A/N: So here's your Christmas present, although not the most cheerful one...

The usual Thursday chapter will be a bit late, I'm counting on Friday.

Chapter 31 – I Want to Talk to Your Superior

The next day, Sirius met up with Mrs. Lupin and Remus at the hospital.

"You look like you haven't slept much," Remus said to Sirius.

"Likewise, mate," sighed Sirius and they walked up to the front desk. "I want to see my brother," he said, looking determinedly into the nurses' eyes. "Regulus Black."

The nurse looked him up. "It says here that he's at the closed ward. I don't know if he's taking any visitors."

"He is! We're going to see him!"

"Well, you will have to go there to talk to the personnel."

They found the ward where the door was, of course, locked. Mrs. Lupin rang the doorbell.

A man in white came walking towards them at the other side of the glass door and he opened just barely and said: "Yes?"

"We are here to see Regulus Black," said Mrs. Lupin. "We were promised yesterday that we could see him today."

The man looked annoyed. "Well, you can't see him now. He's still sleeping."

"Drugged, you mean!" said Sirius.

"We had to sedate him. He was out of his mind."

"Because of you!" hissed Sirius.

"Can't we please see him?" asked Mrs. Lupin and put a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "It will make him feel better seeing some familiar faces."

"He wouldn't see anything. As I said, he's still sleeping. Come back later." Then he closed the door and locked it.

Sirius said some very nasty things to the locked door.

"Let's go get some food," Mrs. Lupin said and swung an arm around Remus' shoulder. "At least they didn't say we couldn't see him today."

At one O'clock they were finally allowed into the ward. The nurse unlocked a room and lead them in. Regulus was sitting on the bed in the corner with his knees to his chest. The wall was the only thing holding him up. He was heavily sedated, although not enough to put him under.

Remus sat down slowly next to him on the bed.

"What did they do to you?" Sirius asked, seeing how pale his brother was. He ran a hand over his hair.

Regulus turned his head slowly and looked at him with droopy eyes. It was hard to focus. He was extremely tired and dizzy, not sure if he was in a dream or reality. "S... Sirius?"

"Yeah it's me," said Sirius, trying to get him to focus. "Remus is here too."

Remus reached out and gently touched Regulus' knee, letting him know that he was there.

Regulus automatically tried to move away from the hand but when he recognised Remus, he stopped. "I think I'm ill," he mumbled. "I feel very strange."

"Those bloody nurses gave you something to calm you down," Sirius said. He took a deep breath. "What happened with Dad, Reggie?"

"Hm?" hummed Regulus. "Dad? I don't want Dad here. He hurt me."

"How did he hurt you?" Sirius said through clenched teeth.

"He... they... put me in chains," mumbled Regulus.

Sirius looked completely confused.

"He's talking about the restraints," said Mrs. Lupin and pointed to the straps now hanging loosely from the bed.

Sirius looked horrified. "They strapped him down?"

"Can't we tell them not to do that?" Remus asked his mother.

Sirius noticed something on Regulus' neck and carefully pushed his collar down. "Reggie? What did Dad do to you?"

"He wanted to kill me... He... I tried to run..."

Sirius grit his teeth. "Bloody bastard. I'm gonna kill him!

"Have you told the police this?" Mrs. Lupin asked and examined the bruises on Regulus' neck. They were not clear but they were there, no mistake.

Remus reached out and pushed Regulus' hair back, not knowing what to say. He felt powerless. Mostly he just wanted to hug him and promise him that he would take him home.

"The police haven't talked to him yet," it sounded from the door where the nurse was still standing.

"Do you mind giving us some privacy?" snarled Sirius.

"I can't leave you alone with a potentially dangerous patient."

"He isn't dangerous! He was acting in self-defence!" Sirius spat and stood up. "My father tried to strangle him so get the bloody police here so they can hear for themselves and go arrest that motherfucker!" Sirius felt like throwing something at the nurse who just looking bored.

"They haven't come to talk to him yet."

"Well, when will they?" asked Mrs. Lupin.

The nurse shrugged. "I don't really know anything about this other than the boy stabbed his father."

"Well who knows something, then?" asked Mrs. Lupin. "I want to talk to your superior."

The nurse just looked at Mrs. Lupin with the same dull expression. "I'll see what I can do about that when you leave the patient. I'm not leaving you alone with him, as I said before."

Remus noticed Regulus reaching for him and he gently took his hand, caressing the back of it with his thumb. "It's gonna be okay," he said in a gentle voice and looked at him, trying to gain eye contact.

"Can I come home with you?" mumbled Regulus, trying to focus on Remus.

Remus wished he could say yes and take him away from here. "When the police have talked to you and seen that this is not your fault," Remus nodded and kissed his hand.

"Can you stay here, then? Don't wanna be alone."

"I'll stay until they throw me out," Remus said calmly, kissing his hand.

"Regulus is not dangerous so you can easily leave us here with him while you get the head physician," said Mrs. Lupin coldly and crossed her arms.

The nurse pressed his lips together, looking determined.

"What exactly do you think he's going to do? An unarmed skinny teenage boy against the three of us? Completely doped?"

The nurse sighed and finally left to get the head physician.

"I'll kill that bastard," Sirius growled walking around in circles, rubbing his temples and looking very frustrated.

"The nurse or your father?" asked Mrs. Lupin.

"My father," said Sirius and kicked a chair so it nearly tipped over.

Regulus leaned against Remus, both because it gave comfort and because it was hard to sit up straight.

When the nurse came back with the head physician, Doctor White, she introduced herself as Doctor Lupin and said that she knew Regulus well. "What is your plans with him?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, we are going to keep him sedated as long as he acts like a wild animal," said the doctor. "His father says he is dangerous and seeing that he stabbed him, I agree."

"Is that it?" said Mrs. Lupin incredulously. "Can't you see that he's just scared? You're supposed to be a psychiatrist!"

"I am acting on what his parents told me," said the doctor and adjusted his glasses.

"What about what I've said?" spat Sirius. "I know him better than anybody!"

"And what have you said?" said the doctor, looking emotionlessly at Sirius.

"That my father must have hurt him and he just defended himself! Don't you people talk to each other?"

"Well, that's for the police to decide."

"And what have they found so far?" asked Mrs. Lupin, although knowing they had not talked to him yet. "Have they heard the boy's version?"

"He hasn't been clear enough to be questioned yet."

"And whose fault is that?"

The doctor frowned and looked at Mrs. Lupin with a hint of irritation. "And how would you know how to handle a dangerous patient like this? When the sedatives wear off he is hysterical."

"Because he's terrified!" yelled Sirius.

"I know because I'm a psychiatrist and because I know Regulus! He has a phobia of touch," explained Mrs. Lupin. "That's why he's in therapy. So when you fixate him of course he panics. I'm appalled that you cannot tell the difference between fear and aggression."

The doctor looked at her "And you are his therapist?" he asked in a cold voice.

Remus ran a hand over Regulus' hair and tried to make him feel safe. He hoped his mother could talk some sense into the doctor.

"No... Since he's my son's boyfriend that would be awkward. But I know him well."

"Your son's boyfriend?" The doctor blinked and looked over at Remus and Regulus as if he couldn't believe that a boy like Regulus could even have a relationship.

"You also have a problem with gay people?" Sirius growled.

"Of course not," the doctor replied.

"You heard Sirius talk of abuse and saying it was self-defence," said Mrs. Lupin. "Did you give the boy a check-up? See if there was evidence of abuse?"

"We couldn't very well, could we? Since, as you pointed out, he freaks out when touched," said the doctor irritably.

"You've had him unconscious most of the time!" yelled Sirius. "You could've looked then! Look!" he said, going over to his brother and pointing at his neck. "See those marks? What did father do to you, Reggie?" he asked, trying to get his brother's attention.

"He hurt me."

"Yes, but how? Did he try to strangle you?"

"Yes."

"You're putting words in his mouth," said the doctor.

"Take a look at his neck!" said Mrs. Lupin. "Can't you see the bruises there?"

"Well," started the doctor and adjusted his glasses. "We can't know where those bruises came from or if you have rehearsed this with him just now."

"Rehearsed it?" said Sirius incredulously. "And strangled him to bruise his neck?"

"He could have caused those bruises himself. Unstable kids like him often self-harm."

"He did not hurt himself!" exclaimed Remus and held Regulus close to his chest. "His father did this to him! Why won't you listen?"

Mrs. Lupin put a warning hand on Sirius' shoulder, afraid that he would explode in the doctor's face. "This would not have been in question if you had examined him when he came in, as I'm sure you're supposed to," she said. "I think we need to get Regulus a lawyer. He has rights and has not been treated correctly."

"Do as you wish," shrugged Doctor White. "We will examine him later today if he will cooperate with us, and the police will hear what he has to say."

"Can you please not use the restrains on him again?" Remus begged and felt Regulus shutter. "It will only make him panic."

"Me and Remus are staying!" declared Sirius, staring down the doctor.

"I've had it with you," said Doctor White. "This is my ward and if you want to visit here, you follow the rules and do as the staff say.

Through his daze Regulus had problems making out what everybody was saying, but he caught some meaning here and there, and now he recognised that the doctor was getting angry.

"Don't want him here," he murmured. "Take him away."

Remus looked down at him and then up at the doctor. "Please. We are going to behave if you just let us sit with him."

"You've been here long enough. And you're upsetting him. You have to go now. Come back tomorrow and we may let you visit again."

Remus felt his heart sink to his stomach. He leaned in to Regulus and said in a low loving voice. "I have to go now but I'll be back tomorrow. I promise."

"No," said Regulus as he realised what was happening. "No, no, you can't go," he said, feeling his heart pick up speed and his head clear up a bit. "No!"

The doctor, eying problems ahead, opened a door and waved a couple of nurses in.

Remus looked around at the nurses nervously. "Please don't give him more drugs."

Sirius tried to step in between the nurses and his brother but they just pushed him aside and took a hold on Remus' arm.

"You need to leave, sir. He is getting worked up again."

"Because of you!" yelled Sirius.

"Bad temper runs in the family, I see," said the nurse from before.

"NO!" cried Regulus and dug his fingers desperately into Remus' sleeves. "Don't go!"

Remus looked pleadingly at the doctor. "Please let me stay just until he falls asleep!" he begged but it was no use. The nurses pried Regulus' fingers off Remus' shirt and pushed the three out the door, slamming it shut behind them.

Remus stood staring at the door and he could hear Regulus' cries from behind it, making his heart ache so much he could barely breathe.

"FUCK!" Sirius roared and kicked the door. "FUCKING NAZIS!"

"Sirius!" said Mrs. Lupin and grabbed him hard by the shoulders. "Control yourself, or they won't allow you to visit again!"

Sirius took a few deep breaths and started pacing outside the door. "I will get to the bottom if this. The police has to see those bruises and put two and two together."

"But they said he could have done that to himself," sniffed Remus. "They might not believe him."

"We're going to find a good lawyer right now," said Mrs. Lupin, quickly wiping her eyes. "He will know how to handle this. We will get him and then go to the police."

A/N: To see Zayhad's illustration to the chapter go to deviantart dot com and look up Zayhad. She has a folder in her gallery with the story's name on it.