Over the next few days Sirius learned that there were very few treatments that the doctors could try on Remus.
But that didn't stop Sirius from visiting him every day. It took up most of his time now, going to see Remus.
He was given time off work, Hope would go to James and Lily's and Sirius would sit and talk to a sleeping man for hours.
Sirius soon realised that he couldn't keep doing this. He couldn't keep leaving Hope with Lily, telling her that her Papa will be better soon, hardly spending any time with her. She was only four, and, one day as he talked to Remus' lifeless form on the hospital bed he started feeling guilty, he ended up confessing all this to Remus. And he knew that Remus would tell him, if he could, that Hope was the most important thing, she needed to be looked after more than he did.
He went home earlier than usual that day. When he got back home Hope and Harry were playing outside in the garden. Lily smiled as she made them tea in the kitchen, the back door was open so they could watch the kids.
"What are they playing?" Sirius asked in amusement as he watched them running around, it looked like Harry was pretending to be shot by some invisible bad guy.
"I think they're playing Avengers," Lily replied, rolling her eyes, "they had an argument over who got to be Captain America earlier, Hope wasn't taking Harry's excuses of "you're a girl, you can't be him," and eventually he gave in."
Sirius laughed, "that sounds like her" he said, "Remus tells her all the time that she can dress how she wants, wear her hair how she wants, be whatever she wants..."
"It's obviously had a positive effect on her so far," Lily smiled as she placed the mugs of tea on the table, "she's a confident little thing."
Sirius smiled proudly, "yes, she is," he agreed as he sipped his tea.
Then they heard someone crying and Hope and Harry appeared in the doorway, Harry holding Hope's hand as she sobbed.
"She fell over," Harry explained.
"Aww, sweetheart," Sirius said, lifting her up and hugging her close, "did you hurt yourself? Where does it hurt?"
"M-my knee," Hope wailed as if it were the end of the world.
Sirius looked at her knee and saw she'd scraped it, it was bleeding a little but wasn't too bad.
Lily went at got their little first aid kit, Sirius sat Hope on the counter and washed her wound before putting a plaster on it, he kissed her forehead, "all better?" he asked.
She shook her head, looking up at him with wide, watery eyes.
"You want daddy to kiss it better?" he asked, grinning at her, "daddy's kisses are magical, you know."
Hope giggled and nodded.
Sirius kissed her knee, twice just to make sure, "how's that?" he questioned.
Hope nodded again, smiling now and Sirius smiled back, "good," he said, "why don't you two play inside now?"
"Okay," she replied as Sirius helped her to the ground again, her and Harry ran off into the playroom.
As Sirius watched them go to play he stopped to think for a moment, maybe he could manage this alone, as hard as losing Remus would be for the both of them, maybe they could pull through.
Hope may yet lose her papa, but she'd never lose her daddy, Sirius would make sure of that.
The next day Sirius went to the hospital a little later and, this time, Hope was with him.
He was a little worried about taking Hope, but maybe her presence would help Remus, and she had been getting even more upset every time Remus was mentioned around her because she wasn't allowed to visit.
She had insisted on bringing her favourite teddy with her, because papa needed someone to look after him.
When they got to the hospital room Sirius lifted her gently and sat her at the bottom of the bed. Sirius had told Hope that even though Remus was sleeping he might be able to hear her, so try to talk to him.
Hope was a very chatty little girl and soon Remus was filled on on the tragic knee scraping of the previous day, the small boy at the play park that tried to take Harry's ball the day before, how she got flour in her hair three days ago when she and Lily made brownies and finally she told her papa how much she missed him.
"Please wake up, papa," she said, "you need to come home, daddy's cooking is rubbish."
Hope looked up at Sirius, "why won't he wake up?" she asked him.
Sirius took her onto his lap, "he was driving to see granny and grandad," he explained, "when another car crashed into his, he got a bad bump on his head and now he needs to sleep."
"When will he wake up?"
"I don't know, Princess," Sirius sighed.
Hope was too young to understand, there were tears welling up in her eyes, "we need him," she said as she started to cry, "papa, wake up papa!"
"Shh, Hope," Sirius tried to calm her, holding her close to him.
She sobbed into his chest, "I want papa back!" she cried, "bring him back!"
Sirius closed his eyes for a moment, to steady himself, then he stood up and carried her away from the hospital.
Neither of them noticed it, but as they left, Remus' eyes really did flicker this time.
A/N: Thanks for reading this chapter! I just wanted a little more interaction between Hope and Sirius, because he's just the sweetest dad. Anyways, please review!