In the Shadow of Seventh year

Chapter 21: A Mental Messy Mentality

Poppy had trouble sitting still in the waiting room of St. Mungo's. 

 The Healers had taken one look at her gran and they'd rushed off with her. Ominis had been standing by her side and seemed to be okay from the outside, but he had collapsed only a minute after.
   Another Healer had taken care of him and had urged her to stay and wait. 

The Aurors had left as soon as the Healers had taken over from them.
   She really didn't mind them leaving, but sitting there alone was making her crazy with worry.

Given it must've been close to midnight or maybe even past it, the Hospital was very quiet, making waiting even worse since there was nothing to distract her.
   All she could do was hope that her gran would be able to recover and Ominis would come to soon enough.
   Her legs were crossed with one leg bouncing up and down while she chewed on her thumbnail. The fight had been intense and Ominis' mother had been a real piece of work. No wonder he had told her once that she's the one to look out for, not his father. 
   Her own parents weren't much of a surprise, but she would lie if she said it didn't do anything to her. Flashbacks of red lights, taunting words and pain, so much pain had plagued her even while fighting. 
   The thing keeping her grounded was the sight of her gran. Her battered and bruised body... the only person who genuinely cared for Poppy and has always been on her side... seeing her in that awfully vulnerable state made her hatred overpower her fear and the need for revenge had moved her into action after Mrs. Gaunt had used that terrible curse.

Speaking of that curse, Poppy glanced at the doorway the Healer had disappeared behind with Ominis. 
   He had jumped in front of her when her mother had tried to torture her again. Tears filled her eyes. His trauma must've been worse than hers, since he was so young when it happened, but he hadn't hesitated to take the curse for her. 
   She would never forget that.

"Ms. Sweeting?" Her name was called by a Healer who'd come walking down the hallway. Poppy jumped up and nearly ran over to him. 
   "That's me! Is my grandmother okay? Is she awake?" She frantically asked. 
"Your grandmother has suffered a lot of injuries. The Aurors told me what they did to patch her up, but I'm afraid not all injuries were superficial." The Healer explained, looking over at the medical record he held in his hand. "There was some internal bleeding and she suffered from a stroke. We were informed she'd been hit by the Cruciatus Curse and it's most likely that's what caused the stroke."

She had a hard time digesting that information. A stroke. Her gran was very healthy and a powerful woman, but she was getting old. Nearing her eighties. Poppy had just enough medical knowledge to understand that it wasn't something she'd recover from easily.

"So how is she now?" She asked, fearing the worst because the look on the Healer's face was pure sympathy. Almost like her grandmother... No. She refused to even think that. 
   Her grandmother was strong and she wouldn't be beat so easily. 

"She won't be able to walk for some time, but we do believe she'll recover in time." He told her. "I'm sorry to say you won't be able to see her tonight, since she's sleeping and she needs to rest, but come morning if she's awake you will be allowed to visit her for a few minutes."
   Relief flooded through Poppy like a tidal wave and she felt a little light headed. Her grandmother lived. She'd be okay. 
   Then sadness bloomed when she thought about her not being able to walk. If there was anything her gran loved to do it was going for walks, exploring, even gardening. She won't be pleased to know she won't be able to do those things, but she was lucky it was temporary.

When the Healer made to leave, Poppy stopped him. 
   "Wait, what about Ominis Gaunt? He was put in that room over there." She pointed to the door in question and looked at him expectantly. 
   The Healer went through his notes. 
"Ah yes, Mr. Gaunt." He said when he found the information he was looking for.