Her.

Chapter XIV

It had been two weeks, and Haya hadn't heard from Erik at all. Not even her father had chanced upon him in the markets where they had originally met up the first time. Haya felt very concerned, but it wasn't for Erik... It was for her father. He'd been coughing for both weeks at that point, and soon enough she was constantly bringing him water and a handkerchief. She felt awful that there was nothing she could do, but like with the letters, Henry insisted that nothing was wrong, it was simply a cough.

And then the worst happened.

They were sitting at dinner, and Henry suddenly began to cough much more violently than was normal. So, thinking it was no more than a coughing fit he'd been getting regularly, Haya handed the man a glass of water, but that didn't help. He coughed further and attempted to stand, soon shuffling to his room as he coughed. Haya followed him there, her hands shaking as she held onto her convulsing father. When he lied down, his coughing eased, but didn't stop.

She wasn't sure what to do, and every single option ran through her mind. It was hard to understand what was going on, for so many things could be happening.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered with a few tears and then wiped them away with her nimble fingers... Erik! She remembered when Erik had healed her finger with rare medicine before! Maybe he could help!

But... The only thing was is that Erik wasn't accessible at the moment. Surely she knew his address, but that didn't mean he would let her in.

Then again, it wouldn't hurt to try.

"I'm going to go get Erik, alright, Papa?" She asked quickly, holding her father's hands as he nodded, heaving heavily. "I'll be back soon," she whispered and kissed his forehead.

Haya rushed to Erik's address, her horse going as fast as it possibly could without throwing her off. Quickly enough, she'd knocked on Erik's flat door, praying for a response.

He opened the door, and before he could even ask what she was doing there, Haya rushed, "Father is sick."

Erik's eyes widened, and he rushed into his home, the door wide open as he retrieved a few things for Henry and then he slammed the door shut, taking Haya's shoulder and nodding at her to lead him there.

The whole trip was silent, for not a thing could be said to repair anything that had happened while they had been together last. It had to inevitably be awkward, and it really, truly, was as they watched how the other person took weary glances at the other. She'd been insulted and he'd been practically assaulted by her. Even though he obviously enjoyed what had occurred. Haya shook her head, she couldn't think of it if she wanted to get to her father safely.

"Come on, he's in here," she said as they finally reached their house, and for the first time ever, Erik walked into Henry's room in her small abode.

"Hey, old friend," Erik said as he kneeled next to the bed, one that sheerly reminded Haya of her mother. The quilt on it had stayed the same after she'd passed, never to be changed. Her mother had made that quilt.

"Erik," her father croaked out, his coughing had calmed since she'd retrieved the masked-man.

"I'm going to check a few things, Mademoiselle Beauregard, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Erik said suddenly and turned to look at the brunette with pleading eyes.

She was hurt by the formality, but she bit her nail and nodded anyways, hoping to please him. The door shut softly, and Haya sighed as she leaned up against it and sat down, still biting her nail.