The Salvatore Saga, Part Four: My new Life

A few days later, I had managed to get myself back into shape so that I could control my bloodlust. I was no longer weak and could take care of myself, not needing constant care and attention. Mariella was still as impossible as ever, but I didn't care about her. I let her have the Salvatores, who were tired of her constant pleas for sex and lust.

I was sitting in one of the bedrooms, engrossed in my textbooks on infections in shifters and hybrids. I had become obsessed with finding a reason or some idea of where the infection had come from. The initial tests conducted by Colin had revealed nothing, so it was clear that it wasn't our surroundings, but something within us that had escaped.

The bedroom was nicely decorated with light green curtains and soft rugs. I had a good collection of rugs that were important to me, as they felt nice underfoot. Most of the room was light green, with a few small pink pillows and subtly green-tinted walls. When the lights were on, the walls appeared white. The ceiling was simply white and dull.

I focused on my studies, knowing that our gut flora was a possible suspect, but studying them was extremely dangerous and I didn't want to risk another infection. However, I hadn't found any evidence linking the infection to our intestinal bacteria.

But who knows, I just wanted to find some peace of mind and discover a reason why this had happened. It would take time and some detective work, but I had the luxury of time and a nice laboratory in Moldova. I planned on bringing a few items here so that I could study in my own time.

Of course, I wasn't going to advertise this, as the Salvatores might become protective and Mariella might become jealous. Damon, who knows what he might do, could easily sabotage my investigation for no real reason other than Mariella.

So, I decided to keep this secret and enlisted the help of a few guys like Magnum, Wulfe, and Colin. We all wanted to have some idea for the future, to be better prepared and know where such a nasty infection could be hiding. 

Colin and I had traveled to Moldova to retrieve the necessary items. We spent several nights discussing potential sources of the infection. In the past, one possibility had been advertisements that contained germs placed by evil sarks. Fortunately, these germs only affected Mariella or, occasionally, wolves, never me.

Once we discovered that Mariella was the one who read those magazines and leaflets, we had our mail redirected to the magic house to ensure it was free from germs. However, Mariella still contracted the infection, and Damon never bothered to investigate the true source.

Our own investigation might shed some light on this. Although we hadn't delved too deeply into it yet, we had come up with some theories. Soon, it would be time to test these theories and see if we could uncover the truth.

However, the million-dollar question remained: even if we identified the source of the infection, it would be up to Damon to decide what action to take. Given his current state of confusion caused by Mariella and the upcoming vampire heat, it might be pointless to ask him.

Therefore, I made the decision that if we did identify the source, we would handle it ourselves, or at least inform everyone about it so they would be aware. Then, I could take steps to protect myself. Others could decide for themselves how to proceed once everything was clear. Of course, this was all theoretical until we had concrete proof.

We were currently in a living room or lounge, with wood-colored panels lining the walls, dark mahogany tables, and large, comfortable chairs. The old, worn rugs added a sense of homeliness, and the wood-colored ceiling completed the cozy atmosphere. The roaring fire in the huge fireplace provided warmth.

I looked at Colin and said, "One good suspect could be our intestinal bugs. However, we have taken precautions to ensure they don't pose a risk. What else could it be?"

He pondered for a moment and replied, "Well, have you ever considered studying the bacteria in our mouths? We do kiss quite a lot, and that could be one way for germs to transfer."

 I nodded, contemplating the issue at hand. How could we investigate the oral fauna and flora without attracting attention? The unidentified germ posed a challenge. Perhaps we could identify a group of possible suspects. Nonetheless, we had a starting point.

Magnum suggested, "Why don't we ask Samuel for help? He might have encountered similar bugs during his travels."

Agreeing with his suggestion, I replied, "That's a good idea. Go ahead and reach out to Samuel. I don't think Damon or the Salvatores will mind, considering they are currently preoccupied with their lustful phase and the vampire heat. We have a limited timeframe. Samuel might provide some insight or at least point us in the right direction."

With a sense of direction established, I took a moment to catch my breath as the men left to contact Samuel or gather more supplies. Returning to my bedroom, I left only the softly glowing embers in the lounge.

Sitting on my bed, I sighed and reflected on the whole situation. I was not in the best condition, and I hoped that Samuel's focus on the mystery infection and finding its source would divert his attention away from me.

I had managed to convince Colin and the others that I was fine, but Samuel, being outside my circle of pheromones and power, might be more skeptical. Nevertheless, I would present myself as composed as possible to avoid any fuss from him or scrutiny from Colin and Wulfe.

Yes, I was quite thin, but at least I could take care of my basic needs—walking, eating, and showering—without relying on the Salvatores for filling all the time. I assumed Mariella, and the wolves were receiving most of the stuffing, which was also beneficial for them. The infection had affected the wolves as well, and they were not yet in top shape, so receiving a bump would be beneficial.

A few hours later, while engrossed in my books, I heard soft footsteps indicating Samuel's arrival. I hadn't had a chance to make myself presentable, but I figured I looked decent enough. However, as he stood at the door with his heavy bag, he looked at me, sighed, and shook his head slightly. 

He walked in and said, "Missy, it seems like you need some checking up. Well, I'm here and you're my first priority, so no arguments. I can ask Wulfe to freeze you in place so I can examine you."

I rolled my eyes and replied, "Actually, I'm feeling much better compared to when I woke up. So there's no need to overreact."

Samuel closed the door, placed his bag on a table, and began to unpack it, taking out medical equipment such as blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, and even an ultrasound machine. I sighed and thought to myself that this was excessive, but I let him see I was fine, albeit still skinny, as I hadn't gained much weight yet.

He asked me to undress and proceeded to run his hands all over my body, pressing, squeezing, and palpating. He grunted and didn't say much. Then it was time for various measurements and tests, from oxygen saturation to blood pressure, ECG, EEG, and even ultrasounds of my internal organs. There were also a lot of blood tests.

He didn't say much as he worked, and I knew better than to ask. I tolerated his examination, although it made my pulse speed up slightly and made me a bit more tense. He was once again acting as my doctor, something that hadn't happened in a while. Sure, I still had bruises and my healing wasn't as fast as it could be, but it was better than before.

I had no idea how long it took, and then he said to me, "Go ahead and dress yourself. Charles will soon bring you some hot chocolate, as you're still a bit cold. You're hypothermic, only 38.9 degrees Celsius, and you should be at 40.4 degrees Celsius, so you need to warm up."

I nodded and replied, "I'll get there. It takes time, but I'll be alright."

He nodded and said, "I believe you. However, you're not quite there yet, and you're in a fragile state, so you shouldn't push yourself too much. I'll have a chat with Charles and Adam about your condition at some point. This infection hasn't been easy for you, and it's important that you take it easy. But it's good that we're trying to figure out where it came from and how to prevent it."

I took my clothes and started to dress myself. Just as I finished, Charles and Adam walked in, carrying a tray with several steaming mugs of hot chocolate and plates of food for me. I knew I had to eat as much as possible, but sometimes it was so boring to eat all the time. 

I was sitting in my bed, enjoying my hot cocoa and chatting with Samuel, Adam, Charles, Colin, Wulfe, and Magnum, who were all here too. We were discussing this infection and where to find it. I had to list all of my symptoms and go through my daily routine. Samuel asked a million questions, verifying facts and gathering information for his investigation. 

I had finished my entire plate, which consisted of five thick, fatty steaks with a perfect sauce and a little bit of pasta. I was sipping the remaining hot chocolate when I started to feel increasingly tired.

I yawned, and Samuel smiled gently, saying, "You need rest. This is for your own good. You can have a few meals intravenously while you take a nap."

I grumbled, "So you're ordering drugs to be injected into me, really?"

I was already swaying, but Charles's powerful arms helped me to lie down.

He reassured me, "Listen, honey, this is for your own good. You need to rest above all else. Go on, there were calendula drops so you can't fight it."

He smiled, and I tried to swear, but my mouth didn't cooperate as sleep took over. 

As I fell asleep, Samuel and Colin inserted a cannula into me from a few spots. Samuel had brought several bags of strong nutritional concentrates that would greatly benefit me.

Samuel muttered to himself, "She should weigh much more. It's been over two weeks since she woke up, and she's been eating, yet she's barely 36 kilos. Her temperature is too low, and her body is sluggish. She's pushing herself too much. She should be resting most of the time, preferably sleeping as much as possible, and receiving IV nutrition. Her system is too stressed to absorb food properly."

Colin nodded, and Wulfe said, "I see what we can do. She's stubborn, but we can at least try to keep her sleeping as long as possible."

Charles gently caressed Mimi's face, observing her usual tiredness and frailty. Dark circles surrounded her eyes, her face appeared gaunt, and her skin seemed almost paper-thin. It would take time for her to regain her strength.

Samuel spoke up, saying, "I have a few ideas about this infection, but I need to conduct some tests to gather evidence and proof. Preventing it is relatively simple if it's what I suspect, but it's a nasty one, so prevention is crucial. Not everyone may appreciate my findings."

Charles looked at his brother with a questioning expression, but Samuel refused to share more details until he had concrete evidence. Then they would inform the rest of the pack about what was going on.

There was no rush; Samuel kept Mimi sleeping for three days, swiftly feeding her while collecting the necessary samples to support his hypotheses. It would be Mimi's responsibility to inform the pack about this infection and its source, as she was the alpha female and had been the one eager to investigate.

Of course, everyone would be present when they revealed the truth, but Mimi would be the one to blow the whistle, so to speak. Samuel also planned to discuss Mimi's condition with the entire pack, particularly with Mariella.

He would also share a few helpful strategies to prevent misbehavior, even when vampire heat arrived. It wasn't that difficult, but perhaps Damon didn't know these tricks or simply didn't care. However, soon everyone would be aware, and perhaps Mariella would improve her behavior as well. Only time would tell.