Severity

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Josie woke up and saw sunlight peaking through her father's office. Oh she was in her father's office, so it wasn't a dream.

She never felt that before, the feeling of death on her spine yet she survived. The universe punishing her yet again, instead for her ungratefulness. If so then how did she know what would have happened if she didn't take the hit. If Lizzie took the hit, she would have died because she wasn't prepared. If Hope took the hit then would be transitioning right now, leaving her and Lizzie defenseless and potentially dead. So she had to have taken the hit, she anticipated the attack and used her arms to take the brunt of it all, but her face still ended up paying a small misfortune.

Sitting up, she looks around to see her parents, Caroline holding her while Alaric holds Lizzie but they were all pretty tangled. On the other side of the room was Hope, she was painting something, so focused on her task. Not noticing the injured girl staring blatantly at her so Josie threw the closest thing at her which just so happened to be Alaric shoe. It hit Hope on her back causing her to jump and turn around to see Josie staring at her. It looked more like a mummy staring at her making it was lowkey awkward, but Hope knew she needed something or else she wouldn't have threw the shoe, unless she threw it just to piss her off.

"You need something right?" Hope asks, Josie nods. "Signal, like charades." Hope suggests and Josie slouches.

"Water." She signs instead, thankfully Hope knew sign language, as taught by her uncle before he died.

"Okay, that works too." Hope shoots up and rushes to the kitchen to get some water.

Josie watches as the smaller girl leaves the room and turned her attention to her sister, feeling her stirring in her sleep then shooting up while screaming Josie's name causing their parents to also wake up all panicky.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asks first.

"Is Josie okay?" Alaric questioned at a quicker pace.

"I'm fine." Josie signs.

They don't know sign language.

"You can't speak? Oh no!" Caroline tightly hugs Josie and she worms out her mother's grip.

"I'm okay!" Josie signs frustratedly.

They were about to speak again when Hope enters with a glass of water and bendy straw. Josie tilts her head at the object and Hope sees what they were staring at.

"Oh because you couldn't drink the blood easily, hopefully the straw would help." Hope hands the cup to the taller girl and they watch as the liquid disappear behind the thick bandages.

It was quite an awkward 20 seconds but Josie sits down in the chair that Hope used to paint with a sigh, although very inaudible. Josie eyes set on the painting and realize that the painting is of her, but it is like through a mirror. She's cracked and in pieces, almost broken but not entirely. Why would Hope paint something like this, and about her. It made her feel sad but she wanted it and wanted it finished.

"Can I have this when you are done?" Josie signs to Hope and Hope rose an eyebrow then looked at the painting, she was free balling then realized it resembles Josie.

"Oh uh, sure." Hope sighed, feeling like she was caught in the act or something.

But Josie knew better, Hope was in a different zone, painting the first images that come to her mind to ease her nerves and feelings. It was her human way of wolfing out, but she was too sore from last night to wolf out so she painted.

"I'm hungry, tell my family. They can't read sign language." Josie told Hope who nods.

"She's hungry, wait how are we going to feed you?" Hope wonders and Josie head now tilts.

'We?' Josie thought and Caroline captures her from her train of thought.

"It might not be appetizing but we could blend up her food or only feed her liquid foods." Caroline sighs and Josie eyebrow shoots up.

"Strawberry milkshake." Josie instructs and Hope nods.

"She wants a strawberry milkshake." Hope tells them and they look at each other.

"Very interesting choice dear sister, let's go to the Mystic Grill." Lizzie goes to get up but Josie frantically shakes her head.

"Why not?" Lizzie questions.

Josie cowers and hid behind her arms, the last she wanted was to be seen by people in this state, not until after a week at least. She broken and broken things cannot fully be fixed, Hope remove her arms and signed something which should would only understood. A deep blush overtakes Josie and Hope smiles.

"At least you're not bitchy anymore." Hope teases and Josie pouts, Hope knew she was pouting as well which made her laugh.

"I was irritated because I was horny." Josie signed, her eyes showing a teasing intent causing Hope's jaw to drop.

Josie family look at the two curiously, and Hope finally breaks eye contact with a clear of her throat.

"I'll get you all your orders, so text me it." Hope put on the hoodie that hung around her waist and they give her a nod.

Once Hope left, Lizzie got up and gave Josie a teasing eyebrow.

"I thought you two hated each other?" Lizzie questions and Josie shrugs.

This time she played charades to communicate with her family, using twinelepathy, Lizzie got them all right while her parents on the other hand.

"You're pregnant?!?" Caroline shoots up from shock and everyone else's eyes widened.

"What?!?" Alaric reacts the same while Josie frantically shakes her head as her sister dies off laughter.

"She said she didnt eat last night so she is really hungry." Lizzie manage to get out through her laughter and Josie just glares at her. "What? Come on that was funny." Lizzie took a deep breath to recapture the air into her lungs while wiping her tears.

Hope reemerge after another round of charades and Josie immediately goes for her milkshake before curling up in her father's chair.

"Someone's hungry." Hope muttered, handing the rest of the family their food and drinks then sat down where Josie previously was seated to continue her painting.