What if...? The Neverseen found Sophie Foster

Chapter 10

" 'Neverseen'?" Sophie asked, confused.

"That's the name of the organization of that pin."

"I should get to the Healing Center." Sophie said walking in a random direction trying to ignore the fact that Keefe knew what the organization was called.

"You're going the wrong way. Come on, then. I'm taking you to the Healing Center so you don't get lost again." He hooked his arm through hers and dragged her away before she could resist.

THE HEALING CENTER CONSISTED OF three rooms: a treatment area with four empty beds, a huge laboratory where strange alchemy experiments were brewing, and the physician's personal office, where a familiar face sat at an enormous desk covered in paperwork.

"Sophie?" Elwin asked. "I figured I'd have to drag you back here to check up on you."

"I know," she said, very aware of the way Keefe had cocked his head toward her.

"I have a tiny burn I need you to treat—no big deal."

"Well, let me check it out." As he got up, a slinky gray creature hissed and scurried across the floor.

"Don't mind Bullhorn," Elwin said as Sophie backed against the door. "He's harmless." Bullhorn looked like a demented ferret with beady purple eyes.

"What is he?"

"A banshee. Adorable, isn't he?"

"Uh, sure." Bullhorn snapped at her ankles. Keefe laughed. "What brings you here today, Keefe?" Elwin asked. "Just helping a fellow prodigy, sir." Elwin grinned. "I notice you've had to miss your session to do it."

"I know. Such a shame." He sighed dramatically. "But Sophie needed help, so what could I do?"

"What, indeed? And I suppose you'll be wanting a pass to excuse you."

"What a good idea."

"You always have been one to seize an opportunity." Elwin handed Keefe a slip of paper.

"Session won't be over for another half hour, so I'd walk slow if I were you."

"Oh, I can't leave yet—not until I know Sophie will be okay."

"Mmm-hmm. So, where's the burn?" he asked Sophie. She wanted to be brave in front of Keefe, but her arm still shook when Elwin put his funny glasses on and flashed a blue orb of light around her hand. Elwin frowned.

"This looks like an acid burn. How did you manage that?"

"Um... slight accident in my alchemy session." Keefe mimed a huge explosion, complete with sound effects. "Destroyed Galvin's cape." Elwin dropped her hand, cracking up. "Wish I could have seen that! Sorry," he added when he caught her scowl.

"Have a seat so I can treat it." He had Sophie sit on one of the beds and grabbed a small jar from one of the shelves. She tried to stay calm as he rubbed purple salve on the burn, but Keefe saw her flinch.

"Out of curiosity," Elwin asked. "How did you explode the serum?" "I'm not sure. I measured everything twice, and added it in the order I was supposed to, but when I whipped it, it exploded."

"Whipped it?" Keefe interrupted. "Yeah. At first I thought it said 'whap,' but I figured I read it wrong so I whipped it." Elwin and Keefe both burst into hysterical laughter.

"WHAP means 'wash hands and present,' " Keefe managed to explain between laughs. Oh. She was officially an idiot. Why didn't she ask for clarification? Elwin cleared his throat. "It's an honest mistake. Could've happened to anyone."