He awoke in a bed of leaves to Holly watching him closely.
He looked back with his brilliant blue eyes. All he could do was wait for the inevitable. Koboi had forced him to breathe in the deadly anthrax virus after he had been kidnapped. He had barely managed to escape before she slit his throat.
The anthrax caused a sort of calm over him. Holly was out of magic (she had used it all to help Artemis escape) and Artemis had run out what felt like eons ago.
Holly knew just as well as Artemis that inhalation antrax has only a 6% survival rate. To make his chances lower, though, Koboi had messed with chromosone 12 to make him more succeptable to disease.
Artemis swallowed hard. He knew that his excellent survival skills would not help him. He knew that 6 years of medical training could not protect him from a disease already in his bloodstream.
In spite of his plight, Artemis crawled out of the makeshit bed Holly had made for him after he passed out from complications of being in Koboi's lab. He was completely recovered from those though.
Artemis knew they had to keep moving, even though he was in no fit state to run. While Holly had no trouble running, Artemis hung back, stopped cold, realizing Artemis wasn't by her side. Artemis would at least make an attempt to run; he knew how grave the situation was. Unless... No. Anthrax could not possibly have reached his brain. It had barely been 2 hours! But then again, with his compermised immune system... She turned and ran.
Behind her Artemis collapsed. He dragged in a raspy, long, slow breath. Artemis convulsed, writhed in agony. His breaths came in short, ragged gasps now, and it was clear he labored to manage even that. His raven hair lay on his forehead, matted there by sweat. Artemis could not think for possibly the first time in his life. Holly lifted Artemis's limp feet off the ground. She began to run, hoping that some medical establishment was nearby.
Artemis opened his listless eyes ever-so-slightly and murmered something intelligble. His arms hung down like wet ropes, his face whiter that snow. And yet, he was hanging on the conciousness, albeit barely. His heart pounded in his ears. Artemis let a single tear fall from his eyes.
Holly saw it, and felt like crying herself. Artemis never cried. Never. And here he was, abandoning all hope.
Holly kept running to a point wherein she nearly dropped the deadweight on her shoulder. Artemis closed his eyes. His head throbbed. He hurt all over. He attempted to reopen his eyes but found the suns light much to bright to bear. He lapsed into unconciousness.
About 10 minutes later, Holly found a clearing. At the same time, she heard a helicopter. Using Artemis's Polaroid sunglasses as a mirror, she signaled the helicopter.
"He has anthrax poisoning", she explained. "He needs immediate medical attention". Holly could hardley believe that she, a fairy, was talking to a normal human. She sighed, but knew that sacrafices had to be made to save Artemis's life.
"We were looking for Artemis Fowl, but we did not expect to find him in this state. Care to explain?"
"Actually, I'd rather not", Holly retorted.
The Flight attendant, taken aback, let her on board.
At the hospital, the nurse at the door took one glance at Artemis's white face and let him in. For Holly, though, she had some questions.
"Please. Tell me your name, gender, age, and relation the patient".
Holly answered the first 2 questions with ease, but realized the final 2 might reveal her fairy nature.
"I'm 10 years old, and his younger sister".
The nurse frowned, probably comparing Artemis's raven hair, fair skin, and blue eyes to Holly's auborn hair, olive skin, and brown eyes.
"I'm adopted", Holly added, to cover up these doubts.
"Of course", the nurse said.
Several hours later Holly was notified that Artemis had survived, although barely. That, at least, was good. The call she was getting from Foaley? Not so good.
"You've got some explaining to do, Short".
Holly sighed. It would be a long time before Artemis would be able to back her incredulous story up. And what was the nurse saying now?
"Funny thing though... Something's off with his chromosone number 12..."