Holding on (Vampire Diaries~Enzo)

Chapter 19: Promises

~ Promises ~

27 September 1950 ~ Enzo

 

I can’t seem to draw my eyes away from Damon’s still seemingly lifeless body for very long. Except for the slight movement of his chest that indicates that he is in fact breathing, nothing else gives away that his heart is still beating. He has been like this since yesterday after Whitmore pumped so much Vervain into his system he’d be out for at least a day; of course Whitmore wouldn’t want his failed subject to go all serial killer on him after he – Whitmore – made him like that.

I know Damon can be ruthless, that he can kill without blinking and that he can make his victims suffer if he feels like it. But at least back then, before this all started it was his own choice to be like that. Now – at least if this is permanent and there is no way to know whether it is or not – there won’t be a choice for him.

The only thing that makes it seem as less of a problem is the fact that Damon doesn’t have human loved ones. To be honest I don’t really think there are a lot of people he cares about and even if there are people he calls friends then they would all be vampires like him. I think I can count myself as Damon’s friend by now. Ruby too. I think Damon sees her as the sister he never had.

They sure act like siblings. Jeez, how many times those two have argued about nothing and how many times they made up and teased each other and joked about things most people wouldn’t even laugh about.

Somehow, every time they have one of those sibling moments I can’t help but smile. It is rather cute for starters and it reminds me that even when you have lost all of your family, you can still find a new one. Maybe this isn’t the way I had anticipated, but I did find a new family with Damon and Ruby. They are all I have left now.

But as I look down at Damon; pale skin, his dark hair sticking against his sweaty forehead and his body numb, I realize that I might lose my family all over again.

If Damon ever slipped up and tried anything to Whitmore of Mathew, Whitmore wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of him.

He may be planning that already, I realize with a shock.

I’ve been here long enough to know Whitmore’s pride: he won’t hesitate to get rid of his failed experiment so he can cover up his mistake. I won’t even be surprised if he got rid of that Gilbert guy, who must be his only witness to his failure, except for his son of course. Though I wouldn’t go as far that he’d kill his own son. At least not for that. But if he found out that Mathew has been good to us, no one knows what he’d do in his rage.

I hope I’ll never have the pleasure to find out.

‘Is this going to be it?’ Ruby suddenly says and I look up from Damon to frown at her in confusion. She isn’t looking at me though; she has stopped pacing – that awful habit of hers – and is staring at Damon who still lies like a puppet on the ground.

‘Huh?’ I say still confused: I have no idea where this is coming from.

‘Are we going to wait until New Year’s Eve? Are we going to keep watching until one of us is waking up again? Just pretending like this is okay?’

Now I get where this is coming from… I think sadly. I know because I feel the same way.

‘It isn’t okay, Ruby. It will never be okay to watch someone dying or waiting until they wake up again.’ I say while pulling myself up against the wall with some difficulty. My limbs are numb and I don’t feel my feet, but I manage to stand straight. I wonder how long I’ve been in that position without realizing it. ‘But it will be okay. I pro-…’ I get cut off by Ruby who suddenly shrieks.