Capital Letters

one

The hospital was a whirlwind of tension and worry, and Nathan had been there ever since he received the message from Liz. His steadfast determination not to leave until Caroline was okay kept him rooted in the sterile hallways. When he overheard Elena's inquiry to Bonnie, his steps carried him toward the two girls.

"Is there something that you can do? A spell or something?"

"No, she doesn't know how. Do you?" Nathan interjected, addressing the question that had caught his attention.

Bonnie turned her gaze to him and shook her head. "No, I don't."

"Exactly," Nathan affirmed, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "Because it took Emily years to learn a spell like that."

He glanced over his shoulder to see his big brother approaching them. Stefan's arrival added weight to the situation, and his words reflected his own experience. "Yeah, well, I can take down a vampire. That spell was easy to learn."

Nathan couldn't hide his annoyance, especially with Bonnie. "I can give Caroline some blood."

Elena's immediate response was a firm rejection. "No. No way."

Nathan tried to reason with her, his concern for Caroline evident in his voice. "No, just enough to heal her. She'll be safe here. And it'll be out of her system in a day."

Elena remained resolute. "It's too risky. I can't agree to that."

Bonnie, however, stepped in with a different perspective. "This is Caroline. Okay? We can't let her die. Do it."

Nathan nodded, preparing to leave the group and proceed with his plan. However, Damon intervened, placing his arm on his brother's shoulder and proposing a truce. "If he does this, we call a truce? No more faking spells, letting us drop in the middle of town to die."

Bonnie, despite the urgency of the situation, shook her head in defiance. "No. But he'll do it anyway."

"Yeah, I will," Nathan shrugged off Damon's arm and walked purposefully toward Caroline's room.

Nathan paused at the door, his heart aching at the sight of Caroline lying there unconscious. Guilt gnawed at him; he should have been there to protect her. Slowly, he approached her bedside, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face.

With a deep breath, Nathan bit into his wrist, allowing the blood to well up before he held it over Caroline's lips. The crimson droplets dripped onto her mouth, and he watched as her pallid features started to regain some colour.

After a few seconds, he removed his wrist, the wound sealing itself. He grabbed a tissue from the bedside table and carefully wiped the blood from her chin and his wrist.

"It's gonna be okay, Caroline. You're gonna be fine in a few hours," he murmured softly, his voice filled with reassurance. "You're going to be awake and annoying me about the next Mystic Falls party or something."

Nathan leaned down, planting a tender kiss on her forehead before stepping away from the bed. As he exited the room, he closed the door behind him, concealing his lingering worry.

In the corridor outside, he overheard Damon mentioning that he had kissed Elena last night. It piqued his interest but also reminded him of the more pressing issue: Katherine was back in town.

Nathan approached Damon as Elena and Jenna conversed nearby. "Yes, I did," Jenna affirmed.

Elena seemed incredulous. "No, Jenna, you didn't."

"Yes, I did," Jenna insisted firmly.

"Oh. Mmm. You gotta be kidding me," Damon muttered turning to his brother for confirmation.