Vlad caught up to Hawk, insisting, "Hawk, you need to go to a hospital--"

"You literally can't stop me," Hawk growled. "I'm gonna see my sister."

"All right," Numair said quite suddenly, drawing up beside them with his bag now slung over one shoulder. "Perhaps that's best."

Vlad stared at him. "Are you fucking serious?"

As Numair approached, the ghostly heads all rounded on him furiously; Hawk started to snap at him, but Numair swiftly cut him off.

"Look," he said coolly, "If you're so determined, then let's get you through and seen to, please, before you are hurt worse."

Hawk didn't look directly at him, and he didn't look at Hawk. He just continued quite calmly, "Once we cross into Aetheri, you won't have to see me again. You're twenty now, yes? So your probation period for immigration is ten years. Just stay out of trouble in that time, or I shall have to get involved."

Hawk snarled back, "Wouldn't want that."

"No, you wouldn't."

"No, I fuckin' wouldn't."

Vlad rubbed his temples as they left. "I can't believe how bad this is going," he muttered, as Yoshi busied herself with retrieving Hawk's bag from the ground and pulling the machete out of it. She sidled up to Vlad, brow knit.

"So, er," she began, but Vlad just grimaced.

"I'll explain later," he said. "We'd better go with 'em."