Can't Happen Here
Chapter 5: Why?
~*~
The next morning, Hermione awoke to a prickling sensation. It felt as if someone was staring at her. She lifted her eyes to look at Ron and she saw his blue eyes gazing at her. She smiled slightly and he managed a weak grin in return.
"Hermione, why were you crying last night?"
Hermione froze. She didn't know he had still been awake. Her eyes flickered away from him and she sighed. It would be better if he heard it from her instead of from a doctor. It was now or never.
"Ron…I have bad news."
Ron began coughing and Hermione became alarmed. After a minute or two, he stopped and nodded at her to continue.
"Ron, last night after you had that bad chest attack, Dr. Hastings told me your heart beats are becoming farther and farther apart. He also told me that if you don't get your new heart in at least a month, then you will… die."
Hermione choked on the last word, unable to look Ron in the eye. There was silence for a minute before Ron choked out a shaky response.
"No. Please, no. I'm too young to die. There's too much I want to do, want to see."
Hermione felt the tears fall unbidden down her cheeks as she managed to look him in the eye. He looked devastated, and his eyes were welled up with tears. Her insides felt as they were being ripped apart. She started as she realized Ron was speaking.
"How… how much money do we have saved up for the surgery?"
"Well, your mom has been doing all those fund-raisers, and Fred and George has been giving us half of their profits from their joke shop. We only need 2,000 more Galleons."
Ron closed his eyes and breathed through his nose heavily.
"That's good news."
Hermione nodded and squeezed his hand.
"It's okay, Ron. We are going to get you a new heart. We will get through this, I promise."
Ron nodded weakly and a slow tear ran down his cheek drifted down his cheek.
At the same instant, thousands of miles away, there was a terrible bus accident.
~*~
Author's Note: Hmmm…
what can this bus accident mean for Ron? I might not be able to write until
Monday, so I might write Chapter 6 tonight. Please review, I'm so happy
everyone loves this story! Thanks a bunch! -K
