Percy awoke the next day to the sounds of a nurse greeting his roommate.

"Good morning Mr. Carrington!" said a voice brightly.

Percy heard no reply from Mr. Carrington.

"Not feeling chatty this morning are we?" asked the woman in that horribly cheerful voice.

Percy didn't blame Mr. Carrington for keeping quiet, but was not very concerned about him as at the moment he was having his own problems. The pain he had felt last night was nothing compared to the torture he was feeling in his back

"Well I've got good news for you sir." The nurse had apparently turned her attention to Percy as he felt her pressing a familiar object into his hand.

Percy put the glasses on his face and immediately the room cleared.

"Thank you!" he said sincerely to the plump woman smiling over him.

"Oh now! Look at the change! Feels better now that we can see doesn't it!" She chirped merrily.

"Oh…yes, said Percy grimacing with pain. "Quite."

"What is it dear?" she asked quickly.

"My back…" gasped out Percy.

"Yes well that's to be expected. But you're due for another shot of Morphine." She fiddled with a tall odd looking metal thing beside the bed.

Percy was horrified to see that it was attached to him by what looked like a tube growing out of his arm. His horror subsided somewhat as he felt an odd sensation spread through his body. It wasn't that the pain went away; it was just that it was suddenly less intense, and suddenly he didn't seem to mind it. Whatever the odd machine was Percy decided it could stay.

"Could you perhaps tell me…?"

He couldn't get any more out before the nurse plopped down in a chair next to him.

"'Course you'd be wanting to know what happened to you! And who wouldn't? Well I'll tell you dearie you were a sight when they brought you in and that's certain. Stepping in front of a car! Did you ever hear such a thing?" She looked at him expectantly. Percy was slightly taken aback. He was wondering if she remembered she was talking about him, but before he could think of an answer she continued.

"Well, and I'm sure you're feelin' it now…leg broken in two places, three cracked ribs…almost lost a kidney you know!"

"And did I…er…by chance…say anything odd Miss…um…Miss?" Percy asked tentatively.

"Call me Netta dearie, and who wouldn't be saying odd things? Hopped up on morphine and a concussion to boot!" she asked unconcerned.

"Now then, I'm here to take your medical history Mr. Carrington." She said in a slightly more businesslike tone.

Percy glanced over at the next bed to see how Mr. Carrington was taking this. To his surprise the bed was empty. There was no one else in the room. Understanding slowly dawned on him. This had, after all been his plan. Spencer Carrington was the name of the identity he had created for himself…the muggle identity he had created for himself.

"How do you know my name? he asked slowly.

"Well it wasn't exactly brain surgery." said Netta. "Your briefcase was opened all you're papers were still inside. Goodness you carry everything with you don't you? We found you're birth certificate, drivers license, detailed family tree, work information, current address, past three addresses, school records including documentation of two skipped grades and up through an MBA at Cambridge, my but that's an impressive school!" she said reading from the chart she was holding.

"Is it?" asked Percy interestedly. He had chosen it because it sounded rather posh but he hadn't been sure.

Netta smiled at him. "Modest I see." She assumed a more businesslike manner.

"Right then, any allergies to medications?" she asked.

Percy looked at her blankly. People were allergic to those things? He didn't want to risk it.

"Yes." He said firmly. "All of them."

Netta looked at him strangely for a moment, and then burst out laughing. "I can always tell when a man gets to feeling better because he starts making jokes!"

Apparently one wasn't allergic to all medications.

Percy smiled feebly. "Er, yes. No allergies actually." He hoped desperately that it was true.

Netta made a note on her chart.

"History of heart disease? High blood pressure? Diabetes?" she asked him.

Percy shook his head, inwardly thinking, heart disease? He didn't know what that was but it did not sound good. He hoped it wasn't catching. Hospitals were beginning to seem a rather dangerous place.

"Are you on any medications at the moment?"

"No." At least he knew the answer to that one.

"Do you take any illegal substances?'

"Certainly not!" he snapped, thinking uncomfortably of the papers concealed in the false bottom of his briefcase. The briefcase!

"Did you say you found my briefcase?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes dear, shall I get it for you?" asked Netta kindly.

"Thank you." He told her in a tired voice. Really his head felt very heavy.

"Well I'll get it for you, and bring your breakfast in too!"

Percy had been alone for less than twenty seconds when a man came in.

He was about twenty-five, with dark brown hair and eyes. He was attired what appeared to be light blue pajamas. Wasn't there some sort of dress code? Percy wondered.

"Hello Mr. Carrington, I'm Dr. Andrews, I worked on your surgery."

"Er, yes. Thank you sir!" said Percy vigorously. What was surgery?

"That's quite alright sir, I was just doing my job." Answered Dr. Andrews casually, not looking up from the paperwork he was holding. "Now then Mr. Carrington, I need to ask you a few questions."

"Oh, Ms. Netta already took my history of medicine." Percy informed him.

Dr. Andrews looked up briefly at this slightly odd statement but quickly answered: "Yes, I need to ask you some more questions."

"Ah." said Percy nervously.

"Do you still live at the address listed here?" he asked.

"Yes?" he answered feeling quite unequal to the situation. He tried to remember what exactly he had written.

He began checking the leg Percy had up in a sling. "Does it hurt when I press here?" he asked.

"Rather." grimaced Percy.

"How about here?"

"Yes."

"Here?"

"Quite a lot actually."

"Good." said Dr. Andrews in a satisfied tone.

"Good?" asked Percy incredulously.

"Yes, that means no permanent nerve damage. Sarah! Come give me a hand here, get Barim too."

Another woman dressed in a matronly white dress arrived followed by a young man dressed in white pajamas similar to Dr. Andrews.

"Now we're going to have to turn you on your side to have a look at your back."

They proceeded to prop him up on his left side, which Percy found not only to be painful to his leg, but brought back the sharp pain in his back.

"Is it supposed to hurt this much?" he wheezed.

"Yes, it is certainly quite painful." observed the doctor impassively. "Incision looks good though, draining nicely."

Percy decided it was best to simply pretend he didn't hear that.

"Well Mr. Carrington," said Dr. Andrews as they lowered him back down on to his aching back. "We're going to keep you here for now for observation, but if everything looks good we should be able to send you home in about a week."

"Wonderful." said Percy. "It will be a relief to get this thing off my leg."

Dr. Andrews chuckled. "Well, that will be a while yet, it will be about two months before the splint comes off."

Percy blinked. "You're not serious."

The Doctor looked him in the face for the first time. "I'm sorry Mr. Carrington, but you're lucky that's all the damage that's been done. You almost died in the operating room because of your kidney. It's a miracle you're here at all."

Percy looked at him shocked.

"Well alright then! Have a good day, and if you need anything feel free to call a nurse!" And with that Dr. Andrews left without a backward glance.

Before could process the information he had just receive Netta came bustling back in. She set his briefcase on the table beside him and settled a tray of food on a rolling table which she placed over him.

"Now then, doesn't that look cheery!" she asked him.

It was two runny eggs and a piece of rather soggy toast.

Percy looked down at it glumly. He lifted his head up. "Netta, I had a areoplane ticket…voucher…whatever its called…it was for yesterday…or whenever the accident was…will it still be good?" he asked her helplessly.

"Let me see," said Netta opening the briefcase. "Ah yes, here it is…I'm afraid it won't be…they're terrible about refunding tickets…" she looked at the distress on Percy's face. "Never mind Mr. Carrington, I'll call the airline and see what can be done…how soon do you need to be there?" she asked referring to the ticket.

"Yesterday." Percy said emphatically.

"New job?" Netta asked kindly.

"Yes." said Percy. "It was supposed to be a whole new life."

════════════

By the miracle of bullying that comes with being a mother Netta had managed to wrangle the airline into extending Percy's ticket. And so it was that he found himself on a transatlantic flight exactly one week after the accident.

Percy shifted uncomfortably in the small stiff seat. His splinted leg was jutting out into the aisle of the 'aeroplane' as it was called. He had just spent the last five hours sitting next to an enourmous man who smelled of hair oil and garlic powder. It was a bit like being back in Quirrel's class. This had not helped his nerves about crossing an ocean in a large hunk of metal with absolutely no charms to help! He'd been planning this of course, but he at least thought he'd have his wand in case of emergency. Unfortunately it seemed to have disappeared, and heaven knew Percy couldn't risk getting a new one.

They had landed in the "airport" in New York and Percy was seriously considering deplaning this death craft….but no, he had to follow the plan. He could not afford any more mistakes.

At least Oily had departed from the seat next to him, meaning he might get some rest at last. But no, alas. There were more people boarding. He tried not to show his annoyance as people tripped past him. Several people were casting dirty looks at his leg, as though thinking he had some nerve putting his broken limb where they wanted to walk!

"Argh!" shouted Percy as a young woman tripped over his leg trying to climb over him.

"Soree! Soree!" said the girl in a heavy German accent. She wore a shiny, metallic green jacket, pink plaid pants and had blonde hair tucked up into a denim newsboy cap. Large gold hoops adorned her earlobes, and her face shimmered with make up, including bubblegum pink lips. Percy did not feel it necessary to reply. Still apologizing the girl plunked down into the seat next to Percy, clutching a leather back pack on her lap.

"Why hello there gorgeous." said the balding man sitting on the other side of her. Percy rolled his eyes. The girl had to be twenty years his junior.

"Ello!" said the girl cheerfully.

"Well well, a foreign beauty. What are you doing in our beautiful country?" he asked ingratiatingly.

"I…em..vaycaytion…here." the girl responded slowly and carefully, as though reciting something she had memorized, which, Percy reflected, she probably was.

"Perhaps you'd like a friend to show you around?" asked the man in an oily tone.

She smiled very big. "Okay!" she said sunnily.

"What's your name princess?" he smarmed.

"Okay!" she chirped in the same tone, still nodding.

"Hey that's ok, who needs names?" the bald man asked. "Shakespeare said that…"

The girl nodded smiling.

"When we land I'm gonna take you for Indian food…think you'll like that Princess?" he leered.

"Okay!"

"And then later maybe we'll go back to my place and I'll show you something else you'll like…"

"Okay!"

Percy ground his teeth in disbelief. This guy was like a parody of every lecherous stereotype he'd ever read. Who in real life was actually like this? This girl looked about as classy as the gum she was popping noisily, but she at least deserved to be hit on inappropriately in language she understood.

Percy smiled as he leaned in to join the conversation.

"Shut it you wanker or I'll tell your wife what you've been saying to the trashy tourist while she was in the powder room." He said in friendly tone and laughed as though making a little joke.

"Okay!" said the German girl also laughing.

The man's face darkened, then paled as his wife arrived just then climbing across everyone—including Percy.

"Richard! I absolutely hate these teeny airplane bathrooms…" she started complaining immediately.

Percy closed his eyes. It was going to be a long flight.

Two hours later the cabin lights had been dimmed and most of the passengers were asleep. No such luck for Percy, who's discomfort had turned downright painful. He tossed back one of the pain pills the doctor had given him. He didn't really trust the things but desperate times….

"You…are…okay?" asked the German girl.

Percy was surprised. He thought she had been asleep.

"Just lovely thanks. Kind of you to inquire." said Percy somewhat sarcastically. What did it matter? She couldn't understand him.

"Hast Du etwas Zeit für mich?" she asked indicating his leg.

"Why yes, my leg does hurt very much. Very clever of you to pick up on that." said Percy conversationally. "Amazing you could process it over the loudness of your outfit."

The girl nodded sympathetically. "Dann singe ich ein Lied fuer Dich." She told him.

"Well don't worry you're little head too much about it, really it's the least of my worries. Do you worry about anything? Besides puppies and mascara?" he inquired.

"Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont Denkst Du vielleicht grad' an mich." She answered, patting his arm and giving a little nod. With that she settled herself in her seat once more and closed her eyes.

"Yes. Thanks for that." Said Percy dryly.