Hey thanks again for your reviews people! Very much appreciated. So have no fear coz justice shall be served but when I cannot say! So anyway heres chapter 13! WOOHOO!
Fight Sirius. Fight.
As they reached the hospital wing, they saw Madam Pomfrey preparing the bed nearest the door for Sirius. In the room with her was Mc Gonagall, Hagrid and few order members. On the bedside locker were four different bottles of syrups, anecdotes and medicines. Madam Pomfrey went into her office to retrieve a sponge while the others were discussing the issue amongst themselves. Just then Sirius was carried into the hospital wing and placed gently on the bed. The room that was discreetly gathering momentum fell silent as a graveyard once they saw Sirius. The aurors rushed over to his bedside to take a proper look. James who was standing by the bed saw this and became aggravated.
"Oh why don't ya take a picture? It will last longer!" Said James cynically while everyone stared at him.
"James they are only concerned about Sirius." Said Remus quietly.
"Whatever." Said James as he stepped away from the bed and went down to Madam Pomfreys office. She was on her way out as James approached the door.
"Oh James you're here. How bad is he?" she inquired sympathetically.
"See for yourself." Replied James as he gestured towards Sirius bed. She nodded and rushed down to Sirius. A lot of people were gathered around his bed dumbstruck at the sight. Poppy began pushing them aside. "Come on now you lot move out the way please I have a patient to attend tooooo…." She dropped the sponge she was holding and gasped at the sight of Sirius.
"Huuuhh. Oh good gracious me! I can barely recognise him Albus."
Dumbledore came to her side once she approached the bed.
"Indeed he has been badly beaten Poppy…."
Beaten? BEATEN! Albus this far more than a beating! Good Lord he has been crucified! What he must have suffered." She said as she applied the sponge to his bleeding nose. She then dipped the cloth in a warm anti-septic solution and cleaned his wounds on his forehead, arms and chest with it. After that she applied some syrup to cool down the swelling around his eyes. After about half an hour, everyone had left except for James, Sirius, Hagrid, Mc Gonagall and Dumbledore. They were all standing at the foot of his bed except for James who was sitting on a chair to the left hand side of the bed. Remus approached him and put a supportive hand on his shoulder. James looked up and said.
"How long do you reckon it will be before he wakes up moony?"
"I don't know mate. Knowing Sirius it could be quite a while." He smiled sadly at James as he reciprocated it and looked back down at Sirius in desperation.
"James mate why don't you go home? Lily and Harry will want to see you."
"They'll want to see you too." Said James looking at Sirius.
"I can take over here for a while if you want."
"I don't want to leave him Remus. Lily knows what the situation is and Harry will out playing with Ron. I don't want to upset him. There is no point in me leaving here. Id just be snapping at Lily. She doesn't need that mate." Said James distractedly.
"Maybe ya should just leave him be Remus. It migh be fer the best." Said Hagrid.
"You could go home and tell Lily the situation and come back later. Let's leave James to it for now. Come on." Said Dumbledore quietly.
"One second." Said Remus as he approached James.
"James? We are going to take off for a little while ok? Go back and see Lily and Harry. But if you need us or there is any change, contact me on the mirror ok?" said Remus meekly. James just nodded. As he was leaving, Dumbledore handed him the mirror and Remus placed it on Sirius locker and left.
"Come on Sirius wake up mate please? I need you now more than I have ever needed you before in my life. Don't leave me Sirius. Please promise you won't leave me. Please come back Sirius. Please…stay with us Padfoot." Said James through tears.
"He will be ok though wont he?" asked Lily desperately as she set down cups of tea for Hagrid, Remus, Mc Gonagall and Dumbledore.
"According to Poppy he has a severe concussion that he may not recover from for several days." Said Dumbledore meekly.
"Days? But surely….well there must be something she can do." Said Lily.
"She is doing all she can Lily. She is keeping the swelling down under his eyes and forehead successfully. She has given him medicine for his sprained ankles and broken leg. The cuts and bruises will naturally heal themselves. However there is nothing anyone can do for concussion. If he comes through this within a matter of days, he is doing well." Said Minerva.
"But Minerva….Harry……" Lily broke down into tears at this point. Remus, who was sitting next to her, put his arm around her as she cried into his shoulder.
"Lily. Sirius is strong. He won die. He is gona pull through this. As fer Harry, well…don say anything jus yet. We don wana scare the little fella now do we eh?" said Hagrid with a small smile. Lily looked up and just nodded as she wiped the tears away and removed herself from Remus embrace.
"We just have to remain strong…for Sirius. He would if it was one of us." Said Remus.
"Maybe when his swellings have reduced you can take Harry to see him or wait until he's awake? But for now you should just tell him…." Minerva was cut off by Lily.
"He's with Sharina? He would believe that." Suggested Lily.
"Ya. Ok. Whatever you want Lily." Said Remus sweetly as he rubbed her back a little. They both smiled a little at each other.
"Right well we must be off now Lily. Thank you very much for the tea Lily. And I wish it could have been under pleasanter circumstances." Said Dumbledore.
"Ya. Me too Albus. But at least he is not…..at least he will be ok." Said Lily sadly.
"Indeed. Within a few days we shall all look back and wonder what all the fuss was about."
"Well I have my doubts about that Albus but you never know." Said Lily.
"Right well, we shall be seeing you both soon. Remus, take care of Lily for James."
"Of course sir. Tell James Ill be there in a while ok?"
"Certainly Remus. Goodbye." Said Dumbledore.
"Bye and thank you Albus, Minerva." Smiled Lily sadly.
"Righ well Lily I'll be seeing ya soon I imagine. Take care." Said Hagrid as he hugged her tight.
Within a few minutes they were gone. Lily and Remus started clearing off the table.
"Lily would you mind if I left you alone for a few moments? Only I must go into Flourish and Blotts for a while. But Ill be back soon." Said Remus kindly.
"No not at all Remus. You go. Ill be fine." Said Lily.
"You sure?" asked Remus.
"Positive. Now go." Lily replied smiling.
"Okay." Said Remus.
After he left, Lily collapsed onto the floor and broke down into tears and sighed.
"Don't leave us Sirius. Oh god please don't leave us Sirius."
Back at the hospital wing, there was no change regarding Sirius. His swelling around his eyes had reduced a little but he was still in a coma. His right leg was in a cast and his two ankles were intact also. James sat there, loyally, at his bedside, praying and hoping that he would wake up soon because right now, James did not see Sirius lying there. Madam Pomfrey came round again with syrup called "anti- inflamagio". She poured some on a damp cloth and caressed his chest with it. Sirius had severe open wounds there that needed attention every half hour so they would not become septic. While she was doing this James took this opportunity to stretch his legs. He didn't want to leave Sirius, though he had been sitting with him for two hours straight. He just walked up and down the corridor where he ran into Dumbledore.
"How is he James?" asked Dumbledore concernedly.
"Same I'm afraid to say Albus. The swelling under his eyes have reduced slightly but that's about it. I know that it has only been a little over two hours since we brought him in and I realise that even with magical remedies things take time but…..it's just so irksome. You know?"
Dumbledore placed a hand on James shoulder and looked him straight in the eyes while saying;
"I understand what you are going through James. But what you must comprehend is that it could be several days before Sirius comes to again. And it will be even longer before he can leave here. Then it could be quite a while before he can engage in any activities with you or anyone. What I am trying to say James is that patience is a virtue. To require it is an art."
Dumbledore slapped him lightly on the shoulder and left James with his thoughts.
"Oh James. Let me know when there is a change. Remus said he would be here in a while also. Said Dumbledore over his shoulder.
"Ya of course Albus and thanks." Said James as he returned to Sirius.
James resumed his seat next to Sirius bedside and began thinking about what Dumbledore said about patience being an art. It made no sense to him whatsoever. He turned his attention to Sirius.
"Well buddy you got your wish. Remember when you, Remus and I were talking about what the one thing wed miss about this place and you said having your meals served to you and having a nurse waiting on ya hand and foot. Your right where you belong mate." James half laughed at this.
"I know I have said it before Padfoot mate but I am so sorry. If it wasn't for me, maybe things would be different who knows? I guess well never know now mate. You know if you could see yourself now mate you would die of shock coz you always said that the one and only good thing that your family ever gave ya was your looks. You could woo any lady. Who would be bothered with ya now?" James sniggered.
"But seriously mate, thank god you didn't hear that….I know those gits put you through hell and all that but you have so much to live for ya? You have your job as Zonkos manager which you swore you would be way back in first year. You have Sharina who at the moment is working a 20 hour shift and knows nothing about this. But don't worry because we will tell her. You have Remus, Lily and I not to mention Harry who idolises you to the death mate. Do you know what he said the other day? It was really funny. Karina was over in the house and Harry had come back from Rons. They were playing quiddtich with Ron's figurines and Karina said to him do you want to be a quiddtich player when you're older. Then Harry said no. Do you know what he said? I wana be Sirius. Everyone burst out laughing. I wish you could have heard it mate. I wish you could hear me now. Sirius, I know it took all your strength to survive the immense torture you went through but please mate, hold on. I know you have so much more strength inside you so please hold on to it and fight. Fight for your right to live. Fight for Sharina. Fight for your friends. Fight so you can terrorise those poisonous death eaters. Hold on for Harry. I gota go away for a bit ok? Ill just be upstairs with Dumbledore and Ill be back down within fifteen minutes okay? Ill talk to you later mate." James got up to leave and as he went out the door, Sirius eyes began flickering.