Adflictation Lair

Chapter 2- In a Heartbeat

Harry slowly woke to some thing cool on his forehead, which felt good on his burning skin.

"He's got a really high fever. We need to get him to the hospital immediately. He's in critical condition," Harry heard a mysterious voice say in the distance, as it shouted out commands.

Harry let his eyes flutter open, only to see blurry visions of people bustling around him.

"W-Where are my glasses?" asked Harry, coming to his senses, deeply confused by the activity going on.

"Don't worry about that," Harry heard the voice that had been shouting earlier say, "Hey there! My name is Amy, and that-"she pointed to a man behind her, he waved with what Harry presumed was a smile on his face "-is Ben. About a half an hour ago you were in a very bad car accident. You were thrown from the car and sustained some serious injuries because of it. Right now we think you may have injured your neck and possibly your knee but before we can be certain we need to get you out of here, okay? In order to do that, we need your cooperation. Do you think you can stick with me through this?" she asked with a serious expression while Harry looked up at her nervously, through blurred vision.

Harry started to nod his head, but stopped immediately as he felt a blast of agonizing pain shoot up through his neck.

"Don't move your neck!" scolded Ben as he came around in front of Amy noticing the wince on Harry's face. "We need to keep it stabilized so further injury won't happen."

"Now, we need to keep you conscious while we do this, you may have a concussion. I'm going to ask you a few questions while Ben helps you onto a backboard okay?" Amy asked as she knelt next to Harry.

Harry didn't answer, he stared unseeing at the mangled body of paint and metal of what was once a car in front of him. The roof had been wrenched off the car and thrown to the opposite side of the street. Shards of broken glass lay feet away from the car, having been shattered by the collision.

Harry surveyed the non-picturesque car through blurry vision. It looked to him like it had become a prison of distorted metal and blotched horror. The car had been thrown violently against a tree and split in two on impact. Harry had been thrown to the side of the road, due to the force of the accident. He was laying uncomfortably on a patch of dirt, his body in garbled positions.

"Sweetie? Are you alright hun?" Amy asked, gazing into Harry's distant, green eyes.

Harry yanked himself back to attention and diverted his eyes from the horrific scene in front of him. "Ummm, yeah, sure whatever you want."

Another medic arrived; he and Ben went on either side of Harry and together they turned Harry to his back and lowered the backboard underneath Harry attaching it to his back. "Hi there,' the medic spoke, "my name is Jacob, your going to be alright."

"I'm going to get started, dear. First what's your name?" Harry heard Amy say next to him.

Harry was silent for a while, not sure whether or not to tell these strangers his name but in the end he gave in, "H-Harry Potter."

"Don't worry hun; they are just standard questions we need to know. How old are you?" Amy asked in a soothing voice, trying to get Harry to no pay attention to Ben and Jacob, who were now lifting Harry from his uncomfortable position on the ground.

"I'm fifteen," stated Harry as he felt himself being lowered onto what he thought must be a stretcher and the backboard connecting with it.

"Who were those other people with you?" Amy asked casually while backing a little away from Harry so Ben and Jacob could start pulling Harry towards the ambulance.

If Harry, hadn't been strapped down so tightly, he would have shot bolt up.

"Merlin!" Harry cried without thinking, "I completely forgot about them! Where are they at?" asked Harry as he scanned as far as he could while lying down and not straining his neck.

Harry saw Ben and Amy shoot each other sympathetic looks, which didn't comfort Harry, any. Ben slowly walked away; glancing back at Harry, and stepped inside the ambulance preparing for Harry to be brought in.

"They've already been transported to the hospital," Amy answered as a pain of guilt shot through her. "Who were they? Your mum and brother?"

"No, my parents died when I was one. They are my aunt and cousin," replied Harry as he glanced up at Amy, "They're all I got."

Amy was at a loss for words she just nodded her head sadly for the skinny boy in front of her.

"Amy! We're ready to lift him in," shouted Ben as he came out of the ambulance to stand by the right side of Harry's stretcher.

Ben and Amy carefully wheeled Harry's stretcher to the foot of the ambulance, and then easily they both lifted him in and wheeled him to a secure place. Ben and Amy both stayed in the back with Harry while Jacob quickly hopped in the driver's seat of the ambulance and turned the ignition on, ready for a fast drive to the hospital.

Harry panicked when he heard the sirens blaring on and off. Am I really that injured? Am I going to be okay? What if I never got to see Hogwarts again? Harry thought to himself.

Amy took his right hand firmly in hers supportively, noticing his frantic breathing, and soothingly stroked the top of it, "Harry, sweetie. Don't pay attention to the sirens you're going to be okay. Can you tell me everything that hurts? It will help us a lot to know what could be wrong with you."

"I-I'm fine. I'm not really in any pain. Can't I just go home?" pleaded Harry, already knowing the answer.

At that Ben spoke up, knowing Amy always had a soft spot for children. "Harry, you told us you'd cooperate with us. We can't help you unless you tell us what hurts. Please Harry."

Harry furiously blinked tears threatening to spill over his eyes. I'm so scared. What's going to happen to me?

In a strained voice he answered Ben back, "Well, my neck kind of hurts, and my hip. My arm's broken, that's the reason we were heading to the hospital in the first place. My back also hurts, and my face."

Amy sighed and gave Harry's hand an encouraging squeeze. "Ben, we best get started on what we can."

Ben nodded curtly and grabbed a needle, "Harry we need to put an IV in you. To do that I need to give you a shot in your arm? Are you okay with that?"

"I-I guess," replied Harry fearfully.

Ben gave on uncertain glance at Harry and carefully walked over to Harry ready to stick the needle into the bend of his elbow.

He felt Harry tense up in fear and move his arm away.

"Harry?" Ben wondered completely confused.

"I-I don't like needles!" stuttered Harry timidly as he tried hiding his arm away from the needle, but failing miserably.

"Shhh! Just relax and don't think about it." Ben said soothingly

Harry laid his arm across the stretcher and tightly closed his eyes awaiting the pain.

Harry jumped a little when a felt the light prick in his arm, causing his neck to twist painfully.

"Ow," whimpered Harry as he tried to move his arm to rub his neck, but felt the needle dangerously start to pull out.

"Stop Harry! You're really going to hurt yourself," cried Amy as she laid Harry's arm back on the stretcher carefully, making sure the needle was in its place. "Ben, we need to get him in a neck brace, he keeps turning his neck. I don't want him to damage it further."

"Sure, what size?" asked Ben

"Hmmm. Small should be big enough." Amy grabbed the brace and carefully lifted Harry's neck up and attached the brace around his neck.

"Harry? It's your right arm that's broken right?"

"My left." stated Harry.

Ben pulled a splint down from the emergency stock they kept in the ambulance, "Now this is going to only be temporary. At the hospital we will put you in a plaster one."

"Okay." replied Harry nervously.

"Now, Harry," Amy started while sitting her chair closer to Harry. "You're face is really swollen. It looks like you have a broken nose too. You have pieces of glass from the car accident embedded in your face. I'm going to try and get the glass out. If it hurts too much don't be afraid to tell me."

Amy snapped plastic gloves on her hand and sterilized a pair of silver tweezers. She targeted the first small shard; using the tweezers, she skillfully maneuvered it out of his pale face, slightly ripping a portion of skin around it.

Harry winced in pain, but still didn't say anything.

"How are you doing down there, Harry?" Amy inquired.

Harry gave a small whimper, which said everything.

"Okay then Harry, no more of that," Amy said decisively, putting down the tweezers and picking up a warm, wet washcloth. "But I'm going to get all that blood off your face. This is going to sting a bit," she ended.

Ben was now done putting the splint on and said, "I think we'll wait to check up on your

knee and back until we get the hospital. Is there anything else I should do Amy?"

But Amy wasn't listening; she had removed Harry's glasses that had been given to him earlier in order to clean his face. Through his blurry vision Harry couldn't see the tears silently slipping form Amy's blue eyes. She was carefully wiping, the blood from Harry's face, avoiding the delicate shards of glass implanted in Harry's bare skin. She slipped Ben a look and he could read right through it. He was thinking much like her. How could a boy so young lose so much and be in so much pain? What has he done to deserve this?

After Amy was done cleaning Harry's face, she wiped her eyes and carefully replaced Harry's glasses on his nose.

"Harry? One more question," Amy asked quickly, once again pulling out her clipboard.

"Is there any way to reach your uncle? He needs to fill out some papers."

"D-Do you have-"but Harry never got to finish his sentence. Out of pain, sickness, and most especially fear of his uncle coming to the hospital, he turned his head as far a neck brace would allow and threw up over the side of the stretcher.

"Oh my god! Harry, dear are you okay?" exclaimed Amy she quickly repositioned him on the stretcher and cleaned his face again.

When Harry didn't answer she got a good look at him, he was violently shivering, and he was difficulty trying to get oxygen into his lungs.

"Ben! He's going into shock! Hurry! We have to get him in the hospital!" Amy demanded just as the ambulance parked and its roaring sirens stopped their constant blaring.

Harry felt himself being lifted up with the stretcher and placed out of the ambulance. Amy took position behind him and rolled him quickly into the white, stone hospital.

All he could see were the white tiled ceilings passing above him, and the medics shouting instructions at one another. He felt a flow of warmth come over him as a blanket was thrown over him.

He started to breathe even faster, having no idea what was going on. He now felt like he was suffocating. Nothing now was making any sense anymore. Where am I? I need to get home! Uncle Vernon will be furious!

It seemed as if everything was going in slow motion. He felt the stretcher take a sharp turn and saw Amy lean toward him speaking something that he could not understand, as she pulled the stretcher into a plain, white room.

Harry gave one last glace at Amy and felt his eyes drift closed without his consent, and all he saw was blackness.

Amy screamed, "Harry! Harry, stay with us. Wake up!" she took Harry's arm and felt for his pulse which was beating rapidly. She felt his clammy forehead; it was cold and covered in sweat.

A doctor ran into the room, "What is going on? What's the case?"

"Dr. Brent, his name is Harry Potter. He was just in a car accident a few hours ago and I think he's gone into shock," Amy informed the doctor.

"What injuries has he sustained?" The doctor asked snapping on white, latex gloves.

"He has a broken arm, sprained neck, we think a broken knee cap, and he has several large gashed and cuts all over his body," Amy answered.

"How long has he been in shock?"

'About five minutes," Ben concluded looking at his watch.

"Okay. Your parts done Amy. You and Ben may leave. Call in Janet she can help me." said the doctor in a warning-like tone.

Ben began to leave, but took a step back as he saw Amy still standing there, looking at the unconscious form of Harry.

"Amy come on," he whispered grabbing her wrist and pulling her forward.

"NO! I need to stay with Harry! He's got no one else!" Amy growled back.

"Amy we have a job to do, come one," Ben urged.

"Leave now!" Doctor Brent yelled, "I'll take care of him." Ben pulled Amy's hand, guiding her away from the room.

"What the hell was that about?" Ben yelled once outside the room, in a deserted hallway.

"He's got no one! Don't you get that?"

"Don't you get that this is your job? This is what we do! You can't go and form little friendships with ever bloody person who comes through this hospital!"

"He's only fifteen! He's going through so much pain!" Amy roared.

"Listen closely Amy. Don't get too attached! You'll be devastated. Don't get involved!"

Amy glared at him, "Whatever, I have a report to fill out," she said, yanking her hand from his and walked away from Ben, towards the main desk.

"Remember what I said!" Ben yelled after her.

Once given the file, she went and filled out all the information Harry had given her.

Handing the file back over to the stern-looking secretary she said, "The only thing I was unable to obtain is how to get hold of his uncle."

Amy felt a tap on her shoulder, "Is this about the Potter-Dursley accident?" inquired one of her co-workers

"Yes, why?" Amy asked hesitantly

"That uncle that you're talking about isn't coming to the hospital he's going to the jail the day after tomorrow. Once he meets his wife."

After a few awkward moments, Amy responded, "But, why?"

"I was in the room with that boy's aunt," he looked down at the chart to check his name, "Harry's aunt. She admitted to loads of things apparently the boy's uncle has been beating him for years. That's where the broken arm came from."

Amy's jaw dropped to the floor, "Oh my god."

"Yeah, bloody shame too. Doctor's say she's not going to make it and her son died at the scene of the accident."

Amy turned around to the receptionist. "I need the room for Petunia Dursley, quickly."

Amy could have sworn she saw the receptionist's eyes turn red with anger. "What do you want with the Potter boy's aunt? What business of yours is it?"

"Why do you care what I want? I need the room number."

"You better not get in the way." She seemed to take an extra long time to type the information on the computer and find where Petunia was residing. "Room 187, intensive care, that's where the little brat's aunt is."

Amy glared at her." Thank you." she turned past the other doctor and ran toward room 187.

I....................I

As she reached the room, she looked through the clear, glass window to see a beat up looking woman, half her head was hairless from intensive surgery, sleeping in a rather uncomfortable looking bed.

Amy opened the door, took a deep breath, and then walked in. She paced over to Petunia's bedside, sat down in the visitor's chair, and took Petunia's limp hand in hers.

"Petunia?" she whispered, "Petunia, are you awake?"

She saw Petunia jolt a bit, her bruised eyes fluttered open. "Vernon? Vernon are you there? Dudley? Harry?" Aunt Petunia said in hushed tones. "Vernon, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to tell but I couldn't help myself! Please don't kill Dudley and Harry. Kill me instead."

"Petunia, my name in Amy, I'm a friend of Harry's." she said in confusion.

Petunia turned her head towards Amy. "Vernon? Oh it was dreadful! These things came for us in the car! I didn't know what was happening, but the picture of the day Harry was dropped on our doorstep came to mind and kept replaying. Wasn't that a horrible day? The day we found our dear Lily had died." Tears were dropping from Petunia's eyes. "I loved my sister; I didn't want to tell you because I thought you'd be mad at me. Same with the boy."

Amy gasped as she listened. The boy could only be Harry.

"I do love Harry," Petunia continued, "I can't believe how badly we treated him! I'm so sorry for it, Vernon. I know you think he deserved it but maybe you shouldn't have hit him so hard. Vernon?"

"Yes" Amy answered for Petunia's husband.

"Where's Dudders at? I miss him."

Amy didn't know what to answer. "In some place far better than this," she said, a tear dripping from her eye.

"Hmm. Well could you please tell him to take care of Harry? I love them both so much. Vernon?'

"Yes," Amy answered once more.

"I love you too. You just hit really hard." With that. Petunia closed her eyes and passed away, as Amy sat there, feeling helpless and crying her eyes out for Harry, who in a heartbeat had no one in the world to care for him.

I.....................I

Harry's eyes fluttered open and he blurrily scanned the room. Memories from that night came flooding back to him. The dementors. He thought. Where had the dementors come from?

He felt someone place his glasses on his face, interrupting his thoughts.

"Amy?" wondered Harry is a very horse voice.

"Hey Harry," Amy said with a smile. "I'm glad to see that you remember me."

"Well, how could I forget? You're the one who saved me? Um...Amy?" inquired Harry.

"Yes?"

"Do you think I could have some water?" asked Harry hesitantly.

"Of course," she responded while grabbing a glass of water from the table next to her and placing a straw in it and helping Harry sit up in an upright position. "Here, sweetie."

She handed Harry the water in his right hand. He took it but his hand was shaking so much from pain and fear that some of the water spilled onto his blanket, "I-I'm so sorry."

"That's okay dear," Amy said while grabbing a towel and dabbing the water up, "Here," she said as she held the water to him and allowed him to drink from the straw. The cold, fresh water was a relief to his burning, aching throat and he savored every drop.

"Better?" asked Amy sweetly. Harry smiled and felt his bed being lowered back to its original place.

"I was wondering, Amy. If you could tell me what's wrong with me. The doctor used all sorts of weird words and none of it made sense."

"Of course," stated Amy as she walked over to Harry's chart on the back of the door. "Well, it looks like you have a fractured neck, a broken arm and knee cap, and multiple cuts on your face and a broken nose. Nothing too serious, eh?"

Harry and Amy cracked up laughing.

"Oh, how are my aunt and cousin?" asked Harry as his happy laughter diminished into a serious tone again.

Amy remained silent for a while then carefully gently grabbed Harry's hand and started stroking it with her thumb. Harry started to panic now, it didn't look good.

"Sweetie, your cousin died at the scene of the accident. You aunt was brought here after the accident and taken to intensive care, she died a couple hours ago."

There was an awkward silence as Amy could see Harry's lips start to tremble. "Oh, umm..." He tried to hold back the sob that threatened to escape his throat, "We were never like a family anyway. It just felt like we were finally starting to get along. It's all my fault. We were in the car because of me, it should have been me who died, and I deserve it."

"Honey, your aunt loved you very much. I was there when she passed away and she talked about you. She loved you," exclaimed Amy, while trying to calm Harry down, which helped him somewhat.

"No," Harry whispered in a very strained voice, which broke Amy's heart.

"Harry I have to tell you something else. You're aunt said that your uncle has been beating you-"

"NO! Whatever she said it's not true!" Harry screamed cutting Amy off. "She's a liar! My uncle has done nothing!"

Amy looked down at Harry sympathetically in her glazed eyes, "Harry, Doctor Brent found bruises on you that weren't caused by the accident; they were weeks old."

The sob that Harry had been desperately trying to hold back escaped from his throat without warning. He felt hot tears roll down his cheeks; embarrassed he quickly wiped his cheeks with his the back of his good hand trying to relinquish his tears.

He felt Amy squeeze his hand in reassurance and comfort; this allowed him to close his eyes and try to control his emotions that were on the surface.

He felt Amy's hand withdrawal from his a while later and all the comfort and reassurance went away as quickly as it had come. He felt very alone.

Another sob came out and Amy, retreated back into the room. Before she could say anything Harry did, "Stay with me?" he asked as he opened his eyes a crack, in a very childlike voice for a boy his age.

"Sure, sweetie. Everything will be okay," she lied as she sat down next to Harry and took his hand in hers once more, knowing that Harry now had no where to go.

"No it won't," she heard Harry softly say more to himself than her.

I........................I