Chương 207: 7. Right Here Waiting.
Damon couldn't hide his irritation and spoke to Jarod in a clipped tone, "Could you please explain what has happened over the past three months with Mimi? Are you planning to take her as your second wife?"
Jarod calmly looked at him, observing the youthful appearance of the ancient vampire, who despite his age appeared to be in his thirties.
Jarod responded, "No, that is your worst fear, isn't it? I have been Mimi's friend and support, someone she can lean on when she needs to. Nothing more. I may be supernatural myself, although I'm not sure of my exact species, but I am not driven by lust like you and your group. Mimi is not doing well, and I have serious doubts about whether you have what it takes to help her."
Despite his calm demeanor, Jarod exuded silent authority.
Johnny, the medic in charge, quietly observed the pack in the medbay as the Salvatores demanded access to Mimi's medical history, which she had not granted them.
Johnny firmly stated, "I cannot grant you access unless Jarod or Mimi gives the green light. As her doctor, I have my own rules here."
Colin snapped and glared at the younger man, although Johnny himself was not young, appearing much younger than his actual age of over 50. Colin's voice grew louder, his Irish accent becoming more pronounced as his irritation seeped through.
He exclaimed, "Damn it, I am the medical leader in this organization, and you know it. Stop stalling and show us what the big secret is. We've seen her in worse condition before."
Johnny swallowed nervously, and Jarod wearily nodded, deciding to let them see for themselves if they could handle Mimi's current state.
Johnny tapped a few keys on the computer, and Damon walked in, pushing him aside and taking a seat. He began to read, initially feeling irritated but soon growing calm and understanding why Jarod was so protective. As he read Mimi's 14 attempts to shut herself down, Damon realized Jarod was with her because she was trying to harm herself, despite her immortality.
Her condition was dire, much worse than they had thought, and Damon remembered the desperation in Lexie's eyes before she took her own life.
Nodding, he remarked, "So she has been attempting to shut herself down. Good to know."
Jarod grunted and urged him to continue reading. "Read on, little boy, read on.." Damon raised an eyebrow, slightly annoyed by the nickname, but he continued.
In the past few weeks, Mimi's attempts had become less frequent, but she had almost killed five of her own. Her rage was evident, and Damon read on, discovering just how severe it had become at times. This was something they would have to address.
Damon inquired, "So her rage is uncontrollable. What about crystals or other methods of containment?"
Jarod remained silent, prompting Damon to continue reading. It appeared that Mimi's rage was not being absorbed by crystals as it normally would.
Damon found this intriguing and thought to himself, "Hmm, interesting." It would require experimentation to determine how to control her rage.
Damon nodded as he finished reading the rest of the information. He then proceeded to read Mimi's test results. Initially, there were no traces of oxytocin or serotonin in her brain, and her dopamine levels resembled those of humans with Parkinson's disease.
However, after five weeks, there was a slight increase, indicating some improvement. Although there were times when the levels did not rise and even slightly decreased, cortisol and other stress-related chemicals remained consistently high. Damon realized that stress was hindering Mimi's recovery. A plan began to form in his mind, but he knew that even with the best plan, Mimi being chaos personified would require constant adjustments. This was not as simple as with those pure vampires. Damon was starting to realize this mountain that loomed ahead of them.
Number four spoke up, expressing the challenges they faced. "We have several obstacles here. Firstly, her recovery is not progressing as smoothly as others we have helped. Not only does she experience rage, but I believe there will also be mood swings that come on suddenly. This will require us to be on our toes. Now, my question is, can we handle this? We need to be completely committed, with no room for anyone to lose interest and become distracted. Meaning no time for having a week's worth of fuckfest after Missy gives some lip. If anyone has any doubts, speak up now or forever hold your peace."
Number two raised an eyebrow at number four's somewhat blunt statement and replied, "I'm in. I will support her like a wildcat for as long as I can, but let me be clear, I am not your sex toy, nor will I be anyone else's. If you have any plans to provoke jealousy towards me, forget it. Remember, I have control over your collar and sedation device. I won't hesitate to knock some sense into you if you try to stop me from helping her."
His sharp gaze gravitated toward Mariella with unrelenting, brutal intensity. Mariella nodded, having a few other plans.
She assured number two, "Don't worry about me going after you. Right now, I'm not sure if it's my alpha side or just me, but I feel this need to go to Mimi, hold her in my arms, and keep you guys away from her. She doesn't need anyone trying to take advantage of her."
Lady smiled, also present in the medbay, and chimed in, "It's just you. You have evolved, and now you see Mimi as part of our pack. Despite her burning the hive, you remember the bond and you want it back. Taking care of Mimi, our queen, is logical for you. So poor Mimi might feel overwhelmed when everyone wants a piece of her, but her rage is ignited. It will take you, Mariella, to cleanse it from her mind. It's a challenging task, and you'll have to give most of it back to Mimi. But not until Damon and Wulfe have constructed a new system or tanks to contain her rage. And since she hasn't experienced those intense emotions for a long time, they are present in her mind, but she can't sense them. Again, Mariella, it's your job to clean them and give some of them back to her or anyone else who needs them. Throughout all of this, you, all of you, the whole pack have to keep her brain engaged. It won't be easy or fun at times. You know how harsh she can be with her words, and now you have to absorb it, process it, and address the issues once this crisis is over."
Damon gazed at Lady, appreciating her beauty in her human form. However, he sensed her reluctance to fully embrace her humanity. Lady, a magical snow leopard, was not entirely comfortable, but was doing what she needed to do.
Damon spoke softly, "Alright, I'm prepared. I can handle her freaking complaints and won't hold back. It's time for us to have some fucking necessary conversations."
Lady smiled and responded, "Physically, she's not doing well. Stress affects her greatly, and I'm unsure how to alleviate it until she recovers. It may take some time to get her in decent shape, and her mood will probably sour even more, as she hates feeling weak."
Before Number Four could interject, Charles spoke up. "We have our methods. She also needs rest, and medication will be one tool we use. We won't dictate her life; she gets to decide on a few things. But she will soon realize how strong we are and what is necessary for her recovery. We won't be intimidated by her tantrums. If she tries to harm me, she'll quickly learn that I can do the same to her. Meaning I might just as well hang on the wall by her throat. While she may be unwell, she's not an idiot. Her brain is functioning enough to retain her senses. Her physical fitness, well, there are many ways to get it better, but Magnum is one freaking good physiotherapist, so at one point it will be up to him to make sure her fitness gets overhauled what she needs."
Damon looked at Charles, slightly surprised, but he knew Charles was absolutely right. This was not the time to coddle her and cater to her desires. They needed to do what was necessary to move forward, and she would learn how well they could keep her under control.
Damon turned his attention to Wulfe, who had been smiling at Colin. He inquired, "What's amusing? Care to share?"
Wulfe chuckled softly and replied, "Well, when we were assisting Mimi while you were in another dimension, I used my powers to control her. We didn't give her any choices. I was just thinking that if you need it, I can teach you some handy spells to temporarily immobilize her, like turning her into a frozen pillar of salt, when necessary for medical procedures. Her expressions during those moments are priceless, and it will also force her to feel. I can even make her silent, so there's no need to worry about her voicing her opinions, except in her mind."
Damon nodded and smiled. "Excellent. We will certainly need your skills in handling her. Sometimes, it's useful to prevent her from expressing her thoughts aloud. It will teach her discipline in knowing when to speak and when to remain silent. At least it is freaking funny for us, but it forces her again to feel and for now, it is one thing that we need to push her with. To feel, all the time more and more, there will be flecks and bits of better things but let them come, don't get stuck with them, force or pressure her to try to feel them but ignore them, she will be relaxed more."
Men nodded and proceeded then to look around them. What this medbay was like. Colin had given instructions to all the bases, but he did not have time to go and make sure that everything worked. In the past, medbay was the last thing to get a budget, so if there was something missing, it would be last on the list to be replaced.
The medbay had the usual clinical atmosphere, with its white walls, patient beds, and various medical equipment. However, Colin and Number Four noticed that some of the supplies on the shelves were outdated and their sterility was questionable. Johnny explained they didn't have enough money to constantly update all the supplies, especially since some of them were rarely used. He reassured them they had an autoclave to sterilize the instruments if needed.
Johnny didn't want to burden Mimi by asking for more money for the medbay budget, as it was shared among Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine. It was also difficult to acquire new supplies, so sterilization was the easier option. Colin promised they would work on getting each country its own budget. Although sterilization was usually sufficient, Number Four preferred a more ideal solution.
Another problem they had was the medbays in Bulgaria not working properly. Number Four requested Samuel to come and fix them, as he was skilled in making things happen. This would keep Samuel and Bran busy and give Bran an idea of the scale of the operation. There was no danger of Bran getting involved in the wrong places, as his focus would be on the medbay and dealing with the budget.
Colin, Number Four, and the other Salvatores were particular about cleanliness, so they needed to find a compromise. For now, their main focus was on Mimi, and Jarod had an alarm on his wrist that would alert him when she woke up. He would be there to assist her, as it wasn't certain if she was completely devoid of emotions.
If not, she might still be volatile and require supervision and companionship. Jarod, being a mediator and a pretender, was excellent at reading Mimi's mood and knowing how to respond accordingly. He would have the guts and means to keep Mimi physically restrained if needed.
Ahead, rough times awaited them all, including Damon. This whole thing was giving them so much to think about, and the reality of what Mimi was like was so freaking different from those vampires. Despite his irritation, he couldn't help but express his sincere thoughts to Jarod.
Looking at the tall, brown-haired man who sparked a volatile jealousy in him whenever he saw him with Mimi, Damon said, "Thank you. I've come to realize that we aren't the best of friends, and I felt jealous. For some reason, I see you as a threat to my relationship with Mimi, but I don't even know why. It is something I just can't help, and I likely will continue to do so. I'm truly grateful that you were there to support her when I let her down once again. She is so damn lucky to have you as a friend." His voice was calm, but he stressed the word friend ever so slightly, looking at Jarod tightly in the eye all the time.
Jarod nodded, offering a slight smile.
He replied in his straightforward manner, "It's simple. You see me as a threat because, like Mimi, I am a true pretender. You've always sensed the natural bond between pretenders, the connection that you haven't fully grasped with Mimi yet, especially since you're still new to being a pretender yourself. I understand your hesitation, but I assure you, my heart belongs to only one woman—Miss Parker. Mimi is a dear friend."
Jarod smiled, and Mariella looked at him, saying, "You two have a bond like no other, and I'm not just referring to you and Mimi. It's the bond between you and your wife. But you need to stay safe, so I've arranged a secure place for you in another realm. There's a house waiting for you, a new life. Even though you've lived in other realms before, this one is different and safer. We're not doing this out of jealousy, but rather for your protection. We ensure that Sark and the Centre can't reach you, as they're still after you. Mimi needs to focus on her recovery with no hint of danger. We'll also be moving other personnel from various bases until this Sark crisis is resolved, either temporarily or permanently. Mimi's idea is good, and we'll continue with it, but at the same time, we'll make sure that Sark doesn't have any victims. I'll also share this plan with the good Sarks, so they have an idea of how to target the naughty versions as well."
Jarod nodded, realizing that Mimi would soon wake up. She hadn't been asleep for long, and there were things he needed to tell her.
Jarod's voice remained calm as he presented the facts without sugarcoating them. "I don't mean to blame you, but these are the facts. In Mimi's struggle with this syndrome, she experienced nightmares that prevented her from eating. I know your staff told you she was being difficult and starved herself on purpose, but that was not it. It wasn't a matter of choice, but rather being trapped in those nightmares. She became paranoid, unsure if you were the one causing nightmares or if cameras were watching her."
He took a breath, composed his thoughts, and explained," Her behavior shifts fast, beware of that and paranoia might make her behave weirdly, it is no use to telling her that there is nothing to be paranoid about, of course, her paranoia gets only stronger by this. So you need to prepare yourselves, either not pay any attention to it, or what I like to do, is make myself an example. For instance, she had a few weeks earlier thoughts about someone poisoning her coffee. Well, I made several times her upset, either by drinking her coffee or making her spill it, not telling her any point I knew about that paranoia of poisoning. She could see that me, almost human, was fine so there was no reason. This paranoia may still persist. But she recognized it and made it go away, or ignored it. But you gotta have a plan on how to tackle it. Not sure can you attack with it by telepathy?"
Damon pressed his head and looked down, feeling the weight of his failure. It was a difficult situation, but they needed to focus on helping Mimi. Paranoia, well, they would first sense it, and then try to see if they could curb it. wulfe had commented nothing about that and damon suspected that maybe distraction would be the best way forward, not to take it personally. Though it was so much easier said than done.
Wulfe and Lepard shared in his pain, understanding the impact of Bella's death on Damon and the pack. It hadn't fully sunk in yet, as it had been a while since Damon had interacted with Bella. She had always been an important member of the pack. Maybe if they saw her one last time and said their goodbyes, it would hit Damon then. But he couldn't be certain.
Jarod glanced at his wrist, feeling a vibration indicating that Mimi was waking up. It was time for him to go to her. Despite the pack's promises and reassurances, he wouldn't leave her until he was absolutely sure that they would support her and that it was safe for her to be with them.
He looked at Damon and said, "I have to go. Mimi is waking up, and she needs someone there when she wakes up, just in case she needs support."
Damon stood up and responded, "Let's go, then. We'll show you that we've got this. Mariella has informed the magic houses and they are preparing everything. By the way, where does she live?"
Jarod replied as they walked towards Mimi's office, "She lives in her new castle, a beautiful place. But she's not in a condition to decorate it yet. She talks about it sometimes, how good it will feel to decorate it, even though she's not feeling it yet."
Damon couldn't help but think that it would be nice for the pack to have another castle to live in. They were always fun to decorate and live in, especially with Mimi. He felt a sense of hope for the future, even though they knew it would be a challenging journey to get there. He and Mimi had a long history together, spanning several centuries and marriages, with obstacles. Well, shit, to be honest, his betrayals time after time, the pack's mistrust for her, had tested their relationship. Damon vowed to himself to make things better for her.
He had so many times tried to make himself believe Mimi was better without him, but the freaking sad fact was that he was miserable without her and he needed to be with her; she had to be his, and maybe they belonged together. He wanted them to have some castle or mansion that would showcase their mutual life together. Little that he knew that one day he would have a magical tattoo that would showcase their life together and it would grow with each day, with each burst of love, or each heated argument would be etched in their flesh.
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