Elena flicked through the pages of the magazine her Aunt Jenna had brought her. She was bored and needed something to pass the time. She had just begun reading an article on the benefits of using an anti-ageing night cream when a knock came to her door. She sighed and ignored it knowing full well that whoever it was would come in anyway.

"Elena, honey?" came the voice of Gail. Gail was a friendly middle aged nurse and Elena had a moderate affection for her but right here and now she wasn't in the mood for chit chat.

Sure enough after ten seconds she hear the door open.

"Elena?" Gail said from across the room. Elena continued to read the article.

"You're supposed to be in session with Doctor Fell in five minutes, you don't want to be late now, do you?"

Elena cleared her throat. "Hey Gail did you know that a night serum has an incredibly effective blend of hydrators, plus antioxidants that neutralise 90% of environmental onslaughts before they damage your skin?"

She heard Gail sigh from the corner. "Is that so? So, Elena are you just going to ignore me today then?"

"Este Lauder have the best one from $55, if I had that kind of money to spare I doubt I'd be getting a serum…shoes on the other hand…." Elena continued

"E-len-a…" Gail dragged out

"I'm not ignoring you, Gail. I'm ignoring Dr. Fell." Elena said rolling her eyes.

"And may I ask why you're ignoring her?"

"Because." Elena said flipping the page in her magazine "She makes me out to be insane."

"You're not insane, Elena." Gail said

"I know that." She shrugged. "And thank you for saying that too, but I just don't know why I'm here."

"Why don't you go and ask Dr Fell that?" Gail offered

"Maybe I will." Elena said closing her magazine and sitting up.

"You better hurry now, it's almost three." Gail said checking her watch.

"Yeah, yeah." Elena said pulling her hair into a high pony tail. "I'm going, I'm going."

When Elena reached Dr Fell's office she knocked the door. "Come in." came the reply

Elena opened the door and walked in.

"Elena." Dr Fell said with a smile. "Take a seat."

Elena walked to the squishy black leather chair and slumped down.

"How are we today?" the doctor asked pleasantly

Elena arched her eyebrow "Is that a joke doctor?"

Dr Fell smiled again "No, I meant how are you, Elena?"

Elena crossed her legs, "I'm good."

"Good." Dr Fell nodded "I'm glad to hear it"

Elena waited for her to say something else but she didn't, instead she scribbled something down on a pad.

"Soooo." Elena said awkwardly after a silence.

"Sorry, Elena." Dr Fell replied setting her pen down.

"How are your arms by the way?"

Elena pulled her sleeves down further over her wrists. "They're fine, Dr Fell, healing."

"Elena, please call me Meredith."

Elena nodded "Well Meredith how are you?"

Dr Fell tilted her head "We're here to talk about you, Elena. But I'm fine, thank you."

Elena nodded again "Cool, so how's things with Ric?"

"You know I can't discuss other patients with you Elena."

"I know." Elena shrugged "I was just testing you."

"You're a clever young woman, Elena." Dr Fell stated

"But you think I'm insane, remember?" Elena added

"I do not think you're insane." Dr Fell said urgently

"Sure you do." Elena said "And it's fine, I get it, I mean- if I was on the outside looking at me I'd think I was insane too."

Dr Fell lifted her pen again "What do you mean by that?" she asked

"Well I mean I slashed my wrists up because I haven't seen my best friend in a while. It's not exactly normal."

Dr fell began scribbling away on her pad. "Let's talk about Damon."

Elena frowned "Again?"

"Yes, tell me more about him."

Elena hesitated; she didn't want to talk about him. It had really hurt her not seeing him for months, he hadn't bothered to show up once.

"What's he like?" Dr Fell pushed

Why did she always want to talk about him? Surely she must have told her everything before.

"Why? I've told you everything?"

"Humour me." Dr Fell smiled "I just want to see if your feelings towards him have changed at all?"

Elena sighed "Fine. Damon is my best friend in the world. He's funny, smarty, he's witty…" despite her annoyance at him she felt warmth spread through her body as she spoke about him. "He's sarcastic, really sarcastic. He always pokes fun at me and teases me, but I know how much he loves me. He's cared for me since I was seven years old; he's protected me and looked out for me. I spent all of my time with him, he would advise me on my problems and he always makes me feel better. I love him."

"You love him?" Dr Fell pushed

"Yeah." Elena said without hesitation.

"So he's not just your best friend then?"

"Well… things changed." She smiled shyly

"How so?"

"Come on Meredith!" Elena giggled "I'm seventeen now, how do you think?"

"You've kissed him?" the doctor asked

"Yes." Elena said

"Is that all?" Doctor Fell frowned

"No." Elena blushed

"Are you sexually involved with him?" Dr Fell asked

"Yes." Elena confirmed

Dr Fell set down her pen again and rubbed her eyes.

"Elena." She said sadly.

Elena suddenly felt defensive at her pitying tone.

Dr Fell continued "Tell me about the last time you saw him?"

"It was just after my birthday. We'd finally gotten together and everything was so perfect. When I told my Mom about it she just flipped! She said horrible things and she took me to the hospital who checked me over and gave me some sort of medication. After a while he stopped visiting, my Mom and Dad must have stopped him. I just couldn't bare it, I can't cope without him."

"Is that why you hurt yourself?"

"Yes. I know it seems stupid, but I just couldn't do it anymore. I thought if I was hurt they'd see how much I need Damon and they'd let him come back and see me but it didn't work. They sent me here. It's been almost five months since I've seen him.

"And do you understand why you don't see him anymore?" Dr. Fell asked sadly looking at Elena

"Yeah, because he's obviously afraid of my parents." She replied

"Elena." Dr Fell said "Think about it."

"I don't know!" she shouted "Maybe he doesn't love me as much as I love him! Is that what you want me to say?"

"Elena, Damon isn't real, is he?" Dr Fell said gently

"What?" Elena said loudly

"Damon isn't real, Elena." Dr Fell said slowly "He's imaginary."

"Don't be ridiculous." Elena said with a sharp laugh.

"Since you've been taking your meds Damon's been gone." Dr Fell reminded her

"Yes, but it's because of my parents, they've scared him off…." She said desperately

"I think you know that's not right." Dr Fell said "Deep down Elena… you know that Damon is in your imagination."

Elena stood up. "I want to go."

Dr Fell stood up too "Do you understand Elena? I think you've made a massive leap in your recovery today…"

"I said I want to go!" Elena bellowed

"Okay." Dr Fell said "but I want us to meet again on Friday once you've had some time to think and re-evaluate. I know this is hard for you to comprehend… Once you accept this, you'll be able to move on and you'll get better."

Elena nodded and then practically ran from the room. What was Dr Fell talking about? Damon wasn't imaginary. She'd been with him for years, her best friend, she loved him- they were meant to be together forever. This was madness.

"Hello Elena."

Elena looked up to see Caroline Forbes smiling at her. She was also seventeen, a blonde beauty who always had shiny bouncy curls.

"Hi." Elena said glumly

"What's wrong Elena, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Caroline…I think that I really might be crazy." She managed to say before she burst into tears

"Oh Elena, sit down." Caroline said pulling her into the day room. They sat at the seats in front of the window. "Tell me what's wrong."

Elena explained what Dr Fell had told her

"Damon IS real, Elena." Caroline said firmly "They're just messing with your head."

"But where is he?" Elena sobbed "She's right; ever since I've been on my meds Damon has been gone."

"Well then it's obvious, isn't it?" Caroline smiled suddenly

"What?" Elena said wiping her eyes.

"Stop taking your meds."

"How?" Elena asked "They wait while you take them."

"Then all you have to do is go to the toilets and get rid of them." Caroline whispered

Elena blinked "Make myself sick?"

"Yeah, but quickly so they don't start working. If Damon appears then you'll know and if he doesn't then no harm done. It's simple." Caroline beamed

Elena considered this. "I think that might work." She smiled

"Of course it will" Caroline said confidently "It's what I do."

Elena stood up; she was willing to try anything to see Damon again.

"You see they try to poison me with anti-vampire pills, I have to throw them up for my own good." Caroline said matter of fact-ly to Elena who was barely listening now she had her plan.

"Thanks Caroline." She said "I better be getting back to my room."

"Me too, I need to get another blood bag, I'm on my last…See?" Caroline opened the bag around her body too out a carton to show Elena. She pierced the straw into the apple juice and took a sip. "Mmm." She smiled "Don't let them get your down, Elena. Damon's real, you're just as sane as me."

"Bye Caroline." Elena said absentmindedly as she walked off.

Back in her room Elena lay down on the bed, the nurse would be bringing her her pills at five. She knew exactly what she was going to do…