Seven Devils ★ T.M.R ★

Chapter Twenty-Four

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THE DISAPPEARANCE
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WAKING UP IN a hospital bed was becoming a routine affair for Marina. Her body seemed to fade back into reality like she was being slowly lifted from a deep sea of unconsciousness, her thoughts going first and foremost to the horrible dryness in her mouth and her gritty, sleep-stuck eyes.

Immediately, something was noticeably different. There was a sound that was both familiar and out of place – the even beeping of a heart monitor. St Mungo's definitely didn't use heart monitors.

Someone was talking, she could hear them over the sounds of her heart beeping away despite everything. She tried to pry her eyes open but they wouldn't cooperate, and it only took a second to realise that they had been taped down like she'd seen on videos of people coming out of surgeries after being put under anaesthesia.

The voices swelled to a crest, then all of a sudden there was a flash of bright light and whoever had been talking fell silent. A second later there was a stinging pain in her hand and her throat felt funny, and then her stomach twisted with a swooping, sinking feeling that she could recognise anywhere – she was being Apparated. She tried desperately to cling to consciousness as she felt herself fading but it was too late, and she sunk beneath the waves again.

Although she couldn't tell for sure, it felt like a long time until Marina woke again. There was no beeping this time, no reassurance from that steady, tenacious heartbeat – but there were more voices. Slowly the dull deafness in her ears began to lift and soon she could make out what they were saying.

"... in a Muggle hospital, they had no idea what to do with her of course, had all of these ghastly tubes in her...

"And Healer Harpis found her?"

"Yes, on one of her inspections. More and more magical ailments ending up in Muggle hospitals these days, you know, considering..."

"No wand?"

"None."

"Can't have been... them... could it?"

"I don't see how a group of thugs could have given someone such a serious case of time sickness."

Marina stirred, and the voices immediately ceased their conversation.

"Rennervate!" one of them said.

With a soft swell of red light, alertness coursed through Marina and she gasped as her eyes flew open. Two Healers were on either side of her bed, both in their lime-green robes and wands in hand. The first of them – an older woman with deep brown skin and a serious face, her greying hair in a circular braid on her head – turned Marina's face towards her and pointed her wand at her eyes.

"I know you must be confused," the Healer said, "but I need you to stay still, do you understand?"

Marina nodded, still breathing heavily. It felt strange, raggedy and wheezing like the time she'd had bronchitis.

The Healer began muttering incantations and watching Marina's eyes very closely. Her accomplice, a middle-aged man with pitch black hair and a handsome face had produced a glass of familiar looking liquid – the same silvery green liquid with little purple bubbles that Madam Pomfrey had given her all those months ago. As he held it to her lips, Marina drank it without question. The acrid taste washed through her mouth and she instantly felt tingles spreading through her body, congregating at her fingers and feet like she'd had a numbness that was beginning to dissipate.

"My name is Healer Jin," he said as he helped her drink, "this is Healer Buckthorn," he nodded towards the older woman who still had her wand pointed between Marina's eyes in deep concentration. "You're at St Mungo's Hospital, we're here to help you," he gave a small smile and Marina reflexively smiled back. He had a very calming presence. He tilted the glass again and Marina obediently took another gulp of the horrible tasting potion, pushing back a grimace.