Sofia was lost, totally fucking lost. She could smell, practically taste, the humans around her, they never shut up. Their bodies were so loud. Unfortunately, she was still too proud to ask for help.

The world was a blinding blur. One step below nothing at all. But a vague understanding between shadow and light did fuck all for getting her back to the bathroom.

The only relief was that warm as she was she would feel if she was melting. The downside was if that started happening she was in no position to really do anything about it.

“Fuck me,” she muttered to herself, shading her eyes as if that would somehow change anything. She needed to figure out if they made darker sunglasses.

“Ms. Ortíz, are you alright?”

Sofia recognized the voice before she even smelled him or imagined his bad haircut. “Doctor uh…”

“Michel,” Dr. Michael supplied.

“Sorry,” Sofia offered. “It’s been a long day. I’m slightly lost.”

“That’s perfectly alright. Where are you headed?” He asked, Sofia couldn’t place his tone.

“Bathroom,” Sofia offered neutrally.

“Just down that way and to your right,” he replied.

Sofia bit back a groan of annoyance. “Thanks,” she offered instead.

He didn’t walk away, and considering Sofia didn’t go anywhere they were both just standing there awkwardly. “Are you chance blind?” Dr. Michael asked, sounding… embarrassed.

“Am I that obvious?” She asked with a grumble.

“Well… somewhat,” he offered apologetically. “I am assuming this is not something new that has happened since we spoke during the night?”

“No,” Sofia chuckled.

“Yet you weren’t um… quite as impaired the last time we spoke.”

“I can manage the LEDs,” Sofia offered, pointing up at the lights. “It’s the sunlight that really makes everything go white.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“You get used to it… kinda,” she shrugged.

“Have you called someone yet?”

“Yes, Mamá is on her way,” Sofia grumbled.

“Good, I should be heading off. Do you want me to escort you to the bathroom first?”

Sofia wanted to say no, she really wanted to say no. “Please,” she offered instead.

He politely took her arm and guided her down the hall. When she entered the bathroom, a bathroom that turned out to be only for one person rather than the other kind she had been in. Where even was she? Totally fucking lost.

She wandered around the dimly lit room for a minute. Enjoying being able to see again. Then she flushed the toilet and washed her hands.

When she exited the wave of UV light bashed against her eyeballs making her wince.

“Do you want help getting back to your friend's room?” Dr. Michael asked, making her jump.

“Please,” she grumbled again. Utterly fucking humiliation. That was even including the few times she tripped on the way.

She made a mental note to get used to not using vision as much. She couldn’t afford to be totally helpless. Daredevil might have been bullshit but with her heightened smell and hearing she should be able to manage at least a little.

Dr. Michael was kind enough to close the blinds and dim the lights before he left Sofia back in Jackie’s room after she assured him she could manage from there.

Vision was bad but considering it was almost noon she wasn’t about to complain. She had never really been out during the day like this since death. How weird.

Jackie peacefully slept. Sofia returned to her chair and took Jackie’s hand.

How had they each saved each other's lives so many times since all this began? Maybe Jackie’s saving had been less literal. But Sofia would have starved otherwise, and easily could have just given up on an undead existence. Jackie had taught her to adjust and Sofia had protected her from harm.

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It didn’t help that Jackie showed a slight disregard for her own safety. She didn’t have the luxury of already being dead. Yet despite that Sofia didn’t doubt Jackie wouldn’t defend her until her last breath.

“Darling, darling, I live in you; and you would die for me, I love you so,” Sofia recited, gently stroking her healed wrist.

“Wz” that frm?” Jackie muttered. She didn’t open her eyes.

“A very old lesbian vampire story,” Sofia smiled.

“I like that one too,” Jackie murmured.

“I think it’s accurate,” Sofia hummed. “My blood flows through you. Not to be possessive, but you are very much mine.” She let some of her thoughts remain just that.

“Love you too,” Jackie sighed, slipping right back to sleep.

Sofia brushed the hair from Jackie’s face, trying to ignore the warm flutter of happiness that those simple words invoked. They were doing this all in the wrong order. A bond formed in blood hardly counted as love. They had come together under duress, but such things never lasted.

But if she was being honest with herself… she did love Jackie. Maybe it wasn’t romance, yet. But there was definitely love, formed platonically but growing into something more. Sofia could only hope one day it would bloom.

Yet love was a fickle thing, it died all the time. Nothing brought quite as much happiness and yet heartache.

She wasn’t sure it was better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. People died from heartbreak all the time.

It was an utterly insane emotion. One that made her want to give in even if she knew one day it would hurt more than anything else.

Maybe people were just masochists deep down. Or maybe the pain made love all the more better. Sofia didn’t know.

Romance had never been her thing. Seeking love had always seemed like a fool's game. But now she might have it… and she couldn’t help but want more.

How did people do it? How did people survive to try again and again?

It seemed like a Sisyphean task, one of self-flagellation.

Yet the idea of letting this opportunity slip past filled her with more dread than she could have ever expected. Jackie being injured had awakened feelings she had never given much credence to.

She may have gone back to help, she may have left Jackie in the care of a stranger. But Jackie had still been her number one priority. She had been so filled with emotion she felt as though she might explode if she didn’t do something. Helping others was the only thing she could do from tearing the truck driver limb from limb.

Even if this all ended in disaster it had to still be worth a try. Still, sometimes she just wanted to break down and beg Jackie to never put her in a position where Sofia would have to kill her. That night at the bar still haunted her waking dreams and nightmares.

Maybe that was because she already loved Jackie. Maybe it was because she couldn’t bear to part with her. What she had told Jackie was the truth though. Jackie was hers. Sofia had no plans to ever let her go.

----------------------------------------

At some point, their luggage was dropped off. It was a great relief to slip into a thick sweater. Now Sofia’s skin no longer tingled unpleasantly.

Despite the complexity of it all, she was content with her ability to withstand sunlight. Several feedings had built up her strength and her main issue now was simply her vision.

Then of course there was also that mist thing. Sofia hadn’t really had the time to properly experiment. A little more running had made her stumble into how to consciously control it. Her limit was making herself slightly weightless when she ran. But like her eyes, she figured it would take practice.

She couldn’t imagine how goofy she looked trying to turn herself into a cloud of mist.

As the day ticked by Jackie woke occasionally but mostly slept. The nurse came by occasionally to check on things or change bandages.

Sofia was growing increasingly restless, only calmed by the approaching dusk. She might be able to somewhat handle the day but it was unpleasant. She longed to bury herself somewhere dark and cool.

The bigger problem was she was really fucking hungry. A bit of meat was enough to tide her over, or it had been. But all this sun exposure, the constant healing, it was taking its toll. She wasn’t turning cold but her stomach was complaining to a degree Sofia could almost swear it was Alive. Her throat was dry, her teeth ached to bite.

The idea of any food from the hospital cafeteria almost made her feel queasy.

The smell of blood that lingered in Jackie’s room made her hunger impossible to ignore. But since Jackie was in no fucking capacity to give blood Sofia was going to have to find something else to eat somewhere.

They were in a small town. There had to be small animals around. The idea of biting into a squirrel wasn’t the most appealing but it would do. If only the sun fucking set faster.

“Sofia.”

Sofia spun, she recognized her father’s voice immediately. “Dad,” she smiled as he pulled her into a hug.

Charles was a tall white man, as soft as he was muscular. He wore casual farm clothes, his usual attire when not in his security guard uniform.

“How are you doing, kiddo?”

“I’m fine, dad. Like I said on the phone, I don’t have a scratch,” Sofia assured.

“Good, thank the stars for that then. I like the glasses. And the hair, did you cut your hair?”

Sofia chuckled. She had not cut her hair though she was due for a trim. Apparently hair kept growing regardless of a beating heart.

“How is she?” Charles asked, glancing towards the resting Jackie.

“Lucky,” Sofia sighed. “She needed minor surgery but so far so good.”

“I’m sorry, I know this isn’t how you wanted your summer to go.”

Sofia shrugged. “I just wish I knew what happened.”

“I’m sure you’ll find out soon. If not I can poke around, I know a few guys in the force,” Charles offered.

“Thanks,” Sofia replied, only half paying attention as she remembered just how dim the room would be to him. And she was still wearing sunglasses. She was too emotionally drained to deal with that right now.

“Have you eaten? Slept? Done anything but sit in this room?” Charles asked, his sternness was out of concern more than anything.

Sofia had to swallow a laugh. She was fucking famished. And it had been months since she had slept.

“I am kinda hungry. Are there any good burger places around? I’m craving beef,” she replied instead. She knew Charles would jump at any opportunity to help.

“Don’t know, but I can certainly find out. Are you coming?” Charles asked.

“Maybe I’ll try to get some sleep,” Sofia offered with a tired sigh.

“Alright. It’s good to see you, you look good all things considered.”

“Thanks, Dad. Love you, see you soon,” she offered as joyfully as she could manage. She all but shoved him out of the room.

“Fuck,” Sofia muttered to herself, resting her head on the bed.

“He seemed… charming,” Jackie murmured, gently rubbing Sofia’s back.

“He is,” Sofia couldn’t resist a smile despite how wound up she felt. “He’s pretty great. I think you two will get along great.”

Jackie chuckled. “You should rest, Sofi.”

“You know I don’t do that.”

“No, you don’t sleep. Close your eyes, take some slow breaths. Try to relax,” Jackie retorted. “Knowing you, you haven’t taken a moment since we left Toronto. That’s not good for you.”

Begrudgingly Sofia did as she was told.

“Do you want blood?” Jackie offered.

“You just got out of surgery, are you fucking kidding?” Sofia huffed.

“I’m in a hospital, they can give me more,” Jackie shrugged.

“You’re unbelievable,” Sofia scoffed. “I’m gonna try and catch a squirrel or something when it gets a little darker.”

“Eww,” Jackie winced. “And poor squirrel.”

“You kill people but you draw the line at squirrels,” Sofia huffed though she was careful to keep her voice low.

“Humans aren’t nearly as cute. Well… maybe there’s an exception,” Jackie smirked.

Sofia could feel her face heating. How did Jackie even do that? It was one word for fucks sake.

“You’re the worst,” Sofia muttered, returning her head to the bed.

Jackie laughed.