The searing pain woke him up again. The sheets were clinging to his sweaty body, and he opened his eyes and searched for Hermione. She was standing at the foot of his bed arguing with the healer.
"He's a fucking human being! Give him something for the pain, or I will!" She growled. Hermione.
The healer put his hands up to settle her, "Miss Granger, pain potions are to be administered on a strict schedule. Any sooner or later than the exact time could lead to more discomfort for the patient, or could cause serious side effects."
She pointed at him, "LOOK AT HIM! He is in serious discomfort!" She was still unaware he was conscious. Help me, "I don't know what school you went to, but this venom is not normal snake venom. It burns through medicines much more quickly than other snake venoms do because it corrupted and evil. It isn't normal. Your normal time frame for medicine administration won't work on abnormal venom. When he's in pain, you give him pain medicine, because OBVIOUSLY THE DESIRED EFFECT IS NO LONGER OCCURING!"
"Hermione," He groaned. Please.
She snapped her head to him, "You give him the medicine, or I will, but either way, he's getting it."
The healer sighed and ran a hand through his hair, You're right. It is an exceptional situation. I apologize," He said and moved toward Severus. Pressing the vile to Snape's lips, he held it there for a swallow, and then moved away.
He was gasping for breath, sweating profusely, and miserable. The healer moved past Hermione, but she touched his arm briefly, "I expect you back here every hour on the hour, maybe more, to at least check to see if he needs medicine. You have no idea what this man has done for our society."
The healer said nothing, but nodded and left.
She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him. Beautiful, "I thought we had to be nice to the healers?" He raised an eyebrow as the exhaustion settled on him.
"No, I said you need to be nice to the healers. I didn't say anything about me. How are you feeling?"
"Awful," He said quietly, "Is it bad?"
She looked confused, but he added, "My shoulder?"
Her face dropped and she bit her lip, "Honestly, I didn't see it much. When it first happened, I was just so worried about containing it and treating what I could that I didn't really inspect it. It bled badly, Severus, more than I've ever seen another human being bleed. When I was with you in the shack, you were clothed, so your robes and such were torn up all around it," She trailed off.
"You haven't seen it here?"
"No," Her answer was quick. Too quick.
"You didn't bring me here?" He asked.
"No. Poppy did," She said softly, "She brought you here and called in a lot of favors so you'd be taken care of because everyone still thought you were a traitor." Poppy, "I stayed with Minerva and Draco. Poppy said it was out of our hands now, and..." She choked up and he reached for her hand.
"She said that, no matter what happened, you would want us to finish what we had started that night," She wiped a tear from her eye, "As soon as it was over, I came here with the others, but they wouldn't let any of us see you. When I did finally get to see you yesterday, it was already bandaged," Her lip trembled, "I am sorry I didn't come with you here."
"She's right, Hermione. Whether I was unconscious or dead, you could do more at Hogwarts," His voice was unintentionally callous, and she shivered. I'm sorry.
"What happened with Potter in the forest?" He searched her face. She started crying harder. What did I do?
"I'm sorry, Severus. I can't... I can't do this right now. I'm so sorry," she tried to master herself, "I saw you dying in front of me. I saw you dying. In my arms. I still don't know how any of this will end up. I can't..."
How could I be so fucking insensitive? "I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm sorry. I should not have asked you, at least not so quickly. It is all too easy for me to ask questions about painful situations for which I was unconscious..."
She shook her head, "It's only natural, for you to ask, Severus. I just... All I see is you on the floor of that God foresaken shack...I..." He held her hand tightly, "Harry will speak with you. Harry wants to speak with you," She nodded. I'm sorry.
"I did not mean to upset you. My questions were insensitive in regards to what you would have gone through and experienced."
"You were dying in my arms," She hiccuped, "It was horrible."
"Come here," he tapped the spot on the bed next to him where she had laid all night with his hand.
She shook her head and his brow furrowed, "I'mnot upset with you," She said softly as she moved her chair up along his bed so that she was right next to his head.
"I can't look at you if you sit there," He said lowly with a hint of sadness.
Her fingers went to his hair. Oh, God. He sighed heavily. It felt like a little slice of Heaven, to have her nails scratching at his scalp, her fingers massaging his head. It was a small relief to the tremendous pain he felt. He whimpered in pleasure.
"I just want to look at you, Severus," She whispered.
"I can't possible imagine why."
"You sleep. I'll be here."
"Always?" He asked tiredly.
"Always," She answered as her fingers danced lovingly in his hair.
Always.
