Hi guys... sorry I haven't updated this in ages, schoolwork was consuming my soul... but now I've finished all that for the summer, and I have, well, I don't actually know how long until I start year 11, so hopefully I'll be writing more stuff until then.

Anyway, as far as a disclaimer goes, I guess you're sick of them, but still, just in case... Colfer owns it, I don't, dammit. Good enough?

Chapter 2

The journey was uneventful, and the three reached the hospital fairly quickly, although it seemed aeons to Artemis. They were just about to leave the car when Juliet stopped them.

"Um, guys? Remember we might need excuses for, like, the scratches and stuff, you know. Seeing as we weren't there. Actually, for that matter, where were we? And, um, how do we know about the explosion and stuff?"

Artemis blinked and smoothed his hair involuntarily. What was he coming to, if he had forgotten to notice vital points like this? If Juliet was the one making the plans and pointing out the flaws? He needed to get a grip, and fast, if he was to evade terrorism charges or some such rot.

But then, the explosion was in the quest of power after all. Was he a terrorist? No, surely not. He wasn't that heartless. Was he?

A phrase came to mind, with an associated thought. "What kind of…" The creature thought him so awful, she couldn't even find words to describe him.

He remembered it happening, but couldn't place when, or where. Perhaps in a dream. But then, he remembered the same creature telling him that he had, what was it, a spark of decency. Maybe he wasn't completely bad. Unless, of course, this was all part of a dream, in which case…

"Artemis? Are you coming?" Artemis looked up and realised that he had been too lost in thought even to notice the Butlers getting out of the car. He quickly climbed out and looked questioningly at his bodyguard.

"We've worked out our excuses in case they ask us stuff," said Juliet, and the boy turned to face her expectantly.

"We were horseriding at this guy's estate when in happened. The estate is two hours away from the Manor, and also I'm not that good a horse rider which would explain the scratches and wrist. You fell off too." Artemis nodded, and Butler continued.

"The proprietor of the estate in question has been notified of our visit, he doesn't make a point of going out to meet every person who comes so he can't say for sure that we weren't there, and we left a tip of twenty thousand pounds for him to improve his stables, because they weren't quite up to our discerning standards."

Butler gave Artemis a searching look at this point, because normally the boy would show at least a glimmer of approval when the concept of bribery was introduced. He saw nothing, which worried him.

"That should be fine," said Artemis, preoccupied with his own thoughts again. The three of them walked slowly across the carpark towards the hospital doors.

They entered the reception area and Butler went over to the desk as Juliet and Artemis stood on the other side of the room.

"Good afternoon. We are here to enquire after Mr and Mrs Fowl. We believe them to be at this hospital. Could you help us, please?"

The receptionist looked up at the huge bodyguard towering before her, and then past him to the young woman and the scrawny pale boy. She frowned and typed for a moment on her computer, then shook her head.

"Nothing here. F-O-W-L right? When did they come?"

"Yes, the spelling is correct. They should have arrived late this morning. They were emergency patients, if that's any help."

"Right, well, it's a possibility that they haven't been put into the computer yet. If you'll excuse me, I'll just make a call down there and see if any of the emergency staff know where they are."

She turned to the telephone and spoke quietly for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, Butler turned to look at the other two. Juliet glanced at him, and he mouthed "They might still be in emergency." She frowned, not having understood him, but shrugged and returned to staring aimlessly at the wall. The receptionist returned and Butler strode back to the desk.

"We've found them. Room 6, ICU floor. You can go down and see them, but Mrs Fowl is still unconscious. Mr Fowl seems lively enough though, considering his condition. Relatives, are they?"

"They are the young gentleman's parents. Could you give us directions to Room 6, please?"

"Of course. Along that hallway, second left, down the stairs and third room on your right. There's a sign on the door, you shouldn't miss it. Hope they get better soon, the kid looks pretty…"

"Thankyou, that will be all we need to know for now," Butler cut in. "Thankyou for your time, madam."

Artemis had obviously heard the instructions to his parents' room, but had not seen which way the receptionist had pointed, as he headed off down a corridor in the opposite direction. Juliet looked around, not having noticed that he had gone, but then saw him disappearing down a corridor as Butler turned around. She observed Butler's frown of confusion, then understood and jogged after the boy.

"Oy! Artemis! Wait up a sec, mate, hang on…" she called, but he seemed not to hear her. At last she grabbed him gently by the shoulder and pointed him in the opposite direction, back to the lobby, and then led him to the entrance of the right hallway. He caught on quickly and charged off, leaving the two Butlers to follow.

"Poor kid," Juliet muttered to her brother. "I hope they're both alright; I don't reckon he'd cope if either of them… you know. Didn't make it."

"I think he'd cope. He did alright when he thought I was…" Butler trailed off, looking confused.

"What were you, Dom? Surely no-one has ever kicked the arse of the great Butler?" Juliet frowned, displaying a slight smile tinged with worry.

"You know, I just can't remember. Has that ever happened to you? You have the edge of a memory but you can't quite grasp it, and then it's gone…"

"Yeah, actually. Those lenses, I almost thought I knew where they came from, and then I lost it. Don't you hate it when that happens?"

"Mm," agreed Butler. He increased his pace to keep up with Artemis, who was starting to lose them.

Artemis walked briskly mindlessly though the corridors of the hospital. He was constantly staring at his surroundings but took nothing in; his thoughts had taken over again.

He had come to the conclusion that he was not a terrorist, because being a terrorist meant blowing things up to get your own way because the people were scared. He just hadn't been careful enough with the compounds, which had exploded and destroyed the Manor. Negligence wasn't terrorism. But it still had devastating consequences.

Maybe this meant that he didn't care about his family. If he'd cared about them, he would have been more careful, wouldn't he. But then, if he didn't care, why such an effect upon him now they're injured? Perhaps he just didn't care enough. Or, his desire for power was greater than his love for his parents and oldest friends.

There was the door. Room 6, near the ICU ward. Artemis paused, overcome by a sudden wish to run away in the opposite direction.

A Fowl never hesitates, said his mind.

But a human does, he thought.

Which am I? he wondered, as Juliet and Butler caught up to him.

"After you, Artemis," said Butler. "The receptionist said your father was awake, so you might want to go see how he is. Juliet and I can enter in about ten minutes, if you like."

"Okay. I'll see you in a bit then," replied the boy quietly. He closed his eyes for a moment, then stepped up to the door and knocked.

"Who's there?" a man asked weakly. Artemis took a deep breath and replied, "Your son."

"Artemis? Come on in," Artemis I said. The young Artemis opened the door a little bit and looked in though the crack. Inside was a room with two beds, brightly lit by the trademark fluorescent lights. In one bed was someone he assumed to be his mother, although he couldn't see for sure through the various machines she was connected to, and in the other, his father.

Artemis II swallowed when he saw his father. It was only a couple of months since the man had last been in hospital, and he was still gaunt and painfully thin, even after two months of Butler's famed cordon bleu cooking. The artificial lighting accentuated the shadows under every facial feature, and the abrasions, minor burns and bruises made a frightening contrast to his pale skin. A heavy load sank into the bottom of the boy's stomach as he approached his father.

"Well come closer, son – I don't look that awful, do I?" said the man wearily, patting the side of his bed for his son to sit there. Artemis sat down and silently held out his hand for his father to shake it. His father shook hands with him, and then pulled the boy into a gruff sort of hug.

It wasn't necessary to tell the man exactly what happened yet, Artemis decided, trying to enjoy what he assumed would be the last thing that ever happened to him to suggest that his father loved him.

Well, there you go. Yet another piece of utter crap written by clairesie. Anyway, if you feel like reviewing, please do! Hopefully I will come up with another chapter for this by about a week or so, unless of course I get a whole lot of reviews telling me it's crap and should be destroyed. So, people, don't be afraid to set your true opinions free... you'll save me a lot of work... hehe. well bye for now, and thankyou to all of two people who reviewed the first chapter so far :-P hehe.