Miscalculation
By S'Eleene Paris
Series: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Category: Romance/ hurt/ concern
Pairing: Artemis Fowl II/ Captain Holly Short
Rated: T (to be safe)
Spoilers: Artemis Fowl; Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident; Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code; Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception; Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony; Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox; The Artemis Fowl Files
Synopsis: Holly is severely injured on a mission and requires hospitalization in Haven. This is a small fluffy bunny which made its way out. It might be a little OOC and possibly a bit clichéd. All in good fun, though.
Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns all rights, lefts, centaur hooves, and sprite wings belonging to the Artemis Fowl series. I am just using them to entertain my sick and twisted imagination for non-profit. The only thing which I own is the story line and possibly the journal I wrote this in.
Author's notes: This is one of several shorts which I have been trying to get out for months due to writer's block. The block began several months ago when one of my friends from college passed away Easter morning due to a heart attack (She was 26 years old.) and I really had not had the desire to write anything since. So hopefully, this will put me back on the proverbial horse after a long leave of absence and I will be able to write more consistently than ever before. *crosses fingers and knocks on wood*
I will be constantly tweaking this and possibly adding on if I get a few good reviews. Yes, I do take reviews into consideration when I write, edit, and possibly when I add on. A good writer is never actually "done" with a story despite it being posted or published.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to Big E (Erinm_4600) and Neppyman who beta read this for me.
*****
Burdeh Memorial Hospital
Haven City, Lower Elements
The occasional 'beep' coming from the monitor was one of the many thing which deprived Artemis Fowl the Second from sleeping. The others were the lack of a proper bed and worry.
The sound, which kept pestering him, was being emitted from the machine slowly reintroducing and monitoring magic levels into his best friend's system. Unconscious, unresponsive and completely stripped of her magic had been Holly's state for the past three weeks. After all this time, she was still not showing any signs of doing anything, other than breathing, very soon.
Artemis recently realized his bodyguard had been replaced as his best friend; he had been replaced by someone who was slightly closer to being a kindred spirit. Captain Holly Short had taken the post sometime after (or, perhaps, even before) their trip back from Hybras. Their close contact was so natural after the trip; it was like a sprite having wings.
Holly's sharp intake of breath caused Artemis' head to jolt from the fairy anatomy tome he was reading. He sprang to his feet and went over to her hospital bed. He checked her vital signs and, once he realized she was alright, he went back to his chair.
It was day three of her stirring. Despite this, consciousness still eluded her. Her healer had lately been discussing with Artemis she may never regain consciousness. The toll on her body could have been too great.
After hearing what the healer had to say, Artemis prompted the healer idiot to leave before he allowed Butler to practice his defense techniques on the man. Butler emphasized point by taking the opportune moment to crack his massive knuckles. The healer audibly gulped and promptly left. From that point on, the healers monitored her vital signs from the station in the hallway.
The reason consciousness still evaded her and she was that state to begin with was due to a miscalculation in their latest adventure…his miscalculation.
They were the team compiled to return Opal from the past to her own time before she did any more damage. As much as Holly would have liked to, they had to return her to her own time unscathed. Eventually, they were able to accomplish their mission…but not without a price.
Emotional pain and guilt inundated him watched her lay there, remembering the events that occurred three weeks ago. It was his fault…all of his fault.
Opal in the midst of a showdown managed to abduct Holly. It was speculated she had planned it all along. Once held captive, Opal's goons beat, humiliated and then raped Holly. When torture wasn't enough for the pixie, she managed to strip Holly of the one thing which separates the People from humans: her magic.
Stripping a fairy of magic wasn't like shedding an article of clothing; the People's magic was embedded into their being, much like an organ. Removing it completely was a very painful, and almost impossible, process. Magic was vital for fairy anatomy to function, and without it, death would, soon likely follow.
Despite what most fairies believed, they didn't actually 'run out' of magic. What they were actually referring to was running out of the access magic stored in their system. A typical fairy could have just enough magic (which would last for several months if need be) to keep their bodies functioning until they are able to perform the 'Ritual' again. Loosing your magic, as Holly did, is comparable to having a sharp, thick, and heavy metal object pierce completely through your body, and allowing all the blood to drain at once.
Artemis had kept his vigil since day one, pretty much staying in "his" chair. Although once the dark circles began to creep under his eyes, Butler and Foaly dragged him (in Butler's case: picked him up like a rag doll) to Holly's apartment to sleep. Commander Kelp, as Artemis later found out, took his place at her bedside.
A knock on the door came and Butler entered, his arms laden with a tray. "I thought you might be hungry."
"Thank you." Artemis' gaze never left his book.
"Are you going to eat any of it this time? You're no good to her if you starve yourself."
"I will eat later, old friend. For now, I need to figure this out."
Butler nodded and laid his hands on his charge's shoulders. It was a simple gesture. "I'll be here if you need me."
Once Butler shut the door behind him, to go and stand guard, Holly suddenly gasped again. This time she moaned a name.
His name.
Artemis unceremoniously threw his book on the table next to his chair and went to her bedside. She moaned his name again, this time, more clearly than the last. "Art'mis."
"I'm here," he soothed, while speaking Gnomish so she could understand him. The healer had mentioned early on his concerns of her not being able to carry her gift of tongues until she had completely healed. Artemis shared this same theory and spoke to her only in her native tongue. "You are safe."
"Artymmis," her words slurred as she called to him. Slowly, her eyes opened, and when she saw him, she smiled.
"Good morning." He greeted as he smiled back at her; overjoyed that she was finally awake.
Holly tried to adjust herself on her hospital bed, but, as she tried to shift her body, it protested use. "D'Arvait!"
"You might not want to move too much," Artemis warned matter-of-factly, with his vampire smile. "It might cause some discomfort."
She swatted at his arm playfully. Even in this reduced state, Holly still packed a punch. "Don't do that!"
Artemis rubbed his arm. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I was hit by a fully-grown, bull troll and lived."
He chuckled nervously. "Yea, I can imagine."
"What happened?" Holly asked without a preamble.
"Opal took you," Artemis began, but the flood of memories rushed over her like a torrent river.
She raised a hand to her head to try and slow the light-headedness the rush was causing. "Never mind, I remember now."
"Everything?"
Holly nodded and an awkward silence passed between them. Both were trying to figure out what to say when she broke it and whispered, "Artemis, you saved me."
He smiled at her before he breathed, "I couldn't do without you." He hesitated for only a fraction of a second before capturing her lips with his own.
*****
End?