Author's note: This conversation was written in response to the Champagne Challenge #135, "Two Hundred Fifty Spoken Words." Rated PG-13. Thanks to Lilly for being an insta-beta.
Full-time Care
“Allo?”
“Cynthia. Are you alone?”
“Why do you ask? Who is this?”
“It’s Josef. Charles. Your mistress needs you. She is gravely injured.”
“Mon dieu! How?”
“She’s been badly burned.”
“Oh, no, no! It’s that husband of hers, isn’t it? What’s he done, the stinking pig?”
“They fought. He staked her and set the house on fire. I don’t know what happened, exactly, but she went too far this time, and he snapped.”
“The bastard!”
“No. This was her doing, not his. And she’s done enough damage to him. He thinks she’s dead, and it has to stay that way. It may already be too late for him.”
“He should rot in hell! If we never see that… man again, it will be too soon.”
“Yeah, well, tell Coraline that.”
“Ma petite pauvre. I must go to her.”
“Listen. This isn’t a little visit, it’s a relocation. She isn’t going to heal in a month. It’ll take years. She may never fully recover.”
“Ah, God. Is it that bad?”
“The worst I’ve seen. I don’t know how she stands the pain. And she has no self-control. You’ll have to watch her like a hawk.”
“I understand.”
“And Cynthia… look, I know about… it. She’s obviously had it before. She’d never have survived otherwise. Her brothers can’t know. If they learn that I’m aware she’s suffered such severe burns…”
“I’ll be discreet.”
“I know I can depend on you. All right, my secretary will make the arrangements. And… thanks.”
“De rien.”
<>
Um... I mean, I have NO idea what you're talking about... 
Seriously, though, my theory is that the ability to burn and then heal (rather than turning to ash) is a residual side-effect of the Mortal Cure. Once a vampire has used it, he or she will burn and then heal, as we saw Lance do. Maybe that's just because I can't bear the thought of Mick's fingers crumbling to ash if he plays with that lighter too much. 
I have my theories about why Coraline and Lance could both heal from the fire, but I don't claim to have the right answer. And I wanted to keep the concept open enough to keep the reader (and anyone foolhardy enough to be listening in on that particular phone conversation) 
guessing. 
