Twisted Condemnation

Siding with Hope

September 7, 2026

"Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep, dreaming about the things that we could be..." -One Republic

When we returned we were immediately met with Lorelei's outrage due to the blood on Nick's hands and shirt, we all stayed silent, taking Lorelai's reprimanding. After the scolding Nick showed us to a room we could stay in tonight, leaving me a package of wet wipes so I could get cleaned up before dinner.

I sighed sitting against the firm twin sized mattress, I squeezed my eyes shut while clutching my side. "What's wrong?" Ezra's concerned voice hit my ears.

I lifted up my shirt to reveal the deep set of teeth marks against my ribs. I peeked down at the bite for the first time. Two rows of pronounced uneven teeth shaped gashes sat against my fair skin. The bleeding had slowed, but a faint line of blood still trickled down from the imprint. Jenna cried out from beside me seeing the wound, as I frantically tried to comfort her before the others heard.

Ezra unzipped the duffel that rested against the black dresser, pulling out alcohol, cloth, bandages, and antibiotic ointment. He placed all of the supplies on the bed beside me, before picking up Jenna from the bed.

"Flo will be alright, how about you draw us a picture," Ezra set her on the chair in front of the small desk in the corner of the room. Flipping open a notebook, before handing her some pens that were scattered around the desk.

"Did he see you get bit?" The bed dipped beside me, as Ezra sat.

I shook my head, while he poured alcohol on the cloth.

"You should have let me go," he sighed.

My body tensed as his warm fingers brushed against my skin, holding my shirt up so the wound was visible again.

"This is why I went. If you had gotten bit... you wouldn't have made it," I whispered. "And I can't..." I halted my words, catching myself before I said that aloud. It scared the hell out of me to be back out here, but not for my own well being. It scared me how much I already cared for Ezra and Jenna, and how much it would destroy me if they died. His eyes flicked up to mine, shroud in an emotion I couldn't quite decipher.

"This is going to hurt." Right after those words a searing sensation radiated from where the cloth met my open skin. I hissed, snatching his wrist, pulling the cloth away from the bite. Tightly squeezing as the burning still lingered.

"It has to be cleaned. Just because you can't get infected doesn't mean you are immune to infections," Ezra glanced over at Jenna who was enthralled in her drawing. I nodded slowly, releasing his wrist. I squeezed my eyes shut as the splicing pain reignited at the cloth's touch.

I scrambled to pull my shirt down from Ezra's hold when the door flew open, Lorelai stood in the doorway with enlarged eyes cinched on my shirt where the teeth marks were embedded in my skin. Shit.

"She's bit!" She screeched, taking a step back. Ezra stood holding both of his hands in the air trying to calm her down, positioning himself in front of me."Nick. Finn!" She shrieked again.

Loud, heavy footsteps pounded against the hallway floor, before both Finn and Nick appeared in view, Nick pushing the two behind him.

"You are bit?" Nick's eyes narrowed on me, his tone indicating his disbelief.

"It's not what it seems," Ezra attempted to defuse their frantic expressions.

"I saw it Nick! She's fucking bit," Lorelai spat, a smug expression planted in her blue eyes.

I stood from the bed taking a deep breath, "I am." Nick and Finn's faces contorted in horror at my revelation. "But I've been bit for well over a year." Nick's head cocked, his apprehensive eyes squinting at me. I glanced at Ezra before taking a step around him, pushing my sleeve up. My eyes fell on the scarred imprint of teeth that were cemented on my wrist. "I'm immune."