Visions in the Night Sky
Chapter 11: To Give to the Light
Minerva was miserable. An hour ago she had been remembering the last time she was in a hospital and now she was in one again. It was the most awful case of deja vous she had ever had, and this time, Albus was the one in danger. Minerva sat in a cushioned chair and blew her nose as she continued to stare at the blank white wall in St. Mungo's Hospital waiting room. She didn't know what to think.
Severus walked slowly into the room and sat down beside her. A healer in lime green robes approached them and shut the door behind himself. Severus slid his arm around Minerva's shoulders and gently squeezed as he took hold of her hand.
"I have good news," said the healer. "Albus is going to be just fine. He had one artery that was 90% blocked. We've given him something for that, and also something for the pain. The blockage has dissolved and we just administered a sedative so that he can rest. He's groggy right now, but if you wish, you can go in and see him. I'd recommend that you go home, get some rest, and come back in the morning. He should be well enough to go home in about 48 hours."
Minerva nodded numbly at this. A heart attack? Minerva shook imperceptibly. She was glad he was going to be all right, but she couldn't get over how easily she could have lost him. Severus held her tighter as she buried her head in his shoulder for a moment and cried. Severus kissed the top of Minerva's head and gently led her in the direction that the healer indicated.
His vision still a bit blurry from the medication, Albus Dumbledore looked up from his bed to see his wife walking in the door with Severus. Inwardly he panicked a bit. Who was guarding Hogwarts in the absence of its leaders? But on the other hand, he was glad to see that Severus had done as he had promised. When Albus and Minerva discovered that they were going to be parents, Albus had spoken to Severus, asking of him a responsibility that even light-hearted Albus took very seriously. If ever something were to happen to him, he wanted Severus to help look after Minerva and their child. Severus had been honored by this request, and promised to do his level best. Now, as Albus lay incapacitated in St. Mungo's, he was glad he had made this request.
After allowing time for Albus and Minerva to share a kiss and for Albus to reassure Minerva that he was indeed going to be all right, Severus insisted that Minerva needed to return to Hogwarts to rest.
When they arrived back at the school, Severus insisted that Minerva go and pay Madam Pomfrey a visit.
"I'll be fine, Severus, I just need to rest," Minerva said.
"I just want her to take your blood pressure and pulse and make sure," Severus said softly, guiding her toward the hospital wing.
As they approached the hospital wing, they both thought they heard the sound of a familiar voice. Severus nearly fainted.
"Merewen!" he said, quickening his pace.
When Severus arrived in the hospital wing, he found Merewen lying in one of the beds, her eyes shut tight and her hands clenched around the bed sheets. She wasn't shouting, but she breathed hard and was crying as she tried desperately to endure the pain of her contractions. Poppy was at the foot of the bed, checking that things were proceeding properly. She looked up quickly when she heard the door open.
"Severus! That was some staff meeting! Whatever took you so long?" Poppy demanded.
"There were complications, Madam Pomfrey," replied Severus. He explained what had happened and Poppy's eyes grew steadily wider. She was overjoyed that Albus was going to live, and then turned her attention to the emerald clad witch shuffling in the door of the hospital wing with her handkerchief in one hand and the other hand over her belly, which was just now beginning to show.
"Minerva!" Poppy cried, running across the wide aisle to meet her. Minerva wilted into her best friend's arms as she cried, allowing Poppy to escort her to another bed and help her to lie down.
Severus on the other hand, turned his attention to his wife, who had just noticed that he was finally there.
"Severus, hold me!" Merewen whimpered. Severus took hold of Merewen's hand and leaned down to kiss her soundly on the lips between contractions. They were coming much faster now, every fifteen minutes to be exact. Despite the pain, Merewen was feeling a little better now that Severus was there. She hadn't wanted to give birth without him there.
"I'm here now, Love. It's finally come to this. We're going to be parents soon!" Severus whispered and Merewen nodded.
"I just want the pain to stop and my baby to be here. I want the pain to go away!" Merewen wept. Severus kissed the top of her head and gently rubbed her back, hoping that this might help the pain somewhat.
Poppy returned to check on Merewen and discovered that Merewen was completely dilated and ready to push.
"All right, Merewen, it's time to work now," said Poppy gently. Merewen nodded briefly before another contraction, thirty seconds after the last one, seized her. She recovered from this and did as she was told.
The Italian word for 'birth' literally means, "to give to the light", and half an hour after he arrived, Severus Snape was holding his infant son up to glimmering late afternoon light streaming into the hospital wing.
Merewen smiled as she watched them. The awestruck look on Severus' face was worth the whole nine months. Severus and Merewen named their cherished baby son Radwan, a Hebrew name that means 'Delight'.
"Radwan Caleb Snape," Merewen repeated as Severus lowered him back into her arms. Radwan was every inch his father's son. He was born with a thin black layer of fuzz on his head for hair, and even though babies are born with blue eyes, Radwan was already showing hints that his eyes were going to be brown. He had his mother's nose, her high forehead, and her long fingers. Merewen smiled at this.
"Pianists fingers," she whispered. Severus smiled back.
"He's strong," Severus added, his voice raw with emotion as his son gripped his index finger. Poppy, having properly cleaned the baby and assessed its health and the health of the new mother, slipped quietly over to sit with Minerva, who was sitting up and silently dabbing her eyes as happy tears spilled over them.
Minerva left the hospital wing minutes later, given a clean bill of health from Poppy, and proceeded to decorate various parts of the school with pale blue ribbons and small flags that proclaimed, "It's a boy! Congratulations Professor Snape and Professor Capenum!" Severus and Merewen only laughed and shook their heads. Without Albus there to curtail her, Minerva simply did whatever came into her head.