#freegrain

"It… should be curable," Josie said. 

"Should?" Hope tried to sit up but then her head spun and her vision blurred. “Ugh…” 

"Hope?" Her girlfriend sounded worried and she couldn’t blame her. This wound did not seem good. 

Hope blinked her eyes to focus on her. "Where's Penelope?" 

Penelope had been fighting the manticore with her. The beast hadn’t held back when it attacked them and she didn’t see her other girlfriend anywhere. Josie was here but Penelope- 

"Okay," Josie reassured her, taking her hand. "She's actually trying to extract the manticore's venom. For a cure." 

Hope sighed in relief. She was glad. If she lost her girlfriend in a fight, she’d never be able to forgive herself. Not when she could have saved her. But Penelope was a capable witch and able to defend herself. She should have known she’d be okay. 

"Hey, you're going to be okay, alright?" Josie said. 

Hope gave her a weak smile. She couldn't let her see how sharp the pain was, cutting into her stomach like an acid. Soon it would spread through her. She didn’t know how fast acting manticore poison was but oh, maybe she’d find out. 

Josie left and returned, dabbing her forehead with a rag. It was cold against her skin and Hope winced. 

"You're burning up," Josie said, voice falsely calm. 

Hope groaned. "Maybe I'm just hot-" 

Josie rolled her eyes. "That too." 

She left the rag on her forehead in an attempt to still her rising fever. Josie pressed a light kiss to her lips and it was only when Hope noticed how cool they felt in comparison did she realise how unwell she actually was. 

"So… this bad, huh?" 

Josie chuckled. "Bad enough. Maybe now you'll let me take care of you." 

"A pretty girl waiting on me hand and foot? Maybe I will let you." 

Josie blushed despite herself. "Penelope had really rubbed off on you." 

"What? Can't I flirt with my girlfriend?" 

"No, that's my job," said an amused voice. 

Penelope appeared in the doorway, spinning a thin vial between her fingers. A dark bruise was spreading down her arm but otherwise, she looked okay. Hope was relieved. 

"Hey, you're awake," Penelope said as she sat down on the opposite side of her. "How you feeling?" 

"Better now that you're here," Hope grinned. 

"Oh? Oh, she's good," Penelope smiled with a glance at Josie. "Is Hope always like this? Or am I missing something?"

Josie laughed. "Fever-ridden Hope is a bit of a flirt, I think." 

"I like it." 

Penelope offered Josie the vial. "Think we can do something with this?" 

Josie nodded, eyeing the substances. "Definitely. Might take a bit though." 

Hope smiled, though a fresh wave of nausea came over her. "Take your time. I could stare at you two all day." 

"You start, I'll keep our sick girlfriend company." 

Hope shifted over in the bed as Penelope slid in next to her. Josie took the vial and went to the other side of the room. Hope vaguely heard her start to work on making a cure. But her attention was taken by her other girlfriend. 

"Damn, you're warm," Penelope said in a worried voice. 

Hope didn't feel very warm. In fact she cuddled close to Penelope because there was a chill she couldn't get rid of. She shivered and Penelope’s frown deepened. 

"I'm fine," she insisted. 

"I wouldn't trust that," Josie called over. 

Penelope nodded, fingers starting to stroke though her hair. Hope felt bad that she was putting them both through this. She never liked to worry them. That should be her job—she was the tribrid that protected them. 

"Are you okay?" Hope asked. 

Penelope nodded. "A little beaten up. But okay." 

Her girlfriend touched her stomach gently, eyeing the purple bandages. Josie had done a good job at patching her up. 

"Doesn't look good, does it?" Hope whispered. 

Penelope grimaced but didn't answer. 

Her silence was answer enough. Hope sighed. She was starting to feel tired. 

"Rest, okay?" Penelope murmured. "I'll check on Josie." 

She was trying to hide it but Hope knew she was worried. Both of them were. Hope could have been worried but honestly, she was just too weary. The fight had taken a lot out of her. And so when asked to rest, she was only too able to comply. 

Penelope leaned down to kiss her before leaving her side. Hope smiled at her before she drifted off to sleep. 

-- 

"She's not good, is she?" Josie whispered to Penelope as she joined her. 

Penelope shook her head grimly. "She's strong but that manticore stabbed her in the stomach. It will spread." 

Josie sighed. "I'm trying. I don't exactly know how to make a cure from this."

Both of them had taken Chemistry of Magic and knew about making cures but Josie never thought she'd have to make one. If she had, she might have studied harder. But she hadn't and now she had to focus hard to save Hope. 

Penelope sat down next to her. 

"I could try contacting someone." 

"I don't think we have time." 

By the time anyone else made it out there, Hope would be beyond saving. And Josie couldn't let that happen. Hope had gone through so much, she didn't deserve to die sick and poisoned. 

She didn't deserve to die at all. 

So they worked together while Hope slept  Penelope sat close to her, giving pointers when she thought about it. 

Josie was glad she was there with her. If she’d been alone, she didn’t think she’d be able to hold it together. She couldn't lose Hope, didn't think her heart could handle it. 

But Penelope sat by her side as she worked on her potion. She touched her arm, stroked her thigh, just gentle reassurances for both of them. They would get through this. And Hope would be okay. 

Behind them, Hope groaned in her sleep. 

She wasn't getting better. 

Part of Josie had hoped that her supernatural healing would win out over the poison in her system but that wasn't the case. She was dying. And they were the only people who could save her. 

And it wasn't easy. 

Penelope stroked soothing circles across her back as she leaned closer. 

"Mix the elixir," Josie murmured under her breath. "And then add sage…" 

She hoped it was enough. There was only so much they could do. 

"I think that's it," Penelope said gently. 

And it was. This was the end result. 

The cure was a strange orange colour, a few bubbles reaching the surface every few seconds. She didn't know if it would work but there was only one way to find out. 

Penelope kissed her temple. "I believe in you, JoJo. If anyone could do it, it would be you." 

Josie nodded. "Okay." 

She wished she had the same faith in herself but honestly, she didn't. 

Penelope followed her across quietly. 

Josie opened Hope's mouth and she didn't stir, which was a bad thing. Still alive but barely. She poured the cure in and closed her mouth, forcing the liquid down her throat. From there, all they could do is wait. 

Penelope sat on the other side of Hope, taking both their hands in her own. 

"Hey, I'm here," she said softly. "Okay?" 

Josie squeezed her hand. And Penelope squeezed back. 

Hope didn't wake up but her motions ceased. She calmed down. Was she sleeping? Or dying? Josie stared, begging her to wake up. But the cure wasn't immediate and would take time to work. 

And so they waited. And waited. And Josie prayed to whatever force was out there for Hope to survive. 

-- 

"Penelope? Josie?" 

Sometime while watching an unconscious Hope, Penelope had fallen asleep. She hadn't meant to but after such a long and strenuous day, she hadn't had a choice. Her body was taxed. 

She opened her eyes to see Hope blinking down at her. 

Josie sat on the other side of Hope, still asleep. 

"Babe, you're okay," Penelope gasped as she wrapped her in a hug. 

She was cooler too, a good sign that her fever was gone. 

"I feel better," Hope admitted. "It worked. I'm fine." 

Perhaps not completely fine but fine enough that caused for celebration. Penelope kissed her quickly before turning to their girlfriend. Josie looked so cute when she slept. She almost hated to wake her. 

Penelope nudged Josie gently. 

And Josie stirred, staring at the two of them with sleepy eyes. Those pretty eyes then widened when she realised exactly what she was looking at. 

"Hope!" 

Josie hugged her too, pressing her face into her hair. "I was so worried!" 

"You and me both," Hope chuckled. 

"Make that three." 

"I knew I could count on you two," Hope said, still holding onto Josie. "Always here to save me, aren't you?" 

"Well, where would you be without us?" Penelope teased. 

Josie sighed contently and leaned back, arms still holding her like she didn't want to let go. "Though I could do without worrying about you."

Hope chuckled. They could never not worry about each other though. With the lives the led, they were constantly getting into one danger after the next. "There isn't anything that we can't get through. Together."