Gravity

Chapter 21

Long days were spent at the office as Draco was involved in merger negotiations between two of Malfoy Industry's business partners, and he was lucky to get home while it was still daylight. Sarah kept him informed of Erin's progress by way of regular letters. She and the other Healers now involved in the experimental case wanted to give the medication time to begin working before slowly drawing Erin out of the coma. As such, she wasn't going to be woken until two weeks after the first dose of the experimental medication was administered.

The media was following the story very closely. There were always reporters mulling about the hospital, looking for a new angle or change in Erin's condition. Sarah and the hospital's administrators were willing, almost eager, to speak with them on a daily basis. As the days passed, Draco continued to receive inquiries from reporters, hoping to get a statement from him.

Draco didn't understand why the media was so interested in him, in particular. The story had been run; what further use was he to them?

Sarah's last letter, sent two days before Erin was to be woken, was just as cool as her previous letters had been. She wasn't unfriendly, but professionally distant. He couldn't blame her, after what the papers had said about him. Without doubt, she was no longer uncertain about what it meant to be a Death Eater. He did not regret choosing not to tell her that evening at dinner, but he wished she could have found out in another way.

In the letter, Sarah told him what time they planned to draw her out of the coma and that the Andrews still wanted him to be there. She mentioned that there would be reporters. She had tried to have them confined to a specific area, but the administrators were adamant that they be allowed outside the girl's room. She hoped he would come, regardless.

Draco sighed at the thought of trying to avoid the relentless gossip mongers, but not even they could keep him away. He had made a promise, and he would keep it, no matter what. After Sarah's letter, Draco cleared his afternoon schedule for the day Erin was to wake up. He arrived at the hospital after lunch to discover the lobby full of flowers, flying banners with 'best wishes' on them, and other gifts. Curious, Draco inquired of the witch behind the counter.

"They're all for the Andrews," she replied. "The Healers don't want anything in the girl's room though, so we thought to bring everything down here. Lighten up the lobby a bit. Isn't it cheerful?"

Draco nodded his assent and then headed for the lift.

When the doors opened on Erin's floor, a horde of reporters turned their heads as one. He really shouldn't have been so surprised, as there had been daily articles about some aspect of the girl's situation in the paper, but he hadn't expected there to be so many of them. They crowded the hall, quills and cameras at the ready.

A second passed in silence as they stared at each other, then all of the reporters started speaking at once. They rushed forward, crowding around him and peppering him with questions he had no intention of answering as he walked to Erin's room.

"Oh, Draco! You're here!" said Sarah, poking her head into the hallway at the disturbance.

He quickened his pace and slipped into the room, the media personnel still begging for a word. When the door clicked shut between them, he smiled at the blissful quiet.

"Good," said Sarah, giving him a warm smile. "We can get started."

Draco glanced around the room and saw, in addition to Sarah and the Andrews, four other Healers. The symbols on their robes indicated that they were in research. They were standing in a row on one side of the room and he got the impression they were anxious to begin the procedure.

Draco stayed where he was, just inside the door. The Andrews sat on one side of Erin's bed, holding hands and talking quietly.

"Ready?" Sarah asked, addressing everyone in the room.