A/N: Sorry for the delay. I was actually down in Covington fangirling over the houses and stuff so you're going to have to forgive me. Hopefully, you'll enjoy the next few pieces of this.
Hospital Flowers
Matt had forced Tyler to get looked at first after the car crash. He couldn't even remember what had happened except for the excruciating headache that had came over him. It felt like his head was exploding and then he'd lost control of the car. It was never what he intended. She'd been there standing nearby looking over him and the next she was crumpled up on the ground. The idea that he could ever cause her any pain killed him. The idea that she might die because of him was too much for him to handle.
They'd forced him to get checked out and he seemed to be okay. It was only then that he was allowed to make his way from the ER to ICU where he knew she was. Sheriff Forbes had sent everyone home long ago, ordering them to get some sleep but it didn't change the fact Matt had taken up a spot in the waiting room passed out next her. A nurse said her father was supposed to be coming in from out of town soon enough.
He wasn't supposed to go back there without permission. He wasn't family. It didn't stop him from sneaking past a sleepy nurse when her back was turned, moving into the small room. He was ignorant to what Damon had done. He didn't even know about the supernatural. All he knew was that the girl he wasn't supposed to be in love with was in that bed because she'd had internal bleeding. She'd been injured because of him.
He set some flowers from the gift shop in a vase and put them in the corner before taking up the chair next to her. She was so pale she could have been dead. He could see the rise of her chest though and it comforted him. He wasn't the sort of guy who cried. He couldn't remember the last time he had. It was probably when he was younger when his dad would beat him, until he figured out that he only got it worse when he cried. He felt them threatening to escape his eyes as he looked at her though.
He reached for a hand and found that it was cold. He covered it with both of his in an attempt to warm it up. His eyes searching her sleeping face. She was out. She was going to be out of it for a long had no doubt of it based on the drugs that they gave people there. She shouldn't be like that. She ought to be at home in the comfort of her bed. Her cheeks ought to be that lovely shade of pink he noticed rose every time she got particularly flustered.
"I'm so sorry," he choked, trying to find the words. "I'd never hurt you, Caroline. I know, I've made some mistakes. I guess the old saying about the apple not falling far from the tree is true. I'm short-tempered and I'm terrible with how I treat women. I hate what I did to Vicki. She didn't deserve it. The girls that I've slept with - they didn't deserve to be used and discarded. I hate lying to people. I feel sick when I do that. I hate lying to you. I hate looking at you and pretending like I don't think you're the best damn person in this whole town. Sometimes, you look at me and it's like you see through me and then you go off and keep doing the things that make you, you. Sometimes, it frustrates the hell out of me because you're so busy doing everything that you do and you can be a handful. You get so insecure sometimes. I wouldn't change a damn thing about you, Caroline - I just want you to be okay. I don't know if I can live with myself if you die."
He meant that too. He was sure if she didn't live, he wasn't going to be able to look at himself in the mirror anymore. He had a hard enough time. Killing the one person in this town besides his mom and Matt that he cared about wouldn't work. He buried his face against her arm, pressing a light kiss against her hand as he sobbed.
"You just need to live," he told her. "Not for me because I don't deserve you doing anything for me. You need to live because you're perfect. You're beautiful, smart and you light up a room. The world needs more people like you. You have to keep living because Matt's lost enough this year and he needs you. I know he doesn't always show it but he loves you. He's loyal. He's good and he's going to take care of you. And there is your mom and dad. They love you too. You can't leave either of them. Or Bonnie and Elena for that much. You have so many people who love you, Caroline - I … love you. You can hate me forever though for hurting you. You can blame me for the fact you ended up here. Just come back to us. I'm begging you."
His voice was cracking and he couldn't handle much more so he just stayed there leaning into her arm until he felt a hand tapping on his shoulder. The nurse had found him and he had to leave before she called security to escort him back to the waiting room with everyone else.