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For What May Come...
Chapter Four
Mango
"Potter." Draco angrily whispered once again, attempting to reach the buzzer on the wall. Of course there was an easier solution to this problem. Get up and push it. And Draco would have if it hadn't been so bloody cold. There was no way on earth he was going to put his now warm feet on the cold floor.
Holding onto the bed side table for leverage Draco stretched as for as his body would allow and let out a whoop of accomplishment when he felt the little red button under his fingertips. With a heavy sigh he collapsed back against the pillows as if he'd just been forced to climb a mountain. He glanced down at the circular red ring left behind from the restraints. He sighed dramatically wondering what was taking Potter so long. What if this was a life or death situation?
It had been twenty minutes since his phone call to Brent. After the call Harry, once again, left the room promising that he'd be back later. Stupid Potter. Having the nutter in his life once again was something Draco hadn't exactly planned on.
"You rang?" a voice drawled form the door. "I see you have discovered the use of the buzzer. You're driving the aids mad, you know?" Draco couldn't speak at the moment, even if he wanted to. Though it was odd and completely uncharacteristic of him, the blond sat gaping at Potter. The raven haired man stood, leaning against the door frame, arms across his chest and legs crossed at the ankle. He wore a crooked grin and his eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Like something you see?"
That snapped Draco from his thoughts. "In your dreams, Potter!" he spat.
Harry snickered. "So, what did you buzz for?"
"Hand lotion."
"Hand lotion?"
"Yes, Potter. Why is it that you insist on repeating everything I say?"
"I do not." Harry huffed indignantly.
"Whatever. I need hand lotion. Your blasted restraints rubbed my delicate and flawless skin raw."
"That was your fault."
"Shut up and get me some hand lotion. I prefer mango."
Harry snorted.
"Find something funny, do you?"
"Isn't mango sort of a...girly fragrance?"
"It most certainly is not!"
"Well, my best friend is a girl and she always carries mango hand lotion in her purse."
"Potter. Lotion. Now."
"What's the magic word?" A small smirk played on Harry's lips, knowing for sure that Malfoy wasn't going to say Please.
"What?" Draco said irritably. He was confused as to what Potter was taking about and was getting really irritated with these stupid games he was playing.
"Wrong."
"Potter!"
"Nope." That was it, Draco thought. He'd had enough of this. He reached behind him and grabbed a pillow before launching it as hard as he could at Potter. A wave of satisfaction soared through his veins as the pillow hit him square in the face.
"Well, that was immature." Harry said simply as the cotton filled cloth hit the floor with a soft thud.
"Listen. You. Impossible. Man!" Draco shouted emphasizing each word. "If you do not leave this room and get me what I requested for, I'm going to shove my foot up your-"
"Is there a problem here?" startled, both boys whipped there eyes to the door way. There stood a rather large nurse who looked awfully angry. Draco huffed and crossed his arms.
"No, Sam." Harry sighed heavily. Draco could sense the annoyance in Potters voice and smirked.
"Keep it down, then." she warned. Harry just nodded and turned away from her.
"Girlfriend of yours?" Draco snickered, amusement written clearly across his face.
"Ah, gross, Malfoy."
"Whatever. I bet you sneak off with her everyday."
"Shut up."
"Tie her up and-"
"Stop it!"
"Have your way-"
"Malfoy!"
"With her."
"Shut it."
"That's all I'm going to say." Draco giggled staring at the angry and disturbed brunette in front of him. He loved pushing Potters buttons. "I also bet you like to-"
"Malfoy, if I get your stinking lotion will you shut up?!"
"No, but it will help." He grinned evilly watching as Harry grumbled and turned on his heel, stalking out of the room.
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"Draco?"
Ten minutes after Potter had retrieved his lotion Draco sat in his bed, working on a suduko that the hospital had provided for him.
"Hey, Brent." Draco greeted without looking up, recognizing his best friends voice.
"Hey," Brent said before pulling his friend into a tight embrace. "What are you doing in here?" he asked pulling a chair up beside the bed.
"Ah, straight to the questions, huh? All right, I can play this game. You get seven questions and to answer your first one the answer is nothing important." he said. "Next question."
"Draco." Brent said in his warning voice.
"That's not a question."
"I'm not play a game, Draco. You hate fucking hospitals and you told me you wouldn't be caught dead in one even if you were dying. Now why are you in here?"
"Oh it's just a disease here and a little bit of cancer there." he explained, whooping when he filled in a box of his suduko game.
"WHAT?! Cancer? Draco, are you kidding?" Brent bellowed.
"Oh, yeah. I'm kidding." the blond quipped, rolling his eyes upward.
Brent glared at his friend his nostrils flaring with anger. 'Why was he acting this way?' he thought to himself.
"All right there?" Draco asked filling in another number on his puzzle.
"Draco why are you acting this way? Do you even care? I- I don't get what you're doing right now. I can't even process this information and you're acting like it's nothing!"
"If you have a problem with it then leave."
"No! I'm not leaving until you tell me why you're acting this fucking way!" he shouted outraged.
"NO! Get the fuck out!" Draco yelled finally snapping.
"Draco, listen-"
"NO! YOU LISTEN! I'M SO FUCKING TIRED OF THIS SHIT. YEAH, I HAVE CANCER. WHOO-FUCKING-HOO. I DON'T NEED YOU PITY OR YOUR CONCERN. YOU CAN SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF FUCKING TALKING ABOUT THIS!"Draco was panting by the end of his rant and hot tears had consumed his eyes. Though his throat was in pain and his voice was hoarse, he felt as though a weight had been lifted from him. Like he'd finally got out what he wanted to say. Although, he'd wished it would have come out a different way.
"Oh. Oh, Draco. I'm so sorry."
"Dammit, Brent." Draco whispered as the brunette crawled into the bed next to him and wrapped his arms securely around him.
"I just...I just want to go back in time and-" he stopped and fell against his friends chest.
"I know. Dray." Brent cooed softly in his ear.
"I hate this, Brent."
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Later that evening Harry walked into Draco's room and was surprised to see that the blond was sleeping in another man's arms. His jaw fell open and his breathing came to a halt. Was this the man that Draco had called earlier? Were they dating? Who was he? And why were they sleeping together? A million question flew through his head that he knew would be left unanswered. And though he didn't know where it came from, jealousy was creeping up his spine. He cleared his throat and was startled when that other man whirled around to stare at him.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to disturb you." Harry apologized the same time as Brent said,
"I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in." Brent slowly untangled his body from Draco's and stood up.
"I'm Brent." He said introducing himself.
"Dr. Potter." Harry replied.
"Dr. Potter, I was wondering if you could tell me what exactly Draco's condition is."
"I'm sure you are aware that Draco has cancer. Small cell lung cancer to be exact."
"Small cell?"
"There are two types of lung cancer. Small cell otherwise known as oat cell and non small cell. Unfortunately, for Draco, small cell cancer is the worst of the two. Less than five percent in the majority of patients in whom cure is not possible their survival may vary from months to years depending on the extent of the cancer, the over all cell condition of the patient as well as his or her response to the treatment and the duration of that response." Harry explained with a frown. Brent looked at the sleeping form on the bed.
"So, basically he has a five percent chance of survival?" Harry nodded as Brent crawled back into the bed. Harry assumed that the questioning was over and he took that as his cue to leave. "I'll leave you to alone but could you buzz for a nurse when he wakes?"
"Yeah." Brent answered with a sniff, tears brimming in his eyes.
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Pain was all around when Draco woke in St. Mungos. A nurse stood on the side of the bed along with Potter.
"Mother?" He called out looking around frantically.
"Mr. Malfoy she's in the room next to yours." The nurse spoke up performing a couple of spells on him.
"Let me up. I need to see her."
"Sorry but you are in no condition to-"
"I need to see her!"
"I assure you, when you are better you will be able to."
"NO!" Draco screamed pushing her away.
"Miss, I can take him over." Harry volunteered. Draco froze and looked at the nurse hopefully who glared and gave him a grim expression.
"Very well, but watch him carefully." Harry nodded. Draco didn't need to be told twice. He darted out of his bed, regretting having done so as a wave of nausea came over him. His head spun and he wobbled straight into Potter's arms.
"Not so fast!" the nurse scolded as they walked out of the room. He stumbled into his mother's room and over to her bed.
"Mum!" He gasped falling to his knees. Harry pushed a chair beside the bed and pulled the blond into it. Draco took his mothers cold pale hand into his. "Mum? Mum wake up...please." When his mother didn't respond he broke into sobs "Please don't leave me. I'm sorry. I should have been in your place. I'm so sorry." Draco whimpered, his head falling onto the bed. He heard Harry shuffle his feet behind him. The wizarding heart wand at his side seemed to grow louder and louder with every second of silence. He listened to the beeps as they kept a steady rate. Then a knock came from the door but Draco didn't move.
"Mr. Malfoy, we would like to look over you now."
"Come on, mum. Wake up." he whispered so softly he barely heard it himself.
"Mr. Malfoy." The nurse in the door way said once more. The blond made to move finding it hopeless to even attempt to ignore them when the cold pale hand in his twitched.
"Mum?!" his head shot up with lightening speed. He waited for an answer, a movement, anything. When nothing came he opened his mouth a fraction of an inch to speak again when the heart wand went flat. The continuous beep flooded his ears.
"Mum? Mum! No! NO!" he jumped up and pointed to his mother. "Help her!" he screamed. Several nurses rushed in the room pushing the blond aside commanding Harry that he remove Draco from the room.
"No, I want to stay! She needs me!"
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Draco was surrounded by screaming when he woke. It went on for some minutes before he realized that the screaming was his own. He closed his mouth trying to stop the screams from escaping him. When he was able to calm himself down he heard a voice cooing in his ear. He whimpered.
"Brent?" he called out borrowing his head into the man's chest.
"Shh. I'm here." he replied, stroking his hair. "Was it another dream?" he asked in a hush voice. the blond sniffed and nodded. They sat in the silence wrap up in each other. Draco's mind was finally dream free, but Brent's mind on the other hand, was swimming with thoughts about the cancer. He felt helpless, there was nothing he could do.
All too soon for the men the door was pushed open and the light from the other side illuminated the dark room, the nurse breaking the comfortable aura around them.
"I'm sorry sir but visiting hours are over."
Draco's head shot up. "No, don't go." he begged.
"I'll be here first thing in the morning."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Okay," Draco whispered, "Goodbye."
"Not goodbye, good night."
Draco smiled, "Good night."
AN: Okay there you have it. I just want to say I really enjoyed writing the beginning about the lotion. I have half of this story already written down in a notebook but I just thought this chapter was a little boring so I decided to spice it up a bit and throw in that part. :) Once again I apologize for any spelling mistakes.