A/N I would just like to say a big thank you to all those who have reviewed, favorited, or are following this story. My inbox has been inundated with notifications and it was truly heartening to see just how many people appear to like this story. I had not intended to post this until next weekend but felt I really ought to given the unexpected response the prologue achieved. Please I love to read reviews and will attempt to take any advice or suggestions given so please do not hesitate to leave them.

DISCLAIMER - I can't believe I forgot to do this for the prologue so I better put it in now. This is not mine, I am just playing in J K Rowlings fantastic sandbox.

Chapter 1 – Awakening.

Harry awoke to a steady beeping sound coming from near his left ear. For the first time in his short life Harry actually felt remotely comfortable. With substantial effort the small boy opened his eyelids and took in the scene around him. The room was bright and airy. A slight smell of disinfectant hung in the air.

It took Harry but a few moments to realise that he was lying in a bed. The moment that happened the boy sat bolt upright. A wave of nausea swept through Harry as intense pain racked his body. He suppressed this pain, forcing himself to his feet and out of the bed. He took a few steps before the pain of movement overcame his system and a small boy dropped in a crumpled heap on the floor.

HPHPHPHPHP

Natasha Stevens had been put in charge of the four year old boy in intensive care bay seven. She had just completed reviewing the boy's notes. Notes that after today's basic examination were worryingly extensive. Apart from the first degree burns on the boy's bottom, Harry Potter was severely underweight and suffering the effects of malnutrition. There were plenty of other signs of abuse and neglect but they would not be able to say for sure what the effects had been on the young body until a full medical examination had been authorised.

Natasha walked down to bay seven to check on the boy. As she approached she heard the continuous tone of a flat lined heart monitor. The middle aged nurse ran into the bay, her heart in her mouth. The scene that she saw filled her with an equal sense of relief and horror. Relief at seeing the leads pulled out of the heart monitor, and the obvious fact that the boy was breathing steadily. The horror came from seeing an empty bed and a four year old boy crumpled on the floor.

HPHPHPHPHP

Harry awoke to find himself once more lying in the bed. The last, and only time he had been caught trying out Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's bed, whilst he changed the sheets, had earned him so many belt lashes across his back that he couldn't lie down for a week. Harry had only wanted to know what a real bed felt like. All he had ever had was a few old pillow cases stuffed with straw. But he was a dirty little animal and as such he would soil a bed, and make it unfit for people, as such he could not be caught lying in this bed.

Summoning what little strength he had Harry once more begun the process of getting out of the bed. He slowly rose up and once more was greeted with that overwhelming nauseous feeling. Next he lifted his legs to swing them over the side of the mattress but as he did so his weight shifted onto his burnt backside. The pain was intense. This caused him to let out an involuntary cry of pain.

A nurse came running into view summoned by Harry's cry of pain.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?"

A wave of panic rose in Harry's throat, he was for it now! He'd probably be unable to do his chores. He would be unable to earn any food for ages after the punishment he would get for this. What the hell was he going to do?

HPHPHPHP

A shrill cry of pain permeated the air of the intensive care ward. The cry was clearly that of a child, and as there was only one child on the ward, Natasha Stevens dropped what she was doing and ran to find out what was wrong with little Harry.

The boy was trying to get out of bed again. Despite the obvious pain the attempt was causing him he stubbornly persisted.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Natasha screamed causing Harry's eyes to widen in fear.

The monitors started going berserk as Harry's pulse rate and blood pressure shot through the roof. The boy was hyperventilating again. Despite the paper bag Natasha held over his mouth and nose Harry did not calm down, if anything he was panicking all the more. Before long Harry once again lost consciousness and slowly his stats returned back to a more normal level.

Natasha was shocked. Her tone had been exasperated not angry when she shouted at Harry. Yet it had caused a full blown panic attack. Knowing it would not be that long before Harry regained consciousness, Natasha decided to remain at the bed side until he did. She reached for his notes hoping to glean some insight into how she should react when her patient awoke.

Other Observations

Ambulance phoned by school due to panic attack after staff member attempted physical contact. School suspect emotional abuse on top of the obvious unexplained injuries. Social Services now involved.

Natasha had not gained much insight from the notes but what she had gained would hopefully be enough to stave off another panic attack. A few moments later Harry's eyes flickered open.

"You are to stay in that bed young man." Natasha's tone was not harsh but it broached no argument. She could feel fearful eyes watching her and once again Harry started to rise. "Are you trying to be naughty? You are not getting out of bed."

Harry immediately blanched and collapsed back into his bed violently shaking his head. Natasha went to lay a comforting hand on the boy's chest but stopped mid action when the boy violently flinched. It was at this moment that she realised this wasn't defiance, it was fear.

"Harry I'm not going to hit you." Natasha said the shock obvious in her voice. Deciding that actions were probably better than words she finished her action and gently laid her hand down on Harry's chest causing a brief spike in pulse rate and blood pressure to register on the monitors.

Harry lay still for a few minutes wide eyed and wary, but gradually he started to relax. Before long Natasha felt him try to sit up again so she just gently shook her head and pushed him back down. Before long a small voice piped up. "P Please miss - Got to get up – not 'lowed in beds."

"You're not getting out of that bed no matter how hard you try."

"P p p please miss – not 'lowed in beds."

Harry was starting to panic again and his breathing was getting steadily faster so against her better judgement Natasha removed her hand. Harry immediately tried to get up. He winced in pain and all of the little colour he had drained from his face. Natasha revised her decision there and then and pushed him back down. "No," she said simply.

"Not 'lowed…" Harry started but this time Natasha cut him off. Four year olds were stubborn yes but this was not normal there was more to this than stubbornness.

"Explain," she sighed, and at the look of confusion on Harry's face, with a small chuckle "tell me what you mean."

"Horrid dirty little animals like me are not allowed to touch things that nice people wear sit or lie on," Harry stated in a way that showed he had much practice at those particular words.

Natasha was boiling with rage. Those were not the words of a four year old. Someone had put those despicable words into Harry's mouth, and he was spouting them like a parrot. The worse part of it was how clear it was that Harry actually believed this was right. Very carefully so as not to let any of the anger she was feeling into her voice she looked the child straight in the eye and held his gaze before speaking.

"You are not horrid, and you are not an animal. You are a little boy who is hurt and needs to lie in that bed so that we can make you better."

"I is dirty, I spoil things." Harry pleaded

Natasha thought for a few moments, there might be a way she could keep Harry in bed, at least for a bit, but the psychiatrists would not like it at all. Deciding it was worth the ear bending she would get later so that Harry could at least get some time to heal she winked at him and said.

"Then let's give you a wash then. Then you'll be clean and can stay in that bed." Unwilling to leave her patients side yet, knowing full well that Harry would be up and out of bed the instant her back was turned she called out to a passing colleague and got them to go and collect the bed bath kit.