Capítulo 230: 30. Bruises.
Lepard let out a sigh and turned to look at Mimi, who appeared ghostly pale and as skinny as a skeleton. Despite her appearance, they needed her. The sterile and cool air of the medbay hit his nostrils, but he suppressed the urge to grimace. After all, he was a doctor and couldn't scrunch his nose at the smell of antiseptic. The white walls and patient beds filled with pack members did nothing to improve his mood.
They had escaped from that wretched dimension two weeks ago, which meant they had spent a total of five weeks there. Adam and Charles were in pretty bad shape, while he and Demon were somewhat okay. Mimi and the others had returned a week later, and by that time Lepard had felt overwhelmed.
Mariella, Mimosa, and the girls had also returned at the same time, leaving him and Demon to care for Adam, Charles, and the girls, all of whom were injured and cranky and in need of serious treatment. Lepard's protector side was in full swing, which only added to the chaos.
So when Mimi walked in, looking ghostly as ever, Lepard felt an immense sense of relief. The entire pack was more or less down, and they needed her expertise. As a trauma surgeon, Mimi gave them direct orders about what to do and how to treat each patient. Her exhaustion was clear, and Lepard couldn't help but wonder if he should put her in a bed as well, but maybe when the others got a little better.
He was wearing scrubs and, as he ran his hand through his slightly too long blonde hair, he couldn't remember when he had put them on or if he should take a shower at some point. He noticed the trouble triangle once again and let out a sigh. He and Demon were needed once more, while Mimi reviewed the blood test results and jotted down the next steps to be taken.
Lepard was a doctor, a surgeon, but he had never had to do this much work with this many demanding patients. Without Mimi's leadership, he felt like he was drowning. Tiredly, his shoes creaking on the linoleum, he walked in. This meant that Charles had a visitor.
Charles, who was under anesthesia and recovering from multiple injuries, including an unhealed badly broken leg, had been operated on by Mimi and had external support. He was being kept immobile until signs of healing were observed, as movement could prevent the break in his thigh from healing properly. Rest would be beneficial for him, as he couldn't afford to risk an infection in the open wound on his femur, especially since infections seemed to be prevalent among everyone present.
For some reason, Mariella continued to lie on top of Charles, despite having an infection herself. Mimi theorized she sought protection from him, her protector, but it seemed that number one, who was restless and sick, sensed Mariella's presence and joined in. Usually, Mariella would be removed from Charles as number one would get in there. Mariella did not really as the heavy and sick man ended up on top of her, providing warmth. It was unfortunate that sometimes Charles would be thrown onto the floor. The bed was not that wide, and the sides weren't always up on that side where Charles was pushed.
Lepard sighed as Demon carried the number one back to his bed, disregarding his muttering resistance and administering a sedative made by Mimi, causing him to pass out. Lepard then proceeded to carry Mariella back to her bed, where she would be restrained and given an oral fever reducer, a not-so-tasty pink substance made by Damon. Once the medication took effect, the boys would wash her, although she didn't seem to enjoy it much due to her restlessness. She would also receive some velvet as a calming measure. This was Mimi's approach to sedate the unruly patients when they became difficult to handle.
As the leader of this small medical operation, Mimi Springcove, I looked at Lepard and Demon as they tended to the three patients once again, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Sure, I could be a handful when sick, but I wasn't the only one. I refocused my attention on my laptop and continued writing medication instructions for number four.
I had brought a lot of antibiotics with me when I left that cursed ship. I could sense that the rest of the pack, Lepard and Demon, were overwhelmed for a week after taking care of the girls, Adam, and Charles. So, I gathered myself together, hid my condition as best as I could, and hoped that I could function until someone else healed. If not, at least I would leave instructions for the rest of the pack.
Once I got returned to Bhutan, I had access to one of my antibiotic storage units. I made a short call to the boys and found out what the Salvatores needed. My radar had been more than helpful in alerting me to all of their problems. So, I took a lot of antibiotics and whatever else I needed, knowing that I could always get more.
I had performed surgeries on all the Salvatores and others too, Adam, Charles, Wulfe, Magnum, and Dresden. Most of our patients were asleep, as rest was what they needed the most. Taylor and Tim were also out of it. I hadn't operated on them yet; they were on my wait-and-see list.
As for my own health, well, it was a mess. I had no pulse, no sound coming from my system, and my organs were completely out of whack. But dealing with them would have to wait. It took a lot out of me to maintain a clinical mood, to be a doctor, and not succumb to my feline form and disappear into the darkness. Maybe I would get the chance to do that too.
I had taken many blood tests on each of the patients, and the results kept pouring in. I had to review them and determine the next steps for each patient. My fangs had been useful in treating the Salvatores and others, but I needed to eat to produce more. However, since my organs weren't functioning, there was no point try to eat in hopes more of dental work unless a miracle occurred and I grew a perfect set of functioning organs.
Now, Salvatores one, five, and seven were in critical condition, and the number one's fidgeting was not helping matters at all. I considered putting him on one of my sleepers, but then again, he was one of the top shots when it came to medical matters. Getting him back on his feet meant I could take it easy.
Though I initially had my own little plan for what to do first, I was so exhausted that I decided to prioritize getting some well-deserved rest in the incubator for a week or two. After that, if things calmed down and there were fewer demanding patients, I might allow them to examine me. However, I needed a few salvatores or someone similar to help ease the burden on Lepard and Demon. Despite their minor injuries compared to others, they still required time and energy to recover. Being the only doctor in the entire pack didn't make things any easier.
Colin was out of the question as well. He was one of my sleepers, infected with something that particularly affected his leprechaun half. Additionally, he had been given something that heightened his wolf's side rage, making him quite difficult to treat. However, now that he was asleep and relaxed, treating him would be easy peasy. I jotted down notes on what to do for each person next, just in case my strength ran out and I had to rest earlier than expected. I didn't mention anything to Lepard and Demon.
As for the tests I had taken on myself, they revealed a smoldering, nasty infection that I managed to keep at bay through sheer willpower. But I knew it wouldn't hold out forever. I needed to rest, recover, and regain some strength before undergoing surgery, possibly even replacing organs if my body refused to grow new ones. I was doing my best to eliminate as many infections as possible, but it required careful consideration. I must admit, I wasn't at my sharpest, but I hid that fact quite well.
I knew that soon Murdock and Dexter would wake up, albeit weak and still safe from infection. They would need to leave the medbay and start their recovery. Glancing at Magnum's results, it was clear he was still too sick. Well, after our wound care rounds, I would give my report to the boys and make sure they ate and slept for at least five hours. I was doing my best to keep them going. We all needed rest and relaxation, perhaps even for six months, but we would see how long it took to get everyone back on their feet and for me to fully recover.
I could go to my clinic; Will was pretty good at treating me. The only concern I had was whether I could infect humans or anyone else. I didn't want to start a new epidemic, so I decided to take some rest and then figure out where to go.
I stood up, grabbed one of my sugar injectors, and injected it into my thigh for a boost. I walked over to the shelf and began gathering dressings, tapes, and stitching materials. Damon number four had discovered how irritating stitches were, as he would often pluck them out. If I tried to glue them, he would use his magic or energy, which would dissolve the glue. Maybe this was the universe paying me back for all those times when I was patient.
Demon walked up to me and asked, "So what's new? Where do we stand with everyone?"
I replied, "I'll give my report once we finish treating these wounds. You go deal with Dresden's back. Lepard, you take Constantine and Wulfe. I'll start with number four. Care to guess how many stitches he has left?"
Lepard gruffly replied, "Not really, no. I'm not in the mood for guessing. But what do you want for those two?"
I told him, "Let's use thicker dressings. Even though they're healing, they'll provide some padding, as these are sensitive areas. We want them to heal fully. Also, load them up with extra bags of antibiotics. I've prepared them. And let's give them some sleepy time bags. We shouldn't wake them yet. We might be able to get Murdock and Dexter up and running soon enough, but they need to recover outside of here. There are too many germs in the air."
Demon nodded and muttered to himself, "It's good that we can get some of them awake, but why not one of the doctors?"
I reassured him, "Don't worry. They will recover. It's only been two weeks, so we can handle this."
I tried to appear more optimistic than I actually felt, and Demon noticed something in me. He pulled himself out of his funk, focused, grabbed his supplies, and got to work.
I wheeled my movable table over to number four's bedside. This version of Damon, with his fully white-haired forehead, should have been the Damon Salvatore I knew. However, he had pulled himself back together somewhat, but there were still parts of his core, number one, so he was a completely new version of Damon Salvatore.
He was sedated, and his closed eyes remained still beneath his lids as I had put him under deep sedation, ensuring no dreams or pain. I removed his blanket, revealing a patient gown stained with blood. They had an infusion pump to keep him sedated, but sometimes he managed to bypass it, causing self-inflicted harm. I put on my sterile gloves; the latex gripping my fingers tightly, despite them being extra small and feeling slightly loose.
I began cleaning his chest and stomach with a cleaning solution. He had three incisions that needed stitching, although there should have been a total of 45 stitches. There were only eight, so I had to thoroughly clean the area before starting the stitching process. While his internal organs had healed well, his muscles, skin, and abdominal cavity were still open. He already had a nasty infection, and I was doing my best to prevent any further complications.
The sterile smell of the cleaning solution filled the air as I opened a packet of needle and thread, letting them fall onto a sterile surface. I picked up my instruments, feeling their familiar weight in my fingers. Gently, I grasped the needle with the needle holder and began stitching the layers of muscle together. I had adjusted the lamp to improve visibility.
Stitch by stitch, I closed the gaping wounds, resembling mouths. I applied a layer of colorless, numbing gel to cover them. It was our jelly base, but I had added a numbing agent derived from my own fangs to alleviate the worst sensations. At least for a while.
I disposed of the used materials, and adjusted the flow of his nutrition solution, muttering to myself, "You seem like you could handle a bit more, so let's see if this does the trick."
I stretched my body. Despite the bed being adjustable, I had been hunched over for too long, and my muscles protested. Fortunately, I had managed to disable those shocking implants, so there was no sudden attack of pain. I was relieved for several reasons. Lepard is a telepath, and his stress levels might have affected his control, so I was grateful he didn't have to sense my moments of agony.
Besides, I simply didn't like being in pain. It was also possible that the electric shocks had hindered the growth of new organs, and now that they were disabled, my body might start to regenerate them at some point.
After dealing with number four, it was time to move on. I instructed Lepard to take care of number nine while Demon had to handle eight and ten. Meanwhile, I went to Mariella and Damon, along with Charles and Adam. Not everyone required stitching; most of them just needed their old dressing gently removed, a thorough yet efficient cleaning, and the application of the new dressing.
I made sure to adjust their IVs and check for any major issues. Elena and Katherine appeared to be waking up as well. Perhaps they could assist as nurses. Having more hands would certainly be helpful, and it would allow me to rest and focus on my own recovery.
"Alright, let's begin," I said, my voice tired.
Everyone had been taken care of, and it was time to give my report to the boys so they knew our progress. The bench beneath me felt hard and unforgiving, but I had to maintain a neutral expression and be strong. As the alpha female, I was responsible for caring for my pack. I looked at the boys, Damon's sons, although we referred to them as boys. However, in our work, they were like little kittens.
I glanced at my notes; both of them had their own notebooks. "Elena, Katherine, Dexter, and Murdock can be awakened. So, please remove their sleepy bags and ensure they understand to take it easy. Get them out of the medbay and into recovery. There's plenty of food in the fridge," I stated.
"Progress, get four of them awake," Demon said in a dry and sarcastic tone.
I rolled my eyes and continued, "Adam, Alaric, Tim, and Taylor can also be awakened once their alpha FWS-18 drops below 35. This indicates that their enzymes have recovered sufficiently. Currently, Ric is at 44, Adam at 39, Tim at 36, and Taylor at 37. So, some of them may be able to wake up tomorrow. Administer the test first thing in the morning, and the results will be available in four hours. Get them as soon as possible."
The boys obediently wrote it down.
I glanced at my notes and said, "Number four, number one, and number three still need to remain in a state of deep sleep. They might wake up tomorrow or the next day to see if they are receptive to reason and if their recovery is faster, too."
Lepard asked, "What about Mimosa and Shadow? How are they doing?"
I checked their results and replied, "Cortisol levels need to decrease to at least 60, and the inflammation markers beta, delta, and epsilon should be below 50 before we allow them to wake up. Currently, both of them have levels that are still over 100, so it's been challenging. We'll conduct tests tomorrow as usual, and you can wash them. The fever must also subside."
The wolves were in their wolf form, but I had given them a dental substance, making them hairless and easier to wash.
I looked at my notes again and said, "For the rest of the salvatores, let them continue resting. They are healing, and I estimate that at least numbers 6, 7, and 9 might have a chance to wake up the day after tomorrow. I'm not sure if they will be able to do much yet, but I've increased their nutrition drip and added an extra boost. Prepare the medical tube socking and let's create sausages filled with energy stone chips, approximately 20 cm long. Use the version suitable for thighs, and place two sausages per bed, ensuring they come into contact with the patients. We have those large vats of miscellaneous chips, so use them and use a ladle when making the sausages to avoid depleting the energy."
Lepard nodded and said, "Good idea. Energy might give them a boost. It is a kind of energy transfer."
I nodded. I said, "Let's take one day at a time. The rest of them need time to recover, but as we get even some of them to wake up, it helps. Time and rest are paramount, so there might be more guys waking up too."
Leopard gave me a sharp look and remarked, "I don't hear a heartbeat from you. Do you have any organs? You don't seem fine. Should you even be functioning in that condition?"
I responded, "I'm okay, at least for now. Let's take it one day at a time. I'll try to hang in there until I find someone who can help you. Wake up the others, and then I might take a break. I can function perfectly well without organs, and the infection is under control, so there's no need for surgery just yet."
I knew I had to be honest. There was no point in hiding the truth. It might only cause panic if they find out from someone else.
After giving my report, I instructed the boys to eat, shower, and get some sleep.
I told them, "I can sense your presence through our pack bonds, so I'll know if you're not sleeping. If you need more rest, that's fine. I can handle things here. Go ahead, eat, and rest."
They reluctantly obeyed. I found myself sitting in a dimly lit medbay, surrounded by my pack, taking care of them. However, deep down, I couldn't ignore the feeling that I shouldn't get my hopes up too high for the future, no matter how much I did for them. It was a sad reality that Damon belonged to Mariella, and she belonged to him. This dynamic might spread throughout the group.
As cold as it may sound, I knew that once I found help for them and took some time to rest, none of the Salvatores would miss me. And as for Wulfe and Magnum, it seemed like one crisis after another, so it was possible that I would be walking alone, along the boulevard of broken hearts. Not broken dreams, since I had none. But my heart would be shattered.
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