《 Skip a Beat 》

Just like waking up

Tina found time in every day to visit Newt, which wasn't particularly hard, since the only thing she was doing at home was rooting through her work files and filling out overdue paperwork.

Theseus found it hard visiting even every second day, as chaos in the ministry was ramping up in response to him dragging Grindelwald into custody.

Everyone else visited every couple days, but exactly three weeks after the surgery, Leta suggested that all five of them go together, so that was the plan.

Everyone had been in a lighter mood after the operation, even after three weeks of no advance, since there was a better chance he would make it. Queenie didn't even ask before shooting inside the room to see Newt. The others hesitated a moment when they heard the nurse talking quietly to Queenie. They heard a gasp, rapid footsteps, then-

"Guys! Guys, get in here!"

Queenie hurriedly ushered all four of them into the room, and Tina braced herself for whatever was coming.

Nothing.

Almost nothing was different from how they'd last seen Newt yesterday. He was still pale (though the colour was slowly returning to his face), he was still on life- support, he still had the bandage wrapped around his head, he was still in the same room, same bed (though there were no sheets, leaving the lower half of his sewed- up leg visible), and he still wasn't moving. Except...

"He is moving, Tina! Look! He's alive!" whispered Queenie, nudging her forward. Tina glanced behind her; everyone was watching her expectantly. Tina uncertainly edged closer to the bed. Closer. Closer, until she was right next to him. Tina looked back at her sister.

Can you read his mind?

Queenie closed her eyes. Pure silence reverberated around the room for a moment. She looked up at Tina again.

"It's really cold in here. Where am I? Is everyone safe?"

Tina fought a smile. That sounded just like Newt. She turned back to the bed, and gasped softly. Theseus edged closer. A tell- tale flicker...

"Newt!"

He tentatively cracked open an eye.

It was so light... and there were so many people in the room...

Voices mingled together, mixing in with high beeping sounds and rustling. He recognised one of them... a couple voices... no, he knew all of these. He tried to match the voice to the name, or person, but his brain felt fried. And his leg hurt so much...

Everything came flooding back to Newt. Sightseeing. The amphitheatre. Grindelwald. Tina. The last thing he remembered was a voice screaming, yelling for help... that was Tina. He opened his eyes fully now.

Blurry-edged faces started to come into focus.

There was Theseus: he'd recognise his brother anywhere, though his eyes had sunken in and darkened, Tina- it was her voice that he heard the most, Leta, looking overjoyed on her husband's right, Queenie, beaming down at him, Jacob beside her, and someone he'd never seen before, though her white coat and clipboard made him suspect she was a nurse.

A nurse?

While Newt tried to figure out what a nurse was doing in a roman amphitheatre ruin, and why the concrete felt so soft, the nurse started talking.

"He's advised to stay still: everything is still healing. And no talking either."

Newt didn't think he could talk if he tried. His throat felt dry, scratchy and clogged up at the same time. Everyone vaguely acknowledged the nurse, and she got the hint that they wanted some time alone with Newt, and left the room smiling to herself.