Blue ▹ The Originals [2]

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
CHILD'S PLAY

"Take forgiveness slowly."

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

     "Look at me," Henrik ordered, cradling Hope's jaw in a gentle hand as he studied her eyes. It was the morning after Hope had foolishly taken the entire Hollow inside of her—missing a single piece, of course—and Henrik wasn't the only one hovering over Hope. As soon as they had heard her wake up that morning, the entire compound had roused as well, all anxious to make sure she was alright. Freya had assured them all she was fine, that Freya had stood over her all night, but Henrik liked knowing for himself. He'd shoved between Klaus and Francis, waved Freya aside, and sat on the edge of her bed. The first thing he'd done was check her eyes; tints of blue was the first sign that she was not in control. There was no blue, so Henrik checked her vitals, his hands flying over her, checking her forehead, her cheeks, and even the inside of her wrists. "No fever. Your magic feels stagnant, which is good. Don't go using it unless you absolutely need to, understand? We don't want to Hollow stirring, even if a part of it is missing. Freya and I refreshed your little anti-magic bracelet." He tapped at it where it circled her wrist. "Don't take it off, understand?"

"Yes, Doctor Henrik," Hope said very seriously, trying very hard to keep a straight face. Henrik shot her a glare, then turned and waved everyone crowding in her room away, confirming silently that she was fine. Everyone fled, though slowly, except for Klaus. He just crossed his arms and went to lean against the wall, unwilling to stay away from Hope any longer. Henrik allowed it. He knew far too well what it was like when Klaus wasn't allowed to hover. Hope shifted where she sat when Henrik didn't respond to her joke, grimacing. "I know you're checking up on me, but I feel like you're about to start scolding."

"You're lucky I'm not," Henrik admitted, reaching for the cup on her bedside table. He'd brought her tea he had brewed himself, something he'd made for himself when the Hollow was in his head. It would help repress it, though Hope would have to drink it regularly. The dose Henrik had been drinking wouldn't be enough. He pushed the cup into her hands. By then, it was probably cold. "Drink all of that." Hope took a large drink, then grimaced in disgust.

"You couldn't have sweetened it?" she complained, holding the cup a bit away from her.

"You couldn't have used common sense?" Henrik asked, making his voice sickly sweet. She was used to his brand of teasing by then, so she wasn't hurt by the words. She just pouted at him and drank the tea in one go until it was gone. Henrik took the cup from her, checked that it was all gone, then set it back on the bedside table. Hope was sending him a flat look by then, and he sighed. "You could've talked to me about this, you know. Instead of being impulsive."

"You would've talked me out of it, stopped me. All of you sacrificed so much for me. Why can't I do it for you? Protect all of you for once?" Hope demanded, impatient. It was Henrik's turn to grimace. He should've known that sacrificing themselves for Hope would've given her a complex down the line, made her think she needed to prove she was worth all of it. He opened his mouth to tell her it wasn't her job to protect any of them, but she was rushing forward, eager to prove her point. To defend her actions, at least. "Besides, I didn't know you had found a solution to the Hollow. None of us did. Maybe if you had shared some things, this wouldn't have happened." Henrik frowned at her.

"Hope," Klaus said firmly, pushing himself away from the wall. Henrik and Hope both glanced at him, but only Hope quickly glanced away. Henrik just raised his eyebrows in surprise. The last time he'd seen Klaus look stern in such a way, Marcel had been but a boy, prone to mischief. It made Henrik smile, even as Klaus said, "Henrik is not at fault for any of this. You know better." That was all he said, but Hope seemed chastised by it. She shifted uncomfortably, then glanced at Henrik and muttered an apology. Henrik accepted it, a little surprised, then stood from her bed and patted her head. She scrunched her nose up at him.