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Herik almost dropped his phone when Madison burst out Jaws the exact moment the call connected to Vashti. 

[color=darkcyan] "What?”[/color] Her voice sounded vacant like she wasn't paying attention, but he answered anyway.

"Claudette's dead and Kimberly has something to do with it." He couldn't specify her role, since Madison and Penny didn't believe she would betray them. He only caught half that conversation, since he was also trying to listen on the phone. He didn't get an answer. The news was shocking and he's sure she needs time to process, but when the silence dragged on too long he called out her name, hoping he'd get an answer. When he heard the phone drop, he pulled it back from his ear, the clatter on the floor pierced his eardrum. 

"Vashti!" He called again, but nothing. He hung up, worried that something bad happened to her, yet there was nothing he could do for her in Miami when she's four hours away. Two members of the Dollhouse showed up claiming the plan was to take out the big three in the organization, but they got in the way and that the Kimberly that attacked them was probably an extra-normal human that could copy someone's appearance. That made sense, but what didn't make sense was Kimberly not telling them her involvement with them before. He never trusted her, but he didn't want anything to do with her anymore. Her old dealing with them was disgusting. He hopes she rots wherever DENS puts her when they find her.

[center]~*~[/center]

Two weeks passed and he hadn't heard anything from the Coven. That was fine. It gave him time to heal, process another sister's death, and check on his mother every day like he should have. He should've never gone to Miami in the first place, not when she's here getting worse every by the week. She's bluer than the last time he saw her. Her heart's still strong, but she looked like she would die any day. DENS was supposed to get them the potions needed to break the curse, but how long that would take worried him. He'd gotten his cast off finally and has physical therapy twice a week. It looks weird to walk on his leg again. The muscles are weak from being off of it for so long, but the therapy helps little by little. He doesn't see himself running or swimming any time soon, but he's better than he was. 

He sat beside his mother when he received a message from Lyss to meet up. Hopefully she has good news. He kissed his mother on her forehead, her skin too cool, the blue lines on her face darker. She doesn't have a lot of time left he knows, and he doesn't want to go but he could leave and come back with the thing that'll help her. He had to go. 

Herik arrived at the house and took a seat next to Vashti on the pool side. The water was freezing on his legs, but it helped with the burning sun above. Lyss said there was only two potions, instead of the three they needed. One of them would be without. His face fell. He decided along time ago that he'd do whatever he needed to help his mother and between the three of them Vashti didn't need it as much as he and Emily's sister did. He was sorry it came to this. Emily vouched for both of them and wasn't so kind in letting Vashti down.

He turned to Vashti to apologize that he couldn't back down from this only for her to beat him to it. 

[color=darkcyan]“It’s okay, Emily. You’re right. They need it more than me. I’ll manage.”[/color] From the way she said it to the way she smiled didn't sit right with him. Something was wrong, but he needed this potion and he was willing to feign ignorance just this once. 

"Thank you, Vashti. You're so kind." He didn't attempt to put any heart in his words or to follow her to the deckchair. Mariah immediately voted in favor of him and Emily, but he still hadn't said his piece.

"I don't think my mother will make it to the end of the week. She could die tomorrow or today. She doesn't look well." He said the last part softly, holding onto his tears cause when he sees her face in his mind, her sallow, pale, blue face it brings him to tears. "I don't know what condition your sister is in, Emily, but I don't want you to wait five years like I have and see her waste away every day." He dabbed at his eyes with his t-shirt, some of his tears stained his shirt, he sniffed and got himself together. There's a potion for his mother here, he'll get it and she'll recover. Everything's fine. He should be happy, so he smiled. Not his brightest, but it helped him not feel so sad.