Forever Original | Alaric Saltzman

Chapter 13

Hilda was hallucinating for the entirety of the next day.

Tyler Lockwood had arrived in the morning to gloat at the predicament of Klaus's entrapment. By then, Hilda was sweating, curled up on the floor trying to breathe steadily. She continued to refuse Klaus's blood, and was in an unbelievable amount of pain.

But she didn't care, because she could see Kol alive again.

He was on the couch, looking at her. "Sister, you look awful. Maybe you should drink the blood."

"No," she murmured, making both Klaus and Tyler look at her. "No blood."

"Doesn't it burn?" asked Kol, looking to where her arm oozed blood and pus. "That's nasty."

"I don't care."

Klaus moved closer to his sister. "Hilda—"

It was like he triggered her into becoming feral. Snarling, she would jump at him, and he'd have to retreat. She would sit back and return to gazing toward the couch.

"He's annoying," said Kol. "If we were hybrids, we'd poison him instead."

Hilda half-smiled. "We would, yes."

Tyler seemed mildly concerned. Perhaps he was only curious, wishing to know what it is that she was seeing. He watched as Hilda tried to crawl toward the couch. She reached an arm out and swiped through thin air before whimpering. "Don't leave me," she whimpered. "Don't..."

She couldn't touch him. He wasn't really there. Kol looked down at her. "Sister, get off the ground, it's pathetic."

Klaus made the decision to pull her back, and the image faded, making Hilda growl and swipe her hand out, striking him in the face. "GET OFF!" she said fiercely. "You're making it worse!"

"Drink my blood, you imbecile!" he said, holding out his wrist. Hilda faced away, watching as Tyler poured himself a drink. She blinked, and beside him was Henrik.

The gentle face of her baby brother cast her a curious look. "Why're you on the ground, Hilly?"

It brought tears to her eyes. When Henrik had started learning to talk, Esther had tried to get him to say his siblings' names. Finn was simple. Elijah sounded more like 'Lijah.' Klaus was shortened to 'Nik.' Kol's name was simple enough, and Rebekah became known as 'Bex' for the first time.

But he simply couldn't stay Hilda's name, and she had thought it was short enough to understand.

"Hil-duh," sounded out the young girl, already seven and wanting to be a good influence for the newest member of the family. "Hill... duh..."

Henrik cooed and waved his little hands at her. "H— Huh—"

Esther smiled down as Hilda made a face and patted her brother's cheeks gently. "Like this, Henrik." She moved closer so he could see how her mouth was moving. "Hilda. Hill. Duh."

Henrik squealed. "Hilly!"

Klaus snickered from behind. "How does it feel, being called 'Hilly?'"

Hilda didn't mind. She beamed, and kissed Henrik's forehead. "I like it. Henrik is the only one that can call me that."

Kol and Klaus shared a look. They'd been sitting playing with some of Klaus's carvings while their sister tried to get their baby brother talking. "Hilly," they said, and she turned around, glaring at them.

Henrik had been the one that really came up with all their nicknames. Normally, they were all referred to by their full names, either by each other or their parents. It was Henrik who, in his struggle to learn to speak, had simplified them and given them another way to identify themselves. They adored him, and so, Henrik was the only one allowed to call them by their nicknames.