The prophecy ~1864~

Chapter 16

Doctor Fell took his time looking Elena over. Damon grew impatient waiting.

"What is wrong with her?" he said urgently.

"I am unsure boy. I have never seen symptoms such as these." Doctor Fell mused.

"You've never seen a fever before?!" Damon said dumbfounded.

"Silly boy, not the fever." Doctor Fell sighed.

"Then what?!" Damon demanded.

"Look, this matter is bizarre. Her pulse is elevated beyond normal human rate, the fever is concerning yes, but not as much as her blood pressure, and her abdomen is swollen, I am fearing that she may have a rupturing organ." The doctor scratched his head.

"Are you sure? What if she was expecting and that is why she has a swollen abdomen?" Damon questioned quietly.

"Young Salvatore, what you are accusing is serious, that would mean that you are accusing your betrothed of adultery?" the Doctor gasped.

"I never accused that at all Sir. I only stated that there is a possibility that Miss Elena is expecting, not that she would have been sleeping around." Damon gritted his teeth.

"That would mean that you are telling me that you have already slept together?" Doctor Fell asked intrigued.

"I may be telling you that information, information that you Doctor Fell will take to your grave. I may not be able to threaten you but I will have my father pay you greatly for your confidence." Damon glared.

"Young Salvatore, the business of my patients are never disclosed. What you tell me here today I will not repeat, but I must know everything to help Miss Gilbert." The doctor acknowledged.

"Fine, yes we have slept together, but only once, just under two days ago." Damon stated. Doctor Fell nodded as he placed his hands on Elena's abdomen once again, noting that it was indeed swollen due to a developing pregnancy.

"Mmm, this is perplexing, it takes much more time for a pregnancy to develop, yet now as I examine Miss Gilbert it is evident that she is with child. It may be because she is so young, and much to skinny. Damon, I am fearful for Miss Gilbert, her body is rejecting the child." Doctor Fell said sadly.

"She is miscarrying?" Damon gasped, 'no that's not possible Emily assured me...' he thought to himself.

"It is possible yes, I am sorry." Doctor Fell nodded sadly.

"Is there anything that can be done? Will she die?" Damon bit his lip attempting to push the angry tears billowing in his eyes away.

"I am afraid there is nothing that can be done, I will make her a tonic for her fever, otherwise she will have to just be watched closely and kept hydrated. If the pregnancy does not expel or her body fails to accept it I fear there is a possibility that she may die yes. " The doctor instructed as he took a vial of medicine from his bag and mixed it with water and placing it in a syringe and injecting it into Elena's arm.

"Thank you," Damon said weakly as he watched the doctor giving Elena the medicine. 'You can't leave me, not now, I only got you back. Emily must know how to keep you alive. Both of you.' He thought looking at the frail girl before him.

In the meantime Stefan and Filipe where nearing a small town outside of Mystic Falls. The days heat was starting to lift as dusk over took the sun.

'I have to find my brother, if Elena dies, Damon will never forgive me.' Stefan thought to himself as he ushered Filipe to a motel.

Something seemed off about this motel, it was quiet, too quiet.

"Hello?" Stefan bellowed as he reached the front desk. Silence is all he heard. He looked over the counter and was shocked at what he saw.

The young desk agent lay dead in a pool of his own blood. His neck was torn open. Stefan felt bile rushing to his throat. Vampires.

'Oh my god, why did I ever want to be this?' thoughts rushed to his mind as he turned around to find help, he was stopped dead in his tracks.

"Elena? What the hell are you doing here?" he said his eyes wide. The woman that stood before him looked exactly like Elena, but Elena was miles away sick. Stefan was confused.

"I am sorry kind sir you must have me confused. I am Kathrine, I am here to find a room." Kathrine smiled, she instantly felt a connection to this man.

Stefan froze in his spot, 'Kathrine' the name rang in his mind. What Elena told him earlier in the day was coming back in waves. 'She comes and destroys my family, that's what Elena says.' Yet Stefan felt a pull, like the universe was trying to connect them, like the two ends of a magnet – they just fit.

"Kathrine... That is a very pretty name." Stefan said as he swallowed hard, trying to slow his beating heart.

"Why thank you kind sir, may I be so forward to ask yours?" Kathrine flirted, noting the increase of Stefan's heartbeat.

"It's, it's... Stefan..." he stuttered.

"Stefan, short for Stefano?" Kathrine toyed.

"Um... Yes, my family is Italian." Stefan muttered, taking in a deep breath.

"Mmm, I like Italians." Kathrine smirked. Suddenly he remembered the dead front desk attendant.

0

"I..." Stefan stumbled over his words.

"Oh I apologize Mister Stefan, I did not mean to be so forward." Kathrine smiled. Stefan sighed in relief, he had thought she was going to eat him.

"No need to apologize Miss Kathrine, but I am afraid you will not be finding a room here, and nor will I, it appears that the front desk help has been murdered." Stefan commented.

"Murdered? Oh no how did that happen and how do you know?" Kathrine played along.

"I found him just as you arrived, it appears his neck has been ripped open, I believe it is the work of "vampires"." Stefan boldly stated reaching for the nearest wooden object.

"Vampires? How much do you know about vampires?" Kathrine asked staring deep into Stefan's mossy eyes. Her pupils dilating as she spoke, Stefan was frozen to the spot.

He immediately began to speak, it was as if he had no control over his lips. "I know that you are a vampire and that you will come and stay with my family, fall in love with both me and my brother, then you will turn us into vampires. That is what Elena warned me." Stefan grabbed his mouth as the words left his lips.

"Who is Elena?" Kathrine's voice was harsh, not light and airy like Elena's, her brows furrowed in anger.

"Elena, is my brother's betrothed, she looks exactly like you, she said she is your doppelgänger. She came from the future and is here to destroy you, her and my brother." Stefan gasped.

"Your brother, is he of medium height, dark haired man with gorgeous blue eyes?" Kathrine asked intrigued.

"Yes, his name is Damon." Stefan tried to fight the compulsion, biting his lip.

"Damon, Damon Salvatore correct? He and your father I presume almost killed me early today which means that you are Stefan Salvatore. It is sure a pity what happened to Valarie, and your baby Joseph." Kathrine tilted her head as she began to circle Stefan in a very menacing way.

"What... What are you going to do to me?" Stefan asked fearfully, feeling tears stinging his eyes.

"I am not sure yet, do I kill you now, clean up loose ends? Or do I compel you to forget me?" Kathrine stopped still. "You are a beautiful specimen that is for sure." She said taking her hand and stroking Stefan's cheek softly.

"You will go home, forget everything you saw here today, the only thing you will remember is that you went for a ride on your horse and got lost, a kind woman gave you directions how to get home and you left." She said before quickly whisking away into the night.

Stefan shook his head. 'I have to get home, father will be furious it's so late.' Stefan thought to himself, confused on how he got there in the first place.

Kathrine watched him mount Filipe and ride off into the distance.

"Who are you Stefan Salvatore, and why do I want you so?" she whispered into the wind.