Chapter 10

"Put him up there now!" Caroline demanded as the boys carried a bleeding Finn onto the table. When they placed him up his body curled, wincing at the pain shooting through his body.

"Get me some water and a towel!" Caroline yelled over the panic frenzy around the body, "Everybody get out of the way!" She added pushing through the crowd as they scattered away.

She couldn't stare at his agonized face, she couldn't bring herself to. Caroline wrapped her hair with a cloth before pressing her hands against his wound. An animalistic roar escaped his mouth as his body shriveled up in pain. The boys came back with the water and towel and she set out to clean the wound, the wound that never ceased to gush out blood. She felt a tug at the side of sleeve and turning around Caroline saw a distraught Sage and her green eyes clouded with tears. Sage found forming words difficult as she watched Finn struggle under Caroline's hands.

"Please...please help him please. I'm begging you." Sage pleaded through her sobbing.

"Sage…I'm just a nurse…I'm not a doctor." Caroline said her voice shakier than anticipated and she could see Sage verging to a breakdown.

"You've worked with doctors…you must've picked some things up…please…anything would do just please save his life." Sage's grip on Caroline's sleeve tightened so much Caroline thought she would rip it off. Her heart and logic were at a civil war against each other as her mind raced through the procedures she had witnessed. Caroline was conflicted beyond comprehension, she was a mere nurse one small mistake and Finn would die in her hands –…I can't do it…I just can't…it's impossible I'm a nurse not a doctor…I can't.

"I'll do it…" Were the words that escaped Caroline's mouth breathlessly, words that came out rebelliously against her mind. But Sage's wide teary grin eased the pressure that was crushing down on Caroline's shoulder a little, "Sage wait outside." Caroline said softly and Sage nodded furiously before storming out.

"I want everybody out but Kol I need your alcohol now, Elijah and Klaus I need you to press down on Finn's arms and legs do not make him move and find something for him to bite on. Stefan I need your blade and knives and get me magnets from Finn's communication kit and Damon get me your lighter and a sewing kit. Please." Caroline ordered.

They all scattered off to do their designated tasks while Elijah and Klaus held down on Finn's arms and legs as strong as their strength can after placing a rolled up towel into Finn's mouth. Klaus noticed the frantic heaving of Caroline's chest and the panic that flashed through her eyes and her hands started to tremble as she clutched onto her hands tightly to ease the shaking. Klaus removed a hand and placed it gently on Caroline.

"You can do it sweet heart." He whispered.

"Can I really? I'm a nurse Klaus…a nurse!" Caroline said.

"Doesn't define who you are. You're Caroline Forbes and I know she can do it because I believe in you." Klaus said.

Stefan, Damon and Kol stormed in with their items and settled them onto the table, "Help Klaus and Elijah hold Finn down I can't have him moving an inch." Caroline said before picking up the magnet.

"What are you doing?" Kol asked.

"I need to find the bullet before cutting it out."

"You're going to cut it out?" Elijah repeated incredulously.

"I don't have any other choice…I'm so sorry Finn." Caroline said before hovering the magnet over his wound.

"!"

They all could hear his ear piercing muffled scream throughout the plane as they stood silently in front of the tent waiting for results. Sage dug her feet deeper down onto the ground every time she heard Finn's cry and soon enough her feet was six feet under. His comrades closed their eyes and looked away as they watched their fellow brother squirm and cry out in pain under the blade. Every movement he made could be felt under their iron vise of a grip.

His agonizing screams shattered Sage's heart and if she closed her eyes tight enough and focused…she could almost hear the shattering sound like a glass plummeting to the ground. But all she saw was red. The next cry took her by surprised because he sounded so weak and out of energy and she feared for the worst when she heard the screams get quieter.

Finn struggled to keep still or to prevent the guttural cries escaping his throat. The sheer feeling of the cold blade cutting deep through his flesh or the feeling of the metal bullet moving through his organs sent a shot of excruciating pain through every nerve of his body. It all stopped when he heard the clicking sound of the bullet falling into the metal bowl and heard the soft relieved sigh Caroline released.

"Just a little bit longer Finn come on stay with me." Caroline shouted.

But he lost too much blood already and he could feel his body get colder. His senses were numbed as Caroline stabbed the needle through his flesh, he barely felt it and he barely heard him screaming for him. It didn't take long till Sage stormed in with a horrific expression and her hand covering her mouth and tears flooding her emerald green eyes. It was the last scene Finn saw before he fell into darkness.

"Finn!" Sage screamed out.

Caroline waited in the hall, straightening out her navy dress as she fumbled with the hem of her jacket nervously. Patient was never a word associated with her and she tapped her feet before pacing around the ward for a while before she heard the rushed footsteps down the hall. Turning around she saw Sage sprinting towards her before bombarding her with an embrace. Caroline was stuck in her tight constrict barely breathing.

"Thank you so much." Sage said.

"It wasn't all my doing Sage." Caroline said.

"I wouldn't say that for sure." A man's raspy voice was heard from behind and he walked past her placing his arm around Sage's waist. The bandage wrapped around his torso had blood stained blotches but and his skin was paler than usual but nonetheless he gave Caroline a Cheshire smile.

"Finn…I'm glad to see you up and moving. Had us going there for the past week." Caroline said.

"Yeah well the doctors decided to wait a while before letting me out on the world." Finn quipped.

"Damn they should've waited a little longer." Caroline joked and the two laughed light heartedly.

"But in all seriousness…thank you. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. The doctor said if you didn't pull out the bullet and stitched me up I would've been dead for sure." Finn said sincerely before pulling Caroline into a warm embrace, "Good luck in Pearl harbor. You will be missed."

"They swooped down and saved you Finn." Caroline said wrapping her arms around him, "It wasn't all me."

"You should give yourself a little credit love." Finn said before pulling away, "You did good." He added.

"Yeah well. Don't get shot again because I ain't ever going through that again." Caroline said jokingly.

"At least I didn't step on a land mine." Finn remarked.

"Oh you clever son of a gun. Go. You and Sage have dinner plans last I heard." Caroline said but before they walked off too far, Caroline grabbed Finn's shirt and pulled him back.

"By the way. Good luck on the proposal." Caroline whispered.

"How'd you know?" Finn asked.

"I do now."

"Oh you clever son of a gun." Finn mocked before walking away.

Caroline's heels clicked against the pristine tiled floors and her footsteps echoed through the hallways as she made her way to the door. She heard a screeching sound from behind and noticed Kol and Elijah walking up towards her. Caroline stopped her tracks and turned, waiting for them with a graceful smile.

"Boys."

"Were you going to leave without saying good bye? Rather hurt there." Kol stated.

"You know. We may not know you very well but thanks to Klaus' incessant ranting about you I feel like we do. Also after saving Finn's life…we wanted to see you off and wish you good luck in Pearl Harbor." Elijah explained.

"So have a safe trip," Kol said pulling at her hand before placing a kiss on the corner of her lip, "and good luck." He added placing another kiss at the other side. Caroline stared at him, god smack by his actions and he remained standing there with a victorious arrogant smirk.

"Klaus is going to hurt you." Elijah murmured.

"He won't know correct?" Kol asked and much to their surprise Caroline burst out laughing. She jumped on both men and hugged them simultaneously.

"You be safe promise?" Caroline asked.

"Of course." Elijah said.

Caroline pulled apart from the two men and continued her journey down the long corridor waving farewell to the boys. Unbeknownst to her, the American soldiers and the French siblings were leaned against the walls waiting for her, "We came to say good bye." Natalie said sweetly before barging into Caroline and squeezing her tightly.

"Be safe Caroline." Josephine said giving Caroline an endearing kiss on her cheek.

"You too."

"Hey Blondie do me a favor and lighten up when you get back? You deserve a little sun." Damon interjected.

"Do me a favor you and everybody else?" Caroline asked as they all stared at her.

"Come back." She said with a sad smile.

"Haven't you heard? We're quite invincible. Some say we are even supernatural." Stefan said. They all came in for a group hug, squishing Caroling in the middle of them all and when they released her, she walked up toward Matt before jumping on him.

"Please, please, come back home to me Matt. Please." She pleaded and he stroked her hair trying to soothe her.

"I promise Caroline I'll come back." Matt said, "Now go. Someone's been waiting for you outside and I'll see you back home Care bear." Matt added pushing her out of the door.

Stood in the cold, leaning against the lamp post was Klaus with his arms crossed and waiting for Caroline to exit the building. The whole time she walked down the stairs and made her way towards him the two never strayed away from each others' eyes. Now they were face to face and her hands snuck up to caress his rugged face while his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Hey fly boy want to do something for me?" Caroline asked breaking the silence.

"Anything."

"Come back safe, please. Don't do anything brash or stupid. Don't piss the wrong people off…don't be a hero," Her voice cracked a little so she cleared her throat but deemed futile when her voice continued to sound broken, "Just don't die please. I want…I need you back, just come back home to me." Caroline pleaded as the tears finally came rolling down her cheeks.

"I always will Caroline." Klaus said. One final moment, he drove in and placed his lips over hers. He tasted their last kiss and it had a bittersweet aftertaste. The car pulled up in front of them and reluctantly they pulled apart but remained holding hands till the final touch of their fingers. He watched her figure fading into the fog and she glanced over her shoulder giving him a faint smile and a weak wave before disappearing into the car.

The way his heart beat played a broken tune was the sorrowful ballad of an unfortunate soul who was stripped away from love. His blood rushed through his hollow body and his mind was numbed by their memories. All of this would leave a man broken, but it left Klaus grinning because one day, in a year or even more he will come back to her. It was an eternal silent promise.

AN: Updated check! I hope you all liked this chapter. I apologize for such melancholic chapters and next chapter will be the last and I promise will be happier...or will it :) muwahahaha. Anyways, till next time beautiful people!