The doctor.
An indefinable amount of time later the doctor came in, and jolted Harry out of his musings on when Remus was coming back. Harry glanced around at a small, petite, brunette woman, who wore glasses and looked about thirty and wore a broad smile and jeans. Harry decided she looked nice, but was still weary of her.
'Mr. Potter I presume?' she looked up at him for confirmation. He raised an eyebrow at her, why was she asking him? Surely she knew.
Huge green orbs just stared at her blankly.
'Well are you or are you not Mr. Potter?' she asked again, smiling at him kindly.
Harry, blinked at her again, then said in a quiet voice, 'yes, it's Harry though if you don't mind, excuse me but who are you?' Harry didn't know this was the doctor, he was expecting someone older, with formal hospital attire.
'Sorry, I'm Doctor Stone, but you can call me Emma, Harry.' She moved closer to his bed and planted herself in his chair.
'Oh' he said, then a small version of Remus Lupin appeared at the back of his mind, 'perhaps you can bother her for some changes, perhaps she can release the restraints slightly too' said the echo. Harry decided to try and be nice to his doctor, so he turned to face her and smiled back. 'Hello, its nice to meet you.'
'Is it, I don't usually get that response from my first time patients?' she raised an eyebrow.
Harry flushed slightly, 'Sorry, professor Lupin said I should be nice to you.'
'That's fine, I don't mind, is Professor Lupin your visitor who stayed last night?' she probed gently.
'Yes, he's nice, he was one of my fathers best friends.' He replied.
'Its nice that he's looking out for you. Your headmaster came by today right?' she quizzed.
'Yes I was a bit scared he might be angry but he was Ok really.' He smiled shyly, for some reason he felt he could trust this woman.
'Good, so why are you here?' she asked, in a down to earth manner.
Harry nearly fell of his bed; he may have if the restraints weren't there.
'What's funny Harry?' she asked looking confused.
'Well you're the doctor, your keeping me here, against my will I might add, and your asking me what's wrong, do you see a problem?' he asked in the manner that a professor would ask a pupil.
'You wanna go back to school?' she asked genuinely curious.
'No, I always wanted to be locked up in hospital, of course I want out, are you crazy?' he asked softly.
'No, are you?'
Disbelief showed in Harry's eyes, 'no' he whispered.
'Glad we cleared that up' she smiled again.
They were quiet for a few moments. 'I can't let you go just yet Harry.'
Harry ignored her.
'I'd really like to wave my wand and make you better, but I can't, magic doesn't have an answer for everything and the cure for you is a very muggle answer. We have to feed you slowly, try and make sure this doesn't happen again.' She persisted looking for an opening.
Harry thought about this for a few moments before he answered, 'but I don't want you to make me better, just let me go back to hogwarts, please?'
'No, I can't do that, its now my responsibility to make sure you live, and get well again' she said softly.
'And if that's not what I want?' he asked.
'Then you make my job harder, but more rewarding when you get better and decide you like being well and alive, I'll do my best to help you Harry, but eventually you'll have to meet me half way if you want to leave. I can make you get better, these machines do that, but if you want to go back, you have to be able to gain weight on your own.' She answered matter of factly.
'I don't like the machines' he said quietly.
'They are very necessary.' She replied.
'You won't take them away?' he asked.
'No'
'Then I'll take them off again, I don't like them there uncomfortable and they make me feel sick' he stated calmly, staring at the ceiling.
'Don't, I know its not pleasant but they are keeping you alive, we have work to do before I can allow them to be removed, besides if you persist the consequences will not be pleasant.' She warned.
'Oh?' he asked curiously.
'Do you want 24 hour a day supervision? One of the nurses can arrange it if you do.'
'No' he whispered somewhat defeated.
'Good, I'm sure we can work together Harry, you just have to relax, take a break and let someone else make the decisions for a while, trust us' she reassured.
He looked away not knowing if that was possible or even if he wanted it.
'Now is there anything else you want to know?' she asked.
He thought for a bit, 'yes, I don't like this invisible thing, I can't sit up properly and fighting its making me tired. Can you take it off? The nurse said that only you could remove it.'
'No not yet, I Have a question Harry, do you trust me? Answer completely honestly' she looked him in the eyes.
'Something inside me tells me to, but no I don't trust you, I can't yet, too many people have betrayed me for me to trust you so readily.'
She nodded and looked deep in thought. Finally she said, 'Do you expect me to trust you?'
'No' he said wondering where she was going.
'Exactly, I want to believe that if I removed those bonds that you would stay in bed and leave the medical equipment in place and not run as soon as you saw a window, but I can't believe that just yet, I don't know you well enough to trust that much. Do you understand?' she spoke softly and Harry found himself trusting her more and more and giving over the control to her.
'Ok' he sighed resignedly.
'You will be tired if you fight though Harry, if you relax, sit up slowly, you will not feel the bonds, but if you panic or try to get up they will come down against you, the more you struggle the lower they come, and as soon as you relax they will go back to normal, do you see? Fighting is futile, just relax and forget about them. I want you to stay in bed a while, your not strong enough to stand yet anyway.' She explained. Harry tried her theory against the bonds and found it to be true, if he moved in a relaxed way he didn't feel them, then he sat up sharply and felt himself being pushed back down against the pillow by an invisible force, he squirmed but the force only grew in strength, finally he collapsed back and relaxed and he felt the force leave as quickly as it came. Emma watched in some amusement as he tested it.
'How the hell is that possible' he asked, his cheeks rosy from exertion. 'I've never seen magic so interactive before'.
'Easy if you know how, I would show you but then my spell might not work so well, and you might try and get up.' She laughed.
'Ok, what happens now Emma?' he changed back to being serious.
'Just relax, I'll let you know in due course, for now I want you to lay back and relax, don't touch the machinery, keep seeing your friends sometimes, and I'll come by a couple of times a week and we'll talk some. When you're a little stronger we can start the real work, and believe me we have some tough times ahead kiddo. Make the most of a few weeks in bed with no stress apart from those machines that your itching to pull apart.' She joked.
'Emma?'
'Yep?'
'Can I have some sleeping potion?' He braved.
'Why?' she asked.
'Would it shock you to know I wanted to sell it to my headmaster?' he joked, skirting around the subject.
'Not really, but I don't believe you, Albus wouldn't need any, so suppose you tell me why you might need the potion, and I see what we could mix with your current drugs without hurting you?' she offered.
'Well I can't sleep well, dreamless sleep potion would just help that's all.'
'Do you get to sleep ok?'
'Yes'
'Nightmares?'
'Sometimes'
'Want to tell me about them' she pushed feeling a sensitive area.
'No' he turned away.
'Maybe when you do I can help' she bribed.
'Perhaps, oh well is there anything else Doctor' he asked bitterly, he was fed up now and wanted the annoying woman to go away.
'Why so bitter Harry?' she asked gently.
'I don't want you here, your not helping, I had three things bothering me; I understand about the first two, you have to do your job, keep me alive I get it. But what I don't understand is why you won't help me sleep better, half the reason I'm so god damn ill is because I'm tired, so just go and leave me alone.' He spat on the verge of tears.
'No, I want to help but you won't tell me the problem, you're asking for temporary relief and not a permanent cure.'
'I can't stay asleep I get nightmares ok, I just want to be able to sleep can you help me or not doctor?'
'Can you tell me what the nightmares are about?' she probed.
'No' he said shortly.
'When you tell me more details I'll work on a solution, until then you'll just have to see how it goes' she said quietly after some thought.
Tears swam in his bright green eyes; he turned his head away so she couldn't see.
'Its ok to be upset, really it is, but sometimes when you want something you have to give in return' she stated.
He was openly sobbing now, 'get out, just leave me alone' he cried.
She did leave then, sighing as she ended her first visit with the new patient badly, she was slightly upset too, it had all been going along fine until then, but she couldn't give him drugs randomly, not with his system so frail. If she knew the root she would be able to find the right drug and dose to administer, but without it, the procedure would be trial and error, something she could not afford to play at this stage.
An indefinable amount of time later the doctor came in, and jolted Harry out of his musings on when Remus was coming back. Harry glanced around at a small, petite, brunette woman, who wore glasses and looked about thirty and wore a broad smile and jeans. Harry decided she looked nice, but was still weary of her.
'Mr. Potter I presume?' she looked up at him for confirmation. He raised an eyebrow at her, why was she asking him? Surely she knew.
Huge green orbs just stared at her blankly.
'Well are you or are you not Mr. Potter?' she asked again, smiling at him kindly.
Harry, blinked at her again, then said in a quiet voice, 'yes, it's Harry though if you don't mind, excuse me but who are you?' Harry didn't know this was the doctor, he was expecting someone older, with formal hospital attire.
'Sorry, I'm Doctor Stone, but you can call me Emma, Harry.' She moved closer to his bed and planted herself in his chair.
'Oh' he said, then a small version of Remus Lupin appeared at the back of his mind, 'perhaps you can bother her for some changes, perhaps she can release the restraints slightly too' said the echo. Harry decided to try and be nice to his doctor, so he turned to face her and smiled back. 'Hello, its nice to meet you.'
'Is it, I don't usually get that response from my first time patients?' she raised an eyebrow.
Harry flushed slightly, 'Sorry, professor Lupin said I should be nice to you.'
'That's fine, I don't mind, is Professor Lupin your visitor who stayed last night?' she probed gently.
'Yes, he's nice, he was one of my fathers best friends.' He replied.
'Its nice that he's looking out for you. Your headmaster came by today right?' she quizzed.
'Yes I was a bit scared he might be angry but he was Ok really.' He smiled shyly, for some reason he felt he could trust this woman.
'Good, so why are you here?' she asked, in a down to earth manner.
Harry nearly fell of his bed; he may have if the restraints weren't there.
'What's funny Harry?' she asked looking confused.
'Well you're the doctor, your keeping me here, against my will I might add, and your asking me what's wrong, do you see a problem?' he asked in the manner that a professor would ask a pupil.
'You wanna go back to school?' she asked genuinely curious.
'No, I always wanted to be locked up in hospital, of course I want out, are you crazy?' he asked softly.
'No, are you?'
Disbelief showed in Harry's eyes, 'no' he whispered.
'Glad we cleared that up' she smiled again.
They were quiet for a few moments. 'I can't let you go just yet Harry.'
Harry ignored her.
'I'd really like to wave my wand and make you better, but I can't, magic doesn't have an answer for everything and the cure for you is a very muggle answer. We have to feed you slowly, try and make sure this doesn't happen again.' She persisted looking for an opening.
Harry thought about this for a few moments before he answered, 'but I don't want you to make me better, just let me go back to hogwarts, please?'
'No, I can't do that, its now my responsibility to make sure you live, and get well again' she said softly.
'And if that's not what I want?' he asked.
'Then you make my job harder, but more rewarding when you get better and decide you like being well and alive, I'll do my best to help you Harry, but eventually you'll have to meet me half way if you want to leave. I can make you get better, these machines do that, but if you want to go back, you have to be able to gain weight on your own.' She answered matter of factly.
'I don't like the machines' he said quietly.
'They are very necessary.' She replied.
'You won't take them away?' he asked.
'No'
'Then I'll take them off again, I don't like them there uncomfortable and they make me feel sick' he stated calmly, staring at the ceiling.
'Don't, I know its not pleasant but they are keeping you alive, we have work to do before I can allow them to be removed, besides if you persist the consequences will not be pleasant.' She warned.
'Oh?' he asked curiously.
'Do you want 24 hour a day supervision? One of the nurses can arrange it if you do.'
'No' he whispered somewhat defeated.
'Good, I'm sure we can work together Harry, you just have to relax, take a break and let someone else make the decisions for a while, trust us' she reassured.
He looked away not knowing if that was possible or even if he wanted it.
'Now is there anything else you want to know?' she asked.
He thought for a bit, 'yes, I don't like this invisible thing, I can't sit up properly and fighting its making me tired. Can you take it off? The nurse said that only you could remove it.'
'No not yet, I Have a question Harry, do you trust me? Answer completely honestly' she looked him in the eyes.
'Something inside me tells me to, but no I don't trust you, I can't yet, too many people have betrayed me for me to trust you so readily.'
She nodded and looked deep in thought. Finally she said, 'Do you expect me to trust you?'
'No' he said wondering where she was going.
'Exactly, I want to believe that if I removed those bonds that you would stay in bed and leave the medical equipment in place and not run as soon as you saw a window, but I can't believe that just yet, I don't know you well enough to trust that much. Do you understand?' she spoke softly and Harry found himself trusting her more and more and giving over the control to her.
'Ok' he sighed resignedly.
'You will be tired if you fight though Harry, if you relax, sit up slowly, you will not feel the bonds, but if you panic or try to get up they will come down against you, the more you struggle the lower they come, and as soon as you relax they will go back to normal, do you see? Fighting is futile, just relax and forget about them. I want you to stay in bed a while, your not strong enough to stand yet anyway.' She explained. Harry tried her theory against the bonds and found it to be true, if he moved in a relaxed way he didn't feel them, then he sat up sharply and felt himself being pushed back down against the pillow by an invisible force, he squirmed but the force only grew in strength, finally he collapsed back and relaxed and he felt the force leave as quickly as it came. Emma watched in some amusement as he tested it.
'How the hell is that possible' he asked, his cheeks rosy from exertion. 'I've never seen magic so interactive before'.
'Easy if you know how, I would show you but then my spell might not work so well, and you might try and get up.' She laughed.
'Ok, what happens now Emma?' he changed back to being serious.
'Just relax, I'll let you know in due course, for now I want you to lay back and relax, don't touch the machinery, keep seeing your friends sometimes, and I'll come by a couple of times a week and we'll talk some. When you're a little stronger we can start the real work, and believe me we have some tough times ahead kiddo. Make the most of a few weeks in bed with no stress apart from those machines that your itching to pull apart.' She joked.
'Emma?'
'Yep?'
'Can I have some sleeping potion?' He braved.
'Why?' she asked.
'Would it shock you to know I wanted to sell it to my headmaster?' he joked, skirting around the subject.
'Not really, but I don't believe you, Albus wouldn't need any, so suppose you tell me why you might need the potion, and I see what we could mix with your current drugs without hurting you?' she offered.
'Well I can't sleep well, dreamless sleep potion would just help that's all.'
'Do you get to sleep ok?'
'Yes'
'Nightmares?'
'Sometimes'
'Want to tell me about them' she pushed feeling a sensitive area.
'No' he turned away.
'Maybe when you do I can help' she bribed.
'Perhaps, oh well is there anything else Doctor' he asked bitterly, he was fed up now and wanted the annoying woman to go away.
'Why so bitter Harry?' she asked gently.
'I don't want you here, your not helping, I had three things bothering me; I understand about the first two, you have to do your job, keep me alive I get it. But what I don't understand is why you won't help me sleep better, half the reason I'm so god damn ill is because I'm tired, so just go and leave me alone.' He spat on the verge of tears.
'No, I want to help but you won't tell me the problem, you're asking for temporary relief and not a permanent cure.'
'I can't stay asleep I get nightmares ok, I just want to be able to sleep can you help me or not doctor?'
'Can you tell me what the nightmares are about?' she probed.
'No' he said shortly.
'When you tell me more details I'll work on a solution, until then you'll just have to see how it goes' she said quietly after some thought.
Tears swam in his bright green eyes; he turned his head away so she couldn't see.
'Its ok to be upset, really it is, but sometimes when you want something you have to give in return' she stated.
He was openly sobbing now, 'get out, just leave me alone' he cried.
She did leave then, sighing as she ended her first visit with the new patient badly, she was slightly upset too, it had all been going along fine until then, but she couldn't give him drugs randomly, not with his system so frail. If she knew the root she would be able to find the right drug and dose to administer, but without it, the procedure would be trial and error, something she could not afford to play at this stage.