Qwan reached out to them. Concentrate now. Artemis and Holly, take us home.
Artemis squeezed Holly’s hand tightly. They were as close as they could ever be. Their minds were one.
Artemis turned and stared at his friend with the blue eyes. Holly was staring back, and she was smiling.
“I remember,” she said aloud. “You saved me.”
Artemis smiled back. “It never happened,” he said.
And then their minds and bodies were split right down to the subatomic level and whisked across galaxies and millennia.
---
“Sean? Sean?” The woman paused, as though wondering whether continuing was a good idea. “Young man,” The voice continued, a bit stern. “You’ve already missed breakfast—I think you’ve slept quite enough.”
Artemis groaned and turned over, “Really mother, I believe that interdimensional travel via time slip is reason enough to sleep past breakfast.” The boy paused, furrowing his brow slightly. He thought for a moment that his left eye stung, but the pain had vanished in an instant. For now, Artemis was more concerned with the fact that his mother was calling him Sean. And once he’d sat up and looked, wide-eyed, at his surroundings, he was even more concerned with where he was.
And the woman, wasn’t his mother at all—she was a nurse. Artemis heaved an internal sigh of relief. He must have been injured upon re-entry, so he was in a hospital. Simple explanation. Except…
“Madam, I am currently in a hospital; that much I have discerned. But you have made a slight error. My name is not Sean, it is, in fact, Artemis Fowl II.” The boy threw off his white bedcovers and stood as he spoke. It was then that Artemis realized what he was wearing—gray sweatpants and a gray shirt sporting a happy face? Most unusual for a hospital. He looked up at the nurse, who was regarding him with… was that a look of pity?
“In any case, I would like you to return my suit—it’s one of my favorites—and let Domovoi Butler know that I am awake and would like to be taken home.”
“…Sean, please sit back down.” Artemis was confused. He had already told this woman his name, so why did she insist on calling him by that name? The boy crossed his arms.
“I’d rather stand, thank you.”
“Yes, your chart does say that you’ve developed a rather… abrasive personality.” Artemis chuckled to himself. ‘Abrasive’ was a new one. “But Sean, I’m happy to tell you that you are in someplace far better than a hospital.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Your guardians had you sent here right away after the tragedy—you’re at Landel’s Institute for Mental Health. I’m going to make sure that you get better, doesn’t that sound wonderful?”
Artemis stared at the nurse as though she’d just told him he’d been enrolled in remedial math classes. “A mental institution?”
“Yes.”
“My guardians?”
“Yes.” The nurse said, sounding hopeful that Artemis was understanding.
“…I’d like to use a phone, please. But if you don’t think I’m capable, please, by all means, call Fowl Manor yourself. I’m sure that my parents will be very displeased with you and your institution if you don’t.”
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Artemis squeezed Holly’s hand tightly. They were as close as they could ever be. Their minds were one.
Artemis turned and stared at his friend with the blue eyes. Holly was staring back, and she was smiling.
“I remember,” she said aloud. “You saved me.”
Artemis smiled back. “It never happened,” he said.
And then their minds and bodies were split right down to the subatomic level and whisked across galaxies and millennia.
---
“Sean? Sean?” The woman paused, as though wondering whether continuing was a good idea. “Young man,” The voice continued, a bit stern. “You’ve already missed breakfast—I think you’ve slept quite enough.”
Artemis groaned and turned over, “Really mother, I believe that interdimensional travel via time slip is reason enough to sleep past breakfast.” The boy paused, furrowing his brow slightly. He thought for a moment that his left eye stung, but the pain had vanished in an instant. For now, Artemis was more concerned with the fact that his mother was calling him Sean. And once he’d sat up and looked, wide-eyed, at his surroundings, he was even more concerned with where he was.
And the woman, wasn’t his mother at all—she was a nurse. Artemis heaved an internal sigh of relief. He must have been injured upon re-entry, so he was in a hospital. Simple explanation. Except…
“Madam, I am currently in a hospital; that much I have discerned. But you have made a slight error. My name is not Sean, it is, in fact, Artemis Fowl II.” The boy threw off his white bedcovers and stood as he spoke. It was then that Artemis realized what he was wearing—gray sweatpants and a gray shirt sporting a happy face? Most unusual for a hospital. He looked up at the nurse, who was regarding him with… was that a look of pity?
“In any case, I would like you to return my suit—it’s one of my favorites—and let Domovoi Butler know that I am awake and would like to be taken home.”
“…Sean, please sit back down.” Artemis was confused. He had already told this woman his name, so why did she insist on calling him by that name? The boy crossed his arms.
“I’d rather stand, thank you.”
“Yes, your chart does say that you’ve developed a rather… abrasive personality.” Artemis chuckled to himself. ‘Abrasive’ was a new one. “But Sean, I’m happy to tell you that you are in someplace far better than a hospital.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Your guardians had you sent here right away after the tragedy—you’re at Landel’s Institute for Mental Health. I’m going to make sure that you get better, doesn’t that sound wonderful?”
Artemis stared at the nurse as though she’d just told him he’d been enrolled in remedial math classes. “A mental institution?”
“Yes.”
“My guardians?”
“Yes.” The nurse said, sounding hopeful that Artemis was understanding.
“…I’d like to use a phone, please. But if you don’t think I’m capable, please, by all means, call Fowl Manor yourself. I’m sure that my parents will be very displeased with you and your institution if you don’t.”
“Sean, your parents are dead.”