~ Chapter 7 ~
Insight
Molly Weasley pushed through the kitchen door of the Burrow with an armful of vegetables she'd picked from the garden. She pushed the garden gnome that was pulling at her shoelace away and closed the door before he could get into the house. With Ron home sick she couldn't find the time to rid the garden of gnomes and they were beginning to overrun the place.
She moved into the scullery and plopped the vegetables onto the counter before enchanting them to wash and dice themselves. She shuffled through the kitchen and into the living room where Ron was sitting, listening to the Chudley Cannons game commentary on the wireless.
Although he hadn't had any episodes since Harry, Hermione, and Ginny had come to visit, he still wasn't sleeping or eating as much as she knew he could. His complexion was far too pale and he too thin in Molly's opinion.
"Hey, mom," Ron yawned as he sat up and looked over at Molly. "Do you need some help in the kitchen?"
Molly chuckled to herself and smiled. "You really must be bored." Ron flashed his crooked smile at her and shrugged. "I'm just getting lunch started. You sit and relax and listen to the rest of your game. We'll take the Floo Network to St. Mungo's in about and hour." Ron nodded and sank back against the sofa. Molly smiled sadly and walked back into the kitchen.
"It looks like Galvin Gudgeon has spotter the Snitch!" the commentator exclaimed. "No, I'm mistaken… that's a sparrow Gudgeon's chasing. Well, folks, it's going to take finding the Snitch for the Cannons to win this match. The score is 90 to 10 for the Appleby Arrows… and will you look at that; Joey Jenkins has knocked himself out with his own bat."
Ron snorted and rolled his eyes. His favourite team hadn't won a match since 1892, but at the very least they were entertaining when they played.
"We interrupt this broadcast for a You-Know-Who update," the commentator continued. "It seems as though You-Know-Who was seen terrorizing the small village of Godric's Hollow. Apparently he was seen entering the local cemetery with a few of his Death Eaters and left within the hour. There is no word on what You-Know-Who wanted or why he was there… From what I've heard though, Voldemort tends to hang out in graveyards with his mates. Creepy bloke, yeah? Anyway, let's get back to the game… if you can really call this a game…"
Ron grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from his stack of homework and scribbled the words "Voldemort" and "Godric's Hollow Cemetery". He figured Harry and Hermione would want to hear about Voldemort's recent endeavors.
His stomach turned as he set the parchment between two pages of his Potions text book. He grimaced and gripped the sofa cushion as he waited for the nausea to subside.
Molly called Ron into the kitchen for lunch as she placed the chicken pies and steamed vegetables on the table.
Ron stood up and slowly made his way to the kitchen, clutching his stomach tightly with both arms. He pushed the door to the kitchen open and looked over at his mother. She had her back turned to him as she set everything on the table.
"Mom?" Ron groaned. He breathed deeply through his mouth and waited for Molly to turn around. "I don't feel good." Molly dropped the bowl of boiled potatoes she was holding as she turned to look at he son.
Ron leaned forward as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and splattered onto the stone floor. Molly clasped her hand over her mouth and rushed over to her son. He gagged and spat another tablespoon of blood onto the floor at his feet.
"You're ok," said Molly as she pulled Ron over to the fireplace. She grabbed a handful of Floo powder and shouted the name of their destination with such force that Ron trembled beneath her touch.
Ron was rushed through the emergency ward of St. Mungo's. Molly pulled him hurriedly by the wrist toward the reception desk, trying to catch the attention of the Healers rushing around the ward.
Ron caught sight of two young twin boys with Dragon Pox sitting between their parents on a bench near the front entrance. Another man, just a few years older than Ron's father, was walking around with a tail protruding from the seat of his pants.
A young, female healer, with black hair and green eyes, smiled as she took Ron by the arm and led him to a small, curtained room with a hospital bed, a wooden chair, and a set of drawers where the healers kept the instruments they needed.
Ron pulled himself onto the bed and leaned forward as a wave of nausea caught him off-guard. He spat the mouthful of blood onto the tile floor as his mother ran her hand along his back to comfort him. He continued to lean forward as blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth and onto the floor.
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Arthur made his way up to the second floor of St. Mungo's and walked through the corridor, searching for room 236. Molly met him at the door and squeezed him tightly.
"How is he?" Arthur grunted within Molly's grasp.
"He's sleeping," Molly replied. "Healer Quattlebaum fixed the ulcer when we got here. After all the vomiting he's done, he wore a hole right through his stomach lining."
"What about the fits?" Arthur asked nervously.
"They have no idea," Molly replied. "They've checked him over and they couldn't find anything wrong." Arthur let go of his wife and looked into the room where Ron was sleeping. If he hadn't been snoring, Arthur would have assumed Ron was dead where he was laying. His face had no colouring left and his arm was hanging limply off the edge of the bed.
He and Molly walked further into the room and sat next to the bed. Molly lifted Ron's arm and placed it gently across his stomach. She rubbed his arm, attempting to warm him up, before pulling the thin blanket over him.
"What now?" Arthur asked softly as he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.
"The Healers want him to stay for a few days," Molly replied. "They're hoping he'll have one of his fits while he's here and maybe they'll have some idea of what's wrong with him."
The two of them sat silently, hand-in-hand, watching their youngest son sleep for the first time in over a week.
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Ron sat up in bed and listened to the constant excitement in the corridor outside his room. He'd been at St. Mungo's for two days without any episodes. The Healers were at a complete loss as to what was causing his symptoms and were waiting for Ron to go through an episode so that they could come to some sort of conclusion and heal him.
Molly and Arthur came to visit Ron daily; Molly, two or three times daily. His room was filled with pictures, balloons, sweets, and Chudley Cannons memorabilia. Fred and George had sent over a few gifts from their shop to use on a few of the Healers for a laugh. Ron had grown quite fond of most of the Healers that checked on him, most of all Healer Callaghan, a pretty little witch with light brown hair and a smile that crinkled her nose. She came to check on him often and brought him extra pudding with his lunches.
"Hey, Ron," greeted Healer Callaghan as she walked into his room with a lunch tray. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine, thanks," Ron replied. He sat up a little higher in bed and smiled. Healer Callaghan set the lunch tray on the table next to Ron and checked his forehead for a fever.
"You're not as warm as you were the last time I checked on you," she said happily. "Is there anything else I can get for you?" Ron shook his head and casually ran his hand through his hair.
"Your mom is just down the hall," she continued. "You better eat something before she gets here. She seems to be very upset about how skinny you are." Ron chucked and lifted the tray onto his lap.
"Thanks, Julie," said Ron. She smiled and left the room just as Molly walked in.
"You seem to be charming the ladies," she chuckled as she sat next to the bed. "What would Hermione think?"
Ron choked on the sandwich he had just taken a bite of and looked at his mother. "What's that?" he coughed.
"I've seen the way she looks at you," Molly smiled. "That girl completely adores you."
"Mom!" Ron gasped as he dropped his sandwich back onto the tray in his lap.
"I'm sorry, dear," Molly laughed. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. We won't talk about girls anymore."
Ron swallowed the half-chewed sandwich in his mouth and avoided eye contact with his mom.
"I've brought you some things to keep you busy," Molly continued. She stacked a few letters, two issues of the Quibbler, and the latest edition of the Daily Profit onto the table next to Ron and sat back in her chair.
"I meant to bring the letters yesterday," Molly explained. I forgot them on the kitchen table on my way here. They're all from Hogwarts… mostly Harry and Hermione. There's one there from Ginny as well."
Ron took another bite of his sandwich and shuffled through the letters his mom had brought him.
"No homework?" Ron asked happily.
"Just a few text readings," Molly replied. "Professor Dumbledore is meeting with your professors tomorrow to discuss how your assignments should be done." Ron grimaced and tore open one of the letters from Harry.
"I've got to go back to the Burrow," said Molly. "Try to get those reading done so you're prepared for any assignments. I'll see you later tonight." She kissed Ron's forehead before getting up and leaving him alone in his hospital room.
Ron read through the letters and placed them back on the table, intending to reply to them after his lunch. He opened up the Daily Profit and immediately began scanning the latest article about Voldemort.
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"Don't worry, sweetheart," Mrs. Weasley comforted softly. "We'll fix this. We'll find a way to fix this." She cupped Ron's chin between both of her hands and wiped the tears from his cheeks with her thumbs. She maintained a brave face as she kissed his forehead and stood up.
"We'll come back and see you before we leave, son," said Arthur softly as he placed his hand on Ron's shoulder. He and Molly turned and slowly left the room. Arthur quietly closed the door behind them and turned to find Fred and George standing next to them.
"Fred! George!" Molly exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"We brought a little something for Ron," replied George.
"Thought it might help him recover sooner," Fred added.
"Front row seats to the Chudley Cannons playoffs," George continued.
"He'll be able to see the players' sweat from these seats," Fred boasted.
They stopped short when Molly burst into tears. She pushed herself against Arthur's chest and continued to sob as he wrapped his arms around her.
"What did we say?" George whispered. Both he and Fred looked completely confused.
"It's a great gift," Arthur confessed. "But maybe it would be best if you waited to tell him about it. Just until he's feeling a little better."
Harry and Hermione walked up behind Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Dumbledore had given them permission to leave Hogwart's to visit Ron at St. Mungo's and they had met up with Ron's parents down on the first floor. The Weasleys had seemed flustered at the time, so Harry and Hermione had gone up to the fifth floor gift shop to give Mr. and Mrs. Weasley some time alone with Ron.
Harry and Hermione approached the door to Ron's room and entered before Arthur explained to the twins what had happened to Ron.
Harry closed the door softly, making hardly any sound. They found Ron sitting up in bed with his knees tucked into his chest and his face buried into his knees.
Hermione was the first to timidly approach his bedside. "Ron?" she asked softly. "Are you all right?" Ron slowly raised his head. His eyes, once bright and green, were clouded over with a foggy, white film. They moved rapidly, trying to locate the general direction in which he'd heard his name called.
Hermione gasped, cupping her hand over her mouth and taking a step back. Harry moved closer to Ron's bedside and frowned as he examined Ron's eyes from a distance.
"What happened?" Harry asked as he sat on the end of Ron's bed.
"Dunno," Ron mumbled as he wiped his cheek with his sleeve. "I woke up this way."
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A/N:
Thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed my story so far. I hope you're all still enjoying it.
No worries, Damier. I have no intentions of not finishing this story. I just find it hard to find the time to write each chapter. That said… I'm very sorry for the long gap between the last chapter and this one.
I'll try to add the next chapter soon. At the very latest, I'll update by the Remembrance Day long weekend (Canadian holiday, for those of you unfamiliar with it).
Please let me know what you thought of this chapter as well as the rest of the story so far. I love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading up to this chapter!!!
