ALMOST IS NEVER ENOUGH | TVD [2]

XVII • BREAK ON THROUGH

seventeen. break on through

Mystic Falls Hospital

Alaric is lying down on an MRI couch, about to go into the MRI scanner. Elena, Meredith and Rosie are in the control room, preparing to scan him.

"What are you looking for, exactly?" The hybrid questioned in deep concern.

"I don't know. A tumor, vascular anomalies, anything physical that might explain his behavior. If it's medical, I can treat it." The doctor responded.

The chestnut brunette spoke up in equal concern, "And if it's not?"

The young woman nods once, "Well, then we'll deal with that too."

A young professional technician slides the young man inside the machine. Alaric stares at his own reflection in the long clear mirror placed above him.

"Hmm. When did you suspect him? How could you be so sure? That it was Alaric who was killing all of those people?" Rosie questioned the doctor.

"It was after he told me about his ring. I remembered a story my grandmother had told me about Samantha Gilbert and her secret journal. I don't know if you know this, but we Fells are notorious busy-bodies."

"Shouldn't be so hard to know." Rosie referred to Sean Fell.

"But then, why did you protect him?" Elena asked her this time.

"Because I'm a doctor, I don't like to see someone hurt by something they have no control over. And because when he and I first met, I felt like...I don't know, I- I just kind of want to help him." The young woman responded.

Alaric continues to stare at his reflection in the mirror in the MRI machine. His reflection glares down at him, but Alaric is not making the same expression and he starts to panic. Meredith talks to him over a speaker.

"Everything alright in there?"

Alaric closes his eyes shortly and opens them, he stares at his reflection again; its expression is the same as his, "Yeah. Yeah, everything's okay."

After the scan, Alaric is in a regular hospital room, getting ready to leave. Elena and Rosie walk in, one after the other, both worried of his condition.

"Meredith says that everything is normal." The protective latter rephrased.

"Yeah, well, everything is normal, because there is nothing wrong with me. I didn't kill Brian Walters, I didn't kill Bill Forbes, and I sure as hell didn't shove a hunting knife into my stomach." Alaric looks down at his own magical resurrection ring, which is the only thing he hasn't picked back up. If he did all those things, then he would have remembered them, but he doesn't remember or recall anything about attacking anyone or himself.