deercountry | ( the dog days are over )

( there's really nothing else he can say to that because he knows that whatever he does, she's going to insist on doing everything she can to get it out of him.

his breathing grows a little shallow and his eyes flutter shut, an escape from the pain coursing through him. )

I'm not healing. Why am I not healing? I thought this was fixed.

Did you...

[ she doesn't even know what she wants to ask as she turns a corner, doing her best not to jostle him. stefan had seemed fine this morning—as peppy as stefan salvatore could ever be. there hadn't been a wobble to his step or a scent coming off of him that had implied he was unwell.

the last time he hadn't healed quickly, it'd been in deerington when his healing had been smothered. katherine doesn't want to think that's happened again. it can't.

licking her lips, she stops. as calmly as she can, she looks down at him. ]

If you've been bitten, we need to get that venom out of you now.

[ and that means she will need to put him down. ]

It didn't bite me. It just...it shot it at me. And I think it burned my skin so it's inside me that way.

( it felt like acid and he still feels that in his blood. he takes several quick, shallow breaths, trying not to pass out because the pain will not relent. he can feel tears pricking at his eyes but he wipes at them with an uncoordinated hand before he shakes his head. )

It just....it was on fire, Katherine. It was there so quickly and I couldn't do anything about it. It hurts. It feels like I'm on fire now from the inside out.

Okay.

[ it's not okay, but it's the thing to say. she doesn't put him down.s he doesn't want stefan to be on some person's lawn. she'd been treating him as carefully as she could, but she knows now that there's no point to it. she's merely wasting time when she could be trying to alleviate his pain.

it's a good thing that she apparently has proficiency with poisons now, but she doesn't want to fumble in the middle of the street. ]

Close your eyes and focus on me. I'm going to get us home very quickly.

[ super speed. ]

I'm just gonna...close my eyes.

( because he thinks he might throw up if he keeps his eyes open and she goes that fast. he takes several deep breaths and then nods before he closes his eyes. he doesn't know if he's going to pass out but...well, he might pass out. )

I'm fine, you can do what you need to do. Just gonna close my eyes.

( yeah, he was going to maybe pass out. )

[ rather than reply, katherine waits a moment before she's off, super speeding. it's quick. she stops at the front porch and slips in through the open door, aleksander barking as she runs around the room in a frantic fuss.

she takes stefan to the couch and carefully deposits him down so he's on his side facing the cushions. she gently touches his bicep as she sits on her heels.

gently, ] Stef?

( he doesn't want to open his eyes. he wants to sink into unconsciousness and escape what he's feeling but she's not going to let him. he pulls his eyes open and looks at her, shivering a bit. )

It hurts.

( he doesn't mean to whine but he hasn't felt this level of pain in a long time. his back is on fire and he's lost some feeling in his arm from where the venom landed. he clenches his eyes shut tightly and shakes his head. )

I'm not healing. Something's wrong.

I know.

[ she rests her hand gently but firmly against his bicep. katherine looks him over, unsure of what to do. she doesn't know what being a vileblood means but given her perchance for poisons and her ability to pull it from the mushrooms from a couple of months ago, she doesn't want to not use what may be in her arsenal to help him. ]

I'm going to try and get it out of you, okay?

[ sliding her hand beneath his shirt, she tugs it up and away from the small of his back. his skin looks grossly. ]

Katherine, you shouldn't. You shouldn't. If I'm not healing, it could be this venom. And I don't want it getting in you.

( even the slightest pull of his shirt makes him keen, writing severely and painfully. he shuts his eyes and presses himself against the couch. he hopes to god that aleksander isn't seeing this.

he doesn't want to scar the dog. )

Oh god, oh god, fuck. Fuck. I can't breathe.

Yeah, sure. I'm not worried about myself.

[ she's not going to let him dissuade her from doing the one thing that they never had in their arsenal before. she winces and does her best not to back down from tugging his shirt up until his skin no longer looks mottled.

she holds her right hand near his back, hovering. moving her fingers slightly, she thinks of how it had felt to have magic again, of what her mother had taught her of traveller witchcraft so many centuries ago.

it's very slowly that she focuses on his blood, on the blood that feels tainted. she begins to slowly pull at it like she's sucking the venom from his skin with her lips. ]

I got you.

( even though stefan wants to tell her not to do this, not to risk herself, he wants that venom out even more. so, when he feels her start to tug at his skin, at his body, he closes his eyes and sighs, putting his hope into her and what she's doing.

but the pain doesn't abate, it doesn't stop. in fact, his body seems to shiver more, harder and he bites down on his lip to stop his teeth from c chattering. )

Katherine, stop stop. It's not working. I'm...I'm gonna pass out.

I can get it out, Stefan.

[ leaving it in him isn't an answer. she doesn't trust that the hospital has the antidote for a snake that has randomly appeared in the city. and if they do… katherine thinks that being a vileblood has to count for something. she's a survivor; she can't be a blood type that doesn't let her survive.

surviving also means with stefan.

she moves that hand near his back to slide along his wrist. feeling her fangs protrude, she decides that a more blunt tactic is best. ]

Hold my hand and let me help you. Please.

( he can feel sweat starting to break out against his forehead but he still feels cold. he shivers, reaching out to try and take her hand but he misses and then he misses again.

he grunts a bit, trying to sit up so he can stop messing this up but he finds his strength utterly sapped. he shudders, growling in frustration before he shakes his head. )

I don't think I can. Katherine, I can't — breathe.

( he was still breathing, it was just getting harder and harder to do. )

[ katherine ensures to remain calm. while she's still so new to the trench's blood systems, she knows that she has the capability of calming him. she knows it, despite not knowing it at all. ]

Sh. [ quietly, ] I've got you.

[ she focuses on his blood, wanting to stop it from pumping so hard, from igniting his adrenaline into wildfire. she grabs at his hand and squeezes his fingers, and she tries to calm him by controlling his blood to slowly move around his body and fill his heart. ]

What are you doing?

( he doesn't sound panicked or anything like that. he doesn't know what she's doing but he trusts her and he always will. he takes a few breaths and closes his eyes, not sure what he was doing but letting her do it.

he swallows, tasting copper and making a sound of pain. his back is on fire and he can feel his own bile in his throat. )

God, it's so...I don't know what's happening.

I'm trying to calm you down. Is it working?

[ she can hear the rush of his blood soften somewhat in its intensity. she knows that her willing his blood to calm is working. she ensures to keep control of it, wanting him to remain as calm as he can to stop pumping that venom through him. ]

I'm going to suck it out. Stay still.

[ katherine lowers her head to his arm where the skin looks mottled from venom. her fangs press against his skin, and while she would rather he invite her to bite him, she sinks her teeth in and sucks. ]

( when her fangs sink into his skin, he stiffens, nearly coming out of his skin because this shouldn't hurt that bad. he should be able to withstand a little pain but as soon as she bites him, he has to bite down on his own lip to stop himself from screaming.

he wants to warn her away from doing this because if the venom's doing this to him, he worries what it might do to her. he pants hard, eyes shut tight while he tries to stay still.

but he writhes a bit, unable to help himself, body shuddering with pain. )

[ withdrawing her bloodied mouth, katherine pants softly as she peers down at him. her brown eyes are complete darkness now. she peers down at him and hears the frantic beating of his heart, but she knows that her hold on him staying calm is still there. it's strange to be able to control something that she has only ever seen as food. ]

Are you feeling any better?

[ she can taste pinpricks of venom in his blood. katherine doesn't pay any mind to the fact that she finds it a little tasty. ]

( he doesn't answer at first, still shivering, still shuddering. he tries to see if there's any difference and while he does feel...something ease, there's still intense and horrible pain.

he shakes his head and when the pain returns again with almost great intensity, he stiffens up so hard, he thinks he pulls a few muscles. )

No. No. Something's really wrong, Katherine. I can't...my heart.

( it's pounding so fast that it's nearly coming out of his chest and he can't catch his breath. )

[ katherine swears in bulgarian.

licking her lips, the veins beneath her eyes calm down and her fangs disappear. she doesn't allow the worry to gnaw at her. she's in control. she needs to be. she's no use to him if she begins to panic. stefan's the one who needs to panic, even though she'd much prefer if he didn't.

pushing off the floor, she speeds into the kitchen and begins to rifle through things. ]

Where are your stupid keys!?

[ fifty thousand cars have fifty thousand keys. ]

( he doesn't answer because he can feel his throat starting to close up and he doesn't know what to do. this shouldn't be happening. even if he didn't have vampire healing abilities, her blood and her actions should have helped but nothing's working.

he can feel panic clawing at him now while he wheezes. he manages to get off the couch to try and help her but doesn't get far, vision swimming before he hits the ground and gasps hard against their carpet. )

[ with the keys to his porsche in her hand, she keeps them tucked between her fingers as she scurries over towards him on the floor. grunting as she picks him up.

carrying him again, aleksander remains quiet at the end of the couch. she doesn't even need to tell him to stay; he simply knows. katherine quickly walks to the door and peels it open, kicking it shut to dissuade the dog from following. she carries stefan to the driveway and to the red porsche, and deposits him into the passenger seat. ]

I'd really appreciate it if you didn't try to die on the way to the hospital.

I'm already dead.

( vampire and all. he thinks. maybe there's something strange going on here and that's why he can't seem to heal or get a breath or whatever's happening. he sucks in a breath when his lungs feel like they can get it and closes his eyes.

he wants to be able to walk but she's carrying him and she doesn't feel like she's going to be argued with. he just doesn't want to die either. )

Drive fast.

[ katherine does her best not to fumble with the keys in the ignition, but it's not her smoothest work. as the engine roars, she takes just a very brief moment to look over the steering wheel, rest her hands against it, and breathe. she's no use to him if she's not at her best.

although she's hardly settled, she pulls the car out of the driveway and fangs it down the street. ]

Good thing you have an obnoxious sports car.

[ she glances at him before she nudges his arm. ]

Keep making horrible jokes.

I don't know how many I've got left in me.

( that one had come out of some deep well of resiliency. his breathing is labored now and it sounds like he's really struggling to get deep breaths but his eyes are still open the barest amount. )

Where are you taking me?

( he should know this but he can't make his brain work that way just yet. he can't think. everything just feels hot and painful. )

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