I Hate the Way...

Part 27: "I'm Her Wife"

"Hope, I've tried your phone, like, a dozen times since last night. What's going on—?"

"You've reached Hope Mikaelson. Please leave a message..."

*Beep*

Josie sighs, running a frustrated hand through her hair, "Okay, um...Hi, so I posted one of the tracks from our Oceanside Alt-Fest show, and it got picked up for the Road Trip Playlist on Spotify, and it already has over, like, 200,000 plays," She excitedly squeals, "Meaning the song that you—may or may not have— influenced has literally gone viral! Call me back so we can celebrate together, or at least so we can talk before you fly that mission later today...Okay, bye for now, my Muse." She ends the voicemail before she giddily squeaks again.

She opens the door to the beach house, setting her car keys and phone down to go grab a glass of water from the kitchen, "Hey Lizzie! Hi MG!"

"Hey Josie!" MG waves.

"Hey back!" Lizzie shouts as she flips through her magazine.

But her peace is soon disrupted, with her sister's phone constantly buzzing and her own vampiric hearing makes her brain feel like it's about to explode, "Josie, someone's blowing up your phone in here!"

Josie comes running out of the kitchen, a wider smile on her face, "Finally! Hope must be calling me back."

She picks up her phone, and her eyebrows furrow.

Hope's name isn't on her screen. In fact, the number on her screen isn't saved at all, and it's clearly from another country.

"Sorry, guys, I gotta take this..."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know..."

With that, she steps out the door and onto the porch, before finally answering.

"Hello?"

"Yes, is this Josette Saltzman-Mikaelson?"

"Yes, it is...?"

"This is Captain Curtis, with the Marine Corp Advanced Aviation unit out of California...Ma'am, I'm calling because your wife has been wounded in action. Her wounds are significant, so she's being transferred from the base here to the Marine Medical Center in San Diego for intensive treatment."

Josie's ears begin ringing, suddenly feeling light-head, the air in her lungs thicker, her heartbeat strong in the pit of her stomach.

She opens and closes her mouth a few times before finally being able to form words, "I-Is she okay?"

"Her wounds are extensive, her legs were severely injured, and there are several burns to her skin. She is currently in recovery after her second surgery. She will be flown out once the medical professionals here on base determine she is stable enough for the flight."

Josie shakes her head, and her hands begin to tremble. She softly whispers, to no one in particular, "No, this isn't happening."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I couldn't hear you..."

Josie puts a hand up to her head, pacing the porch now.

After a moment of silence the man continues on the phone, "Mrs. Mikaelson, we're gonna do everything we can here to help your wife until she's cleared to fly back to the states. Shouldn't be long now. It's our recommendation that you have her insurance information ready and available upon your arrival to the medical center."

Josie nods, though the man can't see her. Okay, insurance. I can do that. Yeah that makes sense.

Except nothing truly registers with her. Her brain is like a fog right now. She can't see straight. Unsteady gait and breathing.