Of all the things he had been expecting, this was not one of them. It wasn't even on the list. The mere sound of his name on Walburga's lips sent a shock through him. Alphard's mind could barely comprehend his sister speaking of Florean, let alone what she was trying to tell him. Opening and closing his mouth, Alphard frowned and pursed his lips together. He tried to fit the pieces together. The bits of tin and string that made up his memory now. They just wouldn't fit though, like a soggy puzzle nothing aligned and he was left simply blinking at her.
"Uh." he began ineloquently, pulling his hands from hers in order to smooth the wrinkles out of his shirt as he shook his head. "No." No. No. Nothing else. Nothing more. He couldn't. "That's not-" he tried again, "I die." Alphard informed her, "You're- what?" he said, clearly not processing what she had just said as he brow remained puzzle and his stomach churned and twisted and threatened to revolt.