Her Imperfections

Chapter Eighteen

It was Juline's cries that hit them the hardest.
They were all gathered outside the Healing Center, still wearing their torn, dirty clothes from the rescue mission. Every whimper of Dex sent a smattering of sobs from Julien. Each one felt like they were digging claws into her mind, ruffling up not the echoes but instead Sophie's memories of finding out about Atlantis. But she had to hold it together.
Finally the sobbing and whimpering stopped. Their heads all swiveled to the door with racing hearts. The door swung open and a tired Livvy exited, the bags under her eyes darkened much more in the light of the situation.
Breathing in she said, "He's going to be okay. I wasn't too worried about the flesh wound, but there is still the possibility of infection."
"Did you get it out of him?" Biana whispered, words dying in the air.
Livvy nodded in response and Sophie shivered to imagine what she had to do to in that room. Juline hurried past Livvy, practically sprinting to escape everyone's crushing pity. Sophie could relate. Livvy eyed her as if seeing Sophie for the first time and pointed to one of the rooms, "I need to check on you."
Sophie shook her head, face flushing. "I'm fine, really, I mean-"
"I don't care." Livvy's sharp words made Sophie move quickly to the room to avoid any further conflict.
Once the door was shut, both Livvy and Sophie let out a collective, room-shaking, relieved sigh. It had been a long day and it wasn't ending anytime soon.
Livvy patted a chair and Sophie took to it gratefully. "Alright, can you tell me everything that happened while you were there?"
Sophie shrugged with her entire body to sink away from the attention. "Nothing, really. I was just kept in this cell the entire time. I wasn't hurt, I promise."
"I'll have Elwin take a look at your head." Sophie cocked her head and Livvy answered, "Dex told me about the cell walls."
Sophie cringed, both at the new waves of pity coming from Livvy and the thought of Dex being more concerned with her well-being than his own. "I'm f-"
"I swear if you say fine one more time" Livvy glared.
Sophie nodded and a breath of cold swept through the room with Livvy's next question.
She was trying to be causal, braids swishing and tossing as her head swiveled around to avoid Sophie's eye contact. "How did Fintan find you?"
Sophie knew this question would come. "I went to him because...." Amy. Sophie was on her feet within the second. "Amy, AMY? Is she okay? We need to -"
Livvy chewed her lip, "Relax, she hailed us once she felt safe enough. Mr. Forkle took her to one of our bases. She told us everything. Except for how you got there."
"I went there for Amy-"
"-You could have told us."
"I was trying to save my sister."
"You always try to do this us, when will you learn you need US!" Livvy quipped.
Sophie had rarely heard her voice yell, but it silencing. For the first time Sophie noticed the bags under Livvy's eyes were not new, had she caused those? "I'm sorry." Was all Sophie could barely to say.
Livvy sighed but stayed quiet. "I'll get Elwin."
The door closed and Sophie curled up, guilt wrecking through her mind and consuming her until....
"There's my favorite patient!"
Elwin was in far worse confusion then Livvy.
Entire dark circles covered his eyes, leaking the blue shades from his irises. His lips were chapped and far too purple. And when he raised his hands to Sophie's head, she noticed his fingernails were stubs.
"Livvy was right to send me, being around that technology for so long..." Elwin's voice shook with anger and Sophie could tell the recovery would be longer than she'd like.
Elwin eyed her, "You do realize what this will also set back?"
He was met with a blank stare.
"The mind elixir. You think I didn't notice Livvy working on it?"
Sophie grumbled, ignoring the fact Elwin knew about it. It wasn't i big of a secret. "I really need that, especially after I've escaped. Fintan will be bashing into my head within the hour and I'm not in the mood."
"You need to heal your mind first." Elwin handed her a bottle of youth and another one filled with slimy oily looking liquid.
"How long?" Sophie gurgled through the elixirs.
"Three days. No mind elixir until then."
Sophie squeezed the empty vials in her hands, but stopped herself in the fear Elwin would keep her longer for cutting herself.
Elwin rummaged through drawers without reason, "Mr. Forkle wants you and your friends to stay in Alluveterre."
Sophie nodded, gave him questioning look and then took to the hallway once Elwin let her go with a nod. Almost everyone was gone by the time she got to the hallway, leaving only Livvy waiting with a blue leap crystal.
"Ready?"
Sophie stepped forward and together they were swept into the light. Alluveterre was shrouded in shadows and night, silence blanketing the entire base. Livvy broke off and Sophie made her way to the usual treehouse saved for the girls.
Biana and Linh were already asleep in their beds, their hair tousled and mouths open to a snore. Della slept curled beside Biana, looking as graceful as an angel as she slept. Sophie envied her. But it was the fourth person standing in Sophie's room that shocked her.
Edaline was by the window, slim and hollow looking. The guilt from earlier tore at her mind again, but Sophie shoved it away.
"Edaline?" Sophie slowed to a stop.
No words followed. Edaline held her into a light hug, eventually letting Sophie escape to the closet. Sophie got snuggled in a fuzzy purple onsie, curled up beside Edaline, and listened to the silence fill the room.
Sophie knew Edaline was angry with her based off the lack of words, but it must have been stifled by relief. There would be a heck of a lot of lectures tomorrow, but Sophie deserved all of them.
And in the arms of her mother, Sophie felt her eyes droop. The stars blinked, the curtain swished, her mind whispered....
Goosebumps ravaged through Sophie's arms suddenly and she sucked in a breath with the next words in her head.
Gone so soon Moonlark?