ཀ ཀ

Bryce grips both sides of the cold, linen sink of the hospital bathroom, failing miserably to catch her breath as she sends herself into a panic attack. Her hyperventilating battles with unwarranted hiccups and she's never been more grateful for private bathrooms and the noise of the loud bathroom fan.

All she could think was becoming one half of a whole... and it crushed her lungs to the point she couldn't breathe. She was afraid to look in the mirror, but once she finally did she stumbles back at the flash of something, or someone, in the corner of the glass. But the shock was enough to rush the air back into her lungs... and breathe again.

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"Is Damon going to follow through with helping Care?" Gwendolyn asks Bonnie the next morning on their way to the hospital, playing with the ends of her sweater.

After all she's heard about Damon, which was all Bonnie's distain, she wasn't so sure. What did Damon care about Caroline? What is she to him? If anything she's just another person on the outside being dragged into this mess. Another problem for him to worry about.

"Yes." Bonnie says, sounding so sure of her answer.

"How do you know?" Gwendolyn questions.

"I just know." Bonnie answers truthfully.

Gwendolyn sighs through her nose, not doubting Bonnie for a second. If Bonnie believes Damon will follow through? Then he will.

He better.

He needs to.

For Caroline. For Bryce. For Liz.

ཀ

Bryce stretches her limbs as they protest from the hospital cot she slept on, though thankfully she made it through the entire night after Liz asked one of them to give her something to knock her out the whole night that was safe for her medication. She glances up at the elevated bed to find Caroline awake.

"Caroline?" Bryce croaks, her cracked voice bouncing off the walls of the silent room.

Caroline blinks at her, as if she's having trouble comprehending her sister's actually in the same room, next to her. "Hey." She smiles and Bryce exhales at the sound of her sisters voice, finally feeling the most peace she's had in... well, a very long time.

Bryce smiles weakly. "Care." She repeats softer and Caroline chuckles.

"You're here." She whispers, relief sinking into her sore bones that she finally gets to see her sister, in person, after so many months apart.

Bryce leaving left a hole in Caroline's chest. One she's tried to fill with gossip, and boys, and every school committee one could think of. But truthfully, nothing can replace a piece of someone like a sibling can.

Bryce lets out a breathy laugh. "Where else would I be?"

Caroline motions her over and Bryce slowly steps closer to Caroline's bed, still a bit uneasy being in the hospital and seeing her sister like this. But as soon as Caroline pulls her in for a hug, all of that fades to the back of Bryce's mind, even if it's only for a moment.

"The doctor's said I'm healing fast." Caroline tells her, very chipper.

"Never do anything slow, right." Bryce looks at her, the words roll off her tongue so fast she even shocks herself at her old quick-witted ways.

She shocks Caroline too as her eyes grow wide. "Bryce Margaret Forbes!" She chastises.

Maybe being home won't be so bad after all...

Right?

ཀ

"Oh good, there's Matt." Bonnie spots the Donavan boy in the waiting room as her and Gwendolyn walk in. "Hey, Matt." Bonnie steps over to him, Gwendolyn following beside her.

Gwendolyn sighs to herself as they walk over. She'd be lying if she said Matt was her favorite person amongst their friends, but she didn't dislike him. Sure she thought he always sounded like he got punched in the gut, but he's always been very nice.

Bryce didn't care for Matt all that much, so Gwendolyn tolerated Matt much more than her. Still, Gwendolyn was quite shocked to receive a squealing call from Caroline that her and Matt were dating...

Matt? Out of all the guys in Mystic Falls? Gwendolyn just never pictured Caroline dating him, especially after Elena, she wasn't sure Matt would ever date anyone again.

"Hey. Gwendolyn." He nods, not having seen her much since she's been back, a reoccurring theme.

"You been here all night?" Bonnie asks.

"Yeah, with the sheriff. Bryce has been asleep since the moment I got here." He tells the girls.

Bonnie's head rears back a little in surprise.

"Bryce is here?" Gwendolyn snaps her attention to him, shell-shocked. She knew Bryce still had a few months left before she could leave... and wasn't sure if they would let her out, even for this.

"Yeah, she's in there with Caroline. Sheriff brought her back yesterday."

"And no one else?" Bonnie checks.

Matt's face scrunches in thought. "Stefan's brother Damon stopped by late last night." He shrugs a bit, clearly not thinking anything of it.

Bonnie and Gwendolyn share a glance out of the corner of their eyes.

"How is Caroline today?" Bonnie asks after taking a long pause.

"Yeah, how is she feeling?" Gwendolyn echos her concern, sounding hopeful since Damon stopped by.

"See for yourself." Matt smiles, moving towards one of the rooms. Bonnie takes a deep breath, bracing herself, and Gwendolyn loops her arm through hers, giving her a reassuring nod.

Both Bennett girl's faces light up at Caroline awake in her bed and Bryce asleep in the chair beside her. She 'dozed off' a few minutes ago, but really she just didn't want to face anyone else yet. She couldn't.

"Jersey Shore is on." Caroline chimes, sitting up and Bonnie immediately falls into her arms. "Oh, careful!" Caroline exclaims. "Still a little sore."

"Sorry." Bonnie pulls back.

"It's okay." Caroline chuckles.

"I'll be gentle." Gwendolyn sweeps around Bonnie to give Caroline a hug.

"Bryce is back?" Bonnie nods to the other Forbes girl, looking like a ghostly version of her best friend she hasn't seen in months. When Gwendolyn returned, she looked the same. Happier even. More refreshed. Maybe a little less baby-faced than before... but Bryce-

Bryce swallows, anxiety prodding at her insides. She knew she would have to see people today, but she was hoping it wouldn't be everyone, all at once. It would be a lot. After being away for so long she felt almost out of place, like she no longer belonged. She didn't.

Gwendolyn smiles sadly, reframing from running over and pulling her in for a hug too. She knows that Bryce is exhausted, not only from Caroline but just from returning home, and needs her space to get adjusted.

"Yeah." Caroline brightens, even more than before. "Mom told me she picked her up yesterday morning while I was in surgery." Gwendolyn squeezes Caroline's hand, feeling her relief that her sister was finally home, and would be here for her recovery. "They say I'm healing really quick." She tells them what she had to reassure her sister multiple times.

"My turn." Matt says, leaning down for a kiss. Gwendolyn adverts her eyes to Bryce, knowing if she was awake there'd be no doubt she'd be very vocally saying how she felt, even without saying anything at all.

When Caroline told her sister that her and Matt were dating she about fell out of her chair. If her head wasn't screaming a million other things to her at once, she would've asked more questions, and demanded far more of an answer as to how that happened, that's for sure.

"Awww. Isn't he cute?" Caroline fawns as Bonnie nods, eyes getting teary. "Why are you crying?"

Matt wraps his arm around her comfortingly as she looks around subconsciously. "I'm just happy you're okay." Bonnie says.

Gwendolyn nods, feeling like she could cry tears of joy as a huge weight lifts off her chest. The happy, and alive, Caroline sitting up on bed is a very different Caroline than the condition they were told she was in yesterday.

And she had Damon Salvatore to thank for it. How ironic.

Bryce squeezes her eyes shut to stop herself from crying, as the tears already poured when her and Caroline remained in each other's arms for least five minutes. Bryce just had to make sure it was real, that Caroline was actually right here in front of her.

She's okay, Bryce tells herself once again, trying to remain calm. She's okay, she's here, right in front of you. Caroline's okay.

"Well, I love you guys!" Caroline expresses.

"We love you." Bonnie sniffs.

"Yes we do." Gwendolyn stresses, a smile etching across her face as they all move in closer. Caroline was there for Gwendolyn the moment her and Bonnie returned home... after Grams-

A lot of people think Caroline is over the top to the point she's fake, but Gwendolyn could not have been more apprecitive, and knew it was exactly what Bonnie needed. Caroline made Gwendolyn spill every single detail of her time away, as if she hadn't heard it all over the phone too many times to count. She offered to help Gwendolyn unpack all her things, they talked about how much they missed Bryce, all the gossip there was to catch up on in Mystic Falls. Caroline was a warm light the Bennett girls needed in a very rough time they were still healing from, and Gwendolyn wanted to make damn sure she could be the same for Caroline.

But she couldn't help but notice the light dimmed from her other best friend curled up in the chair beside Caroline's bed... wondering how much almost losing Caroline really affected her. And what would she have done if Caroline wouldn't have made it?

She doesn't want to find out. And she doesn't care what she has to do to thank to Damon for making sure she will never have to.

ཀ ཀ

𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

Hey guys!! Welcome back to Cardiac Cravinggg!!

I was not happy with how this chapter turned out last night lmao, but I have reread & edited it today & I am MUCH more happier with it!! Ugh yay!! I knew I just needed a good nights sleep & to actually edit it lmao.

I'm really excited you're getting to see both Bryce & Gwendolyn's point of views now, & THANK GOODNESS CAROLINE'S OKAY BC WHEW I AM WITH GWENDOLYN... what would we have done?!

I hope y'all are loving Gwendolyn so far!! ANDDD I cannot wait to dive further into this episode!! Bryce & Caroline have finally reunited!!😭🫶🏼 OUR GIRLS ARE FINALLY BACK TOGETHER!!

Hope y'all enjoyed!! Thank y'all so much for all the comments & support so far!! Also... I kinda have the urge to change Sebastian's face claim... y'all haven't met him yet but he's in the cast chapter & I keep going back & forth of if I should change it or not...

ANYWAYSSS, until next time, mwah!! <333