Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish!
AN: Thank you to SchaMG, Spin84, and joaniefan for the encouraging reviews! I hope you enjoy this next little bit.
.
.
CHAPTER 20
(Summer 1996)
Minerva felt a great weight on her chest. Her breaths were shallow, slow, and painful. Everything was dark, and the sounds around her sounded like she was hearing them through water. She couldn't make them out. Just when she'd feel like she might be able to move or understand or take a deep breath, everything would go blank and black again.
She didn't know how long she'd been in this limbo. Days? Weeks? Time was as impossible to grasp as the distant, watery voices around her. Where was she? When was she?
Finally, there was a vague, reddish glow in the distance. She tried to move towards it, but she couldn't seem to catch her breath. The weight on her chest was so heavy.
She struggled until the reddish glow surrounded her, and she could just discern the voice. Her father's voice.
"Minerva, please wake up. I miss you. The kids miss you. I love you so much. I can't live without you."
"Daniel," Her mother's voice said, "Perhaps you should have a rest? Get something to eat or take a nap?"
"No!" Robert McGonagall's voice sounded anguished. "I'm not leaving her."
Minerva vaguely registered a strong hand holding her own.
"Daniel," her mother's voice spoke again. Why is she calling Father 'Daniel'? Minerva wondered.
"It won't do Minerva—or the children, for that matter—any good if you make yourself ill." Isobel McGonagall's voice coaxed. "Please rest. I'll stay with her."
"I—" his voice cracked with emotion. "—I can't rest until I know that she knows that I'm here."
She felt lips kiss the back of her hand.
"Emmie, please…"
It's Daniel! She suddenly knew. Daniel is…using my father's voice?
She focused all of her strength to squeeze the hand clutching hers. She managed a weak clench.
"Emmie!" Her father's voice, but with Daniel's cadence, exclaimed. "Can you hear me?"
She focused and squeeze his hand again.
"She's waking up!"
She felt his lips on her forehead, then on her cheek, then by her ear.
"It's me, Emmie." He whispered. "It's Daniel. I'm here, my love."
"Thank Heaven!" Her mother's voice came through. "I'll get the healer!"
Minerva heard her mother's footsteps receding, and she struggled to speak.
"Dan—" then she moaned with pain as fire seemed to shoot through her chest. The weight felt so heavy.
"Don't worry, love." He spoke quietly, close to her ear. "Albus and I worked it all out with your parents. Albus gave me Polyjuice potion so I could pose as your dad. It's brilliant! Your dad's a muggle, so nobody would expect me to use magic or know my way around here. I'm in no danger, and the kids are with Will and Lizzy, and you don't need to worry about anything. Just rest up and focus on your recovery, love. And I'll be here with you—"
He stopped speaking when the door opened, and Minerva could hear several sets of footsteps entering the room.
"Welcome, back, Professor McGonagall!" a cheerful voice said. "Do you think you could open your eyes for me?"
Minerva could sense someone leaning over her and tried to open her eyes. She managed a crack, but the light stabbed painfully, and she shut them again quickly.
"Hmmm…too bright. My apologies." The voice said. "Alright, Professor, I've lowered the shades and turned the lights down. Let's try again, please."
Minerva cracked her eyelids open again and saw the cheerful face of a woman in medical robes smiling down at her.
"Well, done, Professor!" The woman lit her wand and waved the light back and forth before Minerva's eyes. Then she began a complex pattern of diagnostic spells while she spoke with Minerva.
"I must say, you are quite the impressive witch, Professor! It's a miracle that you were able to survive four stunners right to the chest! It's a testament to your considerable power that your heart didn't give out! And the impact of your fall did considerable damage as well. You shattered your left hip, cracked your tail bone, fractured three vertebrae, and you have a concussion."
She continued to examine Minerva as she spoke, "We were able to mend the broken bones, though they will be a bit tender, and you'll need to walk with a cane for a few weeks. You were in a worrisome coma for a few days, and we're relieved to see you've come out of it. Do you have any pain? Headache, perhaps?"
Minerva licked her lips, attempting to answer the question. Her mother jumped up and conjured a cup, which she filled with water, and a straw.
"Only small sips until we can be sure you'll keep it down." The Healer said, and Minerva sipped carefully.
"Headache?" the healer prompted again.
"Yes." Minerva managed, her voice dry and reedy.
"That's to be expected with a concussion. We'll get you a pain potion. Any other pain—hip, back, chest?"
"Yes." Minerva said again.
"Trouble breathing?" the healer asked.
"Yes." Minerva admitted. "My chest feels very heavy, and it burns."
"I'm afraid that's a product of the stunners." The healer sighed. "You'll have some scarring there." She said, as she reached down and lifted the blanket and sheet covering Minerva's chest. Minerva realized that she was naked beneath the sheet, but after having given birth to two babies, she no longer felt much concern for her modesty in front of healers.
When she looked at her chest, she could see four angry, red scars, each about the size of a galleon, sprayed across her chest like a starburst.
"The scars will eventually fade." The healer said consolingly. "It may take a while for you to regain your stamina; however, there is no reason to believe that you will not make a full recovery, Professor."
Minerva nodded. "Thank you, Healer…it's Choudhary, isn't it? Ravenclaw, if I remember correctly?"
The healer beamed at her. "It's Sinha now—I've remarried. And, yes, you are correct. I was in Ravenclaw. Class of '72. You have a great memory, Professor, not that I'm surprised. I've always wondered how is it that you weren't a Ravenclaw yourself?"
Minerva let out a weak chuckle, and her Isobel McGonagall spoke. "She was a hat-stall. After five and a half minutes, the sorting hat finally decided upon Gryffindor over Ravenclaw—though it was close." The pride was evident in her mother's voice.
"Ah!" the healer said. "That explains it!"
The door opened, and a junior healer came in with a tray of potions. Healer Sinha explained what each potion was and its purpose before dosing Minerva with them. Minerva, for her part, took them all meekly.
"I'll admit that I'm surprised, Professor." Healer Sinha smiled. "I had heard that you could be…intractable…when it came to the infirmary."
"Well, no offense, Healer Sinha," Minerva grimaced as she swallowed the last potion, which was bright green and smoking unappealingly, "but I really want to get out of here!"
The healer laughed, as did Daniel and Minerva's mother.
"Well, I don't blame you! Keep taking your potions and we'll let you have some broth tonight, and we'll get you out of bed to try walking tomorrow. If you continue to progress normally, we'll get you out of here in a few days."
Minerva nodded but couldn't help saying, "Perhaps even two days?"
The healer laughed. "You are an exceptional witch, but I'm not making any promises."
She gestured across the bed. "At least you have your parents with you." She said cheerily, "I was delighted to meet the people who brought up the Great Minerva McGonagall!"
Daniel gave Minerva a wry smirk—which looked very strange upon her stern father's face—and Minerva snorted with laughter, then winced at the burning in her chest.
Healer Sinha noticed. "Take it easy, Professor. That pain potion should be kicking in any moment now, so you can get some sleep, and your parents can get some food and some rest too. I'll be back to check on you soon."
They all thanked her, and the healer left the room.
When they were alone, Minerva looked at Daniel and her mother and said, "While I will admit that I am very happy to see you," she said, her voice beginning to slur as the potion took effect, "As soon as I can walk, I am still going to murder Albus."
.
.
.
AN: The Polyjuice potion was my husband's idea. I've been making him read my story, and he's come up with some very fun ideas for me.
I hope you're all doing well through the craziness of this corona virus pandemic. Strange times that we live in.
Please review!
