Hero?

2

Damon sits by Ana's bedside. He's been there since the night of the fire, only leaving her side when it was absolutely necessary. Taking over the Phoenix group was time consuming, but most of it he could do there at the hospital. Calum takes care of what he can outside of the hospital, but there are times when he has to deal with the problems. People have learned to not bother him unless it was truly important. He isn't known to be patient at the best of times. He'd been feared even before his father died. Now that he's in charge they are terrified of him.

They don't understand why he spends so much time with the girl that he took in.

"Damon, what are you going to do with her?" Calum is the only one that dares to question Damon about her. Damon has made it clear that she is a topic that is off limits.

"That will depend on her," Damon replies. "I'll be giving her a choice once she wakes up."

"It's been almost a month Damon, the chances are that she won't be waking up," Calum says gently. He doesn't understand the obsession Damon is showing towards this chit of a girl.

"She'll wake up. Then she'll have to make a choice," Damon says looking at the girl with compassion.

"What kind of choice does she have?" Calum demands. She had been given to Damon's father, that makes her Damon's. Add in that Damon saved her life, which Calum still didn't understand.

"To either live with me or go into the foster system."

"You're letting her decide? She's yours, Damon, you get to decide." Calum stares at Damon in disbelief. Slaves don't get to decide whether or not they are slaves. If they did there wouldn't be any slaves.

"She doesn't belong in this life Calum, I won't force her into it. Yes, she gets to choose." Damon looks up from his study of the girl to look at his right hand man. "She isn't a slave, Calum. But she is mine."

Calum is now thoroughly confused. "If she isn't a slave then how is she yours?"

Damon gives a slight smile before returning to the papers Calum had brought to him. "She just is. If she chooses to live with me she will be raised as if she is my sister. There won't be any treating her as a slave." 

Calum shakes his head even as he takes the papers Damon gives back to him. Damon gives him some instructions and some time later Calum leaves to do his friends bidding.

"Ana, you need to wake up now," Damon urges. The doctors were trying to get orders to take her off of life support since she doesn't have any family to fight for her.

Damon repeats himself over and over as he gently caresses her face.

There is a flutter of her eyes that pulls Damon's attention to her eyes. Slowly they open and Damon finds himself staring into the deepest blue eyes he's ever seen.

"Who are you?" Ana asks softly, her voice dry from disuse. 

Damon ignores her question and helps her sit up and gives her a drink of water that he keeps fresh. Ana takes a long drink before returning her attention to the strange man helping her.

"Where am I?" Ana tries a different question.

"You're in the hospital," Damon replies as he settles her back on the bed.

"Why?"

"Don't you remember?" Damon demands.

"I don't remember anything. Who are you?"

"His name is Damon," Calum states staring at the girl. "He saved your life."

The girl tears her eyes from Damon to Calum at his words. "I am Calum, his friend."