Stellarlune - KotLC Book 9

Chapter 4 -Keefe

"...His vitals look stable, so he should be fine..."

Keefe blinked and forced open his blurry eyes (he was seriously contemplating getting glasses) and instantly got blinded by the searing white light that entered his vision.

"Looks like he's wakening!"

"Ughhhh," Keefe moaned in response, rubbing his adjusting eyes.

A few moments later, his vision cleared, and he looked up to see a young woman, no more than 25, with creamy, warm, chestnut colored skin. Her straight black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her brown eyes looked over him with a friendliness that he thought human doctors didn't have.

"Do you feel okay?" the doctor asked.

Keefe shrugged.

"Yeah, I guessed that. Well, no reason to worry. Your vitals look stable, and you seem to be recovering fast, so you should be good to go in a few hours. I just need to run a few more tests and then I'll let you go."

Keefe nodded in understanding, sitting up straight.

"Oh! That reminds me; where are your parents? They must be worried."

Keefe snorted. His parents? Worried? Never in a million years. One of his parents had done this to him anyway, and he doubted that Mommy Dearest would be worried for him just because he collapsed if she was willing to do an "untested" experiment on him.  

"Wait...do you have parents?"

Keefe paused. What would he answer to that?

He didn't want to talk, he couldn't risk it, so how would he tell the nice lady that he was actually a really demented kid with too many problems who ran away from his home because he was overwhelmed and depressed and these descriptions are really dark...

"Oh, wait, are you mute?" 

She didn't ask it in a teasing way. Just a simple question with a simple answer. And Keefe decided that he didn't want to complicate things by lying and saying that he couldn't speak but then accidentally speaking and all that, so he just replied with a no.

"Are you...not comfortable with talking?"

He nodded.

"Okay, um..." she fished a pen and notepad out of her white coat. "Write on this for me."

Keefe blinked.

"Oh. Right. What will you write. Sorry. Um, we'll start out easy. Your name?" 

Keefe didn't know whether to lie or to tell the truth. Whoever she was, she seemed nice enough. But Keefe had been fooled before. So he made a few small tweaks in his name.

Keith Ladning

"Nice to meet you Keith! I'm Alicia Whitlock."

He gave a small smile.

"Who're your parents? Where are they?"

Keefe's smile fell as he scribbled down his reply

My mom left a few years ago and my dad's really annoying, and he always verbally abused me. At least, that's what legit everyone says when they hear my "backstory" or whatever. I just think that he keeps on inflating his big ego and tries to make me do the same. But I don't think anyone'd like a China-large ego. 

Alicia laughed after reading the last line. "No we certainly would not." But then she looked up, concern lacing her features. "So you ran away from home?"

Keefe nodded.

"What about your friends?"

He winced as a breathtaking blonde haired and eyed elf came to mind. Don't think about her and you'll be fine, he kept telling himself.

My friends are back home. 

"Do you have anywhere to live?"

He shook his head, realizing how big of a problem is was that he didn't have anywhere to live.

"Well," she said with a bright smile on her face. "You seem like a nice guy, and I do want a child, so if you'd like, you can come stay with us."

Keefe's eyes widened. Humans were really that nice? Was she really that caring? 

Or is she secretly part of the Neverseen and wants to take me down from the inside.

His face fell at that.

Alicia waited patiently, and when Keefe signaled no, she just looked at him with a knowing expression.

"Do you have anywhere to live though?"

He pursed his lips.

"I thought so." She said with a grin. "You're coming home with me darling. Don't worry, Craig and I are the nicest couple are the nicest couple around. Besides, it's not safe for you to be wandering around with no apparent purpose after collapsing. You need a break."

Keefe shook his head no again. He couldn't risk, her, nor Craig, whoever that was. He needed to be isolate.

"I'm not taking no for an answer, Keith. You're sticking with me now. And I won't let you get out of this hospital bed until you say okay."

A smile played at Keefe's lips. Alicia reminded her of Foster when she was being persistent. 

Foster...

The name brought a deep hurt to his heart, and he tried to think of something else. Which was the predicament that he was in right now.

What's the worse that could happen? he thought.

I could die. My friends could die. Mom of the Year wins the war.

Wow.

Even his brain was becoming a depressing place to be in. He really did need a break.

And so he very reluctantly agreed.

Alicia laughed. "There we go! Tenacity." She scribbled something down and gave a big grin.

"You are going to L-O-V-E your new home! You won't regret your decision!" 

Keefe hoped he wouldn't. Because if this Alicia lady turned out to be someone other than she said she was, then what would happen?

Well.

He'd be in biiiiiiiig trouble.

That was for sure.