Chapter 15
Trapped at Alfea
Valerie was beginning to wake up, she felt like she had been hit by a bus. Luckily not by a real one, the Magic School Bus would have never had done that to her or at least never on purpose! Feeling groggy, Valerie began to slowly try and open her eyes. "She's waking up! Professor Frizzle! Your ok we've got you!" a voice announced which sounded like DA. Her eye lids were heavy and everything was fuzzy but she still managed to try and display her ironic smile to give out a sign that she was ok. Valerie remained slient and sit up before she heard the sound of an older womens voice telling her to remain lying down.
Then it wasn't long until she was being lifted on to a stretcher and being taken some where before she heard the sound of Keesha talking to her "Its ok Professor Frizzle! You are going to the imfirmary and Nurse Ophelia is going to check you out more there!". There were a few aches and pains that were felt but she was tough. She kept smiling as she saw Wanda, Keesha, DA and Phoebe look down at her as she was being carried to the Imfirmary and still managing to make a pun like she did when she use to teach them "Don't think so girls, visions a little blurry but as my Great Uncle Herbert use to say... I'll be fit as a fiddle in no time!.
Late evening had arrived and Valerie had woken up in a hospital like bed, her surroundings were not familiar. She still could remember what happened earlier that day until she was knocked out unconcious. She looked down at herself apart from her nightie and a few bumps and stratches which had been patched op, she felt a sling around her neck connecting to her right arm. "Owww" she yelped due to the pain as she tried to make a fist in her right hand "Yep its broken! "Hmmm wouldn't it be fun to explore the break even deeper!". Her earrings would've lit up if she had been wearing any!
Suddenly there was a gentle knock on the door which broke her from the "Field Trip Idea" she just had. She looked up to see the school nurse Ophelia smiling at her with her glasses on the end of her nose "Good evening Valerie, how are we feeling?" she asked in a kindly voice. "Oh fine thank you and bit achy but notihng can stop me!" Valerie kindly responded back to her, "Very good, that's normal, we just need you just rest and let me take care of you, you need to take it easy!" Ophelia replied as she approached Valerie's hospital bed to examine.
"Good Evening Ophelia how are the patients this evening?" a familiar voice was heard. Valerie looked towards the doorway and appearing in the door way was Head Mistress Faragonda. "They are doing fine Head Mistress, just monitoring them now" Nurse Ophelia happily answered. Valerie looked towards a clock on the wall it displayed 9pm, "Good Evening Head Mistress!" Valerie addressed her feeling stunned to see her at this hour. "I'm sorry Ophelia, i know its outside visiting hours i have a responsibility for my staff!" Faragonda said to Ophelia "Of course Head Mistress, i'll be in the next room if you need me!" Ophelia replied gentley.
Ophelia quietly left the room as Valerie began to look around and saw some occupied beds. 2 beds looked like they had teachers in them and some of the students were assisting them in nursing them back to health. "Pardon Me, Head Mistress but is everyone ok? How are Griselda and Professor Wizgiz?" she asked the Head Mistress in concern, "Just fine they will make a steady recovery!" Faragonda happily replied. "Ah how long was i out?" Valerie asked the Head Mistress, "For a couple of hours, we have been keeping you under close observation!" Faragonda told her.
Valerie smiled as she appreciated that she was being looked after. She watched as the Head Mistress went to sit herself down in the chair beside her. She couldn't help notice her facial expression change from a kindly and lively smile to a more serious and worried expession "Head Mistress Faragonda...is everything ok? Have those nausty witches gone?" Valerie quietly asked her in concern.
She felt awful for interrupting her Head Mistress but she had to ask. Faragonda looked at her straight in the eyes as she pressed her glasses up her nose "They are fine and well Valerie but i need to discuss something with you!" she says to Valerie in a serious voice "Oh?" Valerie says in response. "The Trix were defeated and Alfea has been spared once again with the great work of the students and teachers dislodging the dome that had trapped us, it took time but we all did it!" Faragonda explained but Valerie couldn't help feel that there was more to the story as the Head Mistress begin to look towards the floor.
"Oh great news, so we are safe now? How are Keesha, Phoebe, Dorothy-Ann and Wanda?" Valerie asked on her breath, she watched as Faragonda turned to face her with a concerned expression on her face while sliding her glasses up her nose "They are fine, just fine but there is something i need to tell you Valerie...the witches attacked knocked out all our transportation devices and portals and it will take a long time possibly days or weeks to fix!" Faragonda explained.
Valerie stared into the Head Mistresses eyes while remaining perfectly calm "Even if you were to use magic to fix it?" she asked, "Even with magic! Its not as easy as you might think Valerie!" Faragonda told her. Valerie immediately offered to help offering to use Bike's magic. Faragonda kindly thanked her and told her not to worry for now as Professor Paladium and Professor Wizgiz are currently on to it along with Tecna one of the Winx Club girls who arrived an hour ago. She then said that she will certainly consider coming to Valerie should they need Bike's magical assistance.
"Now then dear, your guests..." Faragonda continued, "Yes! Head Mistress?" Valerie answered as Faragonda continued the explain"Because of this we are unable to return them to Earth, i have spoken to them already explaining the situation and we will provide them accomodation to stay at Alfea until this is all fixed". Valerie's face lit up but also in the back on her mind she was sad that they were unable to return home "Head Mistress Faragonda, they will be my responsbilty and i'll make sure that they do not get in the way, they can continue to assist me with my classes!" Valerie tells the Head Mistress.
"Very well its settled, remember my door is always open!" Faragonda says with a smile as she gets up from the chair "Now then we do not normally allow visitors into the infirmary at this hour but just this once!". Suddenly 4 faces appeared in the infirmary door way, it was Keesha, Wanda, DA and Phoebe "Hello Professor Frizzle!" they all said together.
Faragonda began to leave the room "Do not stay up too late ladies!" she says before she disappears into the dark corridor. "Yes Head Mistress Faragonda!" Phoebe, Keesha, DA and Wanda all answered. "Girls! How are you?" Valerie asked them all cheerfully, she was relieved that they all seemed ok. They all went to sit on Valerie's bed and smiled at her while examining their old Professors injuries.
Valerie observed the look on their faces reading them like a book "No...not quite right, maybe nows not the time for a field trip!" she tells them in an understanding voice. This probably would be the first time that even she thought that the time was not right for a field trip "Another time maybe!" she said softly "Anyway how are all of you? Head Mistress has told me everything!".
Keesha, Phoebe, Wanda and DA look at her, with mixed messages. They were a mixture of excitement, worry and scared "What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do? We cannot return home!" Wanda says her familiar catchprase, shortly before Keesha said hers "Oh bad, Oh bad, bad bad!". Valerie tries to calm them all down "Cheer up, i'll make sure you are all safe while your here, look on the brightside you can help me with my classes!" she calmly tells them.
The four explained that Bike was safely back in the shed and they have checked in on Goldie who was just fine, no harm had happened to any of them. Valerie was relieved. Suddenly she hears the girls sigh and take a deep breath "You girls must be exhausted, maybe it's time we all hit the hay! Unless there is something you wish to tell me!" Valerie calmly asks them. The girls all looked at each other wondering who would speak before DA jumped in "Professor Frizzle...do you remember earlier today when we came face to face with that witch Darcy?"
Valerie nodded as remembered that part but after that nothing "After when you, Professor Wizgiz and Griselda got knocked out...something happened..." Wanda continued. "Oh? Like what?" Valerie asked as she was fasinated with what they all had to say "We changed!" Phoebe tells the professor. By this stage Valerie was very intrigued as she had a feeling where this was going "Changed?" she asked. "Bike disguised as your pendant flew off your neck and returned to its usual self, it was like it wanted to help us!" Keesha explains. Valerie just looks at them all with a big smile, "We became fairies!" they all shouted together.
"Oh what wonderful news!" Valerie shouts happily "Well done Bike! It has granted you fairy transformations just like me! This is so exciting, now you all will fit right in!". All four girls remained sitting on the bed confused "There is so much we can all do now! So much to learn and explore! An't you all excited!" continued Valerie. Keesha, Wanda, DA and Phoebe just sat there in slience as they had many questions but it wasn't long until Wanda gets up "Yeah! You know what! This is exciting! Being trapped at a fairy school and having a magic Bike that gives you a fairy transformation is not all bad! Come on you weasly wimps!".
"Thats the spirit Wanda!" Valerie happily tells her "I guess, but does that mean we can only transform when Bike is around or closeby? Kinda like on the field trips with the Magic School Bus?" Keesha asks. Valerie answers with a quick "Yes", "Those this mean we will have powers of our own and be able to really fly?" DA then asks, Valerie again responds with a "Yes" and says its a work in progress but they will all work on it together.
Finally everyone looks at Phoebe who was looking down at the floor "Phoebs, are you ok?" Keesha asks her. Phoebe still lookng at the floor begins to look up at everyone "I've always wanted to be a fairy and now the time has come, i cannot believe it!" she quickly says to everyone "I am willing to teach you girls everything, we can even have our own private evening classes to see what kind of powers that Bike has gifted to you, i am still finding out what powers i have!" Valerie informs everyone.
"Are you all in?" Valerie asks as she puts out her left hand hoping that they do the same, the four girls didn't even have to argue. They placed their hands on top of Valerie's "We are all in!" they all shouted "Great, fantasic! I'll explain in the morning to the Head Mistress our idea in case she spots you all in your new fairy forms!" Valerie tells them.