The Bourbon Diaries ✢ The Vampire Diaries FanFiction ✢ TVD FanFic ✢ TVDU FanFic

Chapter Ten - Stefanie Salvatore

Three and a half years ago

Mystic Falls, VA

New Year's Eve, 11:40pm

Stef woke in the hospital with a hunger unlike anything she had experienced before. She had slept for barely twenty minutes before the sickness had her jolting awake, her insides knotting in pain. She felt different, disorientated, her eyes stung, the noises surrounding her seeming so much louder. The clock ticking. A trolley outside rattling. Her bedsheets rustling. Too many voices. Where were all the voices coming from? Why was everything so loud? Why were the lights so bright? She sat upright in the bed, closing her eyes, bringing her knees to her stomach, and placing her hands over her ears.

A palm was placed gently on her back. "Honey, it's okay, everything's okay," came the distorted voice of her father. His hand started stroking gently along her spine, even that feeling too sensitive.

She urged herself to open her eyes again, her environment slowly coming into focus through pinched eyelids. The tap over the sink in her room released a drip that sounded as loud as cymbals. Were the walls white? No, they were beige. How could beige walls look so bright? "Can you turn down the lights, please?" she asked.

Damon stood, switching on an overhead lamp, swivelling it away from her, and then turning off the ceiling lights. He sat back down next to her. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like death," she replied. Probably the wrong choice of words. Did she need to eat? The thought of food made her feel nauseated. When was the last time she ate? Why was her mind racing? She needed more rest, she finally decided.

 "Your mother has checked your scan already," he said. "Your rib isn't broken, so that's good news."

Stef ran her hand along her ribs, pressing to check for tenderness. There was none. That was odd, she expected there to be at least bruising.

Damon added gently, "Phoenix is alive."

Stef's head whipped towards him, her gasp turning into a startled smile. "Really?"

"Really," he smiled back. "They revived him in the ambulance. The paddles, I guess. Who knew that guy had a heart to restart? I guess if it had been his brain, he wouldn't have stood a chance." He chuckled, taking her hand and stroking it, his expression then turning serious. "I'm still mad at him, Stef. I kept a spare key in the cellar, you could have gotten out sooner. You should have gotten out sooner."

"I'm safe now, Dad, that's all that matters."

He patted her hand a final time and then leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, well, he's going to wish he'd stayed dead once I'm finished with him."

"Dad!"

He waved his hand at her dismissively. "It can wait, don't worry."

Stef sighed. "Is Mom here?"

"She's still seeing to Phoenix," he said. "She's been in, but she didn't want to wake you."

"Can I see them?"

Damon pinched his inner bottom lip between his teeth, glancing at the door, his fingers interlocking as he tried not to let his nerves show. "That's probably not a good idea yet, sweetheart. He's still being monitored and you need more rest."

She couldn't argue with that. Her head was pounding and her eyes felt incredibly heavy.

He stood up and stroked from her hair to underneath her chin. He tilted her head towards him. "I promise I won't kill him until you've seen him."

Stef batted his arm away playfully. "You won't kill him at all," she smiled.

"For you, maybe I won't," he conceded, smirking at her. "Now get some rest." He switched off the lamp and headed towards the door, stepping outside with a final glance at her. Then he closed the door behind him.