Author's note: Thanks hobbitfoot for the paramedic info!
A Well in the Dead Land
By Marz
Chapter 9: The Edge
Darkness.
Pain.
Motion.
He was aware of his physical self only vaguely. He knew he was dying. He gathered himself. He prepared. As a ghost he could at least contact the headmaster. Perhaps he could hold himself together long enough to know vengeance. He had to remember. So often, ghosts forgot. He focused his magic, struggling to gather enough of his fading strength to create an anchor for his soon to be disembodied soul.
"HEAR ME."
Something dragged him back.
It all came rushing back.
Pain.
His chest burned as he tried to draw breath.
Broken bone grated against broken bone.
His heart fluttered.
His head was agony.
"HEAR ME."
Another mind was pushing its way into his. He tried to force it out but he could not focus. An alien presence was sifting through his thoughts.
"ANSWER."
Fire shot up his arm as someone grabbed his shattered left hand.
"ANSWER."
Sound returned.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
A thick brace was strapped around his neck. His head was strapped down and he could not move it, though he had no desire to. Two men were talking.
"Unequal pupils… "
"Alert and oriented times zero…"
"…on route to Mercy General…"
Snape tried to swallow. He gagged and tasted blood. Something was strapped over his face, and the air he breathed had a metallic tang. He opened his eyes. The right one was swollen so badly he couldn't see. Suddenly a bright light was blinding his left one.
"Holy $#%! He's conscious!" muttered one of the men, clearly amazed.
Muggles, Snape thought. He was in one of those auto cars on the way to a muggle hospital. He was going to be butchered. He knew he was going to die, but the thought of being cut open before it happened filled him with unaccountable dread. The strange beeping increased in frequency.
"See if you can calm him down ma'am," the muggle said.
A young woman with unnaturally red hair leaned into his field of vision. "Don't worry we're almost there," she said in a patronizingly gentle tone. He glared at her, and the second their eyes met, he realized who was rattling about in his mind.
"Can you hear me now?" she projected.
"Yes I can. Get out." He tried to push her away again but she was at least equally skilled in Legilimency, and at that moment much more powerful.
"No. I need to know about the boy that did this to you."
"You'll get nothing from me. Go away."
"He kidnapped my friend's little sister. You'll tell me or I'll just take what I need."
As those thoughts flowed into his mind the woman's eyes turned entirely black. He struggled, and his heart gave a terrifying shudder.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
His body drifted away, but as he tried to focus his magic, to find an anchor for his soul, a freezing darkness wrapped around him. Again he was dragged back. His eyes flew open. One of the woman's hands rested on his forehead and the other on his chest. He felt an awful corrupt power pouring into him, forcing his bones back into place, melting and reforming the damaged veins. He tried to scream but could not get enough air. The woman stared down at him with soulless black eyes and thick purple veins standing out of her skin. She stopped then and sat back. She'd made sure he wouldn't die anytime soon, but he was a long way from healed. Snape's working eye drifted towards the muggle, who was cowering in the corner of the auto car.
"Tell me about the boy. His name is Harry?"
He fought. He emptied his mind of emotion and feeling until nothing but cold darkness remained. Even then he could not escape her horrible will. A shaking "Yes." Was drawn to the forefront of his thoughts, and a gagging attempt at speech escaped his lips. He did not give up, but as she asked the answers came to her.
"How do you know him?"
"Student…he is a student at the school where I teach."
"Teach?"
"Potions…teach the brats to make potions…not one of them worthy of my time…"
"Why did Harry kidnap Dawn?"
"Dawn?"
"My friend's sister. Her name is Dawn. What is Harry planning to do with her?"
Snape fought to cover the information, to bury it under his most vile memories, but the witch pushed through them, unphased by the worst torments of his life. Images of the Arch flowed up, and the spell they had copied from the walls of Potter's room were hers for the taking. She saw the requirement of sacrifice. She searched deeper, looking over all he knew of Arithmancy and the Arch in the Department of Mysteries.
"You do not know where he is going?" she sent, even though she could see the answer.
"No."
"Others will try to stop him?"
"Yes."
"Where are these others?"
Even as she asked it he knew what would happen. The Order was hidden by a Fidelius Charm, and no one but Dumbledore could give up its location. The ancient magic weighed down on him, and he could not answer.
"Where are they?" the witch repeated.
Her hand came to rest on his forehead and vile hateful power ran through him again, but it could not break the charm. As she pried his mind apart, the charm pushed him farther down. He could not fight either force, and was lost in the storm.
When he woke again it was dark, except for the tiny lights on the machines towering on either side of his hard uncomfortable bed. His arms were filled with tubes and needles, and there were little wires glued to his chest. He still couldn't move his head. There was tube in his throat. He hurt everywhere, but he felt strangely detached. Whatever drugs the muggles were pumping into him kept him from focusing enough to move.
"Severus darling, you look absolutely terrible!" declared a high and almost child like voice.
He was certain his heart stopped for an entire minute. He realized then that the Dark Mark on his arm was aching dully. He'd missed a summons from the Dark Lord. They had sent Bellatrix Lestrange to check up on him. Slowly she came into his field of vision. She wore her skull like Death Eater's mask. Her manicured nails went to pick at the needles going into his arm.
"Our Lord was most disappointed when you didn't come, but I suppose this is a good enough excuse. You reek of Muggles, did you know?"
He tried to answer her but could only gag.
"This won't due," she raised her wand and muttered.
He thought he recognized a translation charm and tried again. His own ears heard only choking gurgles, but Bellatrix seemed to understand well enough.
"I couldn't come. I was unconscious," he said.
She pulled one of the needle sharply, and it tore free of his arm. He winced, surprised that that pain stood out against all the others.
"We know that. You're going to tell me why. Why would our little potions professor be fleeing the mother land? Not planning to defect are you?"
As she spoke her fingers came to hover tentatively over another needle.
"Was sent to look for Potter."
"Really?" she said.
Her hand moved away from the needle in his arm, and came to rest on his sore and struggling chest. Snape would later blame the drugs and the head injures Potter had given him for what he said next. He would justify his actions as well. The boy had to be stopped and the Order could not do it alone. Even Dumbledore said the current crisis was more important then the battle against the Dark Lord. The more searchers the better. The truth, though would weigh on him for a long time after.
"Potter is trying to open the Arch and retrieve your dear cousin. Dumbledore believed the boy has found some new source of power. The entire Order is searching for him. I found him first and attempted to capture him for our Lord. You must warn him, Lestrange. Whatever Potter has tapped into…I have never seen anything like it. You must warn the Dark Lord."
"As if a mere boy could threaten him!" she scoffed, apparently forgetting the entire sixteen year history between Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter.
"You think I ended up like this slipping in the bath?" Snape scoffed right back.
"You would compare yourself to our Lord?" she began to rage.
"I would compare myself to any other in his service. The boy is a threat. He must be caught and killed before Dumbledore reaches him. This opportunity will not come again."
Apparently mollified, Bellatrix stepped back. "I will tell our Lord what you have said. He may even come to see you personally. Don't run off anywhere."
Snape managed to glare at her, though the action caused him much more discomfort then it did her. She raised her wand, about to disapparate, but paused as if suddenly remembering.
"One more thing Severus. Don't miss another summons."
He knew what was coming, but all he could do was glare hatefully.
"Crucio!"