Chapter 5
"Where do we begin?" Severus asked quietly.
"The broken bones I think. I'll pour him Skelegro." Poppy responded.
She tilted the boy's head and poured it into his mouth. He started coughing so she had to keep his mouth closed. His body tensed as the gross liquid made its way down his throat.
"The bones should heal in about a day's time. Everything else is going to need to heal on its own with lots of rest and care. I fear he's in too fragile a condition to be moved, Severus. He'll need to stay here." Poppy explained.
Snape nodded. He wasn't happy about having to tend to a sick Potter but he found himself not willing to argue about it.
Poppy left and returned a moment later with a towel full of ice. She placed it on his ribs, causing the boy's eyelids to flutter before he passed out again.
As Poppy worked diligently on the boy, Severus had to sit on the bed holding the boy's head in his lap as to keep him from squirming. With nothing else to do but look at Potter, Snape noticed how young he really was. Truly just a boy with the weight of the world placed upon his shoulders.
Potter was burning up, his skin deathly pale with a grayish undertone. Snape realized he didn't want the boy to die, but he couldn't tell if it was because he cared for the boy or if he was curious about the scars on his body.
Seeing him so vulnerable broke something inside of him.
Suddenly, Potter started coughing in his arms. No. Not coughing. Choking.
"Get him on his side Severus," Poppy ordered quickly.
He did as he was told. Just in time too. Potter started coughing up blood once again before seizing slightly. His eyes shot open and he frantically looked around. He didn't stay conscious for long though as he passed out again quickly.
As he went limp in Snape's arms, he looked up at Poppy, his heart pounding in his chest. He was scared. Scared that Potter wasn't going to make it through the night.
It was going to be a very long night.