ONE WAY OR ANOTHER
-CHAPTER NINE-
BETA: Tammy
INFO: www. livejournal. com /users/draycious
NOTE: Betas' are welcome to contact me ASAP.
A nurse went outside the operating room and informed those who waited about Raven's injuries.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Remus said over and over again once he heard the full extent of the injuries. It was serious and everyone knew what this indicated, even if they did not want to believe that Raven's life could indeed end any minute, the fact still remained. It was the internal bleeding that caused complications, as well as the damaged liver.
"I didn't know the damage was so extreme," said Blade calmly. Severus was staring at the wall and seemed to be in his own little world. What the others did not know was that Snape was calculating if there was any potion he could make, or even come up with, to help stop the internal bleeding. He was desperate to come up with something, and like always in such a situation he came up blank.
Raven had been on the operation table for an hour already and they hadn't heard anything else. They took it as a good sign. As long as it took time they knew Raven was still alive and fighting for his life.
"Excuse me for a minute. I need to go... I'll be back soon," Blade said suddenly. No one gave any sign of that they had even heard him.
Blade went to the apparation and floo hall and used the fireplace to floo to the USA. It was a long distance floo, but it was manageable. Usually it would cost a lot of galleons, but he had a special pass so no one bothered to stop him.
"USAWWM," he said and arrived at the ministry minutes later, it takes a longer time when you travel over the ocean. He made a fairly elegant exit out of the fire and he walked away in a confident stride. Many people who saw him nodded in greeting to him as he passed them by. A few people made an indication that they wanted to speak to him, but he shook his head warningly and continued on his way.
He finally reached his destination when he knocked on the most exclusive door in the whole Ministry.
"C'mon in!" a voice shouted from inside. The voice didn't sound as formal as most would expect.
"Hi dad!" said Blade when he stepped inside the office.
"Hello kiddo. I was expecting you," said a young looking man in a big dark brown leather armchair behind a big dark mahogany desk. The office was big and spacey with big windows. It was impressive, but the man behind the desk was harder to place. He was one of those few people who could look stern and impossible to argue with whenever required, but also friendly and approachable in the meantime.
"Raven's hurt. It's serious!" Blade blurted out and showed a hint of desperation for the first time since the incident. He was extremely relieved to be home with his dad again, once his dad was near, everything would be all right. He just knew it.
"What?" his dad said and stood up and walked over and hugged Blade quickly.
"I know," was all Blade said in a sad voice when he saw his father's stricken expression. He felt the same, Raven had come to mean a lot to him, and his father as well.
"What's the deal?" his father asked with a new burst of energy. It looked like he was ready to deal with whatever it was, and make sure it was fixed. His father could be very persuasive if needed. He would make sure Raven got the best doctors and experts in the areas required.
"Liver damage, blood in lungs, broken bones, internal bleedings..."
"What happened?" Scarce said as he gathered his black leather jacket.
"He was caught in a memory of a vision." Blade's father stopped in mid movement and his eyes widened.
"Oh fuck! How could he react so badly to it now when he didn't see it 'live'?" he asked and continued to do whatever needed to be done in his office before he could leave it.
"I don't know. I guess his body was tired and his magical levels low," Blade said with a shrug. He really hadn't thought much about it; he would analyze the situation later.
"Why were his levels low?"
"I don't know OK? I'm just going through different possibilities. My guess is as good as yours," said Blade and ran a finger over the golden name badge on the desk.
It said: Scarce Invadious Black Minister of Magic USAWW.
"Dad?" Blade asked.
"Yes?" Scarce said and looked up. He had a few papers in his hands.
"Are you coming with me to see Raven?" Blade asked. Sure, he could see his father getting ready, but he wasn't sure of he would actually go with him back to England and visit Raven, or if is father would visit a private hospital to get Raven accepted.
"Of course! You can see me moving, can't you?" he asked and rolled his eyes.
"I just thought you might be up to something else. Now c'mon. I'm afraid that this might take a while. Ask Vincent Moonstone to run the business around here, would you?"
"Yes son. Sometimes it seems like you're the Minister instead of me!" said Scarce jokingly, but underneath it all he was worried over Raven.
The two blondes, both green eyed with facial features which showed the rest of world they were very much father and son like Lucius and Draco Malfoy, strode through the Ministry and over to the floo point and went to the hospital in England together.
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"Hi! I'm back. This is my father Invadious," said Blade when he returned. The three other men didn't recognize Invadious as Scarce, the US Minister of the wizarding world. The simple reason for that was that the security was so high in the US that only a selected few knew what the Minister really looked like. In public they had spokes men, just as big as Fudge (all due, they were popular), if yet only spokesmen when it came down to it. The real power lay with Scarce, and he knew how to use it well. That's the reason why Blade used his father's second name; he didn't want the word to spread, that the real Minister was in the hospital. His father's real identity would be revealed, and his private life would be non-existent. Not to mention all the attacks there might be in the future. The life as the most powerful Minister in the world was a dangerous one.
"Nice to meet you but I wish the circumstances were different," said Albus politely and shook Scarce's hand.
"Indeed. How is he doing? Any news?" Scarce asked.
"No. They're still working on him," Remus answered. Blade sat down in a chair with pink flowers on it. He didn't know why anyone would ever think that kind of chair suited a sterile hospital, but then again it was better than nothing. The purely white color made him sick. He hated white walls, it reminded him of a mental hospital and he didn't like it. The white also made him dizzy because of the lights in the ceiling, which reflected the light on the walls. It was too bright for him.
"If he doesn't make it-" Scarce began to say but was interrupted by an explosion from Snape's side.
"SHUT UP!" Severus screamed with all his might. Scarce looked at him, taken aback. He was not often screamed at even if he usually did a bit of screaming himself. He had to admit that screaming usually didn't get anywhere, but when you dealt with Blade… you had to scream in frustration every now and then. As minister he used a calm, correct and powerful voice. It made people listen to him, and he rarely raised his voice. Thus it would be more effective if he ever chose to do so. Blade knew a whole other side of his father. He saw someone young, cool and his father was also his friend.
"If he doesn't make it we'll take care of his body," Scarce said again. He spoke calmly, and ignored the fact that Snape looked ready to kill him. He knew who Snape was; he had reports of everyone around Raven.
"He is going make it and you will not betouching my son!" Severus hissed.
"Meet the protective father," said Blade.
"I'm aware of your beliefs Mr. Snape. I assure you that I've got the law on my side if I would ever chose to touch your son. Yet that won't be necessary to talk about now since Raven is going to make it." Severus seemed to calm down a bit but it didn't stop him from glaring.
"I love him very much. I know he'll make it," said Remus strongly. They had to believe it.
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Raven woke up four days later. His bones were healed and his internal bleeding stopped. His liver was healing and the blood in his lungs was gone. He was still sore and he needed to keep still so his internal bleeding wouldn't start again. He was told he had been lucky, and he believed in that. Right before he had passed out he believed he was going to die. It had hurt really badly, yet it didn't hurt as bad as he would have thought such injuries would. Then again he had been groggy and pretty much out of it, so he couldn't really tell. The human body had a certain way or shutting out the pain when it became too much, usually by passing out. It was a part of the human body's own defense.
Remus, Blade, Severus and Scarce were all sitting near his bed night and day. Albus was forced to return to Hogwarts to take care of the students and lessen the threat from Voldemort. If Dumbledore weren't in the castle it was more likely Voldemort would attack.
The first face Raven saw when he woke up was Scarce.
"Hi you! It's not everyday that I have the chance to see you!" he whispered. He felt content just lying there, relaxing. A big deal with that feeling was probably due to all the drugs they had pumping into his veins through the IV.
"Raven! You're awake!" said Scarce exclaimed delightfully and leaned forward.
"Yes. How long was I out this time?" He asked with a yawn. Despite all the sleeping he was still tired. It was a normal phenomenon.
"Four days."
"Not bad, not bad at all! One whole day less than the last time! I'm getting better!"
"That you are, my son."
"Have you heard from Rafael? Blade promised to-"
"No I haven't but I'm sure I will in the future. Do you see Remus and Blade here? Your father is here too!" Scarce interrupted him in a low voice. Raven turned his head slowly. Indeed, there they were.
"Oh... Hi guys, dad. I didn't see you. You look tired! Come and lay down! My bed can take two more," he said. Blade came at once and lay down.
"Remus, dad?" he asked guessingly. He wanted them well rested. He always held a big concern for others despite his own situation. Severus moved before Remus had a chance. He too lay down next to Raven.
"How are you?" Severus asked him quietly.
"I've felt worse in my days. Don't worry about me. I'll be all right in a day or two."
"No. I don't think so. Your liver is still healing and you can't move for at least a week because of your internal bleeding that needs to heal in peace," Remus explained to him.
"Pity. I'll have so much work to catch up on!"
"Don't worry about that. The most important thing and the top priority is for you to get well," said Severus. Raven sighed. He hated just lying around. He was a restless person and needed things to do all the time.
"I'm lucky it's so early in the term."
"Yes. You don't have any tests yet," said Blade as soon as he caught on Raven's trail of thought.
"Exactly," said Raven.
"You won't have any troubles in DADA at least."
"Nor will I in potions. You're good when you're trying. It's just me who puts you down," Severus confessed. Everyone knew that was hard for him to admit that.
"There are still the other subjects..." said Raven.
"There are," Severus admitted.
"Hello there young man! It's time for a check up!" A fat, black-haired nurse said in a singsong voice when she entered his own private room. She took out her wand and took away his covers "Alright Raven Snape, just relax!" she said and began her check up. She only looked at his bandages, an educated doctor would check on the injuries later. Raven cringed at the name she called him and looked questioningly over at Blade.
"We compromised," Blade whispered and wore a sheepish expression.
"Raven Snape, that just doesn't sound as good!" he groaned.
"It does fit better than Potter."
"Yes it does," he admitted. "That's why I never use an last name, they all sound bad in one way or another."
"Except for Bond," Blade said philosophic. "Bond- James Bond. Raven. Raven Bond." Raven and everyone else cringed and laughed slightly at Blade's antics.