A/N: Portions of this one-shot are borrowed directly from the game, which I do not own. With that said, enjoy!

UPDATE: chapter has been modified to be more in canon.

The Waiting Room

Arah's body moved on its own as she followed Chiara out the doors. The hallway spun as she made her way down the never-ending corridor. Panic and desperation began to build as they made their way to Jacob. Her thoughts spiraled as she pictured the most gruesome circumstances in her head. Arah clung to Chiara's arm- leaning on her through halls and spiraling staircases.

A sickness swelled inside her as she recalled their last conversation. It had ended in a row- a nasty one at that.

"All I'm asking is that you include me next time your planning something against 'R'. I can help! We're supposed to be a team." Arah had argued.

"Sorry Pip, you don't need to be caught in the middle of this." He shook her off carelessly.

"Your joking, right? I already am!" her blood started to boil.

"I can take care of this myself, okay?"

"You seem to have forgotten who saved you in the first place." Arah fumed. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Jacob. So stop treating me like one."

"It doesn't matter. I'm your big brother so-"

"Enough of that 'big brother' bull shit." she yelled, "'R' has taken so much from me - I lost six years with you that I will never get back. Six. Years." her voice shook. "My best friend is dead because of them. I am in this just as much as you are- whether you like it or not." Arah pointed- angry tears began to fill her eyes.

"It's not always about you, Arah!" He growled. "What about me?! I was the one stuck in that damned portrait all those sodding years. You don't think I lost people too? Duncan is gone because of 'R'. Because of ME. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you." His nostrils flared with anger.

The two siblings glared at one another- breathing heavily as the rage radiated off of them. Both just as stubborn as the other to back down.

"I managed long enough without you. I don't need you." Arah muttered.

"Fine."

"FINE!"

And just like that, Jacob apparated. That was the last she had seen him. Arah couldn't bear the thought that this would be the last memory she ever had of him.

They reached the First Floor of St Mungo's - known specifically for special incidents of Creature-Induced Injuries. Chiara spoke calmly and quietly in Arah's ear- but the words didn't make sense - clashing with her own racing thoughts- jumbling together in ways she couldn't comprehend. The only thing she cared about was finding him - she wanted her brother. She needed to make things right.

They turned a corner and saw a commotion of Healers weaving in and out of a room. Some of them barked orders, others worked silently- but all of them shared the same look. A look of pity and sorrow...as if it were already too late.

Madam Strout hurried ahead as she entered the private room- a room usually reserved for their most dire cases. Arah felt her knees go weak.

"Jacob?" Arah whimpered- as she pushed past Chiara and forced her way towards the healers.

"Arah, wait!" Chiara beckoned.

A Mediwizard put his hands up, refusing her to pass. "Jacob!"

"I'm sorry, I can't let you in there." the healer pushed her back.

"He's my brother," Arah begged.

"It's not safe-"

"JACOB!" Arah screamed, shoving the healer out of the way and entering the chamber- the smell of burnt flesh filled the room causing her to gag. She blinked hard- a figure lies in the bed- but this wasn't her brother- it couldn't be. It hardly looked human- a husk of a body. The charred remains of a poor soul that fought - clinging to what little life it had left. Over half its skin completely covered in grotesque black burns- all except one side of its face and torso. The skin was left completely untouched- the same honeyed tone they both shared. It was her brother- It was Jacob. Dying.

Arah let out a sob- crumbling to the floor. How could this happen? What did this to him? She couldn't lose her brother - not after finally having him back after all this time.

The ghost of hands gripped her- hoisting her from the floor as she wept. It was Jae and Talbott- a look of grief evident in their eyes as they surveyed the state of her brother.

"Get the poor lamb some calming drought." Miriam Strout demanded in the background. "She shouldn't have to see her own brother like this."

"Please- please you have to help him. I can't lose him." Arah blubbered, a mixture of tears and snot streaming down her face.

"We're doing the best we can to help your brother." Madam Strout comforted her. "I know you're distressed. Your brother's injuries are life-threatening, Miss Annon. We have to stabilize him now to give him a fighting chance. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Arah nodded her head weakly- scanning her eyes over her brother's mangled body.

"I'm going to ask you to take this - " Arah looked down to see a vile of lavender liquid sloshing in her hands. "And I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside while we do what we must to save your brother."

"But-" Arah started to argue.

"If you want what's best for your brother, you will listen to me." Miriam Strout said seriously.

"Okay." She heard herself murmur. Talbott took the potion in her hands and guided it up to her mouth as she tilted the rest of the potion back her throat. "Just please- save him."

"Gentlemen, will you be so kind as to guide Miss Annon to the private sitting area. Once Jacob is stable- she can be allowed back in." Madam Strout instructed.

"Come on, Arah." Jae muttered, steering her out of the room. The potion seemed to begin to take effect as a numbness passed over her, she drifted calmly down the hall towards an empty sitting bay. They sat her down on the bench, an unexplainable peace buzzed over her body, every thought and emotion beginning to dull. Arah blinked, a blank emotionless expression on her face as her friends sat around her- whispering words of comfort.

"It's going to be okay, Arah." Penny soothed. Penny? Since when did she get here.

"Your brother is a fighter." Talbott gripped her shoulder. "He's going to push through this, I know it."

"Just breath." Jae comforted. "Chiara won't let anything happen to him."

Her body felt like it was floating. Time began to move differently as the hallways blurred with healers - streaming in and out of his room. It began harder to stay aware- eyes weighing heavy with exhaustion. Had it been minutes? Hours? Days? Arah glanced at the window- it was almost dark. How long had it been? The potion continued to relax her, no longer being able to fight its gentle caress. Surrendering to its sweet lullaby, Arah succumbed to the sleep that pulled at her eyelids.

At one point she opened her eyes to see her Mum sitting next to her - Arah's head resting on her shoulder. She stifled a sob - silver hair plastered to her wet cheeks.

"Mum?" Arah mumbled groggily.

"Shhhh." Her mum cooed, stroking her silver hair softly. "Go back to sleep, darling."

Arah looked around to see it had become dark- her friends gone- likely back to school- asleep in their own beds.

"How is he?" Arah sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"He's still hanging on." She forced a weak smile.

Arah nodded tiredly, curling up to her mother as she lie her head on her lap - something she hadn't done since she was a small girl. Her Mum tucked a silver strand of hair behind Arah's ear. The potion seemed to have lost its strength as tears began to silently fall from her golden eyes, trickling wet paths down her freckled nose.

"You may not remember this, but the two of you were inseparable." Her mother chuckled softly. "I used to call you his little shadow. Anywhere Jacob went, there you were."

Arah smiled to herself as she remembered the way she used to follow him everywhere. Merlin, she must have driven him mad.

"I'll never forget the time he tricked you into eating an entire bag of hiccoughing sweet. I was so cross with him. You had the hiccups for weeks."

A watery laugh escaped Arah's lips at the memory. It was only fair for putting up with her as long as he did when they were little. She deserved it.

"Or the time he let you ride his broomstick after I warned him not to. Of course, you had fallen and broken your arm. He carried you all the way back to the house- he had more tears than you because he felt so guilty. He refused to leave your side until you were better."

"I remember. He snuck me extra biscuits for a month to make up for it." Arah smirked.

"When you father-" her mom choked back a sob- taking a moment to recollect herself. Arah's smile faded at the mention of her Dad, the thought of him abandoning them at such a young age... "When your father left, Jacob took on his role as a protector. Always watching out for you and I. He grew up much too fast for his age because of it. And when he went missing..." This time, she didn't hold back- tears fell freely from her eyes. "It broke me. I couldn't picture you without him... and now that he's back- seeing the two of you together again- it's like all is right again." She wiped away her tears- taking a shaky breath. "That's why I know he's going to push through. We can't lose him again. Because I don't think we could."

Arah nodded in silent agreement. He had to make it.

The early rays of dawn beam through the windows - little dust particles float in its golden paths. Arah hadn't slept - waiting and watching for any news of her brother. The sound of familiar heels echoed throughout the empty hall as Arah shot up to see a very exhausted Miriam Strout approaching them.

"How is he?" Arah pressed- shaking her mother awake.

"He's received emergency treatment and appears to be in stable condition for now." She smiled weakly.

"For now?" Her Mum echoed.

"Yes." She nodded tersely. "His wounds are severe, Margaret. It's a good thing Jacob got here when he did. I'm afraid if it was any later, we would not be having this conversation. But he is still very much at risk. We've observed his wounds; at first, we suspected it could be dragon fire, but his injuries are unusual. For most burns, we use burn healing paste to speed along the healing process - but it appears to not be taking effect."

"Dragon fire? But...I've been burned by dragon fire before," Arah said, revealing the discolored scar that spread from her shoulders and spilling slightly up her neck, "This doesn't seem at all like the burns I had."

Madam Strout surveyed Arah's scar. Her tired eyes squinted, skeptical at first as to how someone her age could suffer such an injury- but her skepticism shifted into deep thought - debating internally and weighing unheard options.

"This is one of the worst cases I have seen. We are providing around-the-clock care as we continue to treat him. If you have any information- any at all, it would be most helpful so we can diagnose and treat his burns to avoid him from declining."

Her mother turned to Arah for answers with a look of hope- but she had none to give. "I don't know anything, I'm sorry." Arah shook her head. "Jacob was very...private," she murmurred, recalling their last argument.

Miriam Strout nodded, "My current plan would be to treat your brother for dragon burns, but we will continue to look further into the incident."

"Thank you, Miriam." Mum squeezed her hands tightly. Madam Strout patted them tiredly.

"I'm sorry, Margie. I wish I could do more. I promise we will continue to do everything we can."

"My son is alive because of you- you have my deepest gratitude."

Miriam forced a smile - but Arah could see the worry etched behind her eyes. "You are welcome to visit him now. He is still unconscious- but I believe he will know you're there."

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