Chapter five, Brief
Disclaimer: I only own Amber and the hospital. Not much to be proud of, huh?A/N: I know this is short, it's hardly worth putting up, so flame me if you must. But it had to be short, kind of a semi-chapter (whatever that is!), as I needed the suspense. Trust me, the next chapter will be longer.
Replies:
LornaluvsHP: Glad you like the fic, be prepared for more suspense though. I will probably add some more in future chapters.
Monkeythebob: You'll have to wait and see what happens to Holly! The next book hits shops in England next May / June (I think!). I'm pretty sure it's going to be called the Opal Deception, but it could be called the Opal Incident.
Laughing Dragoness: Glad you like Holly, she's the best. I might kill her, I might not! Here's the update.
Elvenwolf: Yep the suspense is here!
Haven's Memorial Hospital
"I'm afraid her status is touch and go. She is suffering 2nd degree burns on her right arm and left leg, she also has four broken ribs, a fractured collarbone and is still unconscious, we fear she may be in a coma."
There was a sharp intake of breath from the commander as he listened to the warlock's brief of his captain. He felt it was his fault that this had happened. Why hadn't he ordered he to return home? Then this would never have happened.
"Can I see her?" He asked, bluntly. His mind was racing, what was he going to tell Trouble? And what about Amber? What would happen to her? They'd both be utterly devastated. He was jerked back to reality, by the warlock's voice.
"I'm afraid you're not family sir." He stated.
"I'm her commander, she's my best recon officer," contradicted Root.
"Was," said the warlock, quietly.
The commander was stunned. He prayed he'd heard wrong. He couldn't lose Holly. "Was?" He repeated, slowly. "You told me she's alive."
The warlock sighed. Sometimes people overlooked the obvious. "She is, for now anyways. If she ever recovers, she won't have the strength to work again."
The Commander groaned. More bad news to deliver. "Then I must see her, I've got to face her 25 year old daughter later, she'll want to come and see her mother, so surely I'd better prepare her first? Or do you want her to see her mother in the state she's in, thinking that all she has is cuts and bruises?" He didn't really know Amber that well, but he knew she wasn't stupid. But the warlock didn't.
"Go on then," relented the warlock, "but only from the doorway. She needs to remain in a sterile environment." He stepped aside, grudgingly, to let Root pass.
The commander walked to the doorway, suddenly afraid of what he might see. This was a first, he could go face to face with deep tunnel trolls and not turn a hair, but give him an injured Recon officer and he was a wreck.
He could only tell that she really was Holly because of the shock of auburn hair against the white of the pillow. Her face was deathly pale and dark circles ringed her eyes. Liquid from a drip was being fed through a tube and into her left hand. Her right arm was scalded a deep, painful pink and dotted with deep red welts. He guessed her left leg must be the same.
Surely this wasn't the gutsy Holly he saw everyday, and had seen this morning?
The Kelp Family apartment, Haven City
Amber opened one eye, all her memories flooded back to her. She leapt from the bed, smoothing creases in her clothes. Thank the Gods she'd slept in them, as she didn't have time to waste. She had to find Holly immediately. As she was hurriedly waking herself up, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.
Her bedroom door was ajar.
A/N: I told you it was short, didn't I? Please review, even if you complain about the length. A review is a review... strokes chin cryptically
Keep smiling.