ICLYLM 36 "When you walk through the storm..."
A/N: many thanks to "the faithful" and to Raven for her support and for letting the Doctors Barnes come out and play in my story.
James Barnes was quite agitated when Dumbledore and Snape apparated in the third floor room. Dumbledore turned immediately and raised his wand, re-applying the ward charm he'd moved to be able to apparate into this part of the castle. Even that delay had Barnes fairly hopping with impatience.
"James! What is it?" Dumbledore said, alarmed, as he moved aside so the elder healer could scan Severus. James said nothing as he focused on the scan. He then moved swiftly to his satchel and returned with two syringes. His focus on Severus was absolute until he'd finished administering the second injection. "Just extreme exhaustion, thank the elements," he said softly. Then he turned his attention back to the Headmaster.
"Somehow Jeffrey wound up dreamwalking in Phoebe's subconscious, but he's not been trained and he doesn't know how to get out. Her vitals are dropping steadily, Albus. She's dying and I don't know what will happen if Jeffrey's still in there when she does."
Dumbledore was taken aback. Jeffrey was dreamwalking? It was a rare gift to be sure, and a dangerous one to use. It was bad enough that Jeffrey was dreamwalking with no idea of how to get back out. But to also be doing so in someone who might be dying... He didn't relish whatever James had in mind, it was likely to be dangerous. Still, there was no question he would help.
"What do you want me to do?"
The healer regarded Dumbledore and the unconscious Snape. This wasn't ideal but it was his best shot.
"I need to enter a bond with Severus and then I need you to facilitate a bond between Jeffrey and myself."
"Why Severus?"
"I think he can keep her alive, I'm hoping that through the bridge he might make his presence known to Phoebe. That might be all she needs. Listen, there's no time to explain," the Healer said shortly sitting next to the still forms of his son and Phoebe on the bed and levitating Snape to his lap. "Are you ready?" he asked looking to Dumbledore.
"Of course." the older wizard said firmly, moving toward them with steely resolve. Bridging two bonds was playing with fire as far as most wizards and witches were concerned. The potential damage to the psyche of any of the persons involved was serious if it wasn't done properly. Albus trusted James, however. When he said it was the only option, he believed him. He also knew that, much though James loved his son, if the risk were too great he would never knowingly put two additional persons in danger. Not knowingly.
"Give me a moment to establish the bond then bridge us." James said.
"I shall." Dumbledore replied as James closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the unconscious Snape. Snapes eyelids fluttered for a moment and then he seemed to relax into the elder healer.
Wand out, Dumbledore was speaking an incantation and drawing a circle around all four figures on the bed. After a moment he stopped and placed one hand
on James' head and another on Jeffrey's. It was like getting a powerful electric jolt, right down to the inability to let go of the current. Albus closed his eyes
and focused on the bridging spell and nothing else...
A moment after Jeffrey realized that the rocking form of Phoebe could no longer hear him, he was stunned to see her disappear entirely. He whirled sharply but there was no sign of her. Where the hell had she gone? He strode toward the door and reached to pull it open. It wouldn't move.
"What the..."
Jeffrey placed his other hand on it and pushed, hard. Nothing. Blank. Immovable. He put his shoulder into it, then stepped back and gave it a good swift kick with the flat of his foot. Nothing. He stood quite still for a moment breathing slowly in and out. Then he began to move carefully along the walls, examining them for another way out. Nothing. The ceiling, the floor? Nothing. Just a grey blank with a grey metal folding chair in the center.
He had no idea what he was supposed to do at this point; he just knew he wanted out of this room.
"Phoebe?" he called out. Nothing.
Louder, then, "Phoebe, where are you?"
"PHOEBE COME BACK! I NEED YOUR HELP!"
Nothing. He looked at the chair and nearly sat in it before thinking the better of it. Well, what did he have to lose at this point? He filled his lungs and lowered himself even as he shouted, again, "PHOEBE!"
The chair shot him out like a cannonball. For a second Jeffrey was sure he'd smash into the wall or the door. Next thing he knew, however, he was slamming into the floor of the corridor in front of the door that belonged to Severus. Phoebe was afraid to open that one. Maybe it needed to be opened, though, to bring her back (and get him out of this waking nightmare). Jeffrey pushed to his feet and reached for the handle. It was comfortable in his grip and the door swung easily toward him.
The room before him had no people in it, but it was by no means empty. The healer stepped into it in wonder. The place was at once familiar and yet strange to him. This was clearly Severus' room. He could see the patient he had cared for in much of it. There was also something in it that was not Severus and, while not as familiar, still not unknown. This must be Phoebe. He liked this room, it was comfortable and warm. He felt he wouldn't mind staying here for a long while. Then he shook himself. He needed to find Phoebe.
He put his hand on the door handle and the everything seemed to jump, to shift sideways, then slam back somehow. He heard the sound of something falling behind him and turned to see
"Severus? Severus! Heaven and Earth, is it really you or are you just a part of this?"
Snape blinked hard once or twice then focused on the healer.
"Jeffrey?" he asked, "Where in the name of... where are we? I was in a healing bond with your Father and then... Well, now I'm here."
"Severus I'm not entirely sure of what has happened but nearly as I can figure..."
Jeffrey filled and increasingly alarmed Severus in on what he had experienced and what he suspected.
"And she just... vanished?" Snape finally asked.
"Yes."
"What do you think that means?"
"I don't know. I rather suspect her life force is too weak to sustain a presence here or that one of the other rooms here has pulled her away."
"Well, what do we do, then?"
"Severus, if she's dying it's only because she's willing it to happen and that's because she thinks you're dead."
A look of horror passed over Snape's face as he muttered, "Damnable, foolish..." the words, however, seemed to become choked and he stopped.
"Severus, now that you're here all we need to do is find her and call her back."
"How do we manage that? Yell?"
A look of complete uncertainty crossed Jeffrey's face, "I don't know. Things here have been pretty straightforward so I guess you should start yelling and the both of use should start slamming a few doors. Just stay away from the one with the iron slide-bolt, okay?"
Snape nodded and followed Jeffrey out into the corridor. His eyes widened for a moment but a look of resolve fitted itself over his features and he began to call Phoebe's name and reach for door handles.
They spent quite a long time with Snape calling and both men opening and shutting doors, looking for Phoebe. Finally Snape's voice grew hoarse.
"PHOEBE, PLEASE, COME BACK! DON'T GO NOW!" he cried with a strangled yell before leaning heavily against the wall next to Jeffrey. His eyes had a desperate haunted look that Jeffrey did not like one whit.
"Now what do we do? We've tried every door except the one you said not to." Snape said, his voice raspy and raw.
Jeffrey looked at the iron slide bolt and bit his lip.
"Why aren't we supposed to go in there?" Snape asked.
"It's not that we aren't supposed to... it's that I've already been and you don't want to go, trust me."
Snape regarded Jeffrey intently for a minute then said, "I see. But it's the only place left, isn't it?"
"Severus, no, you don't want to-" Jeffrey said, sick at heart.
"No, I don't," Snape admitted as he stepped in front of the door and put his hand on the bolt. Then, taking a deep breath, he threw the bolt back and pulled on the door. He stood quite still for a moment and a horrible shudder curled out from the room and shook Jeffrey's body. Then Snape stepped forward. Jeffrey launched himself toward the door and just managed to catch it before it shut.
He looked in, trying to see where Severus was, to find Phoebe. Severus stood, stock still, just inside the door. What moved beyond him defied description. Instead of a scene or a tableau or even people, the room now held a swirling confused dark mass of feeling and thought. Tendrils would fly out of the dark mass every few moments and slam into Jeffrey or Severus. Each time one hit Jeffrey it was like an emotional sucker-punch leaving him nauseous, winded, and weak.
He was about to shout to Severus when the wizard in front of him stilled and suddenly flung himself at the maelstrom. He disappeared in to it. Jeffrey felt the words he was about to shout snatched by the storm ahead of him. He simply stood, mute and powerless.
