Surprising Lover (TVDxOC) (Complete)

Woke Up With a Monster

Grace and Caroline enter Liz's hospital room
"Bad news is: the employee kitchen didn't have a juicer."
"Good news is: they do now."
"What is this?"
"It's a kale smoothie."
"It's good for DNA cell repair (Liz looks to Damon, who shrugs) and for slowing cancer."
"Oh, are you warm enough?"
"I'm fine."
"Let me just get you another blanket. (gets blanket out of drawer)"
"So you can literally smother her?
"(covering Liz up) I'm just trying to help here, since apparently, modern medicine takes forever."
"I don't understand why we can't skip all the guess-work and go straight to something that works. Like vampire blood."
"We are not having this conversation again, sweethearts."
"Okay, then what do you want to talk about?"
"How the doctors can't operate, how chemo won't work, how radiation won't shrink the tumor? Damon, feel free to jump in with your support here at any time."
"Well, I think that would require you having my support, Grace and Caroline."
"You don't think that our blood will work?"
"For 170-odd years, I've never known an instance where our blood cured cancer. But hey, Sheriff, if you want to be a guinea pig in an experimental study involving weird, unpredictable magic...Far be it from me to stop you."
"Look, sweethearts. For now, I would like to put my faith in science. Which means going home on doctor's orders, having a nice, quiet day and waiting for more MRI results."
"(getting up from his chair) See? Ahh, mommy knows best. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to make sure those witches aren't destroying my house. Feel better. (winks at Liz)"

Grace enters her living room, holding a flower. Caroline following also holding a flower.
"You kept my lavender alive. That's amazing."
"And my orchid."
"I wanted everything to be just the same when you finally came home."
Stefan enters the house.
"Hey."
"What is this?"
"Uhm, Stefan volunteered to move your entertainment center in here, so now you can watch TV from your favorite chair."
"Yeah, I hooked up the surround sound to your DVD player and I left a universal remote on the table, right there."
"Well, thanks. Guess it never occured to anybody to just...move my chair, but... (Stefan is watching Liz worriedly; Liz smirks) What's the matter? Never seen anyone with Stage 4 cancer before?"
"Actually, no, I haven't. One of the few perks of starting over ever few decades, real life never really catches up to you."
Caroline comes back downstairs holding a Friends boxset; she hands it to Liz.
"So if you start the Friends boxset now, we'll be back in time for Monica and Chandler's wedding. Stefan, you know how to laugh, right?"
"Opinions vary. Wait, why? Are you leaving?"
"Every minute counts."
"So I'm going to go get a second opinion from one of the world's leading experts in Grade 4 Glioblastoma. (Lix gives Grace a look) I couldn't sleep; I Googled."
"And where is the internet sending you?"
"Duke."
"Duke? You know what, maybe I'll give you a ride. I was thinking of heading that way to check on a friend."
"A friend?"
"Mmmhm."
"Stefan, I know all of your friends. Elena. Caroline. Me. (pretends to think) And then that's it."
"I think it would be better if you had some company on the road. (turns to Stefan) Thank you, Stefan. (Stefan nods and heads for the door)"
"(hugs Liz) I will call you every hour on the hour."
"Or I will."
"I will set my watch by it."
"I love you."
"I love you, too. Bye. (Grace, Caroline and Stefan leave; Liz sighs and sits in her chair tiredly)"

Grace, Caroline and Stefan are walking through an art exhibit.
"(she has her cell to her ear, on hold) So your friend I've never heard of is a world-famous photographer?"
"Well, it's a student exhibition."
"Oh, goody. Freshman art. Since you're so good at noticing untapped potential. How do you know this person again?"
"(someone talks to Grace on the other end of the line) Oh! Yes, I did call earlier about a consult with Dr. Moore? Great. (to Stefan) Okay, they can see us right now."
"You know what? I'm gonna catch up."
"Okay. Uh, Oncology Center, D4. Come find me."
"Okay. (Grace and Caroline turn and leave the room)" 

"(walking beside Dr. Moore) And that's when I read your article in the "New England Journal of Medicine." You know, the one about tumor reduction using hypothermia treatments?"
"That's not exactly light reading."
"Well, I didn't say I understood it. (laughs nervously)"
"These are my mom's charts. Look, your bio said that you are an amazing expert on glioblastoma and I really, really need an expert because my mom's doctors are telling her that she's not a cadidate for clinical trials."
"(looks into the doctor's eyes, compelling her) And you're not gonna give me any grief on insurance or confidentiality or anything except your honest opinion."
"(looking over Liz's charts) His doctors are doing everything right. It's a Grade IV tumor. They could try full-brain radiation, but that would seriously impact any remaining quality of life. He'll face cognitive and verbal decline, motor loss, personality change, and meanwhile, he could still develop morphine-resistant pain."
"So, you're saying that there's no feasible medical solution?"
"I really wish there were. I have a patient in nearly identical condition. He hasn't responded to any treatment. Now, he's just running down the clock."
"I want to see him."