Severus stared out the window into the busy streets of the Muggle city. He was riding in a taxicab heading toward the hospital. He had been provided with a port key for the return trip to Hogwarts, but Albus had thought that it would be best if he arrived like a Muggle. Something about making Mrs. Dursley feel at ease. 'Like I really give a damn if that woman feels comfortable,' Severus thought cruelly while he absentmindedly picked at the button at his collar. 'This is hell. Why do Muggles insist on tying themselves up in these clothes?' He wondered.
The cab suddenly stopped at the entrance of a building. Severus glared at the doors and the people milling around them before stepping onto the street. He glanced at the driver, who he vacantly heard saying something about payment. Annoyed, he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out the…the thing Albus had said the money would be in, and grabbed a few notes out of it, trying to discern which one to use. After debating for a moment he decided the one with the odd hologram looked about right. He handed it to the driver, and questioned sharply, "Will that be sufficient?"
Stunned, the driver finally managed to reply, "This…I can't give you change for it, sir. Do you have something small--"
"Keep the change!" Severus announced, sick of the Muggle world already. He spun around angrily and marched of toward the doors.
As he entered the lobby he looked around guardedly. There was a woman at the front desk, but he didn't wish to interact with another faceless Muggle if he didn't have to. Instead he saw a sign on the wall listing the different departments of the hospital.
'What was it Arabella screamed? Intrusive? No that wasn't it…intensive, yes, intensive care, or some nonsense like that.' He scanned the sign for something along those lines. He found the intensive care unit, the ICU for cardio patients, and the neonatal intensive care unit. 'As immature as he is, I don't believe Potter can be classified as neonatal. I don't think he is old enough for heart problems either. Floor 4 then.' Severus decided. He looked around for stairs, but didn't see any. He did, however, see double doors with arrows above it. Cautiously he stepped over to them and pressed the 'up' button.
The doors slid open instantly, revealing a small room. Severus stepped in warily, and looked around. There were more buttons inside near the door with numbers on them. Severus pushed the button with a four on it, hoping that transporting was the proper use for the contraption. He was rewarded for the gamble when the doors closed again and he felt an ascending motion. When the machine lurched as it stopped, Severus pitched forward and had to grab the wall to keep himself from falling. He quickly exited after he had regained his balance.
He glanced around and found a sign pointing to the right. He walked down the hallway until noticing another information desk. He almost sighed, deciding there was no way to avoid speaking to the woman…especially after she asked polite, but stern, "can I help you, sir?"
"Is this the ICU?" He questioned.
"Yes, sir." She answered, glancing at the large sign on the wall next to her, announcing the Intensive Care Unit.
Ignoring her wariness, he asked "Is a child by the name Harry Potter admitted?"
"I'm not permitted to answer questions about the patients. If he is in the hospital, the desk in the lobby can assist you." She answered, calmly lying. She was alone on the floor, and wanted the man gone as quickly as possible.
"I don't need to be told that he is here as I have been alerted to that fact already. I am supposed to be meeting his aunt and wanted conformation that I was in the correct ward, since it is past our meeting time and she, as you can see, is not here."
"There is a waiting area down that hall." The nurse pointed to the left, "you can wait for her in there."
"So Mr. Potter is on this floor?"
"How many intensive units do you believe this hospital manages, sir?"
Severus maintained his blank expression as he nodded and headed down the hall. For a few minutes, he stalked around the hall. Growing bored with that, he entered the waiting room and paced.
By 5:15 Severus had grown impatient. At 5:30 he was irate. When the clock on the wall indicated that it was 5:45, Severus was infuriated. He was just deciding to demand or charm the nurse into letting him take Potter when a fussy, priggish woman with fading red hair entered the room. Scowling, Severus greeted smoothly, "so nice to see you again, Petunia. I only wish our meeting had occurred an hour ago."
The woman nearly jumped from her skin in fright. "What are you doing here?!" she questioned sharply.
"Retrieving the boy. Where is he?" Severus asked, impatiently.
"Why did they send you?" She demanded shakily, ignoring Severus' question.
"Because I was dying to see you again. Where's Potter?"
"I'm not letting you take my nephew!"
"Don't feign concern at this late date. Your nephew has been in my care every year for the last four years. Now release him to me so we can get away from each other!"
Ashen faced, Petunia left the room. Severus followed, his rage apparent in his face. As they approached, the nurse looked up and noted Petunia's obvious fear. She placed her hand on the phone next to her and asked, "is there anything wrong, madam?" as she eyed Severus in trepidation.
"No," Petunia answered unconvincingly. "I'm removing my nephew from hospital care. Please bring him to me."
Taken aback, the nurse answered, "I'm unauthorized to release a patient until the paper's are signed. You'll need to speak to his doctor."
"Please get him up here for me then." Petunia directed.
"I'll call his office…but are you sure you want Harry released? He is in critical condition…he has sustained massive blood loss. Transporting him will be unsafe, at best."
Petunia nodded, and the nurse got on her phone and called Harry's doctor. She informed Petunia that he would be down shortly. Petunia sat down in a chair that was in the hallway near the nurses' cubicle. Severus followed her and asked severely, "what's wrong with him?"
"What?" Petunia questioned, coming out of a daze.
"Potter! Why is he in this hospital?" Severus repeated. "Did your oaf of a husband knock him around?" He questioned dangerously.
"Vernon has never touched the boy!" Petunia screamed, enraged, to which Severus grunted incredulously. Continuing, Petunia said, "He did it to himself."
"What?" Severus asked. "Did it to himself!"
"As in attempted suicide" Petunia enunciated sarcastically.
Severus stared at her in shock for a few moments. "How?" He managed to ask.
"He slit his wrists. He was unconscious for hours before we found him."
"Hours." Severus repeated, glaring. "You left him alone for hours?"
"Yes, hours. He did it overnight…besides he is a teenage boy, not a baby. I didn't think it was necessary to check on him all the time."
"I doubt you checked on him much more when he was a baby." Severus muttered.
"Excuse me? You have no right to criticize how I raised the boy. You aren't his father."
"I'm quite aware of that, Petunia." Severus replied dangerously. "The fact remains, however, that he is under my care ten months of the year. I am entitled to some interest in his well being.
"Pardon me." A man with graying hair interrupted. "I believe you wished to see me, Mrs. Dursley."
"Yes. I'd like Harry discharged now, please." She insisted.
"Discharged?" The man ruffled his eyebrows. "He is in critical condition. It would be unwise to move him…"
"Yes. Discharged." She commanded.
"If you're sure…" he paused, waiting for her affirmation. "I'll need you to sign a statement that you are removing him from hospital care against medical recommendation by your own free will."
"Fine." Petunia sighed.
"I'll instruct the nurse to have the paperwork arranged. If I may inquire though…why?"
Petunia hesitated, "Vernon and I though it best to place him with our own…private…physician, considering the circumstances."
"Yes. Yes, I understand. I hope your family the best of luck." The doctor sympathized before speaking to the nurse. After signing a few papers, he walked away.
The nurse waved Petunia over and indicated the papers. "You'll need to read through these and sign where indicated." She then walked down the hall and through a doorway.
When she returned, she and another nurse were pushing a cot, which held a very ashen-faced young man. "As you can see, he has not yet returned to consciousness. How would you suggest he be transported?" The nurse questioned bitingly.
Petunia turned toward Severus. "Well? What are you going to do with him?"
Severus looked at Petunia. "Do you really want me to tell you?" He asked, annoyed.
Petunia's face went white. "No! That's…okay." She assured him.
Severus turned toward the nurse. "Obviously he will be weak. Besides that, is there anything physically wrong with him? If he were to wake up, would he be able to move?"
"If he wakes up moving shouldn't hurt him. However, he has suffered from a severe loss of blood. He will be weak, possibly unable to move. There is also a possible chance of brain damage."
"Brain damage" Severus repeated, unemotionally.
"There is a very limited chance…Dr. Wilson doesn't believe he will, but it could happen."
Severus considered his options. "I suppose I'll just have to carry him."
"That is strictly against regulations. He has to be taken out in a wheel chair."
"A what?" He asked annoyed. She gave him a funny look and said slowly, "A—wheel—chair."
Petunia was almost shaking in fear of discovery as she said, "he can't be taken out on a wheel chair; he isn't awake. Just let us carry him."
"He shouldn't be taken out of the hospital. He is ill! After he is physically well he is going to need psychological counseling."
"A straight-laced muggle with no knowledge of his history will be of no help! Now, excuse me." Severus said angrily as he pushed his way next to Harry and lifted him off the bed. As soon as he managed to secure the boy in his arms he stormed toward the elevators.
Petunia quickly signed the last page of the release forms and hurried after him. The nurse watched them go, worry and concern in her eyes.