AU/AH. Klaus and Caroline have been together for a few months when Caroline gets into an accident. Upon waking up, she suffers from memory loss and believes she's still with Tyler instead. Slight angst.

"Nik, stop pacing, please," Rebekah utters at him, her pleading, worried eyes following his agitated and repetitive movements around the quiet waiting room. "It's only making everyone even more anxious."

"Yeah, and possibly gonna have the hospital suing you for carving a hole into their pavement," Kol says under his breath, earning himself a scolding look from Elijah, who's sitting right next to him.

"I don't care about everyone," Klaus snaps, his eyes narrowing as he spares a glance towards the little group of Caroline's friends, sitting a little farther away but still probably able to hear his every word. "I only care about Caroline," his voice breaks on her name.

Rebekah sighs, her eyes softening. "I know. We're all worried, but the doctors said that she'll be fine, and that she will wake up soon enough."

Despite himself, Klaus somewhat calms down at his sister's words. He knows that, fortunately, the accident hasn't been anything major and that Caroline—his Caroline—will be fine, but he hates to know that she's in pain, that she's been hurt and that he wasn't there to protect her. And yes, on some degree, in the far back of his mind, he knows that everyone in this room cares about Caroline and is nervous and anxious and worried as well, his family, her friends (no matter how annoying he finds them), but nobody loves her like he does. She's the single, most important thing in his life, and he cannot lose her. Just the thought of how much worse the accident could have actually been, of all the possibilities that might have taken her away from him, that might have dimmed the light that shines so bright within her and that should never be extinguished, literally kills him.

With a slight, still somewhat unconvinced nod, Klaus finally decides to simply lean against the wall near the chair that Rebekah is currently occupying.

The tense silence and apparent calm don't last long, though, as Dr. Roberts—the one who has been taking care of Caroline—finally shows up in the waiting room for the second time that day.

Klaus is again on alert in less than an instant.

"Is she okay?" he immediately asks, moving away from the wall and towards the center of the room.

The doctor nods with a small, gentle smile. "She is," he reassures everyone, and they all finally release a sigh of relief, the air around them feeling lighter already.

"We still need to run some tests, but we thought that she could use a familiar face first. Only one person is allowed in for now, though," he adds as he notices both Klaus and Elena, Bonnie and Tyler take a step forward at the same time.

"I'm her boyfriend, I'll come," Klaus states, leaving no room for argument as he turns his head for a second and scowls towards Caroline's friends, Tyler in particular.

"Of course. Follow me."

Klaus follows the doctor in silence, wishing in his mind that the middle-aged man could at least walk a bit faster, eager to finally see with his own eyes that his Caroline is really okay. He has never been this scared in his life before, never felt this feeling of emptiness and numbness since the day Henrik had died, not something that he wishes to relive, especially not with Caroline.

Finally, Dr. Roberts stops right in front of a closed door.

"Please, go in. I'll give you a few minutes alone," the doctor smiles, and Klaus can feel a grateful smile form on his lips as well.

"Thank you."

Watching the doctor walk away down the hallway, Klaus takes a deep breath and then finally opens the door, the sight of Caroline lying on that hospital bed, long wires and beeping machines all around her small body making him sick, and he has to hold back a wince as she finally turns her head to look at him.

Her face is still as perfect, still as beautiful, the only evident signs of the accident being a small bruise on her left cheek and a small cut on her full, bottom lip.

"Hey, love," he greets her with a smile, feeling a huge weight lift off his chest as his eyes focus on her, alive and breathing and safe in front of him.

With a hint of worry, he notices that her eyes immediately cloud with confusion.

"Uhm, Klaus?"

With a deep, preoccupied frown, Klaus finally reaches the edge of the bed and carefully sits down by her side.

"Yes. Love, are you okay?"

Backing a bit away from him, Caroline uncomfortably clears her throat. "Uhm, yeah. I guess. I'm just confused about what you're doing here?"

Klaus furrows his brows, taken aback by her question. "What do you mean? The doctor said that one of us could visit," he tries a smile, reaching for her hand with his own but feeling a huge pang of hurt as she quickly withdraws hers and hides it underneath the bed's covers.

Masking his hurt underneath his growing worry, he asks again. "Are you sure you're all right, Caroline?"

"Yes, I am," she answers, this time with more strength, seemingly getting a little annoyed at him. "Now, could you please leave? I want to see Tyler. Or Elena."

"Tyler?" Klaus repeats through gritted teeth, his jaw clenching—where is she going with this?

Caroline narrows her eyes at him. "Yes, Tyler. You know, my boyfriend."

As the words leave her mouth, Klaus' eyes widen in shock, before anger sets in and replaces the bewilderment and utter confusion that he's feeling.

"I know that you've just been in an accident, Caroline, but what are you doing? I'm your boyfriend," he almost growls.

Caroline looks horrified, her mouth hanging open. "I'm sorry—what?"

Closing his eyes briefly, Klaus slightly pinches the bridge of his nose. "Maybe you should just get some more rest, love. I'll come to see you again later," he suggests, standing up from her bed.

"No, Klaus! I'm serious, what the hell!"

"Love–" he starts.

"Don't call me that! You're not my boyfriend," she says forcefully, ignoring the guilt that she suddenly feels at the flesh of hurt that she sees passing over his stoic features.

"Oh my God," she cries out. "Oh my God, oh my God, I'm in a coma! I'm in a freaking coma! I can't believe this, ugh," she whines, throwing her head back against her pillow, Klaus watching her with a mixture of worry and amusement. "Now I'm gonna miss prom, and–and graduation!" she shrieks, shutting her eyes closed tight with a groan.

Klaus shakes his head with a small laugh. "Love, calm down. Prom and graduation were months ago, just take a deep breath. I know that you're a little shaken up right now, but you'll feel better, I promise."

At his words Caroline's eyes widen even more. "Months ago? What the hell are you talking about? Is this a joke? It's freaking March!"

Klaus immediately frowns, every trace of his previous smile leaving his worried expression. "Come again, love?"

Caroline rolls her eyes, sighing. "It's the 14th of March. Or the 15th, I don't know how long I was out for. Now, I know that you're an asshole but, in case you didn't get the memo, I've risked my life today, so could you please leave my sight already?"

Zoning out the whole last part of her reply, Klaus tenses, his eyes becoming almost lifeless.

Fidgeting, and despite herself, Caroline suddenly feels a little worried. "Uhm, are you okay?" she asks, tentatively.

With his eyes still glazed over and his jaw set, he answers. "I'm afraid it's not March, love. It's actually the 3rd of September," he says in a low, strained tone, his face void of any emotion.

Caroline gulps, willing herself to believe that all of this is just some sick, bad joke, or a nightmare that she's just about wake up from.

"What?" she manages to utter in a small, feeble voice, astonishment written all over face and her tense posture on the bed.

Klaus opens his mouth a couple of times, but, at first, nothing comes out.

"I'll go get the doctor for you," he finally gets out after a long pause, his voice somewhat raspy.

It's all Caroline can do to nod as she watches Klaus leave her room, closing the door behind him.