Breathe

Getting Worse

Disclaimer: I do not have Cystic Fibrosis, and I will not claim to know much about it either. I do know some but likely not enough. If you are actually interested in CF, you should absolutely do your own research. Regulus's illness is dramatized for plot reasons. Anyway enjoy!

Regulus could feel the beginning of a pretty bad cough forming in his throat. It was growing in a way that Regulus knew wouldn't be any good. He waited until his professor, Slughorn, looked in his direction as he was teaching. He quickly pointed towards the exit, and when Slughorn nodded, Regulus made his way out of the classroom. He checked for anyone else in the hallway before practically sprinting down the corridor to the nearest bathroom.

As he swung the bathroom door closed behind him, he flicked a silencing charm at it. He took a few deep breaths before the coughing started. Regulus coughed, and he just kept coughing. When he started feeling mucus coming up his throat, he slowly made his way over to one of the sinks. He continued coughing as he began spitting the mucus into the sink. It continued for so long that Regulus was beginning to shake. His throat burned as his body continuously rocked with coughs.

After what felt like forever, the coughing settled down, and Regulus gently set his head against the edge of the cold porcelain sink. He turned the water on without looking up. He slowly caught his breath, and when he no longer felt like he was suffocating, he looked up. He starred in the mirror. Nothing that he looked at particularly stood out, but to him, all he could see was his sickness.

Regulus Black was born to the Noble and Ancient House of Black. That means he was always held to the highest standards. Unfortunately for Regulus, he has been failing to meet them since he was born. From what he knew, he was always a fussy baby. When he was four months old, his parents, Orion and Walburga Black, finally found out why. He was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis then he immediately became the house elf Kreacher's responsibility.

Regulus had no memories of warmth as a young child. The earliest thing he can remember is the repeated motion of his treatment. In which Kreacher would continuously pat his chest, trying to loosen to mucus that would eventually kill him. Those were the earliest memories that Regulus had.

The next thing he remembers is his brother, Sirius Black, who became his caretaker when Regulus was five. Sirius himself was only six when he had begun giving Regulus his treatments instead of Kreacher, who needed to take care of their parents instead. Regulus remembered that a lot better. He remembered Sirius's gentle words as he would gather up Regulus's pills. Sirius would sit with Regulus as he wore his vest that shook his chest and acted as Kreacher's repeated patting. Sirius would gently explain some of Regulus' sickness to him, only things that would not scare a young child. Sirius eventually had to go off to Hogwarts, and he started teaching Regulus how to take care of himself about a month before he had to leave.

Regulus stopped doing his vest treatments for the first few weeks after Sirius left. He hated that Sirius wouldn't be there with him during them, so he did the only part he deemed necessary. That was until Regulus woke up one morning coughing up tons of mucus and unable to catch his breath. He had his first panic attack that morning. That was also when Regulus learned, completely on his own, that his condition was serious, that it could actually kill him.

As soon as Regulus got into his dorm that afternoon, he walked over to his oxygen equipment. He grabbed the charmed container of oxygen that his personal doctor had given to him before he came back this year, and it supplies him with clean air at all times. He quickly looked that up to a new nasal cannula, and he brought the container over to his bed.

He laid the oxygen container on the nightstand next to his bed. Then he slipped the nasal cannula over his ears and lined it up correctly. He took a few deep breaths before laying back, and he stared up at the ceiling. He heard Barty and Evan walk in, and he absently waved toward them.