What Will I Do Without You?

Chapter 7

A/N: I've been busy lately so that's why it's taken me a few days to get this one out.

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The moment Keefe landed at the Shores of Solace, he immediately hailed Elwin.

"Keefe? What's wrong?" The Elf asked, surprised to get a hail from Keefe so late at night.

"So, uh, we have a situation. Dex decided to go to that Neverseen fort to look at those flowers again, said something about maybe finding a cure for Sophie and Tam, then the Neverseen found us and triggered one of those flowers. Dex breathed some of that gas in, luckily I didn't."

"Dex did WHAT?!" Keefe heard Linh say- no, yell- in the background.

Elwin shook his head. "Get him here, I'll see what I can do. Hurry Keefe."

Keefe nodded then switched off his imparter, running to his Leapmaster.

"So THERE you are." Keefe kept running with Dex over his shoulder, ignoring Ro's taunting voice. "Woah, what happened?" The Ogre asked.

"Failed mission in a Neverseen hideout. Need to get to... FOXFIRE!" He shouted at the Leapmaster.

"Oh no... I'll come with." Ro jogged over from her station by the door.

Together they stepped into the light.

//////

Linh was mad.

No, she was furious.

She had been staying with Tam at Elwin's office, and was currently in a conversation with the Flasher before Elwin was hailed by Keefe.

When she heard that Dex had been hurt, she felt mad mostly.

And worried.

And concerned.

But mostly angry that he would do something so stupid. And without telling her! The nerve!

How could the boy she lov- no, I like Dex... right? It's not love, we haven't even been together that long... it can't possibly be love... right?- how could the boy she liked do that?

The door to Elwin's office opened, snapping Linh out of her troublesome thoughts.

"Elwin!" Linh called, standing up from her seat and rushing over to help Keefe with Dex.

Elwin, who was looking through his shelves of elixirs, rushed out. "Oh dear... how long has he been unconscious?" He asked, gently taking a limp Dex into his arms and rushing him to a cot.

Keefe scratched the back of his neck. "Right after we got back he passed out."

Elwin sighed while pouring a vial of... something- Linh didn't know what it was- down Dex's throat. Elwin noticed Linh's look of confusion and explained how the elixir was one that would hopefully wake the boy up.

"It worked earlier on Sophie," he said, "She managed to get a few words out before erupting into a coughing fit and passed out again."

Linh sighed. "What was he thinking?"

"Look, all I know is that this boy wanted to find a cure for your brother and Sophie." Keefe said, smiling sadly. "He cares. Don't get mad at him, get mad at the Neverseen."

Linh closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, then nodded. "Thanks Keefe."

Keefe smiled and nodded. "And hey, if you need anything, just let me know. Or if you need someone to talk to."

Linh nodded. "Thanks, again."

Keefe smiled as he held up his home crystal and leapt away.

Linh turned around and saw Elwin pouring another vial of liquid down Dex's throat. She saw Dex's hand clench into a fist, almost as if he was in pain and was trying to wake himself up.

"How is he?" She asked.

Elwin shook his head. "I... don't know. There's no way to tell how any of them are... we need to find a cure. Soon."

"We will." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We have to."

//////

Now the three most important people in Linh's life were lying unconscious on a cot.

They would probably die if Elwin couldn't find a cure.

Not to mention that nobody could find Mr. Forkle. Or Magnate Leto, for that matter. The council and the staff of Foxfire said that Leto was at his home, sick, but Linh knew the truth.

Mr. Forkle was missing, there was no denying that. She wondered if it had to do with that Neverseen fortress in London.

"Linh, you should really get some sleep." Elwin advised. "It's not good for your health to stay awake all the time."

"Sophie does it and she's fine." Linh protested.

Elwin shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. "Sophie is an insomniac, and she's also under a lot of stress. When one is under stress, they tend to find energy, somehow."

"Are you saying I'm not under stress?" She said, a hint of stiffness at the edge of her voice.

Elwin shook his head. "No, I understand, you are under a great deal of it. But, you also aren't used to these kinds of situations. And some sleep would help clear your head."

Linh sighed. "Fine." She stepped over to one of the empty cots, glancing back to see Elwin mix some elixirs for Dex. She sighed, then laid down while pulling up a blanket that Elwin had given her.

Her last thought was of what she would do to the Neverseen once she got ahold of them.

//////

In the morning, Dex was dead.

Well, he certainly looked dead.

Linh immediately thought he had passed, and had Elwin not immediately assured her that the boy was just simply pale, she would have marched out and found every Neverseen member responsible and made them pay.

"Why aren't Sophie and Tam pale? Is Dex sick with something else?" Linh asked.

Elwin sighed and shrugged. "I don't know. His cells seem... asleep. But, he still breathes. Sophie's and Tam's cells seem to be alive and running, but in a coma. There are differences with each of them... and I fear that they may all be sick badly, each with something entirely different."

Linh stared at Elwin, in shock of what he said. Different? So, they all had some different sicknesses.

Well things just got harder.