When I woke up, I was in bed and fine, so I wasn't broken. I partially remembered the whole shed session. Apparently, Damon had again dispelled it from my head. But it didn't really matter. I remembered the blood drinking and stuff. My mind was weirdly calm. There was not this time my normal pissed offness, my need to scream right about. No need to be strong, I could be Mimi.
I was downstairs in my room, and I got my head working a little more. I remembered Damon's greasy fingers, the smell of wet dogs, and I needed to get to the wash and now.
I felt dirty, but remembering not to take a bath, I went to the shower. I washed myself with hot, finally then cooled off with lovely cool water, wet my hair and that was it. I just pulled a towel around me.
I didn't actually know what time it was, but now I was wonderfully clean. My hair was down to my lower back, and I didn't even bother to dry it. The shower had been surprisingly tiring.
I was still pretty damn skinny and not at my full strength so that I could sleep for a while. I found some kind of nightdress and a lightweight shirt and put them on. I felt safe, somehow knowing that there would not be nightmares. I went to bed, lay down on my side, and just pulled the sheet over me; I was so tired I fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.
Damon thought he'd see if Mimi was waking up. However, she would still be well-medicated and tired all day. Even though Damon had lightened the medication, it was still pretty damn strong, as Mimi always had to be.
The painkiller itself was very tiring, and as it was one of the large animal tranquilizers, it would then affect Mimi's thermoregulation.
Adam was in the kitchen making dinner and had collected all the plugs out of the baths while Damon had carried the sleeping Mimi to bed to wake her up. Mimi still wouldn't keep her temperature up, so Damon carefully covered her up.
The medicine would wear off, but it would take 24 hours. He would see that Mimi ate anything warm and didn't get unnecessarily cold. And perhaps if she were sufficiently alert, he could develop an activity that would refresh her quickly.
Damon cautiously entered the dimly lit bedroom, his eyes scanning the room. Mimi lay sound asleep on her side, covered by only by a thin sheet. The air was filled with the delicate aroma of apple blossoms and the sweet, fruity scent of Mimi's shower gel. At the foot of the bed, a towel lay haphazardly.
Concerned, Damon approached for a closer look. His heart raced as he noticed Mimi's lips were tinged with a faint blue hue, her body unnaturally cold at a core temperature of 32 degrees. Her wet hair clung to her back, drenching her completely.
Panic surged through Damon as he realized the lady had awoken and showered. Determined, he hurried into the bathroom, checking the temperature of the water. It had been cool, barely reaching 18 degrees. Damon's pulse quickened, urging him to haste.
Mimi, pale as a ghost, remained unresponsive even when Damon struck her face with a forceful palm. Cursing under his breath, he realized the wise lady had foolishly taken a cold shower, skipped drying herself, and wrapped up in a sheet.
Grabbing a stack of towels, Damon mentally relayed the urgency to Adam. "Adam, the fucking young lady woke up, took a cold shower, core temperature at 32 degrees. I'll begin warming her up immediately..."
Adam rushed into action, his heart pounding in his chest. The sight of Mimi's soaked hair sent a shiver down his spine. He quickly entered Mimi's bedroom, where Damon had already wrapped her hair in a towel and was vigorously rubbing it. The sound of their hurried movements filled the room.
"Miss wet her hair, too?" Adam asked anxiously.
Damon nodded, his face filled with concern. "And it didn't dry. Her whole back was soaked. Fuck, that girl can't catch a break."
Damon's tone was strained, his voice serious.
Adam understood the urgency.
Damon asked, "Should we move her to the medbay and do an abdominal cavity warming? Put a heated bump in there?"
Adam agreed. Damon acted, his arms enveloping Mimi as he wrapped her in a blanket. The soft fabric provided a comforting touch against her chilled skin. Adam led the way, knowing that the smaller medbay would suffice for this procedure.
As they hurried, Adam prayed silently, hoping that the heating process would be swift and effortless. He longed to express his opinion on this matter to Mimi, to let her know how fucking worried he was. But for now, their focus remained on raising her core temperature, hoping to bring her the warmth she desperately needed.
Damon carefully grasped the bump tanks, feeling their weight in his hands. He placed them in a heated chamber, the gentle hum of the machine filling the room. As he adjusted the temperature to a precise 45 degrees Celsius, the air filled with the faint scent of warmth and chemicals.
Once the whole bump was in the correct temperature, with focused determination, Damon started the centrifugation process, the machine whirring to life, creating a rhythmic sound that echoed in the room. He observed the bump as it separated into two distinct parts, the first resembling cottage cheese, dense and calorie-rich. The second part, more suitable for Mimi's physiology, was better than saline for her.
Mindful of Mimi's needs, Damon had collected the bump while she had slept and recovered, using a unique collector that resembled a condom with a hose attached. With a deliberate motion, he carefully extracted the bumps. His thoughts centered on Mimi's well-being. In other words, he jerked off and thought of Mimi, getting his bump flowing out of its sack, which was on the right side of his abdomen.
As the liquid within the centrifuge warmed, Damon prepared to administer it directly into Mimi's veins through an IV. Adam continued to rub Mimi's body vigorously. To ensure warmth, they had brought in a heat blower, its steady whir filling the room. Damon joined in the massage, his hands expertly working to ease any tension. Mimi's skin stayed so icy and pale.
After ten minutes, Damon observed the centrifugal fluid dripping. He was ready to pack the solid bump into Mimi's abdominal cavity. Though unconscious, Mimi's core temperature remained stubbornly low, only 34 degrees Celsius.
With a steady hand, Damon carefully opened Mimi up, his touch gentle yet purposeful. He was swift and precise, his hands were deft, and he worked quickly and efficiently. Packing as much of the heated bump as possible into each side, Damon worked swiftly.
Mimi's fragile frame, weighing only 36 kilos, clarified that a generous amount of bump would be beneficial for her, giving her calories and nutrition. With determination, Damon packed 15 kilos of the bump, sealing the wound and allowing it to heal. Mimi weighed much more now, but her body would use all the bumps quite fast. Those kilos wouldn't last so long.
As the core temperature rose to 36 degrees, Mimi stirred, her body trembling with shivers. Damon fought to calm his racing thoughts, suppressing the urge to unleash his frustration upon her. The sight of Mimi in this condition was deeply unsettling, evoking a sense of discomfort within him. He wanted to shout at her.
Deciding it was time for Mimi to learn a valuable lesson, Damon's mind shifted. He intended to teach her about actions and consequences, to push her beyond her comfort zone. Deliberately, he cannulated Mimi's arms and securely bound them, a tangible reminder of the choices she had made. This lesson, he assured himself, would not cause her harm, but would undoubtedly challenge her. It was time, young lady, to learn this lesson and properly so.
With a mix of determination and a touch of unsettling satisfaction, Damon resolved to teach Mimi once and for all, allowing her to confront the repercussions of her actions. He felt a strange happiness. It felt alien, but it faded away as fast as it had come to. It was like some part of him was thrilled about what Mimi would wake up to.
I had a terrible cold. Thick blankets covered me, weighing me down, and my stomach felt uncomfortably full. Slowly, I opened my eyes and found myself in a dimly lit, smaller medbay. Panic set in as I realized I was restrained, my wrists bound to the bed. Drip stands loomed beside me, their rhythmic dripping creating a haunting soundtrack. I felt the cool touch of a cannula in my left hand and another in my right elbow, their presence a stark reminder of my vulnerability. I felt my pulse pounding, my breathing was labored, and I tried to get my hands free and get those awful IVs off of me.
Sitting in the chair next to me was Damon, his gaze fixed upon me with a mix of concern and frustration. His voice, initially soft, gradually grew in intensity as he spoke. "Did you know, Mimi, that when you wake up, you shouldn't rush to the wash yourself? Take a moment to assess if you can dry yourself after a shower. Haven't you learned that if you weigh less than 50 kilos, cool showers are a bad idea? Your body temperature should be 40 degrees Celsius, not 32. Yet here you are, freezing yourself willingly. You'll always be reckless with these things. You fucking idiot, you are so damn careless and sloppy with your own well-being."
Damon's words echoed in the air, his tone filled with rising anger again. I could feel the shivers wracking my body, a result of my dangerously low core temperature. A heated centrifuged bump had been administered to warm me from within, its effects slowly taking hold.
The steady drip of warm fluids entering my veins provided a minor comfort, but I remained restrained, unable to move or escape. But being on IV and restrained made my pulse pound even harder. I tried not to think about it, but I could not distract myself sufficiently.
Damon's frustration escalated, causing him to rise from his seat. His voice became a booming presence in the room, filled with anger and concern. "You're staying here, Mimi. No more self-inflicted harm. No more foolish attempts to tie tubes or escape. You shiver because your core temperature is still far from normal. It is only 36,5 degrees Celsius, so there is a way to go yet. Actions and consequences, baby, it's time for you to learn it and properly so. You're being cared for and receiving warm liquids soon. We can't let you wake up unattended. If you don't escape through the air ducts, you'll end up wetting yourself. This is for your own good, Mimi. You need this."
With those ultimate words, Damon stormed out of the room, followed closely by Adam. Left alone, I felt the tight grip of my restraints, the knowledge that I was helpless and powerless in this not-so-nice environment. I had pretty bad feelings about being on IVs, but I was utterly helpless to do anything.
I trembled, not from the cold entirely, but from the fear and anxiety of being in IV and seeing them. The IV and cannula tethered me to the bed, a constant reminder of my current state. All I saw was that damn liquid dripping, drip, drip...
Fifteen minutes later, Adam brought me my first bowl and had to feed me because I was shaking so wildly. I was tired again because shaking used up energy, and I was cold, and I didn't like being shouted at. Who would like that?
I mean, I understand Damon was yelling because he was scared or something, but he hadn't yelled at me that many times. Our fight was a whole different thing. Somehow, I was just so helpless, so defenseless, that I couldn't take that kind of outburst. I finished the soup Adam gave me and curled up in bed, shivering under the covers, which the shackles gave way to.
Adam said: "I'll bring you some more in a while. I think you're exhausted. Just rest."
I kept my eyes closed and shivered, pretending to be asleep, when Adam came to check on me half an hour later. Somewhere in between, I fell asleep as the cold receded, but the nightmares started all over again.
Just because I was chained to the bed, I saw the drip bags, and I had been screamed at. I was still on medication and felt unsafe. I fell asleep and started having nightmares.
Adam said to Damon after he had gone to see Mimi: "Her core temperature is coming back to normal, but she was still tired. She seemed to be asleep when I went to see her just now. I know it's fucking traumatic to find Mimi in that state, believe me, but always remember that Mimi will not be okay right away. She may not deal with it in the right way. I think you've shocked Mimi effectively with your outburst."
Damon looked at Adam and grunted, "OK, if I shocked her, then she might remember next time."
Adam said nothing. He went to make coffee when Samuel came in. Damon had already called Samuel and told him what Mimi had done. Samuel had said he was on his way to Chicago anyway so that he could check on Mimi then.
Lady had been moved to another house on Adam's orders, where Adam's staff were looking after her. Adam, Samuel, and Damon drank coffee and chatted about it.
Then Samuel said: "I'm going to see Mimi now, and you two can do what you like."
Samuel went to the medbay and, at his very first glance, cursed harshly. Oh fuck, they don't understand. Another setback, and a big one. Goddamn idiots, this was a near disaster and a big one.
Mimi was strapped to the bed, and an IV stand with a few bags was placed neatly next to the bed so that Mimi could see it for sure. One cannula was placed in the back of Mimi's hand and the other in the crook of her elbow.
Samuel sighed and went to see Mimi. He took the cannulas out swiftly. Mimi appeared to be asleep, but when Samuel removed the shackles, Mimi's hands moved, and she mumbled in distress.
Samuel tried to wake Mimi, and she sat up, seeing nothing. Not good. He pushed Mimi back onto the bed and put the belt over her chest.
Samuel said to Adam in his head, "You can thank Salvatore for this. Mimi will probably sleep for a few more days. Do you know how frustrating this is, Adam?"
Adam walked in amazement to the medbay and said: "What on earth are you talking about? "
Samuel sighed and said: "Do you know how long, you probably do, I've been slowly taught Mimi to tolerate the injections, the drips, the being on an IV. Do you remember how I did it? Cannulas are in a place where Mimi can't see them. The central line is wonderful, and the drip tray is always hidden. Always. And never strapping unless you absolutely have to, and even then, it would be good to have someone nearby. Now I must put the lady into a deep sleep because, you see, she's having nightmares. Salvatore shouted at her, and rightly so, but Mimi wasn't quite ready for such a harsh response. She was recovering, under-heated, underweight, on medication, and terrified. Then she is strapped to the bed for an IV so she can see the cannula in her hands and the IV bags and everything and can't do a damn thing about it. She was knackered and fell asleep to this outcome. No sense of security and fatigue equals a bad fucking nightmare."
Samuel walked over to the medicine cabinet and started looking for some medicine.
Damon said from the doorway, "You're exaggerating, Cornick. Mimi will wake up in a minute. She's probably just having some kind of confusing dream. There's no point in you putting her to sleep any more; let her wake up properly."
Samuel motioned Damon closer to Mimi. "What does that look like? You try waking her whenever you want. I'm going to get the medicine ready. Guess what, Damon? I will not give her any more injections directly again or even have any hope of her letting herself be cannulated and accepting an IV."
Damon looked at Mimi for a moment and said: "Fine, I should get going here. Do what you want with that idiot."
Damon walked past Adam, and he could smell Damon smelling the wet dog. Samuel had finished pulling the meds into the syringe and came over to Mimi. He took Mimi's hand and straightened it, at the same time deftly inserting the needle into the vein and pressing the plunger.
Mimi stopped struggling and moving. She sighed deeply and went limp. Samuel stayed to watch for a couple of hours to make sure Mimi stayed in a deep sleep. Adam blamed himself for not watching to make sure Damon wasn't in doctor mode. Samuel wondered about stuffing the bump, but at least it would provide sustenance. Mimi slept for three days.