confused and angry, in that order.

Elena and Caroline were hot on his heels. "Mayor, what happened? How is he?" The mayor just shook his head and excused himself.

The doctor came out of Damon's room, leaving Tyler alone with the unconscious man.

"Doc, how is he?"

"And you are?" the elderly man looked down at Stefan above his glasses.

"Stefan Salvatore - Damon's brother."

"Ah, another Salvatore. You boys sure don't keep track of your allergies well," he chided.

"What happened?"

"Damon here follows in a long Salvatore tradition of being allergic to a local herb called vernane," he said, "Deadly allergic. He is out of the immediate danger zone, but his heart is still very weak."

"His heart?" Stefan repeated flatly.

"His pulse," The doctor clarified, "is weak. He is currently on life-support, and blood transfusions, just in case, but I believe as he heals, he will pull through."

Carol shook her head, "He is allergic to vervane?"

"Yes, now the average allergic reaction is an itch or redness, I remember it was Zachariah Salvatore who was brought in by his mother some fifteen years ago, when he was still a little boy. His father was allergic as well, according to his records - I checked. Apparently, he would get burns and blisters if the herb merely touched his skin, apparently, the same applies to Damon and Zach. I would recommend,-" he looked at Carol, "If you wish your son-in-law his health, you should refrain to serve him vervane tea."

Carol smiled a very strained smile, "Yes."

"Incidentally, I should perhaps remind you, like the Salvatores and their vervane, the Lockwoods seems to have adverse reactions to wolvesbane." And with that, he walked away.

Elena pulled Stefan away from the Lockwoods, "Damon had a pulse?" she asked sharply.

"I don't know," Stefan said, "Damon has been acting weird for ages, but it's Damon."

"Weird like how?" Caroline asked.

"Like eating." Stefan said, "Human food."

"But he's always done that," Elena said.

"Not in human amounts - because he was hungry." Stefan replied, "And he doesn't drink nearly as much."

Caroline shook her head, "I think you're just being paranoid," she said and headed in to keep Tyler company.

Stefan bbit his lip. The the pulse, and the briuses that had yet to heal? It didn't add up.

"Hey Ty," Caroline said as she entered the room. Tyler looked pale and tired and he smelled of blood and sex. She wrinkled her nose. "What happened?"

"Damon told me," he said, "About everything."

Caroline stopped in her tracks, "Tyler I am so sorry,"

"I know," Tyler replied without looking at her, "He's your Sire. He tells you to do something, you have to do it."

Caroline frowned, "Well..." But Damon and Stefan never obeyed Katherine.

"It's because you're a newborn," he said, "You inner vamp wants its Daddy," he quoted Damon.

"That is wrong on so many levels," she huffed.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"What's that beeping sound?" she asked.

"His heartbeat." Tyler replied.

"What?"

"It's his heartbeat," he repeated.

"How is that possible?" Caroline asked in wonder.

"We think... that my blood... and eh, body fluids, may have an effect on him."

"You mean it's changing him?"

"Yeah... I mean, he's been all warm and stuff. He eats food - like, loads, - and he doesn't burn in the sun, but he heals slower as well."

"It's his ring -"

"Without his ring. It didn't even affect him." Tyler pulled at his hair. "I don't know what's happening to him."

"What did you say?" Stefan asked as he came into the room, Elena right behind him. "Damon doesn't burn in the sun?"

"They think Tyler's ... body fluids," Caroline swallowed, "might be turning Damon human."