Keefe blinked. He was looking straight up at a very familiar ceiling. He was in the Healing Center at Foxfire.
"Ah, awake I see? How was getting kidnapped for the umpteenth time like?" called Elwin.
Keefe groggily sat up in his bed to look at Elwin, smiling at him and holding a bunch of different colored vials and elixirs.
"What?" was all Keefe could manage to say. He glanced over at the bed next to him.
Sophie was lying there, asleep and peaceful.
Elwin's smile faded when he saw Keefe looking.
"Her recovery is going to take slower than I thought. I don't even know when she'll wake up."
Keefe turned back towards Elwin. His brain seemed to be processing everything slower than usual.
Everything seemed to be normal again. But was it? What if he was still stuck in that horrible universe?
There was a knock on the door. Elwin sighed, set down the vials on a table and went over to open it.
Keefe's heart soared with relief when he saw Biana, Fitz, Alden, and Della walk in, looking anxious, but definitely alive.
"Keefe! Are you okay? When Mr. Forkle told us you were missing," cried Della, rushing over to hug him.
"I'm alright," Keefe said when she had let go.
Alden smiled at him.
"Glad to see you're awake."
Keefe tried to grin back.
"Keefe! You and Sophie scared me to death! Where have you been? What happened?" Biana ran over and squeezed him so tightly he could barely say, "Uh, nice to see you too, B, but um, I'd like to breathe."
"Sorry!" squealed Biana, backing away.
Keefe looked at the remaining Vacker. Fitz cleared his throat and said hoarsely, "I'm sorry, Keefe. I shouldn't have said or did anything like that. I know you could never forgive me but...."
Forgive Fitz? For hurting Sophie and him, joining the Neverseen, helping kidnap them, and for everything else? It was impossible. Anybody would say that. But Keefe....
"I miss my best friend," Keefe mumbled simply. Fitz's face broke into a weak grin.
The door swung open again. Keefe looked over and was very surprised. Entering, were Counselor Bronte, Counselor Oralie, and..... Counselor Noland?
"What are you doing here?" said Keefe, looking at each one of them.
Oralie looked down, but Bronte and Noland stared straight at him.
"We are deciding how to punish Alden's golden boy for his actions today," said Bronte coldly.
"Yes, um, well," said Noland, squinting at the print on the paper in front him. "We have decided to appeal to Mr. um, Ritz Savory Cracker? to question him on what happened? "
"Well, I have already talked to Fitz on his point of view and I believe he was on the verge of his mind being broken, causing him to act unnecessarily," cut in Alden.
Noland raised an eyebrow. Oralie continued looking at the floor, but Bronte nodded.
"I agree that the boy should go unpunished," Bronte said firmly, "Oralie?"
"Oh, yes um, whatever you say," said Oralie absentmindedly.
"W-what?" said Noland, "Excuse me?"
He looked hopelessly at the other counselors.
Keefe felt a pang of rage. Of course, the Vackers had their way of getting what they wanted. Fitz being a part of the Neverseen would ruin their family name.
Counselor Noland sighed. "Well, it seemed that Mr. Ritz Savory Cracker-"
"Fitz Avery Vacker" whispered Bronte, but Noland waved him off.
"Yes, that's what I said, Ritz Savory Cracker, will go unpunished."
"What?" murmured a small delicate voice.
Keefe turned in his bed.
Sophie was awake.
YOU ARE READING
Petals of Gold (A Sokeefe Fanfic)
Fanfiction"this is the last time," sophie knew it in her heart. it was the last time she'd make anymore mistakes, hurt other people. she couldn't fall for anything like that again. but how long could she resist until she fell apart? "this is the last time,"...
