Jackson had just finished giving Damon and Elena an overview of the events at the bank when Caroline started to come around. Elena helped her friend sit up and filled her in.

"Wait, you just left him?" The vampire sprang up off the table, marching toward the werewolf. "Tyler saves your life and you just, what, run away and leave him alone to die?"

"He told me to!" Jackson lifted his hands.

"That doesn't mean you listen!" Caroline whirled around. "We have to go back out there. We have to find him."

She was storming toward the door, Elena and Stefan both calling after her, when it flew open, bell chiming and everyone inside readying for a fight.

"Whoa, just me," Meredith rose her arms at Caroline's advance. "I asked Stiles to fill me in when he came into the hospital. Figured I'd come here in case you needed any help with any wounded."

"We're okay for now," Deaton nodded, "thank you."

"Yo doc! Open up!"

Deaton dropped his head.

"Perhaps I spoke too soon."

Meredith turned back around and propped open the door, stepping aside as Scott, Isaac, and Derek poured in, the Alpha carrying Cora while the younger two shared the weight of Boyd.

"Are they -"

"Still alive," Derek answered before Jackson could finish his question, setting his sister on the table that Caroline had just vacated.

"Jackson, there's a couch in the back. Take Erica there. She'll be okay but I need room to work on them."

Jackson obeyed, wincing as he pulled the bandages on his chest. Stefan moved to help, taking most of the werewolf's weight and bringing her through a back door.

"Stay here with her," the vampire ordered.

"You don't tell me what to do," Jackson huffed.

"Just do it!" Derek shouted from the other room.

Stefan fixed the kid with a pointed look before returning to the others.

"Wait," Elena glanced around, "where's Jeremy?"

"Helping Argent clean up," Derek replied, "don't worry. He's okay."

"Which is more than can be said for these two," Deaton looked over his new patients.

"We could use our blood," Elena offered, "heal them."

"If we heal them completely before the full moon is over, we'll be back to where we started." Derek shook his head. "Just do what you can," he looked to Deaton, "please."

"Of course," the vet nodded, he and Meredith falling into a quick and steady rhythm together as they each tended their own patients, swapping tools and instructions like they'd worked together their whole lives.

"Could heal you," Stefan gestured toward Derek.

"I'm fine," the Alpha crossed his arms.

"You do look pretty rough, man," Isaac shrugged.

"I said I'm fine," Derek crossed the room. "Was anyone else hurt?"

"Erica got some bad wolfsbane poisoning, but she'll be okay. Jackson's chest is scratched up," Elena sighed. "Stefan and Caroline were but - oh no." She spun around, head on a swivel. "Where's Caroline?"


"Caroline, wait!"

The vampire slowed but didn't stop as she marched across the parking lot of the clinic.

"Don't try to stop me, Elena," she called out over her shoulder.

"Of course," Elena appeared at her side. "I wouldn't do that, Caroline. If it was Damon out there, I'd be doing exactly what you're doing."

"Good," Caroline stared straight ahead, "then you can help."

"I won't stop you, but I can try to talk you into staying," Elena turned to face her friend, walking backward when Caroline continued forward.

"Well, it won't work."

"It's a full moon, Caroline. The werewolves have the advantage. We took that risk when we thought everyone being kept in the vault was going to die tonight."

"And now, what? Just because it's Tyler, it's not worth it."

"I didn't say that," Elena put a hand on her friend's shoulder, Caroline finally coming to a reluctant stop. "I would never say that, you know that. But it's really risky, Care. By now, all the Alphas are probably back at full strength and you're just coming off being doused with vervain. Even if we healed Erica and Derek and Jackson and we all made a plan and went out there, we're not at our best. Tonight, they nearly beat us all when we were at our best."

"Not all of us," Caroline's voice dropped a few degrees. "I get why you couldn't come. But Damon was perfectly healthy. He could've helped. Maybe if he'd been there -"

"Thinking about that doesn't help now," Elena shook his head.

"Why are you always making excuses for him, Elena?" Caroline shouted, throwing her hands in the air.

"No, Care, that's not what I was -"

"But you do. You always defend him. Like you said, if he was out there right now, you'd go after him. If it was Stefan or Jeremy or me, you'd try to save us, no matter the odds. And we'd all do the same for you. We all have, for each other. But not Damon. The only people he would ever risk anything for are you, Stefan, and himself. He'd be perfectly fine letting Tyler, or me, or anyone else, get killed. I'm surprised he's not rushing out here right now to make sure you get back inside -"

"This isn't about Damon -"

"No, this is about Tyler. Who is out there, alone. Who I'm going to help."

"And what if you get bitten?"

"We already talked about that before we went to the vault." Caroline shook her head. "It was worth the risk then. It is now."

"Except now, they have the advantage while we have no plan. If you get bit, do you really think Klaus is going to just, what, ignore these werewolves living here? You know he won't. He can't. He'll want them and he'll take them and that'll be our fault. Tyler wouldn't want that."

"Yeah, well, Tyler wouldn't want to die, either, so." The vampire made to move forward.

"Caroline," Elena reached out, taking her friend's wrist, "I don't think they'll kill him."

"What?" Caroline took a step back, shaking her head.

"They didn't kill me when they had me," Elena continued, "and I wasn't part of their plans for Derek and his pack. Even if they took Tyler by mistake or by chance, they wouldn't have kept him alive unless it was for some other reason. Think about it. The Alphas trapped Derek and Scott in with only Cora and Boyd. They could've kept Erica in that vault too. I think they kept three to have a backup or something. I mean, they kept the werewolves for months. They had to think that one might fight back or escape. But why Tyler?"

"I don't know. To have a hybrid henchman?"

"Except they didn't try to break him," Elena frowned. "I mean, my memories of my time there or hazy, but I don't remember them doing anything to him. Wouldn't they have tried to beat him into submission or threaten him or something if that's what they wanted? They were keeping him, for some reason, but still keeping him. And alive. Maybe Erica was in with him because it was easier to control and contain them all when they were separated, two and two. Or maybe she was there to help keep Tyler compliant. They could've pumped that room full of wolfsbane and vervain, sure, but this is Tyler we're talking about here. He would've found a way. He would've tried breaking through that wall himself. Or fighting. But, he tries to do either of those things, and they have Erica there to dose with wolfsbane or maybe even kill if he acts out too much. I don't know. Even when Damon and I got there. They could've killed you and Stefan, but they said they couldn't. This is some game or bigger plan, that requires us, or well, some of us, to stay alive. Including Tyler."

"So," Elena sighed, grasping both of her friend's hands in her own. "You can rush out tonight, tired and weak and not knowing where to start looking. I won't stop you. Or, you can come back inside, and we can all regroup and figure out exactly what these Alphas are up to and make another plan. It's up to you."