The Dragon Prince storyline altered

Chapter 23. Lepidolite

Lepidolite and Claudia sat in the hospital waiting room in the border town.

Soon, a doctor came out of Soren's room and walked over to Lepidolite and Claudia.

Claudia: Well? How long will it take for him to get better?

Doctor: He's not going to get better.

Claudia: What?

Lepidolite: I guess that's no surprise. Even dark magic couldn't save him.

Doctor: He won't die. He's lucky to have survived a direct attack from a dragon. But he's never going to walk again. I haven't told him yet.

Claudia: Don't. He should hear it from me.

Lepidolite: Do you want me to come? Or not?

Claudia: You should come too.

Lepidolite and Claudia walked into Soren's room together, and they sat down on the bed beside him.

Claudia: So, I talked to the doctor, and I guess they did some tests-

Soren: I already know.

Claudia: What?

Soren: I can't move. I can't walk. And it's not going to get better. But I don't want you guys to pity me. It's for the best. I'm glad I can't move.

Lepidolite: Man, you must have SOME REASON to be GLAD you can't move.

Claudia: Soren! What are you saying?

Soren: Before we left, I got a secret mission. I was confused, and I didn't want to do it. But I do want my dad to love me and be proud of me.

Claudia: He is proud of you no matter what.

Soren: And dad is smart, so I knew there was a good reason for the mission.

Lepidolite: Soren, what did Viren ask you to do?

Soren: Kill the princes.

Claudia: Kill the princes?

Lepidolite: You're probably right, and he did have a good reason.

Claudia: No, no, that can't be right. You must have misunderstood.

Soren: It doesn't matter now. I can't complete my mission, because I can't do anything.

Claudia got up and started pacing the hospital room. It was pretty clear to Lepidolite that she was distraught.

Soren: It's okay guys. I'm relieved, actually. I'm free from expectations from dad, or anyone.

Lepidolite: What are you going to do with this newfound... freedom!?

Lepidolite laughed at herself as she said the words. Soren did not look free to her.

Soren: I've been thinking about that for the last ten minutes, and I've decided I'm going to reinvent myself. I'm gonna be a poet, guys!

Claudia immediately burst out laughing hysterically, but Lepidolite could tell from the look on his face that he was serious.

Lepidolite: Claud, he's not joking.

Claudia stopped laughing.

Soren: I'm going to be a poet, and people will come visit me to hear my poems. We'll drink some kind of soothing tea, and then I'll say my latest poems to them. I already have my first poem. It's a haiku. Just tell me when you're ready.

Lepidolite: Ready.

Claudia: Um... ready!

Soren: Dragon smash boy. Say the good words now. They light the hearts of other people.

Lepidolite counted the syllables on her hands. For it to be a haiku, it would need to be 5-7-5, and yet Soren's poem was 4-5-9.

Lepidolite shook her head. It was not a haiku in the very least.

Claudia: No, Soren, No. That's not even a haiku!

Lepidolite: It has the wrong number of syllables.

That was enough to throw Claudia into a full out panic. Lepidolite watched as she ran across the room searching the cupboards and throwing aside their contents, trying to find something.

Claudia: I can't leave you like this. There has to be something.

The doctor and another doctor entered the room.

Doctor: You need to calm down.

Claudia: No I don't, you need to... calm up! You need to help him!

They each grabbed one of Claudia's arms.

Doctor: This is a hospital, miss, we're going to have to assist you out of here.

Claudia: He can't be like this- he can't even count syllables!

They marched Claudia out of the room and Lepidolite followed close behind.

Lepidolite and Claudia exited the hospital and the door slammed behind them.