The words that are in bold and italics is what Demi is writing down on the notepad, just so you know.

Nick reaches a hand out to brush the tear away from Demi's cheek, but she squeezes her eyes shut again and lets out a small sob once more. Nick sighs and pulls his hand away. Demi looks back at him.

"I'm sorry," she starts, her voice hoarse.

Nick shakes his head, cutting her off. "Don't talk," he tells her. "Joe told me you haven't talked at all since we found you, and I don't want you straining yourself, okay?"

"But–" she tries. But Nick shakes his head again and Demi sighs, nodding her head.

"Here," Nick says, grabbing a pad of paper and pen out of the drawer. "You can write down what you want to say." But then Demi pulls on her restraints and Nick sighs. "Oh, yeah." He pauses for a second. "If I take these off, do you promise—do you swear—that you won't ever try to hurt yourself again?"

Demi nods eagerly so Nick sighs once more, reaching over and undoing the wrist that's closest to him. But when he gets up to walk to her other side, he falls to his knees.

"Nick!" Joe, who was looking through the window the whole time, comes running into the room, right over to Nick. He helps him up and back in the chair gently. "What are you doing?"

"Taking those restraints off of her," Nick replies, breathing heavy.

Joe bites his lip. "Do you really think that's a good idea?" he asks quietly.

Nick nods. "She swore to me that she won't try to hurt herself again."

Joe looks at him skeptically. "And you believe her," he says.

"Yes," Nick says immediately. "I do."

Joe sighs heavily. "Okay, Nick. But sit there and don't get up, okay? I don't need you passing out on me again."

Nick nods and sits back in the chair, taking Demi's hand in his again. Joe walks around to Demi's other side and undoes that wrist too. Demi doesn't take her eyes off of him until Nick pulls on her hand and she looks over at him.

"He's okay," he assures her. "He won't hurt you, I promise." Demi bites her lip, hesitating. "You trust me, right?" Demi nods almost instantly. "Then trust me on this. He's one of the good guys, he's not going to hurt you. No one is going to hurt you ever again."

Demi grabs the pen and notepad Nick had laid down on the nightstand and writes down something. She holds it up for Nick to see. Nick smiles at her after reading what it says.

"Yeah," he tells her. "Yeah, baby, I promise."

Demi makes a face and writes something else down: Don't call me baby.

Nick frowns. "Why not?"

Because he used to.

Nick immediately nods his head, understanding. "Okay. Baby's off the table. How about sweetie?" Demi smiles at him, the first smile in what feels like years, and nods. Nick smiles back. "Okay, sweetie it is."

Demi looks at Nick and quickly scribbles something else down. I'm sorry.

Nick frowns again. "What for?"

For you getting involved with me.

Nick's frown deepens. "What are you talking about?" he asks.

Demi starts writing again. A little while later, she holds the notepad up so Nick can see. Her handwriting is hard to read since her hand kept shaking, but somehow Nick does.

If you were never paired with me for the project, you never would've fallen in love with me, and my father wouldn't have hurt you like he did. I'm sorry about everything.

Nick shakes his head vigorously. "Stop it," he says forcefully. Demi cowers away from him and he sighs heavily. "If I had never gotten paired with you for that project, I'd still be the same asshole I was a month ago. You made me a better person. You make me a better person. I'm thankful for everything that's happened since that day, because it's all brought me you."

But he hurt you. He put you in a coma.

"I don't care. You didn't do that to me, he did. I got hurt trying to save you, and you know what? I'd do it all over again too."

Demi's lower lip quivers and a single tear slides down her cheek. Nick reaches out to brush it away again and this time, she lets him. She picks up the pen again and takes her time writing. She holds the pad up for Nick to see once more.

I love you.

Nick smiles at her. "I love you, too," he replies. Then he pauses, biting his lip.

What's wrong?

Nick takes a deep breath. "They're going to put you into a foster home," he starts but Demi cuts him off with a cry. Joe looks up from where he's sitting on Demi's other side. "Demi," Nick says, gripping onto her hand tighter. "Demi, sh, what's wrong?"

Demi starts to write something down but then stops and looks at Nick. "I don't want to go to a foster home!" she cries, her voice cracking.

"But why not? You'll be safe there. You can finally live your life without being afraid that your dad will hurt you. You'll be okay."

"But I'll be away from you!" she says. "I don't want to leave you."

"I—I don't want to leave you, either," he begins.

"Then don't!" Demi cries again, holding onto Nick's hand tightly. Her voice cracks again. "Stay with me! Let me stay with you!"

"Demi, you can't–"

"Please!" she says, trying to sit up. Nick pushes her back down onto the bed. "Please!" she says again.

"No–"

"Nick, please!" she pleads with him, starting to cry.

Nurses and a doctor come into her room at the sound of her cries and hurry over to the bed. The doctor injects something in her IV and then turns to Nick, glancing over at Joe.

"You two need to leave," he says.

Nick immediately shakes his head. "I'm not leaving her!"

"Nick." Joe stands up and walks over to him, easing him up. "Let's go. She's in good hands, okay?"

Nick looks up at Joe and then down at Demi. "But Demi..."

"Please," Demi says. "Please don't leave me!"

"I won't," Nick starts.

"Yes, you will," the doctor insists. He looks at Joe, and he nods.

"Let's go, Nick." He grabs Nick's IV pole again and starts pushing it.

Nick looks down at Demi, but she's already fast asleep from the medicine the doctor gave her. He closes his eyes for a second.

"I'll be back later," he promises his sleeping girlfriend a minute before walking out of the room with Joe.