deercountry | ( the dog days are over )

[ and he's out like a lightbulb. that, truthfully, makes this a lot easier.

after katherine checks that he's still breathing—thank god—she gets to work in commandeering a room and gently depositing him on an empty bed. she recruits a doctor and nurse—or blood ministers, whatever—who look trustworthy and who only shrink slightly at her snappish tone. she considers compulsion, but as they explain to her what they think is wrong, she begrudgingly allows herself to trust them.

she ignores the drying blood on her mouth as they get to work pilfering a cupboard and strapping stefan to wires and gadgets she remembers waking up to in the hospital in deerington. she stands by his bed and refuses to move, and dutifully watches over him like the very intense wife that she is.

they administer something—an antidote that katherine keeps the bottle of—and she has to wait for stefan to wake up. his vitals appear better, but he's so painstakingly human. the doctor pokes him at one point and he doesn't heal.

katherine's definitely not leaving, not even if a pack of werewolves barrelled in and began to nip at her heels. sitting by his bedside with her chair pulled right up to the bed so her knees hit against the frame, she waits. she needs to be able to be here the moment he wakes up so she can kill him. ]

( when he passes out, he does wonder if he's going to wake up. he doesn't know what's going on with his body but he wonders if it's too much for whatever he's become.

but somehow, he opens his eyes and he's awake. he knows where he is immediately by the sound of the machines and the wires on his chest. his mouth is dry and his eyes burn and his back and shoulder still feel like fire but he's...awake. and the pain isn't as bad.

he licks his lips and glances over, not turning his head because that still hurts. )

Katherine?

Stef.

[ she smiles at him, though it's not entirely mirthful. she's grateful that he's awake—more than grateful, really. she's already holding his hand in hers; she sits forward in her chair so he doesn't have to twist or tilt his head too much to see her.

the hospital room had been too quiet for the long period of time he had been out. katherine hasn't moved from his side, not trusting the blood ministers with him for even a minute alone. she hasn't stopped scrutinising them, even when they're not in the room. ]

Do you know where you are?

Fuck.

( that's in answer to figuring out where he is. he croaks the word out and tries to sit up while also trying to pull some of the wires off his body. but he's weak so it doesn't work well. )

Am I at home?

( he knows he's not. )

[ katherine leans over and gently smacks his hands away. while he exudes a human-like air to him, he doesn't get to tug any wires off of his body. ]

No.

[ but she imagines he already knows that. their bed is more comfortable and katherine is often curled up around him. the pillow beneath his head, despite her trying to fish for the best, is soft and too thin. ]

You're at the hospital in the Trench. You were bitten by a snake. The idiots here saved you.

Ow.

( it hadn't hurt but still. he doesn't want to be here. he drops his hands back down to his sides and blinks up at the ceiling. )

I feel terrible.

I'd be worried if you didn't.

[ even as a vampire, she'd expect him to feel horrible in some sense of the word.

she remains leaning forward and gently brushes her fingers against his forehead. ]

Can you smell anything? Hear anything far away?

No.

( he tries not to panic about that but he doesn't know how long it's been. has he been stuck like this for days? weeks? but he doesn't think it's been that long since katherine's still dressed in the same clothes he remembers her in when she'd found him. )

No, I can't. I can't smell anything but this hospital room. I don't know what's wrong with me.

Then you're not going anywhere until we get the all-clear from one of the doctor Blood Minister people.

[ she waves her hand dismissively. it honestly doesn't matter what their title is. all that matters to her is that she gets told stefan is okay, venom-free, and she can take him home.

does she like it? absolutely not. but she's not going to risk him. ]

Your body is human.

How is that possible?

( how did he just...change into a goddamn human? he hadn't touched anything, hadn't eaten anything, hadn't done anything.

he swallows, closing his eyes. )

I feel okay.

[ trench. that's the answer. katherine doesn't think to say as much, given that it's now as obvious as water is wet.

she sighs, reaching for his hand to gently play with his fingers. it's easier to keep herself touching him and fiddling with him. it makes her feel more in control, more connected to him. ]

There was something gross on the floor on your side of the bed. [ she scrunches up her face. ] I think... some people were talking about finding their skin somewhere. Maybe you... shed your vampire skin?

What?

( that sounds ridiculous but exclaiming like that makes his chest hurt and he grimaces before settling down, shaking his head after the pain eases. )

That's not possible. Why didn't it happen to you?

[ she shrugs and brushes her nail very gently against the inside of his palm. she keeps her gaze down. ]

Maybe it passed over me.

[ as it most likely did, considering she still feels very much like herself. ]

Not much make sense here, Stef. This is just another one of those things.

I don't want to be a human!

( that time has long since passed for him. he doesn't think he can go back to being a human again and he doesn't think he wants to. )

I don't want to be in this hospital either.

Well, you got bitten by a snake, so you're staying until I'm satisfied you're okay.

[ she regards him with a pointed look. that, at least, she can control.

brushing her fingers against his wrist, she sighs about the other part. that, she can't do anything about. ]

And we wait to see if this humanisation is temporary.

I didn't get bitten.

( he remembers that. he'd stayed away from that snake so he wouldn't get bitten. )

It...shot venom at me or something. But it never bit me.

[ she sighs quietly. ]

Either way, Stefan, you were infected with venom. And you're never going out to the bakery by yourself ever again.

[ and she will be terrifying to all snakes that think to shoot venom at him. it's a win-win, really. he gets to spend more time with her and he remains safe. ]

I'm going to buy you a bubble and put you in it.

You do remember a store fell on you, right?

( so, they're kind of...even? kind of. he thinks hers was worse. he coughs a few times and curls up, trying to get comfortable. )

What did they do to me?

[ she barks her laughter at that. bowing her head, she rests her forehead against his fingertips and shakes her head. of course, he brings that up. the human hottie who just survived snake venom brings that up.

peering up at him, she sighs quietly. ]

Poke and prodded you. They did some blood thing that got the venom out of you. They were much better than me.

Your blood didn't heal me.

( it should have, if he was a human. so, why hadn't it? he swallows and still tastes bile so he wipes the back of his mouth with his hand to try and dispel it. )

It should have. If I'm human, why didn't I get healed?

Trench.

[ she shrugs. that's all she has to offer. katherine had focused on trying to use her blood capabilities over the hard and fast known way of feeding him blood. she hadn't wanted to risk anything. feeding him blood wasn't going to get the venom out of his system, especially if it wasn't disappearing from being intermingled with his. ]

I think we treat it like a twenty-four-hour cold and hope that by tomorrow you're back to your indestructible self.

So, let me go home and I can wait it out there.

( he feels...horrible, really, but he doesn't want to be in this weird hospital. he shifts, wincing, and then sits up through great effort. )

See, I'm good. I can walk out of here.

[ she cocks her brow in amusement. ] Did you let me go home when I insisted I was better when I clearly wasn't?

[ he does remember the building, right? considering he brought it up only a few moments ago… she smiles and shakes her head. ]

We're waiting. [ she rests her hand against his back. ] You will lose against me if you try anything else, Stefan.

No.

( but that's different, katherine! because it was her and not him and he thinks he's fine even when he's not.

he sighs and makes a face. )

How long's it been? Did you tell me that already? My head is kind of foggy.

How about you lie down first, hm? Then, you can ask questions.

[ and she'll happily oblige to answer each and every one of them as long as he lies down. while she rests her hand against his bicep, she doesn't push him down just yet. he has his chance to lie down on his own. ]

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