Olivia remained silent, though her lip curled slightly at the spray of phlegm that left her sneezing sister's mouth. How dare she accuse her of being an alcoholic! Sure, she liked to drink. It numbed the pain and she knew the rumors. But to hear it from her sister's lips? That was like a slap in the face--and Olivia recoiled quickly, taking a step back from Pearl and lowering her hand back to her side. Her tongue ached for the familiar burn of a glass of that sweet, amber nectar and she ran it over the top row of her teeth, causing her upper lift to jut outward briefly.

The tears welling along the rims of her eyes finally broke free of their dam, carving salty, wet trails down her rosy cheeks. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead from her nearness to the hearth and she drew back to the armchair, lowering herself into the seat with a hand raised to her breast. 

"Don't act like Alice, Pearl. It's unbecoming," she retorted bitterly.

It was true though, that she never asked after the younger's wellbeing. A habit of dissociating, mixed with concern for none other than her own tragic fate, did a number on the level of empathy she was capable of. Pearl's kidnapping hadn't phased her as it ought to have, and perhaps in many ways, Olivia became numb. 

Even now, with those wicked awful coughs, Olivia didn't appear concerned for her sister's health. Pearl's sigh echoed from the elder sister's lips and her eyes drifted shut, squeezing a few more tears down her cheeks. When she opened them again, Pearl stood wrapped in a blanket.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, and though she tried to speak civilly after the insult laid upon her, Olivia's words were accusatory. Had she already forgotten that just moments ago, Pearl conveyed her illness to her?