The Healer | Part 3: The Survivors

The Telephone Call

Edith

If I thought it had been difficult getting up the stairs to the fourth floor back in January, I had no idea what I was in for. It was a piece of cake compared to now that I was nearly seven months pregnant. I wished for the millionth time that I was able to Apparate directly to the ward, but I knew it would be a safety issue if just anyone could Apparate anywhere into St Mungo's. If anything, I would appreciate how easy it would be in the future when I was no longer pregnant.

George and I didn't discuss his birthday again. He also seemed to realize it was useless to continue badgering me about quitting school for the moment. I was almost finished this block. I was just praying the boys would hold off on arriving until after the second of June, which was when the block officially ended.

I had just arrived home after another day at the hospital when my mobile started to ring. I hadn't even opened the front door to the house yet.

I had been keeping in touch with Bonnie regularly, though I hadn't been seeing her as often as I had the year previous. She didn't usually call this time of day though.

I pushed the front door open and took off my coat and boots before I pulled the mobile out of my bag.

'Hello,' George stood from his spot on the recliner and greeted me as I examined the number on the tiny screen.

'Hi,' I replied absentmindedly as I looked at the telephone.

It wasn't Bonnie, I didn't recognize the number at all. Who else even knew my number? Should I answer it? Was it even someone I knew or a wrong number?

George must have seen the confusion on my face.

'What is it?' He asked as the mobile continued to ring in my hand.

'I dunno,' I answered honestly. He raised an eyebrow.

I answered it.

'Hello?'

'Edith? Is that you?'

My heart stopped.

'Mum?' I exclaimed. Both of George's eyebrows shot up as I looked at him in a panic. My legs started to shake and I couldn't seem to be able to get them to move.

'I asked Bonnie for your telephone number, I hope you donna mind,' she went on.

'Erm... no, it's fine,' I stammered.

'I've been trying to reach you all day, it's been going straight to voicemail.'

The initial shock was starting to wear off slightly and I noticed she sounded a bit nervous.

'Oh... erm... I was at the hospital all day,' I explained slowly, still staring wide-eyed at George. I could hardly believe this. 'My mobile doesn't work in places where there's too much... erm... magic.'

'Oh... right,' she replied.

George mouthed, 'are you okay?' at me and I nodded wordlessly. I somehow managed to get my legs to work again and walked over to the kitchen table where I sank into a chair.

'Listen, Edith,' I heard her take a deep shuddering breath. 'I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since that night back in January.'

I said nothing, I was still in a bit of a state of shock.

'Erm... right,' I said lamely.

'How are you?' She asked.

How are you? Is that all she had to say? She hadn't spoken to me in almost five months and that was what she wanted to say?