A/N: Here's the longest chapter so far. Happy New Year!
Chapter 32 – I'll Lose My Mind
Sirius decided to talk to James' father about finding a good lawyer. Mr. Potter was a successful businessman and knew a lot of important people. Mr. Potter cancelled a meeting so he could talk to them straight away. He too was appalled at the treatment of Regulus and the whole case. He wrote down an address and handed the note to Sirius.
"This is a good friend of mine. He's as expensive as he's good, but I'll call ahead and tell you I sent you, and I'm sure he will give you a fair price and make your case high priority."
They drove to the lawyer's office and Sirius marched up to the front desk where a secretary sat and talked on the phone. He slammed the piece of paper down on the desk and said loudly as if she were half deaf. "Sirius Black. Mr. Potter sent us."
The secretary jumped in surprise. "Yes, I will let Mr. Prince know," she said, sending Sirius a reproachful look.
Mr. Prince asked them in ten minutes later. "Carlus gave me a summary. Sounds like there are quite a few things that need looking at." He put on his coat. "Police station first, I think. You can fill me in on the way."
o0o0o
Mr. Prince walked into the station and demanded to talk to the officer in charge of the case, telling the secretary that it was in their best interest to make it happen immediately, because protocol had not been followed and it would look very bad for them if he went to a judge. Sirius hoped he wasn't bluffing.
"Yes?" A bald officer came up them and he stuck his hand out to Mr. Prince to greet him but was met with a piece of paper.
"Regulus Black," said Mr. Prince. "We would like to discuss his case right away."
"Oh... The kid who tried to kill his father?"
"Don't you think he would have stabbed him somewhere else if he had wanted to kill him?" snapped Sirius.
The officer rubbed his chin as he thought about it for a minute. "He could have just missed."
"Regulus would never try to kill anyone!" said Remus, sick of everyone saying that his boyfriend was dangerous.
They followed the officer to a private room where they all sat down. The lawyer asked to see the report of yesterday's events and the pictures of Orion's injury.
Mr. Prince studied them and looked up. "And where are the pictures from the boy's physical exam?" he asked although already knowing that none had been made.
"We... I don't think one was made. It was the father who was injured, not the boy."
"But it is mandatory procedure in a case of possible self-defence, isn't that right, officer?" asked Mr. Prince rhetorically.
The officer wrung his hands. "It is. But he didn't say much when we took him in. He didn't mention self-defence. Only his brother did, and he was not a witness."
"He didn't get to say anything because you lot jammed a needle into his arm the moment you arrived! He didn't get a chance to talk!" raged Sirius.
The officer looked a little taken aback and eyed Sirius briefly before returned his gaze to the lawyer. "We were told he was dangerous and the paramedics had to subdue because he was very agitated."
"Maybe he was in shock that his dad had just tried to kill him!" yelled Sirius.
Mrs. Lupin put a hand on his shoulder, sending him a look that warned him to keep calm.
Mr. Prince asked Remus to find the photo on his phone he had taken of Regulus' neck at the hospital. Then he shoved it under the officer's nose. "This was taken two hours ago at the hospital. If you had performed the mandatory physical exam, you would not have missed this."
The officer looked at the photo and then calmly put the phone down. "He could have done this to himself. No saying what a mental patient can do to himself while no one is looking."
"They had him tied down," said Remus and took the phone. "He couldn't even move so how was he supposed to do this?"
The officer didn't answer.
"When have you taken Regulus' statement?" asked the lawyer.
"We haven't done that yet. He hasn't been conscious enough yet," said the officer irritably, no doubt knowing that the lawyer already knew this.
"Well, I suggest you make that happen now!"
The officer frowned and then stood up. "Very well. I'll go over there now and see if he is in a condition to talk."
"Can we come too?" asked Remus.
"His lawyer has that right, and his parents, since he is underage, but seeing that you are neither, I don't see why I should let you."
"The boy is very frightened and he will feel crowded by strangers," said Mrs. Lupin. "At least let my son join, He has a way of keeping him calm."
The officer hummed. "Well, if the doctors allow it."
o0o0o
They drove to the hospital and Sirius was mumbling something about wanting to join in as well but Mrs. Lupin convinced him that since Remus was more calm that that would be better for Regulus while they talked to him. Eventually he agreed with a sigh.
They met up with the officer and the doctor outside Regulus' room. "Three people?" asked the doctor on duty, furrowing his brows. "No, we should keep it to a minimum. He gets worked up around people."
"He will be calmer if I'm with him," Remus tried to explain. "I won't interfere with the interrogation at all. I'll just sit with him."
"It's true that my son calms Regulus," said Mrs. Lupin and fixed the doctor with her gaze.
The doctor sighed. "Well, if that's true then it would certainly make things easier. He has been impossible since he came." He unlocked the door to Regulus' room and went in with a nurse. The others stood in the doorway. Regulus looked up, a bit clearer than earlier but still looking dull.
The doctor filled a syringe. "We will just give him a shot to clear his head a bit."
Regulus spotted the needle and his eyes widened. "No! Poison. No more poison!" he gasped and tried to get away, which resulted in him falling off the bed because his motor skills were off.
"No, don't give him anything!" Remus said and pushed past the nurse and doctor. He hurried over to Regulus and kneeled in front of him, trying to get him to look at him. "Hey. Hey it's okay," he said and took a hold on his head with both hands and looking at him. "They won't hurt you, I promise."
"They spray poison into me," gasped Regulus, eying the doctor in fear.
"He isn't clear enough for questioning," said the doctor. "Either I administer this drug or you will have to come back tomorrow."
"They are just going to give it to you so your head clears up," Remus told Regulus. "Otherwise they will send me home now. The police wants to talk to you about your dad but you need to be alert for that."
"No," said Regulus, not getting the full meaning of Remus' explanation. "Stop them. Make them stop!"
"Just give the boy the bloody drug," said the officer irritably. "I don't have all day."
"Help me hold him, then," said the doctor.
"No," said Remus, not wanting to betray Regulus' trust in him. "Can't you talk to him the way he is? He is just afraid of you. If you weren't here he would be just fine."
"Leave my brother alone!" spat Sirius and tried to get into the room, but Mrs. Lupin held him back, having promised that only Remus went in.
"He's too dull because of the sedatives, don't you understand that, you stupid boy?" snarled the officer.
The nurse caught Regulus as he was stumbling toward the other side of the room and the officer grabbed a hold of him as well. With the boy screaming and squirming, they held him down on the bed so the doctor could give him the injection.
Remus had backed away, his heart aching as he watched them mistreat Regulus.
"There," said the doctor. "He should be clearer in a couple of minutes."
"We will give you a moment's privacy. Work your magic and get him to remain calm so we can do that interview," said the doctor to Remus before ushering the others out and closing the door behind them.
"Regulus?" Remus said when were finally alone. He went over and sat down on the bed. "I'm sorry they did that to you. But they had to give you that shot so you can give your statement to the police." He had never felt so powerless in his life.
Regulus sat shivering, suddenly feeling cold and a little ill.
Remus reached out for his hand and sent him a gentle smile. "Hey... hey I'm here. I'll look after you and stay here while they talk to you. We will get you out of this dreadful place."
Regulus moved close to Remus and held onto him as he slowly felt his head clear. The last few days were a blur. He had barely been conscious since they picked him up at home. "What... where am I?"
"You're in the hospital," Remus said and put his arms around him, letting his hands run up and down his back. "You stabbed your father in self-defence. That's what you told us when we visited earlier. Don't you remember?"
Regulus sat for a minute and slowly everything came back to him. What had happened after the paramedics and police came and sedated him was still blurry but what happened before was clear. His hand automatically flew to his neck as he remembered. "He tried to choke me! I had to... I had to do it!"
"I know. And we have to convince the police of that so they will let you out of here. Right now they only know your father's side of the story."
Regulus looked around the room, his eyes lingering on the straps on the bed. "I don't want to be here. I want to go home! I can't be here, they assault me!"
"Please relax," Remus tried. "They won't let me be in here with you unless you relax and they have to understand that you're not crazy and that you're telling the truth, because at this moment they believe you're dangerous and insane."
"I can't be here," Regulus repeated but tried to keep his voice down. "They assault me and pump me with poison. And who knows how well they clean in here?"
Remus kissed the side of his head ran his hand up and down his back. "I know you don't like it here, but we will get you out. We found a really good lawyer."
The door opened a little later and the doctor and nurse came in. "Good," said the doctor, seeing that Regulus looked relatively calm. "We will take you to a meeting room where there's more space.
The nurse went over to escort Regulus, but he glared at him. "Don't touch me! I can walk on my own!"
Regulus and Remus followed at as much distance as the doctor would allow. Regulus' eyes darted around the ward. Some of the patients were studying him curiously and a few approached them.
"Keep those nutters away from me!" said Regulus, moving to the other side of Remus, using him as a shield.
Remus put an arm around Regulus and walked with him towards the meeting room. "Just take it easy," he said in a calm voice as they entered.
The lawyer and officer were already waiting, sitting at a table in the middle of the room.
Mr. Prince got up. "I'm Aaron Prince, Regulus, your attorney," he smiled and held out his hand. Regulus didn't take it.
Prince looked a little puzzled at him for a moment but then remembered that Regulus didn't like being touched.
The officer cleared his throat. "Ehem…" he started and folded his hands as they all had gotten seated. "Why don't you tell us what happened yesterday at your house?"
"My father tried to kill me," said Regulus, his eyes boring into the officer whom he already disliked.
"Could you put it into more detail?" asked the officer and tapped his pen on the table.
"He tried to kill me because I embarrassed him at a party. Some dirty woman molested me and I yelled at her."
"Molested you?" asked the officer, brows raised.
"She touched me inappropriately."
"And where did this happen?"
"In the parlour."
"In front of all the other guests?" asked the officer, looking very sceptic.
"Something like that can be done subtly," the lawyer tried, knowing that this only made Regulus seem paranoid.
"Where did she touch you?" said the officer, ignoring the lawyer.
"My chest."
"Just your chest?" said the officer and tried to hide a smirk. "So you're telling me that you believe she molested you by touching your chest?"
"What does it matter?" said Remus. "Even if she didn't, it still doesn't give his father the right to try and kill him."
"If touching his chest means molesting, then how little does it take to "kill" him?" snorted the officer.
"The father was obviously furious over the humiliation and that made him snap," said Mr. Prince.
"If I were a girl you would understand!" said Regulus.
"That's because girls have breasts," said the officer. "You don't, do you? Just because you're gay doesn't mean you have grown breasts, does it?"
Mr. Prince stood up. "If you are treating my client unfairly because of his sexuality, we're going to have a big problem!"
The officer sighed and shook his head. "Your client says that his father tried to kill him. His father said he just shook him, and if touching his chest means molesting, then a shake can surely mean he was trying to kill him. Right?"
"But the bruises on his neck?" Remus tried.
"There is no proof where they come from. As the doctor said, they could be self-inflicted."
"That would have been easier to determine if you had examined him straight away," said the lawyer. "You have a problem because you did not follow protocol! It will not look good in court."
"Well, that's for a jury to decide, isn't it?" said the officer.
"I'm bringing in another doctor to get a second opinion. It's clear that you people have already judged Regulus."
The officer shrugged. "That's your right."
o0o0o
Sirius jumped up from his seat when they came back. "Is it over? Did they let you get out of this bloody place?"
"No, did you expect that?" snapped Regulus. "Father always wanted me locked away and now he got his wish."
"Get inside," said the nurse, pointing to the room, as if Regulus were a dog.
Sirius looked at him with his mouth hanging open. "But... but they can't just lock you up! It was self-defence!"
Regulus stood his ground for a minute but when the nurse moved forward, Regulus hurried inside to avoid contact with him.
"I think it's time we give Regulus some peace, shall we?" said the nurse.
"What happens now, Mr. Prince?" asked Mrs. Lupin.
"Now we prepare for trial. We need to find some good witnesses. Someone who knows Regulus from a positive side and who might have seen evidence of his father's hostility toward him. Do you know if there's any such person, other than his brother, of course?" he asked Remus.
Remus sighed and shook his head. "Only me and Sirius, I think. Oh - and Mrs. Harris, their cook. She knows Regulus well. She's worked for the family for years."
The lawyer nodded. "We will have to talk to her. I'm busy the rest of the day but I will make time for a meeting tomorrow at my office. Then we can talk strategy."
Remus nodded and forced a smile. His mother put an arm around him and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Let's go home. We can't do much more here today," she said.
o0o0o
The boys and Mrs. Lupin didn't come to see Regulus until five O'clock the next day. Visitation hours didn't start until noon and at that time they had been in meeting with the lawyer. It was a female nurse who greeted them this time. She seemed nicer than the ones from yesterday, actually giving them a smile.
"Regulus Black;" said Mrs. Lupin. "How has he been doing?"
"Oh," said the nurse, her brows furrowed. "He isn't faring too well, I'm afraid. I don't think he has slept since yesterday, even though he has been on a mild sedative. And he refuses to eat. He hasn't eaten since he got here."
Remus looked at his mother with desperation written all over his face. "Can't we bring him some home cooked food? He won't eat the food here."
"I'm afraid not," said the nurse. "Bringing in food is not allowed."
"But he won't eat your food. He only eats organic food. He will starve!"
"Doctor White says he will eat when he gets hungry enough, and that it's good therapy. This way he will find out that conventional food doesn't kill him."
"But," said Remus but his mother put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.
"What kind of hospital is this!" spat Sirius. "You're starving him! Is that your way of treatment? "
As they walked down the hallway to Regulus' room the nurse said, "There was an episode earlier today. He didn't want our cleaning lady to do his room so he threw a fit. Demanded to be given cleaning supplies so he could clean his own room. Of course we couldn't do that. Such things are dangerous."
"Why don't you just let my brother out of this bloody place!" said Sirius.
"We have no say in that. He's under arrest. But we will try to take good care of him while he's here, however long that will be."
Sirius just mumbled a few curse words and followed Remus and Mrs. Lupin into the room where Regulus sat by the window.
"Hey," Remus said and tried to smile. He thought Regulus looked terribly pale with dark circles under his eyes.
Regulus lit up at the sight of them, although the slightly dull eyes bore witness that he was drugged to some extent. He hugged Remus and even his brother.
"How are you?" asked Remus and sat down beside him, gently caressing his back.
"Horrible," said Regulus. "They won't give me cleaning supplies and I have to use the bathroom in the hall. I drink as little water I can so I don't have to go there so often."
"You have to eat," said Sirius. "I know you don't trust them but you can't starve yourself because of it."
"They're already injecting poison into me, so I'm certainly not going to ingest more of own free will."
"Regulus," said Mrs. Lupin. "I know that organic food is the healthiest but it doesn't mean that all other food is damaging. Look at your brother - doesn't he look good and healthy?"
"He eats mostly organic food, because that's what Mrs. Harris cooks," mumbled Regulus.
"I eat a lot of junk food too," said Sirius.
"So you see, Regulus, eating conventional food for a while won't damage you. We're not talking about forever."
Regulus didn't answer. He was not at all convinced.
"I don't want you to get ill," Remus said and looked at him with a sad expression. "And you will if you don't eat. I asked if we could bring you food but they wouldn't let us."
"They are a bunch of twats, the lot of them," mumbled Sirius and pulled up a chair.
"Of course not. They won't give me anything I need. Not even hand sanitizer. I can't touch anything because I get germs all over. They won't let me clean, not even my hands. It's torture."
Mrs. Lupin got up. "I will see the personnel about that." She left, both to talk to the staff and to give Regulus some alone time with his brother and Remus.
Remus smiled at him and took his hand. "I'm sure Mum will fix it," he said confidently. They sat and looked at each other for a moment, Remus gently caressing Regulus' hand with his thumb.
Sirius whistled and looked around the room. "Do you two need some alone time? I feel like the third wheel here."
Regulus didn't answer. He just sat staring into the wall. Remus gave Sirius a nod and Sirius left the room.
"Regulus?" Remus said and let a hand touch his cheek. He looked so defeated, it hurt Remus deep in his heart. "Do you want to lie down with me for a bit?"
Regulus curled up on the bed pressing his back against Remus who wrapped an arm around him. "I can't live here," he whispered. "I'm scared. They attack me all the time and they give me drugs and strap me down." He could hear his voice starting to shake and knew he was close to tears.
Remus kissed the back of his neck and pulled him a little closer. "I know... and I hate that I can't take you with me home." He kissed his neck again "I'll ask Mum to talk to them about the straps. They don't need to do that to you. You're no threat. "
"If they would just leave me alone. But they don't get it. They touch me and corner me. I want to get out. When can I get out? Are they going to have a trial soon?"
"I don't know," Remus admitted. "Mr. Prince is talking to the police and trying to find witness that will testify on your behalf. I told them Mrs. Harris knew you well and might have seen how your father treats you and Sirius."
"Okay. But they best hurry. I can't be in here for long. I'll lose my mind."
o0o0o
Mrs. Lupin found the nurse from before. "Regulus has a germ phobia and is desperate for some hand sanitizer. He says you refuse. Is that really necessary? What harm could a small bottle of hand sanitizer do? It would give him great comfort."
The nurse shook her head. "Doctor White's orders." She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Personally, I don't see the harm in it. Listen - I'll ask the doctor on duty now and see what he says. He's not as… strict as Doctor White." She left and came back a little later with a small bottle of hand sanitizer. "Here. Doctor Stenson didn't think it was a problem. Even if Regulus ingested a small amount like this it wouldn't do much damage."
"Thank you. You have no idea how much this will help him," Mrs. Lupin smiled.
She found Sirius sitting in the hallway outside Regulus' room. "They kicked you out?"
"Love birds. What are you gonna do?"
"Oh. Well, that's good. I think I will find the doctor who's here today and have a good talk with him. He sounded more sensible than Doctor White. If you promise me to keep calm and quiet I'll let you join."
Sirius nodded and slapped his knees before getting up.
"Sirius..." she said as they walked down the hallway. "Have you thought about how to pay Mr. Prince?"
Sirius shrugged. "I guess I will use my child savings and then get a part time job so I can get a flat. No way I am going back to live at my parents' house or work for them."
"You should use your savings for the flat and not the lawyer. Remus and I talked about it, and we agreed that we will pay from the fond you and Regulus made for Remus. There will probably still be some left, and we can raise more. But right now Regulus needs a good lawyer. Remus' treatment will still be available a little further into the future."
Sirius stopped dead. "No! Regulus would never allow that. We raised that money for Remus and Regulus would never forgive us if we used that money on him instead."
"It would only be part of it, Sirius. And Remus won't go ahead with the treatment until the lawyer bills are taken care of."
"I'll... I'll sell my Porsche, then," said Sirius, suddenly remembering how much money he actually had sitting in the street. "I don't need such an expensive car. I can get a decent one for much less money. And ironically this way it's almost our parents who are paying for Reggie's lawyer. They bought me that car as a bribe for keeping him in check at parties. And I didn't really do a good job, did I?"
Mrs. Lupin smiled at him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're a good brother, Sirius."
o0o0o
"Remus," said Regulus suddenly, turning his head to look at the other boy. "Kreacher! What about Kreacher? Is he alright? Where is he?"
"He's in my room," smiled Remus and brushed a lock of hair out of Regulus' eyes. "He wasn't too happy about Cleo so we let her roam the rest of the house. I went with Sirius to get him. Sirius took Padfoot to James' so both animals are safe."
"Oh," said Regulus, sighing in relief. "I don't want him anywhere near my parents. Who knows what they might do. I just... Why didn't I think of him before? How could I forget him?"
"You have been sedated. You haven't been able to think clearly."
o0o0o
The nurse from before fetched Doctor Stenson when Mrs. Lupin asked for him.
"Yes?" he said.
"We're relations of Regulus Black," she said and shook his hand. "This is his brother, Sirius. I'm Doctor Lupin. Psychiatrist."
"You're Regulus' therapist?"
"No, but I know him well. We're very worried about him. He has a phobia of touch and having his personal space invaded, and to put it mildly that has not been respected here."
"He has been hysterical, Mrs. Lupin. We've had to subdue him several times."
"If his personal space is respected he doesn't make trouble. You're making things a million times worse."
The doctor looked at her with a mild expression. "And what would you suggest we do then? We have to examine him and he won't eat either. He is downright stubborn."
"He has a lot of anxiety and is very stressed. His father just tried to strangle him - isn't that understandable? Especially with the fears he already has. He has been ripped away from the environment he feels safe in and is prevented from protecting himself from his fears. He's very stressed over not having his room cleaned properly and is scared of ingesting anything that can be unhealthy."
"We did try to clean his room but he would have none of it," said the doctor and crossed his arms. "But you would suggest we let him do it himself? That is against protocol."
"You could just let a nurse sit in there while he cleans if you're afraid he will do something to himself," suggested Sirius.
The doctor sighed. "I will have to consult Doctor White about it. He is the one who has the final say, and letting a patient get his hands on anything that can be dangerous is very much against protocol."
Sirius rolled his eyes, not having any faith in Doctor White being the least bit understanding or flexible.
"The subduing is the worst," continued Mrs. Lupin. "He's very afraid of people grabbing him, and being held down to inject him only makes it worse. It makes no sense to do it because he's upset, because he will go from upset to full blown panic."
"We have to do it, at least in order to give him his medicine. He refuses to take pills, so we have to inject."
Mrs. Lupin could understand what he meant. Remus had told her about the talk he had had with Regulus about medicine and she had seen how he acted whenever Remus had to take his.
"What are you giving him medicine for anyway?" asked Sirius and fixed the doctor with his gaze. "My brother isn't ill. He is just special."
"Yes, he is, Mr. Black. That boy should have had proper care and therapy long ago. If this is indeed how he is, then life must have been very difficult for him."
"It has, but it doesn't help having a bunch of twats sedate him every bloody day!" spat Sirius. "You should just leave him alone. It's not treatment. It's torture!"
Mrs. Lupin sent Sirius a look warning him to keep his voice down. She didn't want to risk them being thrown out. "What's he on?" she asked.
"A mild sedative to keep him calm, and Xanax for his anxiety."
"I see," said Mrs. Lupin. She was very much against the sedatives, but she hoped that the Xanax would actually help Regulus, although she doubted he would keep taking it when he got out. "If we could talk him into taking pills would you leave him alone and stop subduing him?"
"In order to give him his medicine, yes. But we still have to do sedate him when he gets difficult."
"He won't get difficult if you just stop touching him," mumbled Sirius.
"He is not easy to deal with. He is very uncooperative and fights every little thing. He won't eat, complains over his room, won't use the bathroom, won't take his medicine, won't talk to us about anything."
"He won't eat non-organic food that isn't prepared right," sighed Mrs. Lupin. "But I think maybe he will use the bathroom now that he can disinfect the seat."
"Well, let's hope so. He isn't making things easier for himself."
However much he didn't want to, Sirius had to admit that the doctor was right about his brother being difficult. How many times hadn't he himself wanted to strangle him?
"But I will talk to Doctor White as promised about the cleaning of his room," said Doctor Stenson and wrote something down on his clipboard. "Don't get your hopes up, though. He is a man of principle."
o0o0o
Back in the room Regulus had started crying, his face buried in Remus' chest. Remus caressed his back gently and whispered comforting words. "I love you, Regulus," he said and kissed the top of his head. "Remember that."
Regulus nodded, still sobbing. "I love you too. I want to come home with you."
"I want that too. When we get you out of here I'm going to take you home with me. You and Kreacher can live with me if you want."
"When am I getting out?" Regulus asked again.
"As soon as we can make it happen," Remus said and buried his face in Regulus' hair. "We are working on it. We got you an excellent lawyer."
Regulus was thrilled to receive the hand sanitizer. He snatched it out of Mrs. Lupin's hand and hid it under his mattress.
"You don't have to hide it, dear," she said. "I didn't smuggle it in; they gave it to me."
"They'll just take it away again. They're cruel."
Mrs. Lupin shook her head. "I have arranged for them to give you a new one when that one is empty."
Remus felt a sense of relief when he saw that some progress had been made. "What about the straps? Are they going to stop that?"
Mrs. Lupin hesitated with an answer. She didn't want to lie and she knew that even if Regulus agreed to take his pills they would still strap him down in other situation when he panicked. "If you would only take your medicine they won't hold you down. They won't even touch you. Just take the pills, Regulus."
Regulus stared at her. Then he shook his head.
"Just take the bloody pills!" Sirius said. "Or do you want them to keep holding you down and stab you with needles?"
Regulus shook his head. "I don't want either."
"Well that's just too bad, Reggie, because they won't let you off the hook."
"Maybe you should just try, Regulus," said Remus. "Otherwise they will strap you down again, and who knows – maybe the medicine will actually help with your anxiety..."
"No! They only give me drugs to keep me under control. And I'm not ill."
"Reggie!" Sirius said loudly, making Remus jump. "Take the damn pills so they will leave you alone!"
"It's poison! If I take them willingly, I'm agreeing with them! I'm not agreeing with them!"
Sirius threw his hands in the air and rolled his eyes. "You do have a problem whether you like it or not, Reggie! You have some sort of anxiety problem and they can help you with it!"
"Help me?" said Regulus incredulously. "I've never been this miserable in my whole life! I've never been this anxious!"
"Because you won't take the meds! They will leave you alone if you do and you might as well make the best of it while you're here!" Sirius barked.
"E-easy now," Remus said. "We will get Regulus out soon and then this won't be an issue any longer."
To his frustration Regulus felt hot tears well up in his eyes. "So you're saying I belong in here? That I'm crazy and it's my fault they treat me like they do?" His voice raised to a shrill tone as the tears started streaming down his cheeks. "LEAVE! I thought you were on my side but you aren't, so just GO!"
A couple of nurses came running. "What's going on here?"
"I want my brother to leave!" cried Regulus.
Sirius looked at him a little stunned. "No I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that maybe you could be less anxious if you took the meds willingly and these wankers would leave you the hell alone! I'm on your side and I'll get you out of here!"
"Alright, Mr. Black," said the nurse. "Best that you leave now."
"Out," said the other nurse when Sirius shot them a death glare. "OUT! You're upsetting the patient."
"Fine!" spat Sirius and sent Regulus another look of guilt before he finally marched out of the room.
"He didn't mean it the way he said it," said Remus, putting a hand on Regulus' shoulder. "You know how he is."
"The rest of you - you need to leave as well," said one of the nurses. "The visit is over."
"No!" gasped Regulus, horror in his eyes. "Not Remus. NOT REMUS!" she screamed and grabbed at Remus' clothes.
"OUT!" repeated the nurse. "You've made enough trouble here." He tried to usher Remus and his mother out while the other nurse held Regulus back.
Regulus, of course, started kicking and screaming, while still clutching at Remus' sleeve, and the first nurse hit the alarm.
Next there were running feet and two more nurses appeared in the room, helping with getting Remus and his mother out of the room while the two others struggled strapping the screaming Regulus down
Remus tried desperately to stay in the room but was pushed out. He pleaded with the nurses to not hurt Regulus but the door was shut in his face. "They are so violent with him," he said in a small voice as he stood looking at the closed door, the echo of Regulus' screams filling the hallway.
Mrs. Lupin was glad that Sirius had left the ward. She feared that he might have made the scene even worse and be shown away for good. "I know, honey. I'm going to have a serious talk with Mr. White tomorrow and if he doesn't agree to change some things in the way they handle Regulus then I'm filing a complaint. This is way over the top. They created this drama."
o0o0o
They met Sirius outside, leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette. He didn't normally smoke, except sometimes at parties, but lately he had found that a cigarette could be a great stress reliever.
"I know you're just frustrated, but how could you talk to him like that, Sirius?" scolded Mrs. Lupin. "Don't you understand how alone and helpless he feels? He needs to know we're on his side and don't support their harsh treatment of him."
"I know, I know. I just got a little carried away. I didn't mean what I said but I just got so frustrated with him." Sirius took another puff of his cigarette. "I can't remember the last time I saw him cry." He dropped the cigarette and stomped it with his foot. "Guess he doesn't want to see me again anytime soon…"
"He will. You just need to apologise next time. I know it's difficult. You're right - he would make things much easier for himself if he would just take the medication, but you have to be careful how you say that to him."
Sirius nodded and stuck his hands into his pockets. "I will. I will also go talk to Mrs. Harris. Get her to talk to Mr. Prince about Regulus and how Dad treats us. She will probably get fired if they find out, but I don't think she cares. With her cooking she could work for the queen. "
o0o0o
Remus was quiet on the ride home and Mrs. Lupin let him be. He disappeared up to his room without a word when they got home.
Kreacher walked up to him, mewing discontentedly and gazed at him with eyes full of blame.
"I'm sorry, Kreacher," said Remus and lay down on his bed, burying his face in a pillow. "I couldn't get him with me home to you." He was close to crying because his chest hurt so much. The pain of hearing his boyfriend scream for him was too much to bear. He could feel Kreacher sit down next to his head and his eyes bore into the back of his head. After a few minutes he curled up, pressing himself against Remus and started purring faintly. Remus turned his head and looked at the cat, his eyes wet. Feeling a bit better he smiled and closed his eyes and eventually he fell asleep.
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.