Tsukasa-magic: Don't worry; a little happiness is on its way.

Foxx666: I'm going as fast as I can. Dursley Torture will come way later.

RosieCotten: I'm planning on continuing for a while.

Serrebi: I'm hoping to actually finish it.

Jazzylady: Thanks for the advice.

Englishgirl: Glad you like it.

Blackenedsoul: Thanks for the advice; I'll look into it.

Penguin: Please don't die, but I am glad you like it, and more is in the works.

Mushroom: Glad you like it, I'll update as quick as I can.

All: Thanks for the reviews; I'm glad you all like it.

CHAPTER FOUR-THE AWAKENING

It had been two weeks since Harry had first arrived at the hospital. The nurses had been quite surprised by Harry's recovery process after his near death experience. It was late one night, around one in the morning. Sirius was fast asleep when suddenly Harry's eyes began to open. He could hardly open them because they were still slightly sore. He suddenly realized that he could hardly breath, and each breath gave excruciating pain. He tried to move, but couldn't. At first he thought that it was because he was still tied to the bed, but when he realized that there were no bands around his wrists and ankles, and yet he still couldn't move, he began to panic. Then he saw a blurred image above him. Since Harry didn't have his glasses he couldn't tell exactly what it was, but then he remembered the metal rod and the man that carried it.

Even though it was only the sleeping Sirius and the metal pole holding up the nutrients that were pouring into his arm. He feared the worst, expected the blow to fall at anytime. He began to panic. He tried with all his might to get away. It was painful to move. He tried to yell, but felt something down his throat was preventing him. He was having trouble catching his breath. He began moaning, hoping the man would take pity on him. Sirius was suddenly jutted awake. He saw how hard Harry was struggling to move. Harry saw the blurred image stand.

'This is it.' But Harry was surprised when he felt a hand on each of his shoulders trying to hold him still. Then he heard it, the most pleasant sound he had heard in over a month. It was Sirius.

"Calm down kiddo. What's wrong? Your going to hurt yourself more if you don't settle down." Harry immediately stopped.

'Is this a dream', he thought to himself. 'No dreams don't hurt this much.' Tears began to run down his face.

"What's wrong kiddo?" Sirius repeated as Harry winced in pain," I'm so glad you're awake. I'm gonna go get one of the nurses." Sirius was about to leave when Harry reached out with his right arm and grabbed onto Sirius's sleeve. Since Harry was so weak, Sirius could have easily pulled free, but decided not to. Sirius turned around and sat back down. "Don't worry, I won't go." Sirius smiled as Harry closed his eyes and nodded off.

Harry woke again about seven hours later, with Sirius still sitting next to him. It was about eight in the morning, and as usual, the nurse walked in to do her normal routine, when she realized Harry's eyes were open. She rushed over to Harry's bed. Harry saw the blurred image approaching the side of the bed where Sirius was sitting.

The first thought that popped into Harry's head was, 'Oh no they've come for Sirius.' Harry didn't know yet that Sirius had been freed. So again with every bit of strength he could muster, Harry grabbed hold of Sirius's arm and pulled him close. The nurse seeing the pain in Harry's eyes immediately tried to make him let go and calm down, but it only made Harry hold on to Sirius tighter. He was not going to loose him.

Suddenly he heard Sirius sweetly whisper into his ear," Relax, they captured Peter...I'm free." Harry let go. He was overjoyed.

Tears began pouring down his face.

Then Sirius continued, "And it gets even better...I've adopted you!" With that Harry couldn't contain himself. He tried to sit up to hug Sirius, but couldn't. He could feel at least three broken ribs preventing him. Sirius seeing Harry's struggle bent down instead and gave Harry a light hug, as not to hurt him. The nurse then proceeded in continuing her routine as usual. She checked over Harry then inspected the machines.

She then looked at Sirius and Harry and happily stated," If Harry continues to recover like this, he'll be able to go home in a week." Both Sirius and Harry smiled as the nurse left.

"Hear that kiddo. And then I'll take you home and make you something special instead of this awful hospital food. You know I've been living off this stuff for two whole weeks." Harry tried to laugh, but winced in pain. Sirius saw this and said," Well I guess I better lay off the jokes till your better."

Harry slowly but steadily began to recover. The fever from his pneumonia stayed however, causing him to sweat continuously. By the end of the one- week, Harry could completely open his right eye, the swelling on his right leg had gone down considerably, and all of his wounds were healing nicely. That morning both Harry and Sirius were wide-awake waiting for the nurse to do her normal routine. Today was the day. The nurse was going to test Harry off of the machines and see how he does. If he did well he'd be free to leave with Sirius.

Harry kept looking nervously at Sirius, but Sirius would just smile back and sweetly reply," Don't worry Harry. You're gonna be fine. Just do your best, but remember if you can't, don't force yourself. I don't want you to hurt yourself, ok?"

Soon the nurse came in for her regular routine.

"Alright today's the day", she said as she entered the room," now I'm not unhooking you from the nutrients since you haven't eaten a thing since you woke up, and no that one cup of apple juice doesn't count." Harry looked at Sirius's sad and worried expression. Harry had just been feeling so sick that he was just never hungry. "I'm gonna start by taking the tube out", the nurse continued," Now when I remove it I want you to take a deep breath, and don't try to talk, alright?" Harry nodded his head and prepared to take his first breath on his own in three weeks. He knew that the first thing he was going to do was tell Sirius how much he loved him, since he hadn't said a word since that horrifying day when he had begged for his life from the man with the metal rod. The nurse grasped the tube. "Ready?" Harry nodded again, and with that the nurse pulled the tube out.

Harry immediately tried to breath, but couldn't catch his breath. Pain was shooting through his chest each time he tried. Sirius had a scared expression on his face and was beginning to panic. The nurse was about to put the tube back, when Harry took a very deep, relieved breath. Sirius smiled at Harry and grasped his hand.

After Harry had taken a few more painful breaths, he tried to speak, "S- Sirius, I-I l-love y-you!"

Sirius's eyes began to water," I love you to Harry."

"Alright now I'm going to unplug you from the machines. If it starts to really hurt, just let me know, and I'll hook you back up, ok?" the nurse asked.

"Y-yes", Harry replied in a raspy voice. The nurse proceeded in unhooking Harry.

The moment he was on his own he began to feel the full effect of his injuries. He winced in pain.

"Harry, Harry are you alright?" Harry's whole body hurt, but he was able to regain his composure and replied,

"D-don't w-worry...I-I'm f-fine." Sirius forced a smile, because he knew Harry was lying. He knew Harry was in a lot of pain. He could tell by his eyes. Sirius could see all of the pain, and sadness, and fear swelled up in his beautiful, bright green eyes.

"Alright if you're sure", the nurse pressed. Harry nodded, then smiled at Sirius. "Well, I guess it's settled then", the nurse continued," Now just let me get the release parchments and a wheelchair and you'll be free to go." With that the nurse turned and left.

"T-this i-is t-the h-happiest d-day o-of m-my l-life", Harry coughed out as soon as the nurse was gone.

Sirius looked down at Harry and smiled," Mine too." They waited without saying another word; except for Harry's sharp persistent coughing. Sirius was getting a little worried. He knew Harry really wanted to go home with him, but was he willing to risk his health to do so. Soon the nurse came back with the parchments and a wheelchair. She also had a strange metal bottle in her arms.

"Alright", she said as she approached Sirius, "Just sign here and you'll be ready to go." Sirius took the parchments and signed his name, then handed it back to the nurse.

Sirius then turned to Harry and placed his hands under him as the nurse brought the wheelchair over to the side of his bed. As soon as Sirius lifted him up, Harry let out a muffled cry. Pain was shooting through his entire body. Sirius immediately put him back down.

"Harry are you ok?"

"Y-yes", Harry replied as tears started to pour down his face. "P-please t- try a-again."

"Harry I don't think..." but before Sirius could finish Harry interrupted him.

"P-please d-dad." Sirius froze. Suddenly Harry began to cough and choke. He was wheezing and couldn't catch his breath.

"Harry!" Sirius yelled panicking.

"I was afraid of this", the nurse replied as she set the bottle on the bed. It turned out to be an oxygen tank. The nurse then placed the oxygen mask over Harry's nose and mouth. Harry's wheezing began to slow and he was soon able to catch his breath. "Now if you're gonna go home", the nurse said as she stared seriously at Harry," you are to wear this at all times. No excuses. As soon as the tank is empty you can stop using it, but not until then, got it?" Harry nodded his head then turned and looked at Sirius, who was quite pale.

Tears were still slowly flowing down Harry's face, when Sirius replied," Well then Harry shall we try again?" Harry nodded and gritted his teeth as Sirius put his hands once again under Harry and picked him up. It hurt even worse then the first time, but Harry was afraid that he might not get another chance. He bit his lip as the tears poured down his face at twice the pace from before. He endured the pain shooting through his body because he was about to have his wish come true. Sirius placed Harry in the wheelchair and the nurse hooked the oxygen tank and the pole with the bag of nutrients to the back of the wheelchair.

"Now take care of yourself. No stress whatsoever. Also I want to see you August 31st to check you out and take off the casts. Ok?" Sirius nodded and grabbed the handles of Harry's wheelchair. He was about to dissapperate, when the nurse remembered something," Wait a minute." The nurse took something out of her shirt pocket," here, we got some new ones for you." They were brand new glasses. The nurse placed them on Harry's eyes. "So, can you see better now?" Harry blinked a few times, since his eyes were still slightly teary and he hadn't been able to see anything, since he had been smashed to the floor right after getting home to the Dursleys'. He looked up as things began to swim into focus. The first thing he saw was the smiling face of Sirius. Harry nodded.

"That's more like it", Sirius chuckled. And with that the two disappeared with a pop.