Chapter One
The Trainee Healer
"Healer? Will I.... will I ever be able to see again?" The woman lying in the neat white bed inquired hesitantly, dreading the answer.
The healer glanced up form her investigation of the woman's body, her wand glowing a bright white. The woman's milky eyes were staring at nothing, and filled the healer with a feeling of intense sadness. Her patient's hands clenched the sheet in her lap, and the pallor of her face made the fading scar on her cheek stand out like a red welt.
"We will try everything we can, Miss Laine," the healer replied calmly, displaying self- confidence that she knew was fake. This woman would not be able to see again, she would remain blind forever.
"Ahh....thank you," she whispered, the knowledge of her fate creeping into her voice.
The healer bit her lip, keeping in frustrated tears, as she finished her examination of her patient. She could do nothing more to assist this woman, as it seemed that she could not aid any other of the many victims of the War. i Stupid war. /i She thought bitterly. i Too many innocents are being subjected to pain and suffering! /i She quickly grabbed the chart by the bedside of her patient and stood up; wanting to get out of the room as soon as soon as she could.
"I will check in on you later," she said softly, not trusting her voice to mask her emotions.
"Yes... thank you, Healer," the patient replied sinking into the pillow behind her back.
With one last departing glance over her shoulder, the healer dashed out of the room, her light green trainee robes fluttering around her legs, the charts clutched tight to her chest. She walked quickly down the bustling halls of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, that's wards had become so crowded with causalities. This had been a result due to the Second War of Voldemort. Every healer and trainee was needed at hand due to the on going waves of witches and wizards brought in daily, leaving all of the staff exhausted and over exerted.
The healer trainee sped through the halls, intent on heading to the Healer Lounge to finish her reports on her patients. i Mr. Munin's memories are slowly returning, but they do not seem logical or realistic. Rather, they seem like irrational ramblings of an insane man. His 'memories' consist of chicken people eating him, his wife cooking their children, and him owning the answer how the Unbreakable Curse can be broken- into pieces of window pane... Mrs. Ani's swellings have gone down- to her stomach. It seems as if they migrate throughout the body... /i
Reaching the room, she slipped through the door and plopped onto an unoccupied couch, grabbing a beat-up quill from the coffee table. She immediately became engrossed on her reports, and was scribbling furiously when someone shook her slightly.
"Trainee Granger, it is time for your break."
Hermione glanced up in surprise at the intruder, and was startled to realize it was her assigned Healer teacher, Althea Galena, that had interrupted her.
"Healer Galena, I must finish these reports, and then I wanted to check in on Miss Maudie. She is afraid that someone will assassinate her for good-"
"Trainee Granger, you have been working for 16 hours straight, and if you do not take a break, YOU will soon be a patient under my care." Healer Galena broke into Hermione's earnest speech with a firm voice. She surveyed the young woman before her with a frown. i The girl means well, but she is working herself to death! Poor dear... /i Healer Galena took in the state of Hermione's appearance, noticing the normally bushy hair laying limp in the pony tail. Its healthy brown luster replaced by a dull shine of hair that shows that it hasn't been washed in awhile, while her face was drawn in tight. Its pinched unhealthy look representing a person who has lost weight due to lack of nutrition, and was growing too thin. Her honey brown eyes had blue bags under them, and her eyelids kept drifting down, trying to shut against Hermione's will.
Healer Galena nodded briskly, her motherly instinct revealing itself, "Yes, dear, you go home and get some proper sleep! These reports can wait, and I'll have Sondra check up on Miss Maudie for you. Hermione, you are not going to help these patients by killing yourself! You are our best trainee, and I want to see you as healer, so don't over work yourself! Now, I have to see to my duties, and I don't want to see you till you are fresh and ready to go. Is that understood? Yes? Good! All right, have a good evening, dear," Healer Galena said with one last smile, patted Hermione's arm, and departed.
Hermione rubbed her face and sighed. She was tired, extremely so. She could only remember fuzzily getting to the hospital, but the rest of the day was a blur. She chuckled dryly. She was always the over achiever, and now she had over stepped her bounds. Her energy was seeping away from her as if she had a leak somewhere. How had she gotten this tired?
She slowly got up from the couch stretching, and was satisfied to hear a responding crack from her back. Every muscle ached, but she was determined to ignore their complaining. i Nothing a good hot shower can't fix. /i She thought to herself. Walking over to a wall at the far side of the lounge, which was completely covered in trellis controlled vines, she pulled a lone dangling vine at the left side.
"Trainee, Hermione Granger," she spoke tiredly to the wall. Immediately, a vine came down baring her black trench coat and side bag. Grabbing them off of the vine with a quick, "thank you", she stuffed her reports in the bag, and pulled on her coat. Hurrying out of the room- for a hot shower and filling meal seemed quite ideal now- she trotted down the halls heading for the main entrance to check out and Apparate home. Reaching the front desk, she smiled tiredly to the information witch, "I'm checking out Sally."
The witch glanced up from her paper work, and quickly glanced down. Hermoine had to lean in to hear her mumble, "Hermione Granger, Hermione Granger.....ahh, there you are!" Sally looked back up, her eyes widening and her smiling thinning into a slight frown.
"'Mione if you stay here for 16 hours again, I will personally make sure you have a break for two weeks! Last time you were here for twenty- two hours! This is unhealthy! How you do this and get away with it is beyond me! I-" she was cut short of her rambling by the stampede of people that had entered the hall, who were shouting around wildly.
"Healers! Healers! Quick! We need aid!"
"He came! They were everywhere-"
"-fire. It consumed the lift-"
"-killed Celine Jacobs of the Magical Games and Sports Department-"
"WHERE ARE THE HEALERS?!?"
Hermione whirled around trying to figure out what all the confusion was about. People were everywhere, Healers mingling with them trying to sort out the mess. Hermione frowned concentrating at the group, wondering where these terrified people had arrived from. A gasp of recognition sounded from her dry throat. i They were from the ministry. /i
They were all Ministry officials, showing signs of scorches and cuts. The slightly wounded running around trying to help the severely hurt, and the hall had erupted into chaos.
i Oh my God! Has there been a raid on the ministry? /i Hermione thought, panic rising in her stomach, as she struggled through the crowd to a hassled Healer Galena- all thoughts of going home forgotten. i Is He that confident? /i
" How can I help?" Hermione panted, as she reached the Healer.
Healer Galena looked at Hermione, fighting internally to send the girl home. i Unhealthy for the girl- 16 hours now this....dieing, wounded, raided Ministry....over taxing...not enough Healers... /i Her need for the girl to great, she ripped her gaze from the charred corpse of a man she had been staring at.
"I believe the young Auror, Ronald Weasley is here," she answered in reply.
Hermione frowned and glanced around, looking for her tall, red headed friend.
"Where is he? I don't see him-" Hermione inquired searching futilely for him.
Healer Galena grabbed Hermione's hand and led her over to the corner that had Ministry officials huddling over stretchers. The stench of burning flesh made her gag, and she placed a hand over her nose. The smoke made her eyes water as she searched hopelessly for her friend. Not seeing Ron in the group she turned to her teacher, and had to shout to be heard of the cacophony that had ensued with the arrival of the Ministry,
"Where is Ron? I-" Hermione gasped loudly, the sight before her making her burst out, though, no one was able to hear her.
"Ron," she whispered, "oh, no."
She stared in horror to where her teacher was pointing, and a sob caught in her throat.
"Mr. Weasley needs your aid, Hermione, take care of him. I know you are good friends with him. But remember, there are others that need your help too..."