~ Chapter Twenty-Six - Part 3 ~

“The thought that you were here alone, that you loved me and needed me as much as I needed you, kept me going,” Katalina said quietly.
Damien let out a soft grunt of pain as he felt a twinge in his heart. “Oh, my little dove,” he whispered brokenly.
Katalina hugged him tightly. “I would go through any hell to get back to you,” she breathed out.
Damien sharply inhaled as he pulled away from her again. He looked into her eyes and softly muttered. “I love you, my little dove. So very much.”
Katalina gave him a teary-eyed smile. “I love you too. So very much.”
Damien held her close for a few minutes before he let out a soft sigh. “We should get up and go see Nathan. Then find Ben and Axel,” he said reluctantly.
Katalina groaned in annoyance but gave in. “Can you help me up?” She asked softly.
Damien quickly got out of bed and moved to her side of the bed. He carefully placed a hand behind her back while he grabbed her hand and gently pulled her up into a sitting position. Katalina giggled when she found Daemon and Cerberus lying on the floor with their heads up and staring right at her. “I see you somehow managed to shrink to a semi-normal size,” she said with another giggle.
Cerberus seemed to give her three lopsided smiles. Then, finally, she shook her head and looked at Damien. “Let’s go take a shower,” she said softly.
Damien shook his head. “The water pressure from a shower will hurt your back. So we’re going to take a bath,” he said firmly yet gently.
Katalina smiled brightly. “Thank you, my beloved.”
Damien pressed a featherlight kiss to her temple before leading her to the bathroom. He carefully lifted her and set her on the sink counter. He turned the bathtub on and put the drain stop in once the temperature was right. He stood in front of Katalina again and kissed her forehead. “We have to get these bandages off of you, dove,” he said softly.
Katalina nodded and held up her arms as he got to work. He meticulously unwrapped her arms, legs, and torso bandages. He also took the brace off of her ankle. Once he had all the bandages off, he carefully picked her up and carried her to the now full tub. He lowered her into the tub and let go of her once he was sure she was situated.
Damien quickly took off his clothes and climbed in behind Katalina, careful not to bump into her. He grabbed a soft fabric washcloth and dunked it in the water. He put a bit of soap on it and washed her back as gently as possible.
It didn’t take them too long to get cleaned up. Once they were both thoroughly clean, Damien climbed out and dried off. He wrapped a towel around his waist before bending at the waist to lift Katalina out of the tub. Damien set her on her feet and ensured she was steady before grabbing a towel and lightly patting her dry. Once she was dry, he wrapped the towel around her. Next, he helped her to the couch in front of the fireplace. He quickly got a fire started before turning to her. “Let me grab everything I need, and then I’ll take care of you.”
“Will you also dry and brush my hair for me?” Katalina asked in a hopeful whisper.
Damien smiled in adoration. “Of course, little dove.”
Damien kissed her forehead before rushing to the closet. He got dressed as quickly as he could. He knew Katalina would wait for him, but he had just gotten her back. He feared she'd disappear if he left her alone for too long. So he rushed as he finished getting dressed. Before going into the bathroom, Damien grabbed a light, flowing dress and a pair of slippers for Katalina. He took out everything he needed and sat next to her on the couch.
“Okay, dove. Nathan said that this cream would help your wounds. He said that most of them will heal, but there are a couple on your right arm, and the ones on your back will leave scars,” he explained roughly.
Katalina nodded. “Max used a knife covered in wolfsbane on my arm. I could feel it burning me and weakening me,” she said in a harsh voice as she stared into the fire, losing herself in the dancing flames. “For my back, he used a silver whip that he had dipped in wolfsbane before each hit against my flesh,” she choked back a sob as she continued to stare into the fire.
Damien sighed heavily from behind her. “I will take care of you, my little dove. You will never have to go through something like that again. I promise,” he vowed as he looked into her eyes.
Katalina nodded slightly as the tears rushed down her face.
Damien pressed a gentle, loving kiss to her lips before having her turn around, so her back was facing him. He lightly rubbed some cream onto her back before wrapping gauze around her torso again. Damien did the same for her arms and legs. He put her brace back on her ankle before grabbing her dress. “I know you usually prefer to wear those cute little bra and panty sets, but I don’t think that will be such a good idea with your back.”
Katalian nodded. “No, I agree. My wounds are still too sensitive for those,” she eyed the dress and smiled. “It’s perfect, love. Thank you.”
Damien smiled and helped her put it on. “Let’s brush your hair, and then we’ll see Nathan.”
Katalina turned so that her back was to him, and he took that as an answer enough. Damein chuckled as he grabbed the towel wrapped around her body and dried her hair. When her hair was dry, he carefully started brushing the knots out of her hair. When he had it silky smooth, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. “All done, dove.”
Damien stood up and helped her to her feet. They walked to the doctor after that. Damien knocked on the door before stepping inside with Katalina at his side. “Hey, Nathan,” he said as he closed the door behind Katalina.
Nathan looked up and smiled. “I see you’re awake,” he said as he stood up and walked towards them.
Katalina nodded. “I’m sure I was asleep for quite some time,” she said quietly.
Nathan nodded. “Though, I will admit I was expecting you to sleep a bit longer,” he said as he looked her over.
Katalina shrugged. “I don’t know how I’m awake right now, to be honest.”
Nathan frowned. “Well, let me give you a quick check-up, and then we’ll do an ultrasound.”
Katalina nodded with a smile. “Okay.”