I woke up in the morning a little confused, remembering the nightmares. I thought for a moment and realized I was feeling mildly drugged. I had apparently been given some kind of drug at some point during the night. However, I had no recollection of it. I got out of bed without making a sound and went to take a shower, taking my clothes with me as well.
The shower did me good and cleared the rest of the drugs out of my head. I quickly got dressed in the bathroom and slipped downstairs. Damon was still snoring and drooling in bed, and his pillow was soaked through.
His expression was restful, and he was young too and looked so damn innocent as he slept. I walked silently downstairs and went to the kitchen to get breakfast, and Samuel walked into the kitchen.
"You're up early. Did you sleep well? How was your night? Did Damon help?"
I mumbled something in response and continued to look for breakfast. Now I wanted those damn American pancakes, bacon, duck eggs, fried, and I had made some savory muffins earlier that I had dug out of the fridge.
Suddenly, determined hands grabbed me by the waist, pulled me against a hard, hot man's body, and held me captive.
I smelled passionfruit, so this was Damon.
The voice next to my ear almost whispered, "Baby, why didn't you wake me? We could have come for breakfast at the same time, anyway, miss; you go sit at the table, and I'll fix you some food. Today, Mimi, you are studying a tricky subject. It's called 'How to obey Damon'."
I went to the table very well, having let go of the hands that held me quite effortlessly pressed against him. Oh my god, this guy is throwing me off balance. This pack life will be one of terror or rather seduction balancing act with this guy. The thought of going to the spa with that guy almost reddened my cheeks. For some reason, he made me blush and easily.
I'd gone effortlessly with Adam and Samuel to the spa the second day I'd arrived and the day after that, but something about Damon and the thought of him squeezing me against his naked body in the same way made my heart pound. Damon carried a large tray of food in front of me, again with peanut butter sandwiches, duck, some other meat, coffee, and Coca-Cola; for some reason, he preferred me to drink Coca-Cola and lots of it.
I started to eat because Adam was already eating. He was reading his magazine and had hardly noticed my presence or even my coming into the kitchen. Now, I didn't have to wait for permission.
After I had eaten, my stomach was indeed full. I got up from the table and lazily started to walk out. Damon stayed to eat and chat with the men. Adam let me wander outside because the yard was sheltered, and it was big; fresh air would do me good anytime. He had excellent security systems all over the property, and I would be completely protected.
This house was actually a bit out of the way from where I was planning to go; the drive would be about half an hour to downtown, so my shopping here wasn't so easy unless Adam or Samuel gave me a ride. I did now want to go a different part of city to shopping. This was not where I had gone with earlier. When I had stumbled in those two. I wandered out and went to sit on one bench. It was nice outside, not too hot and not too cold. The air was fresh and crisp, and the clear signs of autumn were not quite so visible yet.
I had planned to bake, but Spike and Drusilla messed that up again. We moved from house to house, partly because of Adam's projects, partly because he wanted to keep me safe and didn't want us to spend too much time in the same place. Maybe Damon's presence would help, so we didn't have to keep moving.
But then again, it was always a new challenge to get into a new house and to see what kind of bedroom Adam had made for me there. I knew Adam had always put all my bedrooms in order, which was always one of the things I looked forward to when we changed houses. Not all houses were so perfect, but variety is refreshing, and I learned about our many homes.
I shared a room with Damon here, but what about in Chicago? Somehow, I couldn't imagine Damon in that room. It was my sanctuary as completely as can be. Well, maybe he won't sleep with me in every house, and if I can't, there must be another solution.
I should be able to sleep with Adam, and somehow, I wanted to be with Adam, even for a little while. I wondered if he would take me shopping. I kept walking in the yard, touching the trees and plants. I enjoyed touching everything; I always have. Sometimes a stick would poke or scratch me, but I healed so damn fast I didn't even notice.
Samuel watched from the window as Mimi wandered around the yard. Oh, now Mimi had cut or poked her finger on something again. Samuel had tried to tell Mimi what might have happened, but Mimi didn't always pay attention like she should have. Samuel understood, of course, that every other time he talked to Mimi about something to do with her weight or energy consumption, she might find it hard to listen.
He was Mimi's doctor, and Mimi had her problems. He tried to help and explain the issues and how to avoid some of the problems, but it was almost like a lecture or a lesson, and Samuel understood Mimi couldn't listen to the same thing whenever nothing bad had happened yet.
But still. When Samuel thought about all the things that could be smoldering in that piece of rusted metal, all the things that would be in Mimi's body again, how much energy would be expended again as she healed the damage caused by the bacteria and eventually, in doing so, defeated the bacteria. Samuel sighed; it's not always easy being Mimi's doctor.
Damon came to watch Mimi from the window and didn't really see anything wrong with Mimi wandering around, looking at everything. Now she stuck her finger in a thorn. Samuel sighed again, shook his head, and walked away. He didn't want to look because he just imagined that every pathogen in the world would soon be inside Mimi.
Well, it would soon be blood test time. He would see how many germs she'd caught this week. Mimi had only been awake for a little over a day, and soon, she might need antibiotics again if it was bacteria. If not, then it could be viruses or fungi, which were again more difficult to treat, even for Mimi. But the lady was what she was, and it would be a different story if she had a functioning immune system. But no.
Damon approached Samuel and said: "What's so bad about Mimi walking out and touching everything that you go away and sigh? Why don't you want to watch it?"
He didn't understand the entire problem, and Samuel's behavior was a bit strange. His telepathy was not on yet but it gave him some feelings from Samuel.
Samuel looked at Damon. Oh yeah, Damon didn't know. Well, he could explain it and then see how Damon reacts to Mimi's actions when he gets all the facts.
"Mimi has no functioning immune defense, so whatever she gets in her system, she gets rid of it by repairing the damage caused by bacteria or other pathogens so quickly that new bacteria can't multiply, and viruses can't multiply either. She also destroys the bacteria in the process, but not with white blood cells or antibodies."
His voice was tired, his mind was filled with possibilities, and he was thinking about what antibiotics he had here. Damon frowned slightly as he explained.
"She just destroys them, eventually. Starves them somehow. I've given her a course of antibiotics now and then, depending on what's in her blood at the time. Tomorrow is blood test day, so we'll see how well the collection is in Mimi's blood now. She's only been up for a little over a day, but since I haven't taken these tests while you were treating her, I don't know yet what germs are out there, and she seems to pick up more and more." Samuel explained wearily.
Damon asked, "What do you mean, there is no functional immune defense? She has white blood cells, albeit always at pretty low levels. But I took that many blood tests on her."
Samuel said: "Well, those white blood cells do nothing, they just are. It's as if Mimi's immune defense is missing half of it, something that complements it, and that's it."
Damon asked, " Are you sure it's a deficiency? Have you tried a bone marrow transplant or something? "
Samuel shook his head. He motioned Damon to follow him to Medbay. He took a thick file from a locked safe and handed it to Damon.
"Read it and then come back. That folder contains almost all of Mimi's health problems, my attempts to solve them, and how they worked." He continued.
Samuel walked away, leaving Damon to study the file. It would take the boy a moment to go through all of those. Samuel went off to hold a phone hour, which meant consulting all of his clinics by phone or email. He had an enormous bunch of clinics, and they had OK guys, but still, there were always problems.
I walked outside for a while and went back inside. Adam was cooking lunch. Damon and Samuel were nowhere to be seen.
I went over to Adam and said, "Can I go to the store tomorrow? I could look at some more clothes in case we change somewhere colder in the meantime, and besides, autumn is coming. I have a fish soup recipe in mind. I could make myself a big pot of my delicious fish soup at some point."
I was restless, and the promise to buy clothes always seemed to work. I actually loved looking for clothes for myself, although so far I almost had to look in the children's department, the browsing, the exploring, and the touching.
Adam looked at me for a moment and said, "Fine with me, but Damon will be your bodyguard. Are you up for that? Meaning you go to the store with him then. And what's coming in your fish soup? You might want to ask Salvatore or Samuel before you dream up any treats. It might not be good for you, that soup."
I smiled and said, " Of course I am. Safety first. My soup comes with a pollock, potatoes, onions, whole milk, salt and butter. It's fantastic and tasty. "
Adam grunted and said, "I'm going to finish this meat sauce, and then you can eat if you're hungry."
I waited a while for Adam to finish cooking, and I could go and eat again soon.
Samuel came into the kitchen and said, "Mimi, it's time for the blood tests again today. After food, then. And that soup is just as bad for you, the pollock is too light, it should almost be made with cream and the potato doesn't absorb at all for you, it just strains your intestines, so I won't let you eat it."
I nodded. Let's not eat fish soup, then. I had learned to tolerate blood sampling. I no longer needed to be restrained as long as it was just me and Samuel, but although Adam was my security and support, his presence once made me so tense that Samuel put the handcuffs on just in case.
I was a creature of routine. I had to do certain things a certain way. According to Adam, it was my way of being safe. To get a sense of security and trust. Samuel was a little frustrated when he would occasionally test the effects of the drugs on me, the anesthetics and sedatives.
It was all done in the restraints. But when they all didn't really work anymore. Ketamine was water and did nothing. Morphine, midazolam, tramadol, and almost all human drugs were now useless to me. The only one that responded in any way was pentobarbital, and Samuel saved that.
What did work for me were mainly veterinary drugs, such as xylazine, my nightly anesthetic. Medetomidine was another that worked even more effectively. Thiopental still worked, too. None of the gases worked because I stopped breathing, and they didn't work, anyway. Propofol no longer worked. Samuel was always a little frustrated with me for some reason.
A couple of large animal drugs still worked, but even those were discretionary. Whenever something happened to me, Samuel's first concern was which drug no longer worked.
I ate well again. Adam gave me everything I needed to eat, and I had a pretty damn sizeable portion again, but when I was in a skinny condition, you have to eat yourself into a coma about every time. I didn't mind a bit of fatigue when the blood tests were next, so I wandered off to the med bay with a full stomach to sit and wait for Samuel.
I was sitting quietly in a chair in my own thoughts, and suddenly, I was startled when Damon walked in; he was wearing a doctor's coat as if that would help anything.
"I'm here to take those blood tests now, Mimi. You just sit there. It's going to be all right. I'm efficient and quick. You won't feel a thing."
I was silent. Samuel had to take the tests. I can take it, but this, no, no. I started to look around and think feverishly about how to get out of this. As if Damon had sensed my thoughts, the cuffs snapped shut. Okay, now I have no choice.
Damon efficiently and professionally assembled all the equipment on the table and turned on the machines. Then he took a stool with wheels and came to my side. He put a pillow under my arm and felt my veins.
"I don't think you'll need a stasis. Let's see if we can get it done just like this. You've got a fantastic vein here..", Damon muttered to himself.
He was totally focused on his job and didn't give a damn about my opinion.
He picked up a needle with a collector to insert the tube. This was not the wing needle Samuel used. I was a bit surprised by the contraption, but I said nothing.
Damon obviously noticed my uncertainty, and he looked up, looked me in the eye, and said in his calm doctor's voice, " This is much faster and more efficient than playing with a wing needle. I'll show you. You'll soon see for yourself. And you'll see that you can't put anything in here but a blood tube. This is for collecting the blood, but the wing needle, look, this collector comes off here, and now you can put the syringe here. "
I watched for a moment and took a breath. I got the gist of it, and somehow, that hit and sank in, so basically, every time Samuel had inserted a wing needle into my vein, he would have had the opportunity to drug me...
Damon took and inserted the needle in one smooth motion into my vein and very deftly and quickly drew 38 tubes of blood. Samuel had never taken quite that pile of tubes before. My wound healed immediately as he pulled the collector out of my vein. He released me and started arranging the tubes in the machines.
I asked him, "Is there anything else, or can I go?" I asked. "By the way, since you're my bodyguard now, I'm going to do a little shopping tomorrow. Adam just asked me to let you know. "
Damon glanced at me and grumbled something, continuing to organize the tubes. I didn't wait for any other answer. I had just stated the matter, not asked.
Then I walked away. Damon and Samuel worked on my blood tests for most of the rest of the day. I went to the gym to do yoga, and Adam was with me for a while to teach me self-defense. he wanted to whip me up to shape and he could be quite demanding but then again; it had been proved with blood tests that better my physical fitness was, my health got better. He worked up with me as long I was quite tired. I felt this in my muscles.
Then I went out to dinner with Adam again. We had our normal discussion over the food. I would always come up with an argument or give my opinion, and Adam would refute it or agree with me, and together, we would argue about it. We discussed on many things, for example, dog breeds. He had his favorites and oh my god when I got to tell him about their health problems.
One thing that made Adam quite confused was a Finnish festival. Namely, the Independence Day reception at the presidential castle. It was on television, and basically, they filmed the guests arriving at the presidential castle and shaking hands with the president.
The name of the game was to criticize everyone's dresses, and I found some old recordings online and showed them to Adam. He couldn't believe who could watch shaking hands for hours. He couldn't and really didn't want to criticize any of the dresses. We had a great time. I did find dog show clips as well, and he had his opinion said at a few breeds. He was partially beast so he could see what a dog could move as they should.
It was nine o'clock at night when I decided to retire to read. Adam went to make a phone call somewhere. He said there was a time difference. I went into the bedroom, changed into my nightgown, and read.
Half an hour later, Damon came into the room and started undressing. "Oh baby, you're reading. I'll be in bed in a minute, and I'll just shower first, and then I'll come to bed with you."
He said as if we had been together for years, and I had no problem with him undressing in front of me. I tried to keep the book in front of me and concentrate on reading. I knew he wanted to get some reaction out of me, and I would not give that satisfaction to this smug bastard. He coolly stripped himself completely naked and headed for the shower. He grabbed my half used clothes in his way and threw in the laundry chute. They weren't so dirty and they had been good to wear.
If Adam and Samuel were well endowed, then this individual would certainly beat them both. I couldn't help but look. They say curiosity killed the cat, but I had to watch. Oh, that Damon was built beautifully and dangerously. Every muscle showed. He exuded strength, danger, and a seductive charm.
I knew what that body felt like against me, but without clothes... I didn't dare imagine. Those muscles. What it would feel like to feel those muscles under my hands. Oh my God, my thoughts were taking on the wrong dimensions. I had no idea why my mind was suddenly thinking such dirty things. Twenty minutes later, Damon came out of the shower with a towel around his hips.
He came in and, folded the bedspread again neatly on the bench in a pile, opened his side of the bed. Then he unfolded the towel as if nothing had happened and dried his hair and himself before taking it into the bathroom to dry.
He looked at me innocently when he saw I was looking. I picked up the book in front of me and continued reading about the kidney surgery. Surgery was now what I was reading. I tried very hard to concentrate on it. He turned the blanket aside and climbed into bed.
Then he said, "Put the book down, come here in my arms, and let's go to bed."
Well, yeah, I coughed and cleared my throat and said the first thing that came into my mind and said, "You're not Adam. I can't sleep with you. Adam is my security. "
Damon sighed and said. "Come on, baby, show me you're right. Come on, show me I can't make you relax. Come on. I won't bite. Yet. That time will come, and don't worry, it'll be very enjoyable then."
I put the book down and moved closer. Fine, then let's show this one. Damon moved his blanket aside, so I was completely against his naked body. I moved closer, and Damon scooped me up tight against him. I pressed my head against his chest and closed my eyes, trying to relax. I smelled his passionfruit scent. I felt his body heat.
He stroked me. I stroked my hair. His touch was warm, gentle, and somehow comforting. He had wrapped himself around me so tightly, and somehow, I felt how he protected me with everything he had, as if it was his purpose to protect me. I never thought he could make me feel this way. He was not anymore danger but ultimate security. I began to relax, and his heartbeat was incredibly soothing; I fell asleep and didn't even notice the whole injection.
As Damon had Mimi pressed against him, he felt the need to nurture, protect, and watch over this stubborn, quirky woman. Yes, he already thought of Mimi as a woman, because it didn't help anyone that Adam and Samuel thought of Mimi almost as a child.
Mimi smelled like strawberries, and he could feel her delicate body against his. He could feel her beginning to relax. Her calm breathing against his chest felt like the most important thing in the world. He had never felt such peace now that he was doing what he should do, protecting Mimi.
It was time for Mimi to remember that she was an adult and remember how adults do things. Mimi was thrilled at the moment that neither of the men thought of her as a woman. Mimi was protected from adult feelings and responsibility. He would teach Mimi about adult life, emotions, and pleasure. Damon had seen that right away. But he would change that, and then the actual work would begin.
Once he got Mimi to be a woman, he would have to help her break down her inhibitions while keeping the competition at bay because then the entire pack might start seeing Mimi as a woman. Mimi relaxed in his arms in less than ten minutes.
Damon was only thinking about everything that was to come and the next day's shopping trips, and he didn't give Mimi any medicine all night. Mimi slept relaxed, clinging to him, but Damon noticed Mimi held on to him the whole time.
Mimi was a delicate, skinny little creature looking to him for security, and nothing felt more right than to offer this creature the security she was looking for, helping her to be who she was, not who she wanted to be, because it was easy, effortless and there were no mixed emotions involved.
At no point did her hands go completely loose. Damon knew he didn't need to sleep nearly every night, so he continued to stroke Mimi until morning. Mimi moved in his arms a little before eight o'clock, and Damon gently pulled away, because Mimi had begun to awaken a part of him that Mimi wasn't ready for yet.
Mimi's movement had made him feel a certain way about Mimi, and he didn't want to ruin Mimi's security just because his body reacted the way a man's body sometimes reacted to the presence of a woman.
But one day. He would take Mimi's virginity and teach her how perfect the physical love of two adults could be. Someday. And Mimi would become his wife. What had begun as a mere task for almost Damon developed into something real, and he felt his own feelings for Mimi awaken, and she was no longer just an object. He wanted to be in her life. He wanted to teach her to love because he already loved her. This was his one love.