ICLYLM chapter 19: I Must Baffle At The Hint
[Phoebe is mine, Jeffrey Barnes belongs to Raven Dancer, everyone else is JKR's]
Jeffrey Barnes sat in a chair by the table. He was the picture of dejection, elbow on table, head on hand, staring at nothing. He was surprised at how quickly he had lost track of time. Had they been here three days? Five? He could no longer tell. Aside from treating Phoebe and eating the excuses for meals that came, there was nothing to occupy his attention and it was having a negative effect on his psyche.
He had nicknamed the Death Eater who acted as courier "Dunderhead" and that was all he'd had to smile about in what felt like an age and a half. Jeffrey shook himself. He must think as positively as possible. His eyes strayed to the fireplace. At least he'd gotten the fire. Of course he had a feeling he could get anything he wanted so long as it was to keep Phoebe alive long enough to have the child. Still, he wasn't willing to push it just yet.
He stood up and stretched his back. He then began to walk, swinging his arms vigorously. He needed to keep the blood flowing to the brain, needed to stay healthy himself, needed to keep despair at bay. He was on his fifth circuit of the basement room when he heard a heavy tread upon the stair. Ah, Dunderhead, no doubt.
As Jeffrey turned to face the door Dunderhead did, indeed, emerge. He was followed almost immediately by Severus Snape who was speaking loudly and nastily even before he stepped in the room.
"Get out of my way, man! What kind of fool are you? Can't you see I'm trying to pass? Why bring me to see the accursed prisoners if you won't let me in the door?"
Dunderhead had frozen as Snape began to yell at him and now stood dumbly right where Snape doubtlessly wanted to be.
"Move!" Severus roared.
Jeffrey cringed in spite of himself. This must be the Snape that frightened the students so. He guessed he'd known that Snape was in there but this was his first "up close" exposure. The healer did some quick thinking. Severus wouldn't be bossing Dunderhead around if he, himself, were being brought as a prisoner. He was also seemingly in full "Death Eater" mode and clearly wanted there to be no doubt about that. The best thing to do was to wait and take his cues from Severus.
Jeffrey crossed his arms and fixed his face in an expression just short of a glare as Dunderhead scrambled out of the way.
"Go stand watch outside the door, you fool. Stay there in case I need you!" Snape snarled slamming the door as Dunderhead scurried into the stairwell. If the situation hadn't been so serious Jeffrey might have found the sight of the large, dull witted Death Eater scurrying amusing. Just now, however, he hadn't the laughter to spare.
Snape whirled on him, raising his eyebrows significantly and jerking his head toward the door.
"So, Barnes, you've moved your practice, I see." he sneered loudly enough to be heard on the other side of the door.
"Not by my choice I assure you, Death Eater," Jeffrey spat just as loudly with a note of both contempt and disgust.
"Your desires are not significant to us, I assure you," Snape retorted, "All we care about is the Dark Lord's heir. You should be concerned about the heir, too, doctor. It's welfare is tied to your own. So hold your opinions and tell me what you are doing to assure the birth of Voldemort's heir." Snape said loudly. This time, however, he put a hand on Jeffrey's back propelling him away from the door.
Jeffrey nodded and led Snape to the far corner of the room near the fireplace where Phoebe lay, rather still, on the bed.
"I understand there are problems with the pregnancy that..." Snape began but could go no further. Barnes touched his arm lightly, his eyes searching to catch Severus' own. Severus looked at him shook his head slightly and cupped a hand to his ear. They could probably still be heard.
"Yes," Jeffrey said, catching on, " My job is to keep her alive as some sort of incubator for the child." he was playing along but could not hide the sorrow in his voice.
"Mine is to help you," Severus said softly, disgust evident in his voice, "So tell me what you are doing."
Jeffrey then launched into a description of the problem and his treatment thus far, especially what he was trying to accomplish with the potions. Severus nodded thoughtfully at all that was said, but his eyes stayed on Phoebe. "This must be torture for him" Jeffrey thought as he finished his monologue.
Snape sighed heavily and looked at Barnes. "There may be some other potions which may help," he said evenly, "I'll need to do some tinkering in the lab. Meantime do you need anything else?"
"I am well stocked on the usual potions. Unless you can pump some fresh air down here I suppose that will have to do."
Snape closed his eyes for a moment then opened them and looked intently into Jeffrey's, "Very well, doctor, I am committed to helping you. I will be back when I have more to discuss." He looked very intently at Jeffrey for another moment. Jeffrey nodded slowly and Severus turned on his heel and swept toward the door. As he opened it there was a dull thud and Severus could be heard upbraiding Dunderhead for being in the way as his voice traveled up the stairs.
Jeffrey turned from the door and walked slowly toward Phoebe. He sat down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder sending some warm energy into her. "Hang in there, we're working on it," he whispered.
Severus was not back that day or the next morning, either. When he came through the door, at last, Jeffrey was so relieved that it took a moment for him to notice the absence of Dunderhead.
"What, no bodyguard?" He asked sarcastically when he finally did notice.
"I think I can handle you and an unconscious woman, Barnes," Severus sneered back with an apologetic look. He walked past Jeffrey and set a large crate down on the table. He pulled out a bottle and turned to face the healer.
"I think I've come up with a better anti-toxin," he said proffering the bottle. Jeffrey took it and gazed at the purplish liquid within.
"There is a problem, however," Severus continued looking uneasily at Phoebe's bed, "You cannot use it in combination with the potions you are using to keep her sedated. You need to make the call which is more important: the benefits of sedation or of a new anti-toxin?"
"Her body will not be able to keep the toxins under control much longer with what I've been using. I'll have to discontinue the sedation." Jeffrey sighed.
Severus turned back to the box and pulled out another bottle, "I assume pain is part of the reason you have been keeping her under?" he asked turning back.
"Yes, the energy to manage it..."
"This may help, it won't react negatively with the anti-toxin."
Jeffrey took the second bottle and walked over to Phoebe's bed to place them on the cabinet beside it. He turned to face Severus again and saw his gaze was fixed on Phoebe as it had been yesterday. The look of misery he wore was a bit hard for Jeffrey to take in his own emotionally debilitated state.
"Anything else in the box?" he asked to distract Snape
"Ah, yes," Severus said tearing his gaze away from the bed, "More of the standard potions, a nutritive solution, and some fresh air."
Jeffrey's eyebrows climbed toward his hairline. "Pardon?" he said, incredulously.
With the barest hint of a smile Snape stepped over to the box, reached in, and pulled out two books.
"It's the best I could do in a day," he said softly. "Try not to let your brain stagnate will you?" he said a bit louder. "I shall return this evening to check your progress," Snape finished imperiously, turned on his heel, and left.
Jeffrey stared at the closed door for a moment before stepping over to pick up one of the books. He opened it, discovering the spine had been broken so that the book opened to a particular page. There was a slight smudge of something next to a poem. Jeffrey lifted the book to his nose, the smudge smelled spicy... some sort of herb, and recently smudged at that.
The poem was a mere three verses. It was the last verse that Jeffrey felt he had been meant to read, "So I must baffle at the Hint, And cipher at the Sign, And make much blunder, if at last, I take the clue divine-"
Jeffrey felt his pulse race. Severus was preparing him to receive a clue of some sort. He needed to get Phoebe awake by the time Severus returned, just in case.
