Walking Wounded – Inspired by episode 3x18 – Murder of One.

Damon, Stefan and their friends deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the recent events in their lives. Damon/Stefan/Elena/Caroline/Bonnie/Matt/Alaric.

Chapter 1. Damon, Alaric

Damon and Alaric began to methodically take apart the loft, checking behind and under furniture, moving shelves, scanning for secret compartments under the floor boards, in the walls and ceilings, even going so far as to look for cut outs in every book. They found a couple of standard stakes and two knives which they lined up on the island bar. They worked deep into the night painstakingly dismantling and reassembly everything in the apartment. They eschewed the usual shots of bourbon preferring to keep their minds and eyes clear for the task at hand. Alaric watched with a frown of concern when Damon seemed to fade much earlier than himself.

"Break." Alaric announced pouring himself more of the putrid tea and Damon a glass of blood. Damon sat heavily on a bar stool and drained the glass with slow and steady satisfaction finally setting it on the counter with a thunk.

"Dragging your butt a bit." Alaric observed.

"Nothing like being bled dry to take a little pep out of your step." Damon smirked. He leaned over and rested his head in his hands. As he moved his sleeves shifted revealing angry red welts in his wrists and hands.

"Never seen this before. Thought you healed instantly." Alaric said with concern.

"Apparently not." Damon shrugged. "These are nothing. If you want to be really impressed check this out." Damon pulled back the collar of his shirt to reveal deep partially healed wounds on his neck.

"Death by a thousand cuts." He deadpanned. "Well, actually lost count around twenty."

Alaric winced. He reached an empathetic hand toward Damon but Damon shied away and pushed himself to a standing position.

"If we don't find that stake this will be nothing." Damon said pointedly.

Alaric returned to the nook he had been clearing out.

"Found another one." He said tossing a midsized blade in Damon's direction anticipating that Damon would snatch it out of the air and place it with the others. Uncharacteristically Damon flinched and moved defensively out of the way causing the blade to clatter onto the floor.

"What the hell Ric!" Damon shouted his eyes wide with shock. "You trying to impale me?"

"Forgot how to catch?" Ric said just as surprised as Damon. Damon gave himself a small shake and picked up the knife placing it on the counter. He continued to stare at it his eyes far away.

Damon was transported back to the grand hall hanging immobile. Rebekah's blade, almost an exact replica of the one sitting on the counter sliced across his chest the searing pain causing him to cry out. The knife moved to his neck severing the artery drawing a much heavier flow of blood. He immediately began to weaken as his blood volume dropped, causing him to slump more heavily into the chains the clamps biting further into his wrists. He let out a tortured gasp no longer having the strength to yell out. As his body attempted to heal the knife sliced again and again keeping the flow going. Damon hunched over the counter gasping in pain the present blurring with the nightmare experience.

Alaric cautiously approached him aware that one false move could easily cause Damon to plunge one of the blades into his own chest.

"Hey Buddy." Alaric said in a crisp clear voice placing a firm but gentle hand on Damon's shoulder. To his relief Damon shrank away from the touch collapsing onto his knees in pain and exhaustion.

"Alaric. What are you doing here? Get out of here!" Damon pleaded in complete confusion his eyes unfocussed.

"Use your eyes Damon. You're at the loft." Alaric commanded. With a strong arm he pulled Damon to his feet and led him to the sofa.

"What was that?" Damon asked finally coming to his senses.

"Flashback I think." Alaric explained. "Unanticipated trigger causes you to relive an unresolved trauma."

"Come on! Vampires don't get traumatized." Damon argued. "We just get even."

"That gonna happen this time?" Alaric asked sceptically.

Damon sank back against the sofa hopelessly.

"We're done for tonight." Alaric said pulling out his phone and calling Stefan.

"We're not done." Damon protested.

"We have to get you out of here." Alaric said with extreme urgency and concern. "I can't trust myself. If I shifted right now you'd be in no shape to handle me."

"Got the stake?" Stefan's voice rang over the phone.

"I need you over here right now and stay on the line. Keep me talking. " Alaric's tone was so intense that Stefan took off immediately not even bothering to ask why.

"Overprotective mother hen." Damon rolled his eyes then lay down on the sofa and passed out completely exhausted.

Less than two minutes later Stefan burst through the door. He went directly to Damon and kneeled beside him noticing the wounds that were beginning to seep blood.

"What happened to him?"Stefan asked extreme pain and concern in his face.

"Hours of torture at the hands of two originals." Alaric said simply.

"He seemed fine earlier." Stefan said confused.

"Apparently not so fine." Alaric said.

"When did these wounds reappear?" Stefan asked studying the deep tracks in Damon's hands and neck.

"Not sure. Think he might have been hiding them. " Alaric said. "Is he back on the vervaine?" Stefan nodded.

"Might need to keep him off it for a few days. Could be interfering with healing." Alaric suggested.

"Okay. I'll take him home." Stefan said about to lift up Damon.

"The Alter came out. He has the stake." Alaric blurted out.

"What?" Stefan asked shocked.

"You need to put me under watch. 24/7. " Alaric said with fear in his eyes. "I'm sleeping in the cell tonight."

A/N I very much appreciate your feedback especially if you can describe one specific thing that you liked or perhaps didn't like or raised a question for you. It helps me to know if what I am trying to do is actually working.