Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. All rights go to the creator of the TVD.

Summary: Caroline Forbes is starting her job at the Mystic Falls Psychiatric Hospital. There she is assigned to Klaus Mikaelson, a troubled man who everyone else has given up on. As she gets to know more about him, the more connected she feels to him. Will their doctor-patient relationship grow to something more?

"So, what's it like working at the hospital," Bonnie asked as she took a seat on Caroline's sofa. Caroline sighed, cradling the coffee mug to her chest. Absently, she shrugged and took a long swig of her coffee.
"Oh, come on Caroline," Bonnie scoffed, "Don't tell me you don't have anything to say; you always have something to say." Caroline smiled slightly and leaned back in her seat, folding her feet underneath her.
"Meredith already assigned me my first patient," she exclaimed proudly, "Elena had him as a patient before but I guess she couldn't deal with him, that's why he was transferred over to me." Bonnie's brow furrowed in thought.

"This patient, what's his name," she asked. She pondered the question momentarily, wondering if she should give the information. Deciding that releasing a name wouldn't matter she replied, "Klaus Mikaelson." Caroline gave Bonnie a confused look as her eyebrows shot up at her answer.
"What," Caroline demanded, "What is that look for?"
Bonnie's lips curled up at the corners. "Relax; don't get your feathers ruffled. I think I know why Elena wanted Klaus reassigned to a different doctor."

"From what she told me, she used to date his older brother, Elijah," Bonnie explained. Caroline nodded thoughtfully, motioning with her hand for Bonnie to continue. "Well, Elena told me that Elijah visits Klaus on a regular basis, and she said it was just really awkward when they would run into each other. I also remember her telling me that when they broke up, it didn't go too smoothly."
"So, Elena doesn't want to show her face around Elijah because of a bad breakup."
"Apparently," Bonnie sighed, "but I still think she has feelings for him." Caroline couldn't help but smile.
"Why does love have to be so complicated?"


"Good afternoon, Dr. Forbes."
"Afternoon, Jenna," Caroline chirped, "How is everything going today?"
"As good as it can be for a Monday," Jenna replied, falling in step with Caroline. "Dr. Fell wanted me to make sure you were free for three o'clock."
"I am free, but why do I need to be free," she asked as she came to a stop at the ward door. She pulled out her security card and swiped it, waited for the green light, and pushed the door open. Caroline headed straight into the nurses' station, stripping off her coat to hang up. Jenna stood beside her and continued. "Meredith wanted to discuss some information with you. She didn't tell me what this information was exactly, but she said it was important."

"Thank you, Jenna. You can tell Meredith that I'll be in her office by three." Jenna gave Caroline a small nod and turned on her heel, her shoes squeaking on the linoleum floor as she left. Caroline seated herself at the desk. The nurses' station had a large window that overlooked the entire recreation room so that nurses could keep an eye on everything. Caroline was subbing in for the head nurse, Carol Lockwood; she was ill and wouldn't be in today. She didn't mind though, it gave her a chance to watch Klaus and how he interacted with the other patients on the ward.
Klaus sat at one of the tables nearest the television, his head bent over his sketchpad. Across from him sat Stefan Salvatore. Caroline smiled sadly; she remembered when Stefan had been admitted. Her mother had been the one to bring him here. From what she knew and from what Elena and Bonnie had told her, Stefan had attempted suicide after hearing that Damon had been in a fatal car collision. Caroline pursed her lips; she felt really sorry for Stefan. He had lost his entire family; Caroline could understand why he had attempted suicide.

Stefan's hair was mused up as though he had been tugging at it. He had smile on his face though, and he leaned towards Klaus, talking excitedly. Klaus glanced up momentarily from his drawing and smiled, saying something in response. Caroline smiled; so Klaus could be friendly when he wanted to. Caroline pulled herself out of her chair and headed back into the recreation room. She slowly made her way around the room, surveying each patient. She noticed that as soon as she headed over towards Stefan and Klaus, Klaus flipped his sketchbook closed. She smiled at his response and headed over towards his table.
"Afternoon, gentlemen," she said happily as she pulled up chair to their table.
Stefan smiled. "Hey, Caroline," he muttered quietly.
"So, what are you two up to," she asked conversationally. Klaus chuckled lightly and glanced at her. He gave her a dimpled smile that made Caroline melt inside.
"Oh, we're just conspiring," he said lightly, tracing his fingers along the edge of the table.
"Conspiring," she echoed, "against what?" Klaus gave her another flash of his dimpled smile.
"This place of course," he said smoothly, gesturing to the room with his arms. "We are thinking of how to escape."
"And how do you escape, Klaus," she asked gently.
"Through dreams and memories," he says bitterly. "I know you may have different perspectives on psychiatric patients then I do, considering I am a psychiatric patient. But do you ever think that if you looked through the eyes of a psychiatric patient, you would see they are just as sane as anybody else. Yet, because they view the world differently and process it differently than the rest of society, they are deemed mentally ill."
"That's a very interesting perspective Klaus," she commented quietly, "and you are right; my perspective is much different."
She heard Stefan chuckle. "Don't take him seriously, Care. He rants about this all the time. He just wants to believe he is sane."
Klaus slammed his fists on the table, glaring angrily at Stefan.
"I may have my problems Stefan," he growled, "but at least I have the decency to live through them." Stefan frowned, visibly hurt by Klaus' words. Caroline watched intently, waiting to see if the situation would escalate to a point where she would need to intervene. Stefan got to his feet and wrapped his arms around himself.

Without saying another, he left, heading to the other side of the room, where he took a seat against the wall, his knees to his chest. She heard Klaus sigh irritably and his chair squeal as she got to his feet. He glanced at Stefan and ran a hand through his hair. He turned to Caroline and frowned. Like Stefan, he left without another word, heading down the hall to his room. Caroline couldn't help but flinch as she heard the door slam.
Caroline sighed and was about to get to her feet when she realized that Klaus had left behind his sketchbook. She considered returning it to him, but decided against it. She didn't want to rile him up any more. She'd return it to him during their first session tomorrow.
Caroline got to her feet and retreated back into the nurses' station. She seated herself at the desk and pulled out Klaus' folder from her bag. She began to write down what she had observed and starred it with a yellow sticky tag as she put it back into the folder. She pulled Klaus' sketchbook closer to her, her fingers drumming on the cover. She debated on whether to open it. Klaus seemed to want to keep his drawings private, but he didn't have to know she looked at them. Besides, this was a chance to better understand Klaus and perhaps decipher how his mind worked. Caroline flipped through the sketchbook; coming to stop at what she assumed was the most recent. Caroline let out a small gasp; it was a picture of her. She took notice to the way he had only colored her lips and her eyes. Caroline thought that the portrait did her more than justice.
Only now was she realizing how complex Klaus was. Yesterday, when she had met him, it seemed as though he wanted nothing to do with her. This portrait of her though, told her otherwise. Klaus Mikaelson was a complex mystery to her, one that she was determined to figure out. Caroline slid Klaus' folder and sketchbook back into her bag. She gathered her things and headed off the ward and towards Meredith's office.


"You wanted to see me, Dr. Fell," Caroline asked, lingering in the doorway. Meredith waved her in and put what she was working on aside.
"Yes, Caroline. There was something I wanted to discuss with you. It's about Klaus and his family," she said. Caroline nodded, straightening her back.
"Klaus' older brother, Elijah, usually comes to visit during the week. He likes to be updated on Klaus' condition and I arranged for you to meet him tomorrow."


Elena was silent as they drove towards the Mystic Grill. Caroline glanced at her friend, worried by her expressionless face.
"I know you don't want to talk about him, but what is Elijah like," she asked hesitantly. Elena sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair.
"He's a gentleman," Elena began, "he's very moral. But if I didn't know him, I'd find him intimidating. Just trust me on one thing, Care, don't anger him."
"So he has a short fuse…"
"No, Elijah can be very tolerant; just don't get him mad. Unlike Klaus and Rebekah, he can control his anger rather well."


Caroline lay in bed that night, unable to sleep. Her mind raced with the events of today. She was nervous about tomorrow. Caroline threw the covers off of her and headed towards the kitchen. She prepared herself a cup of cocoa and took a seat at the kitchen island. Klaus' sketchbook lay on the island, staring up at her. Caroline had looked the portrait of herself several times over, memorizing every detail. She was still very confused on what to think of Klaus Mikaelson, but her determination to help him was strong. She would not be the one to give up on him like everyone else.

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