The End of the Road

Chapter Twenty Four

A Mother can be split two ways by definition. One, the person who brings up a child with care and affection. Two, the one who gives birth. 

I've had many mothers, perhaps more than I deserve, and they have all taught me different things. Emma Foster was my first mother, and for a moment in time hers was the only name and face I would think of when talking about moms. Now, when mothers come into a conversation, I'm confused of who to think of.

Who really is my mom? The one who raised me, the one who took me in, or the one who gave birth to me?

Unfortunately, the one who birthed me stood below me now. 

"Sophie?" 

I didn't respond as I stared at her. She looked tired and I couldn't tell if it was from her pregnancy or from something else. I didn't particularly care about either, all I wanted was to get out of here and go back to a safe place with Keefe. 

"Everyone is gone now, you can come down from there," Oralie called up. Keefe gripped me harder, unsure of what to do. I didn't know either. Oralie is the last person I want to be seen by right now. 

We stood in silence for a minute until Keefe seemed to make up his mind and shakily began to bring us to the ground.

When we landed and Oralie got full sight of my injuries, she gasped, looking slightly sick. This much blood certainly wasn't customary to her liking as the pink frilly princess she's known to be. 

"Your leg! What did you do? How are you going to get that fixed?" She exclaimed. I can't stand to hear her talk, to hear her worry like it's something she deserves to do after all she's put me through. 

I stay silent and Keefe seems to pick up this theme because he responds for me. 

"We were trying out her teleportation and something went wrong. We had a bit of a...rough landing when we got here," He looks queasy as he peers at my knee.

"Well... I can help you."

Every part of me wants Keefe to refuse, even though I know he won't because it's either her or waiting here for the next group of black swan members to come find us.

I hate her. I hate her stupid hair and how it resembles mine. I hate her for ruining every chance I had in the lost cities. I hate her for giving me up for a science experiment because she was too afraid to take responsibility. But most of all, I hate how she is the only one who can help us right now.

"Fine."

Oralie took us to Elwins. I don't remember much of how we got there, things seemed to be happening quickly and in short bursts, like I just wasn't there and all of a sudden a new thing was happening. 

We were standing on his lawn, and then Oralie was banging on his door. Next, I was lying on a cold and smooth table and Elwin was standing over me. I remember Keefe gripping my hand and his voice whispering things I couldn't understand in my ear. Mostly, I remember screaming. I wasn't meaning to scream, and I didn't think I was at first. But then my voice became worn and my throat burned and I knew it was me who those awful screams were coming from. The last thing I remember was that sickeningly sweet cloth being put over my mouth and nose and fading away into the blissful darkness. 

When I woke up, I was still on the smooth table and I was surrounded by bloody bandages and elixirs. The pain was immediate, a sharp and growing pain in my knee that made me groan and try to sit up.

"No! Don't try to move yet, I know it hurts a lot but moving now might undo some of the work and then we'd have to restart," Elwin explains as he quickly walks over to the side of the table. 

It's been so long since I've seen him. He looks more tired from when I last saw him, which is shocking since he should have been doing less work when his most frequent patient left. He had a light stubble growing on his chin and it was my first time seeing him in pajamas that weren't covered in some sort of magical animal.

A wave of nausea came over me suddenly. Elwin must have sensed this immediately because he grabbed the bucket lying next to the table on the floor and put it to my mouth just in time before I turned to my side and threw up. I could feel him gather my hair with his other hand and hold it back.

I felt dizzy and nauseous and I was in so. Much. Pain.

"I need medicine," I gasped into the bucket.

"I know you want some, but I don't keep the medicine you need here. I don't even have it made, but the ingredients are at Foxfire. I can give you something for the nausea now and a painkiller in a few hours though," Elwin said as he took away the bucket when he was sure I was done and rinsed a towel to wipe my mouth with.

"I'll save you the gory details, but I basically had to push your tibia back in place and stitch up your leg. I know your whole situation with the council and everyone isn't the greatest right now,  but somehow I need to get you to Foxfire in the next twenty-four hours or your leg could get an infection and the damage could be permanent," Elwin explained but I could only really half understand what he was saying. He rummaged through his packed satchel which was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, which I now recognized to be his kitchen.

I hear someone walk in through the doorway behind me and I'm relieved to see it's Keefe and not Oralie. He looks just as drained as Elwin, with circles under his eyes and dried blood on his shirt.

"Sophie?" He asked when he saw my eyes were open and looking at him. He quickly walked over to my side, taking my hand in his gently. "I would ask how you're feeling, but I can definitely feel it," he said, cringing at the feeling of my feelings. 

I took away my hand quickly when I realized I didn't have my gloves on and he could get an even better read of my emotions. "Oh shoot. I need to wear gloves," I mumble, looking around for my black ones before I remember I wasn't wearing gloves when I came here.

"It's okay, we can get you gloves later," Keefe comforted me, taking my hand again even though I'm sure the pain is unbearable. 

"Here, this will help with your nausea," Elwin said as he handed me a vile of some pink liquid, which I downed immediately, and then almost threw up again because it tasted like feet.

After a few minutes, I could feel the concoction start to work and prop myself up with my elbows.

"How long do you think you'll need at foxfire?" I ask Elwin, already trying to form a plan in my head.

"At least two hours, three tops. I'll need to sedate you again though so that will make it harder to leave than coming in will be," Elwin explained as he packed away the extra elixirs he took out of his satchel.

"Time to find a way to break into Foxfire."