Chapter 1.

Trouble Kelp tiredly rubbed his nose and looked at his partner

"Yes, I really wouldn't want to be on her place."

Nika Medici wiped an angry tear from her eye, sobbing lightly and not lowering her voice declared:

"And I really regret not having killed Lizzi on the spot!"

"Quiet now." Trouble warned. "We are in a hospital after all."

Medici evidently represented, as her fingers closed on Liz's throat. Trouble shivered.

"Poor Holly!" Nika sobbed again.

Trouble stroked her hair.

"Poor Holly. " He repeated

A young nurse flew to the strange pair sitting in the spacious corridor of hospital under the name of name the San di Classa. Flew up literally because the girl a sprite.

"Are you the one who asked about Artemis's Fowl condition?" She asked.

Nika nodded.

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Artemis first realized that he was alive, when he felt something sharp sinking into his hand. Then he heard a pleasant baritone talking on an unclear to him language. Then the sound of someone's steps and something being closed probably the door. Artemis was left alone.

During that time he simply lay not moving and not opening his eyes. There was a real chaos going on inside his mind.

Carefully, as if his life depended on this movement, Artemis slightly opened his left eye. He saw some sort of tubes, strange devices and a ceiling with a few lamps at the corners.

"There is nothing bad in that." Thought the young man and opened the second eye.

Then he raised his head and was convinced, that he wasn't connected to any of the devices. This fact has gave him confidence that all is not so bad.

An unexpected idea came to him. Artemis sat straight up on the bed - to his surprise, it wasn't very hard - and stared at his chest. There weren't any wounds. Instead he saw a small circle of slightly dark skin.

"I can't believe that she still healed me." thought Fowl. " Though, maybe, it wasn't Holly. She would never take back her words. Probably Nika's work. Or someone else's. No, it was defiantly Nika."

The door smoothly opened and Nika Medici entered the room with an elf, whose face seemed vaguely familiar.

"Good afternoon, Fowl." Said Nika.

"Good afternoon, Medici" Fowl answered.

The young man noticed that Nika wasn't wearing her uniform anymore: from under the white dressing gown he saw dark blue jeans were, she was walking in a pair of very fashionable sharp-nosed shoes. Artemis looked at Medici's face and noticed deep scratches on her cheek and a swollen lip.

"Who did that?" asked Artemis.

"Lizzi." She answered shortly. " While you and Holly lay unconscious, I started tying her up. That mop regained consciousness and had a little time to fight with me. However, she looks far worse, so I left as a winner, again. I am afraid, they will throw me out of the police for this. And how can't they? I lifted a hand on the mistress of the chairman. Who cares that she is a real bitch and who should visit the psychiatrist? Can we sit down?"

Artemis nodded. Without thinking twice, Nika sat on an edge of his bed. As her friend took a chair beside him.

"Thank you for saving my life."

"Me? Don't make me laugh! I simply didn't allow for Liz to shoot you down."

Fowl was surprised, having heard this statement.

"Wait. You didn't cure me with the magic?"

For some reason Nika didn't laugh.

"No." She said in a cold voice. "Look at my face. I don't have magic. I hardly have any magic at all. It was Holly."

Holly! So he was mistaken. Sometimes it was good to make such mistakes.

Only then did he notice that Nika was behaving strange today: didn't joke, didn't try to annoy him, and didn't share her life experience. This alarmed him.

"Is everything all right with her?"

Nika nor her friend answered his question.

"Is she alive?" Asked Artemis, trying not to sound scared.

Medici's friend slowly nodded. Having seen this nod, Artemis sighed with obvious simplification.

"Then everything is all right?" He asked quietly.

The elf shook his head in a "No".

"Trouble is right." Nika sighed. "You see, there were some… complications."

Artemis wanted to shake her by her shoulders if won't say what was really going on.

"Then what's wrong with her?" He exclaimed.

Nika looked at Trouble and then cautiously begun to talk:

"You see, this is the second time she cured a mud … I meant to say human, under similar circumstances. You remember, she cured your friend?"

"Well, yes." Artemis answered and found that it really was true.

"She told me the story. As a result of her healing, he grew fifteen years older. That's because there wasn't enough of Holly's powers and Butler's body used its own internal resources. But this time everything went the other way around.

Her eyes were now red and she sobbed again.

"I'm not really good in these questions." She explained. "As far as I understood from the explanation the physician-magician gave me, during the healing she used her own resources."

"So what's wrong with her?"

"She's lost a part of her magic potential. And that is not the bad news."

Artemis moaned.

"God, what else?"

Niks gulped.

"She has very little left to live. Perhaps, eighty years. At the best - eighty five."

Artemis blinked.

So this is what coasted his cure! Poor, poor Holly! She did so much for him and this is how it turned out! Considering, that an elf can easy live up to one thousand years, eighty years was simply a pity delay. Besides, losing half of her magic wasn't a joke. Artemis wasn't sure but guessed that officers who have lost there magic, must leave the LEP.

"I rather should have died." Said Fowl-junior

Nika shook her head.

"Don't say such words."

"She didn't want to do it at first." Artemis said. "Why did she change her mind?"

"Holly is noble." sighed Trouble kelp. " Sometimes this nobleness plays against her."

Medici supported him.

"I am assured, that she would cure even Lizzi if she was on your place. That, however, does not prevent Holly from hating her." Said the elf.

"And You?" Asked Artemis though he already knew the answer.

Nika shook her head furiously and said something in gnomish- possibly swearing - and expressively twisted her finger at her temple.

"Well certainly!" She added in English with sarcasm. "I might even add! Lizzi is a parasite!"

Artemis looked around in search of his clothes, but didn't find anything.

"I must see Holly." He resolutely declared.

"And we where just about to take you from here."

"By the way." Captain Kelp interfered. " Holly doesn't know about that yet, how long she has to live. I think it will be better if she does not find out about this at all. So, Fowl keep your mouth closed."

Artemis nodded.

In the meantime Nika had risen and quickly left the room, without closing the door. Trouble turned to Artemis and explained:

"She went to get your things. By the way, I still represent the case and I can take you away any time you want."

Nika Medici returned in a few minutes. Not crossing the threshold, she threw Artemis his things and said:

"Put it on and come! We will wait in the corridor."

Trouble left too, closing the door behind him.

Artemis instantly got out from under the blanket and saw that all his things were washed and ironed. He put them on, looked round in searches of a mirror having found non he decided that it didn't mater right now how he looked and left the room.

Nika and Trouble waited for him in the corridor as promised.

Trouble sat on a low sofa and looked through the files on his cell phone. Medici was talking with an elf, dressed in a white dressing gown. Most likely a doctor.

"Do I understand correctly, that my friend still has a chance?" Nika inquired.

The doctor scratched the back of his head.

"Whell it is difficult to tell, Ms. Medici. I need to make some analysis. And it will take a few days. Then can I only answer your question more precisely."

"Ok, doctor Stably. See you soon."

Nika turned back and saw Artemis.

"Ready?" She inquired. "Then let's go."

The three of them left the hospital and came to the underground parking lot. Trouble Kelp approached a bright red electro mobile and put the chip to the special scanner on the door. He opened the door and sat on the drivers place as Nika sat next to him. Only Artemis continued to stand irresolutely near the left back door.

"What are you waiting for?" Asked captain Kelp.

"It looks like I must open the door for the rich boy!" Told Nika on her language.

Trouble didn't even sniff.

"Don't scoff at the mud man." he told his friend and, turning to Fowl continued in English. "Simply pull the handle as you, mud man usually do, only pull downwards."

Artemis took advantage of his advice and climbed inside the car.

"Great." Said Trouble and started the car.

"Where are we going?" Asked Artemis when the electro mobile was on a wide street going almost 160km/hr.

"To my place" Said Nika without even turning around.

A/N.-I'm soooo sorry for the long wait guys!Please review!.stands on knees