The Newest Salvatore

Chapter 25

"Can I come home today, Damon?" asked Ottilie, desperately bored of the hospital room she'd been cooped up in for a week, not to mention the food she was required to eat. She was finding it hard to cope and had no appetite, and the nurses would chide her for not managing to eat all her dinner.

"I'm going to talk to the doctors today, sweetheart" said Damon, gently stroking some hair from her face as he sat next to her bed that she'd been confined to for so long. He was concerned that being in the hospital was doing her more harm than good; he knew they were keeping her in to try and get her weight up, but she hated being there so much that she didn't want to eat. It was a vicious cycle, and one that he needed to break.

He stood up, explaining that he was going to talk to some doctors and promised to return as soon as he could, leaving the little girl watching him as he exited the room. He took his phone from his pocket and called Stefan, wanting confirmation that what he was about to do was indeed the best, and right thing to do for his daughter.

"Stefan, hi," he said, when his brother picked up. "I really think that Ottilie needs to come home – she's not coping in hospital anymore. She needs familiar surroundings and decent food." He could tell that Stefan was thinking, pondering the implications of taking Ottilie out of hospital only a week after her illness.

"Do it, brother," was his answer. "She's out of any immediate danger, and with Elena... sorted... we can keep an eye on her here."

Damon smiled to himself, "Ah yes, the lovely Elena. I wonder what she's doing now..."

Stefan could almost hear his smirk down the phone. "Damon..." he said in a warning tone.

"See you later, brother," replied Damon, putting his phone away and looking around to find one of the doctors who'd been caring for Ottilie. Finding one, he walked over to them, and looking them straight in the eye, compelled them to get Ottilie ready for going home, sign her release papers, and ward off any questions from other staff members. The doctor simply nodded and set to work, signing papers, giving them to Damon to countersign, and writing out prescriptions.

It had been decided that due to the severity and increasing number of her attacks, Ottilie would begin on a low dosage of a beta blocker medication to try and reduce her symptoms and prevent any serious episodes.

Damon took the prescription from the doctor, and followed her into Ottilie's room, where she started to detach the child from the myriad of monitors she was connected to, and to remove her IVs. Ottilie looked up at Damon with big, excited eyes, knowing that this meant she was indeed going home.

"She's good to go," said the doctor after a few minutes of last minute checks, and Damon thanked her as she left.

Taking a bag from the locker in the tiny room, Damon opened it to reveal some clothing that he'd brought for when Ottilie could leave. "They're your escape clothes," he joked, getting them out and placing them on the bed. He helped Ottilie remove the enormous hospital gown and get into a comfortable t shirt and some leggings, noticing how they were now hanging off of her when just a week ago, they'd fitted perfectly.

"We've got some work to do, little lady," he said firmly, as he pulled a jumper, now enormous, over her head. "You're far too tiny for an 12 year old! I'm going to text Stefan to get cooking!" She giggled and clung to him as he picked her up, slinging the bag, already packed with her things, over his shoulder. "Time to go home, little otter," he said, softly.

They arrived back at the mansion and Damon carried Ottilie back inside, calling for Stefan to come and say hello. "Otti!" cried Stefan excitedly, running over to them and grabbing her from Damon's arms. "How are you feeling?"