Smithereens {ON HOLD}

{A Jyler Story}

"You always told me you'd get beat to smithereens for me. It's time for me to do something for you."

It was the most terrifying time of Jenna Joseph's life. Tyler was in the hospital fighting bacterial meningitis, something that he had apparently picked up on tour. But she never knew she'd be the one to make the decision that could change Tyler's life forever. There were antibiotics that could save his life, but there was a good chance that they could cause Tyler to lose his hearing. But without his hearing, how could he take part in music, and how could Jenna take away the one thing that Tyler seemed to need the most? But Jenna knew she had to save his life. So, with a heavy heart, she cleared the doctors to give him the antibiotics.

And a few days later, her heart broke when Tyler failed the hearing test.

It was everywhere: Tyler Joseph went deaf. And then the questions began. What was the future of Twenty One Pilots? Would they break up, or would they just get a new frontman? And the one that Jenna asked herself every day. Why did nobody recognize the signs? Why didn't she notice the signs of meningitis? But, what's done is done, and it's up to Jenna to find a way to help Tyler adjust to his new life without hearing.

That's where deaf single mother Kanika Sheperd comes in. After a chance meeting on the streets, Jenna hires Kanika to teach them everything about deaf culture. From sign language to reading lips to the adjustments they'd have to make to their home, Kanika is ready to teach them everything. After all, she really needed a job.

Tyler was always there for Jenna. Now it's Jenna's turn to have Tyler's back as they explore terrifying, uncharted waters together.