Angel Watch Me Through the Night
Chapter Three
"Severus?" Two weeks with no further improvement, but Minerva was persistent. She had run out of children's literature in the Hospital ward days ago, but continued reading to him. It had become a regular basis for her to come by after dinner every weeknight for two hours and just sit with Severus, talking with him. She stayed for three hours on weekends. He still didn't seem to understand her, but he would look up whenever she came in and let her feed him. He could almost hold the spoon by now, but he wasn't anywhere close to being able to lift it to his mouth and feed himself, not that it was an assured fact that he would feed himself if left alone to decide it. At least he would show signs of hunger.
"I found a new book for us, Severus." In her hands was a small piece of muggle children's literature, Dr. Seuss. He kept on looking at her, eyes glazed. They would get clearer as she read. When she had first stayed with him for a long period of time, his constant gaze unnerved her a little, but Minerva had become used to it by now, though she did wish he would look at the book to see if she could interest him in reading.
Minerva knelt next to Severus, leaning on the wall beside him and opened the book to the first page, "King Louie Katz, by: Dr. Seuss. Way back in the olden, golden days…" Minerva quickly finished that, and "The Glunk", "The Grinch", and even, "Gertrude McFuzz" though she had a bit of pronunciation trouble in that one. She began talking to him after that. He was still looking at her, just like he always did, and unmoving, unblinking, unnerving gaze. His eyes were less clouded now though, and she could tell something new in them. She couldn't understand what it was in his glance. He was studying her, memorizing her face, searching his brain. Then, it hit her, and it made her heart jump for joy: He wanted to know who she was. She took his hand, and was surprised to see he didn't resist her lifting it off the ground, though he kept it limp, unwilling to help her.
Minerva adjusted his hand on her shoulder and looked back into his face, wondering how to make it clear to him. Very slowly and carefully she said, "Minerva" His face clouded again, as though he hadn't understood her. Minerva tried again, repeating her name to no avail. Not discouraged, she repeated her name, first placing his hand on her chest, then pointing at herself, and placing her hands over his and pointing them at herself. Nothing. He couldn't understand her. Minerva felt like crying, but smiled softly instead, encouraging Severus. She began telling him it was not his fault, but realized she probably couldn't make him understand that either. Tears began streaming down her cheeks despite her efforts and through her smile. This confused Severus as well. He looked at her then brought his hand up of his own accord and put it on her shoulder. She looked surprised as he moved his mouth. No sound came out, but it was moving. He was trying to tell her something.
Minerva leaned closer, trying to encourage him even more. Finally the sound came out hoarsely. Minerva could only smile.
She was back. He heard her come in, watched her come in. He liked her visits. He still didn't know what she was saying to him, but he didn't care. It wasn't what she would say. It's that she talked to him. Her daily visits were the only part of his schedule he looked forward to. She had something long and thin in her hand. She was coming closer. She was cold. Was he? No. He watched her. Her voice was always the same, calm, slow, soothing. She stayed that way. Looking at the long, thin thing, moving her mouth, making noise. No, music. Yes. She was making music with the long thin thing. It was very nice. He kept watching her. She became clearer as he delved out of his mind and into the big white area he lived in. She looked at him as she put down the long thin thing and reached for another. He kept watching as she went through another, and another.
Who was she? Did she know who he was? He looked at her more closely. She seemed a little familiar, but that was from her many visits, he was sure. He looked into his mind and found he could see her laughing, moving her mouth, making that same music. She was in a big grey area, no it was more brown. With lots of cracks in the walls. He had never seen that place before, had he? It didn't seem familiar, but there it was, very clearly in his mind. Had she given it to him? Maybe she could tell him. She had stopped making the music. He kept looking at her, willing her to tell him who she was, who he was.
Surprisingly, he felt a light warmth on his hand, and then, felt his arm move. He didn't look at it. He knew somehow that she was making him move, but he trusted her. She never gave him reason not to. He saw his hand in front of him. She was holding it. She laid it on her and made more of the music. She was glowing again. What creature sang and glowed? He felt her remove his hand from her shoulder and put it on her chest, making the same music. He didn't know what it meant. Maybe she was trying to tell him something. He couldn't understand her.
She kept at it, singing the same piece of music, indicating herself. Singing and glowing. What creature sang and glowed? She stopped, and looked at him, her lips curved upward, her face shining, glittering, glowing. He heard a beating. A persistent beating. Wings. He was sure it was wings, then he realized what she had to be. Why she sang. Why she cared.
It took more effort than he thought it would, his muscles were stiff with lack of use, but struggling, he lifted his hand back onto her shoulder and tried to tell her, moving his mouth to form the word. He tried to make the music come out like she did, but found his music to be harsher and choking. He pushed and pushed to get the word out. It was so hard, but she made the music for him, and he could do it for her. She was glowing brighter than ever, and the beating was getting faster, harder. Finally it came out. One single word that made her sing the most beautiful music as she wrapped her arms around him.
"Angel"
A/N: Okay, I was crying. Yes. I'm allowed to cry at the thought of Severus saying that to Min. The beating is his heart, but he doesn't realize that, and the "Most beautiful music" is her laughing. She is glowing because of the tears on her face an the bright white room behinds her. It is very hard to write Sev's thought, so please tell me if you enjoyed it or if it needs work, or if you hate it. Any feedback at all will help!