Prompt 16 - The Hospital Wing Word Count: 828
Remus shoved people aside, not bothering to apologize as he moved past them.
He had to get to the Hospital Wing.
He was studying in the library when Peter approached him, silent as a mouse, wringing his hands as he did when nervous.
The moment he heard that Sirius had landed himself in the Hospital Wing, he started running, leaving Peter behind in a flurry of paperwork as he abandoned his assignments. Hopefully, they would still be there when he returned for them. Sirius was more important.
All Peter had said was that he fell off his broomstick during Quidditch practice. He didn't mention how high he had fallen; worry churned in his stomach.
Remus entered the Hospital Wing without bothering to knock; he knew this place like it was a second home, having spent so many days here after the full moon. Plus, Pomfrey must have known he would come. Sirius was his after all.
Still, he couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose at the ever-present smell of antiseptic and doctor's office.
“Oh, Remus!” Madam Pomfrey exclaimed, relief washing over her as she moved through drawers filled with various medical equipment. “I knew you’d be here soon enough.”
“I came as quickly as I could,” Remus said, still a little out of breath from the exertion. “How is he?” He couldn't hide the worry on his face when he asked.
Pomfrey's expression softened as she noticed the boy's concern for the other. Ah, young love... she thought wistfully.
“He’ll survive,” she said, watching as Remus let out a sigh of relief. “However, he does have a concussion.” Remus gave her a look of bewilderment. “He’s lucky it wasn’t worse. He did fall from quite a height, after all. Right on his head, too.”
He dreaded the answer, but he still had to ask, “How high…?”
“It was about 12, maybe 13 feet up,” Poppy answered. Seeing Remus grimace, she added, “Potter tried to catch him,” hoping to ease his worries.
He appreciated her efforts to make him feel better, but they didn't have the desired impact as he kept replaying the image of Sirius landing on his head over and over in his mind. The thought hit, then it lingered: he could have lost him. He could have lost him.
Recognizing that look, Pomfrey placed a steady hand on his shoulder, grounding him. “Do you want to see him?” she asked, already knowing his answer.
He didn’t need to think before replying, “Yes, please.” He had to see him.
She moved towards what he assumed was the curtain that Sirius was behind. He followed her intently, like a puppy on her heels. Just before she pulled the curtain back, she told him, “He’s asleep, but he’s been asking for you.”
Something about her saying that caused his heart to warm and eased some of his worries. Just for a moment until she pulled back the curtain and he saw him. Sirius lay on the bed, his hair splayed out behind him as he slept. In this moment, he appeared smaller somehow. Frail.
It broke his heart a little to see his boy, his broken beauty, lying here without a trace of himself. The mischievous sparkle in his eye as he planned pranks was gone, replaced by a resting eyelid.
Normally, he would be the one in this bed, while Sirius stood here watching over him after a full moon. It felt odd to have the roles reversed.
Taking Sirius's hand in his own, Remus held it there. One finger pressed against his pulse, while the other gently swept over his hand in a soothing motion.
He didn’t like this. Sitting here, he now understood what it felt like to sit there, anxiously waiting for the other person to wake up on their own, just to avoid getting a lecture from Poppy.
Sirius does this for me every time. Remus felt a lump in his throat as he gazed at the boy lying on the bed in front of him, overwhelmed by love.
Sirius's eyes fluttered open as he squinted at the bright light above him. Remus was by his side before he even noticed he was there.
“Pads!” Remus exclaimed, relieved to finally see those eyes open again. “You’re awake!”
Sirius's voice was gravely sleepy when he spoke, confused. "Moony?" He was still waking up as he took in his surroundings. Gods above, his head hurt.
Looking into his eyes, Remus asked, “Yes, Pads?” He was ready to do anything Sirius could ask at this moment.
Even the effort of turning his head to look at him sent sharp waves of pain through his skull, making him wince. His grip on Remus's hand tightened, and Remus hummed in sympathy.
“Go get Madam Pomfrey. My head feels like it’s about to explode,” Sirius groaned.
Remus stood up to do just that. Before releasing Sirius's hand, he gave it one final squeeze to say, "I love you," before pulling back the curtain to go find Poppy.
