Author's notes: Well ladies and gentlemen, its getting toward the end of this particular story. Hopefully my muse will inspire me to write more Artemis Fowl fan fiction. Neppyman and I are working on a few companion pieces for this fiction. I know it won't be my last.
Do I know what chapter this is going to be from the end? Not at the moment. My stories have a tendency to take a life of their own. I'm thinking one or two more. I want a few tender moments for Arty and the love of his life. No more than 5 more that's for sure.
BTW, I had to go back on 12/2/07 and edit chapter one real quick. Come to find out the age of consent in Ireland is actually 17. Neppyman received a review on it and we both had to promptly change it. So you may want to go back and read it as he was 17 instead of 16.
Make sure to read "Artemis Fowl: Metamorphosis" by Neppyman for those of you who are over the age of 18. It should give you some insights into what actually happens during that ritual. Enjoy!
God bless,
S'Eleene Paris
Chapter Nine
Cracks in the Wall
Burdeh Memorial Hospital
Haven City
Lieutenant Senior Grade Trouble Kelp stood at the counter beside of his brother with his arm in a sling. Although the healer had fixed his broken arm, they insisted he should keep in immobile for a few days to allow their magic to heal it completely.
The two brothers were in the process of signing release forms. With their injuries healed, they could leave the hospital to allow the more serious patients to be given the medical staff's complete attention.
"Don't you think we should have been kept her for observation or something?" Grub Kelp complained as he reclined in a chair next to the hospital's discharge counter. His ankle was wrapped in a medical bandage and sitting beside him was a crutch to steady him when he walked.
"Grub, it's not like you fell down those stairs and landed on your head." Trouble signed his name on the form in front of him. "Although, with the way you keep complaining I am quite surprised they didn't keep you locked up somewhere on the second floor."
"The mental ward, Troub? I'm not crazy."
"The sign of insanity is denial." Trouble muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?" Grub asked, but he never did learn what his brother said because an ambulance pulled in front of the hospital's emergency room doors. All of the healers and nurses rushed over to the doors where the emergency transport team parted the doors to allow two gurneys entrance.
"Holly!" The Kelp boys said in unison as they noticed her being brought in on one of the gurneys. They tried to get to her, but the healers rushed the gurney too quickly for her to realize they were there.
After her was another gurney which had the sheet pulled up past the patient's face. All anyone could see was tuft of black hair sticking out from it. Behind this gurney was a giant of a human and next to him was Commander Julius Root with an unlit cigar clenched in between his teeth. Trouble was the first of the two brothers to reach them. "Commander, was that Captain Short I just saw?"
"Yes it was."
"What happened? Was she shot?" Trouble's eyes were filled with concern.
"Did you know if Captain Short had a contract for her Metamorphosis?" Commander Root asked him. Trouble got the hint that Root couldn't talk about what had just happened.
"I am assuming she did. Most females do." Grub offered as he joined the group once he gathered his crutch and limped over.
"You know I never heard her talk about him if she did. Most females usually talk non-stop about their mates if you allow them. Why? How bad is she? Do you think we will need to be getting in contact with him?"
"Have Foaly pull up her file in the mobile command center and bring me a copy of it. I'll make the phone call personally." Root saluted the two brothers and the Kelps left knowing if Commander Root wanted to make the call; it was serious.
The smell of sanitizer was the first clue Artemis observed that he was no longer outside at Tir Na Nog. What was the second? It was the muffled sounds of healers being paged over the P.A. The third piece of evidence was the burry image of a large bulky object standing hunched over his bed in the process of standing guard. Artemis smiled up at the indistinct image full knowing there was only one person who could fill the profile.
"Butler."
"Yes, sir."
Artemis wet his lips. "Is Holly alright?"
"I don't know. They haven't come to tell me anything about her yet. How are you?"
"Thirsty, tired, and my vision is impaired."
Butler nodded as he began to pour his charge a glass of water. "The healer said it would be. I guess Opal almost gave you a lethal dose."
Artemis nodded sluggishly and accepted the glass. He drank the cool, purified liquid as if he hadn't had anything to drink in days. "How long have I been unconscious?"
"About six hours." Butler stopped there, but his charge knew there was a question he wanted to ask him.
"What is it?"
"About Holly," The bodyguard paused.
"What about Holly?"
"When we rescued the two from Tir Na Nog, Commander Root mentioned something about a ritual."
"The Metamorphosis Ritual?"
"Yes, that one."
Artemis sighed. He knew this moment would come the moment he decided to perform the ritual with Holly. "You might want to sit down for this one, old friend."
"Why? What happened?" Butler took a seat on the cold marble floor next to the hospital bed since they didn't seem to have a chair big enough for him here. When Artemis didn't answer right away, he asked. "Why am I getting the feeling I am not going to like what you have to say?"
"I have a feeling you won't like it either," Artemis confessed as he took another sip of his water, "but allow me to finish before you comment."
"Alright, spill."
"I preformed the Metamorphosis Ritual with Holly." He began bluntly and with out a preamble. When he noticed the blank expression on his bodyguard's face, Artemis assumed the bodyguard didn't understand what it meant. "Basically, every twenty years every female fairy is bound to not only just mate, but to conceive. There is a ritual to bind the fairy to her mate much like we have weddings. The catch is if she doesn't perform the ritual and conceives with in the given amount of time, she dies. Holly's condition was growing critical quickly, so I agreed to help her with the ritual."
"So basically what you're trying to tell me is that you're married? Artemis, I'm disappointed in you. I thought you were smarter than that. Don't you realize you just threw your life away?"
"If Holly's life wasn't in danger I wouldn't have considered it an option. Unfortunately, it was and I was the only one who could rescue her." Artemis gaze went downward to the cup in his hands. "I couldn't stand the thought of loosing her, Butler."
"Are you in love with her?"
Artemis laid back on to the overstuffed hospital pillows. A slight rose crept up onto his cheeks. With the hospital lights and his pale vampire like skin, his blush wasn't a true crimson. "Yes."
"Have you figured out how you're going to explain to your parents the fact you're married?"
"Not just yet."
"You'd better be figuring out exactly how, Fowl." Root interrupted as he stepped into the hospital room. All Artemis was able to make out was Julius Root's natural scarlet coloring.
"Is Holly wake then?"
"Yes, but she is being seen to at the moment. The first forty-eight to seventy-two hours are the most critical especially with a fairy who has received the Metamorphosis ritual as late as she did. The healers are keeping her in the M.C.U. for the time being."
"M.C.U.?" Butler raised an eyebrow.
"Metamorphosis Care Unit," Artemis theorized and Root confirmed the human's answer to be accurate. "How is she?"
"Exhausted and dying of boredom. The healer isn't allowing anyone other than the nursing staff and herself inside. I was only allowed to talk to her on the phone for a moment and waved at her through a glass window." Root nodded.
"They won't let you see her?" Butler asked.
"No, they wouldn't would they? You're not family." Artemis concluded. "The question is would I be able to see her?"
"That would be up to the healer. As soon as she is done with Holly, she was going to come and check on you." Julius sighed. "As for me, I am going to go and smoke a box of fungus cigars. I'll see you later."
"You went through the Metamorphosis Ritual before didn't you?" Artemis asked and Commander Root stopped at the door. He turned around slowly to face him.
"How did you know?"
"I thought it was rather obvious. You knowledge of the ritual itself and considering your probable age isn't under twenty then I am assuming it's true."
Even though Artemis couldn't see, he knew he had hit a touché topic with the fairy. When Commander Root hesitated in his response, Butler offered. "You don't have to answer that, Commander."
"My wife Vidalia, I called her Vi, passed away about 200 years ago. She and I were in high school together. She was my high school sweetheart and it took years of trying to convince our parents to sign and negotiate a contract. It had been during our first Metamorphosis Ritual when she passed. She received it rather late and she wasn't able to conceive." Root noticed Artemis' worried expression and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I have faith she will pull through. She's tough, so you'd better start planning and setting up that nursery."
Once Root left the hospital, Artemis watched him from the room's window. He took a moment and lit his cigar and somberly left in an L.E.P. marked vehicle. He didn't linger on the Lower Elements Police commander for too long because the healer on call soon entered.
"Oh good, you're awake! Hi, I am Healer Knott. How are you feeling?"
"Other than fatigued, mildly dehydrated, and a mild loss of vision; I am doing alright."
"The fatigue is from what's left of the sedative you were injected with. The blurry vision is from the magic being used to counter act the sedative. Don' worry, it will dissipate before you return to the surface."
"When will that be?"
"It will be at the end of the week because we want to keep you for observation. That's just because most of the staff has not had contact with human anatomy and we don't want to accidentally kill you."
"I have to return back to school in a couple of days. Do you think I could return by then?"
"Let's see how you respond to treatment first, shall we Mister Fowl?"
Artemis nodded in acknowledgement. "Would it be alright if I visit Captain Short in the M.C.U. while I am here?"
"Unfortunately you can't. With her being in the M.C.U., there are restrictions of who can visit patients there. Since you are not family I cannot allow that." Healer Knott mentioned as she took his vitals with a small P.D.A.-like device. "She's currently in a room where you can view her through the glass. If you want to go and see her later I will have the nurse bring you down. For now, your vitals look excellent. If you keep healing like you are, you may get your wish for leaving in two days. For now, get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow."
