Chapter 7 SUBTLE CHANGES.

CHAPTER 7: SUBTLE CHANGES.

Damon stirred lightly on the hospital bed, opening his eyes, slowly. He couldn't make out or see anything in the room. The room was pitch dark. Wondering where he was, he made an attempt to sit upright, but his body felt sore and he fell back on the hospital bed.

The light was suddenly switched one, a high pitched voice startled Damon on the bed, "You're awake." Alexander happily skipped towards Damon's bed. He pressed a button, and three doctors on standby came rushing in. Damon was looking at them with surprised eyes, but something was different in his gaze.

Damon continued to look at Alexander and the doctors, as they examined him. An IV drip was connected to him, he had always hated needles, but he knew he wasn't concious, when he was injected. He looked around the room, and noticed it was a like a luxury hotel room.

Everything he could ever need for comfort and luxury was in the room, "Is this a hospital ward? It's so beautiful." Damon asked himself inwardly. He was amazed at what he saw, but surprisingly, his face was devoid of any expression, it was like he didn't want to be there.

The doctors finally finished their examination on Damon, they turned to Alexander, who was still standing beside the bed, "He needs three days bed rest, he will be okay." One of the doctors said. Alexander casually waved his hands, dismissing them. It was a surprise how his countenance changes quickly.

Alexander turned to Damon, his serious expression when he was facing the doctors, was gone in the blink of an eye. He happily said to Damon, beaming with a smile, "You've been asleep for two days." Alexander didn't get any response from Damon, but he wasn't put off or discouraged.

Damon observed the attractive man across him, his face looked stoic a minute ago, "Why is he smiling at me?" The questions on Damon's mind, was where he was and how he got here. He remembered he fainted between his parents' tombstones. He didn't care to know who Alexander is.

Damon touched his face lightly, he noticed his left cheek was bandaged, "I guess it was due to the cut." He thought inwardly. He decided to speak for the first time in two days. For a long time, he had not been able to say a complete sentence to anyone.

"Where..am..I?" Damon said stuttering, his voice was hoarse but cold. It was like he didn't have any emotion left, to show. His gaze was piercing but it was nothing to Alexander. He didn't look like the meek and foolish Damon. This new Damon, felt no fear or pain for anything.

Alexander smiled meaningfully at him, he had also noticed the subtle changes in Damon, considering that he had been keeping tabs on Damon for a long time, they had just been waiting for the right time to take him away. "This is a very good start." Alexander voiced out happily.

Damon scrunched his eyebrows at Alexander, "Why isn't he answering? Does he take me for a fool to? And what very good start?" Damon thought, he was sizing up Alexander. Alexander looked bulky, "He can easily beat me up. I need to tread carefully." Damon thought, still looking at Alexander.

"You're in a hospital. This is the VVIP ward, made for you alone." Alexander said, waiting to see Damon's reaction to his words. 'What would he think? To suddenly get a VVIP ward, free of charge should be surprising to him, right?.' Alexander was thinking and waiting for Damon's reaction.

Damon looked at Alexander with no expression. He looked away from him and skimmed his eyes through the ward, not showing whether he was surprised or not. One thing he learned through his years of scorn from his foster family and In-laws, was not to show what he was thinking.

Damon was putting this knowledge into good use, something he should have done for a long time. If he had concealed his thoughts, Vintage wouldn't be able to read him so well and harm him. Vanessa wouldn't term him as a fool with no backbone. "How did I get here?"

Alexander was surprised at Damon's neutral expression, "Hmm, you've changed." Alexander said, tapping his chin, with his fingers lightly. "Your change is a good thing, for what you're going to do from now on." Alexander said meaningfully, before proceeding to sit casually on Damon's bed. Damon frowned at his actions.

'What is he saying? What am I going to do? Why is he sitting casually on my bed? Doesn't he think I'm a fool? He should be running away from me.' These questions were ringing in Damon's head. He might have changed and become emotionless, but he still lacked confidence.

Damon was utterly confused. Surprisingly he hadn't thought about Vanessa and the rest for once. Had he finally forgiven or forgotten them?, Of course not. It was just a reflex action in his body, helping him to forget his pain, temporarily. "Who are you and how did I get here?"

Alexander's eyes lit up, like a child who had seen his favourite candy. "You finally asked about me. For that, I'll answer any question you ask me, from now on." Alexander said, like he was rewarding Damon for a job well done. Damon looked at Alexander, confused by his actions.

Damon decided to grab the opportunity, "How did I get here? Who are you? How was I able to afford this ward? What do you really want from me? What am I going to do from now on, like you said? Don't you detest me?" Damon asked those questions, breathlessly.

Alexander smiled, "Slow down buddy, don't bombard me with questions." He said jokingly, but still answered his questions accordingly. "We took you here, from the cemetery. I'm Alexander, your assistant. Alexander said that with a tinge of pride. You've so much money to your name, this VVIP ward is nothing."

"We don't need anything from you, rather we're ready to serve you. For what you're going to do from now on, you're going to take up the CEO position of Sandro Corps and also lead the largest underground organization in New York. Also, I don't detest you, I'm your friend."

Alexander answered all of Damon's questions, enthusiastically. It was surprising how he was able to stick those questions to his head, in a short while. Alexander noticed Damon was looking at him like he was a retarded fool. This was the very first expression Alexander noticed on Damon's face today.

"What do you mean by CEO of Sandro Corps? What largest underground organization? They will kill me in minutes. Why me? What did I do to deserve all that? Do you want to make me your scapegoat? You're my friend? Oh please, friends never last." Damon questioned Alexander, truly enraged.

Damon became more enraged when he saw Alexander's amused expression. He huffed and puffed, forgetting to put on his expressionless act, he subconciously became comfortable with Alexander, he was even able to form complete sentences for a long time now. But Damon didn't notice all that, because he was enraged.

Alexander's amused expression changed to a serious one. He put on a stoic and piercing gaze. Damon shivered, 'Is he going to beat me up?' He slightly pushed himself into his bed, but continued to look at Alexander defiantly. Alexander moved dangerously closer to Damon, looking him in the eye.

"Do I look like a joker to you? You're going to lead us, whether you like it or not. You better be prepared. Do you want to go back to your in-laws?" Alexander said with a piercing gaze, deciding to stop his act. He suddenly laughed, warding off the tension.

Damon's eyes changed, he looked empty and lifeless again. Alexander's laugh, didn't bring down the tension in the room. Damon was reminded of the pain, he had to go through. Of the sinful act, he saw between Vintage and Vanessa. He turned away from Alexander, and leaned on the wall.

"Hey, I didn't mean to scare you. What happened? I thought you were fine. I'm sorry. Hey, look at me." Alexander frantically shook Damon, who was not responding to him. "What have I done?" Alexander muttered, he had underestimated Damon's mental state. He could snap at him at any minute.

Damon was still leaning on the wall, with a far away look in his eyes. He looked cold, lonely and despondent. Alexander was still worried, "What should I do?" Asking loudly to no one in particular. He thought of his dad, but he knew his dad would scold him.

He took out his phone, to call his dad, when the door was swinged open loudly, Alexander wasn't startled in the slightest, so as Damon, who was still motionless on the bed. "Get out, I'll talk to him." Mr. Burton ordered his son, walking in large strides towards the hospital bed.