A/N:

Written for the international wizarding school championship

Theme: Two — Rules: write about someone who values rules.

Prompts: [Action] Disciplining

Additional Prompt: [Event] A meeting at work

Word count: 2951

Notes: Muggle AU

The Fatal Favour

Severus dodged nurses and gurneys as he made his way through the corridors. He was focused on the light at the end of the corridor. The ambulance bay.

The ambulance door opened, and the crisp breeze stung his face, the white noise ceased.

'Twenty-three-year-old male, his temperature is thirty-eight degrees, and blood pressure is eighty over ninety. He's conscious but not aware, he's been on twenty-four per cent oxygen for fifteen minutes and had ten cc's codeine. His breathing has eased,' said the paramedic.

'Chart.' Severus snatched the clipboard from the paramedic and began reading the untidy scribbles.

The paramedics pulled the gurney from the ambulance. The patient's eyes had a far off look, and his breathing was ragged. If this was an improvement, Severus dreaded to think how bad he'd been before.

The ambulance door slammed, and Severus looked up. Lily Evans. The paramedics faded to the background giving way to her.

Severus watched tears spill over Lily's flushed cheeks, and his chest tightened.

'You haven't noted how he presented originally.' Severus forcibly returned his focus to the paramedic—the one that could give him the information he needed to make it better for her.

'His was breathing was short and erratic. He's confused, persistently coughing up blood, and running a fever—it's getting higher. His wife said he's been vomiting.'

He glared down at the patient. Potter.

She married him!

Severus pushed the gurney through the A&E doors, rushing towards the nearest empty bay, nurses and trauma staff hurrying in after him. He began connecting the man to various monitors and barking instructions. Potter' breathing was still erratic, and Severus's face darkened.

Lily lingered just outside the bay. Vaguely Severus noticed her reading his expression, but he continued to work at speed.

'He's going into respiratory depression. You haven't noted medications he took before your arrival either,' said Severus.

'We had to give him something,' said the paramedic, red creeping into his face.

Severus's tone softened. 'Lily?'

'He's been on a bunch of different over-the-counter stuff, nothing helped.' Her voice was breaking, and her nose scrunched, a symptom he had long known as a precursor to tears.

'Thank you.' He looked down at the patient, already checking his airway. It wasn't good. 'I need an intubation kit. 8.0mm tube, now!'

Within moments he was at the top of the bed, tilting the man's head back to see his airway clearly. Lily was gently moved aside by a nurse.

'Laryngoscope.'

'I want him admitted to the ICU. Monitor his vitals. I want a chest x-ray, a full blood panel, and fit a central line. We need to monitor his urine output. Page me or Dr McGonagal if anything changes.' He handed over the chart to his faithful Poppy. 'Oh, and a urine test'.

'And what will you be doing?' Poppy questioned.

'Getting a full history.' Severus glanced past Poppy to Lily. She had watched everything.

'You're speaking to the family?' Poppy asked, 'You know how it went last time.'

'I-It's not going to be like last time.'

'As we have no more complaints.'

'If I need help, I'll ask for it.' He walked past Poppy to where Lily stood, petrified.

His heart sank. He walked over to Lily and placed a hand on her shoulder. 'I think coffee is in order.'

Lily nodded.

The walls were painted a warm cream colour, and cushions and throws decorated the plush sofas. It was all in an effort to help families feel like their entire world wasn't falling apart, which it invariably was.

Severus got the coffee. Watching her as she pulled at the fraying threads of her cardigan, he felt somewhat guilty for enjoying the moment. She sat with her knees beneath her chin, hiding behind a curtain of tangled hair.

'Here,' he said, 'milk, three sugars. I feel obligated to educate you on the dangers of a high sugar diet.' He stretched his lips in an attempt at smiling, but it had been too long.

'You remembered?'

'Of course,' he said, his voice barely a whisper.

'What do you need to know?' She stumbled over the words.

'It's just a few questions. When did his symptoms start?'

'A week ago. It was only a cough—the flu, I guess.' She continued to decimate the cardigan.

'Has he had pneumonia before?'

'As a child. He has a weak immune system, but it hasn't been a problem since we married. Oh god, I don't even know the details!'

She wore her heart on her sleeve, and it made her helpless. All the signs were there for him, the inability to meet his eye, mumbling, the way her hands trembled as she fiddled with loose threads. She was still strong, though.

'It's okay. Is he on any medication?'

'No, like I said, it's not been a problem. We try to make sure we run a clean shop, as I'm sure you can imagine.'

'I can.' He kept his eyes on the chart, flicking around the page of questions.

She smiled, but it was diluted by the tension that was still resting on her shoulders.

'His symptoms, would you describe them as continuous or intermittent?'

'Continuous, but they would occasionally get worse and then ease up. Is that good or bad?'

'Relax.' He waited, and she took deep, calming breaths. 'It just gives me the information I need to make the correct diagnosis. Don't think about the good or bad.'

She nodded, as she wiped away the escaping tears.

'Is there anything that helped to relieve the symptoms, made him feel better?' He placed the chart on his lap, the pen poised and ready. Its tip trembled slightly in his unsteady hand.

She shook her head as she pulled out a thread of wool and fiddled with it between her fingers.

'Has he travelled recently or been exposed to anything toxic?'

She shook her head, and he nodded, taking her hand in his. It was awkward, his other hand still taking notes.

'Okay, has he been around anyone who's been ill?'

'No. We have a baby—'

'You have a child?' The pen in his hand stopped, and his other hand let go of hers.

'Y-Yes. We do. Harry has been the picture of health, and James is very careful.'

Severus nodded. It took a moment for him to scrawl a quick note, but he left harsh indents, almost tearing the paper.

'I understand. What about alcohol consumption, smoking, vaccines?'

'He's an occasional drinker, but since Harry, it's lessened. He's never smoked, and he had all his vaccines. I can get copies of his records.'

'That's fine.' How could he explain what was wrong? 'Lily, I think he has pneumonia. This wouldn't usually be a problem for a man of his age, but James has a weak immune system.

'We'll start with some tests. Initially, I want to see him off a ventilator, and then we'll find out which strain of bacteria caused the pneumonia. Once we have that, we'll begin treatment.'

'It's definitely pneumonia?' she asked.

'Not definitely. That's why we do tests. It's protocol, especially as your husband has had a variety of medications. I don't want to do anything other than improve his condition. Following the procedure means waiting for proof it's pneumonia.'

Her lip trembled. 'And then you can treat him. Penicillin for pneumonia, right?'

'It depends on the strain, but I'll do everything I can, I promise.'

The next morning, Severus scrambled into his scrubs. He saw the flash of a speed camera as he drove to work, but it didn't bother him. He skipped his usual coffee and marched through the empty corridors to the ICU.

He glanced at the chart and made his way to collect the x-rays, checking the tests he'd ordered the day before. His eyes flitted over James' name, and he ground his teeth together.

He focused on the upcoming meeting with McGonagall. Smiling, he noted that much of what he had diagnosed had been proven correct by the results. She would expect a well thought out treatment plan that took all procedural rules into account. Severus was a fan of these rules, they were black and white, more appealing than the shades of grey he encountered when interacting with family members.

'Come in,' she called.

Dr Minerva McGonagal was a shrewd, silver-haired woman. Her lips were constantly pursed, except with Severus, her most gifted student.

'I have x-rays for Mr Potter in bed two.'

She rose, switching on the viewing panel.

'So, what do you see?'

'Pneumonia, but there's a lot of fluid in the lungs.'

'Your plan?' she drilled.

'A chest tube, which could get him off the ventilator.'

'Anything else?'

'Confirming pneumonia. I'm waiting for the blood and urine tests to come back. I'll order a CT to check for abscesses in the lungs.'

'Very good. What about the pleural fluid culture?'

'Too invasive. He needs to improve before I start poking his lungs with a giant needle,' he drawled.

'How's the family?'

Severus shrugged and looked away. 'Fine.'

'Poppy usually gets more information than that, Severus.'

Looking down at the file, he coughed. 'Poppy didn't speak to the family. I spoke to his wife'—he cleared his throat—'they have a son. She's coping, although worried.'

'You spoke to the family?' She raised an eyebrow. 'You even sound as though you care.'

'You said that I should be more available to families.' He frowned.

'I never expected you to do it.'

'I'm just trying it out.'

'I expect nothing less, Severus. Now, you have work to do. Chest tubes don't get put in by themselves, you know.'

'I can do it without supervision?'

McGonagall smiled. 'My best student can.'

As the tests came back, it was increasingly clear it was pneumonia, but they didn't know the strain of bacteria. That was a problem. Hospital rules dictated you couldn't treat it without knowing.

'Any news?'

She was in the same clothes that she'd arrived in. There was a faded coffee stain on her t-shirt, and her fists were balled in her sagging jean pockets.

'I just noticed lots of tests, not much treatment…' She couldn't meet his eyes. They darted from the chart to the door, to the curtain that blocked her husband from view.

'I understand, but we put the chest tube in, and now we can check his lungs for abscesses. He may even come off the ventilator.'

'Yeah…' Tears stood in her eyes, and she dabbed them away with a thinning tissue.

'Because of your husband's compromised immune system, you should be aware of the worst-case scenario. Pneumonia makes him extremely vulnerable and his ability to breathe may get worse, and if the fluid continues to build in his lungs, the disease can be fatal.'

He wasn't sure what to say to comfort her, and the first awkward sentence came tumbling from his lips. 'Do… Do you need a hug?'

For a moment, he felt foolish but then she leaned towards him. He reached out and wrapped a stiff arm around her. Severus could smell the faded scent of her shampoo mixed with her natural smell that he remembered so well.

She laughed lightly, hiding her face in his shoulder. 'Said Severus Snape, never!'

'Only to you,' he whispered.

He held her until her breathing calmed, slow and even. It took a while for him to relax, but when he did, he found his fingers rubbing familiar circles on her shoulder.

'Sev? Would you do something for me?'

'Anything.'

She pushed him away, pacing the room. Her hands were clasped together, and she wore a worried expression.

Severus tried to swallow the growing lump in his throat. Had he done something? His hands, no longer able to hold her, fidgeted with the pens in his pocket, straightening them obsessively.

She glanced up at him. 'Promise me you won't wait to treat him?'

His hands clenched around his stethoscope. It's about Potter; it's always about Potter. ''ll do everything I can.'

Her eyes were wide and bloodshot. 'You know it's pneumonia. I'm not stupid, Sev—'

'And neither am I!' He pressed his index fingers to his temples, massaging them as he turned his back to her.

'What I mean is there are drugs that could help!' She paced back and forth, the sounds of her agitated footfall filling the room.

'It's complicated, and there are rules.'

'So, you're telling me that there isn't something you would do in an emergency, like penicillin? You're telling me the smartest man I know doesn't have a solution?'

'You're asking me to break the rules. Do you know what that could do to my career? To your husband, if I'm wrong?'

She nodded, and she was stiff, almost as if she were restraining herself.

'And you're asking anyway?'

She nodded again.

Severus paced now. Penicillin was highly likely to help, and Lily needed this.

He turned to her and stared into her evergreen eyes. He would risk his career for the man she chose over him, a man that had played him so that he could get the girl.

'Is he allergic to penicillin?'

Her face burst into a grin, and she launched herself at him. 'I knew I could count on you, Sev!'

'I said I would do anything for you,' he whispered, wrapping his arms around her.

He put Potter on the penicillin, but it wasn't long before signs of angioedema—welts that indicated an allergic reaction. His already low blood pressure was falling.

Severus was paged when the man's heart stopped pumping. Poppy hurried Lily out of the room.

'He's going into anaphylaxis. Get the paddles!' Severus shouted. Poppy was already prepared. 'Give him epinephrine and dopamine. We need that blood pressure up.'

'Charging to two hundred!' Poppy called while another nurse applied compressions. 'Clear!'

Severus placed the paddles to his chest, shocking Potter' heart.

'Dr Snape, what caused this?' Poppy asked as they began recharging the paddles.

'Penicillin. We need to restart his heart and flush it out of his system!' His hands ran through his hair, pulling at the roots. 'Clear!'

Potter's body arched off the table.

'You go speak to McGonagal. She'll know what to do,' Poppy urged. 'We've got this.'

Severus nodded, his heart sinking.

Once Severus was outside Minerva's office, he lingered, the chart in his hand. He finally knocked, she called him in straight away. She sat behind her desk with a pile of charts, her eyes tired and her lips pursed. The usually tight bun atop her head was slipping.

'Ah, Severus, how is Mr Potter?' she asked casually.

He slumped in the chair. He told her the truth; everything, his history with Lily, the favour, and how it had gone horribly wrong.

'Give me the chart,' she demanded. 'This is the most up to date information?'

'I came straight here,' he whispered.

'Of all the students to do this...' She paused. 'My most detached student, brilliant, but appalling bedside manner. The one time you engage… you make the worst decision! We have rules for a reason. With his history, the allergy would have been known, and all this could have been prevented!' she was shouting by the end.

'I was hoping that you could fix it.' He looked up.

'I don't have a magic wand! Her husband is falling into a coma, and the chance that he'll wake… it's slim-to-none. You know that, don't you?'

Severus nodded.

'Tell her.'

'Please, don't!' He couldn't stand to look into Lily's eyes and tell her what he'd done. 'I—I can't!'

'You will tell her.'

Lily sat by her husband, holding his hand and whispering in his ears, worshipping at the altar of his life support.

Severus watched. Bile rose at the mere thought of entering the room. He had known better.

Finally, he knocked.

'Come in.' Lily began fussing with James' bedding, straightening and tucking it into his sides.

Severus lingered at the door. When she looked up, he knew he had to speak with her.

'What's wrong?' Her hands dropped from the bedding.

Lily looked less afraid now, her head held high, and her eyes weren't bloodshot like when she feared for her husband's life.

He took a step into the room and closed the door. Looking through the door's window, Dr McGonagal stood behind the station, her arms folded, and she nodded tersely.

'Did the treatment work?' She looked desperate and hopeful. 'Look at me.'

His hands clinging to the chart, he turned to face her.

'Lily,' he began, 'I'm sorry, b-but the treatment is…'

'Is it the hives? Is it serious?' She was strangely composed, given the circumstances. Her brows furrowed, and she leaned towards him.

'I'm afraid it's much more serious. His allergic reaction is quite severe.'

'Will he survive?' She leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs at the ankle.

Severus lingered at the end of the bed, and he busied himself with the chart, fingering through the pages.

He slipped the chart into its bracket, and he pulled a chair from one end of the small room to the bedside where he sat next to Lily.

'Is he dying?' she asked.

Severus leaned forward, his fingers running through his hair. 'Yes,' he said. 'Serious anaphylactic shock. James is allergic to penicillin. I-I'm sorry…'

Her expression morphed from a smile to a grimace, and she pulled out her phone

'I told you he was allergic!' Her eyes narrowed. 'You did this on purpose. How could you?'

Severus' brows knitted together. 'But y-you said…' His eyes grew wide as he saw the number she dialled.

Her back straight and her head held high, she faced Severus.

'I need the police. I want to report a murder.'