"Dora.. sweetheart I'm so sorry.. I truly am.." came the voice of Remus for what felt like the 90th time. He's apologised so much for what happened at his place. I'm getting rather sick of hearing it. 'Sorry. Sorry. Sorry,' like some broken alarm clock. I don't really mind, though. Its better than the fussing I 'm getting from my mother. Fuss fuss fuss. Ugh. Dad came earlier, but he just sat there staring at me, like I was some monster. I know I must look awful, but I didn't really wish to look like this! Its his fault for getting naughty with my mum in the first place, really. If he hadn't, I wouldn't be here. If he hadn't, I wouldn't have Remus.. There I go again. Rambling. Like anyone cares.
I sat on the hospital bed, held close to Remus by his warm, musky smelling arms. He was stroking my hair gently as he apologised endlessly, something I've hated since I was three. Healers bustled around, going about their various activities: administering medicine, giving out food, all the things in their job description. My gaze wandered over to a motherly looking Healer attending a guy with a totally ravaged face, a smell of eggs coming off of him. Eeeee uuuuuw. Apparently, poor guy was attacked by a werewolf, like me, but bitten. As I stared, I realised, wait, that could have been me. I could have been lying here, stinking and doomed to be an outcast forever. The thought made me want to cry, but I never do. But as soon as I thought about crying, my eyes started tearing up. I sniffed and buried my face in Remus' cardigan, crying a little. As he felt me cry, Remus jolted and placed his hand on the small of my back, just letting me cry, holding me there. AA few seconds passed, and I managed to calm down a little.
"Are you okay, Dora?" Remus asked, rubbing the top of my head with his chin, like he always did. Well, am I okay? I don't know. I shrugged, simply stating I had no clue as to whether I was fine or not. We sat for a few minutes, until I felt myself being pulled away and sat on my bed. Whining, I looked up and frowned as I recognised the same Healer who'd been helping the werewolf. Did she have a thing for wolf injuries or something? Staring past her, I caught Remus's eye and shrugged, mouthing, 'See you later?' To which I got a headshake. Remus sat down in a chair and winked at me, clearly indicating he was staying.
"Miss Tonks?" The Healer queried, pulling my blankets over me and tucking me in, like a mother would do. I grinned and extended a hand to her, polite as usual.
"Wotcher, ma'am. Nice day." I said, giggling and winking towards Remus, who just rolled his eyes .
"Dear, I'm Healer Bankbrook. I'm here to check you over."
Oh yay. Lucky, lucky Tonks. I pulled a face and sat back, watching the Healer bustle around at her table of medical thingy ma jiggys. Stethoscope, thermometer- wait, theres a NEEDLE. If she comes near me with that thing, I'll scream. I'd rather be pregnant than have a needle stuck into me. They hurt, man!
Healer Bankbrook bustled back over, her dreadlocked hair swinging as she brought the needle and stethoscope. She had that scary smile, reassuring yet.. Weird, I guess. Like she wants to kill you, know what I mean? She said something about checking my heart rate, and placed the ice cold thermometer on my chest. Woah, cold. She held it there for a second, listening, then took it away and placed it back on the tray. If only the Healer was male… Looked like Remus.. was Remus… He could hold a cold stethoscope on my chest all day. I laughed to myself, then yelped and clutched my ribs. It hurts to laugh, I've realised. Wincing, I rocked myself while the Healer faced the other way, preparing something. The child in me told me she was getting a needle, but I denied it. Looking up, I noticed Remus heading over to the Healer and whispering something to her. Flirting? Not my boyfriend, you bitchy Healer! I glared at the Healers back, until she turned around with something silver in her hand. My face fell in horror- needle.
"Now, Nymphadora-" "Don't call me Nymphadora!"
"Now, Nymphadora," The Healer repeated, ignoring my outburst and brandishing the needle in her hand. "This is to help the pain, and should help you sleep."
I backed up against the wall as the Healer approached, staring at the man in the opposite bed, the werewolf. He'd been reading, but looked up to wink, as if to say, 'Been there hun.'
I nodded, staring at the poster next to him, until I felt a sharp burst of pain in my arm. Ow! That bleeping..
I whipped my head around to glare at the Healer, who was remarkably close to my arm. The needle was out, and she was holding a bandage against the flesh of my upper arm. Cow, that hurt.
"Now Nymphadora, you have about five minutes before you'll fall asleep," Bankbrook explained, turning and putting the needle back on the tray, tapping it with her wand to sterilize it again. Charming. So some needle has been in my arm, a needle which may have been elsewhere? Eww! The stinking Healer came back, petting my arm, to which I murmured,
"Don't touch me. I don't know where you've been."
The Healer giggled, accompanied with an eyeroll from Remus. As I felt my eyes start to finally close for the day, I caught his gaze and stared into his brown eyes with longing. I wanted to kiss him, right there and then, and never let him go. Instead, I reached a hand out to him, which he took in his. He stroked my hand gently, a look of deepest pain on his face. He was obviously still feeling guilty about my condition, especially as I'd had to have a needle, which he knew was my biggest nightmare.
"R..Remus.. I love.. you." I murmured again, glad to finally have said it. Violins started playing in my head- since when am I a romantic? I looked up, expecting him to smile and return those three words. Instead, he smiled, a smile more like a grimace, and turned, walking away towards the doors at the end of my ward, leaving my hand to flop down on the bed. He hadn't said anything. And he was going. I drew my hand in, a heavy ache in my heart. He didn't love me back. If I don't have Remus, what was there to live for? I turned round, my eyes filling with tears, and fell onto the pillow, ignoring the small blast of pain as I hit the bed. I don't care. Nothing matters to me anymore.