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"Balenciaga?"
Miss Wren looks over at the next bed, and sees Miss Glassbill sitting up, leaning against the wall and staring straight at her.
Balenciaga doesn't join her. She meets her gaze, from where she herself lay, but she knew she was too weak to stay upright.
At first, after they escaped, she locked herself in her room. Many Ymbryne sisters had come knocking but except for an early visit from Mother Dust she refused to see anyone but her dog Addisson. Balenciaga had lasted two weeks hiding out there - not seeing nor talking to anyone - before they forced themselves in. By that point, it was obvious that not only had she completely neglected herself during that time but she had also grown so weak from malnutrition and dehydration that she was no longer able to leave bed.
To fix all this, she had quickly been moved to 'the hospital' to be take care of. In reality, however, 'the hospital' was nothing more than a long corridor lined with cots where Mother Dust watched over her patients, most of them Wight victims drained of their souls.
Cathy had already been there when she came, but in the time that had passed so far, she had not tried to make contact. Miss Wren was hardly surprised
"Yes Catherine?" She answers her, wondering why she was being addressed.
"Did I wake you?" The woman's face is even, unmoving, completely void of all the liveliness it once had before the Wights got hold of her. It was like watching a doll talk.
"No" Miss Wren answers quickly, shaking her head. "I don't sleep anymore."
"Me neither." Miss Glassbill sighed, slumping a little. "Do you get nightmares too?"
"Yes" Miss Wren can't understand why she would ask but won't lie. She speaks in a normal voice, not particularly worried about waking anyone up. Most of the patients did nothing but sleep, and on the rare occasion they would wake up, they wouldn't be aware enough to be bothered.
"What is it about?" Miss Glassbill whispers, laying down again so their eyes could be on the same level.
It's a question Miss Wren doesn't want to answer. It is personal, extremely so, but something in her eyes persuaded her to open up. "Althea." Miss Wren admits. "My granddaughter, I...I can't stop seeing her." She choked. "Jack stabbed her to death personally. And I did nothing at all to stop it."
Miss Glassbill nods, and there is almost something sympathetic in her blank face. "I dream about them draining me, over and over again. It hurts so bad." She whispers, unbothered.
Miss Wren nodded. "You deserved better." She answers, tears rising in her eyes. "So many deserved a better fate than this." She said, and she felt ready to cry.
Suddenly a big, warm weight moved into the bed right next to her.
"Don't cry." Miss Glassbill whispered, cuddling up next to her and drying the tears from her cheeks. "You're not alone."
Miss Wren was shocked. She had not expected the comfort, least of all from the empty shell that seemed to be the last remaining piece of the Ymbryne that once inhabited it. Still, she found herself undeniably grateful for it.
"Thank you. Neither are you." Miss Wren promised. It was awkward, social interaction unfamiliar as she used to spend most of her time on an isolated mountain top.
Miss Glassbill didn't seem to notice, already seemingly asleep at her side. Miss Wren watched her for a while, and soon sleep claimed her too.
When she awoke avain late the next morning, Miss Glassbill was still sleeping soundly in his arms, warm and comforting just like the night before.
"I see you got some company last night."
Rosemary Bunting sits on a chair next to the bed, regarding the two Ymbrynes closely. "Cathy always liked you.
Miss Wren blinked. "She did?" She asks, confused. She hadn't seen the other woman in years before Jack captured them.
"Well yes. She loved when you visited the school." Rosemary said happily. "I think she liked that you paid attention to her. She tended to be ignored in most other classes.
"Oh" Miss Wren nodd, pretending it made sense. "We were just trying to get some sleep without nightmares." She excuses herself, trying to escape the compromising situation.
Miss Bunting sighed. "You've been having a lot of those, haven't you?" She asked sadly. "I don't understand Balenciaga. Why didn't you ask for help?"
Miss Wren wouldn't answer. She looked down at the woman sleeping in her arms, and sighed. "Leave it Rosemary. You wouldn't understand."
The reaction was immediate. Rosemary made an indignant face, preparing to pick up the fight with Miss Wren.
"Balenciaga I..." She began, angry and upset that Miss Wren was being so obstinate.
"Rosemary, don't fight with her."
Catherine's eyes opened and she looked at the older woman tiredly, her voice perfectly level. "Just don't do it." She insisted.
Rosemary was flabbergast, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water. "Fine" Was her final answer. "Fine. But I will come back! We need to get to the bottom of this." She stood up, quickly leaving the room.
Miss Wren just stared as she left in shock.
"Sorry. Was I too hard?" Miss Glassbill whispered after a moment.
Miss Wren shook her head, and for the first time in what felt like years, she smiled. "No. No, you did great."
Miss Glassbill smiled, leaving her arms. "I'm sorry I stole half your bed. I slept really good though...no nightmares."
Miss Wren immediately missed the warm weight in her arms, trying not to look sad as she lay back in her own bed. "I had no nightmares either, actually."
"Then why do you look sad?" The younger woman asked matter-of-factly. "You look sad."
"I uh..." Miss Wren didn't know what to say. I miss you wasn't really something she was prepared to say. Not yet. "I miss my dog. Addisson. I guess Mother doesn't allow animals...I haven't seen him since they took me here."
"Oh" Miss Glassbill nodded. "I used to hear him bark." She whispered. "At the door. When they first took you here and you just slept all the time."
Miss Wren blinked. "Slept all the time?" She asked.
"Mmm. Do you know how long you've been here?" There was something very unsettling about those blank eyes staring at her.
"I don't think so." She sighed.
"Two weeks." Miss Glassbill supplied.
"It's been a month since we defeated Jack?" Miss Wren asked. She knew she'd spent two weeks isolated in her newly assigned room, and now another two weeks sleeping away the time in the hospital wing.
Miss Glassbill laughed, and somehow that was even more unnerving, because her face still did not change. "Yes. It's been a month...someone can't keep their dates straight."
Miss Wren started to cry again. She could only imagine how absolutely terrified the poor dog must be, not having seen her in over two weeks.
"Please don't cry. I hate when people cry." Surprisingly, Miss Glassbill had moved closer again, coming to sit on the chair next to her. "How about we go and find the dog?"
"What?" Miss Wren stopped, hiccuping. "Finding Addison."
Miss Glassbill smiled, her face rearranging for the first time in seemingly forever. "Yes. Mother left some time ago to have her rest. She's gone for three hours every noon to have a nap before the night. An Ymbryne will be here to check on us soon, but we can escape before they come."
Miss Wren gasped. "But you're sick!" She protested. "I'm sick." Despite her own claim, she finds herself sitting up effortlessly. Her body seemed much stronger than she remembered.
"Physically I'm fine." Miss Glassbill argued. "And you've had two weeks more than you know to rest. You can do it." She stood from her own bed, as if to demonstrate it.
Miss Wren nodded, getting off and standing up on shaking legs. "Let's find Addisson." She said, smiling.
"Where do you imagine your dog might be?" Miss Glassbill asked.
Miss Wren sighed. "With me, usually. Otherwise...a kitchen or a library? Somewhere warm and comfortable. He enjoy napping in front of the fire."
"A dog with good taste" Miss Glassbill said, amused. "Let's try Bentham's library."
"Alright. Do you know the way?" Miss Wren was entirely unfamiliar with the long, dark corridors, not knowing where they came from or were going.
"Yes. Every week I get to pick new books to read." Miss Glassbill said confidently. "I know the way now." She smiled. It looked deranged, because her eyes refused to change the emotion, but Miss Wren smiled back.
"Wonderful."
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"Oh look! He's there!" Miss Wren pointed to the roaring fire and the small dog bed placed before it through the crack in the door.
"Yes...but look, Millicent is there too. We have to wait until she goes." Miss Glassbill warned, taking a firm grip of Balenciaga's arm.
Miss Wren tried not to be disapointed. She waited a moment, wondering what they should do, when luckily Millicent stood up.
"Well she's leaving now!" Miss Wren pointed out, quickly opening the door so they could sneak inside as their sister excited the other way.
Addisson was sleeping firmly, curled up in his warm bed, and there had never been anything that brought such calm to Miss Wren's soul as seeing him laying there, safe and happy.
"Be quiet. If he barks she'll come running back." Miss Glassbill warned, a mischievous smile now on her lips as they entered the library.
Miss Wren didn't listen, however, nor did she note the smug smile on her sister's face as she rushed over to the roaring fire.
"Addison!"
She wraps her arms tight around the dog, pulling him to her and lifting him straight out of bed. Without him, she doesn't know what she would do. She figured she'd be dead, but who knew. "My sweet Addison! How I missed you!"
Hearing his name twice, the dog opened his eyes and looked up, finally awakening as he realized he was no longer safe and sound in his bed.
"Balenciaga?" He asked, suddenly awake and excited. "Balenciaga!"
Miss Wren grinned. "Addison! Oh, I love you! I missed you!"
"I've missed you so much!" He said. "Mother won't allow animals in the hospital...but you're finally better?" He asked.
Miss Wren looked at Miss Glassbill, not sure what to say. It wasn't as though she had been released.
"I broke her out, Addison." The younger Ymbryne said proudly. "I've been checking on Addison when I come to get my books. For you."
"For me?" Miss Wren stared at her. "But...we barely know each other..." she said, shocked that the young woman had done that for her.
Miss Glassbill blinked, her face still unnaturally blank. "You came and taught a class at the Academy. Remember? In our last year." She pointed out.
Miss Wren nodded. "Oh...of course." Truthfully she couldn't really remember - the news of Miss Tern's murder at the hands of the Wights would've reached her around the same time, and after that the entire peculiar world had slowly and steadily descended into utter chaos.
There'd simply been other things on her mind.
Miss Glassbill blinked. "Right. Of course you wouldn't care...you've probably done hundreds of those classes." She averted her eyes, obviously very sad and disappointed by it. "I remember you. I thought you were lovely."
Addisson made a sound as though he was choking on something, but he was definitely smiling.
Miss Wren suddenly found it a bit hard to breath herself. "Lovely?" She asked her quietly, very surprised. "Well...why thank you. You're very kind..." she mumbled.
Slowly, she stepped closer, reaching out a hand to touch Miss Glassbill's cheek, turning her head towards her.
Two dark doe eyes meet her steady, icy blue gaze. It was clear the younger woman was hurt, though most of her feelings still hid behind a neutral expression. Behind the damage the Wights caused her.
"Do you think I'm lovely too?" Miss Glassbil whispered, hopeful despite all.
Again, Addison coughed, and Miss Wren found her breath taken away from her a second time.
"I...I guess so." She admitted, studying the face before her. Though she ought to be closer to thirty-five, the tresses gave her a youthful appearance, and the dark eyes were deep enough to get lost in.
After only a minute, Miss Wren could successfully conclude that she was, in fact, very lovely.
And as if by magic, Miss Glassbill's whole face seemed to come alive. Her lips lifted upwards and her eyes sparkled.
"I love you" She said firmly, happily.
"Really?" Miss Wren grinned. She was not sure why the statement made her feel so joyous, but it did. Maybe she loved her too.
"Really. I've had a crush on you since that one class in Academy." She laughs, and her voice sounds like silver bells.
Miss Wren smiled. "Well I think we can work with that." She said, ignoring the smug look from Addison.
Miss Glassbil nodded. "Good"