She was breathing heavily when she turned the key in the lock. The door opened with a soft click. She threw her backpack down and sunk to the floor, weeping. It was all over. Everyone she thought a well wisher had in fact wanted her for her money or body, and in HIS case, both. She wept till no more tears would come. A dull ache began in her gut and she pulled herself up, holding the cabinet and threw up on the plush Persian carpeting. She continued in this manner a few more times, trying to get all the poison out of her system. A startling insight took her by surprise. "I want to move, I want to live. I shall live. Please help me" she managed to say suppressing the gag reflexes, on voice mail to her best friend Ginny. She heard footsteps in the lobby outside. It did not strike her that HE could have followed her home here too. She lay there, on the love seat trying to catch her breath and pour herself a glass of water, with her shaking hands. She thought she saw someone in the hallway, so she slowly arose when a chilling voice behind her said "I would not do that if I were you". She flailed madly in vain as he twisted her arm and whispered threateningly into her ear to not make a sound or he would cut her. Not heeding his words, she banged loudly on the wall screaming for help. "Ever the rebel, aren't you darling?" He added the endearment mockingly and whipped out a knife. He pressed the blade against her neck till a few drops of blood fell, contrasting against the rich cream coloured carpeting. She whimpered, her eyes filling with tears. Begging for mercy. "This is hot, Shaina" he said, cruelly grinning. "Let's try another place, hmm?" and he casually glided the blade across her wrist, watching in satisfaction as the crimson rivulet began to flow. Slowly. As the pool around her feet began to increase, he slapped her and said "Rot in hell, you bitch!". He walked out of her life and apartment forever. She closed her eyes, accepting this to be her fate. This, to be her end. She sent up one final prayer to the Almighty for forgiveness and her head jerked forward, her breathing echoed one last time in the emptiness of the apartment.
George Fabian Weasley was going about his business in the Weasleys Wizard Wheezed as usual when he felt a tug on his magic. "That's odd" he thought. "Who's trying to contact me in this manner.." and then it hit him. The pulsating locket. Shaina. He just knew she was in trouble. He apparated to her apartment right away. He arrived there, to find his beloved lying in a pool of blood. He checked her pulse immediately. He was relieved to find that it was there. But it was growing feebler. He took out his wand and performed some basic diagnostic skills, using Episkey and Tergeo as he went along. He poured some Revitalizing Potion into her mouth and waited. He knew that this would buy him enough time to get her to Mungo's. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled, as if it hurt too much to do so. "Thank God you are alright. I have told Harry and the gang that Yaxley somehow found you and got to you. They will meet us at Mungo's." She shook her head and mouthed "Sacred Heart" before slipping out of consciousness. He panicked and speed dialled Hermione Weasley. "Hermione? Shaina said something about taking her to a Sacred Heart. I think she was delirious" Hermione said bossily yet comfortingly "George, stop babbling. She is talking of Sacred Heart Hospital in California, USA. Her brother works there." "Okay, I am taking her there now. Can you come along? It is a Muggle hospital right?" the words tumbled out of George. Hermione assured him that she would come there as soon as Rosie got back home from school and hung up.
Meanwhile, at Sacred Heart...
"Good God, Cecilia nobody wants to hear about how you and your black husband are on a break or whatever term you kids use these days. Get your asses back to work or I will be forced to let you go" a curly haired tall man in a white coat and jeans was raging at a cowering white doctor and a bald, black guy in green who looked cocky and unaffected. "Dr. Cox..." the young white doctor said, in a whiny annoying tone. "Shut up Priscilla, or I swear to God-I-don't-believe-in that I will bash your skull in and I will be happy to go to jail for the remainder of my natural life knowing you are not around" Dr. Cox stated matter of factly. This seems to be a common occurrence, George Weasley thought since nobody batted an eyelid. "Hey Doctors! Little help?" he yelled, feeling angry and scared for Shaina. The group turned and took one look at the woman in his arms, forgot their squabble and began barking a set of instructions to one another in a rhythmically smooth manner like they had done this a thousand times before. They probably had. They rushed her into an emergency room and for the next hour and a half, George kept contacting Order members, informing them of the situation, carful to not give his whereabouts away. "When will I know if Shaina will be okay?" he asked the Latina nurse. She blankly looked at him. "Girl in Room 103, brunette with soft blue eyes, my fiancee?" His voice trembled a little. The nurse put one arm around him and said "Sweetie, don't worry. Doctor Cox and Dorian are the best medical duo. My husband in there" she pointed to the black surgeon in green scrubs "is the Chief Of Surgery. You have nothing to worry about. She will be okay." "Thank you, Nurse" he replied weakly sitting down on a chair. A high pitched Hi broke his reverie. It was the blonde, confused-looking doctor from earlier. "Cute accent, you must be British right? My mom and dad took me to London on vacation when I was six years old. But then we had to cut short our holiday because my grandmother died. Bummer right? I know. My name is Dr. Elliot Reid." she said all this, without pausing to take a breath. She flicked her hair, and blew on it loudly waiting for him to introduce himself. He ignored the proffered hand, and said simply "My name is George. That's my girlfriend in there." She said something that sounded suspiciously like "Frick, why are all the cute ones taken?" But he must have been mistaken because she was a doctor and he was a patient's kin. She could not have been flirting, surely. Nurse Espinosa rolled her eyes and took Dr. Reid away, muttering something to calm her nonsensical rambles. A woman in a cream coloured skirt and blue tunic sat down heavily next to him. He looked up and saw Hermione Granger's red rimmed eyes. "Oh George!" she said, and gave him a bone-crushing hug. He looked around to see if a familiar redhead and a black-haired man were in tow. "They went after Yaxley" she replied quietly. "She tried to take her own life" he said, looking downcast. Hermione gasped. "He had her under a powerful Imperius. She believes herself to be the famous actress Joanna Taylor. I found a note in that name". He held Hermione's hand tightly for comfort. "Why would she opt for Muggle doctors?" he said, pacing frustratedly. "George..." Hermione began in a soft tone, knowing that it would upset him..."extensive cutting spells, strong Imperius combined with possible physical assault along with tampered memories could have left her with severe brain damage. It is possible that she had a moment of lucidity where she decided that if she did not make it, she would want to see her brother one last time". George sat down, letting the tears stream down. "I will make the bastard pay, Hermione." his grip around his wand holster tightened. Just then, they heard a door open behind them, and the curly-haired Doctor and the black Chief of Surgery stepped up to them. "We need to talk" they said ominously.