''𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘.''
𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆. I thought about telling somebody, but I couldn't. I tried bringing it up to Theo during dinner, but everytime I tried, the words got caught in my throat. So I just left it at that.
Theo was upstairs, taking a shower. The first shower he's taken while being outside the Ministry. He would've taken one yesterday, but he quickly fell asleep upon arrival. I don't blame him, I would be, too. Especially if the only thing I had to sleep on was the stone floor.
I heard the shower turn off from upstairs, telling me that Theo had been done. I walked to the front door and grabbed my house keys, which tended to be the only thing I needed since my bike was still broken at the moment. I hadn't had the chance to take another look at it since I had gotten Theo out of the Ministry.
''I'm heading off to work.'' I shouted, hoping Theo would hear it. ''I'll be back later.''
I opened the door and was about to close it behind me when Theo had shouted.
''Wait!'' He quickly walked down the stairs, finally getting his shirt over his head at the last step. I chuckled at him, watching as he straightened it down. ''I'm coming with you.'' He stated determinedly.
''What? No, you're not.''
''Yes, I am.'' He nodded with a smile, now standing next to me.
''Just stay here and wait for me. My work is boring, anyway.''
''I don't care.'' He shook his head, looking over to me. His face didn't seem like he was kidding anymore, it was more serious. Something that Theo wasn't known to be seen as most of the time. ''I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not.''
I sighed, my shoulders slumping when I exhaled.
''All right.'' I gave in. He jumped with a smile and was the first to step outside. I locked the door behind us, locking my arm with Theo's.
I stuffed my keys in my pocket, Theo turning back to me.
''Where do you work?'' He asked. I didn't get the chance to respond, an echoing crack in the silent atmosphere.
When we touched back down onto the ground, Theo brought up a hand to his forehead. I steadied him with a hand on his back. He looked like he was about to vomit.
''Hey, you all right there, Theo?'' I asked, crouching down a bit. He was lurched over, hands on his knees.
''Yeah, yeah.'' He waved his hand at me, letting out a grunt. ''Just give me a minute.''
After a few good minutes of taking deep breaths and reassuring that he was fine, he was able to stand back up on his own again. He ran his hand through his hair, following behind me as I opened the door to the magical Hospital. On the outside, it looked abandoned and run-down. It was a safety precaution.
Inside, doctors and nurses had walked back and forth with clipboards in their hands. A few people stood at the receptionist's counter, looking content or extremely worried. The floors seemed to recently have been polished, which didn't end well with the way people have been walking in and out of here.
A few of the staff had given me small waves, to which I had gave a curt nod in return. The rest of them had been giving me weird looks. Whether it was because I had Theo standing next to me or because of some past event. I had the tendency to steal other people's job, mainly because they either worked too slow or they didn't do the job correctly.
Theo gave an audible gasp from beside me, whistling afterwards.
''You've been working at St Mungo's this whole time?'' He asked, not taking his eyes from the sight of the massive ceiling above us. It was carved with different designs, along with a chandelier hanging in the middle. Now that seemed like a hazard, especially in a Hospital.
''Yep.'' I nodded, starting my walk towards the receptionist desk. Theo followed close behind me, getting bumped a few times before grabbing my wrist to keep up with me. ''In the bites and scars division.''
Theo laughed from beside me. ''Well, isn't that ironic.'' He gave me a playful look. I couldn't help but give him a laugh and turn back to the lady at the desk.
''Miss Diggory.'' They smiled up at me, away from the computer sitting in front of them. ''Glad to have you back.''
''Glad to be back.''
''Mr. Lumen has been restless since you're disappearance.''
''Has he now?'' I asked, filling out a form that the lady handed over to me. Theo rocked back and forth on his feet, looking down at the paper from over my shoulder. ''I'll go and see him first then.'' I placed the pen down on the paper, giving the lady a shirt smile and walking off.
''Sheesh.'' Theo called in a whisper. ''Does everyone around here have a stick up their ass?''
''Honestly, yeah. I haven't met a staff here who doesn't.'' I answered. I glanced over to said person, seeing that he had his hands in his pockets with his figure slightly slumped forward, swerving left and right to avoid getting hit by any of the others. Then I took note of his appeal. ''You look nice.''
Theo looked at me with a toothy smile. Whatever facial hair had previously been grown, was now shaved off. His hair wasn't cut, but looked better now that it was tied behind him and not in a raggedy look. The dirt and smudge had been wiped off his face, showing how clear his skin was.
''You almost look like a kid again.''
He didn't say anything in return, just looked to the ground with a smile on his face. I stopped outside the door that had the outfits for the doctors and nurses that staffed here.
I told Theo to stay outside the door, since he couldn't come into a 'staff only' room. He sighed with a pout, but did so anyway. When I had gotten changed into my white doctors coat and shaded blue shirt, I stepped back outside.
''All right, Theo,'' I addressed as I continued down the hallway. ''While I'm seeing this patient, you can explore. Just make sure to behave yourself.''
''Uh, no.'' He shook his head, quickening his pace. ''I'm coming with you.''
''Trust me, Theo. This man doesn't like everybody. Hell, I don't even know how much he likes me.''
''All the reason to come with you.'' He shrugged.
On the way to Andrew's room, I kept trying to convince Theo to do something else. But he wouldn't. When we had arrived at the door, I sighed and gave up trying to get him to do something else. He stood with his arms crossed and his eyebrows pulling up in the middle.
With a sigh, I rubbed the bridge of my nose and opened the door. Theo smiled triumphantly, following behind me and closing the door.
Andrew was laying on the bed, hands at his sides and blanket pulled up to his chest. His breathing was calm and steady, eyes lightly shut. Theo had lightly shut the door, a small click sounding afterwards. I went and walked around the side of the bed, Theo still stood at the door and watched.
''Mr. Lumen.'' I called his name. ''I know you're awake.''
The man let out a soft chuckle, his eyelids fluttering open and instantly looking at me.
''Only you know when I'm faking. The others? Dense as hell.'' He shifted around in the bed the best he could, trying to get more comfortable against the pillows. I laughed at him and set my clipboard and pencil on the side table.
Sitting down on the spare chair, I crossed one leg over the other and asked: ''How are you?''
''Meaning?''
''Just in general.''
''Well,'' He started, taking a deep breath in. ''Nurses come in and out of this room everyday and for the past few days, none of them had been you. I'd been faking being asleep because they all insist on starting a conversation. Mainly about work and other patients. I'd rather not hear about someone's toe fungus gone wrong.''
''And then there's this.'' He gestured down to his hand. ''Can't feel anything below my waist. But just because I can't feel anything, doesn't mean that I don't feel anything inside. I hear these nurses talking about how much of a lost cause I am. I just want to go home and see my family.''
Andrew sighed and dropped his head back against the pillow. He had told me a few stories about his family. His daughter, his wife. I tilted my head down, hearing a soft sniffle from the door. I perked my head back up and looked over to see Theo wiping tears from his eyes. Andrew also heard, looking over to Theo.
''Who are you?'' Andrew asked, not expecting any guests. Let alone anyone to hear is sappy side. ''Don't tell me that this... git-'' He gestured up and down to Theo. ''-is going to replace you. No, I won't allow it.''
I laughed at how quick Andrew was to defend me.
''No, no.'' I denied. I got up and walked over, grabbing Theo's hand and gently pulling him beside Andrew's bed. ''This is my friend, Theodore. He wanted to come to work with me today.''
Andrew grunted and eyed Theo with a judging look. Theo shifted from one foot to the other, not sure how to react.
''All right.'' Andrew nodded. ''You had me worried for a second.''
I smiled at Theo, who let out a relieved breath.
We talked between the three of us for a short while. Theo got to know Andrew and Andrew got to know Theo. Theo had just told the most absurd story about how Blaise ended up having milk dripping from his nose because he laughed too hard. I was there, with my robes drenched in the milk that was dripping from Blaise's nose.
'Y/n.'' Andrew called my name, holding back a yawn. ''Tell me the story, won't you?''
''Story?'' Theo asked. ''What story?''
I gave a light chuckle. ''The story of the Battle of Hogwarts. When You-Know-Who died.''
Theo's eyes had seemed to sadden at the memory. I placed a hand on his shoulder.
''You were there, too. Weren't you?'' Andrew asked, weakly lifting his index finger to Theo. Hey, at least that's progress. Theo nodded. ''Well, why don't you tell the story, then?''
Theo took a deep breath, raggedy here and there. I reassured him with a soft smile, holding his hand in mine. He agreed and started telling the story from his view. After a few minutes of Theo telling the story, he was basically standing on the table, pretending to be casting a wand back and forth.
He was acting as Harry one moment, You-Know-Who the next and then a few others. Theo practically jumped around the room, doing the best he could to act out the story. Andrew was loving every second of it, as was I. He would comment about certain moments, like the moments that I had been brought in or the time of You-Know-Who's death.
The moment was momentarily ruined when a nurse had opened the door. Andrew whined that Theo had stopped the story. The nurse told me that the boss had needed me for something. I nodded and stepped outside the door, soon hearing the story continue from the other side. I trusted Theo to stay with Andrew for a few.
I walked into the boss's office, feeling good about myself. Maybe I was about to get a raise, maybe he'd give me a promotion. Hell, I would even settle for a vacation. But when I gotten there, his face showed anything besides what I was expecting.