This was supposed to be up yesterday, but for some reason the website wouldn't let me post it. Better late than never I guess ~
My life had begun to revolve around visits to St. Mungo's. I was spending more time in this hospital than I was in my own home.
It seemed like I was in the hospital more than out of it and it was a conscious decision on my part because I wanted to spend as much time with my sister as possible during her stay. I didn't want her getting lonely. Although she would never mention it to me, I knew just how lonely she got within the hospital and how much she missed home. Who wouldn't? Yes, she'd made friends here and yes, the staff were endlessly kind towards her and their other patients, but it still wasn't home. She simply couldn't get as comfortable here as she could at home. But she didn't seem to like with how much time I spent by her bedside, seeing it as pointless.
Maggie had told me just as much. She'd insisted that I stopped wasting my time and I couldn't seem to work out a way to convince her that spending time at her bedside wasn't a waste of my time but she simply wouldn't listen. Helga, she could be so unbelievably stubborn at times. And so, I'd had to think of more creative excuses to see her.
It was down to good luck that I'd found out that one of my colleagues from work devoted her time to reading to patients in the hospital and I decided to sign up to volunteer as well. In this small way, I managed to do some good whilst visiting my sister as well. At least this way she couldn't nag me for being in the hospital.
After having done my scheduled two hours of reading to patients on the older adult's wing, I packed my things up and said goodbye to the patients, promising that I would return as soon as I could to see them all once again. I received several parting greetings as well as wishes for my sister that made my heart feel ten times lighter.
Once I made it out of the ward, I turned instantly towards the children's ward and made a slight detour and stopped by the hospital gift shop. Buying enough chocolate to make my arms hurt, I carried them the rest of the way to the children's ward and greeted the receptionist at the front of the ward. Recognising my face and giving me a warm smile, she realised that my hands were full and signed in for me. I paused for a moment at the desk and after I double checked that the other children my sister shared a room with were allowed to eat chocolate, I thanked the older witch once more and headed to her room.
Entering without bothering to announce myself, I greeted all 8 children in the room as a whole and they cheered. Whether that was for me or the chocolate I didn't know but I still went around delivering my small gifts to both the children and to their parents who were stationed at their bedsides and clearly needed a sugar boost. Finally reaching Maggie's bed, I handed her the chocolate frog that I'd picked up especially for her and she accepted it easily.
"You don't even bother to greet me anymore," I teased, watching with a pleased smile as she undid the wrapping around the box.
She hadn't seemed so excited about anything in a very long time and just seeing the way the smile lit her face when she came across her card was enough to drive me to tears. Not that I would let her see it. Her smile was enough to ease whatever worries I'd had today.
"I got Harry Potter!" she exclaimed, holding the card out to me as if to prove that she hadn't lied.
She was so excited about getting his card that she paid no heed to her frog which almost jumped away. I grabbed it quickly before she lost sight of it and held it out towards Maggie. With a slightly embarrassed smile, she accepted it and the frog fell still in her hands.
"You'll never guess what," Maggie started as she began to eat her chocolate frog. She offered me some but I declined, settling instead for standing over her bed and undoing the braids in her hair. Grabbing the brush from the bag of toiletries I'd brought with me, I started to slowly brush the braids out. "Are you even listening to me?"
"Of course, I am," I assured her, working through the knots with gentle glides of the brush. "Tell me the news then?"
"You know Healer Higgs?" she said, munching through her chocolate and searching for something. I handed her a water bottle before she could ask for something to drink and returned to parting her hair in two.
"What about him?"
"He's gotten himself into a coma," she announced not noticing the way my hands had stilled in her hair at the news. Healer Higgs had gotten up to a lot of 'trouble' since Maggie had entered the hospital but a coma of all things – "You should have seen him; it was like he was some hero."
"What happened?" I asked, carefully maintaining my emotions as I spoke and continuing to plait her hair into two braids. "How does a hero get himself into a coma?"
"You know the kid in the next room – the one with the dad who kept hitting him and his mum – that scumbag dad who –"
"Margaret."
"Fine, he wasn't a very nice man and you know it. The dad came in to attack them under the pretence of visiting them and Healer Higgs was tending to the boy when he tried to hurt him and he managed to knock him out."
"But? How did he wind up in a coma then?"
"He got hit by a curse as well," she confessed with a despairing sigh. "The Healers say that they have to let the curse run its course before he'll wake up again. Something about that causing less damage."
"He always did get himself into loads of trouble," I confessed, completing the braids and returning to my chair by the bed. Raising my eyes towards Maggie's waiting ones, I asked, "Is there any more news on him?"
She shook her head sadly. "He's been like that for a week now and apparently people in comas can hear everything. Do you think that's true?"
"I think I've heard that before," I admitted, my mind shifting towards the Healer who had done so much to help my sister when she was first admitted to St. Mungo's. Merlin, he was the reason she had been admitted in the first place.
"He must be so lonely then." Maggie gave me a pointed glance, "Don't you think so?"
"Probably," I said slowly, evading her searching eyes.
"Maybe you should go and read to him then."
Try as I might, I couldn't seem to tear my mind away from the hospital where it was content to linger. Not that this was strange. No, from the moment my sister had been admitted, my entire day revolved around the hospital with thoughts of appointments and medication and treatment constantly whirring around my brain. But since my sister had gotten better, the tension inside of me had eased and I could focus on other things now. Or rather, that was until Maggie had told me about Healer Higgs and just like that, once again, I couldn't remove my thoughts from the hospital where he was lying now.
Whilst we'd been at school together, we had rarely ever interacted. Not only had he been in the year above mine, but we'd also been in different houses. We'd had little to no excuse to interact and yet we did and we'd even grown close in a way that people who were more than acquaintances and not quite friends could.
Regardless, I trusted him so much that when countless Healers refused to look deeper into my complaints about my sister's ill health, he had been my first port of call. When no one else had thought to consider that I wasn't overreacting to my sister's sudden fatigue and fainting spells, he had been the only one to make sense of my insistent rambling. Higgs had been the first Healer to actually examine Maggie, to actually diagnose her with a rare blood condition that I couldn't dream to pronounce correctly. It was only because he had gone out of his way to humour me that they stumbled across the problem before it was too late. He was the reason she was currently receiving treatment, the reason why she was even breathing at this very moment.
Although no one liked to admit it, I knew that if the Healers had continued to ignore my concerns then Maggie would have lost her life. I owed it to his diligent care that Maggie was currently breathing. And to think that caring man was now fighting for his own life –
Maggie gave a gentle call of my name, reaching out to put a hand on top of my own as I continued to stare into space. I started at the contact, looking at her and giving her a reassuring smile when she continued to watch with blatant worry. She could never know about any of the worry I held inside of me.
"What is it, Mags?"
She hesitated before asking, "Do you think he'll wake up soon?"
"Of course, he will," I assured her; he had to.
**********
The next time I found the opportunity to go around reading to the patients, I made a point of arriving earlier than usual. If I arrived earlier, then I finished earlier and I could pop in to visit Higgs on my way to see my sister. Sitting by his bedside for a short while was the least I could do for him. Especially when he had already done so much for me and my sister. Maybe this repaid even a fraction of the debt I owed him.
Arriving at the ward where the coma patients were looked after, I approached the receptionist that manned the entrance to the ward. She greeted me with more than a little surprise and I wondered just how often guests arrived to visit the coma patients. Enquiring about Higgs's room and signing my name down on the visitor's list, I walked down the corridor and read off each of the door numbers as I went. The ward seemed no different from the rest of the hospital; part of me had expected it to look very different. I'd expected the coma patients to be kept under heavy watch with almost constant surveillance because of their vulnerable state but they really weren't.
Finally finding the right room, I almost knocked on the door before remembering that there was no way that he would be able to respond to me. But then I decided against not knocking as well. Before my visit today I had researched a bit into comas and apparently, they were capable of hearing everything that happened around them and perhaps he would probably appreciate the gesture.
Knocking gently against the door, I opened the door and approached his bed with small steps. Helga, I couldn't quite look at him yet. Instead, I studied the room, it wasn't all that different from my sister's. Rather, it was almost identical save for the flower vase on the cabinet and the fact that there was an only bed in the room rather than being occupied by mutliple. I studied the flower vase, reading the note beside it the said it was from the patient he'd helped save. Finally reaching the chair by his bed, I hesitated to sit but did eventually.
"Healer Higgs," I started slowly, eyes fixated so heavily onto my hands that they were heavy to lift. No other words would slip past my lips but I forced myself to go introduce myself, just so he would know who was by his side. Would it really matter who was by his side, so long as he had someone beside him?
After a long moment of silence, I brought my eyes towards his body and swallowed down the lump that threatened to stop me from speaking. It wasn't right for him to be lying here so prone and ... lifeless. He had only been tending to his patients, had been ensuring their safety. Merlin, he had only been doing his job but yet here he was, dealing with a curse that shouldn't have been cast on him in the first place.
The longer I remained seated at his bedside, the harder it was to see getting to him like this. To think of that boy from school, of the man that had saved my sisters life and to accept that this was his current state. I couldn't see him like this.
Struggling for words, I managed to eventually say the words that he'd never accepted from me, "Thank you, for everything you've done for Maggie." Merlin knew that if he were awake, he wouldn't have even let me finish my words of gratitude. I continued to watch him as if expecting some response but of course he didn't give me one. He couldn't. "I need to go and see her so I'm going to have to go now. I'll try and come back to see you again."
Without another word, I rose from my seat and hurried out of the room. Why was it so difficult to see him like that? Forcing myself to leave those thoughts behind, I let those thoughts carry me towards my sister's room. Maggie, who had been watching the door for my arrival, visibly perked up at the sight of me.
"You're late," she accused as I drew closer to her bed. "What's wrong? Why do you look upset?"
"I popped in to see Healer Higgs," I confessed as I took my seat. Maggie didn't seem to be very surprised by the news. "It was hard to see him that way."
"I don't think I'd be able to see him like that as well," Maggie agreed as if to console me. "Not like they'd let me into his room anyway."
"Hurry up and get better and I'll take you to see him if that's what you want."
"I'll hold you to that," she threatened, leaning back against her pillows. She watched me contemplatively for a moment and when I silently raised an eyebrow, she asked, "Don't you think it's a shame for someone so handsome to be stuck lying in bed in a coma?"
"Is his handsomeness supposed to act as a shield?" I let out an incredulous laugh.
"You know I didn't mean it like that." Maggie cast a glance around the room before gesturing furtively for me to lean in towards her, "You didn't disagree when I said he was handsome."
"Because I have eyes." Rolling my eyes, I pushed her teasingly when she started to wriggle her eyebrows at me. It really was wonderful to see her so like her normal self once again. "Now I have an hour or so for you to fill me in one all of the gossip going on around the hospital."
"Oh!" Maggie sat up quickly, turning towards me as she spoke animatedly, "You'll never guess who's pregnant? Medi-witch Hanson with Medi-wizard Jeffers's baby."
"No!" My mouth dropped incredulously, "But isn't he married to Healer Jeffers?"
"That's why it's so scandalous," Maggie pointed out, smiling as she continued to tell me some other gossip that I needed to know. And yet, despite how interesting every piece of gossip was, I couldn't forget Healer Higgs's lifeless face.
**********
From the moment Maggie had taken ill, my weeks revolved around her appointments which were far more frequent than I had ever thought possible. But I attended each one, knowing that the Healers were doing their best to make sure that she recovered and I would need to do my part in helping them. Because I so desperately wanted Maggie to get better, I didn't complain even when the appointments were scheduled at strange and irritating times like at 8 o'clock in the morning. No, in fact when 8 o'clock arrived, I had already been sitting at her bedside for over ten minutes because I knew Maggie needed the strength that having me by her side gave her. Not that she would ever admit it. She didn't need to.
I could tell just from the way that she had reached out for my hand and held it tightly in hers as the Healers ran yet another series of tests on her. And now, even as we sat in silence and waited for the Healer's return, she didn't ease her hold on my hand. Rather it tightened considerably once the Healers had told me that the results of the test would determine the length of her remaining stay and the care she would receive. No matter how strong Maggie pretended to be, it would always remain as only a pretence. She was only a girl pretending to be an adult in the face of her illness.
"Maggie," I murmured eventually, forcefully easing her hold on my hand and instead of taking it steadily between both of mine. When she didn't raise her eyes to meet mine, I squeezed her hand reassuringly and waited patiently. Eventually, she conceded, lifting her head and gazing at me with eyes that spoke all of her fear, "You don't need to worry about anything, the Healers are doing their very best to help you and you trust them to don't you?"
She nodded slowly, hesitating before admitting, "That's not what I'm worried about."
Before she could avert her eyes, I held them firm, probing softly, "What is it, then?"
"What if it's bad news?" Maggie took in a shuddering breath, releasing it slowly before admitting, "What if you have to keep wasting more time in this stupid hospital?"
"Wasting time?" I repeated incredulously, dropping her hand. "You can't possibly mean that. You know that this isn't a waste of time, how could helping you heal to be a waste of my time?"
She shrugged wordlessly under my eyes but sighed once more. I watched Maggie for a moment longer, wondering what words it would take for her to understand that this – helping her – could never be a waste of my time. How could spending any time with her, let alone time at her bedside, be a waste of time? But I knew her, knew without a doubt that she wouldn't be swayed by my words – she wasn't the type. So instead, I rose to my feet and reached instantly for her. Wrapping my arms around her, I leaned down to hold her close and didn't let go until long after she returned the embrace. Silently I continued to hold her and only drew away at the sound of a knock on the door before the Healer entered. Even then, I dropped a kiss to her forehead before straightening up. We turned to face the door, silently reaching out for one another and holding hands as we waited to hear the verdict.
The Healer was a single member of the entire brigade that seemed to be responsible for looking after Maggie during her stay, one of the constantly revolving faces I'd grown used to seeing. Although this Healer, in particular, seemed very adamant on remaining professional and didn't go out of his way to make friends – he had a giant stick up his arse.
"From the looks of it," Healer Lands started, slowly reading his way through the entirety of the test results. He didn't even notice the way we were both clinging to one another in preparation. "Miss Kessler should be able to check out soon – but before you start celebrating too early, she will have to remain in the hospital for a little longer so we can run some final checks on her. It's best for the younger Miss Kessler to remain under Healer's watch just for a little while longer. Is that alright?"
"Of course," I started quickly, struggling to dampen the wide smile that threatened to split my face in half. "Of course, that's fine."
Healer Lands nodded to himself, looking away from me and back towards Maggie. Without speaking to me, he dismissed me and told me that he would be administering Maggie her medicine in one breathe. Dropping a final kiss to the top of Maggie's head and waving my silent goodbyes to her, I prepared to head out of the Hospital. I tried to take the familiar path to the reception but my feet wouldn't listen.
Before I realised it, I was standing before the coma patient wing and despite knowing that I should have headed home for the day, I found myself standing in front of Healer Higgs's door. Hesitating for only a moment, I pushed the door open and made for the chair at the side of his bed; it seemed that I hesitated less with each subsequent visit. Setting my bag on the floor beside the chair, I fidgeted with my fingers and watched him as he slumbered for a long moment. Sighing deeply, I wondered what to say; why did this bit never get any easier?
"Terence," I started slowly, knowing that I didn't need to introduce myself but doing it anyway, "it's me – honey badger." And despite not needing to, I added my real name onto the end of it. "It's been a while since we talked properly – Merlin knows that last time I couldn't say anything."
**********
Emerging from the bathroom after my shower with my bathrobe wrapped around me and my hair tied at the top of my head in a towel, I headed towards my vanity table. Searching through the muggle nail polish lined up in a row beside the mirror, I snagged one at random and retreated back to my bed. It seemed like today was a peach day.
Propping my feet up on the mattress, I slowly painted each of my toenails and replaced the lid on the nail polish bottle once I had finished. Outstretching my legs out in front of me, I wiggled my toes slightly as I waited for them to dry. Settling back against the headboard, I moved to grab this week's issue of Witch Weekly which promised to finally solve the debate of just which quidditch player had the best 'form'. Flicking through the pages for an article that interested me, I came up short and tried not to sigh. Eventually, I gave up and set the magazine aside, eyes lingering on the scarf tied around my bedpost.
Shifting slightly and leaning forward enough so I could reach the scarf without risking smudging my recently painted toenails, I carefully unwound the Hufflepuff scarf from around the lamppost. When I moved in, I'd wanted to paint my bedroom in Hufflepuff colours, just so it was reminiscent of the Hufflepuff basement but Maggie had been majorly against the idea. Eventually, we settled for neutral colours and my keeping the scarf within arm's reach. Bringing the scarf into my lap, I rubbed my thumb slowly back and forth over the soft material; the colours might have worn out slightly over the years but the scarf remained just as soft as it had been the very first time it had been looped around my neck. It was a simple reminder of my time at Hogwarts, all I needed to remind me.
The friends I'd made in Hogwarts were lifelong friends and although some of us had drifted apart after leaving school, I knew that if I ever needed them, they would all come running and I would without a doubt do the same. Hufflepuffs were all about loyalty and, as my old dormmates had liked to remind me time and time again, I had earned the nickname honey badger for a reason. Although Healer Higgs had been the one to give me that nickname it had soon caught on with the entirety of my house the following suit.
It seemed that not even a week could go by without me ending up in the Hospital Wing and really, I would have been surprised if I didn't deserve to end up here time and time again. Helga, I had just gotten into one more unnecessary fight because some cow had the utter gall to make remarks about my friend within my earshot. Apparently, because her boyfriend had a wondering eye, my friend was the slut? As if that made any sense? And because it hadn't made any sense, I'd walked up to the girl to try to make her see sense with words. It was only when she decided to hex me that I had been made to do the same. Otherwise, I would never have cast a spell on her. The Gryffindor just had the misfortune of thinking that Hufflepuffs were passive, that we weren't loyal.
And so here I sat, on a bed in the Hospital Wing as I waited to be seen by the matron who had simply shaken her head despairingly at the sight of me before promising she would get to me eventually. Growing bored, I allowed my eyes to scan the room until they settled on the open doorway where two Slytherin boys were entering the Wing. One of them stood with an arm thrown over the other's shoulder after having clearly had a potion exploded in their face. Snape would not be pleased.
And because I was nosey, I continued to watch as the second boy helped the first to settle on a bed and only when he too started to scan the hospital wing did I realise that it was Higgs. Averting my eyes quickly before I could be seen spying, I swung my legs as I waited – at this rate, I was going to wind up missing all of lunch.
"Kessler," Higgs called out suddenly, sounding much closer than I had thought he was. I straightened up instantly, turning towards his voice and searching him out only to find that he was walking towards the bed I was sitting on. Helga, what did he want from someone he'd never really spoken to?
"Higgs," I returned the greeting, watching cautiously as he came to stand beside my bed, "what are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," he said with a smile, looking me over as if searching for an obvious sign of what was wrong. "Well?"
"I think I've broken my arm," I confessed hesitantly, unable to meet the Slytherin's gaze. "Pomfrey has me on enough pain potions that I can't really feel the pain."
"Broken your arm?" he repeated incredulously, moving closer to me, "How did you manage to do that?" When I hesitated to answer, he guessed correctly, "In a duel?"
"It just happened somehow," I tried to justify tentatively even if it sounded dumb to my own ears.
"You're a honey badger, alright." Higgs snorted slightly and at my curious glance, he explained, "They look soft on the outside but are one of the deadliest animals on the planet. Kind of like you; not one to be underestimated."
"You're talking like you know me."
"I watched you make a fool out of Flint," he reminded me with an amused chuckle. "Feel free to let me know who did this to you and I'll handle it."
"I don't need you to handle anything for me."
"You're right," he agreed in a heartbeat, leaning in closer towards me. I watched his approach with wide eyes as he pointed towards the Head Boy badge pinned to his robes, "But out of the pair of us, I'm least likely to get into any sort of trouble."
Rolling my eyes, I couldn't help but scoff, "Oh please."
"I should head back," he confessed after a moment with a sigh. "Keep your head up honey badger, it shatters my heart to see you with a broken arm."
Scoffing aloud, I didn't try to hide my smile from him as Higgs retreated. He walked backwards as he went, waving at me and narrowly avoiding bumping into Pomfrey on his way out. Perhaps, some Slytherins were worth getting to know after all.
**********
The day had finally arrived. After almost a year with Maggie as a patient of St. Mungo's, she was finally, finally being allowed to leave the hospital. It was time for her to check out of the hospital and I couldn't have been more pleased. Maggie herself was practically bouncing up and down on her hospital bed with anticipation as she watched me pack her things into the bags that I had brought with me. She had, of course, offered to help, but I hadn't wanted her to push herself too far after she had just been given a clean bill of health.
"I bet you can't wait to be staying in your own room again," I teased over my shoulder, folding up the blanket I'd brought from home for her and stuffing it right into the bottom of the bag. "I know how much you hate these plain walls."
"I can't wait to be back home," Maggie confessed from her perch. "These hospital beds are too uncomfortable and they don't let me eat whatever I want."
"You still won't be able to stuff your face with chocolate," I warned, giving her a warning look. "Not for a while yet."
"But that's not fair!" she whined, watching as I struggled to zip the now overly stuffed bag shut.
"We're not risking your health yet." Dismissing her protests with a firm look, I assured her, "You'll be glad to know that your room is the way you left it. I haven't touched a thing because I know how much you hate that."
"Good." Maggie, still pouting, didn't look my way as I approached her bed.
"Come on, you spoiled brat," I said good-naturedly, holding my hand out for hers. She took it without protest, hopping off of the bed, "Just because you can't fill your stomach with junk food doesn't mean you can't eat what you want to. Let's drop your bags off home and then we can go out for food, how does that sound?"
"Like heaven." She perked up visibly, "Hospital food has been the worst part about being stuck in here."
"Well at least you don't have to eat any more of it," I said eventually, grabbing all of her bags and leading her towards the door.
Maggie followed alongside me, her hand in mine and she babbled endlessly as we walked. But just as we reached the reception, she paused in her step and forcefully brought me to a halt as well. Looking silently towards her, I watched as she shuffled rather awkwardly on her feet.
"Don't you want to go home?" I probed gently, watching her features as they shifted slightly as if to hide her expression.
"I've just been here for so long," she struggled to explain before shaking her head. "Can I just – can I say goodbye to my friends?"
"Of course, you can." My gentle assurance had her releasing a relieved breath. "Go ahead and see your friends I'll be waiting here for you."
"Don't just wait," Maggie said, already preparing to turn rush back towards the children's wing, "go and say goodbye to Healer Higgs."
And although she was teasing, although she had run off before I could chastise her, she didn't need to convince me any further. I waited a good moment, until she was out of sight, before turning and making the trek towards the coma patient ward and when I finally reached the ward, I headed straight for Healer Higgs's bed.
Approaching the chair that had slowly become my usual seat, I settled down in silence. I had made countless trips to his bedside and still, I didn't have the words to express just how grateful I was to him for everything, how much I owed him. Helga, if I really thought about it, then it was only because of him that Maggie was still alive and breathing right now. I owed him my very world.
"Terence," I began after another moment's pause, wondering where this courage to call him by his first name disappeared to whenever he was awake, "I'm sorry but I don't think I'll be able to come and see you again. Maggie's being discharged today and I'll be busy taking care of her at home – thank you, thank you so much for everything you did for her."
Gathering my ever-fleeting bravery, I extended a hand out towards his own as it laid prone at his side. But just before I could make contact, I started as the door opened suddenly. Glancing sharply at the door, I watched as Maggie walked into the room with a large smile on her face. I hurriedly retracted my hand.
"I wanted to say goodbye to Healer Higgs too," she explained, coming to stand at my side.
I listened in silence as Maggie took her chance to thank the Healer that had saved her life and then when she was finished Maggie glanced expectantly towards me. Realising that she finally wanted to head home, I picked up the bags that I had set aside when entering the room and gestured for her to lead the way. Walking silently ahead, Maggie didn't even look back at me and I was thankful for it simply because it gave me the chance to dart a hand out towards Healer Higgs's. I wasn't brave enough to risk anything more than brushing a fingertip over the knuckle of his index finger before I was following Maggie on her way out.
There was no reason to see him anymore.
**********
Once she was finally home and allowed to roam free, Maggie's recovery was startlingly rapid. It was like just being out of the hospital did her a lot more good than lying in that bed for days on end would do. But, as she soon discovered, simply being discharged from the hospital didn't mean that she no longer needed to make visits there. No, she needed to head into the hospital once a month for the Healers to run some more tests on her bloodwork and then, after a year, the number of visits would gradually lessen. But for now, the monthly examinations would need to begin and since we had finally reached the one-month mark, it was time for her to head in once more. Not that she was all too willing to head in. It took far too much cajoling to get Maggie to agree and eventually I had been forced to threaten to stun her and take her against her will. Thankfully she saw sense.
Although it had been a month since we last stepped foot in St. Mungo's, the moment we entered the reception area, we didn't even need to ask for directions. Already knowing exactly where we were supposed to be heading, we walked towards the checkup the office and patiently waited our turn. As we sat in the waiting room, Maggie kept a death grip on my hand, holding it tight as she jiggled her leg up and down. She would never admit it, but she was absolutely terrified of what the results would be. If I asked her about it, she would deny feeling anything of the sort but I didn't need to hear her say anything to know how she felt.
"Margaret Kessler?" We rose instantly at the sound of her name, and I wrapped a steadying arm around her shoulder, leading her in.
Maggie walked at my side, feet trudging as she followed me into one of the treatment rooms. Motioning silently for Maggie to take a seat on top of the treatment table, the Healer – one that was a regular when it came to Maggie's treatment – started to move around the room, gathering things as she went. Likely picking up on her strange mood, the older woman shot me a quizzical look and I could only shrug helplessly. Nodding decisively, she began to ask Maggie mundane questions as she gathered everything, she needed for the tests she would run on Maggie. Slowly, much like the very first time she had ever entered this hospital for treatment, she opened up to the older witch, answering her questions in a voice that slowly regained its strength.
I straightened up at the sound of my name, looking towards the Healer who was watching me expectantly, "I know you're not one for blood, are you alright? Or do you want to duck out for a little bit?"
"I don't want to faint again," I murmured a little sheepishly, remembering the way I reacted when I first saw Maggie being prepped for testing. "It's probably best I leave and come back soon."
Maggie nodded understandingly, not protesting even slightly as I edged out of the room. Reaching the door, I gave her one final reassuring smile before stepping out into the hallway. Left with some time to kill, I decided to swing by to visit the very person who had been on my mind from the moment I stepped foot once again in this hospital. Knowing that I didn't have much time, I walked double speed towards the coma patient ward and headed right for Terence's room. When I turned onto the right hallway, my paces slowed and returned to normal. Getting closer to his room, I found myself faltering slightly when I realised that the door was open – it had never been open before. The realisation had me walking with more hesitance as I finally reached the room and what I saw had me stilling in the threshold of the door.
Terence, sitting up in his bed and against the pillows, was addressing the Healer that stood at the bedside. Although their voices carried across space towards me, I didn't pay attention to what they were saying and instead found my feet taking a faltering step back; I didn't want to be seen. Visiting him and speaking with him were fine when he couldn't see me or respond to me but to actually do those when he was awake – that was beyond me. Despite my worry that he would see me, I couldn't stop the relieved smile from spreading over my lips. Not even when I finally made it back towards Maggie and the Healer who had her test results in her hands.
It was the sight of that parchment that had my smile finally sobering up. Stepping into the room, I closed the door behind me and asked, "What do they say?"
"Nothing of concern," the older witch assured me, holding the parchment up and setting it aside. "There's no sign of anything returning but we'll keep a closer eye on her for the time being."
"Oh, thank Merlin," I breathed out in relief, taking Maggie in my arms.
My sister, more relieved than she could ever say, snuggled tightly even to my arms even as she teased, "How was Healer Higgs?"
And Merlin, I was so grateful that Maggie was alright, that Terence was awake, that I didn't bother trying to tell her off. Instead, I said honestly, "He's awake."
***********
It took a few months for my schedule to sort itself out, for me to get used to having Maggie living with me on a permanent basis. Before Maggie had been taken into hospital, she had lived with my parents – parents that were too unreliable for her to remain with them any longer and so I couldn't risk leaving her with them during the day whilst I worked. Eventually, I'd compromised by getting her a tutor and companion who spent the day with her and luckily enough Maggie got along extremely well with her tutor. She was already a year behind her education, having been supposed to start Hogwarts last year but if she caught up properly, she would be able to begin in her second year. And she so desperately wanted to go to the school.
Because I'd had to go back to work to support my sister and myself financially, I'd taken to scheduling her appointments on my days off. But sometimes it just didn't work out and I had to schedule them during my lunch breaks and found myself rushing to the hospital to meet Maggie who had been escorted there by her tutor. Today was one such day with me hurriedly travelling to the hospital so I could meet Maggie as she waited in the waiting room.
Spying her as she sat with her tutor, I thanked the older woman and took Maggie off her hands for a short while. Accepting her break, Cailyn promised to return in an hours' time to pick my sister up again and I could only continue to thank her endlessly for all her help. She dismissed my gratitude with a warm smile and I took her place beside Maggie.
The moment I was sitting beside her, Maggie leaned her head against my shoulder. Setting my head on top of hers, I asked quietly, "What have you been studying today?"
"Potions," she explained with a slight scowl; I could already tell that Maggie wouldn't have an affinity for the subject which was a shame considering it was a core subject she would have to take for her O.W.L.s. "We'll have the mess cleaned up before you get home today, promise."
"I don't even want to ask," I said eventually, shaking my head.
We sat in silence for a little while longer before Maggie was called in to see the Healer. Rising to my feet, I waited for Maggie to join me and she did so eventually. Taking her arm in mine, I led her into the room and waited for the Healer to come and see us. Making Maggie sit, I paced in front of her, arms crossed over my chest. Her condition hadn't plummeted suddenly, she wasn't reacting badly to her medication and there was absolutely nothing wrong here. But still, I always entered each of these check-ups with the worry that the Healers would find something wrong with her and she would once again, be admitted to the Hospital.
"You'll be fine," I assured her after a moment, and we both knew that I was trying to reassure myself more than I was reassuring her. In fact, it was only after she'd had her second checkup that Maggie had lost all of her worry about receiving bad news. It seemed like I had taken in all the worry she was no longer experiencing.
But before I could ramble any longer, a knock on the door silenced me in one go. Turning towards the door and knowing it was the Healer on the other side, I didn't bother to call out for them to come in. They would come in themselves. And sure enough, as I reached Maggie's side, the Healer let himself into the room. Merlin, just the sight of him had Maggie reaching out to take my hand and I couldn't help but let my eyes rake greedily over his healthy form. Even if he was feeling better now, should he really have been working so soon?
Terence didn't glance our way until after shutting the door behind him and then when he did, it was to give us both a smile. Helga, it was indescribably good to be able to see him smiling so brightly again. It was better to see him alive and awake again.
"Let's get the routine checkup started," he said slowly, walking towards the table set up in the corner. He gestured for Maggie to join him and I watched from a short distance as the two talked and laughed and smiled at each other. I couldn't have hoped to stop my own grin.
Once he was done with the checkup and had the good results in his hand, only then did Terence look towards me. He addressed me for the first time and something about the realisation that this was the first time either of us had addressed one another felt strange. "The results are good, nothing to worry about."
"Good," I murmured after a moment, not knowing what else to say. Leaning down, I grabbed Maggie's cloak and threw it over my arm, preparing to head out.
"Do you think we could talk?" he asked slowly, watching as Maggie approached me to take her cloak.
Before I could answer him, Maggie already headed towards the door and announced, "I'm going to the café for a hot chocolate."
"Oh, okay," I said slowly, finally turning my eyes away from Terence. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out my wallet and handed it off to my sister who threw me nothing more than a thankful smile on her way out.
Left alone with Terence, I turned hesitantly back towards the Healer who was tending to the paperwork on the table top. He didn't look up at me for a long moment and I could only gather my hands, worry filling me at the lengthening silence. "Is there – is there something wrong?"
"No, no," he hurried to assure me, head snapping up as if realising how I could have interpreted the situation. "There's nothing wrong with the results."
"Thank Merlin." Finally done with his paperwork, Terence turned and rested against the table, watching me. He considered me for a moment and then offered me a smile that I slowly returned.
He chuckled soon after and I wondered if it sounded so relieved to his own ears as it did to mine. "You should have continued to keep seeing me."
"I'm sorry?"
"Even after Maggie was checked out, you should have kept coming to see me." Crossing his arms over his chest, he smiled knowingly at my flustered expression. I certainly hadn't expected him to remember anything. "I kept waiting for you to come back to see me – you never did."
"I didn't realise you'd know that I came to see you," I confessed slowly, a smile curling around my lips. Had I actually thought he'd consciously be aware that I was at his bedside? No. I'd always assumed that it was something he would have next to no memories of, once he woke up again. Merlin, this was embarrassing. Even if I was embarrassed that he knew I'd been at his bedside, I was grateful for it all the same. It meant I wasn't the only one that understood how familiar he felt to me.
"I did know," he assured me. Pushing away from the table, Terence hesitated for a moment before walking a short distance towards me, "I missed you, honey badger."
*************
8 YEARS LATER
Over the years, Maggie's condition had improved and she had strengthened so much that if I hadn't spent a year at her bedside, I wouldn't have realised she had ever been on the brink of death. She certainly didn't like to act like it either except whenever she wanted to get her way. When Maggie wasn't getting her way, she would pretend to be feeling weak to get someone to relent and usually her helpless boyfriend was a marionette that she held the strings for. He fell in a heartbeat for her weak act which was just as well. I certainly didn't know how he would survive being introduced to Terence if my husband didn't think Maggie's boyfriend wasn't completely head over heels for her. Helga knew the poor boy was already struggling to survive under the death glare he was receiving just for sitting beside Maggie on the sofa and holding her hand in his.
Leaving Maggie alone to act as the mediator between the two men, I headed into the kitchen to begin cutting the apple crumble into portions. I knew that Terence wouldn't hex the poor boy who was wilting under the full weight of his glare, but who knew what pointed remarks he would ask of him. He was insistent on bringing forward some dark past that would prompt Maggie to break up with him. Not long after I'd left the living room and just as I was levitating some saucers out of the cupboard, Terence followed after me. I really shouldn't have expected any less.
He hesitated a moment in the doorway, seeing the look I was throwing his way but eventually, he gathered his nerve and approached me. Leaning against the counter and watching as I portioned off the apple crumble, he waited until I shot him one more pointed glance.
Then, he was leaning in towards me to complain, "He can't keep his hands to himself!"
Without a word, I set the knife aside and turned towards him. Levelling him an unimpressed glare, I waited for him to sigh in defeat and expected him to walk about. Of course, he didn't. Instead, his frown deepened as he turned towards me and closed the space between us. Reaching a hand out for mine, he took it in both of his and set about rubbing the tension out of my joints.
"Love?" Reluctantly I turned to face him and watched plainly, waiting for him to say something. "I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Snatching my hand out of his, I arched an unimpressed eyebrow in his direction. "What exactly are you apologising for, Terence?"
He faltered for a moment, taking a step away from me. Clearly, he hadn't expected my question as he murmured just loud enough for me to hear, "- not the reaction I was expecting."
"Not the reaction you were expecting?" I repeated dangerously with narrowed eyes. Scoffing incredulously, I pointed out, "You don't even know what you're apologising to me for, do you?"
"But I am apologising, aren't I?" he insisted just as I turned to grab the knife once more. He caught my hand before I could, raising it to his mouth for a gentle kiss, "Isn't that what matters?"
As my silence lengthened and he continued to stand beneath my unimpressed eyes, Terence tightened his hold on my hand as if knowing that I was going to snatch it back. He held it firm, cradling it against his chest and making sure to hold my gaze.
"I'm sorry," he said genuinely, speaking slowly so I knew just how much he meant every word. "I'm so, so sorry for whatever I did to make my beloved wife ignore me like this. Whatever I did, it was clearly a sin."
Finally sighing, I dropped my defensive shoulders and took a step closer towards him. His furrowed brows softened, sensing the beginning of my retreat as I considered him for a long moment.
"I'll forgive you," I started slowly, eyes flickering cautiously behind him for a moment, wondering if Maggie and her boyfriend could hear us, "even if you have no idea what it is that you're apologising for."
"Thank Merlin," he said slowly, the remaining tension fleeing from his features as he crossed the remaining space between us. When he lowered his head to drop a kiss to my forehead, I lifted my chin to make it slightly easier for him. "I thought I was going to go mad –"
Rolling my eyes, I pushed away from him to finally get to the apple crumble that I had promised Maggie almost ten minutes ago now. "Oh please, don't overreact."
"Just because I'm curious," Terence began slowly, speaking as if he was scared of setting me off once more, "what was it I did that was so wrong? I've been thinking about this for days now and I can't think of anything. I swear to love, I really can't think of anything."
"Are you saying I made it up?"
"No, no," he spoke quickly, shaking his hands hurriedly to reassure me that he thought nothing of the sort. "I'm just curious to know what not to do from now on."
Plating the last of the apple crumble and casting a warming charm on the custard, I gave him an assessing glance and wondered whether I really should tell him or let him stew in the misery of not knowing for a little longer. I relented eventually, stirring the custard in the saucepan and saying a single word, "Cheesecake."
The way he sucked in a deep breath through his nose told me everything. He really had forgotten and had only just remembered. How in Merlin's name was he a healer when he had such a goldfish brain?
"I ate the last of it," he confessed his crime aloud, approaching me instantly and wrapping his arms apologetically around me from behind. His hands came around to rub soothingly over my ballooning stomach as he peppered kisses to his shoulder, finally beginning to make amends. "I know just how much you've been craving it and I should have had some more sense."
"I'll accept that apology," I murmured, leaning back against his chest as Maggie called out loudly from the living room to ask how much longer the crumble would take. She got no response as I turned to watch my husband from over my shoulder.
"I'll make you another one," he promised, pressing yet another apologetic kiss to my lips. "I know how bad your cravings have been – I must have been out of my mind."
____________________
I have an issue with making characters healers and I don't know why. But I've headcanoned Terence as a healer for absolutely ages now ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Onto the hints for the next one:
* Safe to say he likes magical creatures
* The second of his parent's children
*Has worked abroad