Just Breathe

t e n

Sirius

The next day, they decided Remus didn't need the ventilator anymore. After shutting it off and determining that he could breathe fine on his own, they put him on more pain meds 

I couldn't watch as they pulled the tube out of his throat. He was gagging as they pulled the 21 centimeter tube out.

Lily sat at his side holding his hand and whispering encouraging things to him while I stood by the door, focusing on keeping my breakfast down.

James and Peter went to classes today, seeing as it's Monday. Lily and I stayed behind with Remus for the day and the other two would be joining us later.

I turned back around to see Lily handing a tearful Remus a water bottle with a straw. I walked over and sat on the other chair.

"How are you feeling? You did great."

"Heh-" he tried to talk but his voice caught and he started coughing, rubbing his throat in pain.

"I'm okay," he croaked.

Once the nurse got his nasal cannula set up, Remus scooted over and patted the space beside him. I crawled onto the hospital bed and Remus cozied into me, head on my chest.

*******

Remus was in the hospital for a week and a half in total. By the time he was able to come home, Christmas break was two days away. We were all eating supper at Remus and Lily's apartment when James brought up the topic of Christmas.

"So I've been thinking," he said.

"Here we go," Remus giggled.

James looked both shocked and offended. Remus giggled some more and then Lily couldn't help in joining in. Soon we were all laughing at James's expression.

"Anyways, I was talking to my parents and since Sirius is staying at my place for Christmas anyway, we were wondering if everyone wanted to join us?"

Remus and Lily stared. Peter beamed. He wasn't as surprised by the offer as the other two were.

"We couldn't—on Christmas? We couldn't intrude on your family time, James," Lily stuttered.

"No I insist. It'll be tons of fun, I promise. Plus my parents want to meet all of you."

Lily looked to Remus, who shrugged, a grin breaking out on his face.

Lily turned back to James. "Well, Petunia will get what she's always wanted, a Christmas without Remus and I."

"Who's Petunia?" I asked.

"She's my older sister," Lily said. "She hates the both of us. She has since we got a scholarship to Hogwarts  High School. It's like a starter version of the arts college. Petunia hasn't got a creative bone in her body, so she gets really jealous of us. And last year she married the dullest man on the planet, Vernon Dursley. She's a real pain, Petunia is."

Remus nodded along, verifying all of this information.

"Hm. Didn't know you had a sister," James said.

"Yeah well. I don't talk about her often."

After a short, awkward silence, James turns to me. "Oh, and Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"You should invite Regulus."

My heart stopped a minute. "Really?" I whispered. "You mean it?"

James grinned. "Of course I mean it. Call him."

I stood from the table abruptly and everyone jumped. "I need to—can I...thanks for supper but I need to go," I said, running from the apartment.