Chapter 40
Even with the new nurses, nothing seemed to change. The only option was that Alek wasn't sending messages to the troops. Harry felt like Alek was really trying to get better. Harry wanted to see Albus. It had been a while weeks since he had seen him and the doctor let Harry, and only Harry, see Albus. There were a lot more battles, but Harry made sure he had time to see Albus if he was actually able to.
"How are you feeling?" Harry asked. He was told to keep things calm. Nothing too serious or that would upset him.
"I'm alright," Albus said. He was sitting in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall. "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to visit you," Harry said.
"No one comes to visit me but doctors and you're not a doctor," Albus said.
"What? You know me."
"I know you're my dad. I'm just not sure why you're here,"Albus said. "I was with Alek and-he didn't mean to-but he hurt people. I was there. I've been told it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't stop him. People died. I still love Alek. I still love Alek, no matter what he's done."
"It doesn't matter anything about Alek. I'm here for you. I want to know how you're doing nothing about Alek," Harry said. "I only care about you. Have they been treating you well?"
"I guess that make sense. I don't like it here. We do group stuff and one on one stuff. We do art sometimes. I'm supposed to spend more time with people, but I prefer to be alone in my room. I don't know of I can trust any of them," Albus said.
"That sounds interesting. If the doctor wants you out more you should try to be out more. You can trust the people here. They only want to help," Harry said.
Albus got up and look out a painted griffin. "Here. I made this for you."
Harry smiled. "It looks great. Did you paint it yourself?"
"Yeah. We have to do art stuff every other day. I spent some time on that. I wanted to make you something special., "Albus said.
"Well I love it."
"That's good. I hoped you would. Griffin for Gryffondor." Albus said. "I wanted to be a gryffinor, but I'm glad I was placed in Slytherin. I got to meet Alek."
"I'm glad you were placed I the right house. The hat is normally right on things like that,'' Harry said. "It's okay. I told you it was okay for you to end up in Slyterin right?"
"Yeah," Albus said. "And I liked being Slytherin. I liked the people there. I had fun on the quidich. I had fun. I don't know what all went so wrong."
Harry went over and hugged Albus. "You didn't do anything wrong." He just held onto Albus for a little while longer. "You didn't do anything wrong." he repeated.
"But then why am I here?"
"Because you're sick. People get sick all the time. You just need to work on getting better," Harry said.
"But I don't feel sick," Albus said.
"I know, but you are and need to get better," Harry said. "This is the best place for you. You'll get better, just give it some time."
"Some of my classes I see Luis or his friend Ciel. It's nice to see people I know. I never have a class with Alek though. I see him sometimes, in the halls, but a nurse or someone take us away so we can't talk. I miss Alek," Albus said.
"I know you do. He's sick too. Once you're both better you'll be able to see him as much as you want," Harry said.
"So we're both sick?"
"Yes you're both very sick and need help," Harry said.
"I guess if I'm sick then I should be in here. I just," Albus looked down. "I miss everyone. Mom's dead. How many other people I'm close with have died. I just can't handle it."
"That's part of why you're in here: to help you deal, recovering." Harry said.
"I see," Albus said. "I guess that makes sense. We have groups on self esteem and stuff like that. Trying on giving up coping skills to deal with life. We always have to talk about how we're feeling and what we're thinking about. They have me on some pills, but I don't like them. I don't want to take them, but they say that I won't get better if I don't take them, so I take them. It makes be feel weird though. Like I'm numb or something."
"Well the doctors know what they're doing, so if they tell you to take your meds you should take them," Harry said. "If you're having problems with them, then talk to your doctors. I'm sure they can change them to work for you better. Everything is going to be okay."
"I don't think they listen to me. I tell them I feel fine but no one believes me,"Albus said.
"Because you aren't better," Harry said. "But you'll get better. I promise."
"But how long will that take?" Albus asked.
"I don't know, but you will get better," Harry said. "Just keep doing what you're doing and everything will be okay."
"Alek's not evil right?" Albus asked.
Harry was quiet for a moment. "I wouldn't worry about that right now. Just worry about getting better."
"But if Alek was evil and I-" Albus stopped and seemed to go limp in his father's arms.
"Albus? Albus can you hear me?" Harry said, shaking him a little.
A doctor came in. "This is what happens when he gets over worked," the doctor explained. "He just can't deal with certain things all that well. He's getting better, but we still need more work. I think it's best if you leave now."
"How soon until I can come back?" Harry asked.
"As soon as he's doing better again," the doctor said. "We'll be in touch."
"I understand,"Harry said. He hugged Albus one more time before leaving.
XXXXXX
"I hate taking these meds," Luis said. "I hate that they keep trying to get me around male doctors. All I can do is cry and cower in the corner of the room. Why can't I work with female staff?"
"I can understand that they want to get around men, but I don't think they're gong about it the right way," Ciel said. "I'll be here with you as much as they let me."
"I'm so glad you're here. I don't think I'd be able to handle any of this without you," Luis said. "I'm going to all of their groups and do all of their classes, or at least try to, but it's still so hard to be here. I keep thinking that they're going to come into the room and take me to get raped again."
"I won't let them touch you. I'll protect you," Ceil said. "That monster is never going to touch you again." He went over and hugged Luis. "I know it's hard here, but I'm here with you. No matter what happens, I'll be here for you."
Luis smiled. "Thank you. I feel better knowing that I have you to protect me."
"We're going to the same groups a lot of the time, so just stay with me. Even with they're a male doctor or nurse. I'll keep you safe from all of them, so there's no reason to be afraid."
"I'm not sure if I can do that, but I'll try to be with you instead of the corner of the room," Luis said. "Do they have you on drugs too?"
"Yeah. I see it a lot in the muggle world, giving out medications to help the mentally ill."
"But we're not mentally ill are we?" Luis asked.
"We've been hurt rather badly. I mean, if you left here now, freaking out every time you see a guy, that wouldn't do anyone any good."
"I guess that's true. I just don't like being called mentally ill," Luis said.
"No one is saying you are. We're just," Ciel tried to think of the right word, "sick. We're just sick and we're going to get better here."
"Sick? I guess that makes sense. I'm sick. That's a lot better than saying mentally ill. Do they give out meds in the muggle world?"
"Yeah. They give out lots of meds in the muggle world," Ceil said. "I don't know if the ones here work better here than the ones in the muggle world, but I think they're working some. I feel calmer than I did before they put me on them. Do you feel any different?"
"I don't know. I'm doing fine unless I'm around a guy. I'm fine with all of the female doctors and nurses. It's just when I'm around males. What if a doctor can't control themselves around me? What if they try to take me somewhere alone and-"
"I won't let them. I won't let anyone take you away from me."
"You're not in all my classes,."
"Doesn't matter. I'll find out something happened and I'll save you,"Celil said. "I won't let them hurt you again. I'll do anything to protect you."
"I love you," Luis said.
Ciel smiled. "I love you too. Everything is going to be better. It just is going to take some time."
"I'm sorry. You're hurting too and I'm not helping you at all,"Luis said.
"I'm doing okay. I mean, my problems aren't bad as yours,'Ciel said.
"I don't believe that," Luis said. "You were tortured right? That had to be horrible."
"But I wasn't raped many times a day, by all kinds of men. That had to be just horrible. I can't even fathom it. It wasn't a constant torture. I would be left alone for days at time. It was bad, but it wasn't consent like it was with you."
"I guess so," Luis said. "but if it wasn't bad then you wouldn't be in here with me."
"I didn't say I was better. I just mean, you're a lot worse than I am. We are both sick. We need help getting over what happened to us."
"I hear the war is still going on," Luis said. "more people fighting. More people dying. It's all sad. I thought when we stopped Alek we would stop he war."
"I don't know," Ciel said. "I'm sure there's someone else taking charge of what's going on. I don't now. There's no way to know."
"Yeah,"Luis said.
"I don't like it though. Until we can cut off the head of the snake it's going to keep strong," Ciel said.
"Makes sense. How are we supposed to find the head? Voldemort showed himself as in charge. Alek showed himself in charge. Why isn't this person flaunting himself out? It doesn't make sense," Luis said. "Do you think that maybe Alek is still in control? He would just need to get papers on what's going on and the nursing staff giving orders?"
"That would be smart of him," Ciel said. "No one would think he was still in control if he's here, getting help."
"I hear they charged his nursing staff. Maybe someone already had that idea," Luis said.
"I know Albus loves Alek. I really hope that Alek is getting better and not still controlling the army," Ciel asid.
"It would be so sad if Alek was doing all of that," Luis said. "Ciel, I'm scared that we might stay here forever."
"We won't be here forever. We'll get better and then you'll be a pro quidditch player," Ciel said. "Just keep telling yourself that. You're just sick. Sick people always get better. That's how sickness works."
"What about the people who die who are sick?" Luis asked.
"You're right. Some people die from being sick, but that's not you. You're mentally ill. Unless you try suicide here's nothing that a mental illness that can hurt you. It might be hard to deal with it, but you can get through this." Ciel paused. "and never think you have to kill yourself. I won't let you. You need to be strong. Just keep fighting and, when you get to go home, you'll be able to be around men without a problem."
"That sounds nice. Going back to when I wasn't afraid of men," Luis said.
"That's what they're trying to do here. Just don't fight the doctors. You just need to go along with what they want to do."
"Okay. It'll be hard with the male doctors, but I'll do my best. As long you're with me I should be okay."