If someone had told him that he cared about Bonnie Bennett he would have denied that he did. He would have smirked and say that he feels nothing for the witch and that she meant nothing to him. After all he would gladly have her die if that meant sparing Elena's life. She tired to kill him by setting him on fire so why would he care about her? He would never have admitted that he cared for her.
But things changed the night that she got into a car accident. It was the night that she had left him at Klaus's house after being tortured by Rebecca. She was driving home when some drunk driver had crossed lines and ran head first into her car at over seventy miles per hour. They had to use the jaws of life to get her out. The crash caused her to have multiple serious and life threatening injuries including one to the head that put her in a coma. She had to have machines to keep her alive at first but still remained in a coma for a long time.
In the sickest twist of fate the drunk driver had walked away with just a few minor injuries. That was until Damon managed to get a hold of him and nearly beat him senseless for putting Bonnie in this spot. He was pissed that someone who decided not to call a cab put her into a coma. He remembered how broken she looked that night at Klaus's and it was because of him and what he did to save Elena. He turned her mother and felt no remorse for it then. But when the doctors said that she may die or may not ever wake up and he got scared, scared shitless that he may never have gotten the chance to tell her how sorry he was for hurting her all of those times.
Two months past by with no change she was still in a coma. Everyone Elena, Caroline, Stefan, Matt, Jeremy, and Alaric visited often hoping that she would wake up but there was no change. He visited her bed side every day talking to her and willing her to wake up. Using any tactic that he could including "threats" of going on a killing rampage.
"I'm going to hunt and kill a lot of people if you don't wake up. You would hate that right? Better wake up and stop me with your witchy migraines and fires."
That didn't wake because she still remained in a Coma and he realized that if she were gone he would miss her. Her snarkiness when she stood toe to toe with him and her bravery taking on anything for her friends lives.
Every day he had been by her bedside talking with her and pleading with her to wake up. Holding her hand often while he did this. A hand that was so lifeless and still in his.
Two months of this and things seemed hopeless. Now he was growing desperate.
"You want me to admit it? Alright I will I care about you." His voice was filled with emotion. "I don't want to lose you. So wake up please."
That was when her had moved in his.
He took noticed of this his eyes going to her face. "Bonnie?"
A groan slips through her lips and she slowly opens her eyes. She looks over at him dazed, groggy and confused. "Damon?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
For the first time in a couple of months joy and hope fills his heart. He calls for the doctors as her hand weakly grips his. Damon Salvatore cared and he would prove that to her starting at this moment.