Crumbling Hearts and Shattered Minds

Chapter 14: Bruised, Broken, And Now Dying

Stefan POV

We moved into the kitchen to come up with a game plan. Bonnie was looking for a spell to heal the physically and mentally broken. Alaric, Jeremy and I stayed off the way and sat in a uncomfortable silence around the dinning table.

I didn't want to talk and Alaric and Jeremy weren't exactly good at comforting.

I sighed and dropped my head on to the cool oak table. I heard Bonnie moving about the kitchen, muttering to herself about what spell she could do. Elena was in the other room whispering comforting words to Damon.

I had noticed that they have been growing closer, but the thing is, Damon wasn't trying. I know my brother, better than anyone. And he wasn't trying to steal Elena. At first he was, but after the werewolf bite, everything even remotely related to Elena was done halfheartedly.

It all changed.

Next I heard Damon's voice.

He'd been coming and going for about three hours now.

But I was with him for each of the other ones...

My head snapped up. Damon was getting injuries from memories that he was reminded of. And if he saw Elena next to him, trying to comfort him, the only other time that's happened was during...

I jumped away from the table, earning a startled look from Jeremy and a newly conscious Alaric. But I didn't stop to explain.

I ran as fast as I could into the parlor and towards the couch Elena and Damon were at. Elena got startled and stood up from her spot on the coffee table across from the couch Damon is on.

"Stefan, what's wrong?" Elena asked while I looked at my now aware older brother.

"Elena, move." I said while looking back at her. I tried to keep my face neutral, but she must have seen the panic that I felt because she moved to my side without question. I have her a little nod then kneeled next to Damon.

"Hey baby bro. Something wrong?" Damon asked wearily. I looked to him.

"I don't know. I just have a hunch ad I hope to hell I'm wrong." I said as I rolled up the sleeve of Damon's favorite long sleeve black shirt.

Damon winced once I got to the elbow and my fears were confirmed as I rolled it up and over the angry red blotch of flesh that now covered a good potion of Damon's inner elbow.

I cursed and looked from Damon to the wolf bite and back to Damon.

"Well, here we go again." Damon said while dropping his head back on the pillow behind him.

"What happened? What's going on?" Elena asked while shifting nervously from foot to foot.

I turned my head in her direction but not enough to look at her.

"You being by his side when he woke up and trying to comfort him triggered the memory from the werewolf bite. Call Tyler and Caroline, they're gonna want to be caught up on the recent turn of events."

Tyler had went to get everyone a change of clothes from they're respective houses because no one was planning on leaving, and Caroline went to go pick up caffeine for everyone about a half hour ago.

I saw Elena nod out of the corner of my eye and I watched her turn and silently leave the room.

That's when I noticed Rick and a very frighten looking Jeremy standing by a far wall.

I turned my attention back to my bruised, broken, and now dying older brother. I shook my head.

"I'm so sorry Damon." I said while carefully resting my head on his aching chest.

"Why? Are you the one that beat me to a pulp on a weekly basis? Did you bite me? Are you the one that is driving me mad with lies as taunts? No. So don't Apologize, Stef. Don't even think about blaming yourself. I don't. I blame Giuseppe and my fucked up mind." Damon said while running his hand through my hair, much like I have been to him this past week.

This wasn't the first time that I realized that I really missed my brother and my best friend. It's just been more and more lately.

I lifted my head and nodded.

"Bonnie is trying to find a way to heal you physically and mentally. It might take some time, but we'll do anything we can before that bite really does start taking effect." I said while running my own hand through my tangled and knotted hair.

Damon nodded.

I sighed and moved to sit on the coffee table.

"Stefan, when's the last time you fed?" Damon asked while eyeing concernedly.

I laughed humorlessly and shook my head.

"You're dying and most likely in a immense amount of pain, and you're asking if I fed?"

He shrugged.

"I'm the oldest, it's my job to put you first." He said it as it if it was the the most obvious thing.

I huffed out a breath and shook my head.

"A few days ago, I think" I said while giving a nonchalant shrug.

Damon rolled his eyes and gave me a look that said 'get your ass down stairs and feed'.

I rolled my eyes and grinned a little.

My older brother was dying and yet he still wasn't worrying about himself.

I honestly didn't know what to think about that.

I stood and made my way down stairs.

I opened the freezer and grabbed a blood bag. Damon had been helping me learn how to control my hunger and the intake of blood that I have.

I opened the blood bag and started walking back upstairs.

I was entering back into the room when Bonnie came running into the parlor.

"I found something."

It was the best news that I had heard all week.