She wasn't breathing, there was no movement, no sound, no air flow. Mildred panicked, she didn't know what do to help, she was only a teenager with no medical training or first aid of any kind and yet her form mistress was dying in front of her.
"Please Miss Hardbroom," she sobbed, "you have to breathe, come on. I need to you to breathe, please. Please!" Mildred had grabbed her shoulders trying to shake life into the form below her. "Please, we need you. The school needs you. I-I need you."
Miss Hardbroom just lay there, unmoving. No narrowed eyes, no rigid posture, no disapproving frown.
Mildred had just decided enough was enough and to run out to find Miss Cackle or Miss Drill to help, this was beyond containing the contagion, when Miss Hardbroom's chest expanded with an almighty wheeze.
Mildred sank to her knees, sobbing her heart out in relief.
Mildred cried for half an hour straight unable to comprehend the events which had occurred. She was no longer remotely tired, her ears were attuned to the woman's every breath which to her relief wasn't quite so wheezy, she sat and stared at the woman in horror fearing it would happen again. Later, after tending to the blankets and bathing her face once more Mildred collected some paper from her desk with a pencil and moved back towards her own bed. She didn't want to read again just yet for fear of losing herself in the book and missing Miss Hardbroom's breathing so instead she began to sketch. A couple hours later she was done with the drawing and decided it would be safe once again to read a little so long as she made herself stop every couple of pages to check on HB beside her. However, after the first few pages Mildred quickly fell asleep without intending to. She was still recovering herself and the stress of the last few hours were enough to drain a perfectly healthy person. It did not matter. Constance had survived the worst of the illness and was now simply sleeping herself. The two remained that way for hours.
Constance awoke to darkness. She felt like lead, her head was pounding, every muscle ached and her throat was raw. Waving her hand in the direction of the candle on the bedside table between the beds a soft light flooded her vision. She struggled to sit up slightly and summoned the water to her from the desk, using all her energy to raise the glass to her lips and drink. She looked over at Mildred fast asleep. looking very pale with dark eyes. She sighed, wondering what had the poor girl gone through in the last day. She saw her hand outstretched towards a book on the bed beside her. That was Constance's book, the one she had summoned from her quarters to read whilst nursing Mildred. Surely the girl hadn't been reading it, it would be considered far too boring for a teenage girl with an overactive imagination She saw a piece of paper in danger of slipping from the bed towards the floor and pointing her fingers, wearily summoned the piece of paper to her. She stared at the drawing in awe, Mildred had beautifully illustrated one of the most heartwrenching scenes from the book, where Lady Dedlock and Esther embrace after the confession sitting in the woods. Once again, the detail was amazing and this time is was from the girl's imagination and her interpretation of the words. So she had been reading the book, in fact she was over halfway through it if she had read this. The young girl could surprise Constance at every turn.
The was a soft knocking at the door. "Mildred?" Miss Cackle inquired. Constance thought for a second and came to the conclusion that as she was now awake and lucid she was now recovering and therefore no longer contagious. She pointed towards the bedroom door causing it to swing open much to the Headmistress' surprise.
"Constance!" Constance raised her finger to her lips looking pointedly at Mildred who shifted slightly but remained asleep. Coming into the room Amelia sighed.
"You're OK, you're both OK."
"Yes, I think we are."
Despite both her charges being at the point of recovery Amelia could see the toll the illness had taken on both of them, both were pale to the point of translucent, they had each evidently lost weight, had dark circles around their eyes and judging from her deputy's voice, very weak. She had never seen her colleague looking so exhausted and vulnerable.
"I'm sorry to say you look terrible Constance."
"I'm sorry to say I feel it Headmistress."
"How did she cope?" Amelia asked motioning to the girl.
"I have no idea Amelia, I just came to myself." Constance paused observing the girl wishing she could sense something of what had happened over the last day. She remembered briefly being awake once but nothing else. "Look at this Amelia." She pushed the drawing towards her superior who had sat in the chair next to her bed.
"This is stunning Constance, who did it?" Constance pointed at Mildred. Amelia gaped.
"She started reading Bleak House which I was reading whilst nursing her and drew this. There's another on the desk." Amelia turned to the desk and picked up the drawing of the school flying.
"It's so beautiful, who knew she was capable of this level of art?"
"She has surprised me in quite a few ways in the last few days." Constance closed her eyes for a second, thoroughly exhausted, knowing sleep was not far away again.
"Shall we get you to your room Constance."
With her eyes still closed she replied, "I don't have the energy to transport there Amelia, and I doubt I can even stand to attempt to walk there at this moment in time. I shall be fine here for a few more hours..."
"Alright I shall leave you in peace," Amelia murmured to an already sleeping Constance.
Both teacher and student slept for the remainder of the night. Mildred woke just before dawn, glancing at HB she saw her still peacefully asleep, breathing normally. Leaning forward Mildred scooped up Tabby giving him a hug she picked up the book and began reading again.
Constance awoke as day was breaking. Turning her head she saw Mildred engrossed once again in the novel.
"Are you enjoying that?" she asked, her voice a hoarse whisper. Mildred lowered the book and a mixture of relief that her teacher was finally awake then guilt at reading once of her teacher's books passed over her face.
"I-I'm sorry Miss, I know it's your book, I just..."
"Mildred you never need to apologise to me for reading. Do you like it?"
"Oh yes, I never thought about reading anything like this before, I thought it would be dull but I love it." Mildred replied in an equally hoarse voice.
"In that case you may keep the book until you have finished."
"But you were reading it Miss Hardbroom."
Smiling she replied, "I have read it many, many times Mildred. You finish it."
"Thank you Miss."
"How do you feel?"
"Tired, even after all the sleep. How, how do you feel Miss?" Mildred asked, feeling strange at asking HB such a question.
"Much the same Mildred, I think it may take a few days for us to get back to normal." Constance noted the girl had not fully looked her in the eyes the entire conversation, something wasn't right. Pushing herself up slowly, ignoring the slight dizzyness still lingering she asked,
"Mildred what's wrong?" Mildred's gaze dropped back to the book. "Mildred, something is bothering you, tell me."
"You..." Mildred choked slightly, "you nearly died..." Constance sighed, she had been afraid of this. "You, you stopped breathing and I-I-I didn't know what to do..." Mildred began to sob. Constance shakily swung herself out of bed and sat down beside Mildred and then did something she had done with no other student in the history of her time at Cackles. She put her arms around the girl and gave her a hug.
"Mildred you have been so brave, I could not be prouder of you. To come through this yourself and then help me through it is more than a girl of your age should have to endure. I am sorry to have made you scared, but look I am alright now. Everything is alright." Listening to her teachers words spoken in a softened tone she had never heard before, Mildred's sobbing calmed. She wiped her tears away and looking her teacher straight in the eyes choked out:
"I am glad you're OK now." Constance was touched that the girl who she must have told off more than any other student was genuinely concerned for her.
"And I am glad you're better too Mildred. Now I think we need to have a little chat."
"About what Miss Hardbroom?"
"About this..." She leaned over and picked up the drawing from the book.
"Oh." Mildred sighed, looking down.
"It is truly talented Mildred." Mildred's head shot up to look at her teacher in shock.
"But, but I thought you would think it useless. Drawing is not magical, it's not like being able to fly straight or remember potions and spells.
"No, but even I can appreciate something that is beautiful Mildred and this is astounding."
"You can have it if you like Miss, if you actually want it that is. I'm not allowed to put pictures up in here anyway, so it will just end up in the pile with the rest."
"The rest?"
Mildred nodded. "In the trunk on top of the wardrobe."
Constance raised her hand. "May I?" Mildred nodded. Constance hovered the trunk causing it to float gracefully down to their feet. Opening it, there was a mass of paper. Bending down she picked up some pieces of the work, they ranged from drawings of various areas of the castle to Tabby to parts of the woodland surrounding the castle to places Constance did not recognise which she presumed was where Mildred lived. "I cannot praise these enough Mildred, the detail..." At that moment the door softly clicked open to reveal Amelia with a tray of food.
"I thought you may like something hot in your bellies."
Mildred could smell the usual school porridge but instead of the lukewarm portions they were usually served she could see the steam rising from the bowls and tall glasses of fresh orange juice. Her stomach gave a growl.
"I think Mildred's stomach agrees with you Miss Cackle." Mildred blushed slightly. As Mildred and Miss Hardbroom ate Miss Cackle 'oooh'd and aaah'd' over the drawings in Mildred's trunk, throwing a constant stream of praise in her direction. During all this the waking bell had rang and the usual bustle was heard out in the corridor as the girls left for breakfast.
"Miss Hardbroom am I allowed to leave my room now?"
"Yes Mildred, but I think a few more days largely spent in bed recuperating would be wise."
"And the same goes for you Miss Hardbroom," Amelia interjected in an unusually stern voice.
"Don't worry, I shall Headmistress, I doubt I could teach a class at the moment if I tried." As if to emphasize her point the usually rigid deputy was sitting slightly hunched with her eyes heavy once again.
"Well I must go and prepare for assembly and give everyone the good news that you are both recovering. And I do not expect to see either of you there." Amelia said, looking pointedly at Constance then getting up and gathering the breakfast bowls before leaving.
"I think I am going to go and shower Miss."
"And I am going to return to my chambers and give you your room back Mildred." From her position on Mildred's bed she returned the trunk to above the wardrobe, summoned the magical medicine book to her arms and vanished the bed, potions and basin. "There, all back to normal, are you sure I can have this Mildred?" She asked holding up the drawing of Lady Dedlock and Esther."
"Of course Miss, as a thank you for lending me the book."
"Thank you very much Mildred, for everything. Now remember to get some rest." With that she vanished from where she was sitting.
AN: Well guys, this is penultimate chapter. Only one more to go. I have began plotting out the sequel but need some time and the right mood to launch into the writing, who knows maybe inspiration will hit me this weekend. I hope you all enjoyed the Bleak House by Charles Dickens mentions, I read it recently and absolutely adore the 2005 BBC adaption. I cry every time during the scene mentioned above. Once again thanks for the reviews please keep them coming as encouragement to get me writing the sequel! xx