The Cupboard Series 5: United We Stand ...

Chapter 13

"Mum?"

Petunia dropped the booklet that she was reading into her lap as her son's voice flittered to her for the first time since the attack. She barely noticed it clatter to the ground as she scrambled from her bed and across the small distance to perch on the side of her precious Dudley's bed.

"Dudley? How are you, my baby?" she asked, her eyes roving over his face, trying to judge his wellness.

"I'm ... I'm okay, I think," Dudley replied before his face screwed up and he gasped. "Dad!"

"I know, baby, I know," she said, throwing her thin, bony arms as far around her son as she could manage.

Dudley began bawling, his loud sobs sending shudders through his body. Petunia did what little she could, holding him and stroking his hair, whispering platitudes and just allowing him to cry.

Eventually, Dudley pushed her away and ran the sleeve of his pyjamas across his blotchy face, smearing it with tears and snot.

"It's the Freak's fault, isn't it?" he snarled. "I'll kill him for getting Dad killed like that!"

"Stop, Dudley!" Petunia snapped and the unexpectedness of his mother speaking to him like that snapped his mouth shut even as his eyes widened. "It's not H...Harry's fault."

Dudley opened his mouth to protest but for probably the very the very first time in his life, his mother spoke straight over the top of him.

"It's not, Dudders, it's not Harry's fault," she insisted. "He tried to warn us and even gave us these watches so that we could escape if something happened."

At that, she held up her hand, allowing her sleeve to drop down, exposing the watch to his view.

"And it worked, we got away; we're still alive," she finished.

"Didn't help Dad," Dudley snarled.

"No, no it didn't help your father," Petunia agreed sadly. "But I don't think anything could have helped him. They used their sticks to stop your father from talking or even moving."

Dudley's angry eyes darted about the room, taking everything in.

"Where are we?" he asked suspiciously.

"We're at Harry's school," Petunia replied before starting, looking around and then popping off the bed for a moment to collect the small booklet that she had been looking at.

"We're at a freak school!" Dudley bellowed, his hands inching towards his bottom even as it sounds like he was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"It's okay, Dudley, it's okay," Petunia soothed. "They've done nothing but help us. They've even healed us."

Dudley seemed to take stock of his body then.

"No, they didn't. My legs hurt," he whined.

"Yes, the doctor said that they would for a few days at least, even with their special way of doing things," Petunia told him. "They tell me that you were very badly hurt, Dudley. If we hadn't come here when we did, you could have died."

"Yes, you could have," the doctor agreed, appearing at the end of the bed. "It's good to see you awake, Dudley."

A stick appeared in her hand and Dudley tried to shy away.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you, just see how well you're healing," she smiled as she began waving her wand around. "Your legs still need some healing; the tendons behind your knees were cut very severely and you lost a lot of blood. If it wasn't for Chert's quick thinking, you would have bled out before I got to you."