Chapter 5: The Vet's Office
Recovery from child abuse is serious business. A child, as neglected as Harry would need years upon years of vigilant care and tons of love and encouragement. Harry had been in the hospital for two weeks so far, and his body was slowly on the mend. It would take time, but it was worth it. Another abused fellow who could sympathize with the kid was Pa-Foo.
Father Martin and Daniel had taken him to a vet the first full day he was at the house. The vet was a gorgeous woman of Latin ascent. Her name was Rosa. Even while wearing her scrubs, everyone could tell she had a beautiful curvy figure. Rosa Gonzalez was 5.7 ft. She had long wavy black hair, expressive eyes with voluminous lashes, framed with thick but shapely eyebrows. Pa-Foo seemed to stand taller as soon as she walked in the room. The two men with him looked at him, amused as the dog sniffed the vet. Pa-Foo acted so much like a human that it was comical.
"Hello there, handsome," she smiled at the dog and crouched in front of him. He immediately tried to kiss her. "No, boy. First, we have to do a check-up and clean you up. You have horrible breath," Rosa said, laughing when the dog put its ears back and laid down in shame. Pa-Foo covered his muzzle with one paw as to keep it closed. "I read he's a stray..." Rosa began in a questioning tone.
Daniel explained how they found him, and Father Martin told Dr. Gonzalez how they felt the dog had been trained and how it was very protective of the abused boy they were trying to help. Rosa decided to test their theory once the dog had been bathed and had gotten a haircut. A couple of hours later, Pa-Foo marched mack looking much better than when he left. He no longer had matted fur. His teeth and ears had been cleaned, his nails had been trimmed. He looked like a handsome, although skinny dog. Pa-Foo looked at Rosa with a reprimand in his eyes.
"Oh, Pa-Foo… I know you must be upset, but you look much better now. Don't you feel better?" she asked. Rosa almost fell off her stool when the dog nodded. She looked at both men in the room and said: "I see what you mean by trained, gentlemen."
The vet started testing commands on Pa-Foo: sit, down, still, come, roll over, wait, jump, play dead, high-five, bark, howl. He did all of them. Although for a moment, Rosa thought he was annoyed by them asking him to do such things. Lastly, just to make sure, Rosa commanded the word kiss. Pa-Foo's tail looked as it would fall off. He stood in his hind legs and licked her cheek. Finally! The dog thought. A while later, Pa-Foo's appreciation for her beauty and smell faded a bit when she had to give him some IV fluids, vaccines, and tests. Rosa ordered him to take regular medicated baths with a stinky medication for his few remaining fleas.
Pa-Foo had made an indignant howl when she said that. However, he was glad. All the fleas were partying hard on his poor body. He was glad when the vet said he could keep eating leftovers as long as his stomach didn't get upset. Pa-Foo didn't particularly enjoy dry dog food. But wet dog food was the worst. He didn't know what was in it, but it certainly wasn't meat. A couple of hours into the first visit, Pa-Foo's canine health was improved. He was no longer dehydrated, and his first bath and haircut had done wonders. Daniel got him a doggie harness, a leash, two bowls, and a couple of chew toys. Pa-Foo was growing anxious. He wanted to see Harry and Hermione. They were such good, kind children.
Pa-Foo's duty was to protect Harry at all costs. He was so surprised when the boy had remembered his name. By the look of neglect the little one had, Pa-Foo wouldn't have been surprised if those bastards had beaten any memories out of him. Albus Dumbledore was ancient, and his flesh was probably old and tough, but Pa-Foot would gladly sacrifice to tear off his limbs for all the damage Harry had to live through. To think he had never been to the doctor to the point where he doesn't know what the word means. The Prince of the Light of the Entire Wizarding World was treated worse than strays on the street. While those stupid authors wrote fake stories about how pampered Harry was, he didn't even know his own name.
Pa-Foo was Harry's animagus godfather Sirius Black. He had performed the Godfather Ritual with the Potters. His own magic would kill him if he ever attempted to willingly hurt his godson. Sirius needed to gain back his strength so he could return to his human form. All the delicious, healthy leftovers from the Grangers were helping a lot. Since they were doctors, and as Pa-Foo understood from going around the house finding certain things, athletes, their diet was healthier than most. They ate lean protein, lots of vegetables and fruits, leafy greens, and the occasional fats. Sirius' favorite dish so far had been Sunday's breakfast which had bacon. It had been years since he had eaten any bacon. Since Mr. Granger was a big softie at heart, Sirius' pleading eyes would always get him second helpings of his favorite foods. Emma was a bit annoyed at Sirius' antics, but he found a way to win her over.
Father Martin had managed to get a doggie door for Pa-Foo and installed it on the back door. This made it easy for Pa-Foo to always do his business outside. Pooping out in the open as a dog was always awful for him. He would go into the tall bushes against the even taller fence and hide to poop. The door allowed him to get fresh air and sunlight when the Grangers were at the hospital. Father Martin turned out to be good at working wood… How Joseph of him, Sirius thought with a smile. Sirius was quickly growing fond of the priest. Martin would come at least once a day to feed him, while the Grangers weren't home. He would give him second helpings, especially since Sirius pretended to pray before he had his food. The first time the man had said out loud, "I must be losing it."
Winning over Mrs. Granger was easy for him. Sirius had been quite the ladies' man in his youth, and he knew how to be the perfect gentleman. He started bringing her fuzzy slippers to the door so she could change into them as soon as she got home. He would carefully pull the chair back for her with his teeth at the dining room table, making sure he didn't damage the wood. She had said she was glad he was such an educated dog. He wouldn't complain when either doctor would brush his fur, trim his nails, or bathe him. He would also lick their hands in gratitude when they were done. He never tried to get on the couches or beds, and most importantly, he never peed or pooped inside the house. The Grangers kept a tidy, clean, beautiful home. Sirius knew they were well-off. However, their decor was not lavish. Everything was top quality, but simple and elegant.
Sirius took to follow the Grangers around and help them as much as he could. On the third week of Harry's stay at the hospital, Daniel brought several things to the house to paint a bedroom. All he bought was for Harry. Sirius was elated to know they were going to keep Harry with them. Who better to care for a child than two loving, compassionate doctors? Sirius made a mental note that he would need to repay them once he had access to his vault at Gringotts and his title. He followed Mr. Granger and helped him out. The bedroom they were going to give Harry had the decoration of a nursery. Sirius wondered if the Grangers had a miscarriage or if it was Hermione's old room. Then he noted it was meant for a boy. It was spacious, well-lit, and had an en-suite bathroom. Sirius went over to the crib to smelled it. Daniel sighed. The crib didn't smell like it had been slept in. Pa-Foo looked at Dan with questioning eyes and tilted his head. Daniel sat in a rocking chair, and Pa-Foo sat in front of him and put his head on Dan's knee in support.
"We lost him, Pa-Foo… Emma and I were expecting a boy. She had a miscarriage in the sixth month. The baby died inside of her, and she had to have labor induced…"
Pa-Foo whined in sympathy. Dan scratched the top of the dog's head.
"You know, pal. I always knew I married a strong woman. But when I saw her push out our dead child… I knew she was the strongest person I ever met. We incinerated the remains and threw them to the ocean. He was going to be called Ajax."
Sirius thought it was a great name. The name of a smart, courageous warrior in Agamemnon's army. The Grangers chose really cool names. Hermione after the daughter of King Menelaus and his wife Helen of Troy. Sirius stood on his hind legs and leaned his head onto Daniel's chest lightly. Then he left towards the kitchen. He wanted to get Dan something. There was a kitchen towel hanging from the fridge's handle. Excellent! He bit the towel and pulled hard, opened the door, and grabbed a glass bottle of beer. Sirius almost dropped it. It was so cold. But he persisted, he went around the door and kicked it close with his hind legs like a donkey would. He then put the bottle on the floor, careful not to shake it. Sirius stood on his hind legs again and jumping got the bottle opener magnet from the fridge. He carefully took it and the bottle in his mouth and left. Unbeknownst to him, both Emma and Martin were having tea at the kitchen table looking at him with their mouths hanging open. "Father… Did you see what I see?" a shocked Emma asked. "That dog is NOT normal…" the priest responded, shaking his head.
Daniel had stopped questioning Pa-Foot's abilities after the first week. He was a great smart dog, and they were lucky to have him. However, when the dog left the nursery, he thought Pa-Foo had heard a bad of food opening in the kitchen and was getting a snack. Daniel wiped tears away from his cheeks and right before he stood up, Pa-Foo reappeared, placing a cold bottle and a metal object on his leg. Daniel looked at the gift: a beer and a bottle opener. The dog barked and wagged his tail happily, looking pleased with himself. Dan whispered a confused thank you and went to the ensuite bathroom to wash off the bit of drool on both items. He opened the bottle in the sink, expecting it to be shaken and explode, but it wasn't. It was perfect. This dog is definitely something else. Emma will not believe me, Dan thought with a smile. He came out of the bathroom to find a flabbergasted Emma and Martin.
"Did you teach him how to that?" Emma asked, lifting one brow.
"No… he came in and smelled the crib and looked at me like questioning me."
"This dog is very special," Martin said, smiling.
Emma left for the hospital, and Martin offered to help Daniel with the room. With Martin's and Pa-Foo's help, the nursery was turned within that same day into a room fit for a little boy of Harry's age. They put together a blue bed with rails. They even dressed the mattress and placed a flat blanket and a comforter as well as several pillows on top. They even placed a big teddy bear in the center of the bed. Then, Daniel went downstairs for a few bags. They contained clothing, underwear, socks, and shoes. Lastly, they placed a little step so Harry could reach his bathroom's sink.
Additionally, they pasted anti-slipping short strips, a few tub toys, kid toiletries, and an accessory to help children reach the toilet properly. The very last thing they placed was a brand new toothbrush with a case and a kid toothpaste. Harry would be overwhelmed. Sirius had heard Emma cry about the bloody cupboard and quickly learned that was where Harry had lived so far. He would get back at those horrible people. He would make sure they lived to regret ever laying a hand on Harry.
The third week, Pa-Foo was growing restless. He wanted to be with Harry. The Grangers managed to pull some strings and bring him to the hospital once he was bathed, perfumed, and properly attired as a service dog. The married couple had the nurses' cooperation. The service dog act was in case someone they didn't know asked questions. Pa-Foo was absolutely joyful. He could barely sit still in the car. At another time, he would have howled in appreciation at the gorgeousness of the car. The night he met the Grangers, he had been too tired and hurt to notice. Those germans really knew their cars.
Emma warned him to be on his best behavior before he went out of the car and into the hospital. Pa-Foo nodded enthusiastically. The Grangers walked in, and the nurse who was taking care of the kids at the time accompanied them to the room to keep watch. Sirius had to restrain himself from jumping on Harry's bed and licking him all over. The boy was sitting next to Hermione, and she was reading to him. She started reading at four years old. Now that she was five, she could read almost as proficiently as adults, except for long and complex words.
"Pa-Foo!" Harry exclaimed with a big smile. He got off the bed with Hermione's help and kneeled in front of the dog with arms opened. Sirius needed no more encouragement and jumped in his arms. He was elated that Harry was starting to accept and give affection. The Grangers were pleasantly surprised. Harry had been getting better at not flinching at sudden motions or noises, and he would loosen up quicker when being held. Fortunately, the tests and subsequent questionings showed there had not been sexual abuse. Hermione quickly joined the embracing pair, hugging them both. "I m-missed you Pa-Foo!"
Dan and Emma embraced each other and looked down, genuinely touched by the scene. They could only have Pa-Foo there for four hours. In this way, one of them could sneak him out of the hospital while the other could take him back home. Pa-Foo left reassured. Three weeks under diligent and loving care had returned the color to Harry's translucent skin. The boy's eyes were shining. He had actually smiled for the first time since Sirius met him.
The Grangers kept bringing Sirius for visits every other day until the boy left the hospital. The boy was starting to handle a bit more food in his stomach, and it wasn't sitting as badly as before. Harry ate everything with delight once he realized he wasn't being tested and wouldn't be punished. So far, he had even eaten vegetables that kids are usually not fond of without complaints. In addition to the healthy food, Emma had taken to bringing the kids a homemade green smoothie full of vitamins and fiber. While other people would run the smoothies through a strainer to get rid of the pulp, Emma would leave it. This made the smoothies slower to drink, but more beneficial. Lord knows Harry needed all the extra nutritional help he could get.
Hermione would always frown at the green sludge but would take it without complaint because she knew that Harry wouldn't eat it if she wouldn't. So she would pinch her nose to avoid the smell and drink it as quickly as she could. Emma made sure to always add fruits so the taste would be better. Harry's favorite fruits were blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and green apples. Emma could tell because he would always ask for more if the smoothie had those. Hermione loved all fruits. It was the only form of candy allowed in her parents' house. Before they began drinking the smoothies, Dan had asked Harry if he had any favorite fruit and he replied he didn't know. Dan decided he would teach Harry about all food, but especially healthy food. He would take one hour from his rounds and appointments to visit Harry and bring foods for Harry to try. The hospital's nutritionist helped him with the charts and plastic models of fruits, vegetables, and other foods. To Dan's delight, the boy was willing to try all the foods. Luckily he did not have any adverse reactions to any food.
It took a month, many medications, physical therapy, and counseling by a children's psychologist for Harry to leave the hospital. His body was healing fairly quickly with the medical attention, but Sirius knew that it was the Grangers who made the difference. They were truly remarkable people. The fact that he had traits in common with the Potters made Sirius like them even more. Emma was always reading to the kids and by themselves, just like Lily. She had the same kindness and the same forgiving nature. She was also fair and very patient with Harry. Daniel was a big kid at heart like James. However, Dan, unlike James, would act maturely whenever it was necessary without being prompted to do so by his wife. Dan was very loving, but a bit more restrained in his physical affection towards Harry. Still, Sirius thought that was for Harry's own benefit. They had discovered that the main perpetrator of physical abuse had been his uncle.
Right after Harry gave Emma his cousin's full name, she had given it to the social worker and the police. In less than 24 hours, the man had been put in jail until his trial. Petunia had also been incarcerated but under bail. She could not afford it because any money the Dursleys had was under her husband's name, and he hated her. Now that he was in prison, the last thing she had heard was that he would always say to anyone who would listen that he would kill her. Dudley was placed in foster care, which was a harsh reality check for the pampered overweight child. The Grangers were anxious for the trial, so they could testify and give those monsters a piece of their mind.
