This chapter took a little longer to write than I wanted it to be, but that is mainly thanks to the World cup being on over the last 2 weeks.

This chapter takes place in the 1st person of Luke's character, nut the next chapter will probably be a Desc-Ray one. (That's a combination, not a new type of dvd player in case you were wondering ;) ) enjoy!

Chapter 10; departure

Luke's POV

For a third consecutive day, the Professor and I visited Emmy and Aurora in the hospital, they were supposed to be leaving today, but we were yet to hear a full final confirmation from Doctor Amundvic on their conditions to leave the hospital.

I was really looking forward to being able to freely speak to both Emmy and Aurora when outside of the hospital, and furthermore, being able to see my parents for the first time in around a month and a half; just over six weeks. I was longing to be able to get back to sleeping on my comfy bed, with my beloved teddy bear. I had missed everything back in my bedroom so, so much.

I could picture everything in my mind. The blue sheets of the bed, some of them crisp and some of them fluffy. My striped wall paper, my books on the shelf which I always enjoyed reading. The new carpets I had recently had fitted, which were still all light and soft to the touch of my feet. The view that I had from my bedroom was awesome too. Back at Misthallery, all you could see out of my window was our garden which I admit was very pretty thanks to Doland's work, and the poorer area of town, just down the hill from us. But my bedroom window held majestic views within the rectangle of wooden sills. I could see more enough the whole of central London, including Gressenheller university, the window of the Professors office was visible too. Once again, my house was on a hill, this time, just a mile or two from central London. I just couldn't wait to show Aurora my way of life at home, because in the day and a half we had in London with her before, we barely had time to even draw breath before setting out on our adventure around the world for the infamous Azran eggs.

I still couldn't help but think about telling Aurora about my feelings properly this time. But I decided to tell her once we got back home; it would probably be much easier amongst the more familiar surroundings of home, and London.

I wanted to be home for my mum's cooking too. As much as I enjoy eating out with eth Professor on our adventures, none of the food we have eaten anywhere in the world yet compares to the food that my mum cooks for me.

My mind was drawn back to the present, as the Professor began to speak to me as we hastily walked down, not wanting to be late this time.

"Luke, I'm sorry that I forgot to tell you but, this morning, I got up extra early to buy plane tickets home. We shall get the plane from the Airport at the town down on the plain, Strenenfaal, I think is the name of the town. Anyway, we're leaving with Emmy and Aurora later this afternoon, or well, more like this evening, at 5.00pm."

"Sounds like a plan Professor. I think I can remember seeing that on the way here on Descole's airship. It's amazing how they can build an airport around here. What with all the snowfall they get, yet back home in London planes stop flying after just an inch of snow don't they Professor?"

"That's true Luke. They are obviously much better prepared here than in London for the effects of the elements." The Professor chuckled, although he sounded rather jealous of the quality of the Froenburg area's snow procedures, compared to London's.

"What time does it get into London Professor?" I asked.

"Surprisingly enough, we arrive at half pat 5, there is very little difference in the time, as the journey takes three and a half hours, but we travel back three time zones." The Professor explained profoundly in his regular manner moving his hands slightly as he spoke.

Once again, we began to near the hospital, on our careful walk down from the hotel on the snowy pathways.

As usual, we walked in through the reception, and in through the various different corridors that lead to the room where Emmy and Aurora had been staying as they recovered over the last three days. I was itching to go get back home, and leave Froenburg behind, after the previous events.

We then entered the ward where Emmy and Aurora had been over the last few days, and were finally going to leave today after making 'partial but good enough recoveries' as one of the nurses had told us yesterday.

But for a change today, Doctor Amundvic was at the ward and working in the hospital today.

"Hello Doctor." I greeted him.

"Good morning Luke." He replied. I liked Doctor Amundvic because although I knew that he was not a complete oddball unlike some of the other strange characters we had met on our travels, he didn't call me anything strange like 'little Luke' or 'young Luke', or some other annoying nickname that they had though up for me.

The Professor and the Doctor also greeted each other, just as they had done at any other point over the last few days; politely. This matched both of their persona.

"Oh, Doctor, where were you yesterday afternoon? If you don't mind me asking?" The Professor said.

"Yesterday afternoon…" He began slowly. "Ah yes, I was off on some business, visiting some ill patients that I have treated in the last few weeks at their homes. I like to call it 'Home rehabilitation'. It saves spaces in hospital beds, and allows the recovering ill to get better in a much more comfortable and familiar environment."

"Sounds like a good initiative, allowing them to do that." Said the Professor in return.

They carried on talking a little longer about various things, before the Doctor said, he had to go on other business around the hospital, while I stood, waiting for Emmy and Aurora to finally leave the hospital ward.

I didn't particularly want to speak to Aurora much at this point, well, not with Emmy around anyway, because she would always put pressure on me. So I quietly greeted Aurora, and then went over to speak to Emmy.

"Hello Emmy." I said. She was looking much better, now, and it had only been three days, since she was terribly badly injured when then roof of the sanctuary collapsed in on her.

"Hello Luke." She said in a mildly hoarse, and croaky voice. She sounded rough still but she was nowhere near as bad as before.

"Are you looking forward to getting back home Emmy?" I said trying on a face smile for size.

"Of course Luke. I really need to recuperate in much more… familiar surroundings. Not that I mind the hospital that much though."

"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to going home, after being away for such a long time." I said.

"Hm." She replied. "Anyway Luke, would you mind passing me that glass of water over there please?" I passed her the cup of water which was on the bedsit table between her and Aurora. "Thank you Luke. I was feeling a little thirsty and I need strength to get up soon into crutches to leave here, well I'm not sure if I'm using crutches, or whether you'll be pushing me in a wheel chair Luke."

"Oh, I don't mind pushing you in a wheel chair if you need me to Emmy." I said, because I always liked to help out, so I didn't mind at all. I turned to speak to Aurora.

"Aurora," I began.

"Yes Luke?"

"Are you feeling even better today?" I asked, hoping that she would be well again, maybe even well enough to walk after her operation.

"Thank you for asking Luke, I am feeling much better now. I think it is because I no longer possess the blue azran stone in my body."

"That's good to hear." I said beaming at her, but unintentionally blushing. My hearty started to beat a little quicker with Emmy around too, watching my every move like a hawk, despite her injured state.

"Well, that may be because of the way you were, … well how shall I put it, assembled or bred, Aurora."

"Hm." Aurora and I both murmured in unison as Doctor Amundvic who had returned from his rounds, seeing other patients, spoke.

"Your immune system as a result, works at an absolutely phenomenal standard. In case you were wondering, the surgeons would never have been able to carry out the operation on any human like Luke or the Professor here, as they would have died almost immediately after the operation began due to blood loss. Aurora, you blood clots, as soon as the skin is breached."

"So I'm at a great advantage thanks to the genetic engineering of the Azran…" Aurora said, clutching her stomach lightly as she so often did with the palms of her hands.

"Wow, Aurora…" I paused, knowing that the works done to create Aurora had not only saved her from freezing to death over the 1.2 million years, but had also save her life during the surgery too. "So Doctor, does this mean Aurora may be indestructible then?"

"Nobody that has come to see her yet is quite sure. We need to carry out research about her case to give details on the results of her condition. But we are most sure they will nearly all be advantages to her."

"Right." I said. I felt good after finding that out, Aurora would be fully recovered without any scars in her personality, a personality which I loved so much.

A little longer passed, with some more slightly awkward but mostly heart warming chat, between me, Emmy, and Aurora, before the Nurses finally came in to give Aurora and Emmy their clothes from the lockers, so they could get changed (with some assistance), in another room, before we left for home.

It took Emmy several minutes to get changed, But Aurora only took just under a minute. But we didn't mind waiting with their other luggage that had been here. Once they were finished, we came out of the hospital.

"Good bye Doctor, and thank you so much for your help.

So we headed out in a taxi that the Professor had arranged for us to get back down to the Airport, once Aurora and Emmy were back with us.

I began to feel little travel sick in the car down the steep twisty roads going down the mountain. I usually travelled quite well but this time, I was feeling tired. Whatsmore, I was sitting in the back, unable to see the windscreen which didn't help at all.

The snow did begin to thin a little as we went down closer and closer, but still a fair way from, sea level. The snow was in a much less plentiful supply across the world, and it was all brown and slushy here, like partially melted chocolate ice cream, the roads were salted well.

Luckily, we got to the airport without me having to admit, or being sick in the taxi. Which was a very good thing as I was sitting between Emmy and Aurora, which would have been rather embarrassing.

I carried Emmy and Aurora's luggage for them, while also carrying my own suitcase, the Professor carried his suitcase and helped Emmy walk, along the cleared pavement into the airport. The air was a little milder down here, maybe above freezing.

After checking in and passing customs, we carried on to the waiting area, where I had to sit down for a rest; being exhausted from carrying so much luggage. My mind was still swirling with the joys and hopes of finally going home, thus; excitement and confidence filled my heart to the rafters.

To pass the time, I decided to start filling in a puzzle book in my bag that the Professor had given to me as a present for my 11th birthday, not long ago. The book had a total of 365 puzzles in it; "A puzzle for everyday of the year!" it proudly announced on it's front cover. I hadn't had much time to fill it in though, as I had been so busy helping the Professor and Emmy with things at the University and on cases, then going on adventures too. I got out my pen from my pocket which I always used to solve puzzles, it was a very smart blue ink pen, which I always liked to use, not just for solving puzzles.

I opened the book to the first page.

"Puzzle number one" the title read. As I read through the puzzle, I immediately had guessed it was one of those niggley puzzle where you had to place mirrors to deflect light from Knight's positions to kill off ghosts which laid on various different parts of the diagram. It didn't take me too long to solve this puzzle as it was only rated 2/5 stars for difficulty. I checked carefully on the answers page to see if I had written the correct answer, and I had, so I moved onwards.

The next puzzle I came ton on the third page read "Puzzle number 2" (surprisingly enough). But this time, the puzzle was a worded problem, that required a solving procedure.

In this puzzle, I had to work out how many hours it took a man, who as always in these puzzles had a very poor sense of time keeping, to go on a puzzle read:

"My time Keeping may not be the best, but I know how long each journey takes. But the only problem is, I can never remember what time I set off at.

It takes me 10 minutes to get to the bakers, I spend 5 minutes in there. I take 20 minutes walking to the library where I spend 30 minues, and I then walk to the grocers's where I spend 10 minutes, before I leave for home, that journey also takes 10 minutes. If I know I've left between 9.00 and 9.30 am, what is the latest time that I get back home?"

(To see the answer to the second puzzle, see my in my comments at the end of the chapter)

Luckily, my maths skills had been improving lately, so it did take a while for me to work out, but I got the right answerer eventually.

As the half an hour passed as we all sat on the bench in the departure's waiting area, before we boarded the plane. The waiting area was heavy with the smell of air conditioning and plastic odours from the furniture, just as all airport smelled that I had been to.

Now, if I had the time before going away, I would have carried that chapter on to when Luke meets up with his parents at the airport, but I don't have the time before I go away, so that shall be for another time. I would rather post a shortened chapter now, as

Oh, and the answer was 11.05am I think.

So I'm in to double figures now in terms of chapters, :) yay!

There won't be anymore chapters for at least another 2 weeks as writing takes time and I'm going on Holiday tomorrow for 1 week.

Bye.