บท 144: 24. Hotbloodied.
I was in pain, feeling hot and tightly pressed against something. My neck and throat ached, and I could hardly move. I was heavily drugged and struggling to do anything. Opening my eyes was beyond my capabilities, but even the slightest movement caused the pain in my throat to intensify - a searing, hot sensation. I was completely immobile, weighed down by something that made me feel numb. All I could sense was the suffocating heat, the feeling of being trapped and hurt. Eventually, I drifted off into unconsciousness, unable to stay awake for long.
The same pattern repeated itself each time I tried to regain consciousness. I was still too out of it to fully comprehend anything, but somehow, I found myself mentally playing songs. I couldn't explain why, but as Westlife's version of "You Raise Me Up" played in my mind, I felt a strange sense of amusement and happiness from someone. However, my deeper thoughts remained elusive, and I slipped back into darkness.
The next time I attempted to wake up, I chose Roxette's "Spending My Time." Once again, someone - not me - seemed clearly amused. The pain persisted, preventing me from fully enjoying the song, and soon darkness enveloped me before I could reach the end.
It had been two weeks since Damon had placed Mimi in the incubator, sinking his fangs into her throat and letting them do their work. Only recently did he hear music emanating from somewhere, realizing that it was Mimi slowly awakening. Her choice of songs brought a smile to Damon's face, but he knew he still had a long and arduous process ahead of him. He needed to rid her brain of the lingering effects of that damn etorphine. Damon himself was hooked up to IVs and various drips, flooding his veins. Surprisingly, it was Charles who had provided the inspiration before Damon had the idea to use his fangs. Charles had been brewing a tea with specific herbs, which Damon knew was exactly what he needed.
The brew had a powerful effect on his teeth, which helped Mimi. Consequently, Charles didn't have time to say anything before he went in, consumed all of the brew, and instructed Charles to make more. After three more doses, he was prepared. Mariella, Charles, and Wulfe started making an infusion version of the brew. It was something that steadily dripped into his veins, ensuring that he had the necessary tools to remove the drug from Mimi's brain. The fact that she was awake enough to play music was encouraging, but Damon knew he had to continue. He felt lethargic and allowed his eyes to close as his teeth continued to release special substances into Mimi's brain, causing her to react in her awakened state.
The next time I woke up, I was even more irritated. Somehow, I wanted to get out of here without even opening my eyes. My mind was already a mess, and my songs were not carefully thought out but rather mere reactions to my sensations. Like "Within Sensation's Stand My Ground," someone seemed amused, as if saying, "Really!" However, my lucid moments were short-lived, and the song quickly faded from my mind as I drifted back into the oppressive darkness that had kept me captive for quite some time.
Damon would occasionally awaken, sensing Mimi stirring, albeit barely. Sometimes, a song would play as she tried to stay awake. Damon found amusement in her song choices and attempted to soothe her telepathically. There was no need for her to fight so hard. However, every time she woke up, she was almost panicked, realizing her state. She despised being drugged, especially with etorphine, which seemed particularly unpleasant.
Damon was doing his best to get rid of it as quickly as possible, but he decided not to involve Wulfe just yet. He didn't want to overwhelm Mimi, as she was still recovering from the rough ECMO treatment she had received. Her body had been through a lot, and the drugs had messed up her entire system. It took the combined efforts of four Salvatores, including Damon, to keep her stable by conducting blood tests and administering infusions.
One of the biggest issues was her caffeine balance. She couldn't process caffeine properly at the moment, which caused her glucose levels to drop too low and affected many other things as a result. The Salvatores and Mariella had found a way to partially process caffeine in their own blood, then separate it and introduce it into Mimi's bloodstream. This helped, but it took a toll on the whole group, not to mention the Hive, which had to work extra hard to support her.
The second priority was to control the floodgate of power from the Hive. Although it instinctively wanted to give Mimi the power of a queen, she wasn't yet ready to handle it. So, Number Two was in charge and had to keep the power circulating and protect Mimi from being overwhelmed. It would be dangerous if her vampire side fully awakened before she could control herself, as there was no telling what she might do.
As I became a little more awake, I realized that someone was on top of me and biting my throat. I couldn't quite comprehend why or who it was, but I desperately wanted those fangs out. My mind conjured up a song. This time it was Bobby Summer's "Mariella," as I tried to make the person go away. To my surprise, he sensed my amusement and sent me a song in return, Shania Twain's "You're Still the One." I became slightly more alert and determined to get those fangs out, so I chose The Rasmus's "Sail Away." Once again, he found it even more amusing and sent me Michael Learns to Rock's "Sleeping Child," and I passed out once more.
Damon couldn't help but smile to himself. His fangs made him feel more alert as he removed them from Mimi's neck for the first time in three weeks. It had taken a week for her to regain consciousness, and it was frustratingly slow to eliminate the effects of etorphine. However, he had managed to remove over 80% of it from her brain, so maybe they could try an infusion or something. Right now, though, he just wanted to take a shower and maybe eat something.
He removed the IV from himself, causing Mariella to enter and ask, "What are you planning to do, mister?"
Damon replied, "I'm going to take a shower. She's awake enough to understand that I was on top of her giving dental treatment, and she wasn't too happy about it. She's been sending songs to me. Now she sent Bobby Summer's 'Mariella' and 'Sail Away'."
Mariella laughed and said, "Alright, go wash up. Come to the kitchen afterwards so you can update everyone and we can figure out our next steps."
Damon stretched and headed towards the shower. Mariella stood by Mimi's bedside, getting closer and saying almost to herself, "I've been really mean to you most of the time, but I hope we can start fresh. This hive, I want to keep it. And someday, I want to go back to work. I overheard Alaric talking on the phone and it gave me so many ideas, but this damn crisis..."
Mariella smiled as she heard Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" playing, meaning sure Mimi could hear her. She sent her Bad Boys Blue's "I Wanna Hear Your Heartbeat." Mimi responded with Jennifer Paige's "Crush," but it faded away as she slipped back into unconsciousness. Still, Mariella felt relieved to see even a slight reaction from her.
At the same time, the pain of knowing that the five Salvatores and Magnum were still being abused by Annaliese weighed heavily on her soul. She knew they would need serious help once they were free. She wasn't sure what it would take, but they would get them back. Number Four's hatred for Annaliese grew stronger every day, especially after witnessing what she did to Mimi.
Mariella made her way to the kitchen where the Salvatores were preparing food. They were aware that Damon was in the shower, and their hive mind still functioned. Mariella wondered if they could sense those who were still trapped with Annaliese.
Number Two still appeared lean, his eyes more cruel and colder, and his overall demeanor was one of anger and irritation.
Mariella addressed him, saying, "Mimi is occasionally awake, but I've been thinking that we should try to stimulate her. I mean, make her want to be awake. You know how strong-willed she is. Maybe she'll do something to help herself get off the etorphine. Number One is fully focused on his problems, so I didn't bother asking him, but she was sending me songs while we were talking."
Number Two replied, "It's good to interact with her when she's aware. It helps. But I'm not sure if karaoke is the way to go."
Colin, who was also seated at the table, chimed in, "Actually, music has always helped her. But you're right, she needs to be stimulated, not too much, but enough to annoy her. It's one of the things that keeps her going. She's not someone who needs to be coddled, but we have to push her buttons. Nothing too demanding, but something that irritates her."
Number Four added, "It's a delicate balance. She's still far from being out of danger. Her system might not be able to handle too much stress. The stimulation should challenge her mind, but not stress her body."
Just then, Number One walked in and said, "Let's warm her up. She likes to be cool, so keep the incubator temperature high, and place a heavy weighted blanket over her. Her body needs warmth, but her mind doesn't like it."
Number Two nodded in agreement and added, "And let's warm up everything that goes into her, so she feels warm and hot. It might make her fight more. She's pretty stubborn when she's overheated. And let's incorporate some tactile elements into the games as well."
Mariella pondered for a moment and suggested, "How about we make a thick sugar syrup and dab it on her mouth? Just enough for her to feel the stickiness and sweetness. Again, something that annoys her, but the sugar will absorb through her mucous membranes."
Number One agreed, saying, "We'll try to keep her active. I might have to use some tough love, but in the meantime, let's see what she can do. If we observe her body's responses, we might be able to provide support and enhance the effects."
They placed the meal on the table and began brainstorming ways to stimulate Mimi. Wulfe, who knew her very well, contributed a few ideas based on her quirks and what bothered her the most.
I was gradually becoming more aware of my surroundings. The heat was unbearable, and I felt something warm pressing down on me. The air felt stale, and my mouth was sticky with an overly sweet substance. I tried to produce more saliva to alleviate the stickiness. Finally, I managed to open my eyes, which were crusty and difficult to open fully. It took some time for me to comprehend what I was seeing. I realized I was in an incubator, and the heat was unbearable. I was covered, but I didn't want to exaggerate the situation. I attempted to move my arms to remove the heavy blanket from on top of me. I moistened my mouth by licking my lips and swallowing, trying to get rid of the sticky sensation. I turned my head and rubbed my eyes against the pillow beneath me, improving my vision slightly.
It had been a few days. Mimi had been awake for a few hours at a time. She was talking, although her temperature still needed regulation, so she had to remain in the incubator. She was unhappy about it, and they were continuously stimulating her to wake up, adjust her position, or remove the heavy blanket. They had also fed her a little to kickstart her system. She had been scanned, and although her organs were affected, they were eagerly awaiting her healing process. There was some damage in her brain from the etorphine, and it needed time to heal before she could be released.
However, her vampire side was still strong, and she experienced intense bloodlust. She tried to entice someone like Wulfe to come closer to her so she could attack and feed, mainly using her pheromones. As a result, a tight dressing was applied to her neck to prevent the release of pheromones and lure prey. They provided her with strong blood every night to make her sleep, but it only made her stronger. She hadn't yet gained control over the hive, although she could sense it. But she was making progress.
Finally, I was able to leave the incubator that I had grown to despise. It felt suffocating, like a prison. As my brain healed enough for my body to function properly, I went to one of my bedrooms to sit alone.
It had been a rough ride, taking a total of 12 weeks for me to reach this point. It felt like a long time considering that Magnum and half of the Salvatores were prisoners of Annaliese. I had been too weak, damn etorphine. My fitness was far from perfect; I was skinny and tired. However, I could feel the strength within me, the power to take on the hive, or at least my half of it. It provided some comfort, although I knew I wouldn't have much time alone with my thoughts. Wulfe's presence, along with several Salvatores and even Mariella, demanded my attention. I was the center of their focus for the moment.
I had one plan in mind. Grabbing my phone, I scrolled through to find a suitable party. Yes, that would be just right, and I had a feeling Annaliese would have a difficult time there. I was already mapping out my future plans and how to get rid of that damn skank. Sitting in the darkness, the door suddenly opened.
Wulfe came in and sat beside me, holding me tightly. He whispered, "When this is all over, you and me, another road trip, just the two of us. What do you say, unicorn?"
I replied, "Fine by me, but we need to consider what the hive or our pack needs. Do we have to help Magnum and the Salvatores? What will happen to our hive? Will it be dismantled? How do we feel about it? I'm not at 100%, and that's what bothers me. I have to perform without being at my full power."
Wulfe leaned on me, and in my mind, the song "Queen of Rain" by Roxette began to play. He knew it was one of my absolute favorite songs. He sang the chorus to me, holding me tightly. I joined in singing with him.
He said, "It's so damn good to have you back."
I replied, "It's good to be back, awake, and able to function. It's time to get better, stronger. I have an idea for a type of party that aligns with my plan to undermine Annaliese."
Wulfe asked, "Tell me more. I'm all in, and I have an idea to make you stronger and weaken Annaliese, too."
I listened as he explained his plan, which was risky, but I was fully committed. After sharing my plan with him, he smiled and said he would have to talk to the Salvatores about it, but it just might work perfectly. It would be so freaking perfect for us to show Annaliese how to be true vampires.
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