Free A Charming Cure by Tonya Kappes

liked would’ve
     helped. But there was nothing out of the ordinary. I chalked it up to her
     current state of the coma. She wasn’t probably in any shape to like anything at
     the moment.
    Dang . I sat on the
     edge of the bed feeling a little elated that I might have a cure, but a little
     defeated in the fact that there was no smell. This wasn’t a guarantee, but
     definitely worth a shot.
    I
     reached over and pulled my purse closer. I didn’t have to dig too far to grab a
     Ding Dong. Having a little treat might jog my insight on what I needed to do.
     When I bit into the yummy goodness, I realized I didn’t have anything but my
     empty coffee cup to put the potion in. Like magic, the treat was gone in a
     couple of bites.
    It
     was time to test my real skill and get the potion for the intended recipient. .
     .Faith.

 
    Chapter Eight
     
    The
     framed retired professors hanging on the wall seemed to never sleep. They
     watched my every step as Mr. Prince Charming and I darted down the stairs and
     out into the empty street.
    It
     was late, and hopefully no one would be around to see me or to tattle on me to
     Aunt Helena. She was the last person I wanted to find out that I was making a
     cure, let alone one for Faith. Especially when the rules clearly stated that
     you couldn’t make potions on your own, or at least on University property.
    We
     slipped into the hospital and into Faith’s room unseen. Faith remained in the
     same position since I last saw her. The tubes connected to her made the
     machines beep at a steady pace.
    Looking
     at her, I’d sworn she was a goner. Dark circles under her eyes made her pale
     skin appear as if she had two big black eyes. Her ashen skin was no longer the
     gothic pale that made her features stand out even more, making her the exotic
     looking creature that she was.
    Even
     her fingernails had grayed.
    Mewl,
     mewl .
     Mr. Prince Charming jumped up on her bed. He was as uncomfortable as I was.
    “Sicko,
     I know.” I hated to admit that this was not my finest hour. I ran my fingers
     from the bag of the IV to where it entered into her hand and wondered how in
     the world I was going to get the potion into the little tube.
    If
     only. . .my magic wannabe struck again. I wished I could just wave a magic wand
     and bring her back. Unfortunately, magic didn’t work that way. At least mine
     didn’t.
    “Potion
     maker, not doctor.” I whispered, reminding myself that this concoction probably
     wasn’t going to work.
    There
     was no way I was going to inject something in her, so I stood over her lifeless
     body and parted her lips with one hand. With the other, I tipped the used
     coffee cup that was filled with the potion, into the opening of her mouth. The
     thick liquid fell in one big drip.
    A
     zap went through my hand. An electric shock traveled through my body,
     propelling me against the wall, and then down to the floor. Mr. Prince Charming
     landed next to me.
    Hiss,
     Hiss. Mr. Prince Charming batted at the door. The light underneath the door gave way
     to shadows of someone’s shoes.
    “Some
     fairy-god cat you are. Come on.” I crawled to Faith’s bed, and then rolled
     under. I couldn’t risk someone seeing us. Mr. Prince Charming ran under too.
    The
     door flung open, the lights flipped on, and two nurses rushed in. One punched
     buttons on the machine that was beeping much faster than it had been when I
     first got there, and the other did some sort of diagnostic test on Faith.
    Please
     don’t let me have done her in , I thought with my eyes shut tight and
     hands clasped in praying position. All sorts of thoughts began to flood in.
    What
     if I wasn’t a real psychic? What if I just fed her a deadly concoction? What if
     Eloise really did do it? What if my intuition really isn’t that great?
    “She
     still has a pulse.” One of them said.
    “This
     is the strangest thing. Her fingernails. Look.” The other’s voice raised an