Chapitre 143: 23. Friend or Foe?
The sterile room was filled with the steady hissing sound of the ventilator and the beeping of the heart monitor. Damon entered and could sense the mental power emanating from Wulfe, who sat beside the bed holding one of Mimi's pale hands.
He muttered to himself, "Come on, unicorn. I'm free. You need to wake up. I need you now, don't sleep."
However, there was no response. Mimi's pulse remained at a steady 32 beats per minute, with oxygen saturation fluctuating between 94% and 96%. Her temperature was a few degrees too low, but Wulfe refused to let them put her in an incubator. He didn't want to treat her like a corpse. To him, it was like a coffin, and he was not letting them put her in the coffin.
Damon, clinically assessing the situation, recalled various medical facts. He tried to keep his emotions in check, but it was distressing to see Mimi with an intubation tube in her mouth, hooked up to an ECMO machine, and surrounded by tubes and fluids. She looked exhausted and fragile, far from the powerful hive queen she once was.
Damon couldn't help but remember Lila's final breath, her gaze fixed on him before her body went limp in his arms, her blood staining his hands. His thoughts were interrupted when Mariella wrapped herself around him, grounding him in the present moment.
Mariella asked, "Where should we start? Wulfe is exerting a lot of pressure on our minds. He's protecting her, but we need to figure out what we can do for Mimi. Besides, Wulfe isn't doing well either. There are still traces of etorphine in his blood. He must have had an implant, or else it's incredibly difficult to eliminate."
Damon let out a soft breath and replied, "First, we need to calm Wulfe down. We should reach out to Lepard in the hive. He can get us in quickly, and we can retrieve number four. Now, I have a plan. If we can get number four, can he and we also retrieve number two? I'm not entirely sure if we can handle any more of salvatores oozing in, as it might be quite challenging. However, the more of us inside the hive, the easier it will be to bring others in."
Mariella pondered, her brow furrowed as she gazed into the distance.
She said, her voice laced with uncertainty, "We can try what you told us, Damon. Annaliese sleeps during the day, so it's easier for us to work at that time. But I can't help but feel like I'm letting others down by focusing on Number Two. However, he's one of the strongest there, so we have to give it a shot. And if we can awaken Mimi, her powers could give us a much-needed boost, along with Wulfe."
Damon sighed, his eyes scanning the room as he spoke. "Fine, let's go see Lepard. If we can get into the hive, we might be able to help them. But do you want to prioritize helping Wulfe first?"
Mariella hesitated momentarily, her thoughts swirling in her mind, before finally responding, "Sure, I can try."
Damon glanced at his wife, his hand gently resting on her shoulder, as he noticed the worry etched on her face.
He empathetically said, "Oh, I understand why you're distressed about seeing Mimi. It's unsettling to witness her hooked up to all these machines, as we normally let her be with no breath or pulse. And now, she looks so frail. I guess your radar is haywire."
Mariella nodded, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "She won't last. Her condition won't improve with ECMO. I am not sure if it does more harm than good for her. And Wulfe just doesn't see it. Besides, that damn drug is nasty."
Damon's arm wrapped around Mariella's shoulders, his touch offering a minor comfort as he tried to ease her worry. It was evident that she and Mimi had grown closer through their time in the hive, and seeing the hive queen connected to life support was a harsh reality.
Damon turned his attention to Wulfe, urging him, "Come on, take a break. We need to check you over first. You're not fine. There are still traces of that drug in your system after all these weeks."
Wulfe lifted his gaze, his eyes filled with determination as he replied, "No, she might wake up and start breathing on her own. You see, this machine is calibrated to detect when she's trying to breathe by herself. It has a sophisticated AI attached to it."
Damon nodded understandingly, his voice gentle yet firm. "Come on, let her rest. She's not there yet. There's still too much of the drug in her system. But we will help her. However, we need to help you too and improve the functioning of the hive. As a doctor, I have a duty to care for you, my boy."
Mariella walked alongside Wulfe, offering her support as she guided him to another part of the medbay for further examination.
Damon reassured Wulfe, "We'll need to run many blood tests and scans, so it will take some time. Now, you have to rest. Lie down and relax. You'll be receiving multiple IVs, so make yourself comfortable."
Wulfe settled onto the patient bed, one that Mimi had previously gotten, noticing its comforting absence of sides or restraints. It was indeed a pleasant place to rest. She always chose comfort over practicality.
Damon glanced at Mariella, who was walking near Wulfe, and softly spoke to the distressed ancient creature, "Initially, I need to taste your blood to understand the baseline of what I am working with since I am your protector."
Wulfe nodded in agreement and pleaded, "Please, I need to be by her side in case she wakes up or breathes on her own. She must wake up."
Mariella sank her fangs into Wulfe, flooding him with as much strong velvet as she could. This caused Wulfe to slump bonelessly in her grip. She continued to flood him for almost a whole minute, ensuring that he entered a deep state where he couldn't fight himself back awake. It was gentler for him to sleep for a while, as they would need to perform distressing procedures on Mimi, and the etorphine needed to leave his system as well.
Damon called on numbers Three and Five to take care of Wulfe while he and Mariella went to find Lepard and ooze into the hive. Once inside, Damon planned to take over and become the king. After Mimi woke up, they would have a crucial conversation. Damon sighed inwardly, knowing that it wouldn't be an easy talk but a necessary one.
He would have to assert his dominance while also acknowledging his shortcomings and cowardice. It was all about finding the right balance. He would have to be fucking strict but same time try to get Mimi on board about doing this together. It was not easy as that feisty minx was damn stubborn, a leader, and not willing to share her power.
A few hours later, they arrived at the hive. Damon had taken control, and he, along with numbers three and five and with Mariella's assistance, managed to bring in number four, who was extremely tired. However, they had a plan. Damon got into the core of the hive, granting him power, and he infused number four with that power. Meanwhile, number two, one of the strongest, was being bitten by number four helping him to ooze in the hive to join them. Once number two was oozing far enough, number four could teleport back to the hive. Then, their focus would shift to taking care of Mimi, which wouldn't be an easy task.
Damon constantly had a headache due to the strain of bringing in number two. He understood how difficult it must have been for Mimi and realized the challenge of obtaining the remaining ones simultaneously. The pain was freaking excruciating. However, it was now time to see what they could do for Mimi. The first step was to remove a significant amount of blood from her and replace it with his own, which carried more life force than Mimi's blood. The etorphine had killed her blood, causing her body to suffer as a result. This would be quite a fight in front of them and it would not be so short or easy, but hey, challenges make life worth living right? Damon thought bitterly in his mind.
They decided to keep Wulfe sleeping for the time being, as Mimi needed a few more tubes. Her blood was being drawn out and replaced with Damon's blood and Mariella's blood. Charles and Adam, the boys, were also present, taking care of her and trying to stay by her side. However, Damon had to enforce strict time limits for them. Mimosa, Shadow, and Mariella had to be there to support and assist them, ensuring that everything remained as calm as possible. Mimi was so damn fragile, ECMO doing more harm than good. So they put her in heart-lung machine, to help ease the burden on her physiology.
Damon sat by the computer, diligently jotting down notes in an attempt to maintain his clinical focus. However, he found it incredibly difficult. His fingers pressed the buttons, and the text appeared on the screen, but it all felt so sterile and clinical. "The subject shows no signs of respiration or heartbeat, and the presence of etorphine in her central nervous system remains unchanged. Clinically speaking, the subject is still deceased. We are currently administering multiple blood transfusions in an effort to restore vitality to her cells. Tissue samples have revealed a significant lack of vitality throughout the body due to the absence of life force in her blood. The prognosis remains guarded as treatment is underway, and we have yet to see any substantial improvement. However, the subject's condition is currently stable. For future reference, it is strongly recommended that etorphine be classified as a highly harmful substance, and its ingestion should be avoided at all costs. The subject is currently on heart-lung bypass, which helps restore vitality and tries to minimize stress for her tissues."
Damon ran his hand through his hair, realizing just how long it had become. He wasn't even sure how many times Mimi had actually cut his hair. It had always been his lovers, those foolish women desperate for his attention, who would push themselves onto him. And he had gone along with their huge fake tits and big ample asses.
The past was filled with bitter regrets, and Damon had once believed that if someone had told him that he and Mimi weren't meant to be or that she would leave him years ago, he would have punched them in the face. But who could have known? The future was never easy to predict, rarely offering any answers.
Mariella was taking care of Wulfe, and it had been three days since they got into the hive. He would soon wake up, and Wulfe's issues had been resolved. There was no longer any trace of etorphine in his system. However, it was now time for Damon to explain to Wulfe what he had done to Mimi and why. He needed to find a clear and understandable way to convey this information, avoiding clinical or medical jargon that Wulfe may not comprehend or could potentially misinterpret. Once again, Damon found himself in the role of a teacher.
The following day, Damon sat in the living room, waiting for Wulfe to join him for a conversation. Number four was still asleep, and number two was slowly making his way towards the hive. Damon felt a bit exhausted, as he had taken potent painkillers to numb the pain and ensure that he wouldn't accidentally push number two away. Instead, he allowed him to ooze into the hive, even though it was excruciatingly painful.
That obnoxious cunt, Annaliese, had noticed that number four was missing and that number two was being drawn towards the hive. She was desperate to keep him close to her, making it challenging to bring him into the hive. Damon could feel Annaliese's wrath on number two. It might be that we would not be in shape to get anyone else in.
Damon had to keep his mind relaxed while Mariella had to assist Number Two. She tried to help him by giving him white power and her love. Mimi would have been perfect for that, but she was not available yet.
Wulfe walked in and sat down opposite Damon. He asked, "How long until you wake her up, or do we have to use the Genesis Protocol?"
Damon frowned and asked, "What is the Genesis Protocol?"
Wulfe explained, "Mimi has provided tissue samples for safekeeping. If her body gets destroyed, or contaminated by some pathogen, or if she is a hard place to get out, she can regrow in a secure location. I can activate the Genesis Protocol with a single spell, which will destroy her current body and allow her to grow a new one. However, it may be weaker and she might not be too happy about it. But at least the drug would be gone, oh why I did not think this sooner?"
Damon thought for a minute and said, "No, no Genesis Protocol. She is not strong enough. Let me try to explain this simply without getting too medical."
Wulfe nodded and said, "Please, explain it in simple terms."
Damon began, "First of all, if we wait for her to regrow enough, the hive will be dismantled. I'm not sure what that would do to us. Besides, Number Two is still oozing in, so we can't take the risk. Also, Mimi is low in the life force. She still has her spark, but her body needs a life force to function properly, and it's currently low due to the massive dose of etorphine that killed her. So we need to replenish it."
Wulfe nodded again and asked, "Can we replace it? I can offer mine."
Damon replied, "We are already working on replacing it, but it's not a quick process. We have removed most of the loose etorphine from her blood, but some remain in her brain. It has bound in certain receptors in her brain cells, hindering her nervous system. "
Wulfe looked a little perplexed so Damon tried to explain more in detail. "Let me explain further. In the brain cells, some receptors can be activated or locked by certain substances. Little like a door, with a lock, put the key in, open the door, and get stuff happening but also you can lock the door, stop or protect some parts. Etorphine acts like the wrong key that is inserted and breaks off inside the lock, rendering the door useless. It binds to several types of receptors, causing them to go offline and disrupting their normal functions. Some functions in Mimi's brain are locked, while others are activated. But those receptors that regulate if she is awake or asleep are now overtaken by etorphine and its byproducts. Doors are locked that should be opened."
Wulfe remained silent for a moment and then asked, "How do we remove that damn key from the lock?"
Damon began, "First of all, we're infusing her with my blood. I have a lot of life force, being her biological half. Once she gains enough strength, she might be able to do something for herself, and we'll assist her. My teeth will be the first line of defense when we prepare her for treatment. I can easily knock off those pieces of keys from the locks but in order to do that, we must get rid of as much etorphine as possible so there are no loose keys to try to push into those locks."
Keeping his voice calm, Damon tried to convey his idea.
Wulfe asked, "Can you tell how long it will take?"
Damon shook his head, replying, "She's unique. We haven't used this drug before, so I have no way of knowing the duration. However, we have a plan. It might be necessary to take things slowly to save everyone. I'm not sure if we can risk getting Annaliese killed yet. We might have let her live for now in order to free the others."
Wulfe frowned and questioned, "What do you mean by the slow way?"
Damon explained, "When we bring Number Two into the hive, he will bite the next Salvatore, causing him to ooze in before teleporting away. But I am not sure if can he do this as Annaliese is hurting him, I can feel it. We don't know how many times we can do this, but we will grow stronger. I have ordered vampires, meaning Alaric, Katherine, Mariella, and Wolves to drink blood, becoming stronger as we care for Mimi. The process is incredibly painful, even with strong painkillers. Annaliese fights with her got, hurting number two and, he is in a nasty place. As you noticed, Number four is not yet even okay, and he barely made it."
Wulfe offered, "Take me into the hive. I'll provide a boost and try to make it less painful for you. At least I'll have something to do in the meantime. I feel so powerless, knowing that a mere chemical turned me into a drooling idiot."
Damon nodded, focusing on the task at hand. He stood up, bit Wulfe, and pulled him into the hive. Wulfe oozed in smoothly and efficiently, so Damon was experiencing less pain. Less than an hour later, Wulfe was fully in the hive, providing a significant boost. Damon checked Mimi's situation while Wulfe concentrated on making it easier to bring Number Two into the hive.
Still, Wulfe sat by Mimi's bedside, her frail body full of tubes and leads. Machines kept her alive, and she looked incredibly weak. Wulfe held her hand, desperately trying to let her know he was there. But her mind seemed unreachable, as if the etorphine had taken it away. It was hard for Wulfe to believe that she would ever wake up. He wondered how long it would take. The doctors were doing what they could to keep her body going, but it felt like very little at the moment.
Two days later, Damon approached Wulfe and said, "There has been little change. Come and see."
Wulfe had slept for a few hours in one of Mimi's beds after Mariella had convinced him to eat. She had made sure he ate a lot, so he ended up falling asleep. They had recently brought Number Two into the hive, but he was too tired to bite and pull in anyone else yet. He had just enough energy to teleport himself to the medbay, where he needed treatment. He had been beaten, mauled, and poisoned, but not with etorphine. It was some herbal concoction. So, the hive was quite busy. He was enraged, trying to move, and help Mimi, but Mariella knocked him out too.
Wulfe followed Damon into the medbay. It was quieter now, and it took Wulfe a moment to realize that Mimi was no longer connected to any machines. She was breathing on her own and had a pulse. Overwhelmed with joy, Wulfe ran to her and hugged her tightly, tears streaming down his face. This was a difficult moment for him, something he might struggle with. His feelings for her were so overwhelming that he, the oldest creature around had trouble comprehending the depths of his soul.
Damon then explained to Wulfe, "I can and will help her, but I need to sink my teeth into her neck. We will be in an incubator, and I have no idea how long it will take. I'll go into economy mode too, but my bite will assist her. You can't interfere. It's crucial for her to be in the incubator because she's unable to regulate her body temperature. I can't predict if she'll wake up tomorrow, next week, or even next month. There's no telling how long this process will take."
Wulfe nodded, overwhelmed with happiness that Mimi was alive. He desperately wanted her to wake up, and if Damon's bite could help, he was willing to do anything. However, he was also angry at Mimi for keeping secrets. He believed he could create a potion or a spell to counteract the effects of the drugs, but he needed samples and information. Unicorn had to learn how to communicate these things to them so they could provide the necessary assistance. Wulfe had already worked with Salvatores and Mariella to reorganize the hive, making it a true pack rather than just Mimi's hive.
Mariella and the others had formed a close bond with each other, just like Elena and Katherine. The wizards, too, had become a part of their group. Alaric, in particular, acted like a father figure to them, always looking out for their well-being. He even had no problem giving orders to the Salvatores. They were all like a family, and only time would reveal what their collective purpose would be. Was it possible for this group to be dismantled? And if so, would they even want to let anyone go?
Wulfe had observed Damon engaging in a calm conversation with Elena and Katherine. It wasn't flirtatious; rather, he was teaching them both. Damon had fully embraced his role as a teacher. However, it must be noted that Katherine's expression was quite shocked when Damon suggested she become the mother of their future offspring, with him as the father. Understandably, Katherine quickly distanced herself from Damon, and Elena kept her distance as well. It seemed that neither of them had a desire to become a mother. But then again, the Salvatore brothers were known for their stubbornness.
The wizards, too, weren't enthusiastic about breeding. Despite Damon's promise to introduce them to his daughters, he had many other suitable girls in mind. This was a new situation for all of them, and only after they defeated Annaliese would they be able to determine what the hive truly wanted to be and what they desired for their own lives.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone