『11』

In the dead of night, Matt packed his belongings and, accompanied by Stephanie, returned to Mystic Falls. After settling Stephanie in his home, he couldn't wait and rushed to Caroline's house. He knocked firmly on the door, and a groggy female voice came from inside, calling out, "Coming."

When Liz opened the door, she was surprised to see Matt. "Oh, it's you, Matt. What are you doing out so late?"

Ignoring the small talk, Matt asked urgently, "Is Caroline here?"

Liz replied, "No, she's not here. She's in the hospital."

Panicking, Matt knew he didn't have time for explanations. He gently touched Liz, infusing her with his Chi, and spoke seductively, "You'll go back to sleep for me, won't you?" Liz nodded in a state of ecstasy.

Matt continued, "Also, go get a check-up done and have them scan your body for any signs of cancer. You'll do that for me, won't you?" Liz nodded again as if entranced and emitted a soft moan of agreement. Matt waved her goodbye and quickly left,

Matt didn't waste any time and immediately went to the hospital. Fortunately, it wasn't too far from Caroline's house, and he arrived within 10 minutes. Once he reached the front desk, he approached the nurse on duty and asked, "Can I visit a patient named Caroline Forbes?"

The nurse glanced at the visiting hours sign, which indicated that visiting hours were from 9 AM to 5 PM. Matt sighed in frustration, then took a more direct approach. He gently held the nurse's hand and infused a bit of his Chi into her, asking in a seductive tone, "You'll make an exception for me, won't you, darling?"

The nurse moaned softly and responded, "Yeah."

"Now, tell me, where is the room Caroline Forbes is in?" Matt inquired. The nurse quickly accessed the hospital's computer, typed in some information, and provided him with the room number. "She's in room 305," she said.

He took advantage of the situation, discreetly removing the nurse's badge while she was under the influence of his Chi. He then swiftly headed to the hospital's blood bank, where he secured two blood bags. With these items in hand, he was prepared to visit Caroline in room 305

As Matt reached the third floor, his heightened senses allowed him to pick up on the muffled sounds of someone crying. His heart sank when he realized it was Caroline in distress. Approaching her room, he gently pushed the door open and saw her face buried in the pillow, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Hearing his presence, Caroline abruptly lifted her head, revealing red, puffy eyes. The moment she saw Matt, she vamped over to him with relief and anguish.

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder, clinging to him as if he were her lifeline. Her sobs were still evident as she tried to speak through her tears.

"Matt... I'm so glad you're here... it's been awful... I needed you..." She struggled to compose herself, her voice choked with emotion.

Matt held her tightly, offering comfort in her time of need. "I'm here, Caroline. I'm here for you. What happened? Why are you in the hospital?"

As Caroline clung to Matt, she explained the harrowing ordeal that had brought her to the hospital. She recounted the accident and how Elena had come into her room, suffocating her with a pillow. Her voice trembled as she shared the traumatic experience, and the fear in her eyes was palpable.

"When I called you," Caroline continued, "it was like a lifeline. I woke up not knowing who to trust or where to turn, but I knew I had to call you.

As Caroline's emotions overwhelmed her, her vampire nature began to surface. Her eyes developed prominent veins beneath them, and her fangs extended. In a moment of self-loathing, she saw her reflection in the mirror and berated herself as a monster.

Stepping in front of her to block her reflection and holding her face gently in his hands. He looked into her eyes with a reassuring smile, Matt allowed his own eyes to glow silver. Caroline, if you're a monster, then so am I. We're in this together." He showed her his two blood bags and said, "I've got blood for you."

Her expression softened, and she was about to inquire further about what Matt was when he gently touched her cheek and said, "I promise, Caroline, I'll tell you everything again. Right now, let's focus on getting you better and keeping you safe."

Matt attempted to lighten the mood and said, "Also, congratulations, you're now a vampire." He offered her a small smile, hoping to bring humor to the situation and ease the tension.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Caroline asked.

"Well, we're going to get you out of this hospital, and you're going to crash at my place temporarily," Matt said.

Caroline quickly changed into her old clothes, finding more comfort in them. She nodded and looked at Matt. "I'm ready."

Leaving Caroline's room, they ran into a nurse who questioned their actions. Ignoring the nurse, Matt turned to Caroline and said, "You know, vampires can impose their will on others. It's called compulsion. Try it out on this nurse here."

Caroline hesitated momentarily, but then vamp sped before the nurse, pinning him against the wall. Matt instructed her to make eye contact and give the nurse a command. Caroline, while maintaining eye contact, said, "Keep quiet. You don't remember us leaving, and you'll discharge Caroline Forbes from the hospital with a clean bill of health." The nurse stiffened, his pupils contracted, and he repeated her words in a monotone voice. He then turned to comply with her command.

Caroline's excitement was palpable as her command successfully influenced the nurse. She squealed in delight and turned to Matt, asking, "How did you know about that?"

Matt replied with a casual shrug, "I've been around other vampires and have seen them do it before. It's a handy skill when you need to get things done."

Caroline looked at Matt with curiosity and asked, "What did you do when you were gone?"

Matt chuckled and replied, "I've got a couple of stories to share with you, but now might not be the best time."

Caroline and Matt returned to his house, but Caroline could not enter as they arrived. She looked confused and asked, "Why can't I enter?" Matt chuckled, realizing he had forgotten to explain, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, vampires need to be invited in." He extended his hand and asked, "Caroline Forbes, would you like to come into my humble abode?"

Caroline giggled and replied, "Of course, sir, Donovan." As she entered his house, she heard a heartbeat that wasn't Matt's. She raised an eyebrow, and Matt quickly explained, "That's a special guest I have." Caroline shrugged, and Matt offered her some of his clothes. She accepted them and headed to the shower.

Matt went to his room, tightly shut the curtains, and settled on his bed. Eventually, Caroline knocked on the door and asked if she could sleep with him. She didn't feel safe after what happened at the hospital. Matt opened his blanket, and Caroline rushed in. "Thank you," she whispered.

"No problem, Caroline," Matt whispered back as he held her in his arms, providing her comfort and safety for the night.

Caroline closed her eyes, content in Matt's embrace, and they drifted off to sleep. 

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