Moema was seated, doing paperwork, which seemed completely unnecessary at the time, but she couldn't help herself. It was habitual now. A soft knock interrupted her train of thought. "Come in."
The door opened and in stepped Maiara. Moema let her eyes lose focus on the paperwork as the familiar scent of her mother wafted to her. She looked up and the two Suero women just stared at one another until Moema stood and approached to hug her slightly shorter mother tightly. "Mother." Sighed out the younger in Portuguese.
"Moema…" greeted Maiara. "It's been so difficult these months…"
"I know, Mother. I felt it too." Moema says before releasing her mother, "Please, come and sit." Maiara does as requested and sits in front of Moema's desk while her daughter sits behind it. "It's been so long since we spoke… I missed our conver-"
"What are you doing on this side?" Maiara asks bluntly. A frown covers Moema's face.
"What?"
"Why are you on the poor's side?" pressed the matriarch.
"Why on earth would I not be? Wealth does not make one right." She threw up one hand, motioning towards the door, "Wealth and power and control do not make Ryan right. They never have and never will."
Maiara nods slowly, "I want you to leave while you still can, Moema." She shuddered and leaned over slightly. "Get to the surface and leave Rapture behind."
Moema tilted her head, "Why? I can't just leave these people to thei-"
"YES! You can!" shouts Maiara, eyes burning with pain, fear, and nerve. "You must! Destruction and chaos live with us…" she groaned and used both arms to cradle her stomach… Or was she trying to make her arms immobile? "I don't want you mixed up in this, Moema… Please… Promise you'll leave?"
The younger woman's mouth opens and shuts a few times before she stands and moves closer, "Mother, you're obviously not well… Let me help you." When she goes to lean down to help her mother, the older woman swings at the younger before a loud noise accompanies her turning invisible. The door opens and shuts, letting Moema know that Maiara was gone… And a Splicer.
Moema got up and ran out the door to find a man being knocked down the stairs by something invisible. Before long, Moema is unsure where Maiara went and goes down to the winded man to help him up. "What was tha'?" comes 'Atlas's voice as he approaches. He helps Moema help the man up.
With a small shake of her head, Moema goes back upstairs to her office, knowing that he'll follow her. 'Atlas' follows and shuts the door and the blinds. "It was my mother. She's a Splicer, now…"
'Atlas' stares a moment before approaching, "What did she say?"
"She wants me to go topside. Wants me to escape this chaos." Moema huffs, shaking her head and leaning back in her seat. "As if I would be able to…"
'Atlas' looks down a bit before looking at her again, though she isn't looking at him. "Yuh gonna go afta her?"
"No." Moema shakes her head before finally looking at 'Atlas'. "She's gone now…"
He inhales a moment before leaning forwards to take up Moema's hand gently. "What do yuh need?"
Her head shakes, "Sanity? For this war to be over? Compassion, comfort, love?" her shoulders bobbed. His hand squeezed hers.
"I can only give you them last requests, Moema." For a moment, he just sits there, then he stands – still holding her hand – and moves around the desk to pull her to her feet. "If yuh want..?"
There is a long pause as Moema looks at 'Atlas' watching him. After an internal debate, she decides "To hell with it!" and leans up to plant a soft kiss to his lips. He's surprised but it doesn't take long for him to eagerly wrap his arms around her and turn a soft kiss into a passionate one.
Moema was now in the Medical Pavilion, gathering some supplies with Jamison, who had wandered into her Hestia office, bloodied and traumatized. Both were packing up a lot from Moema's office, when Jamison spoke, "I miss Yolandi…"
A small forced smile crossed her lips, "She was funny… And sweet."
Jamison nods, "Yeah. She was beautiful too…" Moema gave him a knowing look and he went to object but his voice failed him. So, he nodded, "Yes… I never had the courage to ask her somewhere…"
"How were any of us to know of what was coming, Jamison? Things happen and either you roll with it, or get rolled over by it." Moema offers, bagging some supplies. "Be sure to leave that damned ADAM out."
"I know." He nods, "… To both." The two of them continued and before long, both headed off. As they began down the hall, a loud explosion rocked the area, followed by raucous laughter. "What the hell?"
Before Moema could speak, a voice called out, "Hand over the ADAM!" It was Yolandi!
"Yolandi!" Jamison called out to her through the settling dust. It was impossible to tell anything until a damned hook lodged itself in the ground near Jamison's feet, "Shit!"
Moema stood and shoved the bag he'd been carrying into his arms before tugging onto his arm, "She's too far gone."
"But, Doctor! It's Yolandi! We can't just leave her here…" argued the young man.
"We can and we will, Jamison! There is nothing left of the Yolandi we knew." She then gave another hard tug and he followed her quick pace. The two ran and ran and almost didn't stop when they returned to Hestia.
"Where the 'ell have you two been?" came 'Atlas's voice as he approached. "Y'both look winded."
The two nodded before Moema stood straight, "We were at the Pavilion. I was running low on supplies and you were busy."
"A'ight… That explains the where… How about the why yeh both're winded?" states 'Atlas', aware of the watching of much of Hestia.
"One of the Splicers-"
"She's not a Splicer… She can't be!" Jamison moaned out. Before he could gripe some more, Moema slapped him.
"Get a grip, Jamison! Once they've done it, they don't come back! It eats them alive… Changes who they are! You think you have suffered? Get in line! Everyone is suffering! She's gone and there is nothing anyone can do about it!" She growled before stepping over Jamison and snatching up the second bag of supplies. It should have been too heavy for her smaller frame, but, as 'Atlas' was aware, Moema possessed a hidden physical strength.