No Tomorrow
Chapter 2: Let Me In
Hermione sat and stared at the food in front of her as the nurses and doctor's bustled by. Today's platter consisted of Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and Jell-O, none of which looked appetizing to her. She pushed her food away and lay on her bed, looking around her cubicle. Her arms were protruding with needles and IVs, her vision was cloudy, and her hair was matted from not having a real shower in nearly 8 months, with the exceptions of the sponge bathes that the nurses gave her every day. She closed her eyes and images of Harry flooded her mind. Unconsciously she reached out her hand to touch him, only to feel nothing. Her heart felt empty, like everything inside of her didn't exist anymore, that she didn't exist.
"Well hello Ms. Granger. I see you haven't touched your food. Still no appetite?" asked the doctor as he walked in to check her vitals.
Hermione merely stared at him, blinking once. "I'll assume that's a no." He mumbled something which she did not understand and wrote notes onto his clip board. "Well, you'll be happy to know you're being moved into your room this afternoon, assuming you don't have anymore nightmares in the next 3 hours. How do you feel about that?" he asked in a mock excited voice. Again, she merely blinked, as to not even know the doctor was talking. She closed her eyes again and thought of the times that she and Harry spent together, pursuing adventures, making love, being teenagers. All of that was stolen from her.
"It's just not fair," Hermione whispered the first words she uttered in nearly 4 months. She opened her eyes and a single tear fell down her cheek.
"What's not fair?" the doctor asked, feigning disinterest in her speaking again.
"Life," she said simply.
The doctor suddenly put down his clipboard and looked at Hermione solemnly. "Ms. Granger, life was never meant to be fair. If it were, your boyfriend would still be here, my sister would still be alive, and everyone would be happy and go on living a carefree life. But it's not. And it's hard to accept that."
"I won't," she stated in an almost stubborn manner.
"Well, until you do, you're going to be here for a very long time," the doctor said bluntly. He walked out of the room and closed the curtain behind him, leaving Hermione in a quiet sob.
***
"Well Ginny, I see you have your hands full with triplets!" Draco exclaimed.
"They are quite a bunch! Oh but I do love them tremendously," glowed Ginny. The triplets, Samantha, Adrianna and Emily were merely 4 months old. Ginny, married to a wonderful young man she met in her department at a very prestigious wizarding company, was in the hospital to get the triplets their routine vaccinations.
Ginny's smile faded. "Any news about Hermione?" she asked Draco.
"She had another nightmare last night. I actually saw her last night, and she looked terrible. Her hair was tangled, her face pale with a yellow tint, and deep dark bags under her eyes. What passion and love for life she had before died with Harry last year.
"Do you think she'll ever recover?"
"Honestly, I couldn't tell you. From what I overheard at the doctor's office last night...I snuck upstairs because I heard she was having a panic attack and slipped in while I was on my break...she doesn't open up to her therapist, she doesn't eat, doesn't bathe, doesn't talk and she doesn't say anything during group sessions. I think doctors are beginning to lose hope on her. Have you seen her recently?"
"Not since the babies. I've been too busy, and with Dylan always working to support us while I'm on maternity leave it's been too hard to find a spare moment. If Hermione were here with me I know she'd help out with the children... and I could get back to work...and..." A tear slipped down Ginny's cheek, thinking about the soulful fate of her lost best friend.
"Why don't you go up to see her and I will stay here with the babies while they have their shots. The doctor's are going to allow me to help them administer the vaccinations, so you'll have no worries!"
"Are you sure, it wouldn't be too much of a hassle?"
"Not at all, I'm working to be a pediatrician any how!"
Ever since Draco graduated from Hogwarts, he vowed that he would become a better person, and that included apologizing to everyone he had ever hurt. Going to Ginny was the hardest; she perhaps received far worse of his cruelties than anyone else at Hogwarts. After months of small talk and apologizing, they were finally able to come to an understanding with one another, and she forgave him.
Ginny walked up the three flights of stairs to the psychiatric unit and asked the desk nurse where she could find Hermione.
"Well Miss Aarons, she hasn't been moved back to her room yet. She's in isolation down the hall and to your right. I'm sure the doctor's wouldn't mind her having a visitor. I heard that she actually spoke a few words this morning! Perhaps it's a sign that she's improving."
"Thank you, Nurse. I'll go see her right now!" Ginny quickly walked down the hallway until she reached the cubicle that read "Granger". A doctor was just exiting the curtain.
"Excuse me doctor, would it be possible if I could go in and see Hermione?"
"Are you a relative?"
"I'm her best friend."
"Well...I'm not so sure she's really up for visitors..." the doctor replied hesitantly.
"Please?" she begged.
"Oh fine, but for only a few minutes. We don't want to get her worked up again."
"Thank you very much. I won't be long." Ginny walked into Hermione's cubicle, stunned to see how sunken her best friend had become.
"Oh, Hermione," Ginny whispered. She grabbed a stool from next to the bed and sat on it, and held her hand.
"Hermione? It's me Ginny. Do you remember me? Squeeze my hand if you do."
There was no response from Hermione, merely a blink.
"I'll take that as a yes. I know it's been a really long time, but you see, I've had babies. Triplets, to be exact. Oh Hermione, they're so precious. They're downstairs being inoculated right now but I'm sure they would love to meet their aunt. Dylan's been working really hard at Broomsticks trying to support us. He's thinking about going into business for himself. I think it would be really exciting. I'm hoping to get back to work in the next few months myself. Hermione do you understand anything I'm saying?"
There was still no response from her, and Ginny heaved a small sigh.
"Miss Aarons, we need you to leave. She's being moved back to her room now," a nurse said, poking her head behind the curtain.
"Okay ma'am." She looked back to Hermione. "It was good seeing you Hermione. Perhaps when I have some more free time I'll come back and visit you and catch up more." Ginny sat up, leaned over and kissed her on her forehead. She looked at her with pity in her eyes and returned to her children.
"How did it go?" Draco asked as he handed Emily back to Ginny.
"I don't think she heard a single word I said. It's so heartbreaking to see her like that. I think talking about the babies and Dylan only upset her even more. You will keep me posted if anything changes in her condition, won't you?"
"You'll be the first person I call."
"Thank you, Draco." Hermione snapped the buckles on the triplets strollers and walked out of the room.
"Malfoy you're on break. Try and get some sleep; you look like shit," said a comrade of Draco's.
"Will do, Wilson." Draco walked into the break room and grabbed a cup of coffee, before heading up to the psychiatric ward.
"Miss Granger's room?" he asked.
"Room 2654A, to your right" replied the nurse curtly.
"Thank you." Draco walked down the hall until he reached Hermione's door. He peered through the window to see Hermione staring out the window, not moving an inch. He placed his hand on the door and gently opened it, and walked over to her bed.
"Hermione?" There was no response from her. "Hermione, it's me, Malfoy. Do you remember me at all?"
Hermione barely batted an eye. He set his coffee down on the window sill and grabbed a chair, pulling it over next to her bed. He held her hand in his and began to rub the top of it in a soothing manner.
"Okay Granger. It's been 8 months since you've been here. You've barely gotten out of bed. You're a mess! Tell me that London's top notch witch is seriously not lying here in a hospital bed at St. Mungo's instead of casting spells and incantations against the world's evils." She merely closed her eyes. "Please, Hermione, let me in..."
Chapter 2: Let Me In
Hermione sat and stared at the food in front of her as the nurses and doctor's bustled by. Today's platter consisted of Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and Jell-O, none of which looked appetizing to her. She pushed her food away and lay on her bed, looking around her cubicle. Her arms were protruding with needles and IVs, her vision was cloudy, and her hair was matted from not having a real shower in nearly 8 months, with the exceptions of the sponge bathes that the nurses gave her every day. She closed her eyes and images of Harry flooded her mind. Unconsciously she reached out her hand to touch him, only to feel nothing. Her heart felt empty, like everything inside of her didn't exist anymore, that she didn't exist.
"Well hello Ms. Granger. I see you haven't touched your food. Still no appetite?" asked the doctor as he walked in to check her vitals.
Hermione merely stared at him, blinking once. "I'll assume that's a no." He mumbled something which she did not understand and wrote notes onto his clip board. "Well, you'll be happy to know you're being moved into your room this afternoon, assuming you don't have anymore nightmares in the next 3 hours. How do you feel about that?" he asked in a mock excited voice. Again, she merely blinked, as to not even know the doctor was talking. She closed her eyes again and thought of the times that she and Harry spent together, pursuing adventures, making love, being teenagers. All of that was stolen from her.
"It's just not fair," Hermione whispered the first words she uttered in nearly 4 months. She opened her eyes and a single tear fell down her cheek.
"What's not fair?" the doctor asked, feigning disinterest in her speaking again.
"Life," she said simply.
The doctor suddenly put down his clipboard and looked at Hermione solemnly. "Ms. Granger, life was never meant to be fair. If it were, your boyfriend would still be here, my sister would still be alive, and everyone would be happy and go on living a carefree life. But it's not. And it's hard to accept that."
"I won't," she stated in an almost stubborn manner.
"Well, until you do, you're going to be here for a very long time," the doctor said bluntly. He walked out of the room and closed the curtain behind him, leaving Hermione in a quiet sob.
***
"Well Ginny, I see you have your hands full with triplets!" Draco exclaimed.
"They are quite a bunch! Oh but I do love them tremendously," glowed Ginny. The triplets, Samantha, Adrianna and Emily were merely 4 months old. Ginny, married to a wonderful young man she met in her department at a very prestigious wizarding company, was in the hospital to get the triplets their routine vaccinations.
Ginny's smile faded. "Any news about Hermione?" she asked Draco.
"She had another nightmare last night. I actually saw her last night, and she looked terrible. Her hair was tangled, her face pale with a yellow tint, and deep dark bags under her eyes. What passion and love for life she had before died with Harry last year.
"Do you think she'll ever recover?"
"Honestly, I couldn't tell you. From what I overheard at the doctor's office last night...I snuck upstairs because I heard she was having a panic attack and slipped in while I was on my break...she doesn't open up to her therapist, she doesn't eat, doesn't bathe, doesn't talk and she doesn't say anything during group sessions. I think doctors are beginning to lose hope on her. Have you seen her recently?"
"Not since the babies. I've been too busy, and with Dylan always working to support us while I'm on maternity leave it's been too hard to find a spare moment. If Hermione were here with me I know she'd help out with the children... and I could get back to work...and..." A tear slipped down Ginny's cheek, thinking about the soulful fate of her lost best friend.
"Why don't you go up to see her and I will stay here with the babies while they have their shots. The doctor's are going to allow me to help them administer the vaccinations, so you'll have no worries!"
"Are you sure, it wouldn't be too much of a hassle?"
"Not at all, I'm working to be a pediatrician any how!"
Ever since Draco graduated from Hogwarts, he vowed that he would become a better person, and that included apologizing to everyone he had ever hurt. Going to Ginny was the hardest; she perhaps received far worse of his cruelties than anyone else at Hogwarts. After months of small talk and apologizing, they were finally able to come to an understanding with one another, and she forgave him.
Ginny walked up the three flights of stairs to the psychiatric unit and asked the desk nurse where she could find Hermione.
"Well Miss Aarons, she hasn't been moved back to her room yet. She's in isolation down the hall and to your right. I'm sure the doctor's wouldn't mind her having a visitor. I heard that she actually spoke a few words this morning! Perhaps it's a sign that she's improving."
"Thank you, Nurse. I'll go see her right now!" Ginny quickly walked down the hallway until she reached the cubicle that read "Granger". A doctor was just exiting the curtain.
"Excuse me doctor, would it be possible if I could go in and see Hermione?"
"Are you a relative?"
"I'm her best friend."
"Well...I'm not so sure she's really up for visitors..." the doctor replied hesitantly.
"Please?" she begged.
"Oh fine, but for only a few minutes. We don't want to get her worked up again."
"Thank you very much. I won't be long." Ginny walked into Hermione's cubicle, stunned to see how sunken her best friend had become.
"Oh, Hermione," Ginny whispered. She grabbed a stool from next to the bed and sat on it, and held her hand.
"Hermione? It's me Ginny. Do you remember me? Squeeze my hand if you do."
There was no response from Hermione, merely a blink.
"I'll take that as a yes. I know it's been a really long time, but you see, I've had babies. Triplets, to be exact. Oh Hermione, they're so precious. They're downstairs being inoculated right now but I'm sure they would love to meet their aunt. Dylan's been working really hard at Broomsticks trying to support us. He's thinking about going into business for himself. I think it would be really exciting. I'm hoping to get back to work in the next few months myself. Hermione do you understand anything I'm saying?"
There was still no response from her, and Ginny heaved a small sigh.
"Miss Aarons, we need you to leave. She's being moved back to her room now," a nurse said, poking her head behind the curtain.
"Okay ma'am." She looked back to Hermione. "It was good seeing you Hermione. Perhaps when I have some more free time I'll come back and visit you and catch up more." Ginny sat up, leaned over and kissed her on her forehead. She looked at her with pity in her eyes and returned to her children.
"How did it go?" Draco asked as he handed Emily back to Ginny.
"I don't think she heard a single word I said. It's so heartbreaking to see her like that. I think talking about the babies and Dylan only upset her even more. You will keep me posted if anything changes in her condition, won't you?"
"You'll be the first person I call."
"Thank you, Draco." Hermione snapped the buckles on the triplets strollers and walked out of the room.
"Malfoy you're on break. Try and get some sleep; you look like shit," said a comrade of Draco's.
"Will do, Wilson." Draco walked into the break room and grabbed a cup of coffee, before heading up to the psychiatric ward.
"Miss Granger's room?" he asked.
"Room 2654A, to your right" replied the nurse curtly.
"Thank you." Draco walked down the hall until he reached Hermione's door. He peered through the window to see Hermione staring out the window, not moving an inch. He placed his hand on the door and gently opened it, and walked over to her bed.
"Hermione?" There was no response from her. "Hermione, it's me, Malfoy. Do you remember me at all?"
Hermione barely batted an eye. He set his coffee down on the window sill and grabbed a chair, pulling it over next to her bed. He held her hand in his and began to rub the top of it in a soothing manner.
"Okay Granger. It's been 8 months since you've been here. You've barely gotten out of bed. You're a mess! Tell me that London's top notch witch is seriously not lying here in a hospital bed at St. Mungo's instead of casting spells and incantations against the world's evils." She merely closed her eyes. "Please, Hermione, let me in..."