Vigor | h. granger

T H R E E

Evan was in the hospital another week, Hermione coming to visit him each day, before Madam Pomfrey officially discharged him to be rolled around in his wheelchair. Madam Pomfrey had helped him into the chair and then handed him Hermione's things before Hermione had wheeled him off to Charms class.

"How do you feel today?" she asked quietly as she pushed him through the halls. Most of the students stopped dead in their tracks. Many of them had never seen a muggle wheelchair before and those who had were surprised. Evan wished he could have shrugged.

"I've felt better," he admitted. "Good as it gets, I guess, what with being paralyzed and on borrowed time." Hermione grimaced from behind Evan, an anger washing over her. Evan shut his eyes as Hermione pushed him, trying to ignore the pain that he constantly felt.

A silence fell over the two. Evan wished her could turn around and read Hermione's body language to see what she was feeling. "Do you know what we're doing in Charms today?"

"Accio, I think," Hermione replied. Evan sighed.

"Bloody brilliant," he moaned. "My fist day back and we're doing a spell."

Hermione pushed the door open and pulled Evan through before levitating him up the steps into his spot, next to Hermione. Across from Hermione sat Harry, and then Ron, both of which Evan's interactions only went as far as that he'd exchanged a few words in the form they shared, but not much more.

"Thanks, Hermione," Evan replied, opening his eyes, his teeth biting his tongue ever so slightly. "Here's your stuff." Hermione took her stuff from Evan's lap, smiling. Professor Flitwick approached their table as more students slipped into the class.

"Mr. Velasco, glad to have you back," he squeaked. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been worse," he said dryly, giving the professor half a smile.

"Professor Dumbledore informer my of your situation, and I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure Miss Granger will be happy to explain or demonstrate if you should need it," Professor Flitwick smiles from just over the desk. He turned away and went to go speak with a Ravenclaw about the homework.

Harry and Ron both got up to stand in front of the table and chat before class. They spoke with Hermione briefly before Harry turned to Evan. "Evan, it really sucks that this happened," Harry said.

"Yeah," Evan said. "I guess suck would be an accurate way to describe it."

"Do you know what happened?" Ron asked, eyes flickering all over Evan's body.

"That group of Slytherins cursed me until I was at the brink of death," he said, bitterness piercing his words. He sighed after a pause. "And yet, I still have to go to school."

"I bet Snape will expect all of the work you missed," Harry said. Evan rolled his eyes.

"Not only do I have to be paralyzed, in pain, taking a soup of potions every day, but I have to put up with Snape," he groaned. "Merlin, could I die any faster?"

"Are you staying in the dorms again?" Ron asked.

"No," Evan sighed, glad the topic had changed. "Madam Pomfrey wants to monitor me while I sleep, so I get to go to the Hospital Wing every night. Yay." Professor Flitwick tapped his wand on his lectern from atop his pile of books, clearing his throat. Harry and Ron went back to their seats. Hermione looked at Evan and under the table, put her hand on his. Even though his nerves couldn't comprehend the feeling of her hand on his, his heart appreciated it all of the same.

________

Hermione pushed him down the hall after a long day of classes, questions from fellow students, people asking to push is wheelchair, people asking to see if he could feel this or feel that, if he would be better, when he would be okay again.

"Somehow, the Slytherins made me more popular," Evan sighed. Hermione laughed.

"A lot of wizards haven't seen an ill person before, most of them are just kept in St. Mungos. Most of them haven't seen a wheelchair either, so you're pretty interesting to them," Hermione replied. "Of course, I've always thought you were interesting."

"Thanks, Hermione," Evan replied. "I don't think I could have picked a better person to help me through this."

"Thanks, Evan," Hermione said.  "It's nice to get to know someone who I have things in common with."

They reached the Hospital Wing after some more small talk, where Hermione took her things and bade Evan goodbye, a faint blush in her cheeks as she hurried out of the room.

Madam Pomfrey took him out of the chair and put him into the bed, gave him all of his potions before she grabbed a chart and began to ask him questions.

"Now, on a scale of 1 to 10 how much pain are you experiencing?" She asked, her clipboard and quill floating next to her, ready to write away.

"I dunno, a seven?" Evan said, asking it more as a question than an answer. The quill wrote it down anyway.

"Are you experiencing any trouble breathing or speaking?" She asked, now checking his pulse.

"No," he replied.

"76," Madam Pomfrey announced. The quill write it down and she sent the board away for the day before pulling a small potion bottle out of her robe pockets.

"What's that?" Evan asked, recognizing that it wasn't a potion he'd taken before.

"I've decided that you're well enough to begin the treatment. It will not decrease your pain, it will more likely increase it. The potion is a mix of a sleeping draught and activation of the treatment. It should take effect immediately, and hopefully you should not feel any pain while I am giving you the treatment. You are, at any time in the following treatments, of course, at liberty to inform me to stop the treatment."

"Will it actually increase my life expectancy?" Evan asked, the part of his mind that was afraid of dying taking control for a brief moment. Madam Pomfrey's face said it all.

"No, however, it should ease your suffering somewhat. This will repair your nervous system, but your body has suffered too much internal damage. There's nothing I can to do help with that, I'm sorry."

"How much longer?" Evan asked, his voice quiet.

"I can't give you an exact date, but don't expect more than six weeks if you're lucky," Madam Pomfrey said, her voice quivering. Evan sucked in a deep breath.

"I'm ready for the treatment, then," he said, blinking furiously. He opened his mouth as far as it could and Madam Pomfrey poured the potion in. Immediately, he started to feel drowsy. The last thing he saw was Madam Pomfrey pulling out her wand before his eyes snapped shut and it all began.