A/N:
This chapter is in Ron's POV
And I want to thank especially: iTorianne, x-x-xCAROLANNEx-x-x, Brilliantseeker, Marree- A.K.A Amara, Ashsmee, Blank Paige, ObsessedRHShipper, Your Valensi and tamera72 who had been reading and reviewing faithfully when it was still on Dylan's account. I let them know that the story was moving and stuff… for your patience this chapter is dedicated to you nine!
Also: To anyone who was reading these who I didn't contact I apologize for my rudeness!
Ron stepped out of the helicopter on shaky legs on the rooftop of the children's hospital. His head felt light and airy as his ears tried to recover from the popping sensation they had experienced on the take-off and landing. The helicopter ride itself had been hell. The roaring of the propeller had been so loud that he couldn't hear himself think the whole fifteen minutes. Ron preferred a broom to the large loud contraption. Suddenly Ron felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Turning around he saw the face of the paramedic, Jim. He screamed something that Ron could barely make out due to the thunderous helicopter.
"Go into the hospital and explain that you arrived with a infant patient!" Jim told him. "They'll need to ask you a few questions!" Ron nodded and headed toward the only door on the roof. He passed a couple doctors were running out of it toward the helicopter. He really didn't want to leave Hugo alone, but, he knew he had to let the doctors do their job. As he walked alone across the snow-covered rooftop he looked back only once to watch Jim and the doctors gently lift his son out of the helicopter and into a stretcher before he opened to door.
The ER at the Children's Hospital looked a lot like the one across town where Hermione still was, laying motionless on her hospital bed. Ron could see the outline of his red hair on the white linoleum floor as he walked down the aisle. The ER was filled with children, and Ron met eyes with a small girl in a wheelchair. She didn't have any hair and look extremely fragile, however she looked up at Ron and smiled so vibrantly that Ron couldn't help but smile back, remembering his little Rosie's smile.
"Excuse me sir?" said the nurse who was pushing the little girl. "Only doctors, nurses and patients are allowed back here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Ron looked up from the smiling girl to look into the nurse's face. She was an older woman with kind, but firm eyes. Ron explained the situation to the nurse who told him how to get to the front desk. "They'll want to ask you some information for the Hospital's Records."
Ron thanked the nurse and tore down the hallway yet again. As he approached the door that the nurse told him to go to he could begin to make out a small window displaying the words 'Waiting Room' on it. Ron pushed to door open to reveal a room that looked almost exactly like the waiting room at the other hospital except for the linoleum flooring and couches instead of individual chairs. He walked up to the front desk.
"May I help you sir?" The waiting receptionist asked.
Before Ron could open his mouth he felt someone tap his shoulder. "You don't have to register Ron, I did it for you when I got here." Ron turned to see Bill motioning toward one of the couches in the farthest corner. Ron followed his brother and sat down and watched Bill watch a nearby family walk by, obviously wanting to talk and not be heard by the Muggles he cleared his throat before he began in a hushed tone.
"So when I got here George's Patronus showed up…" He began. Ron felt his heart begin to race and his palms grow clammy. "She's out of surgery. It was a success and they're waiting for her to wake up. George said they'll let us know if there's a change."
All time seemed to stop as Ron stared at him. Trying hard not to cry he let out a shaky sigh of relief and lowered his head, staring at the reddish outline of his hair on the reflection left in the linoleum flooring. He felt Bill put a supportive hand on his shoulder. Then without warning he lost it.
"She's going to be fine Ron." Bill said when Ron let loose a shaky breath as the tears that he had been fighting for too long poured down his cheeks, dripped off his chin and landed with small plops! onto the linoleum floor.
Ron didn't move for what seemed like forever, the only noise between the two brothers were his own muffled sobs and his shaky breathing. A few minutes passed before Ron, without lifting his head spoke.
"I don't think I can do this anymore Bill. I don't think I can handle it."
"Sure you can Ron, you've handled everything great so far." Bill smiled warmly as his brother looked up at him. Ron's wet, puffy blue eyes were filled with agony and worry as he took another shaky breath—his shakiest breath yet—and spoke.
"You know how Hugo likes to smile and watch whoever enters a room? How he likes to watch what they do or where they go? How he always has that gleam in his eyes when he's watching?"
Bill nodded as Ron looked over at the door that led to the Emergency Room. It was open as a doctor was talking to another couple. After watching them for a minute Ron turned his head back to face Bill.
"When I got into the helicopter with Hugo, he didn't even look at me. His eyes didn't have his usual shine to them either. They were glazed and when he did eventually look at me, he didn't actually look at me. He sort of looked through me. He's never looked that way before. He's never looked…so distant."
"The doctors will find out what's wrong." Bill said gently, but said nothing else for they had company. Both men stood up as a doctor walked towards them. This doctor was a young man in medium height. His soft brown eyes seemed almost like a child's who had never done anything wrong in all its life. He had a childlike face and could be mistaken for one if he hadn't had a five o'clock shadow.
"I'm Dr. Edmund Grey." He told them both and shook their hands. Ron and Bill introduced themselves.
"How's my son?" Ron asked. Dr. Grey looked over at Ron.
"Why don't you gentlemen step into my office?" He motioned toward the door that led to the ER. "We can talk comfortably there." Ron and Bill followed the doctor through the door down the hall then into another door. Dr. Grey's office was comfortable. The walls were painted a warm burgundy color, which was more welcoming then the hospitals white ones. Plaid drapes partially covered the window as the snowflakes danced merrily into the dark night. A small desk sat in the middle of the room with two comfortable chairs sitting in front of them. In one of the corners of the rooms sat two large equally comfortable couches. A small television and radio sat on the end table between them. However what caught Ron's eye in the room was that of a photo sitting on top of Dr. Grey's desk. A boy who looked just about Rose's age played in the sand while his parents knelt beside him watching him with bright smiles on their faces. The picture wouldn't have been so amazing if the little boy in the picture hadn't lifted up his hands and let out a giddy laugh as the boy's parents smiled. Ron looked like a knockout jinx had just hit him as Dr. Grey picked it up and admired it.
"That photo was taken when I was about three." Dr. Grey smiled as he watched him and his parents having fun in the sand. "Later that year they were killed in a horrible accident. My grandmother ended up raising me. My dad worked for the Ministry of Magic and my mum was a Healer."
Bill looked up at the doctor in amazement. "So then you're a wizard?"
Dr. Grey shook his head as he put the photo in one of his drawers in his desk. "I'm a Squib, actually." He then motioned for Ron and Bill to sit down in the chairs in front of his desk. Ron and Bill obeyed as Dr. Grey sat down.
Ron looked up at the doctor. "Do you know what's wrong with him?" Knowing that this doctor knew about magic-even though he was a Squib was strangely comforting to him. Ron didn't know why but he was relived.
Dr. Grey nodded. "It looks like a Traumatic Brain Injury."
Ron blinked. "What is that?"
Dr. Grey leaned back in his chair. "I'm assuming that in the car accident Hugo hit his head, probably on the back of his car seat. With Hugo being so young and his skull so brittle we are assuming that the brain tissue was damaged because his soft skull couldn't protect his brain. This results in Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI."
Ron was at a loss for words. Dr. Grey looked from Bill to Ron; obviously hoping one of them would ask a question. When neither of them did he continued on.
"In most TBI cases previously learned information is found again and used, for example how to walk or talk. However, with Hugo being so young he doesn't have much learning information to begin with and it may handicap him in the learning process. The effects of TBI on Hugo might not appear until later in his life. For example, if he does have a learning handicap he might have problems when it comes to academic thinking—such as spells and whatnot. He also might have a physical handicap but we can't determine the long-term damage right at this very moment. TBI could reveal itself at any time in any way."
Ron felt sick. He felt like he was in a dream. Detached from the rest of the world, he heard Bill ask. "What are you going to do about it?"
"There isn't a whole lot we can do right now but wait." Dr. Grey replied. "The damaged tissue will be bypassed in Hugo's brain by other parts and take over the damaged areas. For most kids, the only thing we can do is wait for that to happen and keep an eye on them to make sure no other problems occur. I always feel so badly that I can't do anything else for most of the kids. However, for young Hugo I might be able to do just a little more."
Ron's eyes got a twinge of hope inside the pupils, "How?"
Dr. Grey smiled. "My grandmother kept me in close to the Wizarding World. I've got friends in high places at St. Mungos. I contacted and told them the situation. As we speak they are forming a plan to either get Hugo transferred to St. Mungo's or having one of the Healers show up here to assist me. I'm not sure what they'll be able to do but it'll probably be more then we can do here."
Ron looked from the doctor to Bill. He could feel his heart race again. Could there be a chance that Hugo would come out of this experience unharmed? "How long will it take?"
"Unfortunately they have to get permission from the Ministry of Magic before they can take any action and I've been informed that the Ministry has closed for the night, my friends have assured me that as soon as the Ministry opens in the morning they have a audience scheduled with the Minister first thing."
Ron felt his stomach flip. His head reeled at the possibility that Hugo could be fine at that time tomorrow. If Dr. Grey could do this for Hugo…could he possibly…do the same for Hermione? "My wife was also hurt in the accident…is there any possibility that the same could apply to her?"
Dr. Grey's smile melted. "I'm afraid I can't do anything for your wife seeing as I'm a Pediatrician and tending to your son not your wife. I can only ask favors for my patients and my patients only. I'm sorry."
Ron, disappointed nodded his understanding. He watched as Dr. Grey stood from his chair and began to head for the door. Ron and Bill were about to follow before Dr. Grey held his hand up.
"Since the only thing we can do is wait right now, why don't you two get some rest? I don't mean to be insulting but both of you look rather terrible and like you need a rest. You can sleep here, the couches in the corners are pretty comfortable, and I sometimes sleep in here myself. I'll have a nurse bring you blankets and everything so you'll be at ease. I'll wake you up if I get any news or I have a update on Hugo." He shook Ron and Bill's hands again and walked out the door.
A few minutes later Ron found himself laying on one of the couches, fighting off sleep so he could think. Listening to Bill snore in the dark office he thought about what Dr. Grey had said. It had been a lot. Ron had been so stressed and absorbed in the day's events that he hadn't realized how tired he was until he laid down on the couch. Which of course was when he had begun to think. He was touched that the kind doctor was going out of his way to help. Ron only wished that he could do something for Hermione, too. Despite his constant worries about what could happen to Hermione he took comfort to know that she wasn't alone. She had George, Harry, and Ginny. He knew that Ginny and Harry would make sure that she was taken care of, and all of them would keep him informed if anything happened. As Ron closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep he saw Hermione's smiling face holding a bouncy bright eyed Hugo and a giggling Rose.
A/N:
Well I think this chapter went better then the last couple ones lengthwise. I don't know about you but I really like Dr. Edmund Grey! He's so kind! Don't ask me why I decided to make him a Squib it is a long story that I'd rather not get into. Long story short I needed someone to be able to get Hugo to St. Mungos…I really don't want him having permanent brain damage you know and I did as much research as I could to see the chances of a infant coming out of TBI without any problems…the results were disappointing and I decided I had to have someone at the hospital have connections to the Wizarding World and St. Mungos. I had trouble deciding who it was and it came down to the kind doctor or Jim the Paramedic. Dr. Grey seemed to be the one who could pull more over the Muggle Hospital Staff's eyes rather then Jim so I chose him.
Next chapter will be in Ginny's POV and will probably be shorter than this one.
Please ReviewPeace, Love and Stuff
Jenny