"I am very happy that all of you came today." Healer Green started the next day once we were all inside the room for Group Session. Chase rolled his eyes.
"It's not like we had much of a choice." He crossed his arms.
"Yeah, you stopped at every single one of our rooms, and kept reminding us that we had to come" Ivy put in. We all nodded. He had even Flooed me a couple times that day to remind me to come.
"Yes, well. There is a reason." He stood at the head of the table. "As much as I hate to tell you, I must. I've put it off as long as I could."
"Get on with it!" William snapped. Healer Green practically winced. He took a deep breath.
"I'm leaving." He said after a beat. All of us bolted upright, our mouths open. Silence pressed against my ears.
"W-what?" Ivy quietly asked after a moment or two, which was wierd since she never did anything quietly.
"I am leaving." He said again. I looked down. I could see Jenna tearing up from the corner of my eye.
"When?" Asked Chase. Healer Green sighed guitfully.
"Tommorrow night."
"Tommorrow?!" Ivy excalimed.
"I know. I should have told all of you sooner, but I didn't know how. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have waited." He hung his head down. I bit my lip, trying not to cry. I could tell that everyone else was upset as welkl. Jenna had her head laid down on the table, in her arms, sobbing.
"Where are you going?" William asked, his voice surprisingly calm.
"Uganda."
"Uganda? Where's that?"
"In Africa I'm going to help help the less fortunate."
"But...." I pulled on my hair, the tears finally spillling over. "We need you..."
"I know, that's why I had to put it off. I didn't have the heart to tell you. But I couldnt just leave with out telling you. I hope all of you can forgive me." He looked so shameful. I looked around at everyone else. Ivy nodded at Chase, then looked up.
"We forgive you, but..."
"But what?"
"But who's going to replace you? Who's going to..." She paused, trying to find the right words, "help" us?"
"Another Healer is comming in tommorrow. You will meet him the next day. I will already be gone."
"How can you expect us to tell a man we don't even know stuff?!" excalimed, sounding a bit more like himself. "I mean, how can we know we can trust him?"
"He is a Healer.That's the best I can tell you. I don't know him either. All I know is that he is coming over from the States."
"As in the United States? Of America? Those states?" Chase stood up in wonder.
"Yes. From New York City, I belive. I am sure he will treat you well, though..."
We fell into a silence again. I cried. Jenna sobbed. Chase wrung his hands. Ivy looked around, an unsure look on her face. William sat there, tapping his fingers on the table and somehow staying complely calm. Gildy took my hand....
"Here." Chase suddenly stood up, making us all jump. He reached into his satchel he always had with him and pulled out a golden pocket watch. He hung from a big, chinky chain and had the St. Mungo's seal ingraved into the front. With a shakey hand, he handed it to the Healer. Healer Green smiled, and pocketed the watch.
"Thank you, Chase. I was wondering when you were going to give it back."
"You knew?"
"I always knew." HealerGreen casually answered. "I just wanted to wait and see if you would do it yourself with out me pushing you. Thank you, Chase."
"Um.. You're welcome..." He seemed a little surprise. "I... think I'm going to go now... Um... bye." Before any of us could say anything, he pivoted and began running out of the room. One his way out, he grabbed a quill out of a cup of quills on a table. Healer Green shook his head, but didn't stop him. Once he was out, another silence filled the air. After a few minutes, William stood up as well.
"I think I'm going to go to bed..." He stretched, and walked over to Healer Green. The took the Healer's hand. "Goodnight. Bye." He calmly said, then went out the door. No one really knew what to say. Healer Green swollowed and looked at the four of us who remained. He walked over to Jenna, who, judging by her shaking shoulders, was still sobbing.
"Jenna..." He bent down so he was level to her face. "Are you okay?" She didn't answer. "May I touch you?" He was about to lay a hand on her when she suddenly turned away from him.
"N-No!" Her voice was strained. "Don't...I...Just..." She suddenly stood up. "Bye." She ran out of the room. This made Ivy stand up. "Jenna!" She ran after her friend. This left only Gilderoy, Healer Green, and myself.
I tried to wipe my tears away, but found it was useless,, since they just kept comeing. Gilderoy scratched at his hair.
"You said you were leaving tommorrow night?" He asked. Healer Green nodded.
"I'm affraid so."
"Can we have lunch tommorrow? " Gilderoy asked. "You know, before you leave?"
"Of course." Healer Green smiled. "Would you like to join us, Elle?" Both men looked at me. My heart started to race.
"I... Um... No! No I don't!" I tried to catch my breath. "I... I want to go home!" I stood up, but instead of going towards the door, I went to him. I wrapped my arms around him. He took in a quickly breath, then wrapped his arms around me.
"Goodnight, Elle. I hope you have a good night. I think-" Before he could finish, I wiggled out of his grip. My chest was acheing. "I think it goes with out saying that there will be no therapy session tommorrow."
"Yeah..." I swollowed. He took a hanky from his pocket and handed it to me.
"Here. Go home, and try to calm yourself down before you really make yourself upset." He instructed. I nodded. He took my hand, and I stiffened. He gave it a gental squeeze, then let go. "Go one. Would you like me to walk you to Lucius?"
"No... I... I think I can do it." I held back a sob, then hurried out of the room.
...............................................................................
"It's okay, Elle. He has to help other people, Love." Narcissa stroked my hair. I was laying in her bed, with my head in her lap. She was sitting with her back against the head board. It was time for me to go to bed, but since I hadn't taken my Combination, I wasn't really tired. Add that with my sadness, and it was a bad situation.
"But he's my healer. He can't leave me now! He can't! He....He can't!" I cried even harder. Narcissa tried to calm me down.
"Sh..... It's okay. I promise. You can go see him tommorow before he leaves? How does that sound?"
"No!" I shouted, sitting up. "No! No! No! I don't want to see him! He's leaving! He's a traitor! I don't like him, and I don't like this guy coming to replace him! No! I don't...like...." I was finally crying so hard that I couldn't speak. Narcissa pulled me into her.
"Shh... Breath, Elle. It's okay. You don't mean that. You like Healer Green, that's why you are so upset. And as for the new healer, you do not know him. I'm sure he will be lovely." She assured. I shook my head frantcially.
"No! No! Noooooooo!" I knew I shouldn't have been yelling, but I coudn't help it. I was having feelings I hadn't had in a while. Feelings that I had had when I was first put into the Psychiatric Ward. Dark, hurting feelings that I thought I had gotten rid of. Feelings that I had to get rid of, or I knew, if I wanted to or not, I would do something drastic to get rid of it: and everything else, permitely.
"Eleanor, you're going to have to calm down. What has gotten into you?" Narcissa shifted, and I was basically ontop of her. She wrapped her arms around me. "Come on. It's okay. You're okay. We are all okay..." The assured. I wanted to push her arms off of me. I didn't want touched, yet... I felt safe in her lap. This confusion only made my crying worsen.
"I... I want... I... don't.... I...." I didn't know what to say, so instead I grabbed Melvin from beside us and hugged him before pressing my face into Narcissa's neck. My tears dampened her silky night gown. She held me a little tighter and sighed. Although she didn't know why I was being so emotional lately, she did know it was going to be a long night.