The Enchantments: Book 3 - The Key of Sorcen

Chapter 17: Train Troubles

Shawn couldn't help but pace outside the room as the last few hours raced through his head. How could he have been so stupid as to let Marlanda go into that morgue room by herself? He felt so stupid and he knew Marlanda had paid for it.

They had brought Marlanda back to the house with the help of the professor who subsequently had called the doctor.

So here he was worrying outside the door waiting for the doctor's physical examination. He wasn't so concerned about her outer scars it was more of her inner ones that worried him.

Marlanda had been through trauma before, but this had been totally different. Creatures neither one of them had anticipated had turned their search upside down. The stakes were totally different now. Not just were they searching for the whereabouts of a mythical creature, but also someone really scary was trying to stop them from finding the truth.

After fifteen tense minutes, the door to the room finally opened and the doctor and the professor came out.

The doctor a man that looked more like a scarecrow than a physician thrust his large nose and bushy eyebrows in front of Shawn, "Your friend is going to be fine. Her wounds are superficial and should heal nicely in time. That's one brave little girl you have there!"

The professor smiled and nodded then grabbed the doctor's hand, "Thanks for everything doc, we really appreciate you coming on such short notice."

The doctor nodded and was soon being shown out the door with a heartfelt thank-you. Shawn, on the other hand, watched them go down the stairs before he entered the room.

He knocked softly on the wooden door slowly opening it as he was told to enter with a soft 'Come in.'

He stepped through into the dim room and had to look twice before he caught a glimpse of Marlanda sitting up in bed.

"Are you over there somewhere?" He asked almost tongue and cheek.

Marlanda reached over beside her bed and turned on a small light. Instantly the room lit up with the soft warm glow from a lampshade shaped like an orange. Shawn saw her in the light and had to hold back the tears. She looked so small and vulnerable, even though he knew that was far from the truth.

"How is ya feeling?" He squeaked out.

Marlanda sensing how hard this was for him, smiled, "I'm fine, no lasting scars." She said softly.

He walked up slowly not knowing what to say next and gently sat on the side of the bed ruffling the warm comforter. "I'm gonna call Dr. Miller and tell him that we're off the search. I don't want anything else to happen to you."

"I WON'T!" She shot back.

"-Marlanda!" He said in shock.

"I know you're concerned, but we made a promise to our friends to find the answers and me for one want to live up to that promise." She cursed.

"-But you were almost killed!" He exclaimed.

"Listen, before you start getting yourself all riled up about nothing. I want to tell you something." She hesitated for a moment, "I've lived my whole life trying to do for myself. I've manipulated and cheated my way to find answers about my father that was convinced were others fault. I really didn't want to believe my father was to blame for events he caused. I won't, I can't give up on this one. This is much too important to stop now. Others are depending on us, stay behind if you want but I'm going on."

Shawn couldn't help but smile, "You're determined to see this through aren't you?"

"Yes, I am." She said with a resolve Shawn had not heard from anyone in a long time.