After minutes of begging, it was Uncle Harry who finally agreed to take Rose to Albus's hospital room. Her parents looked unsure, but Rose assured them that she needed to talk to Albus. Now, Uncle Harry was behind Rose, pushing her wheelchair to the other side of St. Mungos.
"Push faster," Rose said impatiently, grabbing the wheels of the chair and trying to help Uncle Harry with the wheeling.
Uncle Harry chuckled. "I swear, you have your father's patience."
As they walked, or in Rose's case wheeled, down the long hospital corridors, it was an especially difficult journey. For one, Uncle Harry had to control Rose's wheelchair, and he had to keep up with her oxygen tank. Rose didn't really see why they made her wear a nasal cannula in her nose on the way there; she could breathe just fine. And to make it even more uncomfortable, she was also connected to an IV bag, which was hanging on a long pole with wheels that Rose had to hold on to. Seriously, Rose felt absolutely healthy.
It was over a five minute walk to the other side of St. Mungos. Finally, they stopped at a door, which had Albus's name written in sloppy cursive on a dry-erase board. Rose didn't know what to expect when they went inside.
* * *
Albus laid motionless, besides the steady rise of his body as he breathed, in his hospital bed, staring bleakly out the window. He couldn't close his eyes and sleep without seeing the flash of green light that put him in a coma. It seemed like he couldn't do anything on his own anymore. He needed sleeping potion to sleep, a food potion that kept him from going hungry for a week since he refused to eat, and sometimes he couldn't even get out of bed without assistance. That was especially embarrassing whenever he needed to use the loo or take a bath.
How did he end up this broken? Well, blame it all on the coma.
Albus had been awake for a little over three months now, but he still didn't feel really awakened yet. His normal functions from before were difficult to him now. Some days he could walk, while other days the feeling in his legs vanish without warning. The fact that he'd been in bed for a straight week now hasn't really helped with his walking problem. But honestly, Albus didn't care.
As far as he knew, and from updates from his family, none of his best friends were awake yet. Albus even started assuming they were never going to wake up. His parents always told him he was lucky to be alive, but really, was he? His friends were as good as dead. Even the girl he loved, who had cancer, and the coma probably has killed her by now.
Albus knew these negative thoughts weren't good for his recovery. They'd even earned him weekly visits from a post-traumatic stress therapist. Only it was hard for Albus to find a reason to get better.
Then, there was a small knock on his door. Albus pulled his pillow over his face and groaned.
Gosh, won't they just leave me alone, thought Albus bitterly.
The door opened with a squeal, and Albus immediately regretted not putting a locking charm on the door. Was there even a locking charm? Albus couldn't even remember spells anymore.
"Al? There's someone here to see you," Albus's father said. The visitor was probably another wizard neurologist surgeon ready to perform some miracle on him.
"Go away, Dad," Albus mumbled into his pillow, wishing he and whoever he brought would go away.
"Albus, it's me. Rose."
Albus whole body tensed up. Tears glistened his vision, and he blinked fast to make them go away. No, this wasn't real. Rose was dead. Albus's friends were dead.
"I'll leave you two alone," Albus's father said awkwardly, and a second later the door squealed shut again. Albus was terrified to sit up.
But eventually he did, wiping his hand over his eyes to get rid of any excess tears. When his vision cleared, his eyes widened when he saw the familiar frizzy, Weasley-red hair that belonged to his cousin. Albus summoned up as much energy as he could, then stood up and rushed over to Rose, pulling her into the biggest hug he'd ever given. He didn't even care that he was crying with joy.
Rose squeezed Albus just as hard as he squeezed her, and she whispered, "I'm so glad you're okay, Al."
Albus laughed shakily, still in shock, "I'm glad you're okay too, Rose." Then Albus pulled away, noticing Rose was sitting in a wheelchair. "You can't walk?"
Rose shook her head. Then she replied oddly without even moving her lips, "Nope."
Albus stared at her. "How are you speaking?"
Chuckling, which wasn't coming from her mouth, but from some other way, she said, "I just woke up today, so I kind of can't talk or walk. My mother fixed my talking problem with a spell."
Albus nodded, surprised. Then he went back to something she said. "Wait, you just woke up? Today? From a coma, I assume?"
Rose nodded and rolled her eyes. "No, I was hibernating for a year. Yes, from a bloody coma!"
"Sorry, sorry! You don't have to get sassy with me," Albus said, his hands raised defensively. His and Rose's eyes met and the two instantly burst out laughing. Albus realized it was the first time he'd laughed in a very long time.
When their laughter settled, Rose's smile vanished, and she asked Albus seriously, "So, have you heard about either Holly or Scorpius's conditions?"
Albus gulped, blinking back tears. Gosh, he hated crying. He then sighed and replied, "No, no one's told me. I...I kind of thought that none of you would wake up, actually. I've been awake for three months thinking you, Scor, and Holly were dead."
Rose stared at him sympathetically. "That's awful, Albus. I-I can't even imagine how anxious you must have felt." Then she set her hand on Albus shoulder. "Well don't worry, at least you have me now."
Albus's lips curled into a tiny smile. "I'm glad I have my best friend back."
Rose's eyes spotted Albus's wizard chess set on the table across the room. She wheeled herself over to it, bumping a few things with her wheelchair, and grinned. "You up for a game? Maybe I can beat you for a one hundredth time."
Albus gave her an amused look. "You sure? Neither of us have played in a year, Rose."
Rose smirked. "That's what will make it interesting. So what do you say, Potter?"
Smirking back at her, Albus replied, "You're on, Weasley."
And in that moment, Albus felt like he had finally woken up.
~ ~
Wow, I can't believe this story has 21 chapters now! It seems like yesterday when I started writing it :')
Anyways, vote and comment! Hope you enjoyed it!