With you in my Arms

83. "You're a smart bird, aren't you?"

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It was hard for Draco to keep his balance and not to stumble and fall with a by now writhing Hermione. The loud sounds indicating her distress attracted a healer only moments after their arrival.

"What happened? Apparating with her in this state..." the middle ages woman started.

"There wasn't time for anything else! She needs help, now." Draco snapped back.

The healer took another look at the witch held by him.

"Follow me."

He did. The way led to the elevators, two floors up and then to a part of the hospital that seemed to have special security arrangements as this was the only time he could remember to ever having seen tall, muscular figures at the entrance to a ward.

"Put her on the examination table." the healer told him while she was washing her hands and then grabbed a book from the shelf by the door.

Hermione wasn't sure what was happening around her any longer. The pain didn't stop now. It had become a constant gut wrenching feeling she couldn't escape. She wasn't sure, if she could fight the screams trying to escape her parched throat for that much longer.

Cool, caring fingers caressed her cheeks.

"I won't leave you, Lea. I'll be here for how ever long it's going to take." a voice whispered into her ear.

She knew that voice. It was her husband, he was going to be there for her. Help her... Hermione screamed as a new wave of pain was ripping through her body.

It was tearing him apart. She was writhing and screaming just like last time. His body was covered with goosebumps and he shivered in the cold suddenly engulfing him. Just like last time... Though this time it was his fault that she was in so much pain. He wanted to take all the agony away. He wanted to make it all go away, but could only helplessly watch as the girl he loved suffered yet again with him having to watch, unable to do anything.

The healer was now slowly moving her wand over the panting witch before her. There was a deep frown on her face. It did nothing to calm the expecting father's nerves. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

"Don't leave her our off your sight. I'll be back in a minute."

Draco looked at the woman now vanishing through the door. What did she think he'd do? Abandon his wife while she was clearly in a state of utter distress?

"Draco?" Hermione's voice was laboured and hoarse.

"Yes, Lea? I'm here."

She just looked at him and the sinking feeling in his heart was like a knife made of ice slicing through him. Her eyes were dull and had lost their normal sheen. Even when he had utterly exhausted her with his body in the past had she lost this special spark. It was gone. There was resignation and agony swimming in the deep brown he loved to get lost in.

"Hang on in there, Lea, hang on..." he was pleading with her.

His heart was racing, his mind conjuring all sorts of horrible nightmares for him to endure. What was happening? Another ear splitting scream engulfed him. Where was this Merlin forsaken so called healer? Right on cue the witch re-appeared, two further female healers following her.

They gathered around their patient while Draco carefully dabbed the sweat from his wife's forehead with his shirt sleeve.

"I think the turn has gone too far. The head is too far bend over."

"There will be breakage, if there isn't any intervention."

"We'll lose both of them, if we can't correct the position in order to have a safe delivery."

Bewildered the only male in the room looked from one healer to the other. What were they talking about? Did that mean his witch was going to die? What about their child? What about their son? Why were they not doing something? Anything!

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. The oldest of the three women was standing next to him.

"What's your name, dear?" she asked with a kind voice.

"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. She's my wife, Hermione."

"Ah." recognition was flicking over her features.

"What's happening? Why's she in labour now? It should have been another month before..."

"Yes." there was something strangely re-assuring in her voice, "Under normal circumstances your child would have been born in about a month's time, but it didn't move into the right position. It will not be possible for it to be born naturally. It's neck would be snapped in half, killing it. Which could lead to the death of the mother as well."

Utter horror gripped hold of the young wizard. He'd just been told that his beloved witch and their child were going to die. Whatever had gone wrong was the death sentence for the two people most dear to him.

"We'll see that we correct the situation, but in order for us to do that you'll need to leave and wait next door."

"NO! There's no way I'm leaving her!"

He didn't get the opportunity to protest any further as the dark of unconsciousness claimed him.