Helen frowned and concentrated on what she was doing, it was a tricky procedure anyway and it didn't help she was using blunt kitchen utensils in place of surgical tools while Nick's idea of giving her light was to blind her.

Sorry

Nick, please stop reading my mind

Sorry

And stop saying sorry

Me paenitet

She shot him a frustrated look but he repositioned the light slightly for which she was grateful, it didn't help the unrelenting thundering of her heart however. Taking a deep breath she mentally prepared herself for the final cut, which would either save or kill John. Nick placed a hand on her arm and calmness flooded through her instantly, without hesitation she snipped the final pinsr and pulled the insect from his neck.

"Gross," Kate commented from nearby, "you don't think the Cabal has implanted me with one of those things do you?

"No," Nick told her holding an empty jar for her to put it into.

"How can you tell?" Kate questioned as Helen began stitching John up.

"If the Cabal were controlling you then you'd be less annoying," Nick explained gazing curioiusly at the insect, "besides its hard for them to create these creatures, the brainwashing takes months and they're a vary rare, very almost extinct species."

"Thanks," Kate offered sarcastically, "and since when did you become an expert in bugs?"

"It's a sentient being and I'm psychic," Nick explained as if it were obvious.

"Why didn't you just tell it to get out of John's neck?" Helen asked curiously finishing with John and glancing at her son.

"I can communicate with it," Nick told them rolling his eyes, "not control it."

"It's a bug!" Kate exclaimed while Helen noticed John groaning slightly.

"Help me get him up onto the couch," Helen said to Kate.

Somewhat reluctantly Kate came over and helped Helen pull John onto the couch, she would have asked Nick to help her but she was concerned since he was dying although she didn't entirely trust this Kate either, after all she had wanted to kill her not too long ago. She suppressed a sigh and helped get John comfortable, hoping he would be okay.

I could have helped and don't worry about Kate, her thoughts run in dollar signs

"Wha-where am I?" John muttered sleepily as he came to, wincing and putting a hand to his head where Nick had hit him.

"It's okay John, you're safe," Helen told him gently.

"Hel-Helen?" John said groggily scowling at her, "I don't understand… the Cabal…"

"So will he remember what happened to him with that badass bug controlling him or what?" Kate questioned in her usual blunt manner.

"I remember Kate," John announced firmly, "its just weird… I feel… I feel like myself again."

"That's because Mom saved your life," Nick informed him bluntly jumping up and starting to pack away the portable EM shield, "now we all need to get back to the Sanctuary ASAP."

Give him a minute Nick, he's been under the Cabal's control for awhile

We need to move before they find us

You should be able to sense if people are coming

We're in an apartment block, there's too many people around to differentiatebetween newcomers and residents

Isn't the EM shield still up at the Sanctuary?

I told James to disable it

James is in on this?

Of course

Thanks for telling me!

I assumed you knew, hasn't he always been on your side?

"The Cabal are planning something big," John blurted out worriedly, "they're building an army of these abnormals they've created."

"Sweet," Kate offered cheerfully.

"Make yourself useful and bring us some tea," Helen commanded of Kate and she moodily went to obey, "assuming you can find it in this pigsty."

"So how did you survive being killed?" Nick asked of John and he seemed to notice her son for the first time before looking away guiltily.

"I'm sorry," John apologized sounding utterly sincere, "I am really sorry Nick."

"It's okay," Nick muttered taking a seat opposite them.

"There isn't a cure, is there?" Helen guessed sadly.

"No," John said wistfully, "I'm sorry Helen."

"Don't be," Nick offered blandly, "she has amnesia. Now you were telling us about the Cabal, the soldiers, and about how you're alive right now."

"The source blood," John answered glancing between them, "vampires have regenerative powers, like the ability to heal from injuries that would kill regular humans. They used that ability to literally revive the dead, bring me back to life and then they used… this insect, put it into my neck and then… I lost control of my actions, it's like watching yourself in a dream but you can't wake up."

"Tea," Kate announced sounding incredibly bored as she carried in a tray with the tea and placed it in front of them, "I figured the non-Brits among us would prefer soda. There ya go vamp boy."

With that she grabbed one of the cans and threw it to Nick who easily caught it then stopped to frown, he gazed at the can for a minute until he seemed not to be seeing it at all as his eyes turned dark and vampiric.

"It's just a soda," Kate pointed out opening hers and taking a few gulps.

"Shush," Nick whispered closing his eyes then flicking them open again, "Sweepers. We have to leave now."

Helen opened her mouth to reply that he was wrong when the door burst open and the Sweepers rushed in.