A/N: The character, Rose Rosamond in this chapter is the OC I created for my Snape-lives story called 'A Lily and a Rose.' In that story, I mentioned Rose's relationship with Remus and Tonks. I loved the idea that my two stories are connected. That being said, you do not have to have read 'A Lily and a Rose' to understand this chapter. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 58: The Healer
Remus paced around the cave. The rough and jagged ground cutting his bare feet.
What was happening to his wife and unborn child?
He didn't know because he was here, unsafe to be near anyone.
Remus unconsciously pulled at the ends of his thick hair that seemed to be growing thicker by the minute.
Tonks had looked shocked and scared and her skin was so pale. There was so much blood.
It was the pull of the moon. Remus was convinced of it. The fetus, however small, was suffering, as he was, from its effects. Yet it was not strong enough. Now the question was, would Tonks be strong enough?
Surely, she would be. She had to be. Tonks was the strongest person Remus had ever known.
Tonks had tried to keep her composure for Remus's sake. She was always trying to protect him, but he should be the one protecting her now.
She had stood from the bed. As she did, Remus had seen her give a little shutter as more blood ran down her legs.
Remus had run to her side, supporting her shaking body. Tonks had gazed up at him, her brown eyes round and broken.
What if that haunted look was the last thing he ever saw on his wife's face?
Remus had opened his mouth to speak, to say what he did not know, but then his alarm had begun to blaze, the loud scream of terror that Remus had swallowed.
"You have to go," Tonks had choked.
He did have to leave, yet he had not been able to make his feet move, nor could he seem to let go of his wife.
"I-I'll be okay," she had assured him.
With boiling blood, Remus had reached for his wand, throwing a curse at the alarm clock, silencing its cry. "Ted, Andromeda," he had yelled at the top of his lungs.
Her parents had come rushing into the room. "What-?" Remus had seen the reflection of the vibrant red blood in their wide eyes.
"Take her!" he had cried helplessly.
Ted and Andromeda had not needed the prompting. They had both supported their daughter between them as Remus relinquished his hold.
"I understand," Tonks had told him, her voice breaking.
Remus was sure that he had never hated being a werewolf more than he did in this moment.
'Dora,' he thought with anguish. 'Are you alright? Please be alright.' He abruptly stopped his pacing, his body going ridged as current ran the length of his body. Remus forcefully pulled his shirt over his head and dropped his trousers and pants, kicking them aside. "I should be there," he said. "I SHOULD BE THERE!"
In the confusion and hurry, Remus had not told Tonks that he loved her.
He let out a scream of anger and grief. Then his scream turned into a cry of agony. Remus dropped to the ground, his knees cracking against the stone floor. His body lurched as another strong wave pulled at him like the moon pulled at the tides. An involuntary yelp escaped Remus as every inch of his skin burned as it thickened and erupted in fur. Every bone in his body broke and began to manipulate and curve in ways that felt as though they would puncture him from the inside out. But like it did every month, his form grew to fit his mutilated skeleton and his swelling muscles. Remus gaged as his mouth filled with expanding and sharpening teeth until his jaw pulled painfully into a snout. He watched as his hands grew and bent into clawed paws. His legs and hips snapped out of their sockets, making Remus a four-legged beast. Finally, the base of his spine poked outward to form a tail. Remus uttered one last human whimper of pain and one last human thought, 'Dora.'
Remus's human rage and torment erupting from the werewolf in a howl that reverberated around the cave. The werewolf was restless with memories and thoughts unidentifiable to its animal mind. It resumed Remus's pacing, its claws scrapping against the ground. The wolf growled at being caged. In an attempt to free itself, it launched forward at the cave's mouth only to be thrown back against the strong enchantments Remus had placed to keep it trapped.
Again and again the restless werewolf would throw itself at the confinement spells, a blood thirsty desire driving it to get out. After hours of this, its need to scratch and bite grew too overwhelming to deny. The beast began to gnaw on its own legs, the werewolf venom seeping into its veins, turning the bloodstream to molten led. It scrapped at its skin, pulling flesh away with its claws.
This self-torture continued until even the powerful wolf was too broken to go on. The wounded beast sprawled itself on the hard ground, panting, quivering, and bleeding.
When day came, the werewolf's body twisted and jolted painfully back into the shape of a man.
Remus laid flat on his back silent tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. He could not move as tiny, rusted nails were jabbed along the outline of his body, piercing hot into his flesh. Everything was quiet and dark. Remus's brain was throbbing against his skull and there was a building, sharp pressure in his midriff as if spiked clamps were closing around his organs. Remus wanted to escape, but he was trapped in whatever limbo he now existed in. With every rapid flutter of his heart, pain spread across his blood stream like acid, incinerating the fibers, muscles, and bones.
Minutes turned into hours and Remus grew cold, so very cold, and still he could not lift himself from the ground. His chest was tightening, and his respirations were shallow. His head spun with lack of oxygen. Remus could hear his rapid heartbeat pounding against his sternum. Helpless to stop it, his bladder released beneath him as his body cleansed itself for death.
How fitting that it should end for him like this, naked on a cave floor, in a puddle of his own piss, like an animal.
Remus wanted more than anything to move and get to Tonks, wherever she may be. The memory of her bleeding filled him with fear. 'What if-?' He couldn't even bear to think the words. Remus refused to live in this world without her. So he silently begged whatever higher power was out there, that he might join her in any form.
"Remus," came Tonks's sweet voice out of the dark.
'Yes,' he thought. 'I just want to be with her.'
"Remus!" Her voice was urgent.
"Dora," he breathed, a slight smile forming on his lips.
Then feeling his mouth move, Remus gained perspective of his face. He realized that his eyes were clenched shut. With some effort, he pried open his lids.
His wife's face materialized in front of him. Yet her outline was blurred against the light coming from the mouth of the cave, giving her a sort of glow.
"Oh Merlin," Tonks cried, falling to her knees beside him. Blood was smeared on the stone floor around her husband. He was laying flat on his back, naked, shivering and with open wounds all up his arms, legs and torso. Tonks reached out and stroked Remus's cheek. Bruises had formed around his eyes and blood reddened his lips.
"Y-You're- h-here." His words were barely audible for Remus did not have enough air in his lungs to say much. His breathing was erratic.
"Of course, I'm here," Tonks said hastily. "When you didn't come home, I have to come looking for you, did I? Merlin, I shouldn't have waited." Not pulling her gaze from her husband, she raised her wand. "Accio." Remus's trousers, pants, and shirt floated towards them.
"B-Baby?"
"The baby's fine," Tonks said a little distractedly as her eyes ran up and down Remus's wounded body.
"I t-thought…"
"I know," Tonks breathed. "I thought too. I'll explain later. Let's get you into your clothes. You're shivering."
Remus just looked up at her helplessly. He did not even feel embarrassed to be found in such a position. All he felt was relief to be found by Tonks.
"It's okay," Tonks said knowingly. She carefully put his pant and trousers around his ankles and shimmed them up his body. As gentle as she was being, Remus's face was pained as she moved him. Once his legs were covered, the fabric began to absorb the blood and urine around him. Tonks leaned over her husband. "Can you put your arms around my neck?"
Remus's eyes flicked to his arms that had been chewed raw and were most likely broken.
"It's okay, sweetheart," Tonks said. She meticulously grabbed his hands and rested his arms on her shoulders. Remus flinched as his exposed flesh was pulled by the movement. Tonks could feel the sticky blood from his arms on her neck, but she did not care. She just wanted to get Remus out of this cave. Supporting his head and back, she lifted him into a sitting position. Remus's body was limp in her arms.
Tonks struggled to get his jumper on over his head while still supporting his weight.
Sitting up as he was, was making the blood rush from his head. Remus was finding it very difficult to stay conscious. The cave and his wife kept coming in and out of focus.
Remus tried to support himself more. He strained his abdomen muscled to keep himself steady.
The tearing from his midriff was almost audible. Remus let out a cry that was half scream and half gag. Blood flooded his mouth, Remus spluttered and chocked, splattering red droplets in all directions. He could feel more hot, metallic blood raising up his esophagus.
The last thing Remus saw was his wife's terrified face. Then the little air left in his body was forced from his lungs and he had the feeling that he was being squeezed through a tube.
They landed in a whirlwind of color and sound.
"Someone help!" Tonks said, clinging to her unconscious husband on the floor. Tonks placed her hand on the cold, white tile to keep from toppling over, Remus's body growing heavier by the moment. Her hand left a scarlet print of the ground.
A group of people in purple robes came hurrying forward. One waved his wand and a stretcher appeared beside them.
Tonks knew that it was a huge risk to bring Remus to St. Mungo's, but it was an even bigger risk to bring him home.
"Let's move him."
Two of the healers pried Remus from Tonks's arms.
"I have to stay with him!" Tonks said firmly as she stumbled to her feet. "I have to stay with him!"
No one seemed to be listening to her as they rolled Remus onto the stretcher.
"What happened?" one of the nameless faces before Tonks asked.
Tonks looked at the woman blankly for a moment. "H-Hippogriff attack," she spluttered.
The healers exchanged looks.
One healer pulled up Remus's shirt, revealing the many bites and scars. The healer replaced his shirt at once as if to cover up something indecent.
"There is a lot of blood," one of the younger looking healers said, drawing her hands away from Remus, a clear look of disgust on her face.
"Who will…?"
"I don't know?"
"Rose? Is Rose here?"
"Yeah."
"Is someone going to do something?" Tonks exclaimed desperately. Remus's breathing was beginning to come out in infrequent gasps. "Please!"
"Someone call Rose?"
One of the healers pointed her wand at the ceiling. "Healer Rosamond to trauma room seven."
Then floating through the air came a clear, audible woman's voice. "Healer Rosamond to trauma room seven. Healer Rosamond to trauma room seven."
One of the healers pointed his wand at the stretcher and it levitated and began moving forward.
Tonks chased after the group.
"Miss, we are going to have to ask you to wait over there," one of the healers told her.
Tonks's wand was immediately in the healer's face. "I'm staying with my husband," she said.
Several of the other healers drew their wands as well, pointing them at Tonks.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake," came a woman's voice. She spoke in an American accent, "let her stay." The woman strode passed the group and into the room without even glancing at Remus. "Put him on the table." She was tall and lean. She had a stern, pale face and dark hair that was thrown into a knot on the top of her head that was artfully askew. She might have been quite pretty if it was not for the lifeless expression in her brown eyes.
Once Remus was laid out on a sterile metal table, the others left so that it was only Tonks, Remus, and Healer Rose Rosamond.
"You're going to treat him alone?" Tonks asked skeptically. This healer looked to be about Tonks's own age. She must not have been a healer long. Was she even qualified to help Remus?
Healer Rosamond's eyes briefly flicked towards Tonks. By her expression, it was clear that she knew exactly what Tonks was thinking.
The Healer put gloves on her hands and stood over Remus. She drew her wand and pointed it at Remus's chest.
"What are you doing?" Tonks pointed her wand at the healer.
Healer Rosamond did not seem to be bothered by this one bit. "If you curse me, that will be worse off for him," she said, moving the tip of her wand down his chest and his jumper split and fell away. She continued to split the seams of Remus's clothing so that he was completely naked, and the shards of fabric fell to the floor around the table. The healer's empty eyes quickly surveyed Remus's body. "So that's why they didn't want to stay," she mumbled to herself.
Tonks threw the woman a disgusted look.
Healer Rosamond waved her wand and potions and various equipment came flying out of cabinets and drawers. She touched her hands to Remus's abdomen. "He's bleeding internally and its compressing his lungs."
"Can you help him?" Tonks asked desperately.
The healer gave Tonks an annoyed look. "Of course, I can?" She traced the boarders of Remus's torso with her wand and whispered a spell that Tonks did not recognize. The skin over Remus's middle became transparent and Tonks could see her husband's organs; she could see his rapidly fluttering heart.
Healer Rosamond looked down into the concave of visceral tissue. "He ruptured his spleen," she said, "and maybe his pancreas." She pointed her wand at the organs in question and mumbled a repeated incantation that sounded more like a song. In deep concentration, she continued to poke and prod at Remus with her wand. Then his torso lost its transparency and Remus's breathing became slow and deep.
"When will he wake up?" Tonks asked, feeling it was safe again to touch Remus. She clung to his hand.
The healer's gaze flit to Tonks's hold on her husband. "I've only just stopped the bleeding," she said somewhat impatiently. "He lost a lot of blood. He needs replenishment potions so he doesn't go into hypovolemic shock, if he isn't already."
Tonks did not know what that meant, nor did she think the healer was about to explain. "He's going to be alright, isn't he?"
The healer grabbed a long vertical metal pole, tubing, and bags that looked like plastic bladders. She ignored Tonks's question.
Tonks eyed the metal pole with mistrust.
"How long has he been a werewolf," Healer Rosamond asked flatly.
Tonks was taken aback. "He's not a werewolf," she said too quickly.
The healer pressed her lips together. "Anyone with eyes and half a brain could see that those are werewolf bites. Besides, you are bringing him to me directly after a full moon."
Tonks was pointing her wand at Rose again. "He was attacked by a hippogriff."
"Get your wand out of my face," the healer snapped. "If he had been attacked by a hippogriff, the other healers would be in here helping me." She sighed deeply. "It makes absolutely no difference to me. I just need the medical history so that I can heal him properly. He has old scars. I'm assuming this was not his first full moon.
Tonks lowered her wand only slightly. "Thirty-three years," she answered through dry lips.
"Impressive," Healer Rosamond said sardonically.
"What are you doing?" Tonks asked as the healer approached her husband's arm with a needle.
"If you're going to question everything that I'm doing, you can leave," Healer Rosamond said irritably. "I am going to give him potions intravenously. It's a no-maj technique that has proven to be effective."
"O-Okay." Tonks watched as the healer sunk a needle into a prominent vein in the crook of Remus's arm. She attached the tubing to the bladderlike bag and hung the bag from the metal pole. Then to the bag she added a maroon colored potion that crawled down the tubing. Finally, the healer attached the tubing to the point in Remus's vein. She repeated this with his other arm and fill the bag with a pale blue potion.
Healer Rosamond then cleaned and treated Remus's wounds with dittany. She lathered each healing cut with a thick ointment and covered them with clean, crisp bandages. She healed all his broken bones down to his last toe.
The healer placed two fingers against Remus's throat, checking his pulse. She sighed as if relieved.
She then stripped off her gloves and threw them unceremoniously on the floor. She raised her wand and a heavy blanket appeared out of nowhere and gracefully draped itself over Remus's naked body. The healer tapped the hard metal table thrice with her wand and it transfigured it a hospital bed.
Healer Rose Rosamond finally looked at Tonks, who was grasping tightly to her husband's hand. "He's going to be okay," she told Tonks.
Tonks's face broke and she let out a cry that was half laughter and half sob. She brought Remus's bandaged hand to her lips and kissed it repeatedly. She leaned in and kissed her husband's motionless lips, uncaring that they were still red with blood.
Rose stoically watched Tonks as her hand unconsciously rested at a spot over her heart, gripping at something beneath her robes.
With puffy eyes, Tonks gazed up at the healer. "Thank you," she wept. "Thank you. I don't know what I would've done if…" she could not say the words, but placed her hand not holding onto Remus on her abdomen.
"You're pregnant," Rose said bluntly. "I've never met anyone carrying a werewolf's baby before?"
Tonks immediately dropped her hand from her belly. Her sobs instantly subsided. Her eyes narrowed and her shoulders tensed defensively.
The healer raised her brows at Tonks.
"How did you learn those muggle tricks?" Tonks said, changing the subject. "Are you muggle-born?"
Now it was the Rose's turn to look defensive. "Do you really think I'm going to answer that question," she said. "Just know that when the Ministry interrogated me about my blood status, if I was unable to give them a satisfactory answer, I wouldn't be here today to heal your husband."
Tonks could see that this woman had no talent for deceit. Which made Tonks wonder how she was able to fool the Ministry of Magic.
"Well," Tonks said, "I'm grateful you did."
Rose shook her head. "He should be waking up soon. Once his infusions finish, it would probably be a good idea if you both leave."
Tonks nodded.
As cold as this woman was, she willingly treated a werewolf, and she was most definitely a muggle-born. She felt like an ally.
"Do you know much about lycanthropy?" Tonks blurted.
"Not really," Rose admitted. "Just enough, I suppose."
"Oh."
"Why?"
"I was just wondering if you thought it could-"
"If it could be passed down to your child," Rose interjected.
"Yes," Tonks breathed. Seeing what had just happen to Remus made Tonks feel truly scared for her child, scared that one day this would happen to them.
"Like I said, I'm no expert on lycanthropy," Rose said. She surveyed Tonks for a moment, her eyes lingering on her thumb repeatedly stroking across her husband's knuckles. "You wouldn't have known this because you were unconscious, but I was your healer when they brought you in over a year ago for spell damage. I remember you because your hair kept changing color in your sleep. I know you're a metamorphmagus."
"What does that have to do with-"
"You can change your appearance at will," Rose said. She gestured towards Remus, "he can't. As far as I know, werewolves are created not born. However, if there is some chance of heredity, well, the baby will have your genes too. Maybe they will cancel themselves out."
A light smile tugged at Tonks's lips. The healer's words were oddly comforting.
"Dora," came a light murmur
"Remus." Tonks leaned over him and cupped his face in her hands. "How do you feel?"
Tonks's face was coming in and out of focus. "Where…?"
"St. Mungo's. But don't worry," Tonks said hurriedly, "it's safe. You're safe." Tonks could tell by Remus's expression that he was skeptical. "Trust me?" she added.
Remus's face softened. "Always," he whispered back.
"Perhaps we should find you something to wear," Rose said.
Remus's eyes flicked towards her.
"I'm Rose Rosamond," Rose introduced, her voice low. "I'm your healer."
"Remus Lupin," Remus said hoarsely.
"And I'm Tonks Lupin, by the way," Tonks interjected.
Rose's brows knit together at Tonks's introduction and Remus gave his wife a little amused look.
When Remus looked curiously at the tubes sticking out of his arms, Rose gently explained the treatment she had provided. Rose and Tonks helped Remus ease into a sitting position. Though it was not nearly as bad as before, Remus still was in quite a bit of pain. Rose tipped several potions down his throat to numb some of the throbbing. Tonks helped him into a hospital gown that Rose had given them. Then both women helped Remus stand. His knees shook at his own weight. Rose draped a blanket around Remus's shoulders and then ladened Tonks with a bag full of remedies.
"You two should just disapparate right from this room," Rose instructed. "Go home and get cleaned up. There are some soothing herbs in the bag to place in the bathwater. Stir them into the water clockwise with your wand three turns. Bandages need to be changed daily. You have the ointment to keep the scars supple, so your limbs don't get stiff." Rose bit her lip, thinking if there was anything else she needed to tell them. "Stay hydrated. Only broths and clear liquids for the next couple days while you're continuing to heal."
"Thank you," Remus told her earnestly. He glanced down at his wife, who was supporting him. He could not have stood to be without her, not even in his death.
Rose watched, as if through a veil, as Tonks and Remus stare lovingly into each other's eyes. "You're welcome," she said distantly.
Tonks looked up at Rose and noticed that she was clutching at some sort of pendant under her healer's robes, her eyes appeared misty.
"Before you go," Rose said, flicking her wand and a quill, ink pot, and parchment came floating toward her. She quickly scribbled something on the scrap of paper and put it in the bag Tonks was holding. "That's an address," she explained. "A week before the next full moon come see me. I'll make you wolfsbane potion."
Tonks and Remus both stared at her in shock.
"We couldn't possibly afford it," Remus told her apologetically.
"I can get all the ingredients here," Rose assured him.
Tonks realized that she meant she would be stealing the ingredients.
"That would be a huge risk to you," Remus said. "I couldn't allow you to-"
"Of course, you can," Rose said firmly. "You need to stay strong for your wife and child."
Remus was speechless.
"You should leave now," Rose said.
XXX
Thank you all so much for supporting this story. It really has meant the world to me to know that others enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Thank you to all those who have continued to review. It makes me so happy to hear from you.
Thank you to my best friend Becca (a.k.a. the real-life Hermione) for being such a lovely person and friend. I'm so grateful to have you in my life.
With love,
Thora Jane
